Vibrating beam force transducer
First Claim
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1. A monolithic force transducer capable of being attached between spaced apart first and second sensor structures, the force transducer comprising:
- first and second spaced apart mounting elements for mounting to the spaced apart first and second sensor structures, respectively;
first and second force sensing elements having respective first and second force sensing axes associated therewith both oriented substantially parallel with a transducer force sensing axis and being sensitive to a force exerted thereto in either direction; and
the first and second force sensing elements having respective first ends being exclusively connected to respective first and second spaced apart mounting elements, and respective second ends being mutually interconnected, such that a force exerted on the first and second mounting elements of the force transducer by the sensor structures parallel with the transducer force sensing axis results in a compression force in one of the first and second mounting elements and a tension force in the other of the first and second mounting elements.
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for monolithic force transducers in which a sensed force is applied across only two ends of a pair of force sensing elements so that the pair of force sensing elements are loaded in series with one in compression and the other in tension, whereby the force sensed by each of the two force sensing elements are identically equal in magnitude but opposite in sense.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A monolithic force transducer capable of being attached between spaced apart first and second sensor structures, the force transducer comprising:
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first and second spaced apart mounting elements for mounting to the spaced apart first and second sensor structures, respectively;
first and second force sensing elements having respective first and second force sensing axes associated therewith both oriented substantially parallel with a transducer force sensing axis and being sensitive to a force exerted thereto in either direction; and
the first and second force sensing elements having respective first ends being exclusively connected to respective first and second spaced apart mounting elements, and respective second ends being mutually interconnected, such that a force exerted on the first and second mounting elements of the force transducer by the sensor structures parallel with the transducer force sensing axis results in a compression force in one of the first and second mounting elements and a tension force in the other of the first and second mounting elements. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 14)
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8. A monolithic force transducer capable of being attached between first and second sensor structures, the force transducer comprising:
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first and second mounting elements for mounting the force transducer to the first and second sensor structures, respectively;
first and second force sensing elements having respective force sensing axes oriented parallel with one another and with a transducer force sensing axis and being sensitive to a force exerted thereto in either direction, a first end of the first force sensing element being exclusively interconnected with the first mounting element, and a first end of the second force sensing element being exclusively interconnected with the second mounting element; and
a coupling frame that is structured for exclusively interconnecting respective second ends of the first and second force sensing elements, such that a force exerted on the first and second mounting elements of the force transducer by the sensor structures parallel with the transducer force sensing axis results in a compression force in the first force sensing element and a tension force in the second force sensing element. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15)
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16. A method for forming a monolithic force transducer capable of being attached between spaced apart first and second sensor structures, the method comprising:
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in a crystalline substrate, forming first and second spaced apart mounting elements structured for mounting to the spaced apart first and second sensor structures, respectively;
in the crystalline substrate, forming first and second force sensing elements having respective first and second force sensing axes associated therewith both oriented substantially parallel with a transducer force sensing axis and being sensitive to a force exerted thereto in either direction; and
the first and second force sensing elements being formed having respective first ends being exclusively connected to respective first and second spaced apart mounting elements, and respective second ends being mutually interconnected, such that a force exerted on the first and second mounting elements by the sensor structures parallel with the transducer force sensing axis results in a compression force in one of the first and second mounting elements and a tension force in the other of the first and second mounting elements. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification