Weight sensing apparatus
First Claim
1. A weight sensing apparatus comprising first and second support means, a load carrying member supported on said first and second support means, a sensing portion of the load carrying member which terminates inwardly of at least one end of the load carrying member and being disposed between said support means and therebeing at least one further portion of the load carrying member which extends away from said sensing portion beyond an adjacent one of said first and second support means toward an end of the load carrying member, a load receiving region provided on said sensing portion, at least one strain gauge positioned on the sensing portion to sense the strain in said member to provide a signal indicative of load applied to the load receiving region, said at least one strain gauge being positioned between the support means at a distance from at least one of the first support means, the second support means and the load receiving region, which is not greater than a distance d max., where d max. is the maximum thickness of the member between the first and second support means in the direction in which the load is to be applied and not closer to a support means or the applied load than a distance of d min., where d min. lies in the range 0.25 to 0.35 d max.
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Abstract
A weight sensing apparatus comprising first and second support means, a load carrying member supported on said first and second support means, a sensing portion of the load carrying member which terminates inwardly of at least one end of the load carrying member and being disposed between said support means and therebeing at least one further portion of the load carrying member which extends away from said sensing portion beyond an adjacent one of said first and second support means towards an end of the load carrying member, a load receiving region provided on said sensing portion, at least one strain gauge positioned on the sensing portion to sense the strain in said member to provide a signal indicative of load applied to the load receiving region, said at least one strain gauge being positioned between the support means at a distance from at least one of the first support means, the second support means and the load receiving means, which is not greater than a distance d max., where d max. is the maximum thickness of the member between the first and second support means in the direction in which the load is to be applied.
14 Citations
10 Claims
- 1. A weight sensing apparatus comprising first and second support means, a load carrying member supported on said first and second support means, a sensing portion of the load carrying member which terminates inwardly of at least one end of the load carrying member and being disposed between said support means and therebeing at least one further portion of the load carrying member which extends away from said sensing portion beyond an adjacent one of said first and second support means toward an end of the load carrying member, a load receiving region provided on said sensing portion, at least one strain gauge positioned on the sensing portion to sense the strain in said member to provide a signal indicative of load applied to the load receiving region, said at least one strain gauge being positioned between the support means at a distance from at least one of the first support means, the second support means and the load receiving region, which is not greater than a distance d max., where d max. is the maximum thickness of the member between the first and second support means in the direction in which the load is to be applied and not closer to a support means or the applied load than a distance of d min., where d min. lies in the range 0.25 to 0.35 d max.
- 6. A method of sensing the weight of a load to be imposed on a load receiving region of a load carrying member which is supported, in use, on first and second support means, with the load receiving region disposed between said support means, comprising the steps of determining the maximum thickness, d max., of the member between the support means, measuring a distance from at least one of the first support means, the second support means and the load receiving region equal to d max. and positioning a strain gauge on said member between said support means at a distance therefrom which is not greater than said measured distance d max. and not less than d min., where d min. lies in the range 0.25 to 0.35 d max., and connecting the strain gauge in an electrical circuit to provide, in use, an indication of a load applied to the load receiving region.
Specification