The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 05, 1996
Filed:
Jul. 05, 1994
Thomas M Wirt, Irvine, CA (US);
Rockwell International Corporation, Seal Beach, CA (US);
Abstract
A gyroscope includes one or more drive cylinders operatively attached to a pickoff member, which can be in the form of a disk or cylinder. Where the pickoff member is cylindrical, the gyroscope is configured as three axially-aligned cylindrical members attached end to end, the outer two functioning as drive cylinders and the inner one functioning as a pickoff cylinder. The drive cylinders have a single electrode on the outside diameter and a single electrode on the inside diameter. The pickoff cylinder has a single electrode on the outside diameter and a plurality of electrodes on the inside diameter. In the preferred embodiment, the three cylindrical members are integrally formed with one another from piezoelectric material that is polarized radially, and each drive cylinder is attached to the pickoff cylinder by a plurality of connecting members or posts located at the separations between the pickoff electrodes. The posts are preferably staggered positionally as between the two drive cylinders. The drive member or members are electrically driven in alternating radial expansion and contraction.