Non-contact thrust force sensor assembly

A sensor assembly comprising:

• a hollow torque-shaft including a magnetoelastic element surrounding an outer circumference of said hollow torque shaft;
• a thrust shaft at least partially received within said hollow torque-shaft;
• a locking component having a first lock member supported by said hollow torque-shaft and a second lock member supported by said thrust shaft, said first and second lock members cooperating to lock said thrust shaft and said hollow torque-shaft together for rotation about a common axis;
• a translation component having a first translation member supported by said hollow torque-shaft and a second translation member supported by said thrust shaft, said first and second translation members cooperating to convert a driving in-line thrust force applied to said thrust shaft into a twisting force applied to said hollow torque-shaft and said magnetoelastic element;
• and
• a magnetometer supported by a non-rotating structure and cooperating with said magnetoelastic element to measure the amount of said twisting force generated by said thrust force.

A method for measuring thrust force comprising the steps of:

• (a) applying an in-line driving thrust force to a thrust shaft;
• (b) translating the in-line driving thrust force into a torque;
• (c) applying the toque to a hollow torque-shaft;
• and
• (d) measuring the torque with a non-contact sensor assembly to determine the thrust force.