Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

Tomoyasu Hasegawa

Kazufumi Moriya

Eiichi Takata

Kaneo Yaji

Tomio Shibano

Tetsuo Osawa

Yoichi Mochida

Yoshitaka Kato

Katsuhiko Tanaka

Kennichi Atsuchi

A vibrating sensor device is disposed on the obverse or reverse surface of a substrate. A signal processing circuit is disposed on the other surface of the substrate. First and second detecting wiring patterns, through which detection signals generated based on a vibration of a vibrator of the vibrating sensor device caused by a Coriolis force pass, extend from the vibrating sensor device in opposite directions. First and second driving wiring patterns for respectively allowing first and second driving signals, which are 180 degrees out of phase with each other, to pass therethrough extend from the vibrating sensor device in opposite directions. The above-described wiring patterns are disposed so that the capacitances between the adjacent wiring patterns become substantially equal to each other.

Vibrating gyroscope

An angular velocity sensor includes: a vibrator; a support for supporting the vibrator so as to be capable of vibrating; a driver for driving the vibrator by an electrostatic force; a detector for detecting a displacement of the vibrator based on a Coriolis force applied to the vibrator as a variation of electrostatic capacitance; and a capacitance-voltage converting circuit for converting the variation of the electrostatic capacitance detected by the detector into a voltage variation, the capacitance-voltage converting circuit being made as a source-follower circuit connected to a high-resistance gate resistor between a gate and a source using a JFET, and wherein the gate of the JFET is connected to a bias power supply via a bias resistor.

Angular velocity sensor

A downsized angular velocity sensor is disclosed in which the detection sensitivity is improved. An oscillator oscillatably supported by support beams along two horizontal axes is formed of two rod-like members extending along the Y axis and an interconnecting portion. A hollow region is formed between each of the rod-like members and the interconnecting portion. Displacement detecting sections are disposed in the hollow regions. The displacement detecting sections are each constructed of an antenna-like electrode array, so that a greater amount of change in capacitance generated between the antenna-like electrodes can be obtained.

In an angular velocity sensor for sensing angular velocities about two axes or an X-axis and a Y-axis which are perpendicular to each other, a frame-shaped oscillator 26 is disposed to the respective support portions 24 fixed on a substrate 22 through support beams 25 and a columnar electrode 33 is disposed in the oscillator 26 by being fixed to the substrate 22 . X-axis displacement sensing units 31, 31 are formed on the right and left sides of the oscillator 26 and Y-axis displacement sensing units 32, 32 are formed to the forward and rearward sides thereof. When an oscillation drive signal is imposed between the oscillator 26 and the columnar electrode 33, an electrostatic attracting force is generated therebetween and the oscillator 26 is oscillated in a Z-axis direction. When an angular velocity .OMEGA.Y is imposed about the Y-axis at this time, the oscillator 26 is displaced to the X-axis by a Coriolis force and the displacement can be sensed by the X-axis displacement sensing units 31, whereas when an angular velocity .OMEGA.X is imposed about the X-axis, the oscillator 26 is displaced to the Y-axis by a Coriolis force and the displacement can be sensed by the Y-axis displacement sensing units 32, so that the angular velocities about the two axes or the X-axis and the Y-axis can be sensed, respectively.

The present invention relates to an angular velocity sensor comprising a tuning fork vibrator which exerts a tuning fork vibration by receiving a driving input and which generates a torque around the axis of a tuning fork owing to Coriolis force by undergoing a rotational action around the center of the tuning fork. The sensor has a detection torsional vibrator which exerts torsional vibration owing to the torque generated by the tuning fork vibrator, whereby the angular velocity sensor detects a rotational angular velocity around the axis of the tuning fork based upon the magnitude of the vibration of the detection torsional vibrator. At least one buffer torsional vibrator is positioned around the detection torsional vibrator for moderating external transmission energy loss of the torsional vibration of the detection torsional vibrator.

Growing community of inventors

Sagamihara, Japan

Tomoyasu Hasegawa