712 results about "Tuning fork" patented technology

A vibratory rate z-axis gyroscope is characterized by drive-mode and sense-mode quality factors and rate sensitivity and is fabricated with at least two decoupled vibratory tines, a levered drive-mode mechanism coupled between the tines to structurally force anti-phase drive-mode motion of the tines at a predetermined drive frequency, to eliminate spurious frequency modes of the anti-phase drive-mode motion of the tines lower than the predetermined drive frequency and to provide synchronization of drive- and sense-mode motion of the tines, and a sense-mode mechanism coupled between the tines arranged and configured to provide a linearly coupled, dynamically balanced anti-phase sense-mode motion of the tines to minimize substrate energy dissipation and to enhance the sense-mode quality factor and rate sensitivity.

A scanning method and apparatus, the apparatus comprising a fork with first and second forwardly extending tines and a rearwardly extending counterweight member, a mount for supporting the fork at a point between the tines and the counterweight member, and a drive for effecting relative vibration between the tines to provide a fast scan and for driving the fork to provide a slow scan transverse to the fast scan.

The invention relates to a gyrometer based on a vibrating structure, produced by micromachining in a thin planar wafer. It comprises four moving assemblies placed at the vertices of a virtual rectangle, each moving assembly being coupled to two moving assemblies located at neighboring vertices via a coupling structure and comprising an inertial first moving element connected to the coupling structure and intended to vibrate in two orthogonal directions in the plane of the wafer, namely an excitation direction and a detection direction, and a second moving element intended to vibrate in the detection direction and connected, on one side, to the first moving element and, on the other side, to anchoring zones via linking means.

A sensor structure using vibrating sensor elements which can detect an angular rate and accelerations in two axes at the same time is provided. 2 sets of vibration units which vibrate in out-of-phase mode (tunning-fork vibration) and include four vibrating sensor elements of the approximately same shape supported on a substrate in a vibratile state are provided and the vibrating sensor elements are disposed so that vibration axes of the vibration units cross each other at right angles. Each of the vibrating sensor elements includes a pair of detection units and adjustment units for adjusting a vibration frequency. The vibrating sensor elements constitute a combined sensor having supporting structure for supporting the vibrating sensor elements independently so that the vibrating sensor elements do not interfere with each other.

An oscillatory rate sensor is described for sensing rotation about the “z-axis”. It is tuning-fork in nature with structural linkages and dynamics such that fundamental anti-phase oscillation of two proof masses is accomplished by virtue of the mechanical linkages.

An oscillatory angular rate MEMS sensor is described for sensing rotation about the “Z-axis”. Embodiments are either coupled-mass tuning-fork or single oscillating-mass in nature. The sensor includes mechanical and electrical function integration, and is preferably manufactured by a unique MEMS fabrication process.

An improved system, device and method for characterizing a fluid sample that includes injecting a fluid sample into a mobile phase of a flow characterization system, and detecting a property of the fluid sample or of a component thereof with a flow detector comprising a mechanical resonator, preferably one that is operated at a frequency less than about 1 MHz, such as a tuning fork resonator.

A tuning fork-like terminal is accommodated in a terminal-containing section. The tuning fork-like terminal is provided on the central end with a slit adapted to receive a tab being connected. Clamping portions are projected from the opposed surfaces of the slit to pinch the tab between the clamping portions. A slit gage is inserted into a rectangular terminal hole formed in an end of the terminal-containing section to inspect a slit width between the clamping portions of the tuning fork-like terminal. A wide hole portion is formed in the rectangular terminal hole at the insertion position of the slit gage. The wide hole portion is formed by widening a length of a short side of the rectangular terminal hole. The central position of the slit in the tuning fork-like terminal and the central position of the slit gage coincide with each other, even if the tuning fork-like terminal is maximally shifted from the central position in the terminal-containing section, whereby the slit width can be precisely inspected to precisely inspect a slit width in a tuning fork-like terminal accommodated in a terminal-containing section of an electrical junction box.

Aspects of the invention can provide a tuning-fork type piezo-oscillator piece, whose package, in which the tuning-fork type piezo-oscillator piece is mounted, is protected from colliding with oscillating arms even though a physical shock is given onto the tuning-fork type piezo-oscillator piece, and a mounting method thereof. The tuning-fork type piezo-oscillator piece can include a tuning-fork type piezo-oscillator piece main body equipped with a plurality of oscillating arms, a short side part formed along a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the tuning-fork type piezo-oscillator piece main body and connected to the tuning-fork type piezo-oscillator piece main body, and a long side part formed along the longitudinal direction of the tuning-fork type piezo-oscillator piece main body, while starting from the short side part, and equipped with a shock-absorbing part.

Described and illustrated is a system for management of diabetes that includes an infusion pump, glucose sensor and controller with a method programmed in the controller. The infusion pump is configured to deliver insulin. The glucose sensor senses glucose levels in the subject and provide output signals representative of the glucose levels in the subject. The controller is programmed receives signals from at least one of the glucose sensor and the pump and configured to issue signals to the pump to deliver an amount of insulin determined by a feedback controller that utilizes a model predictive control based on desired glucose levels, insulin amount delivered and measured glucose levels of the subject. The controller is also configured to deliver insulin using a tuning factor (R) for a model predictive controller in the microcontroller as a conservative setting otherwise the system maintains a current tuning factor (R) for the controller.

An angular velocity sensor has two masses which are laterally disposed in an X-Y plane and indirectly connected to a frame. The two masses are linked together by a linkage such that they necessarily move in opposite directions along Z. Angular velocity of the sensor about the Y axis can be sensed by driving the two masses into Z-directed antiphase oscillation and measuring the angular oscillation amplitude thereby imparted to the frame. In a preferred embodiment, the angular velocity sensor is fabricated from a bulk MEMS gyroscope wafer, a cap wafer and a reference wafer. In a further preferred embodiment, this assembly of wafers provides a hermetic barrier between the masses and an ambient environment.

The present invention relates to a timing system including an integrated circuit having an oscillator that provides both high and low frequency clock signals from a single high frequency crystal without the necessity of a tuning fork crystal. The low frequency signal is available for time-keeping applications, with low power consumption during “idle” periods. The high performance high frequency signal is available on demand for clock and frequency reference use. The oscillator of the present invention provides improved time-keeping accuracy, whilst size, cost and component count is reduced. Furthermore, phase noise and other critical parameters of the high frequency oscillator are not compromised. Shock vulnerability, a known problem for tuning fork crystals, is reduced.

The invention provides a capacitive micromachined tuning fork gyroscope. The gyroscope is the symmetrical dual-mass structural gyroscope, comprising a substrate and a framework arranged in the centre of the substrate, wherein the middle of the framework is provided with a framework beam perpendicular to the framework; two detection mass blocks are symmetrically arranged in the framework with the framework beam as a symmetry axis, and four corners of each detection mass block are connected with the framework and the framework beam through at least four drive beams; decoupling drive comb capacitors are respectively arranged at both ends of each detection mass block in the direction of a vertical axis; detection comb capacitors are symmetrically arranged on both outer sides of the framework in the direction of a horizontal axis; at least four detection beams are arranged on both outer sides of the framework in the direction of the vertical axis; and the detection beams are distributed symmetrically relative to the vertical axis and the horizontal axis and are fixed on the substrate through corresponding anchor points. According to the capacitive horizontal-axis micromachined tuning fork gyroscope provided by the invention, the mechanical coupling between the detection mode and the driving mode of the micromachined tuning fork gyroscope can be solved easily and effectively.

In a method for manufacturing a quartz crystal unit, a quartz crystal tuning fork resonator is formed by etching a quartz crystal wafer to form a quartz crystal tuning fork base, quartz crystal tuning fork tines connected to the quartz crystal tuning fork base, and a groove having stepped portions in at least one of opposite main surfaces of each of the quartz crystal tuning fork tines. A first electrode is disposed on at least one of the stepped portions of each of the grooves and a second electrode is disposed on each of side surfaces of each of the quartz crystal tuning fork tines. A frequency of oscillation of the quartz crystal tuning fork resonator is adjusted at least twice and in different steps. The quartz crystal tuning fork resonator is then mounted in a case and an open end of the case is covered with a lid.

The present invention is a mechanical oscillator metal loss sensor for use in a corrosive or erosive environment. The elements include a means for mechanical excitation, and a mechanical oscillator with two regions that corrode differently, where the regions are determined to affect specific influences on the resonance parameters, wherein said mechanical oscillator has a resonant frequency, f, and a quality factor, Q. In a preferred embodiment, the mechanical oscillator has the shape of a tuning fork.