JP2005351776A - Electrostatic floating type gyroscope system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To substantially preclude a displacement detecting signal from being affected even when generating a control voltage by pulse width modulation. <P>SOLUTION: Outputs of the control voltages A, B are executed by the pulse width modulation 41, as to a control circuit 40, displacement detecting electrodes impressed with no control voltage are allocated to both impression side electrodes 22 impressed with an impression signal C from an impression signal generating circuit 31, and detecting side electrodes 23 used for detecting detection signals D, E, as to the plurality electrodes 21-25 formed in a gyro case 20, and the impression side electrodes 22 or the detecting side electrodes 23 are arranged dispersedly to be adjacent to an electrostatic supporting electrodes 24. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

The present invention relates to an electrostatic levitation gyro apparatus including a gyro mechanism and an electronic circuit.
The gyro mechanism unit includes a gyro rotor and a gyro case, and supports the gyro rotor in a floating manner in the gyro case by electrostatic support force. The gyro rotor is placed in a vacuum for proper operation such as rotational operation.
The electronic circuit unit is connected to the gyro mechanism unit, detects the relative displacement between the gyro rotor and the gyro case, and performs attitude control and rotational driving of the gyro rotor.
More specifically, the present invention relates to a method for generating a control voltage for attitude control and a displacement detection method adapted thereto.

  Electrostatic levitation type gyros suitable for downsizing are used not only for ships and aircraft but also for moving objects such as automobiles. Gyro mechanism consisting of mechanical parts with inertia to detect acceleration to inertial space etc. And an electronic circuit unit for controlling electrostatic support force and detecting relative displacement. In other words, the electrostatic levitation type gyro apparatus uses a gyro rotor that is a rotating body, a gyro case in which it is electrostatically levitated and rotatably incorporated, and a case attachment member that is formed or attached to the gyro rotor. A displacement detection circuit that detects the relative displacement between the rotor and the gyro case, and a control circuit that performs attitude control and rotational drive of the gyro rotor using the above or another case attachment member.

  The electrostatic levitation type gyro device has been improved by improvements over many years. However, in the initial one (see, for example, FIG. 11 of Patent Document 1), the gyro rotor is a sphere, and the case supporting member for electrostatic support is A pair of opposed electrodes formed on the gyro case, the case attachment member for rotational drive is a pair of opposed coils mounted on the gyro case, and the case attachment member for displacement detection detects zigzag pattern displacement The displacement detection circuit calculates the angular displacement from the displacement of the pattern, and the control circuit is connected to the opposite pair of electrodes for posture control, and further rotates the gyro rotor Therefore, an AC voltage is applied to the coil.

  As an improved version, there is a gyro rotor in a disk shape (see, for example, FIGS. 1 and 2 of Patent Document 1). In this case, the number of logarithms has increased from three to four, but in this case as well, the case attachment member for electrostatic support is a pair of opposed electrodes arranged on the gyro case, and the case for rotation drive is attached. The member is a pair of opposed coils arranged in the gyro case. Further, the case attachment member for displacement detection is an issuance element and a light receiving element that are arranged opposite to each other across the hole of the gyro rotor. According to the detected relative displacement, the control circuit applies an alternating voltage to the coil to rotate the gyro rotor and maintains a constant attitude of the gyro rotor with respect to the gyro case. A posture control voltage that increases or decreases is generated and applied to the opposite pair of electrodes.

  The next improvement (see, for example, Patent Document 2) is that the gyro rotor is disk-shaped, and the case supporting member for electrostatic support is also a plurality of opposed pairs of electrodes arranged in the gyro case. The detailed structure of the supporting electrode and other case attachment members have been improved. That is, the electrostatic support electrodes are each divided in the radial direction to become adjacent adjacent electrodes (electrode pairs, electrode groups), and the case attachment members for rotational driving are arranged in a circle on both inner surfaces of the gyro case. In addition, a large number of rotational drive electrodes are opposed to each other. Along with this, the control circuit generates a control voltage for gyro rotor attitude control and applies it to the electrostatic support electrode, and also generates a control voltage for gyro rotor rotation drive and applies it to the rotation drive electrode. To be applied.

  The displacement detection case attachment member is also an electrode formed on both inner surfaces of the gyro case, and the displacement detection electrode to which no control voltage is applied is also formed on both inner surfaces of the gyro case. The displacement detection circuit is a signal detection circuit that transmits and receives a relative displacement detection signal between the gyro rotor and the gyro case via the displacement detection electrode. Specifically, the displacement detection electrode to which no control voltage is applied is the detection-side electrode used for detecting the relative displacement detection signal and is connected to the input side of the signal detection circuit, whereas the relative displacement The application-side electrode to which the detection signal is applied is also used as an electrostatic support voltage to which a control voltage for posture control is applied, and the signal detection circuit has several displacement detection applications capable of frequency discrimination. A signal is superimposed on a control voltage for attitude control and applied to the electrostatic support voltage, and a signal component related to the displacement detection application signal is extracted from the displacement detection electrode to generate a displacement detection detection signal. It has become.

  In a further improved electrostatic levitation gyro apparatus (see, for example, Patent Document 3), the gyro rotor has an annular shape, and the electrostatic support electrodes formed on the gyro case are arranged so as to surround the gyro rotor. . In this case, the electrostatic support electrode is also composed of a plurality of opposed pairs, each of which is composed of an adjacent electrode (electrode pair, electrode group). The adjacent electrodes are divided in the circumferential direction and are adjacent to each other. The rotational drive electrodes are circularly arranged opposing pairs, and the control circuit generates control voltages for attitude control and rotational drive of the gyro rotor to respectively provide electrostatic support electrodes and rotational drive electrodes. To be applied. The signal detection circuit also superimposes the displacement detection application signal on the attitude control control voltage, extracts a signal component related to the displacement detection application signal from the displacement detection electrode to which no control voltage is applied, and detects displacement detection. A signal is generated.

JP-A-7-071965 (FIGS. 1, 2, and 11) JP 08-320231 A (first page) JP 2001-235329 A (first page)

[Prior Patent Application 1] Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-362031 [Prior Patent Application 2] Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-099695 In addition, there is also one in which the flow of a displacement detection signal is reversed from the conventional one (see Prior Patent Applications 1 and 2) . Specifically, with respect to the signal detection circuit, displacement is applied from the position where the displacement detection application signal is applied to the displacement detection electrode to which no control voltage is applied, and the attitude control control voltage is applied from the control circuit to the electrostatic support electrode. A displacement detection detection signal is generated by separating and extracting signal components related to the detection application signal. The separation and extraction of the displacement detection signal includes detection of a differential current in the output stage circuit of the control voltage (refer to the prior patent application 1) and detection of the in-phase component from the control voltage of the opposite phase (prior patent). The latter in-phase detection method is based on the premise that the electrostatic support electrodes are made up of a plurality of opposed pairs, each of which is made up of adjacent electrodes. However, the former current detection method and the conventional signal detection method include There are no such restrictions.

By the way, the arithmetic part of these signal detection circuits and control circuits has been digitized due to the adoption of digital signal processors and microprocessors, etc., but the control voltage for posture control applied to the electrostatic support electrode is still Therefore, an expensive analog amplifier is required for the output stage circuit of the control voltage.
Therefore, in order to reduce the cost, it is desired that the output of the control voltage is also digitized and switched so that an expensive amplifier is unnecessary. Specifically, I would like to adopt pulse width modulation.

However, when the control voltage is pulsed, it is difficult to superimpose the displacement detection signal, and large switching noise is superimposed on the displacement detection signal.
Therefore, it is a technical problem to devise a signal detection member or the like so that even if the control voltage is generated by pulse width modulation, the influence hardly affects the displacement detection signal.

  The electrostatic levitation type gyro apparatus of the present invention has been devised to solve such a problem, and is formed in a gyro case in which a gyro rotor is built up so as to be electrostatically levitateable and rotatable. A control circuit for generating and applying control voltages for attitude control and rotation drive of the gyro rotor to the electrostatic support electrode and the rotation drive electrode among the plurality of electrodes, and of the control voltage of the plurality of electrodes, In an electrostatic levitation gyro apparatus comprising a signal detection circuit that transmits and receives a relative displacement detection signal between the gyro rotor and the gyro case via a displacement detection electrode that is not applied, the control circuit includes the control voltage The displacement detection electrode is connected to the output side of the signal detection circuit to apply the relative displacement detection signal. An application side electrode and a detection side electrode connected to the input side of the signal detection circuit and used for detecting the relative displacement detection signal. The detection side electrode or the application side electrode is used for the electrostatic support. It is said that they are distributed in the vicinity of the electrodes.

  In the electrostatic levitation type gyro apparatus of the present invention, the relative displacement detection signal is applied to the application side electrode among the displacement detection electrodes, and then detected from the displacement detection electrode via the gyro rotor. Detected from the side electrode, but either or both of the application side electrode and the detection side electrode are distributed in the vicinity of the electrostatic support electrode, and the capacitance change of each electrostatic support electrode can be discriminated. Alternatively, since it is reflected in the relative displacement detection signal in a state where it can be divided, it is possible to calculate the relative displacement between the gyro rotor and the gyro case based on the relative displacement detection signal. In addition, in this case, the electrodes used for transmission and reception of the relative displacement detection signal are displacement detection electrodes to which no control voltage is applied in both the application side electrode and the detection side electrode. Since the relative displacement detection signal and the control voltage are completely separated from each other, even if the control voltage is a pulse, the ratio of the switching noise to the relative displacement detection signal is drastically reduced.

  About the electrostatic levitation type gyro apparatus of the present invention as described above, specific modes for carrying out this will be described with reference to the following first to third embodiments.

  A specific configuration of the electrostatic levitation gyro apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1A is a longitudinal sectional view of the gyro mechanism, FIG. 1B is a plan view of electrodes in the gyro case, FIG. 1C is a block diagram of the main parts of the signal detection circuit and the control circuit, and FIG. It is an example of a waveform regarding the signal.

  This electrostatic levitation type gyro apparatus employs an annular gyro rotor 10 disclosed in Patent Document 3 for the gyro mechanism, and a reverse rotation system disclosed in the prior patent applications 1 and 2 for the signal detection circuit 30. The displacement detection application signal C is applied from the application signal generation circuit 31 to the displacement detection electrode 22 to which the control voltages A and B are not applied, but the electrodes 21 to 25 of the gyro case 20 are applied. The arrangement, the signal detection method 32 in the signal detection circuit 30, the control voltage output stage circuit 41 of the control circuit 40, and the like are improved.

  That is, the gyro rotor 10 formed in an axially symmetric annular shape, the gyro case 20 in which the gyro rotor 10 can be electrostatically levitated and rotated, and the plurality of electrodes 21 to 25 formed on the gyro rotor 20 are for electrostatic support. A control circuit 40 that generates and applies control voltages A and B for attitude control of the gyro rotor 10 and a control voltage for rotation driving to the electrodes 24 and 25 and the rotation driving electrode 21, respectively, and a plurality of electrodes 21 to 25 Among them, a static detection circuit 30 provided with a signal detection circuit 30 for transmitting / receiving relative displacement detection signals C, D, E between the gyro rotor 10 and the gyro case 20 via displacement detection electrodes 22, 23 to which no control voltage A or the like is applied. The following improvements have been made to the electrolevitation gyro device.

  First, with respect to the control circuit 40, the final control voltage output stage circuit 41 employs a pulse width modulation type, and the control circuit 40 generates the attitude control control voltages A and B by pulse width modulation. It has become a thing. For transmission / reception of the relative displacement detection signal, the electrode is a displacement detection electrode to which no control voltage is applied on both the application side and the detection side. That is, the displacement detection electrodes 22 and 23 are connected to the output side of the signal detection circuit 30 and are applied with the relative displacement detection application signal C, but are not applied with the attitude control control voltages A and B. And a detection side electrode 23 connected to the input side of the signal detection circuit 30 and used for detection of relative displacement detection detection signals D and E related to the applied signal C, but to which the attitude control control voltages A and B are not applied. . Furthermore, the detection-side electrodes 23 are distributed in the vicinity of the electrostatic support electrodes 24. The application side electrode 22 is distributed symmetrically in an appropriate empty region.

  When describing each member in detail, as for the gyro mechanism (see FIG. 1A), the gyro rotor 10 is made of a conductor such as silicon and rotates stably around one spin axis (symmetric axis). It is formed in an annular shape. The gyro case 20 is configured by combining an upper bottom member made of an insulator such as glass, a lower bottom member, and a spacer, and an annular vacuum space is formed therein. In order to apply an electrostatic support force or a rotational driving force to the gyro rotor 10 from the gyro case 20, a large number of electrodes 21 to 25 made of a metal film pattern or the like are formed on the inner surface of the gyro case 20.

  These electrodes 21 to 25 (see FIGS. 1 (a) and 1 (b)) are a plurality of and a plurality of rotation driving electrodes 21 arranged opposite to each other, an application side electrode 22 for detecting relative displacement, and a relative displacement. It comprises a detection-side electrode 23 for detection, an electrostatic support electrode 24, and an electrostatic support electrode 25. Among them, the electrodes 21 to 24 are circularly arranged on both the upper bottom member and the lower bottom member of the gyro case 20 so as to face the annular inner space, and each of the upper bottom member and each of the lower bottom members is arranged. It is facing one-on-one. The electrostatic support electrodes 25 are arranged in a radial / annular fashion on both circumferential surfaces facing the annular inner space of the gyro case 20, and each of the circumferential surfaces faces each other in a one-to-one relationship.

  A large number of, for example, twelve rotational drive electrodes 21 are arranged at equal angles, and the electrostatic support electrodes 24 and 25 are orthogonal to each other about the spin axis (the axial direction is the Z direction in this specification). Dispersed in four directions (in this specification, two opposite directions are collectively defined as the X direction and the two opposite directions orthogonal to the Y direction are collectively defined as the Y direction, and positive and negative are added). However, the detection-side electrodes 23 are dispersedly arranged so as to be shifted in the radial direction so as not to overlap with each other. The application side electrode 22 is disposed in the gap between the detection side electrodes 23 or the gap between the electrostatic support electrodes 25.

  The rotational drive electrodes 21 are individually connected to each output stage circuit of the control circuit 40 for sequential circulation driving, and the application side electrodes 22 are connected to each other to apply the same application signal C, and the signal detection circuit 30 The detection-side electrode 23 is commonly connected to the output-side applied signal generation circuit 31, and is individually connected to the current-voltage conversion circuit 32 on the input side of the signal detection circuit 30 in order to distinguish and detect the relative displacement of each part of the gyro rotor 10. The electrostatic support electrodes 24 and 25 are individually connected to the control voltage output stage circuit 41 of the control circuit 40 in order to apply appropriate electrostatic attraction to each part of the gyro rotor 10.

  By such electrode arrangement and connection, positive and negative electrostatic attractive forces are generated in the X direction from the electrostatic support electrodes 25 opposed in the X direction, and in the Y direction from the electrostatic support electrodes 25 arranged in the Y direction. Positive and negative electrostatic attractive forces are generated, and positive and negative electrostatic attractive forces are generated in the θ direction of rotation around the Y direction axis from the electrostatic supporting electrodes 24 arranged opposite to each other in the X direction, and electrostatic supporting electrodes 24 arranged opposite to each other in the Y direction. Positive and negative electrostatic attractive forces are generated in the φ direction of rotation around the X-direction axis, and positive and negative electrostatic attractive forces are generated in the Z direction from the electrostatic support electrodes 24 arranged opposite to the upper and lower bottom members of the gyro case 20. ing.

  The control circuit 40 (see FIG. 1C) is a relative displacement of the gyro rotor 10 and the gyro case 20 other than around the spin axis, that is, an X direction displacement, a Y direction displacement, a Z direction displacement, a φ direction displacement, and a θ direction displacement. From the above, a known calculation is performed to generate control voltages A and B for attitude control, and each is applied to the electrostatic support electrodes 24 and 25 in each direction among the plurality of electrodes 21 to 25. Then, posture control is performed so that their relative displacements are zero. Also, a known calculation is performed from the rotational state of the gyro rotor 10 around the Z-axis to generate a rotational drive control voltage, for example, a three-phase pulse signal, which is cyclically transmitted to the rotational drive electrode 21. Rotation control for rotating the gyro rotor 10 at a constant speed is also performed by applying it. The rotational state of the gyro rotor 10 is detected from a change in the capacitance of the rotational drive electrode 21, and the other relative displacements ΔX, ΔY, ΔZ, Δφ, Δθ are detected on the detection side disposed close to the electrostatic support electrode. It is detected from the capacitance change of the electrode 23.

  The attitude control control voltages A, B, etc. sent from the control circuit 40 to the electrostatic support electrodes 24, 25 are pulse width modulated by the control voltage output stage circuit 41 (FIG. 1 (d)). reference). Specifically, the control voltage output stage circuit 41 switches between a high power supply voltage, for example, 5 V and a low power supply voltage, for example, 0 V of the ground voltage, while switching at a high frequency such as several hundred kHz or more so as not to affect the motion of the gyro rotor 10. The average voltage is made to coincide with a desired voltage by changing the duty ratio.

  In addition, the control circuit 40 sets the attitude control control voltage B to 0 V when the attitude control control voltage A is 5 V. When the attitude control control voltage A is 0V, a pair of control voltages such that the attitude control control voltage B is 5V are output from the respective control voltage output stage circuits 41. As a result, if the gyro rotor 10 is properly lifted, an electrostatic attractive force is generated in either the positive direction or the negative direction depending on whether the duty ratio is larger or smaller than 50%. The size changes according to the deviation from 50% of the duty ratio.

  The signal detection circuit 30 (see FIG. 1C) includes an application signal generation circuit 31 as an output signal supply circuit for detecting relative displacement on the output side, and a current-voltage conversion circuit as a detection signal generation circuit for detection of relative displacement on the input side. 32 and a subtracting circuit 33. The applied signal generation circuit 31 generates an applied signal C having a frequency that is high enough not to affect the motion of the gyro rotor 10, for example, several hundred kHz or more. The applied signal C is appropriately set with a constant frequency and a constant amplitude. Such as a sine wave (see FIG. 1 (d)), a triangular wave (not shown), a rectangular wave (not shown), etc., for example, a constant current as large as possible within the range allowed by a power supply voltage of 0V to 5V. The amplitude is taken.

  A current-voltage conversion circuit 32 (see FIG. 1C) is provided for each detection-side electrode 23, and converts the detection signals D and E detected from the detection-side electrode 23 to which the connection is made from a current signal into a voltage signal. It has become. The subtraction circuit 33 is provided for each of the opposing pair of detection-side electrodes 23, that is, for each of the pair of current-voltage conversion circuits 32 corresponding to the detection-side electrodes 23. After being converted into a voltage signal, the difference is calculated. The detection signal D or the like (see FIG. 1D) is a current signal obtained by dividing the current of the applied signal C, but the distance between the detection-side electrode 23 and the electrostatic support electrode 24 and the opposite surface of the gyro rotor 10 is determined. Accordingly, the divided state of the current changes according to the displacement of the gyro rotor 10 on the basis of the change in the electrostatic capacitance therefor, so the relative displacement between the gyro rotor 10 and the gyro case 20 at each arrangement portion of the corresponding electrode 23. Will be reflected.

  Further, the detection signals from the numerous subtraction circuits 33 once reflect the relative displacement ΔX with respect to the electrostatic support electrodes 25 arranged in the positive and negative directions in the X direction, and the positive and negative directions in the Y direction. The electrostatic support electrode 25 arranged in the negative direction reflects the relative displacement ΔY, the electrostatic support electrode 24 arranged in the positive X direction reflects the relative displacement ΔZ + Δθ, and the X direction The electrostatic support electrode 24 arranged in the negative direction reflects the relative displacement ΔZ−Δθ, the electrostatic support electrode 24 arranged in the positive Y direction reflects the relative displacement ΔZ + Δφ, and Y The electrostatic support electrodes 24 arranged in the negative direction of the direction are grouped into six that reflect the relative displacement ΔZ−Δφ, and then subjected to A / D conversion and appropriate addition / subtraction operation to obtain the relative displacement ΔX. , Y, ΔZ, Δφ, are collected into reflects the [Delta] [theta], is adapted to be subjected to calculation of the attitude control for the control voltage at the control circuit 40.

  The use mode and operation of the electrostatic levitation gyro apparatus according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1D shows examples of waveforms related to several signals.

  Relative displacements ΔX, ΔY, ΔZ, Δφ, and Δθ are detected by the signal detection circuit 30 based on the capacitance change of the detection-side electrode 23, and the gyro rotor 10 is moved to the gyro case by the attitude control and rotational drive of the control circuit 40 that inputs the relative displacements. Since it is as usual that the acceleration acting on the electrostatic levitation type gyroscope is calculated and detected based on these, it continues to float and rotate at the neutral position in 20, and further explanation thereof is omitted. In the following, description will be made centering on operations that are different from the conventional ones. That is, the attitude control control voltages A, B, etc. output from the control circuit 40 are pulse-width modulated by the control voltage output stage circuit 41. It will be explained that the displacement detection electrodes 22 and 23 and the signal detection circuit 30 eliminate the influence of the switching noise and appropriately detect the relative displacement.

  The control voltages A and B for attitude control (see FIG. 1D) are sent from the control circuit 40 to the electrostatic support electrodes 24 and 25. At this time, the control voltage output stage circuit 41 performs pulse width modulation. Thus, for example, the pulse signal has an amplitude of 5 V (see FIG. 1D). The frequency is constant, but the pulse width increases and decreases with a duty ratio of 50% as a reference. When the duty ratio increases, the average voltage of the attitude control control voltages A and B increases, and when the duty ratio decreases, the average voltage of the attitude control control voltages A and B decreases. It becomes an effective electrostatic attraction force with respect to the supporting electrode 24 opposite to the part.

  Further, when comparing the attitude control control voltages A and B applied to the opposing electrostatic support electrodes 24, when the attitude control control voltage A is 5V, the attitude control control voltage B becomes 0V. Since the attitude control control voltage B is 5 V when the attitude control control voltage A is 0 V, the potential of the gyro rotor 10 does not fluctuate undesirably by the application of the attitude control control voltages A and B. Further, although the increase / decrease in the duty ratio is opposite, the increase / decrease amount, that is, the deviation is the same, so that the electrostatic support force acts on the gyro rotor 10 in both the positive direction and the negative direction according to the deviation of the duty ratio from 50%. .

  On the other hand, the applied signal C (see FIG. 1 (d)) is applied from the applied signal generation circuit 31 to the application side electrode 22, but the application side electrode 22 is dispersed and connected to each other, so that the gyro rotor Even if 10 is displaced, the total capacity of it and the application side electrode 22 does not change much. The applied signal C is a sine wave having a voltage amplitude of, for example, 5 V that makes full use of the power supply voltage so that the maximum current is as large as possible, although the frequency and the maximum current are constant.

  The applied signal C applied to the application side electrode 22 is transmitted to the detection side electrodes 23 in a distributed arrangement via the gyro rotor 10 and becomes detection signals D, E, etc., which are detected by the corresponding current-voltage conversion circuits 32 respectively. The At this time, since the applied signal C is distributed to the detection side electrode 23 according to the capacitance of each detection side electrode 23, the detection signals D and E (see FIG. 1D), the gyro rotor 10 is detected by the detection side electrode. When approaching 23, the amplitude / signal level increases, and when the gyro rotor 10 moves away from the detection-side electrode 23, the amplitude / signal level decreases, reflecting the relative displacement.

  Comparing the detection signals D and E extracted from the opposing detection electrode 23, they are similar waveforms having different amplitudes, and the amplitude / signal of the detection signal D depends on the displacement state of the gyro rotor 10. When the level increases, the amplitude / signal level of the detection signal E decreases, and when the amplitude / signal level of the detection signal D decreases, the amplitude / signal level of the detection signal E increases. Therefore, the detection signals D and E detected by the current-voltage conversion circuit 32 and then integrated by the subtraction circuit 33 are used to detect the relative displacement at each part of the gyro rotor 10 and the gyro case 20. It accurately reflects both the positive and negative directions.

  Thus, in this electrostatic levitation type gyro device, it is possible to omit an expensive analog amplifier or the like from the control voltage output stage circuit 41 by pulsing the attitude control control voltages A, B, etc. However, the relative displacement detection signal transmission / reception is not limited to this, but the application side electrode 22 to which the application signal C is applied is also applied to the detection side electrode 23 to which the detection signals D and E are detected. However, since the displacement detection electrode to which the control voltage is not applied is assigned, the superposition of the control voltage and the relative displacement detection signal is eliminated for the electrode of the gyro case 20 and the signal line connected thereto. Even if the signal is pulsed, the switching noise does not adversely affect the relative displacement detection signal. Even if it compares, it is only a few.

The electrostatic levitation type gyro apparatus according to the present invention, in which the plan view of the electrodes 23 and 24 in the gyro case is shown in FIG. 2, is different from that of the first embodiment described above. That is, the positional deviation with respect to 24 is not in the radial direction but in the circumferential direction.
In the above example, the detection side electrodes 23 formed one by one on the inner diameter side of the electrostatic support electrode 24 are divided into two in this example and arranged on both sides in the circumferential direction of the electrostatic support electrode 24. Yes. Even if the formation locations are separated, they are connected by wiring (not shown).

  The relative displacement detection detection signal detected from the detection side electrode 23 is the capacitance of the electrostatic support electrode 24 and the gyro rotor 10 formed between the detection side electrodes 23. As a result, the change reflects the relative displacement between the gyro rotor 10 and the gyro case 20. Therefore, in this case as well, as in the above example, the control voltage is generated by pulse width modulation, but the influence of the switching hardly affects the displacement detection signal.

The electrostatic levitation type gyro apparatus according to the present invention, in which the plan view of the electrodes 23 and 24 in the gyro case is shown in FIG. 3, is different from that of the first and second embodiments described above. This is because the electrostatic support electrode 24 is divided into two parts instead of the detection-side electrode 23 when the positional deviation with respect to the electrode 24 is changed to the circumferential direction instead of the radial direction.
That is, the electrostatic support electrode 24 is composed of a plurality of opposing pairs facing each other with the gyro rotor 10 sandwiched therebetween, each of which is an adjacent electrode separated in the circumferential direction on the bottom member on either the upper side or the lower side of the gyro case 20 ( 24+, 24-)), and one detection side electrode 23 is arranged between the adjacent electrodes.

  In this case, the attitude control control voltage A or the like is applied to one of the adjacent electrodes (24+), and the attitude control control voltage B or the like is applied to the other (24−). Similarly, the posture control control voltages A and B are also applied to the adjacent electrodes in the opposing pair. At this time, of the adjacent electrodes in the upper bottom member, the electrode to which the posture control control voltage A is applied and the lower bottom portion The control voltage B for posture control is applied to the electrodes facing each other in the material, and the electrode for posture control is applied to the electrodes opposed to the electrode to which the posture control control voltage B is applied among the adjacent electrodes in the upper bottom member. Since the control voltage A is applied, the potential of the gyro rotor 10 is further stabilized. Further, since the detection-side electrode 23 is disposed where the relative displacement is reflected best, the detection accuracy is improved.

[Others]
In the above embodiment, the annular gyro rotor has been described as a specific example, but the application of the present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to other types, for example, a disk shape or a disk shape. The present invention can also be applied to a gyro rotor device.
In the above embodiment, the detection-side electrodes 23 are dispersedly arranged close to the electrostatic support electrodes 24. However, the application-side electrodes 22 may be dispersedly arranged close to the electrostatic support electrodes 24. . If either one of the application side electrode 22 and the detection side electrode 23 is so, the other may be dispersed or concentrated.

Example 1 of the present invention shows the structure of an electrostatic levitation gyro device, (a) is a longitudinal sectional view of a gyro mechanism, (b) is a plan view of electrodes in a gyro case, and (c) is a signal. The principal part block diagram of a detection circuit and a control circuit, (d) is an example of a signal waveform. It is a plane arrangement figure of an electrode in a gyro case about Example 2 of the present invention. It is a plane arrangement figure of the electrode in a gyro case about Example 3 of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

10 Gyro rotor (gyro mechanism)
20 Gyro case (Gyro mechanism)
21 Rotor drive electrode (control electrode, rotor drive system)
22 Application-side electrode (displacement detection electrode, displacement detection system)
23 Detection-side electrode (displacement detection electrode, displacement detection system)
24 Electrostatic support electrodes (posture control electrodes, control electrodes, restraint control system)
25 Electrostatic support electrodes (posture control electrodes, control electrodes, restraint control system)
30 Signal detection circuit (displacement detection circuit, displacement detection system)
31 Applied signal generation circuit (applied signal supply circuit for detecting relative displacement)
32 Current-voltage conversion circuit (detection signal generation circuit for detecting relative displacement)
33 Subtraction circuit (difference calculation, detection signal generation circuit for detecting relative displacement)
40 control circuit (attitude control calculation, rotor rotation calculation, constraint control system, rotor drive system)
41 Control voltage output stage circuit (PWM, pulse width modulation circuit)
A Attitude control voltage (one side, one side)
B Control voltage for attitude control (other side, opposite side)
C Applied signal (relative displacement detection signal, common)
D Detection signal (Relative displacement detection signal, one side, one side)
E Detection signal (Relative displacement detection signal, other side, opposite side)

Claims (1)

  A gyro case in which the gyro rotor is electrostatically levitated and rotatably incorporated, and among the plurality of electrodes formed on the gyro rotor, the electrostatic support electrode and the rotation drive electrode are used for attitude control and rotation drive of the gyro rotor. The control circuit for generating and applying the control voltage is transmitted and received through the displacement detection electrode to which the control voltage is not applied among the plurality of electrodes, and a relative displacement detection signal is transmitted and received between the gyro rotor and the gyro case. In the electrostatic levitation gyro apparatus including a signal detection circuit, the control circuit performs generation of the control voltage by pulse width modulation, and the displacement detection electrode is provided on an output side of the signal detection circuit. Connected to the application side electrode to which the relative displacement detection signal is applied, and connected to the input side of the signal detection circuit and used to detect the relative displacement detection signal It consists of a detection side electrode, the detection-side electrode or the application-side electrode, an electrostatic levitation type gyro apparatus characterized by being distributed in proximity to the electrostatic supporting electrode.

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