Abstract:
A weight sensor comprising a weighing platform and a load cell coupled to the platform to sense a weight applied to the platform, the load cell comprising a deformable plate with one or more strain gauges arranged to provide an electrical signal representing the weight applied to the platform, and a base supporting the load cell, wherein the deformable plate is movably mounted to the base at only three contact points, the contact points allowing lateral movement of the plate relative to the base when the plate deforms in response to a weight applied to the platform. The weight sensor makes it possible to independently monitor the weight and weight shifting of two people sharing the same bed. The weight sensor is selfcentring when a load is applied off-centre to the platform, which is particularly beneficial when such a weight sensor is used underneath a bed, e.g. under a bed leg or other support member which may not be aligned centrally over the weight sensor. Beneficially the sensor is not unduly affected by minor misalignment of the leg of a bed relative to the load cell.
Abstract:
A device, method, and system that allows the easy add on attachment of an applied-power sensor, assuring precise measurements over time, even in vibrating environments such as exercise environments. The device possesses structural qualities such that tightening the wrapping latch around a measured object/part presses a loaded spring between the object/part and the sensor, achieving and maintaining sufficient and constant contact, thus allowing continuously precise measuring. The device also includes a transmitter to transmit the measured data to an external data processing device and may include a processor to process the data before transmitting.
Abstract:
A flow velocity detector for detecting a flow velocity of a fluid flowing through a flow passage is provided, the flow velocity detector including a flow passage-forming section which defines the flow passage; a stress light-emitting section which is arranged at the flow passage-forming section to receive a stress having a magnitude depending on the flow velocity of the fluid and which emits a light of which amount corresponds to a change of the received stress; and a light-receiving sensor which receives the light emitted by the stress light-emitting section. The flow velocity of the fluid is detected based on an amount of the light received by the light-receiving sensor to generate a detection signal. Accordingly, the structure is simple and small-sized, and the flow velocity of the fluid can be detected at low cost.
Abstract:
An object of the present invention is to provide a low cost load sensor while securing compact dimensions, high reliability and quality, and also to provide a manufacturing method of the load sensor. To this end, there is provided a load sensor provided with a thin-plate-like sensor plate 5 and plural strain gauges 21a to 22d attached to the sensor plate 5, wherein both ends of the sensor plate 5 in one axis direction thereof serve as fixing parts for fixing the sensor plate 5 to an arbitrary object, while the center point C of the sensor plate 5 serves as a transmission part for transmitting a displacement or a load to the sensor plate 5, wherein the strain gauges 21a to 22d are arranged in positions which are point symmetrical with respect to the center point C, and gauge pairs are constituted by making pairs of the strain gauges 21a to 22d which are arranged in point symmetrical positions electrically connected in parallel or in series with each other, and wherein the respective gauge pairs are electrically connected in series with each other to constitute a bridge circuit with the strain gauges 21a to 22d.
Abstract:
The invention relates to optical devices for measuring pressure or force, comprising an electromagnetic radiation source, and a pressure membrane or a spiral spring which has a surface that at least partially reflects the electromagnetic rays of the electromagnetic radiation source. The inventive devices are especially characterized in that they allow, inter alia, measurement of even the slightest pressure changes of fluids and other flowable materials in the stationary and/or flowing state or even the slightest mechanical deformations on spiral springs. In order to do this, the rays of an electromagnetic radiation source are incident on the at least partially reflective surface of the pressure membrane or spiral spring. At least one section of a stationarily located body or of a stationarily located body having a reflective layer is disposed in the path of the reflected rays, upstream of a photodetector for said rays, and projects into said rays. A mechanical modification causes the reflected rays to be absorbed, diffracted, reflected again and/or split to a higher or lesser extent by the body.
Abstract:
Provided is a contact force measurement method and a contact force measurement device with which the contact force of a pantograph can be measured using image processing, even for pantographs with a structure that prevents the collector head and spring from being directly photographed. Images of a pantograph (100) are captured, a plurality of springs (102) is combined, and a virtually synthesized spring (1) is deemed to exist in the center of the pantograph (100) in the width direction. From the images, the partial relative displacement between the position corresponding to a collector head (101) in the center of the pantograph (100) in the width direction and a collector head support (104) is calculated. The elasticity of the virtually synthesized spring (1) is calculated by determining the difference between the relative displacement and the natural length of the virtually synthesized spring (1). The spring reaction force is determined by multiplying the spring constant of the virtually synthesized spring (1) by the elasticity, the lifting force action on the collector head is determined from the vehicle travel speed data when the images and time have been synthesized, and the spring reaction force, inertia force, and lifting force are then added to determine the contact force.
Abstract:
A flow velocity detector for detecting a flow velocity of a fluid flowing through a flow passage is provided, the flow velocity detector including a flow passage-forming section which defines the flow passage; a stress light-emitting section which is arranged at the flow passage-forming section to receive a stress having a magnitude depending on the flow velocity of the fluid and which emits a light of which amount corresponds to a change of the received stress; and a light-receiving sensor which receives the light emitted by the stress light-emitting section. The flow velocity of the fluid is detected based on an amount of the light received by the light-receiving sensor to generate a detection signal. Accordingly, the structure is simple and small-sized, and the flow velocity of the fluid can be detected at low cost.
Abstract:
Es wird eine Leiterplatte vorgeschlagen, die zusätzlich zu anderen Bauteilen oder ohne weitere Bauteile einen abgegrenzten und/oder definierten Sensorbereich aufweist, der zwar mit dem Rest der Leiterplatte verbunden ist, von dieser aber derart getrennt ist, dass er unabhängig von dem Rest der Leiterplatte mechanisch verformbar ist. Zur Messung des Grades der Verformung sind elektrische Bauteile vorgesehen, nämlich beispielsweise mindestens ein Widerstand, der mit dem Sensorbereich derart verbunden ist, dass er sich mit diesem zusammen mechanisch verformt. Der Widerstand besteht aus einem Material, dessen Widerstandswert von dem Grad seiner Verformung abhängig ist. Zur Messung dieses sich ändernden Widerstandswerts dient eine elektronische Schaltung, insbesondere eine Wheatstonebrücke. Der Widerstand wird in Dickschichttechnologie auf den sich verformenden Sensorbereich aufgedruckt. Es können Messmodule vorhanden sein, die mit der Leiterplatte definiert verbunden werden und die auf den Sensorbereich mechanisch einwirken. Auf diese Weise wird die Leiterplatte selbst Teil eines Sensors.