Piezoelectric device and electronic apparatus

{
  "publication_number": "US9337803B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Piezoelectric device and electronic apparatus",
  "abstract": "A piezoelectric device includes a vibrator, a piezoelectric drive unit, and a first piezoelectric detector. The vibrator includes a first surface, a first groove formed along a first axis direction, and a second groove formed to be parallel to the first groove. The piezoelectric drive unit includes a first electrode pair provided in the first groove and opposed to each other in a second axis direction orthogonal to the first axis direction and parallel to the first surface, and a first piezoelectric body provided between the first electrode pair, and is capable of vibrating the vibrator. The first piezoelectric detector includes a second electrode pair provided in the second groove and opposed to each other in the second axis direction, and a second piezoelectric body provided between the second electrode pair, and is capable of detecting a vibration of the vibrator.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A piezoelectric device, comprising: a vibrator including a first surface, a first groove that is formed along a first axis direction in the first surface, and a second groove that is formed in the first surface to be parallel to the first groove; a piezoelectric drive unit including a first electrode pair that are provided in the first groove and opposed to each other in a second axis direction that is orthogonal to the first axis direction and parallel to the first surface, and a first piezoelectric body that is provided between the first electrode pair, the piezoelectric drive unit being configured to be capable of vibrating the vibrator in a plane parallel to the first surface due to voltage application between the first electrode pair; and a first piezoelectric detector including a second electrode pair that are provided in the second groove and opposed to each other in the second axis direction, and a second piezoelectric body that is provided between the second electrode pair, the first piezoelectric detector being configured to be capable of detecting a vibration of the vibrator in the plane parallel to the first surface.",
    "2. The piezoelectric device according to claim 1, wherein the vibrator further includes a second surface opposed to the first surface in a third axis direction orthogonal to the first axis direction and the second axis direction, and the first groove is formed to have a depth extending from the first surface to the second surface and includes both side surface portions covered with the piezoelectric drive unit.",
    "3. The piezoelectric device according to claim 1, wherein the vibrator further includes a plurality of arms that extend in the first axis direction and are arranged in the second axis direction, and each of the piezoelectric drive unit and the first piezoelectric detector is provided in at least one arm of the plurality of arms.",
    "4. The piezoelectric device according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of arms include a first arm and a second arm, and the piezoelectric drive unit is provided in each of the first arm and the second arm and configured to be capable of vibrating the first arm and the second arm in opposite phases in the plane parallel to the first surface.",
    "5. The piezoelectric device according to claim 1, wherein the vibrator further includes a frame body including a pair of first beams that extend in the first axis direction and are opposed to each other in the second axis direction, a pair of second beams that extend in the second axis direction and are opposed to each other in the first axis direction, and a plurality of connection portions that connect between the first beam and the second beam, and the piezoelectric drive unit is provided in at least one beam of the first beam and the second beam such that the frame body vibrates in such a vibration mode that, when one pair of the pair of first beams and the pair of second beams move closer to each other, the other pair move away from each other, and, when the one pair move away from each other, the other pair move closer to each other.",
    "6. The piezoelectric device according to claim 1, further comprising: a support portion configured to support the vibrator; a coupling portion configured to elastically couple between the vibrator and the support portion, and an electrode structure that is provided in the coupling portion and configured to be capable of electrostatically detecting a relative movement of the vibrator with respect to the support portion in the plane parallel to the first surface.",
    "7. The piezoelectric device according to claim 1, further comprising a second piezoelectric detector that is provided in the first surface and configured to be capable of detecting a vibration of the vibrator in a plane perpendicular to the first surface.",
    "8. The piezoelectric device according to claim 7, wherein the second piezoelectric detector includes a first electrode layer provided in the first surface, a second electrode layer that is opposed to the first electrode layer in a direction perpendicular to the first surface, and a piezoelectric layer provided between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer.",
    "9. The piezoelectric device according to claim 1, wherein the first groove includes a plurality of grooves arranged in parallel with each other, the first electrode pair include a plurality of electrode pairs that are provided in the plurality of grooves and electrically connected in parallel with one another, and the first piezoelectric body includes a plurality of piezoelectric bodies provided between the plurality of electrode pairs.",
    "10. The piezoelectric device according to claim 1, wherein the first electrode pair include a plurality of electrode pairs that are provided in the first groove and electrically connected in parallel with one another, and the first piezoelectric body includes a plurality of piezoelectric bodies that are provided between the plurality of electrode pairs.",
    "11. The piezoelectric device according to claim 1, wherein the second groove includes a plurality of grooves arranged in parallel with each other, the second electrode pair include a plurality of electrode pairs that are provided in the plurality of grooves and electrically connected in series to one another, and the second piezoelectric body includes a plurality of piezoelectric bodies that are provided between the plurality of electrode pairs.",
    "12. The piezoelectric device according to claim 1, wherein the second electrode pair include a plurality of electrode pairs that are provided in the second groove and electrically connected in series to one another, and the second piezoelectric body includes a plurality of piezoelectric bodies that are provided between the plurality of electrode pairs.",
    "13. An electronic apparatus, comprising a piezoelectric device including a vibrator including a first surface, a first groove that is formed along a first axis direction in the first surface, and a second groove that is formed in the first surface to be parallel to the first groove, a piezoelectric drive unit including a first electrode pair that are provided in the first groove and opposed to each other in a second axis direction that is orthogonal to the first axis direction and parallel to the first surface, and a first piezoelectric body that is provided between the first electrode pair, the piezoelectric drive unit being configured to be capable of vibrating the vibrator in a plane parallel to the first surface due to voltage application between the first electrode pair, and a first piezoelectric detector including a second electrode pair that are provided in the second groove and opposed to each other in the second axis direction, and a second piezoelectric body that is provided in the second electrode pair, the first piezoelectric detector being configured to be capable of detecting a vibration of the vibrator in the plane parallel to the first surface."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present disclosure relates to, a piezoelectric device applied to, for example, an oscillation device or a vibration gyro sensor and to an electronic apparatus including the same.\n\nAs consumer angular velocity sensors, vibration gyro sensors are widely used. The vibration gyro sensor detects an angular velocity in such a manner that the vibrator is vibrated at a predetermined frequency and a Coriolis force generated in the vibrator is detected by a piezoelectric element or the like. The gyro sensor is, for example, installed into an electronic apparatus such as a video camera, a virtual reality apparatus, and a car navigation system, which are utilized as, for example, sensors for shake detection, motion detection, and direction detection, respectively.\n\nFor example, Japanese Patent No. 4858662 (hereinafter, referred to as Patent Document 1) describes an angular velocity sensor including an annular frame, a drive part to cause the frame to oscillate within a predetermined plane, and a detection part to detect an angular velocity. The frame has a first set of beams opposed to each other and a second set of beams orthogonal to the first set of beams and opposed to each other. The drive part is constituted of a plurality of piezoelectric elements provided in the beams and causes the frame to oscillate within the predetermined plane in an oscillation mode where, when one of the first and second sets of beams comes closer to each other, the other set separates from each other, and when the one set separates from each other, the other set comes closer to each other.",
  "cpc": [
    "H03H 9/21",
    "G01C 19/5607",
    "H03H 9/02259",
    "H03H 9/2484",
    "H03H 9/2489"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "H03H 9/21",
    "H10N 30/30",
    "H10N 30/857",
    "H10N 30/87",
    "G01C 19/5607",
    "H03H 9/02",
    "H03H 9/24"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Sony Corp"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Kazuo Takahashi",
    "Satoshi Mitani",
    "Hidetoshi Kabasawa"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2014-06-02",
  "publication_date": "2016-05-10",
  "grant_date": "2016-05-10",
  "priority_date": "2013-06-12",
  "application_number": "US-201414293630-A",
  "family_id": "52018638",
  "cited_by_count": 5,
  "citations": [
    "US4178566A",
    "US4507970A",
    "US20080115580A1",
    "US20090160581A1",
    "US20110296914A1",
    "JP4858662B2",
    "US20130239681A1",
    "US20130320816A1"
  ]
}