Force transducer forming a load cell

• US 9,127,995 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2012
• Issued: 09/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Scheibner, Dirk, Steckenborn, Arno
• Primary Examiner(s): Noori, Max
• Application Number:
  US14/118,179
• Publication Number:
  US 20140102218A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,215 Days
• Field of Search: 738/626.1, 738/626.21, 738/626.29, 738/626.32, 738/626.37
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 3/12 wherein the weighing element is in the form of a solid body stressed by pressure or tension during weighing
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 3/1416 for non-linearity
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/086 using electrostatic or electromagnetic counterbalancing forces

Abstract

A force transducer, in particular a weighing cell, includes a spring body, which deforms under the action of a force or load to be measured, and a sensor that includes two separate sensor parts mounted at different locations of the spring body and that generates a sensor signal which is dependent on the relative position of the sensor parts with respect to each other. In order to improve the adaptation of the sensor to the spring body, one of the sensor parts is attached to the spring body with interposition of an electromechanical actuator and a control device is present, which controls the actuator dependent on the sensor signal in the direction of a reduction in the positional difference of the sensor parts.

Claims

1. A force transducer, comprising:

a spring body which deforms under action of a force or load to be measured, and

a sensor comprising a plurality of separate sensor parts attached at different locations of the spring body and, the sensor generating a sensor signal which is dependent on a position of each of the plurality of separate sensor parts relative to one another;

an interposed electromechanical sensor actuator, one sensor of the plurality of separate sensor parts being attached to the spring body via the interposed electromechanical actuator; and

a control device which controls the actuator based on the sensor signal in a direction of a reduction in a positional difference between each of the plurality of separate sensor parts.

2. The force transducer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor is configured to operate in accordance with one of a capacitive, an inductive, an optical, an acoustic and electromagnetic contactless measuring method.

3. The force transducer as claimed in claim 2, wherein the sensor comprises a capacitive sensor, and the plurality of separate sensor parts consist of two inter-engaging comb electrodes.

4. The force transducer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electromechanical actuator is configured to operate in accordance with one of a piezoelectric, an electromagnetic, an electrostatic, an electrostrictive and amagnetostrictive method.

5. The force transducer as claimed in claim 2, wherein the electromechanical actuator is configured to operate in accordance with one of a piezoelectric, an electromagnetic, an electrostatic, an electrostrictive and amagnetostrictive method.

6. The force transducer as claimed in claim 3, wherein the electromechanical actuator is configured to operate in accordance with one of a piezoelectric, an electromagnetic, an electrostatic, an electrostrictive and amagnetostrictive method.

7. The force transducer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of separate sensor parts are held on a flexible carrier, the plurality of separate sensor parts being attached to the spring body via the flexible carrier.

8. The force transducer as claimed in claim 7, wherein the flexible carrier forms part of a flexible sleeve which accommodates the sensor.

9. The force transducer as claimed in claim 7, wherein one sensor part of the plurality of separate sensor parts is held on the flexible carrier with the interposed electromechanical actuator.

10. The force transducer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the force transducer is a load cell.