Force sensor with contact piece and annular force sensing device with force sensor

Abstract

The invention discloses a force sensor with a contact piece and an annular force sensing device with the force sensor. The force sensor comprises a bearing piece, a limiting piece, a contact piece and a plurality of sensing pieces. The bearing piece comprises a plurality of bearing surfaces and forms a polyhedral groove. The limiting piece is combined with the bearing piece and provided with a through hole. The contact is located in the polyhedral groove and protrudes from the through hole. The plurality of sensing members are respectively located on the bearing surfaces or in the bearing member and respectively correspond to the bearing surfaces, and the sensing direction of each sensing member is substantially perpendicular to the corresponding bearing surface. The annular force sensing device comprises an annular body and at least one force sensor; the force sensor can be arranged on the inner side surface of the annular body.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a force sensor with a contact member and an annular force sensing device equipped with the force sensor. Background Art

[0002] Whether in the production or construction process of large objects or when large machines are in a stable operation state, the monitoring mechanism of stress or deformation plays a very important role. For example, in the wind power generation industry, during the piling construction of a tower column, it is common to use a force sensor to instantaneously measure the magnitude of the impact force received by the pile body and detect whether the pile body is deformed. Also, for example, when a wind turbine is in a stable operation state, a force sensor can also be used to continuously monitor whether the tower column is deformed.

[0003] However, most of the existing pile body deformation monitoring mechanisms adopt an invasive sensing method, which requires drilling or slitting the pile body first, and then burying the sensor into the hole or slit. However, this method belongs to a destructive installation method, and stress concentration is likely to occur at the drilled or slit area, greatly increasing the risk of pile body damage, and it is also difficult to replace or maintain the sensor after installation. Moreover, when the pile body is stressed, the deformation in the radial direction of its cross-section may be different. This will cause the radial force on the cross-section not necessarily to be perpendicular to the sensing surface of the force sensor when it is transmitted to the force sensor, thus reducing the accuracy and sensitivity of the force sensor.

[0004] For further illustration, please refer to Figure 9 , which is a schematic diagram of the component forces when the existing force sensor 4 senses a non-normal force Fy; the "non-normal force Fy" mentioned here refers to a force that is not perpendicular to the sensing surface 41 of the existing force sensor 4. As shown in the figure, when the non-normal force Fy is applied to the existing force sensor 4, the sensing surface 41 can only sense the longitudinal component force fv, and the transverse component force fn cannot be sensed because it is not perpendicular to the sensing surface 41. Therefore, when the existing force sensor 4 senses the non-normal force Fy, the sensing result will be missing some component forces, and the sensing accuracy and sensitivity will be greatly affected. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, embodiments of the present invention provide a force sensor that can effectively detect deformation and measure force, and an annular force sensing device equipped with the force sensor.

[0006] A force sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a carrier, a restrictor, a contact member, and a plurality of sensing members. The carrier includes a plurality of bearing surfaces, and these bearing surfaces form a polygonal groove; the restrictor is combined with the carrier and has a through hole; the contact member is located in the polygonal groove and the contact member has an exposed portion that protrudes from the through hole; the plurality of sensing members are respectively located on these bearing surfaces, or are located inside the carrier and respectively correspond to the plurality of bearing surfaces, and a sensing direction of each sensing member is perpendicular to the corresponding bearing surface.

[0007] An annular force sensing device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an annular body and at least one force sensor; and the force sensor can be disposed on the inner surface of the annular body; wherein, in some embodiments, the force sensor can refer to the foregoing description.

[0008] A force sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a carrier, a plurality of sensing members, and a contact member. The carrier includes a plurality of bearing surfaces. The plurality of sensing members are respectively located on these bearing surfaces, or are located inside the carrier and respectively correspond to these bearing surfaces; and a sensing direction of each sensing member is perpendicular to the corresponding bearing surface. The contact member includes a force receiving portion and a plurality of contact portions; the force receiving portion is used to contact the object to be measured; and these contact portions respectively contact these bearing surfaces of the carrier in a point contact or line contact manner.

[0009] In summary, the force sensor according to some embodiments can achieve the detection of force and deformation, and can further measure the direction and magnitude of the force. Moreover, the annular force sensing device according to some embodiments can sense the deformation and measure the force of any type of object to be measured through the configuration of a single or multiple force sensors. Description of the Drawings

[0010] Figure 1A is a perspective view of a force sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0011] Figure 1B is Figure 1A a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in

[0012] Figure 1C is Figure 1B a schematic diagram of the acting force, the first component force, and the second component force in

[0013] Figure 1D is a cross-sectional view of a force sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0014] Figure 1E is a cross-sectional view of a force sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0015] Figure 1F is a cross-sectional view of a force sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 2A Is a perspective view of a force sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 2B Is Figure 2A The front view of the force sensor shown;

[0018] Figure 2C Is Figure 2B The schematic diagram of the acting force, the first component force and the second component force in;

[0019] Figure 2D Is Figure 2B The exploded view of the sensing element in the force sensor shown;

[0020] Figure 3A Is a perspective view of a force sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 3B Is Figure 3A The partial exploded view of the force sensor shown;

[0022] Figure 4A Is a perspective view of a force sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 4B Is Figure 4A The partial exploded view of the force sensor shown;

[0024] Figure 5 Is a perspective view of an annular force sensing device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 6A Is a perspective view of an annular force sensing device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 6B Is Figure 6A The schematic diagram of the annular force sensing device applied to a wind turbine shown;

[0027] Figure 7A Is Figure 6B The top view of the annular force sensing device shown, wherein the test piece is presented in section and in an undeformed state;

[0028] Figure 7B Is Figure 7A The cross-sectional view of the force sensor in the annular force sensing device shown;

[0029] Figure 7C Is Figure 7B The schematic diagram of the acting force, the first component force and the second component force in;

[0030] Figure 8A Is Figure 6B The top view of the annular force sensing device shown, wherein the test piece is presented in section and in a deformed state;

[0031] Figure 8B is Figure 8A A cross-sectional view of a force sensor in the annular force sensing device shown;

[0032] Figure 8C is Figure 8B A schematic diagram of the acting force, the first component force, and the second component force in;

[0033] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of the component forces when the existing force sensor senses a non-normal force.

[0034] Symbol Explanation

[0035] 2: Force sensor

[0036] 2’: Force sensor

[0037] 4: Existing force sensor

[0038] 3: Annular force sensing device

[0039] 21: Carrier

[0040] 22: Restricting member

[0041] 23: Contact member

[0042] 24: Sensing member

[0043] 24A: First sensing member

[0044] 24B: Second sensing member

[0045] 31: Annular body

[0046] 41: Sensing surface

[0047] 211: Bearing surface

[0048] 211A: Bearing surface

[0049] 211B: Bearing surface

[0050] 212: Jack

[0051] 213: Mounting hole

[0052] 221: Perforation

[0053] 231: Exposed part

[0054] 232: Protruding part

[0055] 240: Sensing surface

[0056] 241: Housing

[0057] 242: Piezoelectric unit

[0058] 243: Accommodating groove

[0059] 311: Arch-shaped part

[0060] 312: Fastening part

[0061] C1: First contact part

[0062] C2: Second contact part

[0063] C3: Force-bearing part

[0064] C4: Third contact part

[0065] C5: Fourth contact part

[0066] F: Acting force

[0067] Fs: Acting force

[0068] f1: First component force

[0069] f2: Second component force

[0070] fs1: First component force

[0071] fs2: Second component force

[0072] fn: Transverse component force

[0073] fv: Longitudinal component force

[0074] Fw: Wind force

[0075] Fy: Non-normal force

[0076] Fz: Wave impact force

[0077] Gv: V-shaped groove

[0078] Gt: Three-sided tapered groove

[0079] Gr: Four-sided tapered groove

[0080] MP: Coating material

[0081] O: Test piece

[0082] Wt: Wind turbine

[0083] θ: Central angle Specific implementation manner

[0084] Various embodiments are presented below for detailed description. The embodiments are only used as examples for illustration and do not limit the scope of protection of the present invention. In addition, some elements are omitted in the drawings of the embodiments to clearly show the technical features of the present invention. Furthermore, the same reference numerals will be used to represent the same or similar elements in all the drawings, and the drawings of the present invention are only for schematic illustration, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and not all details are necessarily presented in the drawings.

[0085] Please refer to Figure 1A and Figure 1B , Figure 1A which is a perspective view of a force sensor 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1B is Figure 1A a cross-sectional view of the line AA in Figure 1B . As shown in the figure, as an embodiment of the force sensor 2, it includes a carrier 21, a restricting member 22, a contact member 23, and a plurality of sensing members 24. Among Figure 3B the plurality of sensing members 24 shown in Figure 4B include a first sensing member 24A and a second sensing member 24B. In some embodiments, the carrier 21 is a rectangular body, which is provided with a polygonal groove recessed from the upper surface. In some embodiments, the polygonal groove may be a V-shaped groove Gv, and the V-shaped groove Gv is composed of two bearing surfaces 211. In other embodiments, the polygonal groove may also be a three-sided cone groove (for example, Figure 3B the triangular cone groove in Figure 4B ), a four-sided cone groove (for example, Figure 4B the quadrilateral cone groove in Figure 4B ) or other polygonal grooves.

[0086] In some embodiments, the included angle between the two bearing surfaces 211 of the V-shaped groove Gv is ninety degrees. The "ninety degrees" mentioned here refers to an approximately "ninety degrees" angle. The provided value includes manufacturing or operating tolerances within the specified angle range (for example, ±10%). The contact member 23 is a cylindrical member, located in the V-shaped groove Gv, and a part of the contact member 23 protrudes outside the V-shaped groove Gv. More than half of the volume of the contact member 23 in this embodiment is located in the V-shaped groove Gv. It should be noted that the contact member 23 can also be of other types, such as a spherical member, a polygonal member, or a member with multiple protrusions on the surface, as long as it can decompose the applied force into component forces acting on the sensing member 24. The contact member 23 can be made of a metal material, such as stainless steel.

[0087] The limiting member 22 is an upper cover plate, which is disposed on the upper surface of the carrier member 21 and has a through hole 221. In this embodiment, the through hole 221 is a rectangular through hole, and the opening width thereof is smaller than the maximum width of the contact member 23. Moreover, the opening widths of the upper surface and the lower surface of the through hole 221 in the limiting member 22 are the same, that is, the side walls on both sides in the through hole 221 are parallel. The "parallel" mentioned here refers to a generally parallel direction. The associated values include manufacturing or operating tolerances (e.g., ±10%) within the specified direction range. Taking the cylindrical contact member 23 as an example, the opening width of the through hole 221 is smaller than the diameter of the cross section of the cylinder. Thus, the contact member 23 will be restricted to the V-shaped groove Gv, and it can be ensured that the contact member 23 is always in contact with each bearing surface 211.

[0088] In addition, the contact member 23 has an exposed portion 231, which is the portion protruding through the through hole 221 of the limiting member 22. The exposed portion 231 is a convex arc surface, which constitutes a force-receiving surface for contacting the test piece O. Additionally, in other embodiments, the surface of the exposed portion 231 may also include a plurality of protrusions 232, such as Figure 1D shown, which can be applied to the test piece O with an irregular surface.

[0089] In some embodiments, the first sensing member 24A and the second sensing member 24B may be piezoelectric sensing elements, which can generate piezoelectric signals according to the applied force, thereby detecting deformation and measuring force. However, this is not limited thereto, and any force sensing element that can detect the applied force or deformation sensing element that can detect deformation can be applicable.

[0090] In addition, as Figure 1B shown, the first sensing member 24A and the second sensing member 24B are respectively located on these bearing surfaces 211. Under normal circumstances, a sensing member 24 can be disposed on each bearing surface 211. However, in other embodiments, for example, in the case of facing a bearing surface 211 with a larger area, or when there are more precise sensing requirements, multiple sensing members 24 can also be arranged on each bearing surface 211.

[0091] Moreover, in Figure 1BIn the illustrated embodiment, the first sensing member 24A and the second sensing member 24B are each disposed on a bearing surface 211. Thus, a sensing direction of each sensing member 24 is perpendicular to its respective bearing surface 211. The "perpendicular" mentioned herein refers to a substantially perpendicular direction. The associated numerical values include manufacturing or operating tolerances within a specified direction range (e.g., ±10%). Also, the first sensing member 24A and the second sensing member 24B are in direct contact with the contact member 23. Therefore, in order to protect the first sensing member 24A and the second sensing member 24B, a coating material MP can be laid on the surfaces of the first sensing member 24A and the second sensing member 24B, which can be made of an elastic material such as, but not limited to, rubber or silicone. In other embodiments, in order to achieve the purpose of protecting the first sensing member 24A and the second sensing member 24B, the coating material MP can also be disposed on the surface of the contact member 23, i.e., as shown in Figure 1D and Figure 1E shown.

[0092] Please continue to refer to Figure 1B , the contact member 23 includes a first contact portion C1, a second contact portion C2, and a force-receiving portion C3. The first contact portion C1 and the second contact portion C2 respectively contact the sensing surfaces 240 of the first sensing member 24A and the second sensing member 24B on the two bearing surfaces 211, and the force-receiving portion C3 is used to contact the object to be measured O. In this embodiment, the first contact portion C1 and the second contact portion C2 are in line contact with the sensing surface 240, and the force-receiving portion C3 is also in line contact with the object to be measured O.

[0093] In addition, when the position where the object to be measured O contacts the contact member 23 changes, the position where the force-receiving portion C3 contacts the object to be measured O also changes accordingly. At this time, the direction of the acting force F applied to the contact member 23 also changes. However, when the direction of the acting force F applied to the contact member 23 changes, the positions where the first contact portion C1 contacts the sensing surface 240 and the second contact portion C2 contacts the sensing surface 240 do not change accordingly. That is to say, the positions of the line contacts between the first contact portion C1 and the second contact portion C2 and the sensing surface 240 respectively do not change.

[0094] Furthermore, please also refer to Figure 1C , Figure 1C is Figure 1B a schematic diagram of the acting force F, the first component force f1, and the second component force f2 in Figure 1B and Figure 1CAs shown, when the component O under test is deformed due to an external force, and then applies a force F to the force-receiving part C3 of the contact component 23, the contact component 23 applies a first component force f1 to the first sensing component 24A through the first contact part C1, and the contact component 23 applies a second component force f2 to the second sensing component 24B through the second contact part C2. Among them, the first component force f1 is applied to the first sensing component 24A in a direction perpendicular to the sensing surface 240 of the first sensing component 24A; and the second component force f2 is applied to the second sensing component 24B in a direction perpendicular to the sensing surface 240 of the second sensing component 24B.

[0095] Therefore, as long as the first component force f1 and the second component force f2 are measured by the first sensing component 24A and the second sensing component 24B respectively, and the resultant force of the two is calculated, the magnitude and direction of the force F applied to the contact component 23 can be obtained. As can be seen from the above embodiments, no component force is ignored, and the magnitude and direction of the force F can be accurately measured.

[0096] Please refer to Figure 1E , which is a cross-sectional view of the force sensor 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the difference between this embodiment and the foregoing embodiment is that each bearing surface 211 is provided with a mounting hole 213. The sensing component 24 is installed in the mounting hole 213, and these mounting holes 213 provide a positioning effect for the sensing component 24. In addition, since only the sensing surface 240 of the entire sensing component 24 is exposed, and other parts are buried in the mounting hole 213, the protection effect of the sensing component 24 can be improved accordingly.

[0097] Please refer to Figure 1F , which is a cross-sectional view of the force sensor 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1F The difference between the shown embodiment and the foregoing embodiment is that in this embodiment, the sensing component 24 is buried inside the carrier 21. Each sensing component 24 corresponds to a bearing surface 211, and the sensing surface 240 of the sensing component 24 faces the bearing surface 211, and the two are parallel, and the sensing direction of the sensing component 24 is perpendicular to the respective bearing surfaces 211. The "parallel" and "perpendicular" mentioned here refer to directions that are approximately parallel and approximately perpendicular. The associated values include manufacturing or operating tolerances within the specified direction range (for example, ±10%). Since the sensing component 24 is configured inside the carrier 21, the sensing component 24 does not directly contact the component 23, and the risk of damage caused by directly bearing excessive component forces can be avoided. In addition, since the contact component 23 does not directly contact the sensing component 24, the component forces formed by the contact component 23 due to the applied force will be transmitted to the sensing component 24 through the bearing surface 211 and the carrier 21.

[0098] Please also refer to Figures 2A to 2D , Figure 2A which is a perspective view of the force sensor 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention,Figure 2B is Figure 2A the front view of the force sensor 2 shown Figure 2C is Figure 2B a schematic diagram of the acting force F, the first component force f1, and the second component force f2 in Figure 2D is Figure 2B an exploded view of the sensing member 24 in the force sensor 2 shown. The main difference between the embodiments shown in these drawings and the foregoing embodiments is that the contact member 23 is a spherical member, such as a steel ball. However, because the spherical member can roll, when installing, if the surface of the workpiece O to be measured is not a flat surface, the force sensor 2 can move or rotate along the surface of the workpiece O to find the best position or orientation for installation.

[0099] On the other hand, in some embodiments, the sensing member 24 can adopt a modular form as shown in Figure 2D to facilitate installation, replacement, and maintenance more conveniently. In the embodiment shown in Figure 2D , each sensing member 24 includes a housing 241 and a piezoelectric unit 242, and the housing 241 is a columnar structure having a receiving groove 243. When installing the sensing member 24, first place the piezoelectric unit 242 in the receiving groove 243, and then insert the housing 241 into the jack 212 pre-opened in the carrier 21 (please see Figure 2A ). However, in this embodiment, the carrier 21 and the housing 241 can be made of the same material or different materials.

[0100] In addition, since the contact member 23 in this embodiment is a spherical member, a single-point contact is formed between the contact member 23 and each bearing surface 211, and the position of this point contact is fixed. That is, the position of the point contact between the contact member 23 and the bearing surface 211 will not change due to the rolling of the contact member 23. In addition, in this embodiment, because the sensing member 24 is arranged inside the carrier 21, and the contact member 23 directly contacts the bearing surface 211 in the V-shaped groove Gv. When the contact member 23 forms multiple component forces due to the acting force F, these component forces will be respectively applied to these bearing surfaces 211, and then the carrier 21 will transmit these component forces to multiple sensing members 24 respectively.

[0101] For further illustration, please refer to Figure 2B and Figure 2C, when the contact member 23 bears a force F, a first component force f1 will be formed at the first contact portion C1 of the contact member 23 and applied to the bearing surface 211A corresponding to the first sensing member 24A; and a second component force f2 will be formed at the second contact portion C2 of the contact member 23 and applied to the bearing surface 211B corresponding to the second sensing member 24B. Then, the carrier member 21 and the housing 241 respectively transmit these component forces to the piezoelectric units 242 in the first sensing member 24A and the second sensing member 24B. Finally, after measuring the first component force f1 and the second component force f2 through the first sensing member 24A and the second sensing member 24B respectively, the magnitude and direction of the force F applied to the contact member 23 can be obtained through calculation.

[0102] In addition, in Figures 2A to 2D the embodiment shown, a normal direction of a sensing surface 240 of each sensing member 24 passes through the centroid of the bearing surface 211 and the contact member 23. This configuration can ensure the measurement accuracy and sensitivity. Further explanation, if the normal line N of the sensing surface 240 does not pass through the centroid of the contact member 23, for example, when the normal line N of the sensing surface 240 of the sensing member 24 does not completely coincide with the action line of the first component force f1 applied to the bearing surface 211A or the action line of the second component force f2 applied to the bearing surface 211B, situations such as sensing errors or reduced measurement sensitivity may occur.

[0103] Please also refer to Figure 3A and Figure 3B . Figure 3A is a perspective view of a force sensor 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3B is Figure 3A a partial exploded view of the force sensor 2 shown, which shows the limiting member 22 and the contact member 23 in a separated state from the carrier member 21. As shown in Figure 3A and Figure 3B , the carrier member 21 has a three-sided tapered groove Gt formed by three bearing surfaces 211, which extends from the upper surface of the carrier member 21 into the interior of the carrier member 21. Inside the carrier member 21, a sensing member 24 is arranged on one side of each bearing surface 211. The sensing member 24 can adopt the type shown in Figure 2D and is arranged in a jack 212 on the side wall of the carrier member 21. In addition, Figure 3B a partial enlarged side view is additionally shown to present the recessed state of the three-sided tapered groove Gt.

[0104] Since the present embodiment adopts the configuration of the three-sided tapered groove Gt, where the sides of these bearing surfaces 211 are joined to each other at a specific angle, that is, there is an included angle between each bearing surface 211 and the adjacent bearing surface 211. And the sensing surfaces 240 of all the sensing members 24 are also set to be parallel to their respective corresponding bearing surfaces 211. The contact member 23 includes a first contact portion C1, a second contact portion C2, and a third contact portion C4, and these contact portions respectively contact these bearing surfaces 211 of the three-sided tapered groove Gt. Therefore, when each sensing member 24 measures the component force borne by its sensing surface 240, the magnitude and direction of the acting force F applied to the contact member 23 can be obtained.

[0105] Please also refer to Figure 4A and Figure 4B . Figure 4A is a perspective view of the force sensor 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4B is Figure 4A a partial exploded view of the force sensor 2 shown in the figure, which shows the state where the limiting member 22 and the contact member 23 are separated from the bearing member 21. In addition, Figure 4B also shows a partial enlarged side view therein to present the recessed state of the four-sided tapered groove Gr. The main difference between this embodiment and the foregoing Figure 3A and Figure 3B shown embodiments is that this embodiment adopts a four-sided tapered groove Gr and an additional sensing member 24 is configured. That is to say, the four-sided tapered groove Gr has four bearing surfaces 211, and each bearing surface 211 is equipped with a sensing member 24, and there is an included angle between each bearing surface 211 and the adjacent bearing surface 211. And the contact member 23 includes a first contact portion C1, a second contact portion C2, a third contact portion C4, and a fourth contact portion C5, and these contact portions respectively contact these bearing surfaces 211 of the four-sided tapered groove Gr. However, it should be noted that the contact mode between each bearing surface 211 and the contact member 23 needs to be point contact or the contact area between each bearing surface 211 and the contact member 23 is preferably as small as possible to increase the measurement accuracy and sensitivity of the sensor 2.

[0106] In some embodiments, the force sensor 2 can be used to measure the force in a single direction or can also be used to measure the force in multiple directions. In some embodiments, the state of the test piece O can be any form, such as a plate, a rack, a barrel, a block, a beam, a column, a pile, a shaft, a rod, a bar... etc. In addition, the force sensor 2 can be directly or indirectly installed on the surface of the test piece O. The so-called indirect method means that the force sensor 2 is first arranged on other fixtures such as a ring, a frame, a seat, a rack, etc., and then the fixture is fixed to the test piece O through screw locking, welding, gluing, magnetic attraction, or other fixing methods.

[0107] Please refer to Figure 5 , which is a perspective view of the annular force sensing device 3 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5That is, a ring force sensing device 3 is formed in such a form that a force sensor 2 is provided on a ring body 31. Further explanation, after the force sensor 2 is disposed on the inner surface of the ring body 31, a ring force sensing device 3 is formed. Then, the ring force sensing device 3 is sleeved on a workpiece O to be measured (visible in Figure 6B ), and the force applied to the force sensor 2 can be measured, and whether the workpiece O to be measured (visible in Figure 6B ) is deformed or not can be detected.

[0108] In some embodiments, the ring force sensing device 3 may be configured with one or more force sensors 2. When one force sensor 2 is configured, the ring force sensing device 3 can measure the force on one side or at one point of the workpiece O to be measured (visible in Figure 6B ). For example, when the ring force sensing device 3 is disposed on a beam, when the beam is deformed by gravity and deflects downward, the ring force sensing device 3 configured with one force sensor 2 can measure the force borne by the beam. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5 , when one force sensor 2 is disposed at each of the two ends in a diameter direction in the internal space surrounded by the ring body 31, the ring force sensing device 3 can detect the forces on the two side ends in the diameter direction. In other embodiments, when a plurality of force sensors 2 are disposed on the inner surface of the ring body 31, the measurement results of all the force sensors 2 can be integrated, and thus the exact force direction and force magnitude of the workpiece O to be measured can be obtained. Specific embodiments thereof are described later.

[0109] In addition, the ring body 31 in this embodiment is a C-shaped ring, but it is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, when the workpiece O to be measured is a large object, the ring body 31 can also be formed by splicing multiple components, such as the embodiments described later. In addition, the shape of the ring body 31 can be determined according to the outer contour of the workpiece O to be measured, such as a circular ring, an oval ring, a square ring or other polygonal rings.

[0110] Please refer to Figure 6A and Figure 6B . Figure 6A is a perspective view of a ring force sensing device 3 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6B is Figure 6A a schematic diagram of the application of the ring force sensing device 3 shown in the wind turbine Wt. Hereinafter, taking the measurement of the external force borne by the pile body (workpiece O to be measured) of the wind turbine Wt as an example for explanation. However, the ring force sensing device 3 of the present invention is not limited to this application. Any workpiece O that can be sleeved on the ring body 31 is applicable, such as a beam, a cylinder, a pile, a column, a shaft, a rod, a bar, etc.

[0111] As shown in Figure 6BAs shown, three annular force sensing devices 3 are arranged on the pile body (the object to be measured O) of the wind turbine Wt, which can be used to measure various external forces borne by the wind turbine Wt, such as the wind force Fw, the wave impact force Fz, and the seismic force (not shown in the figure). When the wind turbine Wt bears these external forces, the three annular force sensing devices 3 can respectively measure the forces borne by the upper, middle, and lower sections of the pile body (the object to be measured O). Of course, in order to pursue more accurate results, more annular force sensing devices 3 can also be arranged on the pile body.

[0112] Furthermore, as Figure 6A shown, the annular body 31 of this embodiment includes two arched members 311. Each end of each arched member 311 forms a fastening portion 312. The fastening portions 312 of these arched members 311 are connected pairwise to form the annular body 31. However, in actual use, it is not limited to two arched members 311, and more arched members 311 can be used according to the actual size of the object to be measured O.

[0113] In addition, four force sensors 2 are arranged on the inner side surface of the annular body 31 of this embodiment, and the spacing distances between adjacent two force sensors 2 on the inner surface of the annular body 31 are equal. "Equal spacing distance" herein refers to a value that is approximately equal. The associated values include manufacturing or operating tolerances within a specified value range (for example, ±10%). In other words, if the center of the annular body 31 is used as the center of the circle, the central angle θ between two adjacent force sensors 2 is equal. Please refer to Figure 6A . In this way, the force values of the four component forces obtained by these four force sensors 2 can be used to determine whether the pile body has an eccentric phenomenon, and to obtain the magnitude and direction of the external force borne. In other embodiments, it is not limited to arranging the force sensors 2 equidistantly on the inner side surface of the annular body 31. If there are special requirements, such as particularly concerned about the force or deformation borne by a specific orientation of the pile body (the object to be measured O), more force sensors 2 can also be arranged on the inner surface corresponding to this specific orientation of the annular body 31.

[0114] Please refer to Figure 7A 、 Figure 7B and Figure 7C . Figure 7A is Figure 6B the top view of the annular force sensing device 3 shown, where the object to be measured O (pile body) is presented in section and shows a uniform deformation state. Figure 7B is Figure 7A the cross-sectional view of the force sensor 2' in the annular force sensing device 3 shown. Figure 7C is Figure 7B the schematic diagram of the acting force F, the first component force f1, and the second component force f2 in Figure 7AAs shown, when the pile body (the object to be measured O) exhibits uniform deformation, the acting force F is applied to the force sensor 2' in the positive direction. Therefore, the magnitudes of the component forces measured by each sensing element 24 are the same, and each component force is applied to the sensing element 24 in a normal direction of the sensing surface 240. In other words, as Figure 7B and Figure 7C shown, the magnitudes of the first component force f1 and the second component force f2 are the same, and they are applied to each sensing element 24 in a symmetric manner (equal angles).

[0115] Please also refer to Figure 8A 、 Figure 8B and Figure 8C , Figure 8A is Figure 6B a top view of the annular force sensing device 3 shown in the figure, where the object to be measured O (pile body) is presented in a cross-section and exhibits a non-uniform deformation state. Figure 8B is Figure 8A a cross-sectional view of a force sensor 2' in the annular force sensing device 3 shown in the figure. Figure 8C is Figure 8B a schematic diagram of the acting force Fs, the first component force fs1, and the second component force fs2 in the figure. When the pile body (the object to be measured O) is subjected to an external force (for example, wind force) and undergoes bending deformation, the magnitudes and directions of the acting forces Fs measured by each force sensor 2, 2' will be different. Thus, when integrating the measurement results of all force sensors 2, 2', the magnitude and direction of the acting force Fs can be obtained, and the degree of deformation of the pile body (the object to be measured O) can be further analyzed. Even the state of deformation of the pile body (the object to be measured O) can be depicted through software simulation.

[0116] Although the present invention is disclosed in combination with the above embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any person of ordinary skill in the art can make some modifications and refinements without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention should be defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A force sensor, comprising: The bearing member comprises a plurality of bearing surfaces, wherein the bearing surfaces form a multi-faceted groove; a limiting member, combined with the supporting member and having a through hole; A contact member is located in the polyhedral groove and has an exposed portion, the exposed portion protruding from the through hole; and A plurality of sensing elements are respectively located on the bearing surfaces, or are located in the bearing element and respectively correspond to the bearing surfaces; the sensing direction of each sensing element is perpendicular to the corresponding bearing surface.

2. The force sensor according to claim 1, wherein: The contact element is a spherical component, and the normal direction of the sensing surface of each sensing element passes through the centroid of the spherical component.

3. The force sensor according to claim 1, wherein: The contact member includes a first contact portion, a second contact portion and a force-bearing portion; the first contact portion and the second contact portion contact the bearing surfaces of the bearing member in a point contact or line contact manner respectively, and the force-bearing portion is used to contact the test piece in a point contact or line contact manner.

4. The force sensor according to claim 2, wherein: The diameter of the through hole of the limiting piece is smaller than the diameter of the spherical member.

5. The force sensor according to claim 3, wherein: The bearing component includes two bearing surfaces. The polyhedral groove formed by the bearing surfaces is a V-shaped groove. The first contact portion and the second contact portion respectively contact the bearing surfaces of the V-shaped groove.

6. The force sensor according to claim 3, wherein: The bearing member includes three bearing surfaces, the polyhedral groove formed by the bearing surfaces is a three-sided cone groove, and the contact member also includes a third contact portion, the first contact portion, the second contact portion and the third contact portion respectively contact the bearing surfaces of the three-sided cone groove.

7. The force sensor according to claim 3, wherein: The supporting member includes four supporting surfaces, and the polyhedral groove formed by the supporting surfaces is a four-sided cone groove. The contact member also includes a third contact portion and a fourth contact portion. The first contact portion, the second contact portion, the third contact portion and the fourth contact portion respectively contact the supporting surfaces of the four-sided cone groove.

8. The force sensor according to claim 1, wherein: The contact piece is a cylindrical component or a component with a plurality of protrusions on the surface of the exposed portion.

9. The force sensor according to claim 1, wherein: Each of the sensing components includes a shell and a piezoelectric unit. The piezoelectric unit is disposed in the shell, and the shell is disposed in the supporting component.

10. An annular force sensing device, comprising: Ring-shaped body; as well as at least one force sensor disposed on the inner surface of the annular body; Among them, the at least one force sensor includes a supporting member, a limiting member, a contact member and a plurality of sensing members; the limiting member has a through hole; the supporting member includes a plurality of supporting surfaces, and the supporting surfaces form a polyhedral groove; the contact member is located in the polyhedral groove, and the contact member has an exposed portion, and the exposed portion protrudes from the through hole; the plurality of sensing members are respectively located on the supporting surfaces, or are located in the supporting member and respectively correspond to the supporting surfaces, and the sensing direction of each sensing member is perpendicular to the corresponding supporting surface.

11. The annular force sensing device as claimed in claim 10, comprising a plurality of the force sensors, the force sensors being disposed on the inner surface of the annular body; and taking the centroid of the annular body as the center of a circle, the central angles between two adjacent force sensors are equal.

12. The annular force sensing device according to claim 10, wherein: The annular body comprises a plurality of arched pieces, and two corresponding sides of each arched piece respectively comprise fastening portions; the fastening portions of the arched pieces are connected in pairs to form the annular body.

13. The annular force sensing device according to claim 10, wherein: The contact member of the at least one force sensor is a spherical member; and the normal direction of the sensing surface of each sensing member passes through the centroid of the spherical member.

14. The annular force sensing device according to claim 13, wherein: The diameter of the through hole of the limiting piece of the at least one force sensor is smaller than the diameter of the spherical member.

15. The annular force sensing device of claim 13, wherein: The contact member of the at least one force sensor includes a first contact portion, a second contact portion and a force-bearing portion; the first contact portion and the second contact portion contact the bearing surfaces of the bearing member in a point contact or line contact manner respectively, and the force-bearing portion is used to contact the test member in a point contact or line contact manner.

16. The annular force sensing device of claim 15, wherein: The supporting member of the at least one force sensor includes two supporting surfaces. The polyhedral groove formed by the supporting surfaces is a V-shaped groove. The first contact portion and the second contact portion respectively contact the supporting surfaces of the V-shaped groove.

17. The annular force sensing device of claim 15, wherein: The supporting member of the at least one force sensor includes three supporting surfaces, the polyhedral groove formed by the supporting surfaces is a three-sided cone groove, and the contact member also includes a third contact portion, the first contact portion, the second contact portion and the third contact portion respectively contact the supporting surfaces of the three-sided cone groove.

18. The annular force sensing device of claim 15, wherein: The supporting member of the at least one force sensor includes four supporting surfaces, and the polyhedral groove formed by the supporting surfaces is a four-sided pyramidal groove. The contact member also includes a third contact portion and a fourth contact portion. The first contact portion, the second contact portion, the third contact portion and the fourth contact portion respectively contact the supporting surfaces of the four-sided pyramidal groove.

19. The annular force sensing device of claim 10, wherein: The contact piece of the at least one force sensor is a cylindrical member or a member having a plurality of protrusions on the surface.

20. The annular force sensing device of claim 10, wherein: The sensing elements of the at least one force sensor each include a shell and a piezoelectric unit. The piezoelectric unit is disposed in the shell, and the shell is disposed in the supporting element.

21. A force sensor comprising: A bearing member, comprising a plurality of bearing surfaces; A plurality of sensing elements are respectively located on the bearing surfaces, or are located in the bearing element and respectively correspond to the bearing surfaces; The sensing direction of each sensing element is perpendicular to the corresponding bearing surface; as well as The contact member comprises a force-bearing portion and a plurality of contact portions; the force-bearing portion is used to contact the test piece; the contact portions respectively contact the bearing surfaces of the bearing member in a point contact or line contact manner.

22. The force sensor of claim 21, wherein: When the direction of the force borne by the force-bearing portion changes, the contact portions will not change the contact positions between the contact portions and the bearing surfaces.

23. The force sensor of claim 21, wherein: When the force-bearing portion is subjected to an applied force, the sensing elements respectively measure a plurality of component forces of the applied force, and the component forces are respectively perpendicular to the bearing surfaces corresponding to the sensing elements.

24. The force sensor of claim 23, wherein: The resultant of these component forces is equal to the action force.

25. The force sensor of claim 21, wherein: Each bearing surface has an included angle with the adjacent bearing surface.

26. The force sensor of claim 25, wherein: The bearing surfaces include two bearing surfaces, and the bearing surfaces form a V-shaped groove; the contact portions include a first contact portion and a second contact portion, which respectively contact the bearing surfaces of the V-shaped groove.

27. The force sensor of claim 25, wherein: The included angle between the bearing surface and another adjacent bearing surface is ninety degrees.

28. The force sensor as claimed in claim 21, wherein the contact element is a spherical member, and the normal direction of the sensing surface of each sensing element passes through the centroid of the spherical member.

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