Robotic strain sensor with higher detection sensitivity

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12416535-B2
Application number	US-202118006381-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 2, 2021
Priority date	Oct 28, 2020
Publication date	Sep 16, 2025
Grant date	Sep 16, 2025

Abstract

A strain sensor is disclosed. The strain sensor includes: a base provided with a mounting recess; a mounting structure disposed on the base and located in the mounting recess, a preset gap being formed between the mounting structure and an inner surface of the mounting recess; a bearing structure mounted in the mounting recess and located outside the preset gap; and a wire set of a plurality of electrically conductive wires, at a side of the wire set each of the wires being fixedly disposed on the bearing structure, and at another side of the wire set each of the wires being fixedly arranged on the mounting structure to detect strain based on change of resistance of the wire set by a load applied through the bearing structure on the wire set.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A strain sensor, comprising:
a base provided with a mounting recess;
a mounting structure disposed on the base and located in the mounting recess, a pre-defined gap being formed between the mounting structure and an inner surface of the mounting recess;
a bearing structure mounted in the mounting recess and located outside the pre-defined gap; and
a wire set of a plurality of electrically conductive wires, at a side of the wire set each of the wires being fixedly disposed on the bearing structure, and at another side of the wire set each of the wires being fixedly disposed on the mounting structure to detect strain based on change of resistance of the wire set by a load applied through the bearing structure on the wire set.

2. The strain sensor of claim 1 , comprising a plurality of wire sets and a plurality of mounting structures, wherein the plurality of wire sets are arranged along an inner circumference of the mounting recess and spaced from each other, and the plurality of mounting structures are disposed correspondingly to the plurality of wire sets.

3. The strain sensor of claim 1 , wherein the mounting structure is provided with a first winding part thereon, the first winding part comprises a plurality of first protrusions arranged in at least one of a first pre-defined direction and a second pre-defined direction and spaced from each other, the first protrusions are provided with first wire passing holes configured to allow the wire set to pass therethrough, and the first pre-defined direction and the second pre-defined direction are defined at an angle therebetween.

4. The strain sensor of claim 3 , wherein the mounting structure has a plate structure, the plate structure comprises a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the first winding part is disposed on the first surface, the second surface is an arch-shaped surface, and the pre-defined gap is formed between the second surface and the inner surface of the mounting recess.

5. The strain sensor of claim 3 , wherein the first pre-defined direction is perpendicular to the second pre-defined direction.

6. The strain sensor of claim 3 , wherein the first pre-defined direction is a height direction of the strain sensor, and each of the first wire passing holes extends in the first pre-defined direction.

7. The strain sensor of claim 1 , wherein the bearing structure is provided with a second winding part thereon, the second winding part comprises a plurality of second protrusions arranged in at least one of a first pre-defined direction and a second pre-defined direction and spaced from each other, the second protrusions are provided with second wire passing holes configured to allow the wire set to pass therethrough, and the first pre-defined direction and the second pre-defined direction are defined at an angle therebetween.

8. The strain sensor of claim 7 , further comprising a cover covering the base and the bearing structure, wherein the bearing structure comprises:
a bearing body connected to and engaged with the cover; and
a winding body connected to the bearing body and located at a side of the bearing body away from the cover, the second winding part being disposed on an outer surface of the winding body.

9. The strain sensor of claim 8 , wherein the winding body has a cross-section in shape of a polygon, there are a plurality of second winding parts, and the plurality of second winding parts are disposed correspondingly to a plurality of sides of the polygon in a one-to-one manner.

10. The strain sensor of claim 8 , wherein a surface of the bearing structure facing the cover is higher than a surface of the base facing the cover.

11. The strain sensor of claim 8 , wherein a surface of the bearing structure facing the cover is flush with a surface of the base facing the cover.

12. The strain sensor of claim 1 , wherein the wire set comprises:
a first wire sub-set comprising at least two first wire parts arranged in a first pre-defined direction and spaced from each other; and
a second wire sub-set comprising at least two second wire parts arranged in a second pre-defined direction spaced from each other, the first pre-defined direction and the second pre-defined direction being defined at an angle therebetween.

13. The strain sensor of claim 12 , wherein there are a plurality of first wire sub-sets and a plurality of second wire sub-sets, the plurality of first wire sub-sets are arranged along an inner circumferential surface of the mounting recess and spaced from each other, and at least one second wire sub-set is disposed between two adjacent first wire sub-sets.

14. The strain sensor of claim 12 , wherein a ratio of a measuring range of the strain sensor to a length of the wire of the first wire part is less than or equal to 0.0125 N/mm.

15. The strain sensor of claim 12 , wherein a ratio of a measuring range of the strain sensor to a length of the wire of the second wire part is less than or equal to 0.0125 N/mm.

16. The strain sensor of claim 1 , wherein the strain sensor further comprises:
a plurality of fixing structures disposed on the mounting structure, ends of wires of the wire set wind on the fixing structures, so that the ends of the wires are fixed by the fixing structures.

17. The strain sensor of claim 16 , wherein each of the plurality of fixing structures is a preloaded bolt.

18. A robot, comprising the strain sensor of claim 1 .

19. The strain sensor of claim 7 , wherein the first pre-defined direction is a height direction of the strain sensor, and each of the second wire passing holes extends in the first pre-defined direction.

20. The strain sensor of claim 8 , wherein a surface of the bearing structure facing the cover is lower than a surface of the base facing the cover.

Assignees

• Gree Electric Appliances Inc Zhuhai

Inventors

• Zhou Dan
• Wang Tuo
• Huang Weicai
• Liu Bailu

Classifications

• G01L1/2287

  constructional details of the strain gauges (adjustable resistors H01C10/00) · CPC title

• B25J19/02

  Sensing devices · CPC title

• G01L5/1627

  of strain gauges (using piezoresistors G01L5/162) · CPC title

• G01L1/2206 Primary

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

• G01L3/1457 Primary

  involving resistance strain gauges · CPC title