# US 12,000,745 B2 · Torque sensor device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,000,745 B2 - Document ID: US12000745B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/231,500 - Filed: 2021-04-15 - Published: 2021-10-21 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2020-04-16 - Assignees: MEAS France - Applicants: MEAS France - Inventors: Arthur Vignolles; Jean-Pierre LeClair - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12000745B2 ## CPC - G01L 1/2231: {the supports being disc- or ring-shaped, adapted for measuring a force along a single direction} - G01L 3/108: {involving resistance strain gauges} - B25J 13/085: {Force or torque sensors (B25J13/082, B25J13/084 take precedence)} - B25J 17/0241: {One-dimensional joints} - G01L 3/1457: {involving resistance strain gauges} - G01L 5/162: of piezoresistors - G01L 5/226: {to manipulators, e.g. the force due to gripping} - G01L: MEASURING FORCE, STRESS, TORQUE, WORK, MECHANICAL POWER, MECHANICAL EFFICIENCY, OR FLUID PRESSURE (weighing G01G) - B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50}) ## Abstract A torque sensor device includes a circular body having an annular inner flange, an annular outer flange, and a circular intermediate portion between the annular inner flange and the annular outer flange. The annular inner flange is closer to a center of the circular body than the annular outer flange. The circular intermediate portion is a continuously solid portion. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A torque sensor device, comprising: a circular body having an annular inner flange, an annular outer flange, and a circular intermediate portion between the annular inner flange and the annular outer flange in a radial direction of the circular body, the circular intermediate portion has an inner sub-portion, an outer sub-portion, and a circumferential groove separating the inner sub-portion and the outer sub-portion, the annular inner flange is closer to a center of the circular body than the annular outer flange, the circular intermediate portion is a continuously solid portion, the annular inner flange and the annular outer flange lie in a same plane that is parallel to a main surface of the torque sensor device; and a plurality of measurement transducers formed in and/or on the inner sub-portion of the circular intermediate portion in a pairwise manner. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The torque sensor device of claim 1, wherein a plurality of inner force application openings are formed in the annular inner flange and a plurality of outer force application openings are formed in the annular outer flange. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The torque sensor device of claim 1, wherein the measurement transducers are positioned axially symmetrically to an axis extending through the center of the circular body in a direction perpendicular to the main surface of the circular body. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The torque sensor device of claim 3, wherein the measurement transducers include at least four pairs of measurement transducers. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The torque sensor device of claim 4, wherein each of the pairs of measurement transducers are located symmetrically to an axis extending through the center of the circular body in a direction parallel to the main surface of the circular body. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The torque sensor device of claim 5, wherein, for each of the pairs of measurement transducers, the axis extending through the center of the circular body in the direction parallel to the main surface to which the measurement transducers are located symmetrically is spaced apart by 90° in a circumferential direction from an axis extending through the center of the circular body in the direction parallel to the main surface to which the measurement transducers of a neighboring pair of measurement transducers are located symmetrically. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The torque sensor device of claim 1, wherein the circumferential groove is a radially elastic portion. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The torque sensor device of claim 1, wherein the measurement transducers comprise or consist of at least one of silicon gages, foil strain gages, and thin layer strain gages. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A robot, comprising: a joint including a gear box and the torque sensor device of claim 1. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The robot of claim 9, wherein the torque sensor device is positioned to seal the gear box. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) A method of measuring a torque of a shaft positioned in a gear box, comprising: providing the torque sensor device of claim 1; attaching the torque sensor device to the gear box to seal the gear box; and measuring the torque with the torque sensor device. ### Claim 12 A torque sensor device, comprising: a circular body having an annular inner flange, an annular outer flange, and a circular intermediate portion between the annular inner flange and the annular outer flange in a radial direction of the circular body, the annular inner flange is closer to a center of the circular body than the annular outer flange, the circular intermediate portion is a continuously solid portion, the annular inner flange and the annular outer flange lie in a same plane that is parallel to a main surface of the torque sensor device; and a plurality of measurement transducers are formed in and/or on the circular intermediate portion in a pairwise manner, the measurement transducers are positioned axially symmetrically to an axis extending through the center of the circular body in a direction perpendicular to the main surface of the circular body, the measurement transducers include at least four pairs of measurement transducers, each of the pairs of measurement transducers are located symmetrically to an axis extending through the center of the circular body in a direction parallel to the main surface of the circular body, for each of the pairs of measurement transducers, the axis extending through the center of the circular body in the direction parallel to the main surface to which the measurement transducers are located symmetrically is spaced apart by 90° in a circumferential direction from an axis extending through the center of the circular body in the direction parallel to the main surface to which the measurement transducers of a neighboring pair of measurement transducers are located symmetrically. ### Claim 13 A torque sensor device, comprising: a circular body having an annular inner flange, an annular outer flange, and a circular intermediate portion between the annular inner flange and the annular outer flange in a radial direction of the circular body, the annular inner flange is closer to a center of the circular body than the annular outer flange, the circular intermediate portion is a continuously solid portion, the annular inner flange and the annular outer flange lie in a same plane that is parallel to a main surface of the torque sensor device, the circular intermediate portion has a plurality of tapered out portions not extending completely through the circular intermediate portion in a direction along an axis extending through the center of the circular body in a direction perpendicular to the main surface. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The torque sensor device of claim 13, wherein the tapered out portions are closer to the annular outer flange than the annular inner flange and have a longer extension in a circumferential direction than in the radial direction. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The torque sensor device of claim 14, wherein a center of each of the tapered out portions in the circumferential direction is spaced apart from an axis extending through the center of the circular body in a direction parallel to the main surface, with respect to which a pair of measurement transducers are located symmetrically, by 22.5° in the circumferential direction. ### Claim 16 A torque sensor device, comprising: a circular body having an annular inner flange, an annular outer flange, and a circular intermediate portion between the annular inner flange and the annular outer flange in a radial direction of the circular body, the annular inner flange is closer to a center of the circular body than the annular outer flange, the circular intermediate portion is a continuously solid portion, the annular inner flange and the annular outer flange lie in a same plane that is parallel to a main surface of the torque sensor device; a plurality of measurement transducers are formed in and/or on the circular intermediate portion in a pairwise manner; and a first printed circuit board arranged over the circular intermediate portion. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The torque sensor device of claim 16, wherein the first printed circuit board has a Wheatstone bridge circuitry electrically connected to the measurement transducers. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The torque sensor device of claim 17, further comprising a second printed circuit board arranged above the first printed circuit board. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The torque sensor device of claim 18, wherein the second printed circuit board has a circuitry for signal conditioning including for analogue-to-digital conversion and/or amplification of signals provided by the Wheatstone bridge circuitry.