Capacitive measuring sensor and method for operating same
AssigneeSiemens Aktiengesellschaft
InventorsGünter Doemens, Markus Gilch
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A capacitive measuring sensor which detects changes in an angle of electrode surfaces arranged at an acute angle to one another. The sensor outputs capacitive changes as a sensor signal. The sensor is preferably elongated and has at its end regions two fastening elements for connection to a body to be measured, two capacitor electrodes and two fastening elements. Changes in the angle of the capacitor electrodes is effected by displacement between the fastening points on the object to be measured.
Claims15
A capacitive measuring sensor, comprising:
- at least two corresponding capacitor electrodes of flat design and having planar surfaces, set at an acute angle to one another, with their point of intersection constituting the center of rotation for a change in angle between the electrodes such that the following relationship holds:
- 1 c = h 0 + Δ h ϵ 0 bl 2 · ln l 2 l 1
- where I1, I2 are the starting and final points of the electrodes from the center of rotation upward, b is the width, ε0 is the dielectric constant, h0 is the initial opening and Δh is the change in distance, whereby a distance to be measured can be converted into a corresponding change in angle with a corresponding change in capacitance.
A method for using a measuring sensor having capacitive electrodes and fastening elements, wherein changes in angle between the capacitive electrodes produces a change in capacitance which is converted in combination with material and geometric characteristics of an object to be measured, into forces, torques or strains, the method comprising the steps of:
- connecting the measuring sensor to said object to be measured using said fastening elements;
- measuring at least one of said forces, torques and strains relative to said object;
- and
- using an integrated circuit to log measured values.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.