Surface pressure measuring device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10365175-B2
Application number	US-201715664191-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 31, 2017
Priority date	Aug 3, 2016
Publication date	Jul 30, 2019
Grant date	Jul 30, 2019

Abstract

A surface pressure measuring device includes an abutting plate, a lift, a probe, a piezo actuator and a controller. A pinhole is formed in the abutting plate at an abutting surface that abuts a target. The lift causes the target to abut the abutting surface such that the target is compressed to a predetermined thickness. The probe is inserted through the pinhole to be movable in an axial direction of the pinhole. The piezo actuator holds a state in which a tip surface is flush with the abutting surface as the probe resists a repulsive force received from the target while the lift causes the target to abut the abutting surface. The controller calculates a local surface pressure of the target from a load applied to the probe and an area of the tip surface of the probe.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A surface pressure measuring device configured to measure a local surface pressure of a surface of a target, the surface pressure measuring device comprising:
an abutting plate configured to abut the target and including a hole in an abutting surface that abuts the target;
a probe having a tip surface to be exposed at an abutting surface side and configured to be movably inserted through the hole of the abutting plate in an axial direction of the hole;
a first actuator configured to cause the target to abut the abutting surface with a predetermined load or configured to cause the target to abut the abutting surface such that the target is compressed to a predetermined thickness;
a second actuator configured to support the probe and to hold a state in which the tip surface of the probe is flush with the abutting surface as the probe resists a repulsive force received from the target while the first actuator causes the target to abut the abutting surface;
a load sensor configured to measure a load applied to the probe when the second actuator holds the state in which the tip surface of the probe is flush with the abutting surface; and
a controller configured to calculate a surface pressure applied to the tip surface of the probe from a measured value of the load sensor and an area of the tip surface of the probe.

2. The surface pressure measuring device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a third actuator configured to move the abutting plate relative to the target to change a place at which the target abuts the probe,
wherein the controller calculates the surface pressure at a plurality of places of the target and outputs a surface pressure distribution of the target.

3. The surface pressure measuring device according to claim 1 , wherein the probe includes a tip and an intermediate section thicker than the tip, and
the hole includes a small diameter section through which the tip of the probe is inserted, and a large diameter section having a diameter larger than a diameter of the small diameter section and through which the intermediate section is inserted.

4. The surface pressure measuring device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a laser range finder configured to measure a position of the probe in the axial direction of the hole,
wherein the controller stores the position of the probe in the axial direction of the hole when the tip surface is flush with the abutting surface, and controls the second actuator such that the tip surface is flush with the abutting surface based on measurement data of the laser range finder.

5. The surface pressure measuring device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a placing table placed on the target,
wherein the first actuator is configured to move the placing table.

6. The surface pressure measuring device according to claim 5 , further comprising:
a laser range finder installed on the placing table and configured to measure a distance between the placing table and the abutting plate,
wherein the controller acquires measurement data measured by the laser range finder and controls the first actuator to change the distance between the placing table and the abutting plate based on the measurement data measured by the laser range finder.

7. The surface pressure measuring device according to claim 1 , wherein the first actuator is configured to move the abutting plate.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hosoi Tsutomu
• Okamoto Ryotaro
• Fukuda Takahiro
• Miura Shinichi

Classifications

• G01L5/0004 Primary

  Force transducers adapted for mounting in a bore of the force receiving structure (G01L5/0009 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01L5/0038 Primary

  applying a pushing force · CPC title

• G01B11/14

  for measuring distance or clearance between spaced objects or spaced apertures (G01B11/26 takes precedence; rangefinders G01C3/00) · CPC title