Weighing apparatus and method
AssigneeIllinois Tool Works Inc.
InventorsRandy L. Blankley, JR., Juan C. Guzman, Hung B. Nguyen, Randall L. Redman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A weighing apparatus includes a load cell assembly with an elongated load cell body including a first three dimensional coordinate orientation defined by a first X-axis, a first Y-axis and a first Z-axis. An accelerometer unit is operatively connected to the elongated load cell body and having a second three-dimensional coordinate orientation defined by a second X-axis, a second Y-axis and a second Z-axis. A memory unit is mounted on the elongated load cell body, the memory unit storing data for aligning the second three-dimensional coordinate orientation of the accelerometer unit with the first three-dimensional coordinate orientation of the elongated load cell body.
Claims20
A weighing apparatus, comprising:
- a load cell assembly comprising:
- an elongated load cell body including a first three-dimensional coordinate orientation defined by a first X-axis, a first Y-axis and a first Z-axis, the elongated load cell body including a mount end for supporting the elongated load cell body and a load end for applying a load to the elongated load cell body, the elongated load cell body carrying a set of strain gauges for providing electrical outputs corresponding to load applied to the load end of the elongated load cell body;
- an accelerometer unit operatively connected to the elongated load cell body in a fixed position relative to the elongated load cell body, the accelerometer unit having a second three-dimensional coordinate orientation defined by a second X-axis, a second Y-axis and a second Z-axis, wherein the second X-axis is offset from the first X-axis, the second Y-axis is offset from the first Y-axis and the second Z-axis is offset from the first Z-axis;
- a memory unit operatively connected to the elongated load cell body, the memory unit storing a rotation matrix M that defines data for aligning the second three-dimensional coordinate orientation of the accelerometer unit with the first three-dimensional coordinate orientation of the elongated load cell body.
A method of producing weighing apparatus, comprising:
- utilizing load cell body including a first three-dimensional coordinate orientation defined by a first X-axis, a first Y-axis and a first Z-axis, the load cell body including:
- a mount end for supporting the load cell body and a load end for applying a load to the load cell body, the load cell body carrying a set of strain gauges for providing electrical outputs corresponding to load applied to the load end of the load cell body;
- providing an accelerometer unit in a fixed position relative to the load cell body and having a second three-dimensional coordinate orientation defined by a second X-axis, a second Y-axis and a second Z-axis, wherein the second X-axis is offset from the first X-axis, the second Y-axis is offset from the first Y-axis and the second Z-axis is offset from the first Z-axis;
- providing a memory unit;
- determining an offset of the second three-dimensional coordinate orientation from the first three-dimensional coordinate orientation by collecting accelerometer output values when the load cell body is in a plurality of known angular orientations;
- and
- storing data representing the offset in the memory unit.
A weighing apparatus, comprising:
- a load cell body including a first three-dimensional coordinate orientation defined by a first X-axis, a first Y-axis and a first Z-axis, the load cell body including a mount end for supporting the load cell body and a load end for applying a load to the load cell body;
- an accelerometer unit connected in a fixed position relative to the load cell body and having a second three-dimensional coordinate orientation defined by a second X-axis, a second Y-axis and a second Z-axis, wherein the second X-axis is offset from the first X-axis, the second Y-axis is offset from the first Y-axis and the second Z-axis is offset from the first Z-axis;
- a memory unit associated with the weighing apparatus, the memory unit storing data for aligning the second three-dimensional coordinate orientation of the accelerometer unit with the first three-dimensional coordinate orientation of the load cell body.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.