Patent ID: 7352117

Claim:
A piezoelectric vibrator comprising: a base having two arms extending from said base in longitudinal directions of the two arms to form a tuning fork body; said arms each having a base end whereat said arms are attached to said base, said arms each having a top end at an end opposite said base end; each of said arms having a front surface and a back surface, and opposing side surfaces; each of said arms having first and second grooves disposed on each of said front surface and said back surface; said first and second grooves, on each of said front surface and said back surface, being separated in the longitudinal directions by dividing walls; said first grooves extending from said base end longitudinally to said dividing walls, said second grooves extending longitudinally from said dividing walls toward said top end of each of said arms and terminating at second groove top ends; said first and second grooves each having an interior surface including a bottom surface extending longitudinally, said bottom surfaces of said first grooves being disposed opposing one another, and said bottom surfaces of said second grooves being disposed opposing one another; said dividing walls having a thickness d separating said first and second grooves; said second groove top ends being disposed a distance L 1 from corresponding ones of said base ends of each of said arms; a ratio of d/L 1 being 0.010 to 0.016; each arm having a first excitation electrode disposed on said opposing side surfaces; and each arm having a second excitation electrode disposed on said interior surfaces of said first and second grooves.