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Force sensing device and method

  • US 4,856,350 A
  • Filed: 10/22/1987
  • Issued: 08/15/1989
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/22/1987
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A force sensing device, comprising:

  • (a) at least one elongated, vibratable tine;

    (b) means for vibrating said tine back and forth in a direction normal to its axis of elongation;

    (c) an arrangement supporting said tine for said vibration and including mounting means adapted for connection to an external member capable of applying a variable external force to the support arrangement along an axis not parallel to the axis of elongation of said tine, said support arrangement being configured so as to apply to said tine its own internal force in response to and varying with said external force in a way which causes the tine to vibrate at a frequency that varies with the magnitude of said internal force and therefore said external force, said support arrangement including four links of substantially equal lengths and means interconnecting the links to one another and to opposite ends of said tine so as to form a parallelogram such that the elongation axis of the tine extends between a first pair of opposing corners of the parallelogram and such that the direction along which the external force is applied extends between a second pair of opposing corners of the parallelogram and normal to the elongation axis of said tine; and

    (d) means for sensing the vibrating frequency of said tine and for determining therefrom the magnitude of said external force.

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