Embedded multidirectional force transducer for truck compartment

Abstract

The invention provides an embedded multidirectional force transducer for a truck compartment, which is characterized in that an elastic body is provided with a compartment side fixing part and a head side connecting part at different axial positions, and a plurality of pairs of strain sensitive areas are arranged between the compartment side fixing part and the head side connecting part and are symmetrically arranged relative to the central axis of the elastic body; the multiple pairs of strain sensitive areas are arranged at different positions in the circumferential direction with the central axis as the center, and the multiple pairs of strain gauges are arranged in the strain sensitive areas which the multiple pairs of strain gauges belong to respectively. The sensor is provided with a transmission mechanism for providing measurement data to a control system of the compartment or a control system of the vehicle head. According to the invention, the force transducer is combined to the traction pin of the carriage, is associated with the traction seat of the vehicle head, and can sense loads in multiple directions. According to the invention, the load is transmitted to the control system of the vehicle head or the carriage, so that the kinetic energy can be accurately output according to the actual situation, and the control system can realize efficient energy recovery and realize the purposes of energy conservation and emission reduction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of force measurement equipment technology, and more specifically to an embedded multi-directional force sensor in a truck body. Background Technology

[0002] Trucks are an essential tool for daily freight transport, with countless trucks on the road every day, and their energy consumption and emissions continuously impact the atmospheric environment. A truck typically consists of a semi-truck and a truck body. Different road conditions, such as flat roads, uphill and downhill sections, road surface quality, and turns, lead to significant variations in load. These variations necessitate that the truck's control system or the truck body's control system specifically adjust the output of appropriate power or implement energy recovery mechanisms based on these changes.

[0003] However, there are currently no multi-directional force sensors that can be integrated into the truck bed. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide an embedded multi-directional force sensor in a truck bed, which can be installed on one side of the truck bed to measure the required towing load on that side of the truck bed, thereby providing the control system with a realistic signal so that it can control the output of appropriate kinetic energy according to the actual load changes.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: An embedded multi-directional force sensor in a truck body includes an elastic body and multiple strain gauges. The elastic body has a central axis and is provided with a fixed portion on the truck body side and a connecting portion on the truck head side at different locations along the axial direction. The connecting portion on the truck head side is configured to be compatible with the towing seat of the truck head. Multiple pairs of strain-sensitive areas are provided between the fixed portion on the truck body side and the connecting portion on the truck head side of the elastic body. Each pair of strain-sensitive areas is symmetrically arranged relative to the central axis of the elastic body. The multiple pairs of strain-sensitive areas are arranged at different positions in a circumferential direction centered on the central axis. The number of strain gauges is even, and they are arranged in their respective strain-sensitive areas. The sensor is equipped with a transmission mechanism for providing measurement data to the control system of the truck body or the control system of the truck head.

[0006] Based on the above technical solutions, the present invention may also employ the following further technical solutions or a combination of these further technical solutions: The front-side connecting part is configured as a connecting post with upper and lower limit structures.

[0007] The elastic body includes a load-bearing column; a countersunk hole is provided in the upper part of the load-bearing column; multiple pairs of stress concentration grooves are symmetrically arranged on the outer wall of the countersunk hole of the load-bearing column to form the strain-sensitive area; and the front-side connecting part is provided in the lower part of the load-bearing column.

[0008] The dimensions of the front-side connecting part and the load-bearing column conform to the ISO 337 standard to achieve universality.

[0009] The CANbus communication motherboard is placed in the countersunk hole of the load-bearing column; the number of CANbus communication motherboards can be one or more.

[0010] A strain-sensitive zone is formed between the inner wall of the counterbore of the load-bearing column and the stress concentration groove; the number of strain-sensitive zones is an even number of 2 to 8.

[0011] The front-side connecting part is configured as a connecting post with upper and lower limit structures to form a fixing groove. The bearing post has a transition thickness between the bottom of the countersunk hole of the bearing post and the upper end of the connecting post. The transition thickness is greater than 0.8 times the thickness of the lower groove wall of the fixing groove.

[0012] The connecting part on the side of the carriage is located at the upper end of the load-bearing column and adopts an annular disc centered on the central axis.

[0013] The annular disc is provided with multiple through holes for connection; the annular disc is provided with positioning pins that cooperate with the structural limiting of the carriage side.

[0014] The countersunk hole of the load-bearing column is filled with sealing and protective adhesive; the sealing and protective adhesive wraps the CANbus communication motherboard.

[0015] This invention integrates a force sensor with the coupling king pin of the vehicle body, linking it to the fifth wheel of the semi-truck, and enabling it to sense loads in multiple directions. Through this invention, the load is transmitted to the control system of the semi-truck or vehicle body, allowing for accurate output of kinetic energy based on actual conditions. Furthermore, it enables the control system to achieve efficient energy recovery, thus achieving energy conservation and emission reduction. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram showing the location of the truck-mounted multi-directional force sensor of the present invention in the truck body.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the installation of the truck-mounted multi-directional force sensor of the present invention in a truck.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a front view of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 4 This is a vertical sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view of the strain-sensitive region in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 6 This is a top view of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments, but this should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0023] Referring to the accompanying drawings, the truck body embedded multi-directional force sensor 1 of the present invention includes an elastic body and a strain gauge 6. The elastic body has a central axis O and is provided with a truck body side fixing part 71 and a truck head side connecting part 72 at different axial locations.

[0024] In this invention, the mechanical structure of the force sensor serves as the connection structure between the truck body 100 and the cab 200. Multiple pairs of strain-sensitive areas 111 are provided between the fixed part 71 on the side of the truck body and the connecting part 72 on the side of the cab, and are symmetrically arranged relative to the central axis O of the elastic body. The multiple pairs of strain-sensitive areas 111 are arranged at different positions in the circumferential direction centered on the central axis. The strength of the elastic body with multiple strain-sensitive areas 111 meets the requirements of the cab towing load.

[0025] The multi-directional force sensor is equipped with multiple pairs of strain gauges 6, which are respectively arranged (e.g., by bonding) in their respective strain-sensitive areas 111; the sensor is equipped with a transmission mechanism for providing measurement data to the control system of the carriage 100 or the control system of the front of the vehicle 200, which may be a power management system.

[0026] The cab-side connecting portion 72 is configured to be adapted to connect with the tractor unit 201 of the truck cab, while the cargo box-side fixing portion 71 is configured to be fixedly connected to the cargo box or a structure fixedly connected to the cargo box. Preferred embodiments will be described below.

[0027] The elastic body includes a load-bearing column 11; a countersunk hole 12 is provided in the upper part of the load-bearing column 11; multiple pairs of stress concentration grooves 112 are symmetrically arranged on the outer wall of the countersunk hole 12 of the load-bearing column 11. The stress concentration grooves can be grooves with a square cross section, and a strain-sensitive area 111 is formed between the inner wall of the countersunk hole 12 of the load-bearing column and the stress concentration grooves 112; the front-side connecting part 72 is provided in the lower part of the load-bearing column 11.

[0028] The front-side connecting part 72 is configured as a connecting post 721 with upper and lower limiting structures to form a fixed groove. The load-bearing post 11 has a transition thickness C between the bottom of the countersunk hole 12 and the upper end of the connecting post 721. This transition thickness C, located outside the connecting post 721, is both the upper groove wall thickness of the fixed groove and serves as the upper limiting structure. The transition thickness is greater than 0.8 times the lower groove wall thickness B, and the lower groove wall also serves as the lower limiting structure. The dimensions of the front-side connecting part and the load-bearing post conform to ISO 337 standards to achieve universality.

[0029] The carriage-side connecting part 71 is located at the upper end of the load-bearing column 11 and adopts an annular disk centered on the central axis O. The annular disk is provided with multiple through holes 16 for connection; the annular disk is provided with a positioning pin 15 that cooperates with the structural limiting mechanism on this side of the carriage.

[0030] The elastomer of this invention is made of high-strength stainless steel 17-4PH, with a yield value of 1300 MPa, which is 50% stronger than the traditional material 4340 (with a yield value of 850). The maximum stress value of the sensitive area of ​​the sensor after being loaded is 300 MPa, with a safety factor of more than 4 times, ensuring the strength of the sensor.

[0031] The transmission mechanism for providing measurement data to the control system of the carriage 100 and / or the control system of the locomotive 200 includes a CANbus communication main board 5, which is placed inside the countersunk hole 12 of the support column 11; the number of CANbus communication main boards 5 can be one or more. This CANbus communication main board 5 is responsible for transmitting the data collected by the strain gauges externally; specifically, it can be connected to an external device using a twisted-pair cable 4. The CANbus communication main board 5 can convert the data collected by the strain gauges into a format that can be parsed by the control system of the carriage 100 or the control system of the locomotive 200. The twisted-pair cable 4 uses independent isolation for power supply and signal transmission. The transmission mechanism can also be a wireless transmission mechanism.

[0032] The load on the truck bed side is sensed by a multi-directional force sensor. The CANbus communication mainboard converts the force signal, processes it, and transmits it to the power management system. Based on the received data, the power management system activates the auxiliary power system and controls the power system to vector-output kinetic energy, maximizing the utilization of the output kinetic energy and achieving energy conservation and emission reduction. Furthermore, when the truck is going downhill, the power management system activates regenerative braking based on the signal from the multi-directional force sensor, recovering and storing the truck's kinetic energy to achieve electrical energy recovery.

[0033] The countersunk hole 12 of the load-bearing column is filled with sealing and protective adhesive 8; the sealing and protective adhesive 8 covers the CANbus communication motherboard 5.

[0034] A sealing cover plate 2 may also be provided at the opening of the countersunk hole 12. The elastic body 1 is welded to the sealing cover plate 2. The sealing cover plate 2 is provided with a threaded hole 21 for fixing the waterproof connector 3. The waterproof connector 3 can be integral or separate. A twisted pair cable 4 passes through the waterproof connector. The waterproof connector meets the IP68 and IP69K protection level requirements. The above embodiments are merely preferred technical solutions of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or substitutions to the technical solutions or parameters in the embodiments can be made without departing from the principles and essence of the present invention, and all such modifications or substitutions should be covered within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A multi-directional force sensor embedded in a truck compartment, comprising an elastic body and multiple strain gauges, characterized in that, The elastomer has a central axis and is provided with a carriage-side fixing part and a cab-side connecting part at different locations along the axial direction. The cab-side connecting part is configured to be adapted to connect with the traction seat of the truck cab. The elastomer is provided with multiple pairs of strain-sensitive areas between the carriage-side fixing part and the cab-side connecting part. Each pair of strain-sensitive areas is symmetrically arranged with respect to the central axis of the elastomer. The multiple pairs of strain-sensitive areas are arranged at different positions in a circumferential direction centered on the central axis. The number of strain gauges is even, and they are arranged in their respective strain-sensitive areas. The sensor is provided with a transmission mechanism for providing measurement data to the control system of the carriage or the control system of the cab.

2. The truck body embedded multi-directional force sensor as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The front-side connecting part is configured as a connecting post with upper and lower limit structures.

3. The truck body embedded multi-directional force sensor as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The elastic body includes a load-bearing column; a countersunk hole is provided in the upper part of the load-bearing column; multiple pairs of stress concentration grooves are symmetrically arranged on the outer wall of the countersunk hole of the load-bearing column to form the strain-sensitive area; and the front-side connecting part is provided in the lower part of the load-bearing column.

4. The truck body embedded multi-directional force sensor as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The dimensions of the front-side connecting part and the load-bearing column conform to the ISO 337 standard to achieve universality.

5. The truck body embedded multi-directional force sensor as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The CANbus communication motherboard is placed in the countersunk hole of the load-bearing column; the number of CANbus communication motherboards can be one or more.

6. The truck body embedded multi-directional force sensor as described in claim 1, characterized in that, A strain-sensitive zone is formed between the inner wall of the counterbore of the load-bearing column and the stress concentration groove; the number of strain-sensitive zones is an even number of 2 to 8.

7. The truck body embedded multi-directional force sensor as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The front-side connecting part is configured as a connecting post with upper and lower limit structures to form a fixing groove. The bearing post has a transition thickness between the bottom of the countersunk hole of the bearing post and the upper end of the connecting post. The transition thickness is greater than 0.8 times the thickness of the lower groove wall of the fixing groove.

8. The truck body embedded multi-directional force sensor as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The connecting part on the side of the carriage is located at the upper end of the load-bearing column and adopts an annular disc centered on the central axis.

9. The truck body embedded multi-directional force sensor as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The annular disc is provided with multiple through holes for connection; the annular disc is provided with positioning pins that cooperate with the structural limiting of the carriage side.

10. The truck body embedded multi-directional force sensor as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The countersunk hole of the load-bearing column is filled with sealing and protective adhesive; the sealing and protective adhesive wraps the CANbus communication motherboard.

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