Skewed axis inertial sensor assembly

Claim 1

An inertial sensor assembly comprising: a support frame for supporting first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth gyros, the peripheral portions of said support frame surrounding a coordinate reference point of a right hand orthogonal XYZ coordinate system including ±XYZ reference axes passing through said coordinate reference point, and in which said X and Y reference axes define an XY plane, said Y and Z reference axes define a YZ plane, and said X and Z reference axes define an XZ plane; said first and second gyros being mounted to said support frame and spaced apart from said XY plane in the +Z direction therefrom and spaced apart from said YZ plane in the -X direction therefrom, said first and second gyros having the extension of their respective input axes intersecting at a first intersection point in the XZ plane, and in which said first and second gyro input axes are at a first selected angle relative to said XY plane, and in which the angle value between said +X axis and the perpendicular projection of said first gyro input axis onto said XY plane measure in the counter-clockwise direction is a selected second angle value, and in which the angle between said +X axis and the perpendicular projection of said second gyro input axis on said XY plane measured in the clockwise direction is also said selected second angle value, and wherein said first intersection point is spaced apart from said YZ plane in the +X direction therefrom; said third gyro being mounted to said support frame and spaced apart from said XY plane in the +Z direction therefrom and spaced apart from said YZ plane in the +X direction therefrom, said third gyro having the extension of its input axis which lies in said XZ plane and is at said first selected angle relative to said XY plane; said fourth and fifth gyros being mounted to said support frame and spaced apart from said XY plane in the +Z direction therefrom and spaced apart from said YZ plane in the +X direction therefrom, said fourth and fifth gyros having the extension of their respective input axes intersecting at a second intersection point in said XZ plane, and in which said fourth and fifth gyro input axes are at a said first selected angle relative to said XY plane, and in which the angle between said +X axis and the perpendicular projection of said fourth gyro input axis on said XY plane is a third selected angle value measured in the counter-clockwise direction, and in which the angle between said +X axis and the perpendicular projection of said fifth gyro input axis on said XY plane measured in the clockwise direction is also said selected third angle value, and wherein said second intersection point is spaced apart from said YZ plane in the +X direction therefrom; and said sixth gyro being mounted to said support frame and spaced apart from said XY plane in the +Z direction therefrom and slanted apart from said YZ plane in the -X direction therefrom, said sixth gyro having its input axis in parallel with said Z axis and the extension thereof intersecting the extension of said third gyro input axis at a third intersection point, and wherein said third intersection point lies in said XZ plane and is spaced apart from said YZ plane in the -X direction therefrom and spaced apart from said XY plane in the +Z direction therefrom.