Force sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12092539-B2
Application number	US-202117361984-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2021
Priority date	Jan 28, 2019
Publication date	Sep 17, 2024
Grant date	Sep 17, 2024

Abstract

An elastic body is fixed to a main body and a movable body and is deformable according to the movement of the movable body. A strain sensor is provided on the elastic body and includes a strain body. The movable body includes an opening. The stopper member includes a first contact portion and a second contact portion provided inside the opening, whose distances from the opening are different from each other. The first contact portion is located in a direction in which the movable range of the strain body is great, and the second contact portion is located in a direction in which the movable range of the strain body is small.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A force sensor comprising:
a main body;
a movable body movable with respect to the main body;
an elastic body fixed to the main body and the movable body and deformable according to movement of the movable body;
a strain sensor provided on the elastic body and including a strain body;
an opening formed in the movable body;
a stopper member provided inside the opening, including a first contact portion and a second contact portion distances of which from the opening are different from each other; and
a fixing member fixing the stopper member to the main body,
the opening is circular, the stopper member is cylindrical, and
the first contact portion is an outer surface of the stopper member corresponding to a first direction, and the second contact portion is two projections provided on the outer surface of the stopper member corresponding to a second direction, wherein the movable range of the strain body is greater in the first direction than the second direction.

2. The force sensor of claim 1 , wherein
a distance between the first contact portion and an inner surface of the opening is a first distance, a distance between the second contact portion and an inner surface of the opening is a second distance, and the second distance is less than the first distance.

3. The force sensor of claim 1 , wherein
the stopper member comprises a first portion and a second portion having a diameter less than a diameter of the first portion, and the projection is provided on the second portion.

4. The force sensor of claim 3 , wherein
the stopper member comprises a third portion provided on the second portion and having a diameter less than the diameter of the second portion.

5. The force sensor of claim 4 , wherein
a distance between a side surface of the third portion of the stopper member and the inner surface corresponding to the third portion of the opening is greater than the first distance.

6. The force sensor of claim 5 , wherein
the third portion comprises a first slit, and
the movable body comprises a second slit communicating to the opening and corresponding to the first slit.

7. The force sensor of claim 6 , further comprising:
a jig inserted between the side surface of the third portion of the stopper member and the inner surface corresponding to the third portion of the opening.

8. The force sensor of claim 7 , wherein
the jig comprises a key integrally inserted to the first slit and the second slit.

Assignees

• Nidec Copal Electronics Corp

Inventors

• Endo Takayuki
• Yasutomi Yoko

Classifications

• G01L5/161

  using variations in ohmic resistance · CPC title

• G01L1/2206

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

• B25J19/02

  Sensing devices · CPC title

• G01L1/22

  using resistance strain gauges · CPC title

• G01L1/26 Primary

  Auxiliary measures taken, or devices used, in connection with the measurement of force, e.g. for preventing influence of transverse components of force, for preventing overload · CPC title