Load cell and load detecting apparatus

• US 6,005,199 A
• Filed: 08/28/1998
• Issued: 12/21/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: JFE Advantech Co., Ltd. (JFE Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Kawatetsu Advantech Co., Ltd. (JFE Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Harada, Shunji, Hamamatsu, Masahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Gibson, Randy W.
• Application Number:
  US09/143,524
• Time in Patent Office: 480 Days
• Field of Search: 177/211, 73/862.474, 73/862.627, 73/862.629, 73/862.632, 73/862.637, 73/862.642, 73/862.391, 73/862.581, 73/862.636
• US Class Current: 177/211
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/2231 the supports being disc- or ring-shaped, adapted for measuring a force along a single direction

Abstract

A load cell comprises a column elastic body 11; a circle bore 12 formed on a center portion of a first end surface 11a of the column elastic body 11, a bottom wall of which constitutes a load acting surface 13; an annular concave groove 15 formed on a second surface 11b of the column elastic body 11 being coaxial with the circle bore 12, a bottom portion of which constitutes a strain occurrence portion 18, a outer portion of which constitutes a fixing portion 16 of thick cylinder configuration; and Strain gages stuck on the strain occurrence portion. A distance "y" from the load acting surface 13 to a surface of the strain occurrence portion 18 is 0.2 to 2 times shortest distance "e" from a center axis of the column elastic body to the strain gages.

Claims

1. A load cell comprising:

a column elastic body;

a circle bore formed on a center portion of a first end surface of the column elastic body, a bottom wall of which constitutes a load acting surface;

an annular concave groove formed at least on a second surface of the column elastic body opposing to the first surface and being coaxial with the circle bore, a bottom portion of which constitutes a strain occurrence portion of thin annular wall configuration, a outer portion of which constitutes a fixing portion of thick cylinder configuration; and

strain gages stuck on the strain occurrence portion;

wherein a distance from the load acting surface to a surface of the strain occurrence portion on which the strain gages are stuck is 0.2 to 2 times shortest distance from a center axis of the column elastic body to the strain gages.

3. The load cell as in claim 1, wherein an annular concave groove having V-like sectional configuration is formed on the first end surface of the column elastic body on which the circle bore is formed.

2. A load cell comprising:

a column elastic body;

a circle bore formed on a center portion of a first end surface of the column elastic body, a bottom wall of which constitutes a load acting surface;

an annular concave groove formed at least on a second surface of the column elastic opposing to the first surface and being coaxial with the circle bore, a bottom portion of which constitutes a strain occurrence portion of thin annular wall configuration, a outer portion of which constitutes a fixing portion of thick cylinder configuration; and

strain gages stuck on the strain occurrence portion;

wherein the load acting surface coincides with a neutral axis plane and the annular groove is formed around the load acting surface.

12. The load cell as in claim 2, wherein an annular concave groove having V-like sectional configuration is formed on the first end surface of the column elastic body on which the circle bore is formed.

4. A load detecting apparatus comprising:

a load cell having a column elastic body;

a circle bore formed on a center portion of a first end surface of the column elastic body, a bottom wall of which constitutes a load acting surface;

an annular concave groove formed at least on a second surface of the column elastic body opposing to the first surface and being coaxial with the circle bore, a bottom portion of which constitutes a strain occurrence portion of thin annular wall configuration, a outer portion of which constitutes a fixing portion of thick cylinder configuration; and

strain gages stuck on the strain occurrence portion, wherein a distance from the load acting surface to a surface of the strain occurrence portion on which the strain gages are stuck is 0.2 to 2 times a shortest distance from a center axis of the column elastic body to the strain gages;

a lower pressure plate to which the second end surface of column elastic body of the load cell opposing to the first surface formed with the circle bore is fixed;

an upper pressure plate coupled to a structure a load of which is to be detected, on a lower surface of which a circle bore is formed; and

a load shaft both upper and lower ends of which are respectively inserted in loose into the circle bore of the column elastic body of the load cell and the circle bore of the upper pressure plate, and the upper and lower end surfaces of the load shaft having a convex curved surface configuration respectively and abutting the load acting surface constituted by the bottom wall of the circle bore of the column elastic body and the bottom wall of the circle bore of the upper pressure plate.

5. The load detecting apparatus as in claim 4, further comprising a circle concave portion of a larger diameter than that of the column elastic body of the load cell formed on the lower surface of the upper pressure plate,

wherein the first end surface of the column elastic body is loosely inserted into the circle concave portion so that a clearance having a predetermined size is formed between the outer peripheral surface of the column elastic body and the side wall of the circle concave portion.

6. The load detecting apparatus as in claim 4, further comprising

horizontal locating pins which project from the first end surface of the column elastic body of the load cell;

and

pin insertion bores of larger diameter than that of the horizontal locating pins which are formed on the lower side of the upper pressure plate,

wherein the horizontal locating pins are inserted into the pin insertion bores so that a clearance having a predetermined size is formed between the outer peripheral surface of the horizontal locating pin and the side wall portion of the pin insertion bore.

7. The load cell detecting apparatus as in claim 4, further comprising

a circle concave portion which is formed on the first end surface of the column elastic body of the load cell;

and

a column-like projection of smaller diameter than that of the circle concave portion projecting from the lower face of the upper pressure plate,

wherein the column-like projection is loosely inserted into the circle concave portion so that a predetermined clearance between the outer peripheral surface of the column-like projection and the side wall of the circle concave portion.

8. A load detecting apparatus comprising:

a load cell comprising, a column elastic body;

a circle bore formed on a center portion of a first end surface of the column elastic body, a bottom wall of which constitutes a load acting surface;

an annular concave groove formed at least on a second surface of the column elastic body opposing to the first surface and being coaxial with the circle bore, a bottom portion of which constitutes a strain occurrence portion of thin annular wall configuration and a outer portion of which constitutes a fixing portion of thick cylinder configuration; and

strain gages stuck on the strain occurrence portion, wherein the load acting surface coincides with a neutral axis plan and an annular groove is formed on the first surface of the column elastic body around the load acting surface;

a lower pressure plate to which the second end surface of column elastic body of the load cell opposing to the first surface formed with the circle bore is fixed;

an upper pressure plate coupled to a structure a load of which is to be detected, on a lower surface of which a circle bore is formed; and

a load shaft both upper and lower ends of which are respectively inserted in loose into the circle bore of the column elastic body of the load cell and the circle bore of the upper pressure plate, and the upper and lower end surfaces of the load shaft having a convex curved surface configuration respectively and abutting the load acting surface constituted by the bottom wall of the circle bore of the column elastic body and the bottom wall of the circle bore of the upper pressure plate.

9. The load detecting apparatus as in claim 8, further comprising a circle concave portion of lager diameter than that of the column elastic body of the load cell formed on the lower surface of the upper pressure plate,

wherein the first end surface of the column elastic body is loosely inserted into the circle concave portion so that a clearance having a predetermined size is formed between the outer peripheral surface of the column elastic body and the side wall of the circle concave portion.

10. The load detecting apparatus as in claim 8, further comprising

horizontal locating pins which project from the first end surface of the column elastic body of the load cell;

and

pin insertion bores of larger diameter than that of the horizontal locating pins which are formed on the lower side of the upper pressure plate,

wherein the horizontal locating pins are inserted into the pin insertion bores so that a clearance having a predetermined size is formed between the outer peripheral surface of the horizontal locating pin and the side wall portion of the pin insertion bore.

11. The load cell detecting apparatus as in claim 8, further comprising:

a circle concave portion which is formed on the first end surface of the column elastic body of the load cell; and

a column-like projection of smaller diameter than that of the circle concave portion projecting from the lower face of the upper pressure plate,

wherein the column-like projection is loosely inserted into the circle concave portion so that a predetermined clearance between the outer peripheral surface of the column-like projection and the side wall of the circle concave portion.