×

Resistive force sensing device and method with an advanced communication interface

  • US 7,644,628 B2
  • Filed: 06/04/2009
  • Issued: 01/12/2010
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2005
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
Patent Images

1. A force measuring device comprising:

  • a fixed surface and a movable surface;

    a member positioned between the fixed surface and the movable surface, the member caused to deflect in response to a force applied to the movable surface and to cause a change in an electrical property of the force measuring device;

    a circuit to measure the force based on an algorithm that considers the change in the electrical property of the force measuring device; and

    a data processing module of the force measuring device to communicate a measurement through an advanced communication interfacethe advanced communication interface is at least one of a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface, a Bluetooth interface, a Zigbee interface, a WiFi interface, a WiMax interface, a Wibree interface, a RS-232 interface, a RS-422 interface, a RS-485 interface, an Ethernet interface and a Power over Ethernet interface,means for applying an algorithm to convert a change in the electrical property to at least one of a voltage response and a frequency response to automatically generate the measurement, wherein the electrical property is at least one of a capacitance, a resistance, and an inductance;

    the force measuring device is at least one of a pancake sensor and a S-beam load cell that provides the measurement when under at least one of a tension and a compression mode;

    wherein when the force measuring device is the pancake sensor, the pancake sensor includes a contact zone cavity formed in a ring like fashion around a periphery of the movable surface, a conical washer between the fixed surface and the movable service, a female thread through the center and at least one hole on an outer ring to mount the pancake sensor to another assembly; and

    wherein when the force measuring device is the S-beam load cell, the S-beam load cell includes a flexible strain relief material, and a reference spring between the fixed surface and the movable service, and at least one hole on an outer portion to mount the S-beam load cell to another assembly.

View all claims
  • 2 Assignments
Timeline View
Assignment View
    ×
    ×