Fluid rotor angular rate sensor and three-axis angular rate sensor utilizing the smae

Claim 2

In an angular rate sensor for sensing angular rate about a predetermined axis, means forming a base plate, a sensing assembly mounted on the base plate, said sensing assembly including means mounted on the base plate forming a substantially continuous passageway, a fluid disposed in said passageway, a paddle assembly mounted upon the base plate for pivotal movement and having a portion thereof disposed in the passageway and serving to inhibit the flow of fluid in the passageway, electrical means for retaining the paddle assembly in a predetermined position with respect to the base plate and providing an electrical output signal which determines the force which is necessary to accelerate the fluid in the fluid passageway as the base plate is accelerated about an axis, and additional electrical means for integrating the electrical output signal to provide an additional electrical output signal which is proportional to the rate of turn of the sensor, said additional electrical means including means to prevent the generation of a gradually increasing additional electrical output signal which could cause saturation, said additional electrical output signal having a band pass for a predetermined frequency range with upper and lower corner frequencies, the upper corner frequency being determined by the natural cut-off of the sensing assembly and said first named electrical means, said lower corner frequency being determined by the additional electrical means, said additional electrical output signal being nominally zero for a substantially constant input rate about said axis.

Claim 3

A sensor as in claim 1 wherein said electrical means for integrating the first named electrical output signal includes an operational amplifier, a capacitor connected between the output of the operational amplifier and the input of the operational amplifier and a resistor connected in parallel with the capacitor.

Claim 4

In an angular rate sensor, means forming a base, a sensing assembly mounted on the base plate, said sensing assembly including means mounted on the base forming a substantially continuous passageway about a sensitive axis, a fluid mass disposed in the passageway and forming a fluid rotor, a paddle assembly, means pivotally mounting the paddle assembly outside of the passageway about a pivot axis, the paddle assembly having a member disposed in said passageway in a direction at substantially right angles to the normal path of movement of the fluid mass in the passageway at the point where the fluid mass comes into contact with the member of the paddle assembly, means for sensing the position of the member in the passageway, said fluid mass serving to apply a force to the member of the paddle assembly when the base of the angular accelerometer is subjected to acceleration about the sensitive axis of the sensor, electrical means connected to the means for sensing the position of the planar member for applying a restoring force directly to the paddle assembly which is proportional to the force applied to the member by the fluid mass as the base is subjected to angular acceleration about the sensitive axis to constrain movement of the fluid mass in said passageway, said paddle assembly being supported about its pivot axis so that there is substantially no constraint about its pivot axis in the absence of the restoring force supplied by the electrical means, said electrical means providing an electrical output signal proportional to the acceleration measured, and additional electrical means for integrating the electrical output signal to provide an additional electrical output signal which is proportional to the rate of turn of the sensor, said additional electrical means including means to prevent the generation of a gradually increasing additional electrical output signal which could cause saturation, said additional electrical output signal having a band pass for a predetermined frequency range with upper and lower corner frequencies, the upper corner frequency being determined by the natural cut-off of the sensing assembly and said first named electrical means, said lower corner frequency being determined by the additional electrical means, said additional electrical output signal being nominally zero for a substantially constant input rate about said axis.

Claim 5

In an angular rate sensor, means forming a base, a sensing assembly mounted on the base plate, said sensing assembly including means mounted on the base forming a substantially continuous passageway about a sensitive axis, a fluid mass disposed in the passageway and forming a fluid rotor, a paddle assembly, means pivotally mounting the paddle assembly outside of the passageway about a pivot axis, the paddle assembly having a member disposed in said passageway in a direction at substantially right angles to the normal path of movement of the fluid mass in the passageway at the point where the fluid mass comes into contact with the member of the paddle assembly, means for sensing the position of the member in the passageway, said fluid mass serving to apply a force to the member of the paddle assembly when the base of the angular accelerometer is subjected to acceleration about the sensitive axis of the sensor, electrical means connected to the means for sensing the position of the planar member for applying a restoring force directly to the paddle assembly which is proportional to the force applied to the member by the fluid mass as the base is subjected to angular acceleration about the sensitive axis to constrain movement of the fluid mass in said passageway, said paddle assembly being supported about its pivot axis so that there is substantially no constraint about its pivot axis in the absence of the restoring force supplied by the electrical means, said electrical means providing an electrical output signal proportional to the acceleration measured, and additional electrical means for integrating the electrical output signal to provide an additional electrical output signal which is proportional to the rate of turn of the sensor, said additional electrical means including means to prevent the generation of a gradually increasing additional electrical output signal which could cause saturation, said additional electrical output signal having a band pass for a predetermined frequency range with upper and lower corner frequencies, the upper corner frequency being determined by the natural cut-off of the sensing assembly and said first named electrical means, said lower corner frequency being determined by the additional electrical means, said additional electrical output signal being nominally zero for a substantially constant input rate about said axis.

Claim 6

A sensor as in claim 3 wherein said means for integrating the first named electrical output signal includes an operational amplifier, a capacitor connected between the output of the operational amplifier and the input of the operational amplifier and a resistor connected in parallel with the capacitor.

Claim 7

In a three-axis angular rate sensor, means forming a framework, first, second and third single-axis angular rate sensors, means mounting said first, second and third single-axis angular rate sensors on said framework so that said single axis angular rate sensors have their sensitive axes disposed on X, Y and Z axes, respectively, each of said single axis angular rate sensors including means forming a base, means mounted on the base forming a substantially continuous passageway, a fluid mass disposed in the passageway and forming a fluid rotor, a paddle assembly mounted upon the base plate for pivotal movement and having a substantially planar member forming a part thereof and disposed in the fluid passage and serving to constrain movement of the fluid mass in the passageway, means for sensing the position of the member in the passageway, said fluid mass serving to apply a force to the member of the paddle assembly when the base is subjected to angular acceleration about the sensitive axis, electrical means connected to the means for sensing the position of the paddle member for applying a restoring force directly to the paddle member which is proportional to the force applied to the paddle member by the fluid mass as the base is subjected to angular acceleration to constrain movement of the fluid mass in the passageway, said electrical means including means for providing a signal which is proportional to the rate of angular acceleration and additional electrical meaNs for integrating the signal to provide an electrical output signal which is proportional to the rate of turn, said additional electrical means including means to prevent the generation of a gradually increasing electrical output signal which could cause saturation, said additional electrical output signal having a band pass for a predetermined frequency range with upper and lower corner frequencies, the upper corner frequency being determined by the natural cut-off of the sensing assembly and said first named electrical means, said lower corner frequency being determined by the additional electrical means, said additional electrical output signal being nominally zero for a substantially constant input rate about said axis.

Claim 8

In a three-axis angular rate sensor, means forming a framework, first, second and third single-axis angular rate sensors, means mounting said first, second and third single-axis angular rate sensors on said framework so that said single axis angular rate sensors have their sensitive axes disposed on X, Y and Z axes, respectively, each of said single axis angular rate sensors including means forming a base, means mounted on the base forming a substantially continuous passageway, a fluid mass disposed in the passageway and forming a fluid rotor, a paddle assembly mounted upon the base plate for pivotal movement and having a substantially planar member forming a part thereof and disposed in the fluid passage and serving to constrain movement of the fluid mass in the passageway, means for sensing the position of the member in the passageway, said fluid mass serving to apply a force to the member of the paddle assembly when the base is subjected to angular acceleration about the sensitive axis, electrical means connected to the means for sensing the position of the paddle member for applying a restoring force directly to the paddle member which is proportional to the force applied to the paddle member by the fluid mass as the base is subjected to angular acceleration to constrain movement of the fluid mass in the passageway, said electrical means including means for providing a signal which is proportional to the rate of angular acceleration and additional electrical meaNs for integrating the signal to provide an electrical output signal which is proportional to the rate of turn, said additional electrical means including means to prevent the generation of a gradually increasing electrical output signal which could cause saturation, said additional electrical output signal having a band pass for a predetermined frequency range with upper and lower corner frequencies, the upper corner frequency being determined by the natural cut-off of the sensing assembly and said first named electrical means, said lower corner frequency being determined by the additional electrical means, said additional electrical output signal being nominally zero for a substantially constant input rate about said axis.