Force transducer
OwnerClarence Johnsoninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a force transducer for producing an output signal proportional to the magnitude of a force applied to a force receiving platform cantilevered from a base through a compound flexure unit, comprising: (a) a C-shaped flexure having a thin, flexible middle section and opposed rigid outer sections engaging, respectively, the opposed surfaces of the platform and base and, (b) an auxiliary flexure spring system comprising parallel spaced apart leaf springs cantilevered, respectively, from the opposed rigid sections joined together at their free ends by a clamp adjustable to vary the effective length of the springs as required to calibrate the transducer to a predetermined force range.
Claims5
In a transducer for generating an output signal corresponding to the magnitude of a force having a force receiving platform cantilevered from a base through a C-shaped flexure formed with a cylindrical transverse hole and a slot opening radially into the hole to form a thin flexible middle section and opposed rigid outer sections engaging, respectively, the opposed surfaces of the base and platform, an auxilliary spring having a first section cantilevered from said rigid section engaging the surface of said force receiving platform, the longitudinal center-line of which is coincident with the transverse axis of the middle section of said C-shaped flexure, and having a second section cantilevered from the other of said rigid sections, adjustable means coupling said sections whereby the effective length of said auxiliary spring can be varied to thereby adjust the displacement of said platform about the transverse axis of said middle section produced by a given applied force, and a control couple having relatively movable elements operatively connected to said base and platform respectively generating an output signal corresponding to the displacement of the platform from a null position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.