Measuring and testing – Speed – velocity – or acceleration – Angular rate using gyroscopic or coriolis effect
Patent
1995-05-12
1997-07-22
Williams, Hezron E.
Measuring and testing
Speed, velocity, or acceleration
Angular rate using gyroscopic or coriolis effect
7350418, G01P 904
Patent
active
056505680
ABSTRACT:
A gimballed vibrating wheel gyroscope for detecting rotational rates in inertial space. The gyroscope includes a support oriented in a first plane and a wheel assembly disposed over the support parallel to the first plane. The wheel assembly is adapted for vibrating rotationally at a predetermined frequency in the first plane and is responsive to rotational rates about a coplanar input axis for providing an output torque about a coplanar output axis. The gyroscope also includes a post assembly extending between the support and the wheel assembly for supporting the wheel assembly. The wheel assembly has an inner hub, an outer wheel, and spoke flexures extending between the inner hub and the outer wheel and being stiff along both the input and output axes. A flexure is incorporated in the post assembly between the support and the wheel assembly inner hub and is relatively flexible along the output axis and relatively stiff along the input axis. Also provided is a single semiconductor crystal fabrication technique and a dissolved wafer fabrication technique. In one embodiment, the gyroscope includes comb drive electrodes. Also described is a box-shaped strain relief structure for use in the spoke flexures and additional strain relief features.
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Antkowiak Bernard M.
Greiff Paul
Kwok Helen C.
The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Inc.
Williams Hezron E.
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