A flexible bend sensor and measurement system

Abstract

The application discloses a flexible bending sensor and a measuring system, and the flexible bending sensor comprises a flexible base sheet and a detection assembly; the detection assembly comprises a conductive rubber sheet, a conductive foil sheet, a wire and a rivet; the conductive rubber sheet is attached to and connected with the flexible base sheet; the conductive rubber sheet is provided with the conductive foil sheet at opposite ends; the rivet is buckled after penetrating through the conductive foil sheet and the conductive rubber sheet in sequence; and each conductive foil sheet is connected with a wire; the flexible bending sensor is connected with the conductive foil sheet by the rivet, and the connection mode is stable and reliable; the conductive rubber material is low in price and wide in acquisition channel, and is favorable for reducing the cost; when the angle is measured, the flexible base sheet and the conductive rubber sheet can be well attached to the shape of the bending structure and the surface with different curvatures, so that the rotation angle of the joint of the bending structure can be accurately measured.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of sensor manufacturing, in particular to a flexible bending sensor and a measuring system. BACKGROUND

[0002] In the related art, in the application process of various machines (such as mechanical arms, mechanical fingers, etc.), an angle sensor needs to be used to detect the rotation angle, but the general angle sensor is difficult to adapt to various surfaces with different shapes and curvatures of the machine, resulting in difficulty in measurement. SUMMARY

[0003] The present application aims to at least solve one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, the present application provides a flexible bending sensor which, by virtue of the characteristics of the flexible base sheet and the conductive rubber sheet, can better fit the shape and surface with different curvatures of the bending structure, so as to more accurately measure the angle of the joint of the bending structure.

[0004] In a second aspect, the present application further provides a measuring system using the above-mentioned flexible bending sensor.

[0005] According to the flexible bending sensor provided by the first aspect of the present application, the flexible bending sensor comprises a flexible base sheet and a detection assembly, the detection assembly comprises a conductive rubber sheet, a conductive foil sheet, a wire and a rivet, the conductive rubber sheet is connected with the flexible base sheet, the conductive rubber sheet is provided with the conductive foil sheet at opposite ends, the rivet is buckled after passing through the conductive foil sheet and the conductive rubber sheet in sequence, and each conductive foil sheet is connected with a wire.

[0006] According to the flexible bending sensor provided by the first aspect of the present application, the conductive rubber sheet and the conductive foil sheet are connected together by the rivet, the connection mode is stable and reliable, the conductive rubber material has a low price and a wide access channel, and the cost can be reduced; when the conductive rubber sheet is used to measure the angle of the bending structure, the flexible bending sensor is laid on the bending structure, so that the flexible base sheet is attached to the joint of the bending structure, when the joint of the bending structure is stretched and bent, the conductive rubber sheet is also stretched and bent, the length change of the conductive rubber sheet causes the change of the resistance, the change of the resistance of the conductive rubber sheet is measured, the elongation of the conductive rubber sheet is obtained, and the angle of the joint of the bending structure is obtained by converting the elongation of the conductive rubber sheet, the flexible bending sensor provided by the embodiment of the present application can better fit the shape and surface with different curvatures by virtue of the characteristics of the flexible base sheet and the conductive rubber sheet, so as to more accurately measure the angle of the joint.

[0007] According to the flexible bending sensor provided by the first aspect of the present application, each conductive foil sheet is fixed by a plurality of rivets.

[0008] According to the flexible bending sensor provided by the embodiment of the first aspect of the present application, the conductive rubber sheet and the flexible base sheet are bonded by the adhesive.

[0009] According to the flexible bending sensor provided by the embodiment of the first aspect of the present application, the adhesive is mixed by rubber adhesive and silver paste.

[0010] According to the flexible bending sensor provided by the embodiment of the first aspect of the present application, a plurality of groups of the detection assemblies are arranged on the flexible base sheet, and the plurality of groups of the detection assemblies are arranged along the width direction of the flexible base sheet.

[0011] According to the flexible bending sensor provided by the embodiment of the first aspect of the present application, the conductive foil is copper foil.

[0012] According to the flexible bending sensor provided by the embodiment of the first aspect of the present application, the flexible base sheet is made of rubber material.

[0013] According to the measurement system provided by the embodiment of the second aspect of the present application, the flexible bending sensor is attached to the outer wall of the bending structure.

[0014] According to the measurement system provided by the embodiment of the second aspect of the present application, at least the following beneficial effects are achieved: when the conductive rubber sheet is used to measure the angle of the bending structure, the flexible bending sensor is laid on the bending structure, so that the flexible base sheet is attached to the joint of the bending structure, when the joint of the bending structure is stretched and bent, the conductive rubber sheet is also stretched and bent, by using the characteristic that the resistance of the conductive rubber sheet changes with the change of the length of the conductive rubber sheet, the change of the resistance of the conductive rubber sheet is measured, and then the length of the conductive rubber sheet is calculated to obtain the angle of the joint of the bending structure.

[0015] According to the measurement system provided by the embodiment of the second aspect of the present application, the bending structure includes a first joint and a second joint, the flexible bending sensor includes a first detection assembly and a second detection assembly, the first detection assembly includes a first conductive rubber sheet and a first conductive foil, the first conductive rubber sheet includes a first measurement section and a first connecting section, the first measurement section is attached to and surrounds the first joint, and the first measurement section is connected to the first conductive foil through the first connecting section, the second detection assembly includes a second conductive rubber sheet and a second conductive foil, the second conductive rubber sheet includes a second measurement section and a second connecting section, the second measurement section is attached to and surrounds the second joint, and the second measurement section is connected to the second conductive foil through the second connecting section.

[0016] According to the measurement system provided by the second aspect of the present application, the width of the first measurement section is 2.5 times the width of the second connection section along the width direction of the flexible substrate; and the width of the second measurement section is 2.5 times the width of the first connection section.

[0017] Additional aspects and advantages of the present application will be given, in part, in the following description, become apparent from the following description, or be understood through practice of the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0018] Additional aspects and advantages of the present application will become apparent and appreciated through the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0019] Figure 1 A top view of the flexible bending sensor provided by the first aspect of the present application;

[0020] Figure 2 A partially exploded schematic view of the flexible bending sensor provided by the first aspect of the present application;

[0021] Figure 3 An exploded schematic view of the flexible bending sensor provided by the first aspect of the present application;

[0022] Figure 4 A schematic view of the structure of the flexible bending sensor provided by the first aspect of the present application when bent;

[0023] Figure 5 A schematic view of the structure of the flexible bending sensor provided by another embodiment of the first aspect of the present application;

[0024] Figure 6 A schematic view of the structure of the flexible bending sensor provided by the first aspect of the present application when attached to a bending structure;

[0025] Figure 7 A schematic view of the structure of the flexible bending sensor provided by another embodiment of the first aspect of the present application.

[0026] The reference signs are as follows:

[0027] Flexible bending sensor 1000;

[0028] Flexible substrate 100;

[0029] Detection assembly 200; electric rubber sheet 210; conductive foil sheet 220; wire 230; rivet 240;

[0030] Bending structure 300; first joint 310; second joint 320;

[0031] The first detection assembly 400; the first conductive rubber sheet 410; the first measurement section 411; the first connecting section 412; the first conductive foil 420;

[0032] The second detection assembly 500; the second conductive rubber sheet 510; the second measurement section 511; the second connecting section 512; the second conductive foil 520. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] Embodiments of the present application are described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar notations represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only for the purpose of explaining the present application, and should not be understood as limiting the present application.

[0034] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the orientation description, such as the orientation or position relationship indicated by up, down, front, back, left, right, etc. is based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the drawings, and is only for the purpose of facilitating the description of the present application and simplifying the description, and therefore cannot be understood as indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present application.

[0035] In the description of the present application, if there is a description of first, second, it is only for the purpose of distinguishing technical features, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated or the sequence of technical features indicated.

[0036] In the description of the present application, unless otherwise explicitly limited, the words such as arrangement, installation, connection, etc. should be broadly understood, and the person skilled in the art can reasonably determine the specific meaning of the above words in the present application in combination with the specific content of the technical solution.

[0037] In the related art, in the application process of various machines (such as mechanical arms, mechanical fingers, etc.), it is necessary to detect the rotation angle by using an angle sensor, but the shape of the general angle sensor is difficult to adapt to various different shapes and curvature surfaces of the machine, resulting in difficulty in measurement, and the measured data is not accurate enough.

[0038] To solve this problem, the first aspect of the present application provides a flexible bending sensor 1000, which utilizes the characteristics of the flexible bottom sheet 100 and the conductive rubber sheet 210, and can better fit the shape and different curvature surfaces of the bending structure 300, so as to more accurately measure the angle of the joint of the bending structure 300. The specific structure and function of the flexible bending sensor 1000 provided by the embodiment of the present application will be further described below in combination with the text and the drawings.

[0039] Reference Figures 1 to 4According to the flexible bending sensor 1000 provided by the embodiment of the first aspect of the present application, the conductive rubber sheet 210 and the conductive foil sheet 220 are connected together by the rivet 240, and the connection mode is stable and reliable; the conductive rubber material has a low price and a wide access channel, and is beneficial to reduce the cost; when the angle of the bending structure 300 is measured by using the conductive rubber sheet 210, the flexible bending sensor 1000 is laid on the bending structure 300, so that the flexible base sheet 100 is attached to the joint of the bending structure 300; when the joint of the bending structure 300 is stretched and bent, the conductive rubber sheet 210 is also stretched and bent, and the length of the conductive rubber sheet 210 is changed, so that the resistance of the conductive rubber sheet 210 is also changed; the change of the resistance of the conductive rubber sheet 210 is measured, and then the length of the conductive rubber sheet 210 is calculated, and then the angle of the joint of the bending structure 300 is calculated, the flexible bending sensor 1000 provided by the embodiment of the present application can be attached to the shape and the surface with different curvatures of the bending structure 300 by using the characteristics of the flexible base sheet 100 and the conductive rubber sheet 210, so that the angle of the joint of the bending structure 300 can be measured more accurately.

[0040] According to the flexible bending sensor 1000 provided by the embodiment of the first aspect of the present application, the conductive rubber sheet 210 and the conductive foil sheet 220 are connected together by the rivet 240, and the connection mode is stable and reliable; the conductive rubber material has a low price and a wide access channel, and is beneficial to reduce the cost; when the angle of the bending structure 300 is measured by using the conductive rubber sheet 210, the flexible bending sensor 1000 is laid on the bending structure 300, so that the flexible base sheet 100 is attached to the joint of the bending structure 300; when the joint of the bending structure 300 is stretched and bent, the conductive rubber sheet 210 is also stretched and bent, and the length of the conductive rubber sheet 210 is changed, so that the resistance of the conductive rubber sheet 210 is also changed; the change of the resistance of the conductive rubber sheet 210 is measured, and then the length of the conductive rubber sheet 210 is calculated, and then the angle of the joint of the bending structure 300 is calculated, the flexible bending sensor 1000 provided by the embodiment of the present application can be attached to the shape and the surface with different curvatures of the bending structure 300 by using the characteristics of the flexible base sheet 100 and the conductive rubber sheet 210, so that the angle of the joint of the bending structure 300 can be measured more accurately.

[0041] It should be noted that the resistance value of the conductive rubber sheet 210 changes with its own deformation such as stretching and bending, and the response speed is fast, the sensitivity is high, the micro deformation can be perceived, and the measurement accuracy is improved.

[0042] Referring to Figure 4 It should be noted that the angle calculation formula of the joint bending of the bending structure 300 is θ = arccos [π-[(l*180) / (π*h)]], wherein θ is the angle of the joint bending, l is the lengthening amount, and h is the distance from the measured plane to the flexible bending sensor 1000.

[0043] Referring to Figure 1 and Figure 3The conductive foil 220 is fixed by the rivets 240 arranged in an array, and the conductive foil 220 and the conductive rubber sheet 210 are connected into an integral whole by the rivets 240, so that the connection is stable and reliable.

[0044] With reference to Figure 2 and Figure 3 The conductive rubber sheet 210 and the flexible base sheet 100 are bonded by the adhesive, so that the stability of the connection between the conductive rubber sheet 210 and the flexible base sheet 100 is ensured.

[0045] The adhesive is mixed by the rubber adhesive and the silver paste, and the rubber adhesive and the silver paste are put into a vacuum stirring kettle in a proportion of 50:50 for stirring and mixing when the adhesive is made, so that the stability of the adhesive is improved, and the service life of the flexible bending sensor 1000 is improved.

[0046] With reference to Figure 5 and Figure 7 The flexible base sheet 100 is provided with a plurality of groups of detection assemblies 200, and the plurality of groups of detection assemblies 200 are arranged along the width direction of the flexible base sheet 100. The plurality of groups of detection assemblies 200 are arranged at intervals between adjacent two detection assemblies 200, and the plurality of groups of detection assemblies 200 can detect one joint of the bending structure 300 at the same time, so that the detection accuracy is improved. Alternatively, the plurality of groups of detection assemblies 200 can detect different joints of the bending structure 300 respectively, so that the detection of the bending angles of different joints of the bending structure 300 can be completed by one flexible bending sensor 1000.

[0047] With reference to Figure 1 The conductive foil 220 is a copper foil, and the copper foil has good conductivity and a wide access.

[0048] It should be noted that the conductive foil 220 can also be a silver foil, a gold foil or the like.

[0049] With reference to Figure 2 The flexible base sheet 100 is made of a rubber material, and the rubber material has good stretchability, a small elastic modulus and super elasticity, and is suitable for the scene of being attached to the bending structure 300.

[0050] According to the second aspect of the present application, the measuring system comprises the curved structure 300 and the flexible curved sensor 1000 according to the first aspect of the present application, and the flexible curved sensor 1000 is attached to the outer wall of the curved structure 300.

[0051] With reference to Figure 5 and Figure 6 According to the second aspect of the present application, when the conductive rubber is used to measure the angle of the curved structure 300, the flexible curved sensor 1000 is laid on the curved structure 300, so that the flexible substrate 100 is attached to the joint of the curved structure 300. When the joint of the curved structure 300 is bent, the conductive rubber is also bent, and the length of the conductive rubber is changed. By using the characteristic that the resistance of the conductive rubber changes with the change of the length of the conductive rubber, the change of the resistance of the conductive rubber is measured, and the length of the conductive rubber is calculated, and then the angle of the joint of the curved structure 300 is calculated.

[0052] With reference to Figures 5 to 7 According to the second aspect of the present application, the curved structure 300 comprises a first joint 310 and a second joint 320, and the flexible curved sensor 1000 comprises a first detection assembly 400 and a second detection assembly 500. The first detection assembly 400 comprises a first conductive rubber sheet 410 and a first conductive foil sheet 420. The first conductive rubber sheet 410 comprises a first measurement section 411 and a first connecting section 412. The first measurement section 411 is attached to and surrounds the first joint 310. The first measurement section 411 is connected to the first conductive foil sheet 420 through the first connecting section 412. By arranging the first measurement section 411 to surround the first joint 310, the first measurement section 411 can accurately measure the bending degree of the first joint 310. The first connecting section 412 connects the first measurement section 411 and the first conductive foil sheet 420 to form a circuit. The second detection assembly 500 comprises a second conductive rubber sheet 510 and a second conductive foil sheet 520. The second conductive rubber sheet 510 comprises a second measurement section 511 and a second connecting section 512. The second measurement section 511 is attached to and surrounds the second joint 320. The second measurement section 511 is connected to the second conductive foil sheet 520 through the second connecting section 512. By arranging the second measurement section 511 to surround the second joint 320, the second measurement section 511 can accurately measure the bending degree of the second joint 320. The first connecting section 412 connects the first measurement section 411 and the first conductive foil sheet 420 to form a circuit.

[0053] With reference to Figures 5 to 7According to the embodiment of the second aspect of the present application, the width ratio of the first measurement section 411 to the second connection section 512 along the width direction of the flexible substrate 100 is 2.5:1. When measuring the bending degree of the first joint 310, the first measurement section 411 can better wrap the first joint 310, and the width of the second connection section 512 is smaller, which can reduce the influence on the measurement result when the second connection section 512 is stretched.

[0054] The width ratio of the second measurement section 511 to the first connection section 412 is 2.5:1. When measuring the bending degree of the second joint 320, the second measurement section 511 can better wrap the second joint 320, and the width of the first connection section 412 is smaller, which can reduce the influence on the measurement result when the first connection section 412 is stretched.

[0055] Referring to Figure 5 and Figure 7 It should be noted that, along the length direction, the length of the first measurement section 411 is R1, the length of the first connection section 412 is R2, the length of the second connection section 512 is R3, and the length of the second measurement section 511 is R4. When measuring by using the sensor, the change amount of the first measurement section 411 is △R1, the change amount of the first connection section 412 is △R2, the change amount of the second connection section 512 is △R3, and the change amount of the second measurement section 511 is △R4. The total elongation of the first conductive rubber is L1=△R1+△R2, and the total elongation of the second conductive rubber is L2=△R3+△R4.

[0056] When the width ratio of the first measurement section 411 to the second connection section 512 is 2.5:1, and the width ratio of the second measurement section 511 to the first connection section 412 is 2.5:1, it is satisfied that △R1=2.5△R3 and △R4=2.5△R2.

[0057] Therefore, L1=△R1+△R2.

[0058] L2=△R3+△R4.

[0059] △R1=2.5△R3.

[0060] △R4=2.5△R2.

[0061] The above equations can be combined to solve △R1, △R2, △R3, and △R4. Then, the values of L1 and L2 are solved, and the values of L1 and L2 are substituted into l in θ=arccos[π-[(l*180) / (π*h)]] respectively to solve the bending angles of the first joint 310 and the second joint 320.

[0062] It should be noted that the width ratio of the first measurement section 411 to the second connection section 512 and the width ratio of the second measurement section 511 to the first connection section 412 can be changed according to actual requirements, which will not be described here.

[0063] The above embodiments of the present application are described in detail in combination with the drawings, and the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, but not limit the present application, and the present application is not limited to the above embodiments. Within the knowledge range of ordinary skilled in the art, various changes can be made without departing from the purpose of the present application.

Claims

1. A measurement system characterized by, The application relates to a bending structure and a flexible bending sensor. The flexible bending sensor comprises a flexible base sheet and a detection assembly, the detection assembly comprises a conductive rubber sheet, a conductive foil sheet, a wire and a rivet, the conductive rubber sheet is attached to the flexible base sheet, opposite ends of the conductive rubber sheet are provided with the conductive foil sheets, the rivet is buckled after penetrating the conductive foil sheets and the conductive rubber sheet in sequence, and each conductive foil sheet is connected with the wire. A plurality of detection assemblies are arranged on the flexible base sheet and are arranged along the width direction of the flexible base sheet. The flexible bending sensor comprises a first detection assembly and a second detection assembly, the first detection assembly comprises a first conductive rubber sheet and a first conductive foil sheet, the first conductive rubber sheet comprises a first measuring section and a first connecting section, the first measuring section is attached to and surrounds the first joint, and the first measuring section is connected to the first conductive foil sheet through the first connecting section, the second detection assembly comprises a second conductive rubber sheet and a second conductive foil sheet, the second conductive rubber sheet comprises a second measuring section and a second connecting section, the second measuring section is attached to and surrounds the second joint, and the second measuring section is connected to the second conductive foil sheet through the second connecting section.

2. The measurement system of claim 1, wherein, Each conductive foil sheet is fixed through a plurality of rivets.

3. The measurement system of claim 2, wherein, The conductive rubber sheet and the flexible base sheet are attached through an adhesive.

4. The measurement system of claim 3, wherein, The adhesive is mixed by a rubber adhesive and silver paste.

5. The measurement system of claim 1, wherein, The conductive foil sheet is a copper foil.

6. The measurement system of claim 1, wherein, The flexible base sheet is made of a rubber material.

7. The measurement system of claim 1, wherein, Along the width direction of the flexible base sheet, the width of the first measuring section and the width of the second connecting section are in a ratio of 2.5:1, and the width of the second measuring section and the width of the first connecting section are in a ratio of 2.5:1.

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