Force sensor

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of sensors, and provides a force sensor, a quartz vibrating beam is used as a force sensitive element and is fixed on an elastomer assembly, and the resonant frequency of the quartz vibrating beam changes along with the tensile stress or compressive stress borne by the quartz vibrating beam. The signal collecting and processing unit is electrically connected with all the quartz vibrating beams and used for collecting and processing frequency signals of all the quartz vibrating beams and obtaining force and torque acting on the elastic body assembly by calculating frequency variation of all the quartz vibrating beams. By adopting a quartz vibrating beam and a frequency measurement principle, high anti-interference performance and measurement precision brought by frequency signal output are realized, the creep deformation and lag problems of a traditional strain gauge sensor and the fundamental defect that a piezoelectric sensor cannot measure static force are solved by utilizing high stability of a quartz material, meanwhile, the system structure is simplified, and the cost is reduced. And the long-term reliability of the sensor and the adaptive capacity of the sensor in a complex industrial environment are remarkably improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of sensor technology, and more particularly to a force sensor. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, six-dimensional force sensors are widely used in robotics, aerospace, and precision industrial automation for precise force control and interaction. However, strain gauge sensors, as the mainstream type, measure force by detecting changes in resistance, inherently suffer from bottlenecks such as weak signals, susceptibility to electromagnetic interference, and poor long-term stability due to material creep and hysteresis. Piezoelectric sensors, another common type, are based on charge measurement principles and cannot avoid charge leakage problems, making them completely unsuitable for static force measurement. These inherent defects determined by the core measurement principles severely restrict the accuracy, stability, and reliability of sensors in complex industrial environments. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this invention provides a force sensor.

[0004] This invention provides a force sensor, comprising: an elastomer assembly for sensing external loads and generating strain; a plurality of quartz resonant beams, each quartz resonant beam serving as a force-sensitive element and fixed to the elastomer assembly, the resonant frequency of which varies with the tensile or compressive stress it is subjected to; and a signal acquisition and processing unit electrically connected to each of the quartz resonant beams and used to acquire and process the frequency signals of each of the quartz resonant beams. The signal acquisition and processing unit obtains the force and torque acting on the elastomer assembly by calculating the frequency change of each of the quartz resonant beams.

[0005] According to a force sensor provided by the present invention, the signal acquisition and processing unit obtains the forces (F) acting on the elastic body assembly in three orthogonal directions by calculating the frequency changes of each of the quartz vibrating beams. x F y F z ) and torques in three orthogonal directions (M) x M y M z ).

[0006] According to a force sensor provided by the present invention, the elastic body assembly includes: an upper elastic beam and a lower elastic beam, the lower elastic beam and the upper elastic beam being arranged orthogonally to form a cross beam structure, the cross beam structure having a force-bearing plane. A plurality of quartz resonant beams are arranged on the upper elastic beam and the lower elastic beam, and the arrangement of the plurality of quartz resonant beams is configured to generate distinguishable frequency variation combinations in response to different force or torque components.

[0007] According to a force sensor provided by the present invention, a plurality of the quartz vibrating beams are centrally symmetrically distributed in the cross beam structure.

[0008] According to a force sensor provided by the present invention, the length direction of the upper elastic beam is parallel to the X-axis, and the length direction of the lower elastic beam is parallel to the Y-axis, and the two are orthogonally arranged in the XY plane; at both ends of the upper elastic beam, a first set of quartz resonant beams with their length directions parallel to the X-axis are arranged; at both ends of the lower elastic beam, a second set of quartz resonant beams with their length directions parallel to the Y-axis are arranged; a portion of the first set of quartz resonant beams is arranged on the surface of the upper elastic beam in the XY plane; another portion of the first set of quartz resonant beams is arranged on the surface of the upper elastic beam in the XZ plane; a portion of the second set of quartz resonant beams is arranged on the surface of the lower elastic beam in the XY plane; another portion of the second set of quartz resonant beams is arranged on the surface of the lower elastic beam in the YZ plane.

[0009] According to a force sensor provided by the present invention, the first group of quartz vibrating beams and the second group of quartz vibrating beams are both centrally symmetrically distributed on the cross beam structure.

[0010] According to a force sensor provided by the present invention, the upper elastic beam and the lower elastic beam are provided with grooves corresponding to each quartz vibrating beam; each quartz vibrating beam is fixed in its respective groove.

[0011] According to a force sensor provided by the present invention, the elastomer assembly further includes: an inner support having a cross-shaped positioning groove adapted to the cross beam structure and used to fix the cross beam structure; and an outer support disposed on the outside of the inner support, with the end of the cross beam structure overlapping the outer support.

[0012] According to a force sensor provided by the present invention, it further includes: a housing, the housing being disposed on the outside of the elastomeric assembly.

[0013] According to a force sensor provided by the present invention, it further includes: a cover body, the cover body being installed on an outer shell and connected to an inner support, the cover body having a force measuring port, the force measuring port being connected to the inner support, so that the force measuring port can transmit force to the force-bearing plane through the inner support.

[0014] The force sensor provided by this invention includes an elastomer assembly, multiple quartz resonating beams, and a signal acquisition and processing unit. The elastomer assembly senses external loads and generates strain. The quartz resonating beams, acting as force-sensitive elements, are fixed to the elastomer assembly, and their resonant frequencies vary with the tensile or compressive stress they are subjected to. The signal acquisition and processing unit is electrically connected to each quartz resonating beam and is used to acquire and process the frequency signals of each beam. By calculating the frequency changes of each beam, the signal acquisition and processing unit obtains the force and torque acting on the elastomer assembly.

[0015] During operation, external loads act on the elastic component, causing it to produce a specific mode of strain proportional to the load. Multiple quartz resonating beams fixed to the elastic component deform accordingly, experiencing tensile or compressive stresses, and their resonant frequencies change accordingly; tensile stress increases the frequency, while compressive stress decreases it. The signal acquisition and processing unit synchronously acquires the frequency signals of all the quartz resonating beams. The decoupling algorithm built into the signal acquisition and processing unit calculates the acquired multi-channel frequency changes and, based on a pre-established mapping model, determines the precise values ​​of the forces and moments acting on the elastic component in each dimension.

[0016] It should be noted that this technical solution is not limited to six-dimensional force measurement, but can be flexibly applied to sensing and measurement needs of different dimensions such as one-dimensional force and three-dimensional force.

[0017] As described above, firstly, using frequency as the output signal provides strong resistance to electromagnetic interference, lossless transmission, and ease of high-precision measurement, thus achieving an extremely high signal-to-noise ratio and measurement accuracy. Secondly, the high hardness and near-zero creep and hysteresis of quartz material, coupled with the absence of frequency signal leakage, enable the sensor to possess both excellent long-term stability and accurate static force measurement capabilities, fundamentally solving the drift problem of strain gauges and the inability of piezoelectric sensors to measure static forces. Furthermore, the system simplifies the reliance on complex compensation circuits and high-impedance preamplifiers, resulting in a simpler structure, higher reliability, and better adaptability to complex industrial environments. Attached Figure Description

[0018] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in this invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of this invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the force sensor provided by the present invention.

[0020] Figure 2 This is a partial structural diagram of the force sensor provided by the present invention. Figure 1 This excludes the outer casing.

[0021] Figure 3 This is a partial structural diagram of the force sensor provided by the present invention. Figure 2 This excludes the outer casing.

[0022] Figure 4 This is a partial structural diagram of the force sensor provided by the present invention. Figure 3 This excludes the outer shell and cover.

[0023] Figure 5 This is a partial structural diagram of the force sensor provided by the present invention. Figure 4 This excludes the outer shell and cover.

[0024] Figure 6 This is a partial structural diagram of the force sensor provided by the present invention. Figure 5 This excludes the outer shell and cover.

[0025] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the elastic body component in the force sensor provided by the present invention. Figure 1 .

[0026] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the elastic body component in the force sensor provided by the present invention. Figure 2 .

[0027] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the elastic body component in the force sensor provided by the present invention. Figure 3 .

[0028] Figure 10 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of the elastic body component in the force sensor provided by the present invention, excluding the upper elastic beam and the lower elastic beam.

[0029] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the inner support structure of the elastic body component in the force sensor provided by the present invention.

[0030] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the outer support structure of the elastic body component in the force sensor provided by the present invention.

[0031] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the combined structure of the upper and lower elastic beams of the elastic body component in the force sensor provided by the present invention.

[0032] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the upper elastic beam structure of the elastic body component in the force sensor provided by the present invention.

[0033] Figure 15This is a schematic diagram of the lower elastic beam structure of the elastic body component in the force sensor provided by the present invention.

[0034] Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram of the quartz vibrating beam in the force sensor provided by the present invention.

[0035] Figure 17 This is a table analyzing the stress conditions of each quartz vibrating beam in the force sensor provided by this invention.

[0036] Figure 18 This is a force-strain diagram of the elastic body component in the force sensor assembly provided by the present invention.

[0037] Reference numerals: 100, Elastomer assembly; 110, Upper elastic beam; 120, Lower elastic beam; 130, Positioning block; 140, Groove; 150, Inner support; 151, Cross positioning groove; 152, Boss; 160, Outer support; 161, Arc-shaped fixing platform; 162, Connecting plate; 163, Positioning groove; 200, Quartz vibrating beam; 300, Signal acquisition and processing unit; 400, Outer shell; 500, Cover; 510, Sealing ring; 600, Connector. Detailed Implementation

[0038] The embodiments of the present invention will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples. The following examples are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention.

[0039] In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the embodiments of the present invention. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0040] In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connected" and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of the present invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0041] In embodiments of the present invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature is in indirect contact with the second feature through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0042] In the description of this specification, the terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., refer to specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with that embodiment or example, which are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Furthermore, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate different embodiments or examples and features of different embodiments or examples described in this specification to make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer. The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0043] The following is combined with Figures 1 to 18 A force sensor provided in an embodiment of the present invention will be described below. It should be understood that the following description is merely an illustrative embodiment of the present invention and does not constitute any particular limitation on the present invention.

[0044] Embodiments of the present invention provide a force sensor, such as Figures 2 to 9 As shown, it includes: an elastomer assembly 100, which is used to sense external loads and generate strain; multiple quartz resonant beams 200, which are force-sensitive elements and fixed to the elastomer assembly 100, and whose resonant frequency varies with the tensile or compressive stress they are subjected to; and a signal acquisition and processing unit 300, which is electrically connected to each quartz resonant beam 200 and is used to acquire and process the frequency signals of each quartz resonant beam 200. The signal acquisition and processing unit 300 obtains the force and torque acting on the elastomer assembly 100 by calculating the frequency change of each quartz resonant beam 200.

[0045] The force sensor provided by this invention includes an elastomer assembly 100, multiple quartz resonant beams 200, and a signal acquisition and processing unit 300. The elastomer assembly 100 senses external loads and generates strain. The quartz resonant beams 200 serve as force-sensitive elements and are fixed to the elastomer assembly 100. The resonant frequency of each quartz resonant beam 200 varies with the tensile or compressive stress it experiences. The signal acquisition and processing unit 300 is electrically connected to each quartz resonant beam 200 and is used to acquire and process the frequency signals of each quartz resonant beam 200. The signal acquisition and processing unit 300 obtains the force and torque acting on the elastomer assembly 100 by calculating the frequency change of each quartz resonant beam 200.

[0046] During operation, external loads act on the elastic component 100, causing it to produce a specific mode of strain proportional to the load. Multiple quartz resonant beams 200 fixed to the elastic component 100 deform accordingly, bearing tensile or compressive stresses, and their resonant frequencies change accordingly; tensile stress increases the frequency, while compressive stress decreases the frequency. The signal acquisition and processing unit 300 synchronously acquires the frequency signals of all the quartz resonant beams 200. The decoupling algorithm built into the signal acquisition and processing unit 300 calculates the acquired multi-channel frequency changes and, based on a pre-established mapping model, determines the precise values ​​of the forces and moments acting on the elastic component 100 in each dimension.

[0047] It should be noted that this technical solution is not limited to six-dimensional force measurement, but can be flexibly applied to sensing and measurement needs of different dimensions such as one-dimensional force and three-dimensional force.

[0048] As described above, firstly, using frequency as the output signal provides strong resistance to electromagnetic interference, lossless transmission, and ease of high-precision measurement, thus achieving an extremely high signal-to-noise ratio and measurement accuracy. Secondly, the high hardness and near-zero creep and hysteresis of quartz material, coupled with the absence of frequency signal leakage, enable the sensor to possess both excellent long-term stability and accurate static force measurement capabilities, fundamentally solving the drift problem of strain gauges and the inability of piezoelectric sensors to measure static forces. Furthermore, the system simplifies the reliance on complex compensation circuits and high-impedance preamplifiers, resulting in a simpler structure, higher reliability, and better adaptability to complex industrial environments.

[0049] In one embodiment of the present invention, the signal acquisition and processing unit 300 obtains the forces (F) acting on the elastic body assembly 100 in three orthogonal directions by calculating the frequency changes of each quartz vibrating beam 200. x F y F z ) and torques in three orthogonal directions (M) x M y M z ).

[0050] By employing a specific calculation method, precise decoupling of complex mechanical loads in space is achieved, enhancing traditional single-dimensional or low-dimensional force measurement to a full-dimensional sensing capability that can synchronously and independently acquire forces and moments in three directions. This solves key technical bottlenecks such as dimensional coupling and cross-interference in multi-dimensional force measurement, enabling the sensor to completely reconstruct all force and moment information of an object in three-dimensional space.

[0051] In one embodiment of the present invention, the elastomer assembly 100 includes: an upper elastic beam 110; a lower elastic beam 120, the lower elastic beam 120 and the upper elastic beam 110 being arranged orthogonally to form a cross beam structure, the cross beam structure having a force-bearing plane.

[0052] Multiple quartz vibrating beams 200 are arranged on the upper elastic beam 110 and the lower elastic beam 120, and the arrangement of the multiple quartz vibrating beams 200 is configured to respond to different force or torque components and generate distinguishable frequency change combination modes.

[0053] In one embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of quartz vibrating beams 200 are centrally symmetrically distributed in the cross beam structure.

[0054] In another embodiment of the present invention, the length direction of the upper elastic beam 110 is parallel to the X-axis direction, and the length direction of the lower elastic beam 120 is parallel to the Y-axis direction, and the two are orthogonally arranged in the XY plane; at both ends of the upper elastic beam 110, a first set of quartz resonant beams with their length direction parallel to the X-axis are arranged; at both ends of the lower elastic beam 120, a second set of quartz resonant beams with their length direction parallel to the Y-axis are arranged; wherein, a portion of the first set of quartz resonant beams is arranged on the surface of the upper elastic beam 110 in the XY plane; another portion of the first set of quartz resonant beams is arranged on the surface of the upper elastic beam 110 in the XZ plane; a portion of the second set of quartz resonant beams is arranged on the surface of the lower elastic beam 120 in the XY plane; another portion of the second set of quartz resonant beams is arranged on the surface of the lower elastic beam 120 in the YZ plane.

[0055] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present invention, the first group of quartz vibrating beams and the second group of quartz vibrating beams are both centrally symmetrically distributed on the cross beam structure.

[0056] For example, such as Figures 2 to 16As shown, the upper elastic beam 110 and the lower elastic beam 120 have identical structures and dimensions. The upper elastic beam 110 and the lower elastic beam 120 are aligned at their centers and orthogonally arranged. Specifically, the upper elastic beam 110 is positioned along the X-axis, and the lower elastic beam 120 is positioned along the Y-axis. For example, this can be described with the XY plane as a horizontal plane, or in other words, with the upper elastic beam 110 and the lower elastic beam 120 positioned on a horizontal plane. A groove adapted to the lower elastic beam 120 is formed at the lower center of the upper elastic beam 110, and a groove adapted to the upper elastic beam 110 is formed at the upper center of the lower elastic beam 120. The two grooves are interlocked so that the upper elastic beam 110 fits perfectly into the groove on the lower elastic beam 120, and the lower elastic beam 120 fits perfectly into the groove on the upper elastic beam 110. Meanwhile, when the upper elastic beam 110 and the lower elastic beam 120 are aligned and orthogonally inserted, the upper surface of the upper elastic beam 110 and the upper surface of the lower elastic beam 120 are in the same plane and form a force-bearing plane. The lower surface of the upper elastic beam 110 and the lower surface of the lower elastic beam 120 are in the same plane.

[0057] For example, a quartz vibrating beam 200 is fixed at each end of the upper surface of the upper elastic beam 110 along a direction parallel to the X-axis, and the two quartz vibrating beams 200 are symmetrically arranged about the center of the upper elastic beam 110. Similarly, a quartz vibrating beam 200 is fixed at each end of the lower surface of the upper elastic beam 110 along a direction parallel to the X-axis, and the two vibrating beams are symmetrically arranged about the center of the upper elastic beam 110. The two quartz vibrating beams 200 on the upper surface and the two quartz vibrating beams 200 on the lower surface are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence to form two sets of differential measurement pairs.

[0058] Two quartz vibrating beams 200 are fixed at both ends of the left side of the upper elastic beam 110, each along a direction parallel to the X-axis. These two quartz vibrating beams 200 are symmetrically arranged about the center of the upper elastic beam 110. Similarly, two quartz vibrating beams 200 are fixed at both ends of the right side of the upper elastic beam 110, each along a direction parallel to the X-axis. These two vibrating beams are symmetrically arranged about the center of the upper elastic beam 110. The two quartz vibrating beams 200 on the left side and the two quartz vibrating beams 200 on the right side are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence to form two sets of differential measurement pairs.

[0059] Similarly, a quartz vibrating beam 200 is fixed at each end of the upper surface of the lower elastic beam 120 along a direction parallel to the Y-axis, and the two quartz vibrating beams 200 are arranged symmetrically about the center of the lower elastic beam 120. A quartz vibrating beam 200 is also fixed at each end of the lower surface of the lower elastic beam 120 along a direction parallel to the Y-axis, and the two vibrating beams are arranged symmetrically about the center of the lower elastic beam 120. The two quartz vibrating beams 200 on the upper surface and the two quartz vibrating beams 200 on the lower surface are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence to form two sets of differential measurement pairs.

[0060] Two quartz vibrating beams 200 are fixed at each end of the front side of the lower elastic beam 120 along a direction parallel to the Y-axis, and these two quartz vibrating beams 200 are symmetrically arranged about the center of the lower elastic beam 120. Two quartz vibrating beams 200 are also fixed at each end of the rear side of the lower elastic beam 120 along a direction parallel to the Y-axis, and these two vibrating beams are symmetrically arranged about the center of the lower elastic beam 120. The two quartz vibrating beams 200 on the front side and the two quartz vibrating beams 200 on the rear side are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence to form two sets of differential measurement pairs.

[0061] For example, four force application points are set on the force-bearing plane, located at four segments of the cross-beam structure, and arranged in a circular array about the center of the cross-beam structure. During the testing process, forces can be applied simultaneously at all four force application points.

[0062] Based on the above structural layout, external multidimensional forces / torques act on the stress plane of the cross beam structure through four ring array force application points, causing the upper and lower elastic beams 120 to produce strain in specific modes; the quartz vibrating beams 200 fixed to different surfaces of the beam and in different directions deform accordingly, and their resonant frequencies change with the tensile / compressive stresses (tensile stress increases the frequency, compressive stress decreases the frequency); after the signal acquisition unit synchronously acquires the frequency signals of all vibrating beams, the processing unit, based on the characteristics of the centrally symmetrically distributed differential measurement pairs, identifies the frequency change combination modes corresponding to each dimension of force through a decoupling algorithm, and finally accurately calculates the six-dimensional force / torque components.

[0063] The technical effects it achieves include: First, by grouping the vibrating beams according to their sensitive direction (X or Y) and spatial plane (XY, XZ, YZ), different force / torque components excite different groups of vibrating beams, effectively setting up an independent "sensor channel" for each dimension of force. This greatly reduces inter-axis coupling interference, and combined with the pure input provided by symmetrical force application points, allows the decoupling algorithm to work simply and perfectly, thus achieving ultra-high measurement accuracy. Second, each quartz vibrating beam 200 has a centrally symmetrical "partner," forming a differential pair. This design enables the force sensor to actively identify and cancel common-mode interference caused by temperature changes, material creep, etc., on all vibrating beams, thus maintaining extreme stability of readings even in complex industrial environments, achieving temperature stability and long-term reliability that are difficult for traditional sensors to achieve. Third, the integrated crossbeam structure with positive interlocking gives the sensor high stiffness, resulting in a high natural frequency and excellent dynamic response characteristics. At the same time, the directional arrangement of the vibrating beams ensures that it can most effectively sense specific types of strain, achieving high sensitivity under high stiffness. This combination of high stiffness and high sensitivity results in a wide dynamic measurement range.

[0064] In a more specific embodiment, such as Figure 9 In the directions shown, the upper elastic beam 110 is a horizontally positioned elastic beam, and the lower elastic beam 120 is a vertically positioned elastic beam. That is, the X-axis is vertical, and the Y-axis is horizontal. The right end of the upper elastic beam 110 is beam end #2, and the left end is beam end #4. The upper end of the lower elastic beam 120 is beam end #1, and the lower end is beam end #3.

[0065] Two quartz vibrating beams 200 located in one of the XY planes at beam ends #2 and #4 of the upper elastic beam 110 are designated as 2#A and 4#A, respectively. Two quartz vibrating beams 200 located in the other XY plane at beam ends #2 and #4 of the upper elastic beam 110 are designated as 2#C and 4#C, respectively. Two quartz vibrating beams 200 located in one of the YZ planes at beam ends #2 and #4 of the upper elastic beam 110 are designated as 2#B and 4#B, respectively. Two quartz vibrating beams 200 located in the other YZ plane at beam ends #2 and #4 of the upper elastic beam 110 are designated as 2#D and 4#D, respectively.

[0066] Two quartz vibrating beams 200 located in one of the XY planes at beam ends 1# and 3# of the lower elastic beam 120 are designated as 1#A and 3#A, respectively. Two quartz vibrating beams 200 located in the other XY plane at beam ends 1# and 3# of the lower elastic beam 120 are designated as 1#C and 3#C, respectively. Two quartz vibrating beams 200 located in one of the XZ planes at beam ends 1# and 3# of the lower elastic beam 120 are designated as 1#B and 3#B, respectively. Two quartz vibrating beams 200 located in the other XZ plane at beam ends 1# and 3# of the lower elastic beam 120 are designated as 1#D and 3#D, respectively.

[0067] Therefore, the force relationship related to the partial structural decoupling formed by the force combination of 16 quartz vibrating beams with a capacity of 200 is as follows: Figure 17 As shown.

[0068] The stress-strain state of the elastic component 100 obtained through simulation is as follows: Figure 18 As shown.

[0069] When the quartz vibrating beam 200 is subjected to tension, its resonant frequency increases; when the quartz vibrating beam 200 is subjected to compression, its resonant frequency decreases; the calculation of a single force can be obtained from the following formula: F x =2#B+4#D-2#D-4#B; F y =1#B+3#D-1#D-3#B; F z =1#A+2#A+3#A+4#A-1#C-2#C-3#C-4#C; Mx =2#A+4#C-2#C-4#A; M y =1#A+3#C-1#C-3#A; M z =1#D+2#D+3#D+4#D-1#B-2#B-3#B-4#B.

[0070] In one embodiment of the present invention, such as Figure 14 and Figure 15 As shown, the upper elastic beam 110 and the lower elastic beam 120 are provided with grooves 140 corresponding to each quartz vibrating beam 200; each quartz vibrating beam 200 is fixed in its respective groove 140.

[0071] The groove 140 is adapted to the quartz resonant beam 200, and it can protect the quartz resonant beam 200. At the same time, by changing the depth of the groove 140, the range of the force sensor can be changed.

[0072] In one embodiment of the present invention, the elastomer assembly 100 further includes: an inner support 150, the inner support 150 having a cross positioning groove 151 adapted to the cross beam structure and used to fix the cross beam structure; and an outer support 160, the outer support 160 being disposed outside the inner support 150, and the end of the cross beam structure overlapping the outer support 160.

[0073] In one embodiment of the present invention, the force sensor further includes a housing 400, which covers the outside of the elastomeric assembly 100.

[0074] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present invention, the force sensor further includes: a cover 500, which is installed on the outer shell 400 and connected to the inner support 150. The cover 500 has a force measuring port, which is connected to the inner support 150 so that the force measuring port can transmit force to the force-bearing plane through the inner support 150.

[0075] Specifically, such as Figures 2 to 12As shown, the inner support 150 is a columnar structure with a cross-shaped positioning groove 151 adapted to the cross beam structure on one end face. The cross beam structure is fixed to the cross-shaped positioning groove 151 by structural adhesive and screws. The force-bearing plane of the cross beam structure is in contact with the bottom of the cross-shaped positioning groove 151. In the inner support 150, corresponding bosses 152 are formed in the area between adjacent sections of the cross beam structure, and the surface of each boss 152 is flush with the surface of the cross beam structure opposite to the force-bearing plane. The signal acquisition and processing unit 300 is a acquisition and processing circuit board. The acquisition and processing circuit board is fixed to the bosses 152 by screws. It is responsible for acquiring and processing signals, connecting the output ends of each quartz resonating beam 200 to the external interface, and installing connectors 600 on the external interface. It acquires and processes multiple frequency signals, and then outputs the processed multiple resonating beam frequencies at a fixed frequency.

[0076] The outer support 160 is roughly a ring-shaped structure, which can be fitted onto the outside of the overall structure formed by the inner support 150 and the cross beam. Specifically, the outer support 160 includes four arc-shaped fixing platforms 161 and four connecting plates 162. The arc-shaped fixing platforms 161 and the connecting plates 162 are alternately connected, and the connecting plates 162 are correspondingly set at the four ends of the cross beam structure. A positioning groove 163 is opened on each connecting plate 162, and a positioning block 130 is set at each of the four ends of the cross beam structure. The positioning blocks 130 can be correspondingly and locked into the positioning groove 163. The arc-shaped fixing platforms 161 and the bosses 152 are correspondingly set. A variable diameter pin is inserted between each fixed arc-shaped fixing platform 161 and the corresponding boss 152. The variable diameter pin is interference-fitted with the outer support 160 and clearance-fitted with the inner support 150, thereby playing a role in preventing overload.

[0077] The inner support 150, outer support 160, upper elastic beam 110, lower elastic beam 120, and variable diameter pin are all made of elastic alloy with the same coefficient of expansion as the quartz vibrating beam 200.

[0078] like Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, an outer shell 400 is provided on the outer side of the overall structure of the elastomer assembly 100. For example, the outer shell 400 is connected to each arc-shaped boss 152 by fasteners. One end of the outer shell 400 is a closed end, and the other end is an open end. The closed end is located on the side near the acquisition and processing circuit board, and the open end is located on the side near the planar end of the inner support 150. The planar end of the inner support 150 is the end without the cross positioning groove 151. Its planar end is parallel to the bottom of the cross positioning groove 151, and thus parallel to the force-bearing plane of the cross beam structure. A cover 500 is installed at the open end of the outer shell 400. The cover 500 is connected to the inner support 150 by fasteners. A force-measuring port is provided on the cover 500. The force-measuring port is a threaded port, which can be fixedly connected to an external force-applying end. The force-measuring port is set corresponding to each force-applying point, and the force-measuring port can be connected to the inner support 150 to transmit force to the force-bearing plane through the inner support. Therefore, force can be applied and detected from the force measuring port to the force application point on the cross beam structure via the inner support 150. To improve sealing, a sealing ring 510 can also be installed between the cover 500 and the outer shell 400. Threaded holes can be designed on the outer shell to fix it to an external fixed target, forming an external fixing surface.

[0079] The connector 600 is a sealed connector made of M12 glass insulator sintered with the same material as the outer shell. It is sealed and fixed to the outer shell 400 by laser welding.

[0080] Once the entire product is assembled, its interior is a sealed cavity environment, providing a sealed environment for the quartz vibrating beam to generate electrical signals, which can improve the product's environmental adaptability and measurement accuracy.

[0081] It should be noted that the arrangement and decoupling method of the quartz vibrating beam 200 of the present invention is not limited to the cross beam structure, but can also be applied to other elastic body structures capable of generating the required strain field, such as, but not limited to, vertical axis structures, circular ring structures, three-beam structures, and eight-beam structures. Furthermore, the present invention does not limit the number or arrangement of the quartz vibrating beams 200; that is, the number of quartz vibrating beams 200 is not limited to 16. More quartz vibrating beams 200 can be arranged to form a redundant measurement system, improving the reliability and accuracy of the system through data fusion technology. The installation position of the quartz vibrating beams 200 is not limited to the upper or lower surfaces or sides of the upper elastic beam 110 and lower elastic beam 120, and can also be attached to other positions on the elastic body, as long as it can sense strain in the target direction. In addition, the force sensor provided by the present invention is not limited to six-dimensional force detection, but can also be used with commonly used one-dimensional and three-dimensional quartz vibrating beam force / torque sensors.

[0082] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A force sensor, characterized in that, include: An elastomer assembly (100) is used to sense external loads and generate strain; Multiple quartz resonant beams (200) are used as force-sensitive elements and fixed to the elastic body assembly (100). The resonant frequency of the quartz resonant beams (200) varies with the tensile or compressive stress they are subjected to. The signal acquisition and processing unit (300) is electrically connected to each of the quartz resonating beams (200) and is used to acquire and process the frequency signals of each of the quartz resonating beams (200). The signal acquisition and processing unit (300) obtains the force and torque acting on the elastic body assembly (100) by calculating the frequency change of each of the quartz resonating beams (200).

2. The force sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The signal acquisition and processing unit (300) obtains the forces (F) acting on the elastic body assembly (100) in three orthogonal directions by calculating the frequency changes of each of the quartz vibrating beams (200). x F y F z ) and torques in three orthogonal directions (M) x M y M z ).

3. The force sensor according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The elastomer assembly (100) includes: Upper elastic beam (110); The lower elastic beam (120) and the upper elastic beam (110) are arranged orthogonally to form a cross beam structure, and the cross beam structure has a force-bearing plane; Multiple quartz vibrating beams (200) are arranged on the upper elastic beam (110) and the lower elastic beam (120), and the arrangement of the multiple quartz vibrating beams (200) is configured to generate distinguishable frequency change combination modes in response to different force or torque components.

4. The force sensor according to claim 3, characterized in that, Multiple quartz vibrating beams (200) are centrally symmetrically distributed in the cross beam structure.

5. The force sensor according to claim 4, characterized in that, The length direction of the upper elastic beam (110) is parallel to the X-axis direction, and the length direction of the lower elastic beam (120) is parallel to the Y-axis direction. The two are orthogonally arranged in the XY plane. At both ends of the upper elastic beam (110), a first set of quartz vibrating beams with their length direction parallel to the X-axis are arranged; At both ends of the lower elastic beam (120), a second set of quartz vibrating beams with their length direction parallel to the Y-axis are arranged; A portion of the first set of quartz vibrating beams is arranged on the surface of the upper elastic beam (110) in the XY plane; another portion of the first set of quartz vibrating beams is arranged on the surface of the upper elastic beam (110) in the XZ plane; A portion of the second set of quartz vibrating beams is arranged on the surface of the lower elastic beam (120) in the XY plane; another portion of the second set of quartz vibrating beams is arranged on the surface of the lower elastic beam (120) in the YZ plane.

6. The force sensor according to claim 5, characterized in that, The first group of quartz vibrating beams and the second group of quartz vibrating beams are both centrally symmetrically distributed on the cross beam structure.

7. The force sensor according to claim 6, characterized in that, The upper elastic beam (110) and the lower elastic beam (120) are provided with grooves (140) corresponding to each quartz vibrating beam (200). Each of the quartz vibrating beams (200) is fixed in its respective groove (140) in a corresponding manner.

8. The force sensor according to any one of claims 4 to 7, characterized in that, The elastomer assembly (100) further includes: An inner support (150) is provided, wherein a cross positioning groove (151) is formed thereon, the cross positioning groove (151) is adapted to the cross beam structure and is used to fix the cross beam structure. An outer support (160) is provided on the outside of the inner support (150), and the end of the cross beam structure overlaps the outer support (160).

9. The force sensor according to claim 8, characterized in that, The force sensor also includes: The outer shell (400) covers the outside of the elastomeric assembly (100).

10. The force sensor according to claim 9, characterized in that, The force sensor also includes: A cover (500) is installed on the outer shell (400) and connected to the inner support (150). A force measuring port is provided on the cover (500) and the force measuring port is connected to the inner support (150) so that the force measuring port can transmit force to the force-bearing plane through the inner support (150).

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