Torque sensor
First Claim
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1. A torque sensor comprising:
- a carrier which can be mounted to an associated spindle connected to at least one crank arm of an associated torqued object;
a first strain gauge grid mounted to the carrier in a shear pattern to measure shear strain in a direction perpendicular to a radius of the associated spindle; and
a second strain gauge grid mounted to the carrier and sharing a common orientation with the first strain gauge grid, the common orientation being about 45 degrees from an axis of the carrier, wherein the first strain gauge grid and the second strain gauge grid are located radially opposite from each other.
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Abstract
A torque sensor for a human-powered object includes a spindle connecting crank arms of the object. In one embodiment, the object can be a bicycle. The torque sensor further includes at least one strain gauge mounted to the spindle in a shear pattern to measure shear strain perpendicular to a radius of the spindle. In some embodiments, the torque sensor further includes a carrier fixed to a hollow interior of the spindle, where at least one strain gauge is mounted to the spindle via the carrier. Advantageously, the torque sensor provides a low cost method to measure power.
45 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A torque sensor comprising:
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a carrier which can be mounted to an associated spindle connected to at least one crank arm of an associated torqued object; a first strain gauge grid mounted to the carrier in a shear pattern to measure shear strain in a direction perpendicular to a radius of the associated spindle; and a second strain gauge grid mounted to the carrier and sharing a common orientation with the first strain gauge grid, the common orientation being about 45 degrees from an axis of the carrier, wherein the first strain gauge grid and the second strain gauge grid are located radially opposite from each other. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A power measuring unit comprising:
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a torque sensor comprising; a carrier which can be mounted to an associated spindle connecting crank arms of a human-powered object; a first strain gauge grid mounted to the carrier in a shear pattern to measure shear strain from torsional forces; a second strain gauge grid mounted to the carrier and sharing a common orientation with the first strain gauge grid, the common orientation being about 45 degrees from an axis of the carrier, wherein the first strain gauge grid and the second strain gauge grid are located radially opposite from each other; and a processor programmed to; receive strain data from the torque sensor; measure torque from the received strain data; and provide power data calculated from the measured torque to a receiving device. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A torque sensor comprising:
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a shaft; and
,a pair of strain gauge grids mounted to the shaft such that they are located radially opposite from each other in a shear pattern and sharing a common orientation with each other to measure shear strain in a direction perpendicular to a radius of the shaft and electrically connected in a Wheatstone Bridge arrangement to measure shear strain from torsional forces whilst negating shear strain from bending forces, wherein the common orientation is about 45 degrees from an axis of the shaft. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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16. A bicycle comprising:
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a pair of crank arms connected by a spindle; and
,a torque sensor comprising; a first strain gauge oriented to measure strain at 45 degrees to an axis of the spindle and perpendicular to a radius of the axis; and a second strain gauge grid sharing a common orientation with the first strain gauge grid, the common orientation being about 45 degrees from the axis, and wherein the first strain gauge grid and the second strain gauge grid are located radially opposite from each other. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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Specification