Strain sensor

• US 6,960,911 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2003
• Issued: 11/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Inoue, Tetsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Lefkowitz, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Whittington, Kenneth
• Application Number:
  US10/352,894
• Publication Number:
  US 20030141867A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,007 Days
• Field of Search: 324/209, 324/207.11, 324/207.12, 324/207.18, 324/15, 324/249, 338/2, 338/5, 737/79, 731/60, 737/74, 731/465, 737/60, 738/62, 733/38, 738/624.71, 738/624.73, 738/624.74, 73/465, 336/40, 336/73, 336/77, 336/30, 336/232, 360/111, 174/18, 427/127, 428/694.PR
• US Class Current: 324/209
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/125 by using magnetostrictive means magnetostrictive sensors H10N35/101
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/127 by using inductive means G01L1/122, G01L1/125 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/16 by making use of variations in the magnetic properties of material resulting from the application of stress

Abstract

A strain sensor includes a sensor section having a magnetic material provided on one surface of a conductor, the magnetic material being formed integrally with the conductor and having a magnetic strain constant with an absolute value larger than 1×10⁻⁷, a fixing mechanism which fixes at least a part of the sensor section, an inductor disposed in a surface side of the sensor section which is opposite the surface on which the magnetic material is provided, the inductor being disposed opposite and away from the sensor section, and a detection unit which detects the amount of deformation of the sensor section caused by stress applied thereto on the basis of a change in inductance of the inductor.

Claims

1. A strain sensor comprising:

a sensor section having a conductor and a first magnetic material provided on one surface of the conductor, the magnetic material having a negative magnetic strain constant with a value of −

5×

10<sup>−

7</sup> or less;

a fixing mechanism which holds the sensor section so as to allow a central portion of the sensor section to be deformed in response to stress, and fixes an entire periphery of the sensor section;

an inductor disposed to face a surface of the sensor section which is opposite a surface on which the first magnetic material is provided, the inductor being disposed away from the sensor section; and

a detection unit which detects an amount of deformation of the sensor section based on a change in inductance of the inductor,

wherein magnetic permeability of the first magnetic material changes based on the amount of deformation, and increases when the first magnetic material contracts as a result of stress applied to the sensor section.

2. A strain sensor according to claim 1, further comprising a second magnetic material disposed on a surface of the inductor which is opposite the surface on which the sensor section is disposed, the second magnetic material being disposed opposite and away from the sensor section.

3. A strain sensor according to claim 1, wherein the first magnetic material comprises a soft magnetic material.

4. A strain sensor according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit includes an oscillator which supplies an oscillation signal to the inductor, a phase detecting circuit to detect phase information on this oscillation signal, and an arithmetic circuit which converts the phase information detected by the phase detecting circuit into an output denoting an amount of deformation of the sensor section.

5. A strain sensor according to claim 1, wherein the conductor comprises an elastically deformative material.

6. A strain sensor according to claim 1, wherein the conductor comprises a plastically deformative material.

7. A strain sensor according to claim 1, wherein the inductor has a spiral shape.

8. A strain sensor according to claim 1, wherein the sensor section includes a glass substrate having a first surface on which the conductor is provided and a second surface on which the first magnetic material is provided.

9. A strain sensor according to claim 1, wherein the conductor has an electric resistance of 1×

10<sup>−

8</sup>[Ω

·

cm] or less.

10. A strain sensor according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic permeability of the first magnetic material decreases when the first magnetic material expands as a result of said stress.

11. A strain sensor according to claim 1, wherein the first magnetic material increases magnetic flux crossing the conductor, the magnetic flux being increased when the first magnetic material contracts as a result of stress applied to the sensor section.

12. A strain sensor according to claim 1, wherein the first magnetic material decreases magnetic flux crossing the conductor, the magnetic flux being decreased when the first magnetic material expands as a result of stress applied to the sensor section.

13. A strain sensor according to claim 1, wherein the fixing mechanism fixes the sensor section such that the first magnetic material contracts.

14. A strain sensor according to claim 1, wherein the sensor section is fixed such that the magnetic material contracts in a plane direction when the distance between the sensor section and the inductor decreases and expands in the plane direction when the distance between the sensor section and the inductor increases.

15. A strain sensor comprising:

a sensor section having a conductor and a first magnetic material provided on one surface of the conductor, the magnetic material having a positive magnetic strain constant with a value of 5×

10<sup>−

7</sup> or more;

a fixing mechanism which fixes a part of a periphery of the sensor section;

an inductor disposed to face a surface of the sensor section which is opposite a surface on which the first magnetic material is provided, the inductor being disposed away from the sensor section; and

a detection unit which detects an amount of deformation of the sensor section based on a change in inductance of the inductor,

wherein magnetic permeability of the first magnetic material changes based on the amount of deformation, and increases when the first magnetic material expands as a result of stress applied to the sensor section.

16. A strain sensor according to claim 15, further comprising a second magnetic material disposed on a surface of the inductor which is opposite the surface on which the sensor section is disposed, the second magnetic material being disposed opposite and away from the sensor section.

17. A strain sensor according to claim 15, wherein the detection unit includes an oscillator which supplies an oscillation signal to the inductor, a phase detecting circuit to detect phase information on this oscillation signal, and an arithmetic circuit which converts the phase information detected by the phase detecting circuit into an output denoting an amount of deformation of the sensor section.

18. A strain sensor according to claim 15, wherein the magnetic permeability of the first magnetic material decreases when the first magnetic material contracts as a result of said stress.

19. A strain sensor according to claim 15, wherein the first magnetic material increases magnetic flux crossing the conductor, the magnetic flux being increased when the first magnetic material expands as a result of stress applied to the sensor section.

20. A strain sensor according to claim 15, wherein the first magnetic material decreases magnetic flux crossing the conductor, the magnetic flux being decreased when the first magnetic material contracts as a result of stress applied to the sensor section.

21. A strain sensor according to claim 15, wherein the fixing mechanism fixes the sensor section such that the first magnetic material expands.

22. A strain sensor according to claim 15, wherein the sensor section is fixed such that the magnetic material expands in a plane direction when the distance between the sensor section and the inductor decreases and contracts in the plane direction when the distance between the sensor section and the inductor increases.

23. A strain sensor comprising:

a sensor section having a conductor and a first magnetic material provided on one surface of the conductor, the magnetic material having a positive magnetic strain constant with a value of 5×

10<sup>−

7</sup> or more;

a fixing mechanism which has a member fixing the central portion of the sensor section;

an inductor disposed to face a surface of the sensor section which is opposite a surface on which the first magnetic material is provided, the inductor being disposed away from the sensor section; and

a detection unit which detects an amount of deformation of the sensor section based on a change in inductance of the inductor,

wherein magnetic permeability of the first magnetic material changes based on the amount of deformation, and increases when the first magnetic material expands as a result of stress applied to the sensor section.

24. A strain sensor according to claim 23, wherein the sensor section is fixed such that the magnetic material expands in a plane direction when the distance between the sensor section and the inductor decreases and contracts in the plane direction when the distance between the sensor section and the inductor increases.