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Villari effect seat weight sensor

  • US 5,905,210 A
  • Filed: 01/08/1998
  • Issued: 05/18/1999
  • Est. Priority Date: 01/09/1997
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A Villari effect sensor for measuring an applied force, comprising:

  • (a). a magnetostrictive sensing rod in series with the load path of the applied force, whereby said sensing rod is linear and continuous and further comprises a plurality of sections, each said section adjacent to one another and having a distinct cross-sectional area;

    (b). a drive coil concentric with said sensing rod for magnetizing said sensing rod responsive to an alternating current applied to said drive coil;

    (c). a plurality of sensing coils concentric with said sensing rod, each said sensing coil inductively coupled to said drive coil about one of said plurality of sections of said sensing rod, whereby each said sensing coil generates a signal responsive to the force-dependent permeability of said sensing rod at each one of said plurality of sections; and

    (d). a signal processor operatively coupled to said plurality of sensing coils for calculating the applied force from said signals generated by each of said plurality of sensing coils.

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