Sensor device and method for monitoring a clamping force exerted by a clamping element of a clamping device on a component

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11598682-B2
Application number	US-202117160605-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 28, 2021
Priority date	Mar 3, 2020
Publication date	Mar 7, 2023
Grant date	Mar 7, 2023

Abstract

A sensor device (16a-16d) is provided for monitoring a clamping force (F) exerted by a clamping element (11a-11d) of a clamping device (12a-12d) on a component (14), with at least one strain gauge (30a-30d), which can be arranged on a surface (90, 91) of the clamping element (11a-11d) of the clamping device (12a-12d) and is deformable under the clamping force (F), a transmission module unit (36) based on electromagnetic transmission technology connected to the at least one strain gauge (30a-30d) for detecting a voltage (U5) that is indicative of a deformation (f) of the at least one strain gauge (30a-30d), and an antenna element (38) connected to the transmission module unit (36) for transmitting a signal that is indicative of the detected voltage (U5), and for receiving electromagnetic energy for electrical supply of the transmission module unit (36) and at least one strain gauge (30a-30d).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Sensor device ( 16 a - 16 d ) for monitoring a clamping force (F) exerted by a clamping element ( 11 a - 11 d ) of a clamping device ( 12 a - 12 d ) on a component ( 14 ), said device comprising:
at least one strain gauge ( 30 a - 30 d ), which can be arranged on a surface ( 90 , 91 ) of the clamping element ( 11 a - 11 d ) of the clamping device ( 12 a - 12 d ) and is deformable under the clamping force (F),
a transmission module unit ( 36 ) based on electromagnetic transmission technology connected to the at least one strain gauge ( 30 a - 30 d ), for detecting a voltage (U 5 ) that is indicative of a deformation (f) of the at least one strain gauge ( 30 a - 30 d ),
an antenna element ( 38 ) connected to the transmission module unit ( 36 ) for transmitting a signal that is indicative of the detected voltage (U 5 ), and for receiving electromagnetic energy for electrical supply of the transmission module unit ( 36 ) and at least one strain gauge ( 30 a - 30 d ), and
a radio-frequency identification write/read head device ( 18 a , 18 b ) for receiving the signal from the antenna element ( 38 ) of the at least one sensor device ( 16 a - 16 d ) and for transmitting electromagnetic energy to supply the sensor device ( 16 a - 16 d ).

2. The sensor device ( 16 a - 16 d ) according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor device ( 16 a - 16 d ) has at least two strain gauges ( 30 a - 30 d ), which can be arranged on the surface ( 90 , 91 ) of the clamping element ( 12 a - 12 d ) and are deformable under the clamping force (F).

3. The sensor device according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor device ( 16 a - 16 d ) has four strain gauges ( 30 a - 30 d ), which can be arranged on the surface ( 90 , 91 ) of the clamping element ( 11 a - 11 d ) and are deformable under the clamping force (F), wherein the four strain gauges ( 30 a - 30 d ) are connected together electrically in such a way that the four strain gauges ( 30 a - 30 d ) form a bridge circuit ( 44 ).

4. The sensor device ( 16 a - 16 d ) according to claim 3 , wherein the four strain gauges ( 30 a - 30 d ) can be arranged on the surface ( 90 ) of the clamping element ( 11 a - 11 d ) in such a way that the surface ( 90 ) extends parallel to the clamping force (F), wherein two strain gauges ( 30 a , 30 d ) of the four strain gauges ( 30 a - 30 d ) can be arranged in such a way that printed conductors ( 92 a , 92 d ) of the two strain gauges ( 30 a , 30 d ) extend over a surface segment ( 94 a ) of the surface ( 90 ) that can become larger under the clamping force (F), and wherein the other two strain gauges ( 30 b , 30 c ) of the four strain gauges ( 30 a - 30 d ) can be arranged in such a way that printed conductors ( 92 b , 92 c ) of the other two strain gauges ( 30 b , 30 c ) extend over a surface segment ( 94 b ) of the surface ( 90 ) that becomes smaller under the clamping force (F).

5. The sensor device according to claim 4 , wherein the printed conductors ( 92 a , 92 d ) of the two strain gauges ( 30 a , 30 d ) extend at an angle of 45° to a perpendicular line (N) to the clamping force (F) and the printed conductors ( 92 b , 92 c ) of the other two strain gauges ( 30 b , 30 c ) extend at an angle of −45° to a perpendicular line (N) to the clamping force (F).

6. The sensor device according to claim 3 , wherein the four strain gauges ( 30 a - 30 d ) can be arranged on the surface ( 91 ) of the clamping element ( 11 a - 11 d ) in such a way that the surface ( 91 ) points against the clamping force (F) and extends perpendicularly to the clamping force (F), printed conductors ( 92 a - 92 d ) of the four strain gauges ( 30 a - 30 d ) extend along the surface ( 91 ) and the printed conductors ( 92 a , 92 d ; 92 b , 92 d ) of in each case two strain gauges ( 30 a , 30 d ; 30 b , 30 c ) extend parallel to each other, wherein two strain gauges ( 30 a , 30 d ) of the four strain gauges ( 30 a - 30 d ) can be arranged in such a way that the printed conductors ( 92 a , 92 d ) of the two strain gauges ( 30 a , 30 d ) extend parallel to a longitudinal axis (L) of the clamping element ( 11 a - 11 d ), and wherein the other two strain gauges ( 30 b , 30 b ) of the four strain gauges ( 30 a - 30 d ) can be arranged in such a way that the printed conductors ( 92 b , 92 c ) of the other two strain gauges ( 30 b , 30 c ) extend perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis (L) of the clamping element ( 11 a - 11 d ).

7. The sensor device ( 16 a - 16 d ) according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor device ( 16 a - 16 d ) has an amplifier ( 32 ), which is connected to the at least one strain gauge ( 30 a - 30 d ) and the transmission module unit ( 36 ), wherein the amplifier ( 32 ) is configured to amplify a voltage (U 5 ) produced by the deformation (f) of the at least one strain gauge ( 30 a - 30 d ) and output the amplified voltage (U 5 ) to the transmission module unit ( 36 ).

8. The sensor device ( 16 a - 16 d ) according to claim 1 , wherein the transmission technology is radio-frequency identification or a proprietary transmission technology.

9. The sensor device ( 16 a - 16 d ) according to claim 1 , wherein the clamping device ( 12 a - 12 d ) is configured as a swing clamp ( 12 a - 12 d ) and the clamping element ( 11 a - 11 d ) is configured as a clamp ( 11 a - 11 d ) or wherein the clamping device ( 12 a - 12 d ) is configured as a gripper and the clamping element ( 11 a - 11 d ) is configured as a toe dog.

10. Method for monitoring a clamping force (F) exerted by a clamping element ( 11 a - 11 d ) of a clamping device ( 12 a - 12 d ) on a component ( 14 ), the method comprising the steps:
receiving (S 2 ) electromagnetic energy for electrical supply of a transmission module unit based on electromagnetic transmission technology ( 36 ) from a radio-frequency identification write/read head device ( 18 a , 18 b ) and at least one strain gauge ( 30 a - 30 d ) by means of an antenna element ( 38 ) connected to the transmission module unit ( 36 ), wherein the at least one strain gauge ( 30 a - 30 d ) is arranged on a surface ( 90 , 91 ) of the clamping element ( 11 a - 11 d ),
detecting (S 4 ) a voltage (U 5 ) by the transmission module unit ( 36 ) connected to the at least one strain gauge ( 30 a - 30 d ), wherein the voltage (U 5 ) is indicative of a deformation (f) of the at least one strain gauge ( 30 a - 30 d ) under the clamping force (F), and
transmitting (S 6 ) a signal that is indicative of the detected voltage (U 5 ), by means of the antenna element ( 38 )) to the radio-frequency identification write/read head device ( 18 a , 18 b ).

11. The method according to claim 10 , comprising the further steps:
detecting (S 4 ) a feed voltage (U 0 ) applied on the at least one strain gauge ( 30 a - 30 d ) and,
determining (S 8 ) the clamping force (F) from the feed voltage (U 0 ) applied on the at least one strain gauge ( 30 a - 30 d ) and the voltage (U 5 ) that is indicative of the deformation (f).

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein a measurement relationship between the voltage (U 0 , U 5 ) and the clamping force (F) is used in the determination (S 8 ).

13. The method according to claim 10 , including a program for data processing equipment configured for executing steps of the method when the method is carried out by the data processing equipment.

14. T

Assignees

• Balluff Gmbh

Inventors

• Dorneich Albert
• Fritton Markus

Classifications

• G01L1/2206

  Special supports with preselected places to mount the resistance strain gauges; Mounting of supports · CPC title

• G01L1/205

  using distributed sensing elements · CPC title

• G01L1/2262 Primary

  involving simple electrical bridges · CPC title

• G01L1/225 Primary

  Measuring circuits therefor · CPC title

• G01L1/22

  using resistance strain gauges · CPC title