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  Vibrator support structure and manufacturing method for the support structureUSPTO Application #: 20060137815Title: Vibrator support structure and manufacturing method for the support structure Abstract: In a vibrator support structure, a vibrator is supported on a substrate through support pins, substrate connection portions of the support pins and pin connection portions of the substrate are joined through conductive adhesive which is made of a resin including conductive filler and has a pencil hardness of about 4H or less, and the conductive adhesive has a thickness which can buffer vibrations and impacts propagated through the support pins. (end of abstract) Agent: Murata Manufacturing Company, Ltd. C/o Keating & Bennett, LLP - Mclean, VA, US Inventors: Masato Koike, Katsumi Fujimoto USPTO Applicaton #: 20060137815 - Class: 156278000 (USPTO) The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060137815. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
[0001] This application is a Divisional Application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/735,704 filed Dec. 16, 2003, currently pending. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The present invention relates to a vibrator support structure and to a method of manufacturing the support structure. [0004] 2. Description of the Related Art [0005] Up to now, in vibrating gyroscopes, a vibrator support structure provided with a vibrator having a bending vibration mode, support pins for supporting the vibrator, and a substrate on which the vibrator is mounted through the support pins has been adopted. That is, in the vibrator, a pair of piezoelectric substrates oppositely polarized in the thickness direction are joined so as to face each other, and one piezoelectric substrate, on which first and second detector electrodes are formed so as to be separated from each other, and the other piezoelectric substrate, on the entire surface of which a drive electrode is formed, are joined so as to sandwich an intermediate electrode. [0006] Then, the support pins are attached to the first and second detector electrodes at locations corresponding to vibration nodal points and also the support pins are attached to the drive electrode at locations corresponding to vibration nodal points. Furthermore, a substrate connection portion, which is an outer end portion of each support pin, is joined to each pin connection portion provided on the substrate by soldering. Accordingly, the vibrator is mounted on the substrate through the support pins and is supported so as to be able to perform bending vibration (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-227953, for example). [0007] Moreover, in another vibrator support structure, a substrate connection portion, which is an outer end portion of an L-shaped support pin, is inserted into a through-hole of an attachment part which is not the substrate, and the substrate connection portion of the support pin is fixed to the attachment part by soldering. In this support structure, a separate buffer material is placed between the attachment part and the substrate (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 6-221854 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 6-258082, for example). [0008] In the vibrator support structures of the related art, the substrate connection portion of the support pins and the pin connection portion of the substrate are joined by soldering. However, since the solder, which is a metal, is solidified and hardens, vibrations leaking from the vibrator are easily propagated to the substrate through the support pins and a residual stress is easily caused in the support pins. Furthermore, in such a support structure, it becomes easy for impacts applied to the substrate from the outside to be directly propagated to the vibrator through the support pins. [0009] On the other hand, in a vibrator support structure in which an attachment part fixed on a substrate with a buffer material therebetween and a substrate connection portion of a support pin are soldered, there is an advantage in that the vibrations and impacts propagated through the support pin are weakened by the buffer material. However, the fact is that, since it is necessary to place a buffer material between the attachment part and the substrate, the number of parts increases and the structure becomes complicated, and, as a result, this requires additional during the assembling process. [0010] Moreover, as long as a vibrator support structure using soldering is adopted, reflow mounting of a vibrating gyroscope accompanied by the re-melting of solder cannot be avoided. Accordingly, the trouble of changing the balance between parts in the vibrator support structure, that is, damage of support conditions due to the release of residual stress, etc., is likely to occur. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0011] In order to overcome the problems described above, preferred embodiments of the present invention provide a vibrator support structure in which vibrations and impacts propagated through support pins are buffered, and also provide a method of manufacturing such a novel vibrator support structure. [0012] A vibrator support structure according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a vibrator, a substrate, and support pins. In the support structure of a vibrator, the vibrator is supported on the substrate through the support pins, substrate connection portions of the support pins and pin connection portions of the substrate are joined through a conductive adhesive which is made of resin including a conductive filler and has a pencil hardness of about 4H or less, and the conductive adhesive has a thickness which can buffer vibrations and impacts propagated through the support pins. Accordingly, the propagation of a vibration leaking from the vibrator to the substrate through the support pins and the propagation of impacts applied to the vibrator from the outside through the support pins are effectively suppressed. Therefore, without providing any separate buffer material, the occurrence of residual stress to the support pins and damage of the vibrator can be prevented. Furthermore, when constructed in this way, variations in height (co-planarity) of the support pins can be compensated for. [0013] In a vibrator support structure of preferred embodiments of the present invention, an opening allowing conductive adhesive existing between the vibrator connection portion of the support pins and the vibrator to ooze out is provided in the vibrator connection portion of the support pins. [0014] In a vibrator support structure of preferred embodiments of the present invention, an opening allowing conductive adhesive existing between the substrate connection portion of the support pins and the pin connection portion of the substrate to ooze out is provided in the substrate connection portion of the support pins. When the opening is provided, since the contacting area between the conductive adhesive and the support pins increases, the vibrator connection portion of the support pins and the vibrator or the substrate connection portion of the support pins and the pin connection portion of the substrate can be more strongly joined. [0015] A method of manufacturing a vibrator support structure according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention includes the step of hardening conductive adhesive for joining the substrate connection portion of the support pins and the pin connection portion of the substrate, the conductive adhesive existing therebetween, while only the weight of the vibrator and the support pins is applied. Accordingly, no residual stress occurs in the support pins after the conductive adhesive has been hardened and a sufficient thickness of the conductive adhesive can be obtained to buffer vibrations and impacts. [0016] A manufacturing method for a vibrator support structure of various preferred embodiments of the present invention preferably further includes the step of coating each of the substrate connection portion and the pin connection portion with conductive adhesive in advance for joining the substrate connection portion of the support pins and the pin connection portion of the substrate. Accordingly, a sufficient quantity of conductive adhesive can be placed between the substrate connection portion and the pin connection portion. Therefore, it becomes possible to arrange the conductive adhesive to effectively buffer vibrations and impacts. [0017] Other features, elements, characteristics, steps and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent form the following detailed description of preferred embodiments with reference to the attached drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0018] FIG. 1 is a side view showing the assembled state of a vibrator support structure of according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; [0019] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the disassembled state of the vibrator support structure according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; [0020] FIG. 3 is an expanded perspective view showing support pins according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; [0021] FIG. 4 shows the temperature characteristics of drift of a vibrating gyroscope in which the vibrator support structure according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is adopted; and Continue reading... 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