Transducer sensor body

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10330545-B2
Application number	US-201615389801-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 23, 2016
Priority date	Dec 23, 2015
Publication date	Jun 25, 2019
Grant date	Jun 25, 2019

Abstract

A transducer sensor body includes a first support structure and a second support structure. A tubular element has a center bore along a longitudinal axis. An elongated first flexure joins the tubular element to the first support structure parallel to the longitudinal axis. The first flexure is rigid to transfer a longitudinal force therethrough along the longitudinal axis and is rigid to transfer an axial force therethrough along an axial axis that is orthogonal to the longitudinal axis. An elongated second flexure joins the tubular element to the second support structure parallel to the longitudinal axis. The second flexure is rigid to transfer a longitudinal force therethrough along the longitudinal axis and is to transfer the axial force therethrough along the axial axis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A transducer sensor body comprising:
a first support structure;
a second support structure;
a tubular element having a center bore along a longitudinal axis; the tubular element having a tubular surface;
a first flexure being elongated and joining the tubular element to the first support structure parallel to the longitudinal axis, the first flexure being rigid to transfer a longitudinal force therethrough along the longitudinal axis and being rigid to transfer an axial force therethrough along an axial axis that is orthogonal to the longitudinal axis;
a second flexure being elongated and joining the tubular element to the second support structure parallel to the longitudinal axis, the second flexure being rigid to transfer a longitudinal force therethrough along the longitudinal axis and being rigid to transfer the axial force therethrough along the axial axis; and
a plurality of sensors mounted directly to the tubular surface.

2. The transducer sensor body of claim 1 wherein the first and second flexures are compliant to a translational force along a translational axis that is mutually orthogonal to the axial axis and the longitudinal axis.

3. The transducer sensor body of claim 2 wherein the second flexure is disposed on a side of the tubular element opposite the first flexure.

4. The transducer sensor body of claim 3 wherein the first flexure and the second flexure are mirror images of each other with respect to the longitudinal axis.

5. The transducer sensor body of claim 1 wherein the tubular surface faces outwardly and the plurality of sensors are configured to provide a signal indicative of the longitudinal force.

6. The transducer sensor body of claim 1 wherein the tubular surface faces outwardly and the tubular element includes a second tubular surface that faces inwardly, and wherein the plurality of sensors are mounted directly to the tubular surface and the second tubular surface and configured to provide a signal indicative of the axial force.

7. A transducer sensor body comprising:
a first support structure;
a second support structure;
a tubular element having a center bore along a longitudinal axis;
a first flexure being elongated and joining the tubular element to the first support structure parallel to the longitudinal axis, the first flexure being rigid to transfer a longitudinal force therethrough along the longitudinal axis and being rigid to transfer an axial force therethrough along an axial axis that is orthogonal to the longitudinal axis;
a second flexure being elongated and joining the tubular element to the second support structure parallel to the longitudinal axis, the second flexure being rigid to transfer a longitudinal force therethrough along the longitudinal axis and being rigid to transfer the axial force therethrough along the axial axis
a second tubular element spaced apart from the tubular element having a second center bore along a second longitudinal axis;
a third flexure being elongated and joining the second tubular element to the first support structure parallel to the second longitudinal axis, the third flexure being rigid to transfer a longitudinal force therethrough along the longitudinal axis and being rigid to transfer the axial force therethrough along the axial axis; and
a fourth flexure being elongated and joining the second tubular element to the second support structure parallel to the second longitudinal axis, the fourth flexure being rigid to transfer a longitudinal force therethrough along the longitudinal axis and being rigid to transfer the axial force therethrough along the axial axis.

8. The transducer sensor body of claim 7 wherein the longitudinal axis and the second longitudinal axis are aligned with each other along a common longitudinal axis.

9. The transducer sensor body of claim 8 wherein the first, second, third and fourth flexures are compliant to a translational force along a translational axis that is mutually orthogonal to the axial axis and the longitudinal axis.

10. The transducer sensor body of claim 8 wherein the tubular element and the second tubular element are of shape and disposed relative to each other such that a space between them appears to be an aperture provided in a single tubular element.

11. The transducer sensor body of claim 10 wherein the aperture includes a center axis and the second tubular element, third flexure and fourth flexure are mirror images of the tubular element, first flexure and second flexure, respectively with respect to a plane having the center axis and perpendicular to the common longitudinal axis.

12. The transducer sensor body of claim 11 further comprising a plurality of sensors configured to provide an indication of stress in the tubular element.

13. The transducer sensor body of claim 12 wherein the plurality of sensors comprise strain sensors disposed on the tubular element.

14. The transducer sensor body of claim 13 wherein the plurality of sensors is configured in a Wheatstone bridge.

15. The transducer sensor body of claim 14 further comprising a second plurality of sensors configured to provide an indication of stress in the second tubular element.

16. The transducer sensor body of claim 15 wherein the second plurality of sensors comprise strain sensors disposed on the second tubular element.

17. The transducer sensor body of claim 16 wherein the second plurality of sensors is configured in a second Wheatstone bridge.

18. The transducer sensor body of claim 8 further comprising a second transducer sensor body comprising:
a third tubular element, a fifth flexure, a sixth flexure, a fourth tubular element, a seventh flexure, an eighth flexure and a second common longitudinal axis being connected together in the same manner as the tubular element, the first flexure, the second flexure, the second tubular element, the third flexure, the fourth flexure and the common longitudinal axis are connected together, respectively.

19. The transducer sensor body of claim 18 wherein the common longitudinal axis of the transducer sensor body is spaced apart from and parallel to the second common longitudinal axis of the second transducer sensor body.

20. The transducer sensor body of claim 18 wherein the common longitudinal axis of the transducer sensor body is spaced apart from and perpendicular to the second common longitudinal axis of the second transducer sensor body.

21. The transducer sensor body of claim 20 further comprising:
a third transducer sensor body having components connected in a manner identical to the transducer sensor body and arranged so as to be parallel to the transducer sensor body; and
a fourth transducer sensor body having components connected in a manner identical to the second transducer sensor body and arranged so as to be parallel to the second transducer sensor body.

22. The transducer sensor body of claim 7 wherein the third flexure is disposed on a side of the tubular element opposite the fourth flexure.

23. The transducer sensor body of claim 22 wherein the third flexure and the fourth flexure are mirror images of each other with respect to the second longitudinal axis.

24. The transducer sensor body of claim 7 wherein the tubular element and the second tubular element are of the same diameter and thickness.

Assignees

• Mts System Corp

Inventors

• Meyer Richard Alan
• Lucachick Glenn Arthur
• Slama Matthew David
• Roberts Robbin Scott

Classifications

• G01L3/14

  wherein the torque-transmitting element is other than a torsionally-flexible shaft · CPC title

• G01L5/00

  Apparatus for, or methods of, measuring force, work, mechanical power, or torque, specially adapted for specific purposes · CPC title

• G01L5/161 Primary

  using variations in ohmic resistance · CPC title

• G01L5/16

  for measuring several components of force · CPC title

• G01L1/22

  using resistance strain gauges · CPC title