Patent ID: 6848305

Claim:
A three axis sensor including a substantially planar vibratory resonator ( 2 ) having a substantially ring or hoop like structure with inner and outer peripheries extending around a common axis (R), drive means ( 4 ) for causing the resonator ( 2 ) to vibrate in an in plane cos 2θ vibration mode, carrier mode pick-off means ( 5 ) for sensing movement of the resonator ( 2 ) in response to said drive means ( 4 ), pick-off means ( 6 ) for sensing in plane sin 2θ resonator motion induced by rotation about the z-axis, drive means ( 7 ) for nulling said motion, pick-off means ( 8 ) for sensing out of plane sin 3θ resonator motion induced by rotation about the x-axis, drive means ( 9 ) for nulling said motion, pick-off means ( 10 ) for sensing out of plane cos 3θ resonator motion induced by rotation about the y-axis, drive means ( 11 ) for nulling said motion, and support means ( 3 ) for flexibly supporting the resonator ( 2 ) and for allowing the resonator to vibrate relative to the support means ( 3 ) in response to the drive means and to applied rotation, characterised in that the support means ( 3 ) comprises only L support beams, where L≠2 J ×3 K and J=0, 1 or 2 and K=0 or 1 with L<24.