JP7321872B2 - Strain sensor fixing device and torque sensor using it - Google Patents

Description

The embodiments of the present invention relate to a strain sensor fixing device provided at a joint of a robot arm, for example, and a torque sensor using the same.

The torque sensor has a first structure to which torque is applied, a second structure to which torque is output, and a plurality of strain-generating parts as beams connecting the first structure and the second structure. A plurality of strain gauges are arranged as sensor elements in these strain-generating portions. These strain gauges constitute a bridge circuit (see Patent Documents 1, 2, and 3, for example).

JP 2013-096735 A JP 2015-049209 A JP 2017-172983 A

In general, a strain sensor is provided with a plurality of strain gauges as sensor elements on a strain-generating body made of metal. Methods of fixing the strain sensor to the torque sensor include, for example, a method using welding, a method using an adhesive, and a method using a plurality of screws.

However, when the strain sensor is fixed to the structure by welding, the temperature of the strain generating body is rapidly increased by welding. Therefore, the composition, shape, etc. of the strain-generating body and the strain gauge change, which may affect the performance of the strain sensor.

Further, when the strain sensor is fixed to the structure using an adhesive, a low-rigidity adhesive is interposed between the strain-generating body and the structure. Therefore, the deformation of the structure is not directly transmitted to the strain-generating body, possibly reducing the sensitivity of the strain sensor.

On the other hand, when the strain sensor is fixed to the structure using a screw, a holding member is provided on the strain body, and the holding member is fastened to the structure with a screw. Fixed. In such a configuration, the pressing member and the strain body are in surface contact, so the pressing member needs to maintain a high pressing force against the strain body. In order to maintain a high pressing force, it is necessary to increase the size and rigidity of the pressing member, increase the size of the screw, and increase the number of screws. Therefore, it becomes difficult to reduce the size and thickness of the torque sensor provided with the pressing member and the screw.

The present embodiment provides a strain sensor fixing device capable of reliably fixing a strain sensor to a structure while preventing deterioration in sensor performance and an increase in device configuration, and a torque sensor using the same.

A strain sensor fixing device according to an embodiment includes a first side, a second side parallel to the first side, and an opening provided between the first side and the second side. a surface including a portion, wherein the surface is provided at a position away from a line connecting the first side and the second side, and the first side is in line contact or point contact with the first structure; A fixing member is provided in line contact with an end portion of the strain generating body that is in contact with the second side and constitutes the strain sensor provided on the first structure.

A torque sensor according to an embodiment includes a first structure, a second structure, a plurality of third structures connecting the first structure and the second structure, the first structure and the second structure. a strain body provided between the two structures and constituting a strain sensor; and a first fixing provided in the first structure and fixing a first end of the strain body to the first structure. and a second fixing device provided on the second structure for fixing the second end of the strain generating body to the second structure, wherein the first fixing device and the second fixing device are provided. Each of the devices has a first side, a second side parallel to the first side, and a surface provided between the first side and the second side and including an opening. wherein the surface is provided at a position away from a line connecting the first side and the second side, the first side is in line contact or point contact with the first structure, and the second and a fixing member that is in line contact with the end of the strain generating body that constitutes the strain sensor provided on the first structure.

1 is a perspective view showing a torque sensor to which this embodiment is applied; FIG. FIG. 2 is a plan view of FIG. 1 with a part removed; FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view showing an attachment portion of the strain sensor shown in FIG. 2 ; FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a part of FIG. 2 taken out and enlarged. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. 4; FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view showing a fixing plate as a fixing member shown in FIG. 3 ; Sectional drawing which shows the 1st modification of a fixing plate. Sectional drawing which shows the 2nd modification of a fixing plate. The perspective view which shows the 3rd modification of a fixing plate. The top view which shows an example of the width|variety of a fixing plate and a strain-generating body. FIG. 10 is a plan view showing another example of widths of the fixing plate and the elastic body;

Embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same parts are given the same reference numerals.

1 and 2 show an example of a torque sensor 10 to which this embodiment is applied. The configuration of the torque sensor 10 is not limited to this, and can be applied to torque sensors of various configurations. Moreover, it is possible to apply the present embodiment not only to the torque sensor but also to a force sensor using a strain gauge.

1, the torque sensor 10 includes a first structure 11, a second structure 12, a plurality of third structures 13, a plurality of waterproof caps 14, a case 15, bushes 16, and cables 17. FIG.

The first structure 11 and the second structure 12 are formed in an annular shape, and the diameter of the second structure 12 is smaller than the diameter of the first structure 11 . The second structure 12 is arranged concentrically with the first structure 11, and the first structure 11 and the second structure 12 are connected by a third structure 13 as a plurality of radially arranged beams. It is The number of the third structures 13 is, for example, eight, and the eight third structures 13 are arranged at regular intervals. The number of third structures 13 is not limited to eight.

The first structure 11 is connected to, for example, an object to be measured, the second structure 12 is connected to another structure (not shown), and the plurality of third structures 13 are connected from the first structure 11 to the second structure. A torque (moment (Mz) shown in FIG. 2) is transmitted to the structure 12 . Conversely, the second structure 12 is connected to the object to be measured, the first structure 11 is connected to another structure (not shown), and a plurality of third structures are connected from the second structure 12 to the first structure 11. Torque may be transmitted through body 13 .

In the case of a force sensor, the first structure 11, the second structure 12, and the third structure 13 are three-dimensionally deformed, and with respect to the three orthogonal axes (x, y, z) shown in FIG. Detect forces (Fx, Fy, Fz) and moments (Mx, My, Mz).

The first structure 11, the second structure 12, and the plurality of third structures 13 are made of metal such as stainless steel. , it is also possible to use materials other than metals.

As shown in FIG. 2 , a strain sensor 20 to be described later is arranged corresponding to each third structure 13 , and each strain sensor 20 is covered with a cap 14 . In FIG. 2 one cap 14 has been removed to expose the strain sensor 20 . In this embodiment, the number of strain sensors 20 is the same as the number of third structures 13, but it is not limited to this. can be less.

The configuration of each strain sensor 20 is the same. A strain sensor 20 is provided between the first structure 11 and the second structure 12 . That is, as will be described later, one end of the strain sensor 20 is joined to the first structure 11 and the other end of the strain sensor 20 is joined to the second structure 12 .

The second structure 12 has a hollow portion 12a, and the case 15 is attached to the second structure 12 around the hollow portion 12a. Inside the case 15, there is provided a processing circuit (not shown) that processes the electrical signal supplied from the strain sensor 20 and generates a torque detection signal as a sensor signal.

A bush 16 for holding a cable 17 is provided in a portion of the case 15 . One end (not shown) of the cable 17 is connected to the processing circuit inside the case 15, and the other end of the cable 17 is passed through the hollow portion 12a, for example. The cable 17 supplies power to the processing circuit from the outside and outputs sensor signals processed by the processing circuit to the outside. Since the configuration of the processing circuit is not the essence of this embodiment, the description thereof is omitted.

3, 4, and 5 show the strain sensor 20 and the mounting structure of the strain sensor 20. FIG.

FIG. 3 shows the configuration of the mounting portion of the strain sensor 20. As shown in FIG. A concave portion 30 is integrally formed in the first structure 11 , the second structure 12 , and the plurality of third structures 13 . A first bottom portion 31a and a second bottom portion 32a lower than the first bottom portion 31a are provided in a portion corresponding to the first structure 11 in the bottom portion of the recess 30 . The difference in depth between the first bottom portion 31a and the second bottom portion 32a is substantially equal to the thickness of the strain generating body 21, as shown in FIG.

A first bottom portion 31b and a second bottom portion 32b lower than the first bottom portion 31b are also provided in a portion corresponding to the second structure 12 in the bottom portion of the concave portion 30 . The difference in depth between the first bottom portion 31b and the second bottom portion 32b is also substantially equal to the thickness of the strain generating body 21. As shown in FIG.

A third bottom portion 33 lower than the second bottom portions 32a and 32b is provided at a portion corresponding to the third structure 13 in the bottom portion of the recess 30. As shown in FIG.

An opening 34a is provided in a substantially central portion of the second bottom portion 32a corresponding to the first structure 11, and a screw thread is provided in the opening 34a. An opening 34b is also provided in a substantially central portion of the second bottom portion 32b corresponding to the second structure 12, and a screw thread is provided inside the opening 34b.

As shown in FIG. 4 , the strain sensor 20 is provided between the first structure 11 and the second structure 12 inside the recess 30 . The strain sensor 20 includes, for example, a metallic strain body 21 and a plurality of strain gauges 22 as sensor elements arranged on one surface of the strain body 21 .

The strain gauge 22 is, for example, a thin-film resistance element, and its resistance value changes as the strain-generating body 21 deforms. The plurality of strain gauges 22 form a bridge circuit (not shown), and the bridge circuit detects a change in resistance value as an electrical signal. A plurality of strain gauges 22 are connected to one end of a flexible substrate 23 (shown in FIGS. 2 and 5) provided in the central portion of the strain generating body 21 . The other end of the flexible substrate 23 is connected to the processing circuit inside the case 15 . The electrical signal output from the bridge circuit is supplied to the processing circuit via the flexible substrate 23, and the processing circuit generates a torque detection signal as a sensor signal.

The strain-generating body 21 has, for example, a rectangular shape, and the length of the strain-generating body 21 is longer than the length of the third bottom portion 33 . The strain generating body 21 is fixed to the first structural body 11 and the second structural body 12 by the fixing device 40a and the fixing device 40b while being arranged in the recess 30. As shown in FIG.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the first end of the strain body 21 is placed on the second bottom 32a of the first structure 11, and the second end of the strain body 21 is It is placed on the second bottom 32b of the second structure 12 . That is, the strain generating body 21 is arranged between the opening 34 a of the second bottom 32 a of the first structure 11 and the opening 34 b of the second bottom 32 b of the second structure 12 .

A first end of the strain body 21 is fixed to the first structure 11 by a fixing device 40a arranged in a portion of the recess 30 corresponding to the first structure 11, and a second end of the strain body 21 is , is fixed to the second structure 12 by a fixing device 40b arranged in a portion of the recess 30 corresponding to the second structure 12 .

The fixing device 40a and the fixing device 40b have the same configuration, and each of the fixing device 40a and the fixing device 40b includes a fixing plate 41 and a screw 42 as fixing members. In the fixing device 40a, the fixing plate 41 is attached to the first structure 11 by screws 42 that are screwed into the openings 34a. In the fixing device 40b, the fixing plate 41 is attached to the second structure 12 by screws 42 that are screwed into the openings 34b.

The screw 42 is inserted from above the fixing plate 41 and screwed into the opening 34 a of the first structure 11 or the opening 34 b of the second structure 12 .

When the screw 42 of the fixing device 40a is tightened, the first end of the strain body 21 is fixed to the first structure 11 by the fixing plate 41, and when the screw 42 of the fixing device 40b is tightened, the strain body 21 The second end is fixed to the second structure 12 by a fixing plate 41 .

(Structure of fixed plate)
FIG. 6 shows one form of the fixing plate 41 according to this embodiment.

The fixing plate 41 is made of, for example, the same metal as the first structure 11, but is not limited to this and may be made of another material.

The fixed plate 41 has, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped main body 41a. The fixing plate 41 and the main body 41a are the same, and the fixing plate 41 is also simply referred to as the main body 41a. A first protrusion 41c is provided along a first side of, for example, a bottom surface 41b of the main body 41a, and a second protrusion 41d is provided along a second side parallel to the first side. The first protrusion 41c and the second protrusion 41d are linear and protrude in the same direction from the bottom surface 41b. Therefore, the bottom surface 41b is located away from the line connecting the first projection 41c and the second projection 41d. Furthermore, the main body 41a has an opening 41f penetrating from the surface 41e to the bottom surface 41b.

The width W1 of the fixing plate 41 is narrower than the width W2 of the recess 30 (shown in FIG. 4), and the length L1 of the fixing plate 41 is equal to the length L2 of the portion of the recess 30 corresponding to the first structure 11 (see FIG. 4). ), or shorter than the length L3 of the portion of the recess 30 corresponding to the second structure 12 . Here, the relationship between L2 and L3 is, for example, L2<L3, but is not limited to this. That is, the length of the fixing plate 41 is such that when the screw 42 is tightened, the fixing plate 41 can contact the first bottom 31a and the first end of the strain body 21, or the first bottom 31b and the strain body 21. It is sufficient if the length is such that it can contact the second end of the .

Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, when the two fixing plates 41 are inserted into the recess 30 in a portion corresponding to the first structure 11 and a portion corresponding to the second structure 12, , the first projection 41c of each fixing plate 41 can be in line contact with the first bottom portion 31a or the first bottom portion 31b, and the second projection 41d can be in line contact with the first end or second end of the strain body 21.

Thus, with the two fixing plates 41 inserted into the recesses 30, the screws 42 are inserted into the openings 41f of the respective fixing plates 41 to secure the opening 34a of the first structure 11 or the second structure. By being screwed into the opening 34b of the body 12, the first projection 41c of the fixing plate 41 is in line contact with the first bottom portion 31a or the first bottom portion 31b, and the second projection 41d is connected to the first end of the strain generating body 21. or the second end.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 6, the first protrusion 41c of the fixing plate 41 is formed in a linear shape, and the first protrusion 41c is in line contact with the first bottom portion 31b. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, as shown by broken lines in FIG. 6, the first protrusions 41c may be point-like protrusions and the first protrusions 41c may be in point contact with the first bottom portion 31b. The dot-like first protrusion 41c is provided substantially in the center of the first side, but two first protrusions may be provided at both ends of the first side, for example. Alternatively, three first protrusions may be provided at the central portion and both ends of the first side.

The fixed plate 41 also has a first protrusion 41c and a second protrusion 41d. However, the fixing plate 41 may include only the second protrusion 41d, and the first structure 11 and the second structure 12 may include protrusions instead of the first protrusions 41c.

Specifically, as shown within the dashed line in FIG. 5, the first side of the fixing plate 41 does not have the first protrusion 41c and is flat like the bottom surface 41b. Instead, the first bottom 31a of the first structure 11 is provided with a protrusion 35a. The protrusion 35 a is in line contact with the first side of the fixing plate 41 . The second structure 12 side can also have a similar configuration.

The shape of the protrusion 35a is preferably linear parallel to the second protrusion 41d. However, like the example shown in FIG. 6, it may be dot-shaped, and in this case, the number of dot-shaped projections 35a may be one or more.

(Effect of Embodiment)
According to the above embodiment, the fixing plate 41 has the first projection 41c and the second projection 41d, and by tightening the screw 42, the first projection 41c is in line contact with the first bottom portion 31a or 31b, and the second The projection 41 d makes line contact with the first end or the second end of the strain generating body 21 . Therefore, compared with the case where the strain body and the fixing plate are in surface contact, the strain body 21 can be fixed to the first structure 11 and the second structure 12 with a higher pressure. Therefore, it is possible to reduce variations in fixing strength of the strain-generating body 21 to the first structure 11 and the second structure 12, and prevent degradation of sensor performance.

Moreover, according to the fixing method using the fixing plate 41 of the present embodiment, the strain-generating body 21 can be connected to the first structure 11 by simply bringing the second protrusion 41d of the fixing plate 41 into line contact with the strain-generating body 21 . 2 can be fixed to the structure 12 . Therefore, thermal deformation of the strain body 21 and the strain gauges can be prevented as in the case where the strain body 21 is fixed to the first structure 11 and the second structure 12 by welding, for example. Moreover, unlike the case where the strain-generating body 21 is fixed with an adhesive, no low-rigidity portion is interposed between the strain-generating body 21 and the first structure 11 and the second structure 12 . Therefore, according to the fixing method using the fixing plate 41 of the present embodiment, the force applied to the first structure and the second structure 12 can be reliably transmitted to the strain-generating body 21, and the performance of the sensor can be improved. can be improved.

Moreover, the fixing devices 40 a and 40 b are composed of one fixing plate 41 and one screw 42 . Therefore, the number of parts is small, and it is possible to prevent the fixing devices 40a and 40b from increasing in size and the torque sensor 10 from increasing in size.

Furthermore, since the fixing devices 40a and 40b are composed of one fixing plate 41 and one screw 42, it is easy to assemble the fixing devices 40a and 40b.

The screw 42 is inserted from above the fixing plate 41 and screwed into the opening 34 a of the first structure 11 or the opening 34 b of the second structure 12 . For this reason, compared to the case where the screw 42 is inserted from the opening 34a of the first structure 11 or the opening 34b of the second structure 12 and screwed into the fixing plate 41, the assembly work can be facilitated. is possible.

(Modification of fixed plate)
(First modification)
FIG. 7 shows a first variant of the fixing plate. In the case of the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the main body 41a has a flat bottom surface 41b and a first protrusion 41c and a second protrusion 41d.

On the other hand, in the first modified example, the fixed plate 51 has a rectangular parallelepiped body 51a, for example, which has a curved bottom surface 51b. A second side parallel to the side functions as a second protrusion 51d. Therefore, the curved bottom surface 51b is located away from the line connecting the first protrusion 51c and the second protrusion 51d. An opening 51f penetrating through the surface 51e is provided in the center of the bottom surface 51b.

According to the first modified example, it is possible to obtain the same effect as that of the above embodiment. Moreover, according to the second modification, since the bottom surface 51b of the main body 51a is curved, the elasticity of the fixing plate 51 is improved. Therefore, it is possible to securely fix the strain generating body 21 by the fixing plate 51 .

Furthermore, according to the first modification, the first protrusion 51c and the second protrusion 51d can be formed simply by processing the bottom surface of the main body 51a to be curved, so that manufacturing can be facilitated.

(Second modification)
FIG. 8 shows a second variant of the fixing plate. In a first variant shown in FIG. 7, the body 51a has a curved bottom surface 51b.

On the other hand, in the second modification, for example, the rectangular parallelepiped main body 61a of the fixing plate 61 is curved as a whole. Therefore, it has a curved bottom surface 61b, a first side of the bottom surface 61b functions as a first protrusion 61c, and a second side parallel to the first side functions as a second protrusion 61d. Therefore, the curved bottom surface 61b is located away from the line connecting the first projection 61c and the second projection 61d. An opening 61f penetrating through the surface 61e is provided in the center of the bottom surface 61b.

According to the second modified example, it is possible to obtain the same effect as that of the above embodiment. Moreover, according to the second modification, since the entire body 61a is curved, the elasticity of the fixing plate 61 is improved. Therefore, the fixing plate 61 can more reliably fix the strain generating body 21 .

Furthermore, according to the second modification, the first protrusion 61c and the second protrusion 61d can be formed simply by bending the main body 61a, so that manufacturing can be facilitated.

(Third modification)
FIG. 9 shows a third variant of the fixing plate. In the above embodiment and each modified example, the main body of the fixing plate is provided with projections on two sides.

On the other hand, in the third modification shown in FIG. 9, the main body 71a of the fixing plate 71 is, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped, and projections 71c are provided along the four sides of the bottom surface 71b of the main body 71a. That is, the protrusion 71c is provided around the bottom surface 71b.

According to the third modified example, it is possible to obtain the same effects as those of the above embodiment. Moreover, by providing the projections 71c around the bottom surface 71b, the rigidity of the fixing plate 71 can be increased, and the strain-generating body 21 can be fixed more reliably.

Furthermore, although the case where the shape of the main body 71a of the fixing plate 71 is a rectangular parallelepiped and the shape of the bottom surface 71b is a rectangle has been described, the shape of the main body 71a of the fixing plate 71 is assumed to be a cube and the shape of the bottom surface 71b is assumed to be a square. is also possible. In this case, the strain-generating body 21 can be fixed using any two parallel sides out of the four sides. Therefore, since it is not necessary to consider the orientation of the fixing plate 71 with respect to the recess 30a, the assembly work can be simplified.

In addition, in the first and second modifications, it is possible to provide projections around the main body.

(Modified example of strain-generating body)
As shown in FIG. 10, the width W3 of the strain generating body 21 is narrower than the width W1 of the fixing plate 41 in the above embodiment.

However, as shown in FIG. 11, it is also possible to make the width of the strain-generating body 21 equal to the width W1 of the fixing plate 41 .

Thus, when the width of the strain body 21 is equal to the width W1 of the fixing plate 41, the fixing plate 41 and the strain body 21 can be easily aligned. It is possible to simplify the structure of the jig for performing the work, and to improve the work efficiency.

In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments as they are, and can be embodied by modifying constituent elements without departing from the gist of the present invention at the implementation stage. Also, various inventions can be formed by appropriate combinations of the plurality of constituent elements disclosed in the above embodiments. For example, some components may be omitted from all components shown in the embodiments. Furthermore, components across different embodiments may be combined as appropriate.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Torque sensor, 11... 1st structure, 12... 2nd structure, 13... 3rd structure, 21... Strain generating body, 40a, 40b... Fixing device, 41, 51, 61, 71... Fixing plate, Main body 41b, 51b, 61b, 71b Bottom surface 41c, 51c, 61c First projection 41d, 51d, 61d Second projection 41f, 51f, 61f Opening 42 …screw.

Claims (16)

a first side, a second side parallel to the first side, and a surface provided between the first side and the second side and including an opening, wherein the surface is provided at a position apart from a line connecting the first side and the second side, the first side is in line contact or point contact with the first structure, and the second side is in contact with the second side 1. A strain sensor fixing device, comprising: a fixing member that is in line contact with an end portion of a strain generating body that constitutes a strain sensor provided on a structure. the fixing member is provided between the first side and the second side and includes a flat surface including the opening;
a first protrusion provided along the first side;
a second protrusion provided along the second side and protruding in the same direction as the first protrusion;
2. The strain sensor fixing device according to claim 1, further comprising: 2. The strain sensor fixing device according to claim 1, wherein said fixing member is provided between said first side and said second side and has a curved surface including said opening. 2. The strain sensor fixing device according to claim 1, wherein the fixing member is curved as a whole. The fixing member has a third side and a fourth side connecting the first side and the second side, and the surface extends from a line connecting the first side to the fourth side. 5. The strain sensor fixing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the fixing device is separated. 2. The strain sensor fixing device according to claim 1, wherein said first side of said fixing member is flat and is in line contact or point contact with a projection provided on said first structure. 2. The strain sensor fixing device according to claim 1, wherein the length of said second side of said fixing member is longer than the width of said strain body. 2. The strain sensor fixing device according to claim 1, wherein the length of said second side of said fixing member is equal to the width of said strain body. a first structure;
a second structure;
a plurality of third structures connecting the first structure and the second structure;
a strain generating body provided between the first structure and the second structure and constituting a strain sensor;
a first fixing device provided on the first structure for fixing a first end of the strain generating body to the first structure;
a second fixing device provided on the second structure for fixing the second end of the strain generating body to the second structure;
and
Each of the first fixation device and the second fixation device includes:
a first side, a second side parallel to the first side, and a surface provided between the first side and the second side and including an opening, wherein the surface is provided at a position apart from a line connecting the first side and the second side, the first side is in line contact or point contact with the first structure, and the second side is in contact with the second side 1. A torque sensor, comprising: a fixing member that is in line contact with an end of a strain generating body that constitutes a strain sensor provided on a structure. the fixing member is provided between the first side and the second side and includes a flat surface including the opening;
a first protrusion provided along the first side;
a second protrusion provided along the second side and protruding in the same direction as the first protrusion;
10. The torque sensor of claim 9, comprising: 10. The torque sensor according to claim 9, wherein said fixing member is provided between said first side and said second side and has a curved surface including said opening. 10. The torque sensor according to claim 9, wherein said fixing member is curved as a whole. The fixing member has a third side and a fourth side connecting the first side and the second side, and the surface extends from a line connecting the first side to the fourth side. 13. A torque sensor as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein the torque sensor is remote. 10. The torque sensor according to claim 9, wherein said first side of said fixing member is flat and is in line contact or point contact with a projection provided on said first structure. 10. The torque sensor according to claim 9, wherein the length of said second side of said fixing member is longer than the width of said strain body. 10. The torque sensor according to claim 9, wherein the length of said second side of said fixing member is equal to the width of said strain body.

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