Force sensing transducer and apparatus
US6378384B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 4, 1999 |
| Grant date | Apr 30, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 4, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01L5/243
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A transducer which enables the force experienced by a simple force sensor to be converted into an electrical signal which is then capable of being used as a measure of the degree of force experienced by an object to which the sensor is attached. Preferably force sensitive resistors fabricated as thick film resistors which are printed and then fired onto an electrically insulated substrate material which by its construction are used to form a force sensing device and the force is applied to the force sensitive resistors via a force transmitting member which is shaped to only apply force to the force sensitive resistors and not to fixed value resistors which are co-located on the force sensing device. In this way the force sensitive resistors and the fixed value resistors can be interconnected to give an optimum configuration of electrical measurement circuit such as a Wheatstone's bridge circuit.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.