Force measurement system having a plurality of measurement surfaces

A dual force plate system having two independent measurement surfaces, the dual force plate system comprising:

• a first plate component having a first measurement surface for receiving a first portion of a body of a subject, a first opposed surface that is disposed generally opposite to the first measurement surface, and a plurality of lateral surfaces that extend between the first measurement surface and the first opposed surface;
• a second plate component having a second measurement surface for receiving a second portion of the body of the subject, a second opposed surface that is disposed generally opposite to the second measurement surface, and a plurality of lateral surfaces that extend between the first measurement surface and the second opposed surface, the second plate component being spaced apart from the first plate component by a gap;
• a first force transducer element operatively coupled to either the first opposed surface of the first plate component or to one of the lateral surfaces of the first plate component, the first force transducer element configured to output at least one first quantity that is representative of a load being applied to the first measurement surface;
• a second force transducer element operatively coupled to either the second opposed surface of the second plate component or to one of the lateral surfaces of the second plate component, the second force transducer element configured to output at least one second quantity that is representative of a load being applied to the second measurement surface;
• a third force transducer element operatively coupled to either the first opposed surface of the first plate component and the second opposed surface of the second plate component, or to one of the lateral surfaces of the first plate component and one of lateral surfaces of second plate component, the third force transducer element extending across the gap between the first plate component and the second plate component, the third force transducer element configured to output at least one third quantity that is representative of a load being transferred between the first plate component and the second plate component;
• and
• a data processing device operatively coupled to the first force transducer element, the second force transducer element, and the third force transducer element, the data processing device configured to receive the first, second, and third quantities that are representative of the loads being applied to the first measurement surface, the second measurement surface, and transferred between the first and second plate components, respectively, and to convert the first, second, and third quantities into separate output loads for each of the first plate component and the second plate component.

A force measurement assembly having two measurement surfaces, the force measurement assembly comprising:

• a first component having a first measurement surface configured to receive a first portion of a body of a subject or a first object exerting a load thereon, the first component being structurally supported by a first load measuring device;
• a second component having a second measurement surface configured to receive a second portion of the body of the subject or a second object exerting a load thereon, the second component being structurally supported by a second load measuring device and being spaced apart from the first component by a gap;
• a third load measuring device operatively coupled to both the first component and the second component, the third load measuring device extending across the gap between the first component and the second component;
• wherein the first load measuring device is configured to output at least one first quantity that is representative of the load being applied to the first measurement surface, the second load measuring device is configured to output at least one second quantity that is representative of the load being applied to the second measurement surface, and the third load measuring device is configured to output at least one third quantity that is representative of a load being transferred between the first component and the second component;
• and
• a data processing device operatively coupled to the first load measuring device, the second load measuring device, and the third load measuring device, the data processing device configured to receive the first, second, and third quantities that are representative of the loads being applied to the first measurement surface, the second measurement surface, and transferred between the first and second components, respectively, and to convert the first, second, and third quantities into separate output loads for each of the first component and the second component.

A force plate system having three or more independent measurement surfaces, the force plate system comprising:

• a first outer plate component having a first measurement surface, a first opposed surface that is disposed generally opposite to the first measurement surface, and a plurality of lateral surfaces that extend between the first measurement surface and the first opposed surface;
• a second outer plate component having a second measurement surface, a second opposed surface that is disposed generally opposite to the second measurement surface, and a plurality of lateral surfaces that extend between the second measurement surface and the second opposed surface;
• one or more inner plate components that are disposed between the first outer plate component and the second outer plate component, each inner plate component having a measurement surface, an opposed surface that is disposed generally opposite to the measurement surface, and a plurality of lateral surfaces that extend between the measurement surface and the opposed surface, each inner plate component which is disposed adjacent to at least one of the first outer plate component and the second outer plate component being spaced apart from the at least one of the first outer plate component and the second outer plate component by a respective gap;
• a first outer force transducer element operatively coupled to either the first opposed surface of the first outer plate component or to one of the lateral surfaces of the first outer plate component, the first outer force transducer element configured to output at least one first quantity that is representative of a load being applied to the first measurement surface;
• a second outer force transducer element operatively coupled to either the second opposed surface of the second outer plate component or to one of the lateral surfaces of the second outer plate component, the second outer force transducer element configured to output at least one second quantity that is representative of a load being applied to the second measurement surface;
• and
• a plurality of inner force transducer elements operatively coupling the one or more inner plate components to either the first and second opposed surfaces of the first and second outer plate components, or to lateral surfaces of the first and second outer plate components, the plurality of inner forces transducer elements configured to output a plurality of quantities that are representative of loads being transferred between the one or more inner plate components and the first and second outer plate components, and the plurality of inner force transducer elements extending across the respective gaps between each inner plate component and the at least one of the first outer plate component and the second outer plate component.

A dual force plate system having two independent measurement surfaces, the dual force plate system comprising:

• a first plate component having a first measurement surface for receiving a first portion of a body of a subject, a first opposed surface that is disposed generally opposite to the first measurement surface, and a plurality of lateral surfaces that extend between the first measurement surface and the first opposed surface;
• a second plate component having a second measurement surface for receiving a second portion of the body of the subject, a second opposed surface that is disposed generally opposite to the second measurement surface, and a plurality of lateral surfaces that extend between the second measurement surface and the second opposed surface, the second plate component being spaced apart from the first plate component by a gap;
• a first force transducer element operatively coupled to either the first opposed surface of the first plate component or to one of the lateral surfaces of the first plate component, the first force transducer element configured to output at least one first quantity that is representative of a load being applied to the first measurement surface;
• a second force transducer element operatively coupled to either the second opposed surface of the second plate component or to one of the lateral surfaces of the second plate component, the second force transducer element configured to output at least one second quantity that is representative of a load being applied to the second measurement surface;
• and
• a third force transducer element operatively coupled to either the first opposed surface of the first plate component and the second opposed surface of the second plate component, or to one of the lateral surfaces of the first plate component and one of lateral surfaces of second plate component, the third force transducer element extending across the gap between the first plate component and the second plate component, the third force transducer element configured to output at least one third quantity that is representative of a load being transferred between the first plate component and the second plate component;
• wherein the first force transducer element, the second force transducer element, and the third force transducer element are each part of a continuous beam force transducer assembly having a longitudinal axis, the first, second and third force transducer elements being spaced apart along the longitudinal axis of the continuous beam force transducer assembly and each of the first, second and third force transducer elements intersecting the longitudinal axis of the continuous beam force transducer assembly;
• and wherein the continuous beam force transducer assembly extends substantially the combined length of the first and second opposed surfaces of the first and second plate components, or the combined length of the lateral surfaces of the first and second plate components, to which the first and second force transducer elements are respectively coupled.