Vibratory gyroscope using piezoelectric film

Abstract

A vibrating gyroscope according to this invention includes a ring-shaped vibrating bodyhaving a uniform plane, a leg portionflexibly supporting the ring-shaped vibrating body and having a fixed end, a fixed potential electrode, and a plurality of electrodesformed on the plane with a piezoelectric film sandwiched between an upper-layer metallic film and a lower-layer metallic film in a thickness direction thereof. In this case, in a representative example shown in FIG., when one of driving electrodesfor exciting a primary vibration of the ring-shaped vibrating bodyin a vibration mode of cos Nθ is set as a reference driving electrode, the plurality of remaining electrodesare disposed at specific positions. Such disposition allows this vibrating gyroscope to excite a primary vibration in an out-of-plane vibration mode of cos 2θ as well as detect a uniaxial or biaxial angular velocity by adopting a secondary vibration detector in an in-plane vibration mode of cos 3θ.