Brake caliper assembly, brake system, acting force measuring system and method, and sensor

Abstract

The invention relates to a brake caliper assembly, a brake system, an acting force measuring system and method and a sensor. The brake caliper assembly comprises a brake caliper, at least one position of the brake caliper is provided with a sensing groove, the sensing groove comprises a groove body and a plurality of groove extensions extending outwards from the edge of the groove body, and the groove depth of the groove extensions is smaller than that of the groove body; the strain gauge type sensor comprises a sensitive core body and strain gauges arranged on the sensitive core body, the sensitive core body comprises a core body and a plurality of core body extensions extending outwards from the edge of the core body, and the strain gauges are arranged in mounting areas, between the adjacent core body extensions, of the core body; wherein the core body extension of the strain gauge type sensor corresponds to the groove extension and is installed and fixed in a direct contact manner.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to a brake caliper assembly, a brake system, a force measurement system and method, and a sensor. Background Art

[0002] For force measurement, such as braking force measurement of a vehicle's braking system, an electronic hydraulic brake (EHB) structure is used for brake-by-wire control, and the measurement signal for the braking force measurement is a pressure signal of hydraulic oil.

[0003] However, for the more advanced electronic mechanical brake (EMB) brake-by-wire system, since there is no hydraulic circuit, the braking force cannot be measured using the pressure signal of the hydraulic oil.

[0004] In a comparative scheme, a direct measurement technology route is adopted, and a force sensor is arranged before the ball screw and caliper to detect the force. Due to the large braking force, high requirements are placed on the material and process of the sensor, which restricts the rapid application and popularization of the force sensor and also affects the compactness of the overall structure.

[0005] In one comparison scheme, an indirect measurement technique is used, where strain gauges are directly attached to the caliper to measure the caliper's deformation. First, the material of the caliper itself is not suitable as the sensor's sensitive core, and materials suitable for sensitive cores are expensive and unsuitable for the caliper. Furthermore, the investment in production equipment to attach small, precise strain gauges and sensors to the caliper is high, especially when integrating precision components into a larger caliper, requiring a large-scale production line to be customized to meet space requirements. Furthermore, in another comparison scheme, a fiber / grating strain sensor is installed in the caliper, which has a more complex structure and higher cost.

[0006] Therefore, the art needs a brake caliper assembly, a brake system, a force measurement system and method, and a sensor that can reduce material costs and processing and manufacturing costs and improve the yield rate while achieving indirect measurement. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The technical problem to be solved by this application is to reduce manufacturing costs and improve product yield on the basis of achieving indirect measurement.

[0008] According to the first aspect of the present application, a brake caliper assembly includes a brake caliper having a sensing groove at at least one location of the brake caliper, the sensing groove including a groove body and a plurality of groove extensions extending outward from the edge of the groove body, the groove depth of the groove extension being less than the groove depth of the groove body; a strain gauge sensor including a sensitive core and a strain gauge arranged on the sensitive core, the sensitive core including a core body and a plurality of core extensions extending outward from the edge of the core body, the strain gauge being arranged in an installation area of ​​the core body between adjacent core extensions; wherein the core extension of the strain gauge sensor is installed and fixed in direct contact with the groove extension.

[0009] The beneficial effects of using the brake caliper assembly described above include, but are not limited to, reducing manufacturing costs and improving yield rates while achieving indirect measurement. Specifically, by installing a strain gauge sensor in the brake caliper sensing groove, setting the strain gauge in the installation area of ​​the sensor's sensitive core body between adjacent core extensions, and the structure in which the core extension and the groove extension are directly contacted and fixed, utilizing the stress concentration characteristics of the interface area between the groove extension and the groove body, combined with the core extension, the strain gauge sensor can fully sense the deformation, ensuring sufficient sensitivity of the sensor and achieving relatively accurate indirect measurement. On this basis, compared to the solution of directly attaching the strain gauge to the caliper, there is no need to set the material of the brake caliper to the material of the sensor sensitive core, and the manufacturing cost is lower. Or, compared to the solution of setting an optical fiber strain sensor, the above brake caliper assembly only needs to set a low-cost strain gauge, without the need to use a high-cost and complex optical fiber / grating strain sensor.

[0010] In one or more embodiments of the brake caliper assembly, a gap is provided between the outer wall surface of the core extension of the strain gauge sensor and the inner wall surface of the groove extension of the sensing groove, and the bottom surface of the core extension fits the bottom surface of the groove extension.

[0011] In one or more embodiments of the brake caliper assembly, the groove body is arranged non-contactingly with the core body; the extension length of the core body in the extension direction is greater than the extension length of the groove, so that the edge of the core body is located inside the range defined by the edge of the groove body, the outer wall surface of the core body is non-contacting with the inner wall surface of the groove body, and the bottom surface of the core body is non-contacting with the bottom surface of the groove body.

[0012] In one or more embodiments of the brake caliper assembly, the core extends with a first connecting hole extending through the thickness thereof, the groove extends with a second connecting hole corresponding to the first connecting hole, and the first connecting hole and the second connecting hole are connected by a connecting member to detachably and directly connect the brake caliper and the strain gauge sensor; the connecting member includes a screw; and the sensing groove is located in a back area of ​​the brake caliper.

[0013] In one or more embodiments of the brake caliper assembly, the structure in which the strain gauge is arranged on the sensitive core includes a bonding structure, a glass micro-melting structure, a sputtered thin film structure, and a metal thick film structure; the contour shapes of the groove body, the groove extension, the core body, and the core extension include a straight line and / or an arc shape.

[0014] According to the second aspect of the present application, the braking system includes the brake caliper assembly as described in the first aspect; the braking system is configured such that a control unit obtains the braking force and / or braking torque of the brake caliper based on the strain sensed at the position of the strain gauge.

[0015] In one or more embodiments of the braking system, the braking system is an electromechanical braking system.

[0016] According to the third aspect of the present application, a force measurement system includes: a force-applying object, provided with a sensing groove, the sensing groove including a groove body and a plurality of groove extensions extending outward from the edge of the groove body, the groove depth of the groove extension being less than the groove depth of the groove body; a strain gauge sensor including a sensitive core and a strain gauge arranged on the sensitive core, the sensitive core including a core body and a plurality of core extensions extending outward from the edge of the core body, the strain gauge being arranged in an installation area of ​​the core body between adjacent core extensions; wherein the core extension of the strain gauge sensor is installed and fixed in direct contact with the groove extension; when the force-applying object applies force, the local strain of the force-applying object sensed by the strain gauge of the strain gauge sensor represents a measurement result of the force and / or torque applied by the force-applying object.

[0017] A method for measuring applied force according to a fourth aspect of the present application includes:

[0018] The strain gauge sensor is fixed by means of a sensing groove provided on the force-applying object itself;

[0019] When the force-exerting object applies force, the local strain of the force-exerting object sensed by the strain gauge of the strain gauge sensor represents a measurement result of the force and / or torque applied by the force-exerting object;

[0020] In which, the sensing groove includes a groove body and a plurality of groove extensions extending outward from the edge of the groove body, and the groove depth of the groove extension is less than the groove depth of the groove body; the strain gauge sensor includes a sensitive core and a strain gauge arranged on the sensitive core, and the sensitive core includes a core body and a plurality of core extensions extending outward from the edge of the core body, and the strain gauge is arranged in the installation area of ​​the core body between adjacent core extensions; the core extension of the strain gauge sensor is installed and fixed in direct contact with the groove extension.

[0021] According to the fifth aspect of the present application, a strain gauge sensor comprises: a sensitive core, comprising a core body and a plurality of core extensions extending outward from the edge of the core body; a strain gauge, arranged in an installation area of ​​the core body between adjacent core extensions; wherein the sensitive core can be configured in a sensing groove, the sensing groove comprising a groove body and a plurality of groove extensions extending outward from the edge of the groove body, the groove depth of the groove extension being less than the groove depth of the groove body; the core extension of the strain gauge sensor can be installed and fixed in direct contact with the groove extension. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present application more clearly understood, the specific embodiments of the present application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0023] Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a brake caliper assembly according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure of a brake caliper assembly according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Figure 3 It is a schematic cross-sectional view of the connection structure between the sensitive core and the sensing groove of the brake caliper assembly according to one embodiment of the present application.

[0026] Figure 4A 、 Figure 4B They are respectively schematic structural diagrams of a strain gauge sensor of a brake caliper assembly according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0027] Figure 5 It is a flow chart of sensor calibration of a force measurement method according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0028] Figure 6A 、 Figure 6B It is a schematic diagram of the principle of calculating the sensitivity and nonlinearity of the sensor in the force measurement method according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0029] Figure 7A 、 Figure 7B 、 Figure 7C These are schematic diagrams of the positions of the finger area, bridge area, and back area of ​​the brake caliper.

[0030] Figure 8 This is a schematic block diagram of the structure of a braking system according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0031] Reference numerals:

[0032] 1000-Brake System

[0033] 10-Brake caliper assembly

[0034] 1-Brake caliper

[0035] 11-Sensing groove

[0036] 111-groove body

[0037] 1110-Inner wall of the groove body

[0038] 1111-bottom surface of the groove body

[0039] 112-groove extension

[0040] 1120-Inner wall surface of groove extension

[0041] 1121- Bottom surface of groove extension

[0042] 1122-Second connection hole

[0043] 2-Strain gauge sensor

[0044] 21-Sensitive core

[0045] 211-Core body

[0046] 2110-Installation Area

[0047] 21101-First installation area

[0048] 21102-Second installation area

[0049] 21103-Third installation area

[0050] 21104-Fourth installation area

[0051] 2111- Bottom surface of the core body

[0052] 2112-The outer wall surface of the core body

[0053] 212-Core extension

[0054] 2120-External wall surface of the core extension

[0055] 2121- Bottom surface of core extension

[0056] 2122-First connecting hole

[0057] 22-Strain gauge

[0058] 3-Connectors

[0059] 31-Screw

[0060] 200-Control unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0061] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. Note that the various aspects described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments are merely exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0062] The following description is given to enable those skilled in the art to implement and use the present invention and to incorporate it into a specific application context. Various modifications and various uses in different applications will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein are applicable to a wide range of embodiments. Thus, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments provided herein, but should be granted the broadest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein. In the following detailed description, many specific details are set forth to provide a more thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the practice of the present invention may not necessarily be limited to these specific details. In other words, known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form without detailed display to avoid blurring the present invention.

[0063] References herein to "embodiments" mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiments may be included in at least one embodiment of the present application. The appearance of this phrase in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor does it constitute an independent or alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive of other embodiments. It is understood, both explicitly and implicitly, by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein may be combined with other embodiments.

[0064] The strain gauge sensor described below uses the braking force sensing of an automotive brake-by-wire system (EBB) as an example. This sensor can be used for sensing the braking force of passenger cars, commercial vehicles, buses, and other vehicles, but is not limited to these. For example, it can also be used for aircraft, motorcycles, and other vehicles requiring braking systems. Furthermore, it should be understood that the force being measured is not limited to braking force. The force measurement system and method in this case can be applied to engineering scenarios where direct force measurement is impractical or costly due to temperature or heavy loads, and indirect force measurement requires sensing the deformation of the entire structure.

[0065] refer to Figures 1 to 4A 、 Figure 4B As shown, in some embodiments, a brake caliper assembly 10 includes a brake caliper 1 and a strain gauge sensor 2 .

[0066] The brake caliper 1 has a sensing groove 11 at at least one location. The sensing groove 11 includes a groove body 111 and multiple groove extensions 112 extending outward from the edge of the groove body 111. The groove depth D1 of the groove extensions 112 is less than the groove depth D2 of the groove body 111. The strain gauge sensor 2 includes a sensitive core 21 and a strain gauge 22 disposed on the sensitive core 21. The sensitive core 21 includes a core body 211 and multiple core extensions 212 extending outward from the edge of the core body 211. The strain gauge 22 is disposed in an installation area 2110 of the core body 211 between adjacent core extensions 212. The core extensions 212 of the strain gauge sensor 2 are mounted and fixed in direct contact with the groove extensions 112.

[0067] The meaning of "brake caliper" here is similar to the general meaning in the art, that is, a component used to clamp the brake pad to achieve the braking effect, such as Figure 8As shown, in a braking system 1000 using an electronic mechanical brake (EMB) system as an example, the EMB system's control unit 200 (ECU) receives a pedal travel displacement signal from a pedal displacement sensor. The ECU calculates the brake pedal speed signal and combines it with other vehicle ECUs, such as vehicle speed and steering wheel angle signals, to determine the vehicle's driving state. The ECU analyzes the braking requirements for each wheel, calculates the optimal braking torque for each wheel, and outputs corresponding control signals. After analysis, it issues braking commands to the four wheel brake modules, which control four independent controllers to issue braking signals to the corresponding motors, controlling the current and rotation angle of the working motors in the electronic mechanical brakes on each wheel. Through deceleration and torque amplification, as well as motion direction conversion in the electronic mechanical brakes, the motor's rotation is converted into the clamping of the brake caliper 1, generating sufficient braking friction torque. The motors convert the motor torque into the required braking force through a deceleration mechanism. The motors in the wheel brake modules drive the brake friction material blocks, achieving friction braking. The control unit 200 can determine the braking force and / or braking torque of the brake caliper 1 based on the strain sensed at the location of the strain gauge 22 of the brake caliper assembly 10. The corresponding calibration process and related structural design process will be described in detail later. Furthermore, it should be understood that the control unit 200 can be located on the vehicle, such as, but not limited to, a body control module (BCM). For example, it can also be a domain control module corresponding to each wheel, or even integrated into the cloud for remote control, without limitation.

[0068] Here, the “sensing groove 11 ”, as the name implies, is a groove-shaped structure for mounting and sensing a strain gauge sensor.

[0069] The term "strain gauge sensor 2" herein refers to a sensor that utilizes the strain gauge measurement principle. As previously mentioned, the meaning of "strain gauge sensor 2" here differs from that of a fiber / grating strain sensor. The fiber / grating strain sensor's measurement principle differs from that of a strain sensor. A fiber / grating strain sensor, based on a fiber Bragg grating (FBG), acquires sensing information by modulating the fiber Bragg wavelength with an external physical parameter. This is a wavelength-modulated fiber sensor. Strain directly affects the wavelength drift of the fiber Bragg grating (FBG), making it suitable for measuring strain. In relatively favorable working environments or when the structure under test requires a precise microsensor, a bare fiber Bragg grating (FBG) can be directly attached to the surface of the structure under test or embedded within it as a strain sensor. Because fiber Bragg gratings are relatively fragile and easily damaged in harsh working environments, they generally require packaging before use. Common packaging methods include substrate-based, tube-based, and two-end clamp-based tube-based packaging. In comparison, strain gauge sensor 2 has a simpler structure and lower cost.

[0070] The strain gauge sensor 2 herein uses a metal resistance strain gauge as an example, and the detailed calibration steps will be described in detail later. The sensitive core 21 is the sensitive element of the strain gauge sensor, while the strain gauge 22 is the sensor component. The sensitive core 21 is an elastic body that senses pressure. Strain gauges, such as resistance strain gauges, are mounted on its surface. The strain gauge resistors form a Wheatstone bridge circuit, serving as the sensor circuit. When the ceramic diaphragm deforms under force, the strain gauge resistors simultaneously deform, generating a highly linear voltage signal that is proportional to the pressure and also proportional to the excitation voltage. In automotive braking systems, due to the need to consider temperature effects, martensitic stainless steel, such as 17-4 stainless steel, can be used, but this is not a limitation. For example, in other scenarios, a ceramic pressure sensor may be used, and accordingly, the sensitive core would be a ceramic diaphragm. As mentioned above, the material requirements for the sensitive core 21 are high, resulting in high cost. Therefore, the entire brake caliper 1 should not be made of the same material as the sensitive core 21. Cast iron or aluminum alloy is generally sufficient for the brake caliper 1.

[0071] By using a strain gauge sensor 2, the local strain of the force-applying object sensed by the strain gauge 22 of the strain gauge sensor 2 can be used to represent the measurement result of the force and / or torque applied by the force-applying object. Regarding the specific position of the sensing groove 11 in the brake caliper 1, the design and calibration process of the number and specific position of the strain gauges arranged in the sensitive core 21 can be as follows: Figure 5 、 Figure 6A 、 Figure 6BAs shown. Applying braking force to the brake caliper 1, the position of the sensing groove 11 where the strain gauge sensor 2 has appropriate sensitivity and nonlinearity is obtained. Then, the structure of the sensitive core is further optimized to obtain the strain gauge sensor 2 with appropriate sensitivity and nonlinearity, and the relationship between the strain gauge sensor 2 and the applied braking force can also be obtained. Figure 6A As shown, the sensitivity calculation is to calculate the resistance value by changing the length and thickness of the resistors due to the difference in deformation in the X and Y directions. When the four resistors are arranged as shown below and connected into a Wheatstone bridge, the voltage difference between points V and N will change with the deformation. The sensitivity can be calculated using the following formula:

[0072]

[0073] Nonlinear calculation, that is, calculation of nonlinearity, such as Figure 6B As shown, the nonlinearity is calculated by the difference between the full load force and the midpoint force. The nonlinearity can be calculated using the following formula:

[0074]

[0075] In some embodiments, the process of setting the strain gauge 22 on the surface of the sensitive core 21 and the corresponding structure formed can be a bonding structure formed by a bonding process, or a glass micro-melting structure formed by a micro molten silicon strain gauge (MSG) process, a sputtering film structure formed by a sputtering process, a metal thick film structure formed by a thick film method, etc., without limitation to these.

[0076] refer to Figure 4A as well as Figure 4B As shown, the contour shapes of the core body 211 and the core extension 212 include: Figure 4A The straight line shown in FIG. 2 shows that the core body 211 and the core extension 212 are both rectangular structures. The corresponding groove body 111 and the groove extension 112 should also be rectangular structures. Figure 4B The outline shape of the core body 211 shown is an arc, that is, the core body 211 is a circular structure, and the outline shape of the core extension 212 is a straight line, that is, a rectangular structure. It can be understood that the core extension 212 can also be a circular structure. The structure of the straight line and the arc is not limited to the structure shown in the figure. For example, the straight line can also be a rhombus, a trapezoid, a polygon with a pentagon or above, etc. The arc is not limited to a circle, for example, it can also be an ellipse, and the outline line can also be a mixed shape of a straight line and an arc, etc., which are not limited to this.

[0077] The strain gauge 22 is arranged in the mounting area 2110 of the core body 211 between adjacent core extensions 212 , for example Figure 4A 、 Figure 4B As shown, the width of the core extension 212 is smaller than the edge of the core body 211, so that Figure 4A As an example, each side of the rectangular core body 211 forms a core extension 212 and a convex structure of the core body 211. Taking each side of the core body 211 as an example, four installation areas are formed, namely the first installation area 21101, the second installation area 21102, the third installation area 21103, and the fourth installation area 21104. Similarly, if Figure 4B The circular core body 211 shown has four core extensions 212 extending outward, thus forming four mounting areas. Similarly, if five core extensions are extended outward, five mounting areas are formed. The specific number of core extensions is not limited to the four shown in the figure and can be adjusted according to specific measurement requirements. Accordingly, it can be understood that the number of core extensions is generally the same as the number of groove extensions.

[0078] The core extension 212 of the strain gauge sensor 2 is directly mounted and fixed to the groove extension 112, such as Figure 1 as well as Figure 3 As shown, the core extension 212 is directly mounted and fixed against the corresponding groove extension 112. Preferably, the connection structure between the two can be that the core extension 212 has a first connection hole 2122 that runs through its thickness, and the groove extension 112 has a second connection hole 1122 corresponding to the first connection hole 2122. The first connection hole 2122 and the second connection hole 1122 are connected by a connector 3 to directly and detachably connect the brake caliper 1 and the strain gauge sensor 2. The connector 3 can be a threaded connector, such as a screw as shown in the figure, and the direct contact installation and fixation are achieved by the clamping force of the threaded connection structure. However, this is not a limitation, and other mechanical structures can also be used to achieve a non-high-temperature connection structure, such as a rivet. The beneficial effect of this is that a room-temperature connection can be achieved by a connector. Compared with a high-temperature connection structure in the form of welding, the risk of strain gauge failure can be avoided, the yield rate can be further improved, and the investment cost of welding equipment can be saved.

[0079] Additionally, in some embodiments, reference 7A to 7C As shown, the inventors found that the combination of the sensing groove 11 and the strain gauge sensor 2 described in the above embodiment can be preferably arranged at the position of the brake caliper 1 as follows: Figure 7C The back area 101 of the caliper is shown to have a lower temperature, which is suitable for the operation of the strain gauge sensor 2. Figure 7BThe bridge area 102 shown has a relatively high temperature, and the inventors have found that it is generally not suitable to set up a strain gauge sensor 2. Figure 7A As shown in the finger area 103, the inventors have found that if the structure of the sensing groove 11 and the strain gauge sensor 2 described above is adopted, it is generally necessary to appropriately set a thermal insulation layer on the outside of the sensing groove 11 and / or the strain gauge sensor 2 to ensure the reliable operation of the strain gauge sensor 2.

[0080] The beneficial effects of adopting the brake caliper solution introduced above include, but are not limited to, reducing manufacturing costs and improving yield rate on the basis of achieving indirect measurement. Specifically, by installing a strain gauge sensor in the brake caliper sensing groove, setting the strain gauge in the installation area of ​​the core body of the sensor's sensitive core between adjacent core extensions, and the structure in which the core extension and the groove extension are directly contacted and fixed, utilizing the stress concentration characteristics of the interface area between the groove extension and the groove body, combined with the core extension, the strain gauge sensor can fully sense the deformation, ensuring sufficient sensitivity of the sensor and achieving more accurate indirect measurement. On this basis, compared with the solution of directly attaching the strain gauge to the caliper, there is no need to set the material of the brake caliper to the material of the sensor sensitive core, and the manufacturing cost is lower. Specifically, if strain gauges are placed directly on the brake caliper, the caliper will serve as the sensitive core (elastomer) of the sensor, which has at least two disadvantages: the mechanical properties of the general caliper material are poor, which reduces the accuracy of the sensor. If the caliper is made of the material of the sensor core, the cost is too high. In addition, the production of the sensor requires precision equipment, high-temperature welding, surface treatment, and / or thin-film sputtering technology in some processes. Since the caliper is hundreds of times larger than an ordinary sensor, the process equipment must also be increased by hundreds of times, which means that the cost and space required will increase dramatically. In addition, compared to the solution of setting up fiber / grating strain sensors, the above brake caliper assembly only needs to set up lower-cost strain gauges, without the need for higher-cost and complex fiber / grating strain sensors.

[0081] Continue to refer Figure 3As shown, the core extension 212 of the strain gauge sensor 2 is mounted and fixed in direct contact with the corresponding groove extension 112. In some embodiments, there may be a gap between the outer wall surface 2120 of the core extension of the strain gauge sensor 2 and the inner wall surface 1120 of the groove extension of the sensing groove 11, rather than being arranged in a face-to-face manner, and the bottom surface 2121 of the core extension is in contact with the bottom surface 1121 of the groove extension. That is, the bottom surface of each groove extension 112 forms a face-to-face contact with the bottom surface of the core extension 212, while the side surfaces are non-contacting, that is, there is a gap between the inner wall surface 1120 of the groove extension 112 and the outer wall surface 2120 of the corresponding core extension 212. This can further increase the deformation of the core, improve the degree to which the sensor senses deformation, and optimize the measurement effect.

[0082] Continue to refer Figure 2 as well as Figure 3 As shown, since the groove depth of the groove extension 112 is less than the groove depth of the groove body 111, on the basis of the core extension 212 of the strain gauge sensor 2 being installed and fixed in direct contact with the groove extension 112, the groove body 111 and the core body 211 are arranged in a non-contact manner; the extension length of the core extension 212 in the extension direction is greater than the extension length of the groove extension 112, so that the edge of the core body 211 is located within the range defined by the edge of the groove body 111, and the outer wall surface 2112 of the core body is in non-contact with the inner wall surface 1110 of the groove body, as shown in FIG. Figure 3 As shown, the bottom surface 2111 of the core body is non-contacting with the bottom surface 1111 of the groove body. This has the beneficial effect that the sensitive core contacts the caliper only through the core extension, and the core body of the sensitive core does not contact the caliper, which can increase the deformation of the core and further improve the sensing effect. At the same time, since the contact between the sensitive core and the caliper is reduced, the heat conduction between the two is reduced. Since the two are non-contact, the air between them acts as an insulating layer, which reduces the impact of temperature on the strain gauge sensor and further optimizes the measurement effect.

[0083] As described above, the present application further provides a method for measuring applied force, including:

[0084] The strain gauge sensor 2 is mounted and fixed through the sensing groove 11 opened in the force-applying object itself; for example, as described above, the force-applying object is the brake caliper 1 , and the sensing groove is opened in the brake caliper 1 itself to mount and fix the strain gauge sensor 2 .

[0085] When a force-applying object applies force, the local strain generated in the force-applying object as sensed by the strain gauge 22 of the strain gauge sensor 2 represents the measurement result of the force and / or torque applied by the force-applying object. As described above, the braking force applied by the caliper can be represented by the local strain sensed by the strain gauge 22 of the strain gauge sensor 2. The principle of this has been described in detail above and will not be repeated here.

[0086] Its corresponding structure is similar to the brake caliper assembly 10 introduced previously. The sensing groove 11 includes a groove body 111 and a plurality of groove extensions 112 extending outward from the edge of the groove body 111. The groove depth of the groove extension 112 is less than the groove depth of the groove body 111. The strain gauge sensor 2 includes a sensitive core 21 and a strain gauge 22 arranged on the sensitive core 21. The sensitive core 21 includes a core body 211 and a plurality of core extensions 212 extending outward from the edge of the core body 211. The strain gauge 22 is arranged in the installation area 2110 of the core body 211 between adjacent core extensions 212. The core extension 212 of the strain gauge sensor 2 is installed and fixed in direct contact with the corresponding groove extension 112.

[0087] In this way, through indirect measurement, by analyzing the force on the force-applying object, the deformation in different directions is collected, which causes the change of the strain gauge resistance, which is converted into a change of the electrical signal. Finally, according to the correspondence between the force on the force-applying object, such as the caliper braking force, and the change of the electrical signal, the force on the force-applying object, such as the braking force, is detected. This measurement method is low-cost while ensuring a relatively accurate measurement structure.

[0088] As described above, the present application also provides a force measurement system, including: a force-applying object, such as the brake caliper 1 described above, provided with a sensing groove 11, the sensing groove 11 including a groove body 111 and a plurality of groove extensions 112 extending outward from the edge of the groove body 111, the groove depth of the groove extension 112 being less than the groove depth of the groove body 111; a strain gauge sensor 2 including a sensitive core 21 and a strain gauge 22 arranged on the sensitive core 21, the sensitive core 21 including a core body 211 and a plurality of core extensions 212 extending outward from the edge of the core body 211, the strain gauge 22 being arranged in an installation area 2110 of the core body 211 between adjacent core extensions 212; wherein the core extension 212 of the strain gauge sensor 2 is installed and fixed in direct contact with the corresponding groove extension 112; when the force-applying object applies force, the local strain of the force-applying object sensed by the strain gauge 22 of the strain gauge sensor 2 represents the measurement result of the force and / or torque applied by the force-applying object.

[0089] In addition, as introduced above, the present application also provides a strain gauge sensor 2, which can be used as a separate accessory and installed and fixed on a force-applying object (such as a brake caliper 1) provided with a sensing groove 11 to achieve accurate, low-cost, and compact indirect measurement of the applied force.

[0090] In summary, the beneficial effects of using the above-mentioned brake caliper assembly, brake system, force measurement system and method, and sensor include, but are not limited to, reducing manufacturing costs and improving yield rate while achieving indirect measurement. Specifically, by installing a strain gauge sensor in the sensing groove of a force-applying object, such as a brake caliper, the strain gauge is set in the installation area of ​​the sensor's sensitive core body between adjacent core extensions, and the core extension is directly contacted and fixed with the groove extension. By utilizing the stress concentration characteristics of the interface area between the groove extension and the groove body, combined with the core extension, the strain gauge sensor can fully sense the deformation amount, ensuring sufficient sensitivity of the sensor and achieving relatively accurate indirect measurement. On this basis, compared with the solution of directly attaching the strain gauge to the force-applying object, the solution of the above embodiment does not require the material of the force-applying object to be set as the material of the sensor's sensitive core, and the manufacturing cost is lower. In addition, compared with the solution of setting a fiber / grating strain sensor, only the low-cost strain gauge is required, and there is no need to use the high-cost and complex fiber / grating strain sensor.

[0091] The foregoing description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the various aspects described herein. However, it should be understood that the scope of protection of this application shall be based on the appended claims and shall not be limited to the specific structures and components of the above-illustrated embodiments. Those skilled in the art may make various changes and modifications to the various embodiments within the spirit and scope of the present invention, and such changes and modifications shall also fall within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A brake caliper assembly (10), characterized in that: include: A brake caliper (1), having a sensing groove (11) at at least one location of the brake caliper (1), the sensing groove (11) comprising a groove body (111) and a plurality of groove extensions (112) extending outward from an edge of the groove body (111), the groove depth of the groove extensions (112) being less than the groove depth of the groove body (111); A strain gauge sensor (2) comprises a sensitive core (21) and a strain gauge (22) arranged on the sensitive core (21), wherein the sensitive core (21) comprises a core body (211) and a plurality of core extensions (212) extending outward from an edge of the core body (211), and the strain gauge (22) is arranged in an installation area (2110) of the core body (211) between adjacent core extensions (212); The core extension (212) of the strain gauge sensor (2) is mounted and fixed in direct contact with the groove extension (112).

2. The brake caliper assembly (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that A gap is provided between the outer wall surface (2120) of the core extension of the strain gauge sensor (2) and the inner wall surface (1120) of the groove extension of the sensing groove (11), and the bottom surface (2121) of the core extension fits the bottom surface (1121) of the groove extension.

3. The brake caliper assembly (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that The groove body (111) is arranged in a non-contact manner with the core body (211); the extension length of the core extension (212) in the extension direction is greater than the extension length of the groove extension (112), so that the edge of the core body (211) is located inside the range defined by the edge of the groove body (111), the outer wall surface (2112) of the core body is in non-contact with the inner wall surface (1110) of the groove body, and the bottom surface (2111) of the core body is in non-contact with the bottom surface (1111) of the groove body.

4. The brake caliper assembly (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that The core extension (212) has a first connection hole (2122) extending through the thickness thereof, and the groove extension (112) has a second connection hole (1122) corresponding to the first connection hole (2122). The first connection hole (2122) and the second connection hole (1122) are connected by a connecting member (3) to directly and detachably connect the brake caliper (1) and the strain gauge sensor (2); the connecting member (3) includes a screw (31); and the sensing groove (11) is located in the back area (101) of the brake caliper (1).

5. The brake caliper assembly (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that The structure of the strain gauge (22) arranged on the sensitive core (21) includes a bonding structure, a glass micro-melting structure, a sputtering thin film structure, and a metal thick film structure; the contour shapes of the groove body (111), the groove extension (112), the core body (211), and the core extension (212) include a straight line and / or an arc shape.

6. A braking system (1000), characterized in that: include: The brake caliper assembly (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the brake system is configured as follows: The control unit (200) obtains the braking force and / or braking torque of the brake caliper (1) based on the strain sensed at the position of the strain gauge (22).

7. The braking system (1000) according to claim 6, characterized in that The braking system is an electronic mechanical brake system (Electronic Mechanical Brake, EMB).

8. A force measurement system, characterized in that: include: A force-applying object is provided with a sensing groove (11), wherein the sensing groove (11) comprises a groove body (111) and a plurality of groove extensions (112) extending outward from an edge of the groove body (111), wherein the groove depth of the groove extensions (112) is less than the groove depth of the groove body (111); A strain gauge sensor (2) comprises a sensitive core (21) and a strain gauge (22) arranged on the sensitive core (21), wherein the sensitive core (21) comprises a core body (211) and a plurality of core extensions (212) extending outward from an edge of the core body (211), and the strain gauge (22) is arranged in an installation area (2110) of the core body (211) between adjacent core extensions (212); wherein the core extension (212) of the strain gauge sensor (2) is mounted and fixed in direct contact with the groove extension (112); When the force-exerting object applies force, the local strain of the force-exerting object sensed by the strain gauge (22) of the strain gauge sensor (2) represents a measurement result of the force and / or torque applied by the force-exerting object.

9. A method for measuring force, characterized in that: include: A strain gauge sensor (2) is mounted and fixed via a sensing groove (11) provided on the force-applying object itself; When the force-applying object applies force, the local strain of the force-applying object sensed by the strain gauge (22) of the strain gauge sensor (2) represents a measurement result of the force and / or torque applied by the force-applying object; The sensing groove (11) comprises a groove body (111) and a plurality of groove extensions (112) extending outward from the edge of the groove body (111), and the groove depth of the groove extension (112) is less than the groove depth of the groove body (111); the strain gauge sensor (2) comprises a sensitive core (21) and a strain gauge (22) arranged on the sensitive core (21); the sensitive core (21) comprises a core body (211) and a plurality of core extensions (212) extending outward from the edge of the core body (211), and the strain gauge (22) is arranged in an installation area (2110) of the core body (211) between adjacent core extensions (212); the core extension (212) of the strain gauge sensor (2) is installed and fixed in direct contact with the groove extension (112).

10. A strain gauge sensor (2), characterized in that: include: A sensitive core (21) comprising a core body (211) and a plurality of core extensions (212) extending outward from an edge of the core body (211); a strain gauge (22) disposed in a mounting area (2110) of the core body (211) between adjacent core extensions (212); The sensitive core (21) can be configured in a sensing groove (11), the sensing groove (11) comprising a groove body (111) and a plurality of groove extensions (112) extending outward from an edge of the groove body (111), the groove depth of the groove extensions (112) being less than the groove depth of the groove body (111); and the core extension (212) of the strain gauge sensor (2) can be mounted and fixed in direct contact with the groove extension (112).

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