Gyroscope pickoff means

Claim 2

A gryoscope comprising, an inner body, an outer body separated by a gap from the inner body and displaceable relative to the inner body, a damping fluid disposed in said gap, said gap having a variable thickness, a rotor mounted on said inner body, mounting means for positioning said outer body relative to said inner body, and pickoff means for sensing the angular displacement of said outer body relative to said inner body, wherein said pickoff means comprises, a base member, a paddle member disposed in said gap and engaging an adjacent portion of said fluid, spring means connected to said base member and to said paddle member, driving means for driving said paddle member and said adjacent fluid portion at the resonant vibration frequency thereof, and sensing means for sensing the value of said resonant vibration frequency.

Claim 3

The gyroscope as claimed in claim 1, wherein said base member is fixedly connected to said inner body, and wherein said spring means is an elongate spring member connected at one end thereof to said base member and connected at the other end thereof to said paddle member, and wherein said driving means includes a driving coil for driving the paddle member, and wherein said sensing means includes a sensing coil for sensing the vibration frequency of the paddle member.

Claim 4

The gyroscope as claimed in claim 2, wherein said rotor has three axes arranged in quadrature, and said rotor includes a shaft fixedly connected to said inner body and includes a stator mounted on said shaft and includes a flywheel rotatable relative to said stator about one of said axes, and wherein said outer body is angularly displaceable relative to said inner body about at least one of said axes.

Claim 5

The gyroscope as claimed in claim 3, wherein said pickoff means includes a circuit having a digital output means, said circuit having a first line connected to said sensing coil, said circuit having a second line connected to said driving coil, said circuit and said sensing coil being adapted to sense the value of said resonant vibration frequency of the paddle member and adjacent fluid portion, said circuit and said driving coil being adapted to drive said paddle member and adjacent fluid portion at said value of resonant vibration frequency of the paddle member and adjacent fluid portion and said circuit and said sensing coil being adapted to sense any change in said value of resonant vibration frequency of the paddle member and adjacent fluid portion.

Claim 6

The gYroscope as claimed in claim 4, wherein said pickoff means includes, a pair of pickoff units, each said pickoff unit including a base member fixedly connected to said inner body a paddle member having first and second opposite faces, a first fluid portion disposed in a first gap portion on one side of said paddle member engaging said first face, a second fluid portion disposed in a second gap portion on the other side of said paddle member engaging said second face, a spring member connected at one end thereof to said base member and connected at the other end thereof to said paddle member, a driving coil for driving said paddle member and adjacent first and second fluid portions at the resonant vibration frequency thereof, and a sensing coil for sensing said resonant vibration frequency.

Claim 7

The gyroscope as claimed in claim 4, wherein said base member has a peripheral surface fixedly connected to said inner body, said base member having first and second axially spaced end faces, said first end face having a central recess receiving said spring member, said first end face having an annular recess receiving said paddle member, said annular recess having an inner wall supporting said driving coil, said annular recess having an outer wall supporting said sensing coil, and wherein said paddle member includes a web portion arranged to bear against said spring member and includes a flange portion composed of a magnetic permeable material for coaction with said driving coil.

Claim 8

The gyroscope as claimed in claim 6, wherein said mounting means includes a plurality of bearing units, each said bearing unit including a bed portion fixedly connected to said outer body and a bearing ball supported by said bed portion and antifriction means disposed between said bearing ball and said bed portion.

Claim 9

The gyroscope as claimed in claim 1, wherein said gyroscope is a three-axis type of gyroscope having three degrees of freedom, and wherein said inner body has a spherical shape, said inner body having three reference axes arranged in quadrature, one of said reference axes being the rotor spin axis, said outer body being angularly displaceable about each of said axes relative to said inner body, said outer body being a hollow body enclosing said inner body, said outer body having an outer wall of variable thickness, said outer body and said inner body being separated by a spherical gap of selectively varying thickness, said gap containing a damping fluid, and wherein said pickoff means includes three pairs of pickoff units, said three pairs of pickoff units being mounted on said inner body and disposed in said gap, each said pair of pickoff units being adapted to measure the thicknesses of the pair of fluid portions adjacent thereto thereby measuring the angle of displacement of said outer body relative to said inner body about the respective axis thereof.

Claim 10

A pickoff unit for a gyroscope having an inner body having an axis and having an outer body angularly displaceable relative to said inner body about said axis, said pickoff unit comprising, an outer wall portion supported by said outer body, an inner wall portion supported by said inner body, said outer wall portion being positioned relative to said inner wall portion in a selective manner forming a gap therebetween of variable thickness, said gap being symmetrically disposed about said axis, a damping fluid disposed in said gap, a base member fixedly connected to said inner wall portion, a paddle member disposed in said gap, said paddle member engaging a fluid portion disposed in a gap protion adjacent thereto, an elongate spring member having one end connected to said paddle member and having the other end thereof connected to said base member, a driving coil supported by said base member for driving said paddle member and adjacent fluid portion at their resonant vibration frequency, and a sensing coil supported by said base member for sensing said resonant vibration frequency.

Claim 11

A pickoff unit for a gyroscope having an inner body having an axis and having an outer body angularly displaceable relative to said inner body about said axis, said pickoff unit comprising, an outer wall portion supported by said outer body, an inner wall portion supported by said inner body, said outer wall portion being positioned relative to said inner wall portion in a selective manner forming a gap therebetween of variable thickness, said gap being symmetrically disposed about said axis, a damping fluid disposed in said gap, a base member fixedly connected to said inner wall portion, a paddle member disposed in said gap, said paddle member engaging a fluid portion disposed in a gap protion adjacent thereto, an elongate spring member having one end connected to said paddle member and having the other end thereof connected to said base member, a driving coil supported by said base member for driving said paddle member and adjacent fluid portion at their resonant vibration frequency, and a sensing coil supported by said base member for sensing said resonant vibration frequency.

Claim 12

A gyroscope having three degrees of freedom comprIsing, an inner body of spherical shape having first and second and third axes arranged in quadrature, an outer body separated from said inner body by a spherical gap and being angularly displaceable relative to said inner body, a fluid disposed in said gap, a rotor mounted inside said inner body, mounting means for centering said outer body relative to said inner body, and pickoff means for sensing the angular displacement of said outer body relative to said inner body, wherein said pickoff means includes a first pair of pickoff units for sensing angular displacement about said first axis and includes a second pair of pickoff units for sensing angular displacement about said second axis and includes a third pair of pickoff units for sensing angular displacement about said third axis, and wherein each said pickoff unit comprises, a base member, a paddle member adapted to be vibrated relative to said base member, a fluid portion disposed in a portion of said gap adjacent to said paddle member, said fluid portion engaging said paddle member so that the value of the resonant vibration frequency thereof depends upon the thickness of said fluid portion, a spring member of elongate shape having one end connected to said base member and an opposite end thereof connected to said paddle member, driving means for driving said paddle member and adjacent fluid portion at their resonant vibration frequency, and sensing means for sensing said resonant vibration frequency.

Claim 13

A gyroscope having three degrees of freedom comprIsing, an inner body of spherical shape having first and second and third axes arranged in quadrature, an outer body separated from said inner body by a spherical gap and being angularly displaceable relative to said inner body, a fluid disposed in said gap, a rotor mounted inside said inner body, mounting means for centering said outer body relative to said inner body, and pickoff means for sensing the angular displacement of said outer body relative to said inner body, wherein said pickoff means includes a first pair of pickoff units for sensing angular displacement about said first axis and includes a second pair of pickoff units for sensing angular displacement about said second axis and includes a third pair of pickoff units for sensing angular displacement about said third axis, and wherein each said pickoff unit comprises, a base member, a paddle member adapted to be vibrated relative to said base member, a fluid portion disposed in a portion of said gap adjacent to said paddle member, said fluid portion engaging said paddle member so that the value of the resonant vibration frequency thereof depends upon the thickness of said fluid portion, a spring member of elongate shape having one end connected to said base member and an opposite end thereof connected to said paddle member, driving means for driving said paddle member and adjacent fluid portion at their resonant vibration frequency, and sensing means for sensing said resonant vibration frequency.