Elastomers and force sensors

Abstract

The present application provides an elastomer and force sensor. The elastomer comprises at least two elastomer sections stacked and arranged along the direction of gravity, with a separating groove between each adjacent elastomer section. Each elastomer section is provided with a groove, and corresponding elastomer sections form multiple elastic beams on the inner walls of the corresponding grooves. The elastomer includes at least six elastic beams, each extending in at least three directions, each of which corresponds to a three-dimensional coordinate. The present application enables six-dimensional force measurement, has a simple structure, and can improve the accuracy of the force sensor's output results.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of automobile technology, and in particular to an elastomer and a force sensor. Background Art

[0002] In today's society, cars have become an indispensable means of transportation in people's daily lives. With the continuous development of automotive technology, how to improve the force sensors used in cars to increase the accuracy of their output results has become a key issue for those skilled in the art.

[0003] Strain-type force sensors are the most common force sensors. In the prior art, the elastic body structure used in strain-type force sensors usually has multiple elastic beams arranged on a single elastic body. If this structure is to achieve multi-dimensional force measurement, a more complex elastic beam layout is required, the structure is complex, and the sensing accuracy is limited. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present application provides an elastomer and a force sensor that can realize six-dimensional force measurement, have a simple structure, and can improve the accuracy of the output results of the force sensor.

[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present application provides an elastomer, which includes at least two elastomer parts stacked along the direction of gravity, and a separation groove is provided between each adjacent two elastomer parts; wherein, each elastomer part is provided with a groove, and the corresponding elastomer parts form multiple elastic beams at the inner walls of the corresponding grooves; the elastomer includes at least six elastic beams, and the extension directions of the elastic beams include at least three, and the three extension directions are three-dimensional coordinate directions.

[0006] Wherein, each elastic body part is separately arranged, and the separation groove is the installation gap between each two adjacent elastic body parts; or, the separation groove is a dividing groove arranged on the elastic body, and the dividing groove divides the elastic body into at least two elastic body parts.

[0007] The cross-sections of the elastic parts are all in a "mouth" shape; and the extension directions of the grooves of at least two elastic parts are cross-arranged.

[0008] The elastic body includes three elastic body parts; the extension directions of the grooves of every two adjacent elastic body parts are cross-arranged.

[0009] The cross sections of the elastic body parts are all in an "I" shape; when viewed along the cross section direction, the cross sections of at least two elastic body parts are arranged crosswise.

[0010] The cross sections of the elastic body parts are all U-shaped; and when viewed along the cross section direction, the cross sections of at least two elastic body parts are cross-arranged.

[0011] The cross sections of at least two elastic parts are any two of a "mouth" shape, a U-shape and an "I" shape.

[0012] The elastic body includes at least three elastic body parts, and the elastic body parts are respectively in a "mouth" shape, a U shape, and an "I" shape.

[0013] The extending direction of the groove is a straight line or a curve.

[0014] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present application further provides a force sensor, which includes the elastic body of any of the above embodiments.

[0015] The force sensor further comprises an upper flange, a lower flange and a shell; the upper flange and the lower flange are respectively fixed on opposite ends of the elastic body; and the shell is fixedly sleeved outside the elastic body.

[0016] A separation groove is also provided between at least any one of the two elastic body parts located at the opposite ends of the elastic body and the corresponding upper flange platform or lower flange platform.

[0017] The beneficial effects of the present application are: the elastomer of the present application includes at least two elastomer parts stacked along the direction of gravity, and a separation groove is provided between each adjacent two elastomer parts; wherein, each elastomer part is provided with a groove, and the corresponding elastomer parts form multiple elastic beams at the inner walls of the corresponding grooves; the elastomer includes at least six elastic beams, and the extension directions of the elastic beams include at least three, and the three extension directions are three-dimensional coordinate directions. At least six elastic beams are arranged on the elastic body, and the extension directions of the elastic beams include at least three, and the three extension directions are three-dimensional coordinate directions, which can realize the measurement of forces and corresponding moments in the first direction, second direction, and third direction that intersect with each other, that is, the measurement of six-dimensional forces in three-dimensional coordinates is realized; further, the elastic body includes at least two elastic body parts stacked along the direction of gravity, which changes the traditional lateral distribution method and facilitates the arrangement of upper flange platforms and lower flange platforms on the upper and lower end faces of the elastic body along the direction of gravity, thereby reducing the size of the force sensor; and since the elastic body includes at least two elastic body parts stacked along the direction of gravity, it is only necessary to arrange grooves on the corresponding elastic body parts to form at least six elastic beams using the inner walls of the grooves to realize the measurement of at least six-dimensional forces, which has a simple structure and can reduce production costs; further, a separation groove is arranged between each two adjacent elastic body parts of the elastic body, which can reduce deformation interference between the two adjacent elastic body parts, improve the accuracy of stress sensing, and improve the accuracy of the output results of the force sensor. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for describing the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without inventive efforts. Among them:

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram of an embodiment of the force sensor of the present application;

[0020] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the explosion structure of the embodiment;

[0021] Figure 3 This is a schematic structural diagram of an embodiment of the elastic body of the present application;

[0022] Figure 4 This is a structural diagram of another embodiment of the elastomer of the present application;

[0023] Figure 5 This is a schematic structural diagram of another embodiment of the elastic body of the present application;

[0024] Figure 6 This is a schematic structural diagram of another embodiment of the elastic body of the present application;

[0025] Figure 7 This is a schematic structural diagram of another embodiment of the elastic body of the present application;

[0026] Figure 8 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the elastic body portion of the present application;

[0027] Figure 9 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the elastic body portion of the present application;

[0028] Figure 10 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the elastic body portion of the present application;

[0029] Figure 11 It is a structural schematic diagram of another embodiment of the elastomer of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] In the following description, specific details such as specific system structures and techniques are provided for purposes of illustration rather than limitation to facilitate a thorough understanding of the embodiments of the present application. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present application may be implemented in other embodiments without these specific details. In other cases, detailed descriptions of well-known systems, devices, circuits, and methods are omitted to avoid obscuring the description of the present application with unnecessary detail.

[0031] The terms "first", "second", etc. in this application are used to distinguish different objects, rather than to describe a specific order. In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and any of their variations are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. It should be understood that when used in this specification and the appended claims, the term "including" indicates the presence of the described features, wholes, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, wholes, steps, operations, elements, components and / or their collections. It should also be understood that the terms used in this specification are merely for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit this application. As used in this specification and the appended claims, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms. It should also be further understood that the term "and / or" used in this specification and the appended claims refers to any combination and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items, and includes these combinations.

[0032] It should be noted that when an element is fixed to another element, it includes fixing the element directly to the other element, or fixing the element to the other element through at least one other element in the middle. When an element is connected to another element, it includes connecting the element directly to the other element, or connecting the element to the other element through at least one other element in the middle.

[0033] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of this application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of this application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0034] A force sensor is a device that converts the force applied to an object into an electrical signal. It can sense and measure the magnitude of the force by measuring the deformation or output voltage caused by the force. A strain-type force sensor uses the deformation of a strain gauge to measure the magnitude of the force applied. The resistance of the strain gauge changes with the force applied, and by measuring this change in resistance, the force applied to the object can be indirectly measured. A strain-type force sensor typically consists of an elastomer and a strain gauge. The strain gauge is mounted on the elastomer. When the elastomer is subjected to force, it deforms, which in turn causes the strain gauge to deform.

[0035] In the prior art, the elastomeric structure used in strain-type force sensors typically has multiple elastic beams arranged on a single elastomeric portion. This structure, in order to achieve multi-dimensional force measurement, requires a more complex elastic beam layout, resulting in a complex structure and limited sensing accuracy.

[0036] This application first proposes an elastic body 10 of a force sensor, such as Figures 1 to 11 The elastic body 10 includes at least two elastic portions 11 stacked along the gravity direction x, with a separation groove 101 between each adjacent elastic portion 11. Each elastic portion 11 is provided with a groove 102, and corresponding elastic portions 11 form a plurality of elastic beams on the inner walls of the corresponding grooves 102. The elastic body 10 includes at least six elastic beams, each extending in at least three directions, and the three extending directions are three-dimensional coordinate directions.

[0037] The elastic body 10 can be deformed under the action of an external force, and can recover the deformation after the external force is removed.

[0038] Specifically, the elastic body 10 includes at least six elastic beams, which are formed by different elastic body parts 11 on the elastic body 10. In the force sensor, the strain gauge is set on the elastic beam of the elastic body 10 to realize stress sensing. The attached strain gauge can be connected through the flexible circuit output circuit board 15 to form a Wheatstone bridge. At the same time, the signal is output through the flexible circuit output circuit board 15 to form the output result of the force sensor. It should be noted that the elastic beam in this application is the strain beam, that is, the elastic beam with the strain gauge can be called a strain beam.

[0039] In this embodiment, at least six elastic beams are provided on the elastic body 10, and the extension directions of the elastic beams include at least three, and the three extension directions are three-dimensional coordinate directions, which can realize the measurement of the forces and corresponding moments in the first direction, the second direction, and the third direction that intersect with each other, that is, the measurement of the six-dimensional force in the three-dimensional coordinates is realized; further, the elastic body 10 includes at least two elastic body parts 11 stacked and arranged along the gravity direction x, which changes the traditional lateral distribution method and facilitates the arrangement of the upper flange platform 12 and the lower flange platform 13 on the upper and lower end surfaces of the elastic body 10 along the gravity direction x, thereby reducing the size of the force sensor. Inch; and since the elastic body 10 includes at least two elastic body parts 11 stacked along the gravity direction x, it is only necessary to provide a groove 102 on the corresponding elastic body part 11 to form at least six elastic beams (i.e., strain beams) using the inner wall of the groove 102 to achieve measurement of at least six-dimensional forces. The structure is simple and the production cost can be reduced; further, a separation groove 101 is provided between each two adjacent elastic body parts 11 of the elastic body 10, which can reduce the deformation interference between the two adjacent elastic body parts 11, improve the accuracy of stress sensing, and improve the accuracy of the output result of the force sensor.

[0040] In other embodiments (not shown), a separate elastic beam may be provided on the inner wall of the groove 102 and fixed to the inner wall of the groove 102 , which is not specifically limited.

[0041] In some embodiments (not shown), each elastomeric portion 11 is a separate, independent component. In other words, the elastomeric portions 11 are provided separately. These elastomeric portions 1111 are stacked together along the gravitational direction x to form a single, joined elastomeric body 10. The separating grooves 101 provide the mounting gap between adjacent elastomeric portions 11.

[0042] Specifically, when two elastomeric portions 11 are stacked, a mounting gap is defined between them. This mounting gap serves as the separating groove 101. For example, in one application scenario (not shown), the elastomer 10 is used in a force sensor, which includes at least a housing 14. Each elastomeric portion 11 is connected to the housing 14 to define a mounting position. However, adjacent elastomeric portions 11 are stacked directly along the gravity direction x, with no connecting structure between them.

[0043] Since each elastic body portion 11 is a single body and there is an installation gap between two adjacent elastic body portions 11 , the deformation interference between the two adjacent elastic body portions 11 can be further reduced, thereby improving the accuracy of stress sensing.

[0044] In other embodiments, the separation groove 101 may be provided in other ways. Figures 3 to 7 , at least two elastic body parts 11 are formed by cutting on an elastic body 10 along the gravity direction x according to a preset method. Among them, the separation groove 101 is a cutting groove on the elastic body 10 to form multiple elastic body parts 11, and the cutting groove divides the elastic body 10 into at least two elastic body parts 11. Specifically, along the height direction of the elastic body 10, according to the preset size requirements, multiple cutting grooves are cut to form the circumference of the elastic body 10 to divide the elastic body 10 into multiple sections along the height direction, and each section corresponds to an elastic body part 11. These elastic body parts 11 are not cut off and remain connected to each other. Among them, the cutting groove is the separation groove 101.

[0045] By directly setting cutting grooves on the elastomer 10 to divide the elastomer 10 into at least two elastomer parts 11, the production cost can be reduced and the structural simplicity and production convenience can be improved; and by setting cutting grooves, the multiple elastomer parts 11 formed by cutting can be kept connected, which can reduce the risk of displacement of the elastomer part 11 when subjected to force and improve the positional stability of the elastomer part 11.

[0046] In some embodiments, as Figure 4 、 Figure 6 、 Figure 8 As shown, the cross-sections of the elastic body parts 11 are all "mouth"-shaped; the extension directions of the grooves 102 of at least two elastic body parts 11 are cross-arranged.

[0047] It should be noted that the cross-section of the elastic body portion 11 is all in the shape of a “mouth”, which means that the cross-section of each elastic body portion 11 is in the shape of a square.

[0048] The specific structure of the "mouth" shaped elastic body portion 11 can be found in Figure 4 , Figure 4 The elastic body 10 includes three "mouth"-shaped elastic body parts 11. Each "mouth"-shaped elastic body part 11 includes a top wall part 111 and a bottom wall part 112 parallel to the horizontal plane and arranged along the gravity direction x, and two side wall parts 113 arranged opposite to each other and connecting the top wall part 111 and the bottom wall part 112. The top wall part 111, the bottom wall part 112, and the two side wall parts 113 serve as the inner walls of the groove 102 to form the groove 102, wherein the side wall part 113 is arranged perpendicular to the top wall part 111 and the bottom wall part 112, and the two side wall parts 113 belonging to the same elastic body part 11 are arranged in parallel. The extension directions of the grooves 102 of at least two elastic body parts 11 are cross-arranged, which means that the planes where the side wall parts 113 of at least two elastic body parts 11 are located intersect to form a plurality of side wall parts 113 with different extension directions, thereby being able to form a plurality of elastic beams with different extension directions.

[0049] In an application scenario, such as Figure 8 As shown, strain gauges can be provided on the top wall portion 111, the two side walls 113, and the bottom wall portion 112 of the "mouth"-shaped elastic body portion 11, so that the top wall portion 111, the two side walls 113, and the bottom wall portion 112 of the "mouth"-shaped elastic body portion 11 can be used as elastic beams (i.e., strain beams).

[0050] like Figure 6 As shown, in one application scenario, the elastic body 10 includes two elastic body parts 11, and the two "mouth"-shaped elastic body parts 11 are stacked and arranged along the gravity direction x, and the planes where the side wall parts 113 of the two elastic body parts 11 are located are arranged vertically at 90 degrees, that is, the extension directions of the grooves 102 of the two elastic body parts 11 are arranged crosswise. In other embodiments, other intersection angles and arrangement orders can also be set, which are not specifically limited. In another application scenario, such as Figure 4 As shown, the elastomer 10 includes three elastomer portions 11, and the three "mouth"-shaped elastomer portions 11 are stacked and arranged along the gravity direction x, and the plane where the side wall portions 113 of two adjacent elastomer portions 11 are located is set vertically at 90 degrees, that is, the extension direction of the grooves 102 of at least two of the elastomer portions 11 is cross-arranged.

[0051] The above arrangement can form multiple elastic beams with different extension directions through the inner wall of the U-shaped groove 102, and is convenient for forming at least three elastic beams extending in three directions that intersect with each other or are perpendicular to each other, which is convenient for measuring six-dimensional forces, has a simple structure, and is easy to produce.

[0052] In some embodiments, the grooves 102 of at least two elastic parts 11 may extend in directions that intersect at 90 degrees. This arrangement is more convenient for measuring six-dimensional forces under three-dimensional coordinates.

[0053] In some embodiments (not shown), the grooves 102 of all elastic portions 11 may extend in a crosswise direction. That is, the planes of the sidewall portions 113 of each elastic portion 11 intersect. This arrangement allows the multiple sidewall portions 113 to extend in a variety of directions, and thus allows the multiple elastic beams to extend in a variety of directions, thereby enhancing the convenience of six-dimensional force measurement.

[0054] In some embodiments, the elastic body 10 includes three elastic body parts 11 ; the extending directions of the grooves 102 of every two adjacent elastic body parts 11 are cross-arranged.

[0055] The extending directions of the grooves 102 of two adjacent elastic portions are crosswise arranged, so that more sidewall portions 113 with different extending directions can be formed, and further more elastic beams with different extending directions can be formed.

[0056] In some embodiments, see Figure 9 The cross-sections of the elastic body parts 11 are all in the shape of an I; viewed along the cross-section direction, the cross-sections of at least two elastic body parts 11 are cross-arranged.

[0057] It should be noted that the cross-section of the elastic body portion 11 is in an “I” shape, which means that the cross-section of each elastic body portion 11 is in an I-shape.

[0058] The specific structure of the “I”-shaped elastic body portion 11 can be found in Figure 3 , Figure 3The elastic body 10 in the embodiment includes two "I"-shaped elastic body parts 11. Specifically, the groove 102 of the "I"-shaped elastic body part 11 includes a first sub-groove 103 and a second sub-groove 104 parallel to each other; the first sub-groove 103 and the second sub-groove 104 are respectively configured to be formed by the opposite side wall parts 113 of the corresponding elastic body 10 being recessed toward each other to form a side wall part 113, that is, the elastic body part 11 includes a top wall part 111 and a bottom wall part 112 parallel to the horizontal plane and arranged along the gravity direction x, and a connecting and perpendicular to the top wall part 111 and the bottom wall part 112. The side wall portion 113 of 112; the cross section corresponding to each elastic body portion 11 is perpendicular to the side wall portion 113 of the elastic body portion 11, so it can be determined that the planes where the side wall portions 113 of at least two elastic body portions 11 are located intersect; wherein, the top wall portion 111, the bottom wall portion 112, and the side wall portion 113 of the elastic body portion 11 together enclose the first sub-groove 103 and the second sub-groove 104, and the two end surfaces of the side wall portion 113 serve as the side wall surfaces of the first sub-groove 103 and the side wall surfaces of the second sub-groove 104 respectively. The extension directions of at least two first sub-grooves 103 belonging to different elastic body portions 11 are intersected, that is, the planes where the side wall portions 113 of at least two elastic body portions 11 are located intersect, that is, they are not parallel, so as to form a plurality of side wall portions 113 with different extension directions, thereby forming a plurality of elastic beams with different extension directions.

[0059] In an application scenario, such as Figure 9 As shown, strain gauges can be provided on the top wall 111, the side wall 113 and the bottom wall 112 of the “I”-shaped elastic body portion 11, so that the top wall 111, the side wall 113 and the bottom wall 112 of the “I”-shaped elastic body portion 11 can be used as elastic beams (i.e., strain beams).

[0060] The above arrangement can form multiple elastic beams with different extension directions through the inner walls of the first sub-groove 103 and the second sub-groove 104, and is convenient for forming at least three elastic beams extending in three directions that intersect with each other or are perpendicular to each other, which is convenient for measuring six-dimensional forces, has a simple structure, and is easy to produce.

[0061] In some embodiments, the cross sections of at least two elastic parts 11 may be arranged to intersect at 90 degrees when viewed along the cross section. This arrangement is more convenient for measuring six-dimensional forces under three-dimensional coordinates.

[0062] In some embodiments (not shown), the cross-sections of the elastic portions 11 may each be I-shaped, with the cross-sections of all elastic portions 11 arranged in a cross-section. That is, the planes on which the sidewall portions 113 of each elastic portion 11 lie intersecting, i.e., non-parallel. This arrangement allows the multiple sidewall portions 113 to extend in a variety of directions, and thus allows the multiple elastic beams to extend in a variety of directions, thereby enhancing the convenience of six-dimensional force measurement.

[0063] In some embodiments (not shown), the elastomer 10 includes three elastomer portions 11 ; the cross-sections of the elastomer portions 11 are all I-shaped, and the cross-sections of every two adjacent elastomer portions 11 are cross-arranged.

[0064] The cross sections of two adjacent elastic parts are arranged in a cross-arrangement, which can form more side wall parts 113 with different extension directions, and further form more elastic beams with different extension directions. Figure 7 As shown, the elastic body 10 includes a plurality of elastic body parts 11 , wherein the cross-sections of at least two elastic body parts 11 are U-shaped, and the planes where the side wall parts 113 of at least two elastic body parts 11 are located intersect with each other.

[0065] The specific structure of the U-shaped elastic body 11 can be found in Figure 7 , Figure 7 The elastic body 10 includes two U-shaped elastic body parts 11. Specifically, the U-shaped elastic body part 11 includes a bottom wall part 112 and two side wall parts 113 arranged parallel to and connected to the bottom wall part 112 and perpendicular to each other, and no top wall part 111 is provided. That is, the bottom wall part 112 and the two side wall parts 113 serve as the inner walls of the groove 102 to enclose the groove 102, and the two side wall parts 113 belonging to the same elastic body part 11 are arranged in parallel; the corresponding cross section of each elastic body part 11 is perpendicular to the side wall part 113 of the elastic body part 11, so that it can be determined that the planes on which the side wall parts 113 of at least two elastic body parts 11 are located intersect, that is, are not parallel, so as to form multiple side wall parts 113 with different extension directions on the elastic body 10, and thus multiple elastic beams with different extension directions can be formed.

[0066] In some embodiments (not shown), all of the elastomeric portions 11 in the elastomer 10 may have a U-shaped cross-section; when viewed along the cross-section, at least two of the elastomeric portions 11 may be arranged crosswise. This arrangement can unify the structural shapes of the elastomeric portions 11, simplifying the structure and facilitating production. For example, the elastomer 10 may be formed by stacking two U-shaped elastomeric portions 11. The bottom walls 112 of the two U-shaped elastomeric portions 11 are positioned adjacent to each other, with the openings of the two U-shaped elastomeric portions 11 facing away from each other.

[0067] In an application scenario, such as Figure 10 As shown, strain gauges can be provided on both side walls 113 and bottom wall 112 of the U-shaped elastic body 11 to use both side walls 113 and bottom wall 112 of the U-shaped elastic body 11 as elastic beams (i.e., strain beams).

[0068] In some embodiments, the elastic body 10 includes at least two elastic portions 11, and the cross-sections of the at least two elastic portions 11 are any two of a "S" shape, a U-shape, and an "I" shape. In other words, in this embodiment, the elastic portions 11 constituting the elastic body 10 have at least two of the following shapes: a "S" shape, a "U" shape, and an "I" shape. Of course, in this application, the "S" shape, the "U" shape, and the "I" shape mentioned above do not necessarily refer to neat shapes, but also include shapes similar to a "S" shape, a "U" shape, and an "I" shape.

[0069] For example, the elastic body 10 includes two elastic body parts 11, and the shapes of the two elastic body parts 11 are respectively a "mouth" shape and a U shape, or a "mouth" shape and a "I" shape; or a "I" shape and a "mouth"-like shape. For another example, Figure 3 As shown, the elastic body 10 includes three elastic body parts 11, specifically, a "mouth"-shaped elastic body part 11 and two "I"-shaped elastic body parts 11 are stacked and arranged in sequence along the gravity direction x, and the planes where the side wall parts 113 of the two adjacent "I"-shaped elastic body parts 11 are located are arranged perpendicularly at 90 degrees, and the planes where the side wall parts 113 of the adjacent "I"-shaped elastic body parts 11 and the "mouth"-shaped elastic body parts 11 are located are arranged perpendicularly at 90 degrees. In other embodiments, other intersection angles and arrangement orders can also be set, which are not specifically limited; for example, in In some embodiments, the elastic body portion 11 includes three elastic body portions 11, an "I"-shaped elastic body portion 11 and two "O"-shaped elastic body portions 11 are stacked and arranged in sequence along the gravity direction x, and the planes where the side walls 113 of the two adjacent "O"-shaped elastic body portions 11 are located are arranged perpendicularly at 90 degrees, and the planes where the side walls 113 of the adjacent "I"-shaped elastic body portions 11 and the "O"-shaped elastic body portions 11 are located are arranged perpendicularly at 90 degrees. In other embodiments, other intersection angles and arrangement orders can also be set, and are not specifically limited; for example, Figure 5 As shown, the elastic body portion 11 includes three elastic body portions 11, a U-shaped elastic body portion 11 and two "mouth"-shaped elastic body portions 11 are stacked and arranged in sequence along the gravity direction x, and the planes where the side walls 113 of the two adjacent "mouth"-shaped elastic body portions 11 are located are arranged perpendicularly at 90 degrees, and the planes where the side walls 113 of the adjacent U-shaped elastic body portions 11 and the "mouth"-shaped elastic body portions 11 are located are arranged perpendicularly at 90 degrees. In other embodiments, other intersection angles and arrangement sequences can also be set, which are not specifically limited; for example, as Figure 7 As shown, the elastomer portion 11 includes three elastomer portions 11, a U-shaped elastomer portion 11, a "mouth"-shaped elastomer portion 11 and a U-shaped elastomer portion 11, which are stacked and arranged in sequence along the gravity direction x, and the adjacent U-shaped elastomer portions 11 are arranged at 90 degrees perpendicular to the plane where the side wall portion 113 of the "mouth"-shaped elastomer portion 11 is located. In other embodiments, other intersection angles and arrangement orders can also be set, which are not specifically limited.

[0070] The above arrangement facilitates the intersection of the planes where the side wall portions 113 of at least two elastic body portions 11 are located, and facilitates the use of the side wall portions 113, top wall portion 111, and bottom wall portion 112 of the elastic body portion 11 to set up multiple elastic beams with different extension directions, and the multiple extension directions include at least three extension directions that can constitute three-dimensional coordinate directions.

[0071] In other embodiments, other numbers of elastic parts 11 may be provided, and elastic parts 11 of different shapes may be stacked and arranged in other orders along the gravity direction x, so that the planes where the side wall parts 113 of at least two elastic parts 11 are located intersect.

[0072] In some embodiments, the elastomer includes three or more elastomer parts, and the elastomer includes at least a "mouth"-shaped elastomer part, a U-shaped elastomer part, and an "I"-shaped elastomer part.

[0073] In one application scenario, the planes where the side walls 113 of adjacent elastic parts 11 are located can be arranged at 90 degrees perpendicular to each other. Multiple elastic beams extending in different directions can be provided using the side walls 113, top wall 111, and bottom wall 112 of the elastic part 11, and the multiple extending directions include at least three extending directions that can form three-dimensional coordinate directions.

[0074] In some embodiments, the extending direction of the groove 102 is a straight line or a curve.

[0075] See Figures 3 to 7 The extending direction of the groove 102 is set to be a straight line for easy processing.

[0076] The groove 102 may extend in a curved direction (not shown), meaning that the inner wall of the groove may be a curved surface. Since the groove is formed by the top, side, and bottom walls of the elastic body, the cross-section of the elastic body may be shaped like a "U," "U," or "I." For example, the side, top, and bottom walls of the elastic body may be formed by cutting a curve, such as an S-shaped cut, so that the corresponding wall surfaces of the top, bottom, or side walls are curved.

[0077] The cross-section of the elastic body can also be configured to have a "U"-like, "U"-like, or "I"-like shape. For example, the two side walls of the same elastic body can be arranged non-perpendicularly to the top and bottom walls to form an inclined elastic beam extending in an oblique direction intersecting the direction of gravity; or the two side walls of the same elastic body can be arranged non-parallel. Other deformation structures can also be provided to modify the shape of the elastic beam, and the specific modifications are not limited. In other embodiments, similar modifications can be made to the top, bottom, and side walls of the elastic body, and will not be repeated here.

[0078] In some embodiments, the top wall portion 111 and the bottom wall portion 112 of the elastic body 10 may be formed by symmetrical cutting, or the two side walls 113 may be formed by symmetrical cutting. In other embodiments (not shown), asymmetrical cutting may also be provided to form the inner wall of the groove.

[0079] It is understood that the shape of the elastic portion 11 of the elastic body 10 is not limited to the shapes listed in the above embodiments; the cross-sectional shapes of all elastic portions 11 constituting the elastic body 10 may include elastic portions 11 of other shapes in addition to the above-mentioned "mouth" shape, U-shape, "I" shape, "mouth"-like shape, "U"-like shape, "I"-like shape and combinations thereof. For example, see Figure 11 In some embodiments, the combined-shaped elastic body 10 includes an elastic body portion 11a and an elastic body portion 11b, wherein the elastic body portion 11a is in a "mouth" shape; the elastic body portion 11b includes a first sub-elastic body portion 11c and a second sub-elastic body portion 11d connected to each other, wherein the first sub-elastic body portion 11c is provided with a through groove 102c, the groove wall of the through groove 102c serves as the side wall of the first sub-elastic body portion 11c, and the second sub-elastic body portion 11d is connected to one of the side walls of the first sub-elastic body portion 11c. Figure 11 As shown in , the outer shape of the elastomer portion 11b is T-shaped. For example, the first sub-elastic portion 11c includes a top wall portion 111c, a bottom wall portion 112c and a peripheral wall 113c connecting the top wall portion 111c and the bottom wall portion 112c. The through groove 102c runs through the peripheral wall. The second sub-elastic portion 11d is strip-shaped and protrudes from the top wall portion 111c of the first sub-elastic portion 11c. More preferably, the second sub-elastic portion 11d is arranged on the mid-vertical line of the top wall portion 111c of the first sub-elastic portion 11c. The bottom wall portion 112c of the first sub-elastic portion 11c is connected to the elastomer portion 11a, and a separation groove 101 is provided between the bottom wall portion 112c of the first sub-elastic portion 11c and the elastomer portion 11a. The elastomer portion 11a includes a top wall portion 111a, a bottom wall portion 112a and a peripheral wall connecting the top wall portion 111a and the bottom wall portion 112a. Preferably, the peripheral wall is two side wall portions 113a.

[0080] In one application scenario, strain gauges may be provided on the top wall 111a, the two side walls 113a and the bottom wall 112a of the "mouth"-shaped elastic body portion 11a, so that the top wall 111a, the two side walls 113a and the bottom wall 112a of the "mouth"-shaped elastic body portion 11 can be used as elastic beams (i.e., strain beams); strain gauges may be provided on the groove wall of the through groove 102c, so that the top wall 111c, the bottom wall 112c and the peripheral wall 113c connecting the top wall 111c and the bottom wall 112c of the first sub-elastic body portion 11c can be used as elastic beams (i.e., strain beams); a strain gauge may be provided on the second sub-elastic body portion 11d to use it as an elastic beam (i.e., strain beam).

[0081] In one application scenario, the second sub-elastic body portion 11d can be strip-shaped and protruded on the top wall portion 111c of the first sub-elastic body portion 11c by setting cutting grooves on both sides of the second sub-elastic body portion 11d; further, the specific position of the second sub-elastic body portion 11d on the top wall portion 111c of the first sub-elastic body portion 11c can be adjusted by setting the depth of the cutting grooves on both sides, for example, it can be set on the mid-vertical line of the top wall portion 111c of the first sub-elastic body portion 11c.

[0082] In other embodiments, the elastic body portion 11 may further include four or more elastic body portions 11 , and similar improvements as in the above embodiments may be made to the specific shape of the elastic body portion 11 , which will not be repeated here.

[0083] This application further proposes a force sensor, such as Figures 1 to 11 As shown, the force sensor includes the elastic body 10 mentioned above.

[0084] The specific implementation and working principle of the elastic body 10 can be found in the above embodiments and will not be described again here.

[0085] Using the elastic body 10 of the above embodiment in a force sensor can achieve six-dimensional force measurement, has a simple structure, and can improve the accuracy of the output result of the force sensor.

[0086] In some embodiments, the force sensor can be applied to the field of autonomous vehicles and used as a brake force test sensor.

[0087] In some embodiments, the force sensor further includes an upper flange 12 , a lower flange 13 and a housing 14 ; the upper flange 12 and the lower flange 13 are respectively fixed at opposite ends of the elastic body 10 ; and the housing 14 is fixedly sleeved outside the elastic body 10 .

[0088] The upper flange 12 and lower flange 13 are used to connect and secure the elastic body 10. They are important components of the force sensor, responsible for transmitting the force to be measured to the elastic body 10. The elastic body 10 deforms according to the external force, and this deformation can be converted into an electrical signal by a strain gauge, thereby enabling force measurement. The upper flange 12 and lower flange 13 can be connected to the elastic body 10 via bolts or other mechanical connection methods, ensuring that the force sensor can accurately withstand and transmit the force. At the same time, a mounting interface for the force sensor can be provided on the upper flange 12 or lower flange 13, allowing the force sensor to be easily integrated into various machines and structures.

[0089] By fixing the upper and lower flanges at the opposite ends of the elastomer 10, the inner and outer flange structures commonly used in the prior art are improved, which facilitates further reducing the size of the force sensor and achieving miniaturization, so that the force sensor can be used in some small spaces, thereby improving the multi-scenario applicability of the force sensor; the setting of the shell 14 can improve the anti-interference ability of the force sensor.

[0090] In some embodiments, the force sensor also includes a flexible circuit output circuit board 15 and multiple strain gauges. The strain gauges are attached to elastic beams in different extension directions of the elastic member. The flexible circuit output circuit board 15 is used to connect with the strain gauges to form a Wheatstone bridge to output electrical signals.

[0091] In some embodiments, the elastic body 10 and the housing 14 may be connected by laser welding or screws. For example, the connection to the elastic body 10 may be achieved by connecting to the upper flange 12 and the lower flange 13 connected to the elastic body 10 .

[0092] In some embodiments, the upper flange 12, the lower flange 13 and the elastic body 10 are integrally formed, which can reduce the number of parts and reduce assembly complexity.

[0093] In some embodiments, see Figure 3 A separation groove 101 is also provided between at least any one of the two elastic body parts 11 located at opposite ends of the elastic body 10 and the upper flange platform 12 or the lower flange platform 13.

[0094] For example, in one embodiment, a separation groove 101 is provided between the upper flange 12, the lower flange 13, and the two elastic body portions 11 at opposite ends of the elastic body 10; in another embodiment, a separation groove 101 is provided only between the upper flange 12 and one of the two elastic body portions 11 at opposite ends of the elastic body 10; and in yet another embodiment, a separation groove 101 is provided only between the lower flange 13 and the other of the two elastic body portions 11 at opposite ends of the elastic body 10. The arrangement of the separation groove 101 can be referred to in the above embodiments, and this arrangement can provide space for the elastic body 10 to deform.

[0095] Different from the prior art, the elastic body of the present application is provided with at least six elastic beams, and the extension directions of the elastic beams include at least three, and the three extension directions are three-dimensional coordinate directions, which can realize the measurement of forces and corresponding moments in the first direction, the second direction, and the third direction that intersect with each other, that is, the measurement of six-dimensional forces in three-dimensional coordinates; further, the elastic body includes at least two elastic body parts stacked along the direction of gravity, which changes the traditional lateral distribution method and facilitates the arrangement of upper flange platforms and lower flange platforms on the upper and lower end faces of the elastic body along the direction of gravity, thereby reducing the size of the force sensor; and since the elastic body includes at least two elastic body parts stacked along the direction of gravity, it is only necessary to arrange grooves on the corresponding elastic body parts to form at least six elastic beams using the inner walls of the grooves to realize the measurement of at least six-dimensional forces. The structure is simple and can reduce production costs; further, a separation groove is arranged between each two adjacent elastic body parts of the elastic body, which can reduce the deformation interference between the two adjacent elastic body parts, improve the accuracy of stress sensing, and improve the accuracy of the output results of the force sensor.

[0096] It is worth noting that the drawings in this article are only intended to illustrate the structural relationship and connection relationship of the product of this application, and do not limit the specific structural dimensions of the product of this application.

[0097] The above description is only an implementation method of the present application and does not limit the patent scope of the present application. Any equivalent structure or equivalent process transformation made using the contents of the description and drawings of this application, or directly or indirectly applied in other related technical fields, are also included in the patent protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. An elastic body of a force sensor, characterized in that: The elastic body comprises at least two elastic body parts stacked along the direction of gravity, and a separation groove is provided between each two adjacent elastic body parts; wherein, Each of the elastic body parts is provided with a groove, and a plurality of elastic beams are formed on the inner wall of the groove corresponding to the elastic body part; The elastic body includes at least six elastic beams, and the elastic beams extend in at least three directions, and the three extending directions are three-dimensional coordinate directions; The cross-sections of at least two of the elastic body parts are both in a "mouth" shape, or both in a "head" shape, or both in a U-shape, or in any two of the "mouth" shape, the U-shape, and the "head" shape; The elastic beams are used to set strain gauges; wherein, the planes where the side walls of at least two of the elastic parts are located intersect with each other, and the six elastic beams are formed by using the wall parts of the two elastic parts.

2. The elastic body according to claim 1, characterized in that Each of the elastic body parts is separately provided, and the separation groove is the installation gap between each two adjacent elastic body parts; Alternatively, the partition groove is a dividing groove provided on the elastic body, and the dividing groove divides the elastic body into at least two elastic body parts.

3. The elastic body according to claim 1, characterized in that The cross-section of the elastic body parts is in a "mouth" shape; The extending directions of the grooves of at least two of the elastic parts are arranged to be cross-arranged.

4. The elastic body according to claim 3, characterized in that The elastic body includes three elastic body parts; The extending directions of the grooves of each two adjacent elastic parts are cross-arranged.

5. The elastic body according to claim 1, characterized in that The cross-section of the elastic body parts is in the shape of an "I"; Viewed along the cross-sectional direction, the cross-sections of at least two of the elastic body portions are arranged crosswise.

6. The elastic body according to claim 1, characterized in that The cross-section of the elastic body parts is U-shaped; Viewed along the cross-sectional direction, the cross-sections of at least two of the elastic body portions are arranged crosswise.

7. The elastic body according to claim 1, characterized in that The elastic body includes at least three elastic body parts, and the elastic body parts are respectively in a "mouth" shape, a U shape, and an "I" shape.

8. The elastomer according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that The extending direction of the groove is a straight line or a curve.

9. A force sensor, characterized in that: The force sensor comprises the elastic body according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

10. The force sensor according to claim 9, characterized in that It also includes an upper flange, a lower flange and a housing; The upper flange and the lower flange are respectively fixed at opposite ends of the elastic body; The shell is fixedly sleeved outside the elastic body.

11. The force sensor according to claim 10, wherein: A separation groove is also provided between at least any one of the two elastic body parts located at opposite ends of the elastic body and the corresponding upper flange platform or the lower flange platform.

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