WO2023058361A1

WO2023058361A1 - Sensor

Info

Publication number: WO2023058361A1
Application number: PCT/JP2022/032718
Authority: WO
Inventors: ありさ大竹
Original assignee: 日本電産コパル電子株式会社
Priority date: 2021-10-08
Filing date: 2022-08-31
Publication date: 2023-04-13
Also published as: JP2023056768A

Abstract

This sensor (10) comprises: an annularly-formed first structure (11); an annularly-formed second structure (12) formed on the inner circumferential side of the first structure (11); a strain-generating body (20) provided between the first structure (11) and the second structure (12); a plurality of first sensor elements (21a-21d) that form a first system detection circuit, that are provided on the upper surface of the strain-generating body (20), and that detect strain; and a plurality of second sensor elements (22a-22d) that form a second system detection circuit which is redundant with the first system detection circuit, are arranged on the lower surface of the strain-generating body (20) in manner corresponding to the arrangement of the plurality of first sensor elements (21a-21d) with the strain-generating body (20) interposed therebetween, and detect strain.

Description

sensor

Embodiments of the present invention relate to sensors that detect force.

Torque sensors are known in which a bridge circuit containing a plurality of strain sensors detects forces transmitted between a first structure and a second structure. For example, a torque sensor that detects an abnormality based on the difference in output voltages of two bridge circuits including a plurality of strain sensors has been disclosed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
However, when a detection circuit (such as a bridge circuit) using strain sensors is duplicated, it is physically impossible to arrange two strain sensors at the same location. Therefore, a difference in the arrangement of the strain sensors in the duplicated detection circuits causes a difference in the detection accuracy of the respective detection circuits. It is not desirable for the sensor to have different detection accuracies of the duplicated detection circuits.

JP 2018-132313 A

An object of the present embodiment is to provide a sensor that reduces the difference in detection accuracy between duplicated detection circuits.
A sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a first structure formed in a ring shape; a second structure formed in a ring shape on an inner peripheral side of the first structure; a strain-generating body provided between a structure, a plurality of first sensor elements constituting a first system detection circuit and arranged on an upper surface of the strain-generating body for detecting strain, and the first system detection A second-system detection circuit duplicated with the circuit is configured to detect strain placed on the lower surface of the strain-generating body so as to match the arrangement of the plurality of first sensor elements via the strain-generating body. and a plurality of second sensor elements.

FIG. 1 is an enlarged perspective view of the vicinity of the sensor portion of the torque sensor according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a top view showing the configuration of the torque sensor according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a top view showing the configuration of the sensor section according to the first embodiment. 4 is a bottom view showing the configuration of the sensor unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. FIG. 5 is a side view showing the configuration of the sensor section according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a front view showing the mounting state of the torque sensor according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the torque sensor mounting plate shown in FIG. 6 taken along line AA. FIG. 8 is a simplified diagram showing the state of the torque sensor when an external load is applied to the torque sensor mounting plate according to the first embodiment. 9 is a top view showing the top surface of the first flexible substrate according to the first embodiment. FIG. FIG. 10 is a side view of the state in which the first flexible substrate is attached to the sensor unit according to the first embodiment, viewed from the first structure side. FIG. 11 is a top view showing the upper surface of the sensor unit according to the first embodiment with the second and third flexible substrates attached thereto. FIG. 12 is a bottom view showing the bottom surface of the sensor unit according to the first embodiment, to which the second and third flexible substrates are attached. FIG. 13 is a side view showing a state in which the second and third flexible substrates are attached to the sensor section according to the first embodiment; FIG. 14 is an outline drawing showing the outline of the fourth flexible substrate according to the first embodiment. FIG. 15 is a state diagram showing the first state of the fourth flexible substrate according to the first embodiment. FIG. 16 is a state diagram showing a second state of the fourth flexible substrate according to the first embodiment. FIG. 17 is a state diagram showing a third state of the fourth flexible substrate according to the first embodiment; FIG. 18 is an outline drawing showing the outline of the fifth flexible substrate according to the first embodiment. FIG. 19 is a state diagram showing a folded state of the fifth flexible substrate according to the first embodiment. FIG. 20 is an outline view showing an example in which the outline of the fifth flexible substrate according to the first embodiment is modified. FIG. 21 is a top view showing the configuration of the sensor section according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 22 is a bottom view showing the configuration of the sensor section according to the second embodiment. FIG. 23 is a side view showing the configuration of the sensor section according to the second embodiment.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is an enlarged perspective view of the vicinity of the sensor section 14 of the torque sensor 10 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a top view showing the configuration of the torque sensor 10 according to this embodiment. In the drawings, the same parts are given the same reference numerals.

Note that the torque sensor 10 is not limited to the one described here, and may be changed into various shapes or configurations. Also, the torque sensor 10 may be a sensor with another name such as a force sensor as long as it detects at least torque (z-axis moment Mz). For example, the force sensor detects translational forces Fx, Fy, Fz and moments Mx, My, Mz of the three orthogonal axes (x-axis, y-axis, z-axis) shown in FIG.

The torque sensor 10 includes a first structure 11, a second structure 12, a plurality of third structures 13, a plurality of sensor units 14, a case 15, and a cable 16.

The first structure 11, the second structure 12 and the third structure 13 are integrally formed as one elastic body. The first structure 11, the second structure 12 and the third structure 13 are made of metal such as stainless steel. Materials other than metal (resin, etc.) may also be used.

The first structure 11 and the second structure 12 are formed in an annular shape. The diameter of the second structure 12 is smaller than the diameter of the first structure 11 . The second structure 12 is arranged on the inner peripheral side concentrically with the first structure 11 . A plurality of third structures 13 are radially arranged and provided as beams connecting the first structures 11 and the second structures 12 . Any number of third structures 13 may be provided.

The thickness (the length in the z-axis direction) of the third structure 13 is thinner than the thicknesses of the first structure 11 and the second structure 12 . Specifically, the thickness of the third structure 13 is inclined so as to become thinner toward the center from both ends connected to the first structure 11 or the second structure 12, and the central portion has a uniform thickness. It is flat. The thickness (length in the z-axis direction) of the third structure 13 is made longer than the width (length in the circumferential direction) to facilitate torque detection. The thickness and width of body 13 may be arbitrarily determined.

The case 15 is provided so as to cover the hollow portion provided in the central portion of the second structure 12 . A data processing circuit for processing data detected by each sensor unit 14 is provided in the hollow portion. The data processing circuit is electrically connected to each sensor unit 14 via a flexible printed circuit board. The data processing circuit is supplied with power through the cable 16 and outputs the data-processed sensor signal to the outside.

The sensor unit 14 detects strain caused by relative movement of the first structure 11 and the second structure 12 . Data indicating the strain detected by the sensor unit 14 is transmitted to the data processing circuit as an electrical signal. The data processing circuit detects the applied force such as torque based on the strain detected by the sensor section 14 . Although four sensor units 14 are provided at equal intervals (90 degree intervals) in the circumferential direction here, any number of sensor units 14 may be provided.

The sensor unit 14 includes a strain body 20, four

A-system sensor elements

21a, 21b, 21c, and 21d, four B-

system sensor elements

22a, 22b, 22c, and 22d, and two terminal portions Ta and Tb.

The sensor section 14 is provided so as to span between the first structure 11 and the second structure 12 . Both ends of the sensor section 14 are fixed to the first structure 11 and the second structure 12, respectively. The first structure 11 and the second structure 12 are formed with

recesses

11a and 12a that are thinner than the other portions in order to fix both ends of the sensor section 14 . For example, a cover for protecting the sensor section 14 from external factors such as waterproofing and dustproofing is fitted into the

concave portions

11a and 12a on the upper surface of the sensor section 14 . The lower surface of the sensor section 14 may be similarly provided with a cover.

By fixing both ends of the strain generating body 20 to the first structure 11 and the second structure 12, the sensor section 14 is attached. Specifically, a fixing plate 31 is arranged so as to hold both ends of the strain body 20 from above, and both ends of the strain body 20 together with the fixing plate 31 are screwed to the first structure 11 and the second structure 12, respectively. 32 to fix. Note that the sensor unit 14 may be attached in any way.

The A system sensor elements 21 a to 21 d and the B system sensor elements 22 a to 22 d are arranged between the first structure 11 and the second structure 12 of the strain body 20 . The A-system sensor elements 21 a to 21 d are arranged on the upper surface (surface) of the strain body 20 . The B-system sensor elements 22 a to 22 d are arranged on the lower surface (back surface) of the strain generating body 20 . The A-system sensor elements 21a-21d and the B-system sensor elements 22a-22d are wired to form an A-system detection circuit and a B-system detection circuit, respectively. The two detection circuits are redundant detection circuits for detecting torque and the like, and detect torque and the like independently. The torque sensor 10 outputs torque or the like as a detection result based on detection data from the two detection circuits. Note that the torque sensor 10 may determine the torque or the like as the detection result based on the detection data of one of the two detection circuits.

Here, the A system sensor elements 21a to 21d and the B system sensor elements 22a to 22d are strain gauges, and the detection circuit is a full bridge circuit, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the detection circuit of each system includes two strain gauges provided on the strain generating body 20, and a portion that does not substantially deform due to the application of torque (for example, the data processing circuit provided on the second structure 12). ) may be a bridge circuit composed of reference resistors provided in the . Specifically, two sensor elements arbitrarily selected from among the four sensor elements 21a to 21d and 22a to 22d of each system and two reference resistors provided in the data processing circuit may constitute a bridge circuit. good. The following embodiments are not limited to full bridge circuits, and similar bridge circuits may be configured.

FIG. 3 is a top view showing the configuration of the sensor section 14 according to this embodiment. FIG. 4 is a bottom view showing the configuration of the sensor section 14 according to this embodiment. FIG. 5 is a side view showing the configuration of the sensor section 14 according to this embodiment. The wiring of the sensor elements 21a to 21d and 22a to 22d is not limited to the configuration described here, and may be wired in any way.

The strain-generating body 20 has a rectangular plate shape with an upper surface Pt and a lower surface Pu. The sensor elements 21a to 21d and 22a to 22d are plate-shaped with rectangular upper and lower surfaces. The arrangement of the A system sensor elements 21 a to 21 d on the upper surface Pt of the strain body 20 matches the arrangement of the B system sensor elements 22 a to 22 d on the lower surface Pu of the strain body 20 . Specifically, first to fourth B-system sensor elements 22a to 22d corresponding to the respective positions of the first to fourth A-system sensor elements 21a to 21d are provided via the strain-generating body 20. is located.

Here, the first to fourth A system sensor elements 21a to 21d correspond to the first to fourth B system sensor elements 22a to 22d, respectively. The correspondence between the A system sensor elements 21a to 21d and the B system sensor elements 22a to 22d is, for example, the position on the electric circuit where the A system sensor elements 21a to 21d are provided in the A system detection circuit (for example, bridge circuit). means that the positions on the electric circuit where the B-system sensor elements 22a to 22d are provided in the B-system detection circuit (eg, bridge circuit) are the same.

The first A-system sensor element 21a and the second A-system sensor element 21b are arranged at two corners of the strain body 20 on the first structure 11 side. The first and second

A-system sensor elements

21a and 21b are arranged at an angle with respect to the longitudinal direction of the strain generating body 20 so that the ends on the first structure 11 side face outward. The first A-system sensor element 21a is arranged so as to be symmetrical with the second A-system sensor element 21b with respect to the center line that halves the strain generating body 20 in the longitudinal direction.

The third A-system sensor element 21c and the fourth A-system sensor element 21d are arranged at two corners of the strain body 20 on the second structure 12 side. The third and fourth

A-system sensor elements

21c and 21d are arranged at an angle with respect to the longitudinal direction of the strain generating body 20 so that the ends on the second structure 12 side face outward. The third A-system sensor element 21c is arranged so as to be line-symmetrical to the fourth A-system sensor element 21d with respect to the center line that halves the strain-generating body 20 in the longitudinal direction. The third and fourth

A-system sensor elements

21c and 21d are arranged relative to the center line that halves the strain-generating body 20 in the lateral direction (perpendicular to the longitudinal direction) relative to the first and second A-system sensor elements. It is arranged so as to be symmetrical with the

elements

21a and 21b.

The A-system terminal portion Ta is arranged in the center of the upper surface of the strain-generating body 20 in the longitudinal direction, and each terminal is arranged side by side in the lateral direction. Each terminal of the A-system sensor elements 21a to 21d is electrically connected to a central terminal of the A-system terminal portion Ta by two wirings Wa. Each terminal of the A-system sensor elements 21a to 21d may be connected to any terminal of the A-system terminal portion Ta.

The first to fourth B-system sensor elements 22a to 22d and the B-system terminal portion Tb are arranged on the lower surface Pu of the strain generating body 20 with the first to fourth A-system sensor elements 21a to 21d and the A-system terminal portion Ta. similarly arranged. As a result, the first to fourth B-system sensor elements 22a to 22d and the first to fourth A-system sensor elements 21a to 21d are positioned via the strain-generating body 20, respectively. The A-system terminal portion Ta is located at the B-system terminal portion Tb with the strain-generating body 20 interposed therebetween. That is, the positions of the B-system sensor elements 22a to 22d on the lower surface Pu of the strain-generating body 20 correspond to the positions of the A-system sensor elements 21a to 21d on the upper surface Pt of the strain-generating body 20, with the longitudinal direction being the vertical direction. It is left-right reversed.

A state where the torque sensor 10 is attached will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 6 is a front view showing the mounting state of the torque sensor 10. FIG. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the torque sensor mounting plate 41 shown in FIG. 6 taken along line AA. Note that FIG. 7 simply shows the adapter 42, the speed reducer 43, and the motor 44. As shown in FIG.

The torque sensor 10 is attached to the torque sensor mounting plate 41 . Thereby, the first structure 11 of the torque sensor 10 is fixed to the torque sensor mounting plate 41 . The torque sensor attachment plate 41 is a member attached to a structure to which torque or the like is applied.

The second structure 12 of the torque sensor 10 is fixed to a speed reducer 43 connected to a motor 44 via an adapter 42 . By driving the motor 44 , torque output from the motor 44 is applied to the torque sensor mounting plate 41 via the reduction gear 43 , the adapter 42 and the torque sensor 10 . As a result, the torque sensor mounting plate 41 and the structure to which it is mounted are operated by torque output from the motor 44 .

The second structure 12 of the torque sensor 10 is attached to the side to which torque or the like is applied (torque sensor mounting plate 41 or the like), and the first structure 11 of the torque sensor 10 is attached to the side to which torque or the like is applied (motor 44 etc.).

A case where an external load (such as a load) Fw is applied to the torque sensor mounting plate 41 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 8 is a simplified diagram showing the state of the torque sensor 10 when an external load is applied to the torque sensor mounting plate 41. As shown in FIG. 6 and 8 show two layout patterns P1 and P2 of the four sensor units 14, and the sensor units 14 are attached in one of the two layout patterns P1 and P2. Note that the sensor unit 14 is not limited to these two layout patterns P1 and P2, and other layout patterns may be employed.

As shown in FIG. 8, when a downward external load Fw is generated on the torque sensor mounting plate 41 as indicated by an arrow, a tensile stress is generated on the upper side of the torque sensor mounting plate 41, causing the lower side of the torque sensor mounting plate 41 to generate a tensile stress. is subject to compressive stress.

Due to the deformation of the torque sensor mounting plate 41, the elastic bodies (the first structure 11, the second structure 12, and the third structure 13) of the torque sensor 10 change from the circular shape indicated by the dotted line to the elliptical shape indicated by the solid line. transform. If the elastic body after deformation is elliptical, the elastic body is pulled in the long axis direction and compressed in the short axis direction.

Due to the deformation of the elastic body, each sensor unit 14 of both arrangement patterns P1 and P2 is also deformed from the rectangle indicated by the dotted line to the quadrangle indicated by the solid line. As described above, when the external load Fw is generated, the stress received by the external load Fw differs depending on the position where the sensor section 14 is arranged in any of the arrangement patterns P1 and P2.

In the torque sensor 10, each sensor unit 14 is provided with A-system sensor elements 21a to 21d and B-system sensor elements 22a to 22d that respectively constitute a duplicated A-system detection circuit and B-system detection circuit. Therefore, even if the stress received by each sensor unit 14 is different, the detection accuracy of each detection circuit of each system is substantially the same.

On the other hand, unlike the torque sensor 10 of the present embodiment, the sensor unit 14 having only the A system detection circuit is arranged in the layout pattern P1, and the sensor unit 14 having only the B system detection circuit is arranged in the layout pattern P2. Consider the case where the unit 14 is arranged to provide a duplicated detection circuit.

If an ideal torque is applied to the torque sensor 10 without any external load Fw, the stresses received by the sensor portions 14 of the arrangement patterns P1 and P2 are substantially the same. That is, the strain-generating body 20 of each sensor section 14 deforms in substantially the same manner. Therefore, since the distortion detected by each system is almost the same, there is little difference in detection accuracy between the two duplicated detection circuits.

On the other hand, when an external load Fw is generated, even if an ideal torque is applied to the torque sensor 10, the stress received by the sensor unit 14 differs depending on the position where the sensor unit 14 is arranged, as described above. . That is, the strain-generating body 20 of each sensor section 14 deforms differently. Therefore, since the strains detected by the two systems are different, there is a possibility that a large difference will occur in the detection accuracy of the two duplicated detection circuits. For example, if a function is provided to detect an abnormality based on the difference between two redundant detection circuits, an unintended abnormality may be detected even if a force such as normal torque is applied.

Next, a method for attaching a flexible substrate for connection to the data processing circuit to the two terminal portions Ta and Tb of the sensor portion 14 will be described. The terminal portions Ta and Tb may be electrically connected to the data processing circuit in any way, a flexible substrate other than the flexible substrate described here may be used, or wiring may be performed without using a flexible substrate at all. You may

A first mounting method using the first flexible board FP1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. FIG. FIG. 9 is a top view showing the top surface of the first flexible board FP1.
FIG. 10 is a side view of the state in which the first flexible substrate FP1 is attached to the sensor section 14, viewed from the first structure 11 side.

The first flexible board FP1 has a T-shape in which the longitudinal direction is the direction in which the sensor section 14 and the data processing circuit are connected, and the end portion on the sensor section 14 side in the longitudinal direction extends wide. The first flexible board FP1 has four connectors CNa, CNb1, CNb2 and CNd.

The connector CNa is located in the center of the wide extending portion of the first flexible board FP1. Connectors CNb1 and CNb2 are located at both ends of the widened portion. The connector CNd is located at the longitudinal end of the first flexible board FP1 on the side of the data processing circuit.

The connector CNa is connected to the A-system terminal portion Ta provided on the upper surface Pt of the strain generating body 20 .
The connectors CNb1 and CNb2 are connected to the B system terminal portion Tb provided on the lower surface Pu of the strain generating body 20 so that the wide extending portion of the first flexible substrate FP1 covers the side surface of the strain generating body 20. . Connector CNd is connected to a data processing circuit.

A second attachment method using the second flexible board FP21 and the third flexible board FP22 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 11 is a top view showing the top surface of the sensor section 14 with the two flexible boards FP21 and FP22 attached. FIG. 12 is a bottom view showing the bottom surface of the sensor unit 14 with the two flexible boards FP21 and FP22 attached. FIG. 13 is a side view showing a state in which two flexible boards FP21 and FP22 are attached to the sensor section 14. FIG.

The second flexible board FP21 and the third flexible board FP22 have a rectangular parallelepiped shape whose longitudinal direction is the direction in which the sensor section 14 and the data processing circuit are connected. The length in the longitudinal direction of the third flexible board FP22 is preferably longer than the length in the longitudinal direction of the second flexible board FP21, but may be the same length or shorter.

A connector CNa is provided at one end in the longitudinal direction of the second flexible board FP21, and a connector CNd is provided at the other end. A connector CNb is provided at one end in the longitudinal direction of the third flexible board FP22, and a connector CNd is provided at the other end.

The second flexible board FP21 connects the connector CNa to the A-system terminal portion Ta provided on the upper surface Pt of the strain-generating body 20, and connects the connector CNd to the data processing circuit. The third flexible board FP22 is arranged so as to overlap the second flexible board FP21. The connector CNb side portion of the third flexible board FP22 is wound around the side surface of the strain body 20 so that the connector CNb is turned toward the lower surface Pu of the strain body 20 . In this manner, the connector CNb is connected to the B system terminal portion Tb. A connector CNd of the third flexible board FP22 is connected to a data processing circuit.

A third attachment method using the fourth flexible board FP4 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 14 is an outline drawing showing the outline of the fourth flexible board FP4. 15 to 17 are state diagrams showing first to third states of the fourth flexible board FP4.

The fourth flexible board FP4 has a shape including a first shape portion P41 and a second shape portion P42. The first shape portion P41 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape whose longitudinal direction is the direction in which the sensor section 14 and the data processing circuit are connected. A connector CNb is provided at the longitudinal end of the first shape portion P41 on the sensor section 14 side.

The second shape portion P42 has a longitudinal direction in a direction in which the sensor portion 14 and the data processing circuit are connected, and an end portion of the longitudinal direction on the sensor portion 14 side protrudes to the side opposite to the first shape portion P41 in the lateral direction. It is L-shaped. A connector CNa is provided at the end of the projecting portion of the second shape portion P42. A connector CNd is provided at the data processing circuit side end in the longitudinal direction of the second shape portion P42.

The first shape portion P41 and the second shape portion P42 are connected so that they are aligned side by side in the longitudinal direction. A connection portion between the first shape portion P41 and the second shape portion P42 is cut so that the longitudinal sensor section 14 side is separated. The fourth flexible board FP4 is bent along bending lines L1, L2, and L3 shown in FIG. Folding lines L1 and L3 are indicated by dashed lines and are valley folds. A fold line L2 is indicated by a dotted line and is folded in a mountain.

As shown in FIG. 15, the fourth flexible board FP4 is valley-folded along the folding line L1. Next, as shown in FIG. 16, the fourth flexible board FP4 is mountain-folded along the folding line L2. Next, as shown in FIG. 17, the fourth flexible board FP4 is valley-folded along the folding line L3. In such a bent state, the sensor section 14 is sandwiched between the ends of the first shape portion P41 and the second shape portion P42. In this state, the connector CNa is connected to the A-system terminal Ta of the sensor section 14, the connector CNb is connected to the B-system terminal Tb of the sensor section 14, and the connector CNd is connected to the data processing circuit.

A fourth attachment method using the fifth flexible board FP5 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 18 is an outline drawing showing the outline of the fifth flexible board FP5. FIG. 19 is a state diagram showing a bent state of the fifth flexible board FP5.

The fifth flexible board FP5 has a shape including a first shape portion P51, a second shape portion P52 and a third shape portion P53. The first shape portion P51 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape whose longitudinal direction is the direction in which the sensor section 14 and the data processing circuit are connected. A connector CNd is provided at the data processing circuit side end in the longitudinal direction of the first shape portion P51.

The second shape portion P52 and the third shape portion P53 are shaped so as to protrude from the first shape portion P51 toward the sensor section 14 side. A connector CNb is provided at the end of the second shape portion P52 on the sensor section 14 side. A connector CNa is provided at the end of the third shape portion P53 on the sensor section 14 side.

The fifth flexible board FP5 is bent along the bending line L4 shown in FIG. 18, and is in the state shown in FIG. A fold line L4 is indicated by a dashed line and is valley-folded. In such a bent state, the sensor section 14 is sandwiched between the ends of the second shape portion P52 and the third shape portion P53. In this state, the connector CNa is connected to the A-system terminal Ta of the sensor section 14, the connector CNb is connected to the B-system terminal Tb of the sensor section 14, and the connector CNd is connected to the data processing circuit.

Note that the fifth flexible board FP5 is not limited to the shape shown in FIG. 18, and may be deformed into various shapes. For example, the fifth flexible board FP5a may be deformed into the shape shown in FIG. The fifth flexible board FP5a shown in FIG. 20 has a thinner rectangular parallelepiped first shape portion P51a than the fifth flexible board FP5 shown in FIG. Further, one longitudinal side of each of the first shape portion P51a and the second shape portion P52a is connected so as to form one straight line. The cut-shaped space formed between the first shape portion P51a and the second shape portion P52a may be arbitrarily deformed. For example, the space of this notch shape may be made smaller, and the connecting portion between the first shape portion P51a and the second shape portion P52a may be increased.

According to this embodiment, by providing the sensor elements 21a to 21d and 22a to 22d of each system of the two redundant detection circuits in the same sensor unit 14, even when an external load Fw occurs, the redundant 2 It is possible to suppress the difference in detection accuracy between the two detection circuits.

Further, the A-system detection circuit and the B-system sensor elements 21a to 21d and the B-system sensor elements 22a to 22d are arranged on separate surfaces of one strain-generating body 20 so that the A-system sensor elements 21a to 21d and the B-system sensor elements 22a to 22d are arranged in the same manner via the strain-generating body 20, respectively. By providing the system detection circuit, the data representing the distortion detected by each of the A system detection circuit and the B system detection circuit can be approximated so as to be the same.

(Second embodiment)
FIG. 21 is a top view showing the configuration of the sensor section 14A according to the second embodiment of the invention. FIG. 22 is a bottom view showing the configuration of the sensor section 14A according to this embodiment. FIG. 23 is a side view showing the configuration of the sensor section 14A according to this embodiment.

The torque sensor 10 according to the present embodiment is different from the torque sensor 10 according to the first embodiment except that the arrangement of the sensor elements 21a to 21d and 22a to 22d in the strain body 20 of the sensor section 14 is changed. is similar to the embodiment of

Next, the arrangement of the sensor elements 21a to 21d and 22a to 22d in the strain generating body 20 of the sensor section 14A will be described. Here, differences from the sensor unit 14 according to the first embodiment are mainly described.

The A-system sensor elements 21a to 21d are arranged separately at two corners of the upper surface Pt of the strain body 20 on the second structure 12 side. The first A-system sensor element 21a and the second A-system sensor element 21b are provided close to each other within a non-contact range so as to maintain an electrical insulation distance, and are oriented in substantially the same direction. The third A-system sensor element 21c and the fourth A-system sensor element 21d are provided close to each other within a non-contact range so as to maintain an electrical insulation distance, and are oriented in substantially the same direction.

The first A-system sensor element 21a is disposed inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction of the strain body 20 so that the end on the second structure 12 side faces outward. The second A-system sensor element 21b is arranged inside the first A-system sensor element 21a.

The fourth A-system sensor element 21d is arranged so as to be symmetrical with the first A-system sensor element 21a with respect to the center line that halves the strain-generating body 20 in the longitudinal direction. The third A-system sensor element 21c is arranged inside the fourth A-system sensor element 21d. That is, the third A-system sensor element 21c is arranged so as to be line-symmetrical with the second A-system sensor element 21b with respect to the center line that halves the strain-generating body 20 in the longitudinal direction.

The first to fourth B system sensor elements 22a to 22d are arranged on the lower surface Pu of the strain generating body 20 in the same manner as the first to fourth A system sensor elements 21a to 21d, as in the first embodiment. be done. As a result, the first to fourth B-system sensor elements 22a to 22d and the first to fourth A-system sensor elements 21a to 21d are positioned via the strain-generating body 20, respectively.

Here, the configuration in which all the sensor elements 21a to 21d and 22a to 22d are arranged on the second structure 12 side of the strain body 20 has been described. good too. For example, the arrangement of the sensor elements 21a to 21d and 22a to 22d shown in FIGS. good too.

According to this embodiment, the sensor elements 21a to 21d and 22a to 22d of the two redundant detection circuits are arranged on both sides of the strain body 20 on the side of the second structure 12 (or the side of the first structure 11). With this configuration, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained.

In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments as they are, and can be embodied by modifying the 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.

Claims

a first structure formed in an annular shape;
a second structure annularly formed on the inner peripheral side of the first structure;
a strain-generating body provided between the first structure and the second structure;
a plurality of first sensor elements constituting a first system detection circuit and arranged on the upper surface of the strain generating body to detect strain;
A second system detection circuit that is duplicated with the first system detection circuit is arranged on the lower surface of the strain body so as to match the arrangement of the plurality of first sensor elements via the strain body. A sensor comprising a plurality of second sensor elements for detecting strain.
The plurality of first sensor elements are arranged line-symmetrically,
2. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the plurality of second sensor elements are arranged line-symmetrically.
The plurality of first sensor elements are arranged in proximity to each other first sensor element,
3. The sensor of claim 2, wherein each of said plurality of second sensor elements is positioned in close proximity to each other second sensor element.
a data processing circuit for processing data indicating distortion detected by the first detection circuit and the second detection circuit;
connection means for connecting the data processing circuit, the first system detection circuit, and the second system detection circuit using a flexible substrate;
2. The sensor of claim 1, comprising:
The connection means is connected to the first system detection circuit on the upper surface of the strain-generating body and is connected to the second-system detection circuit on the lower surface of the strain-generating body by the flexible substrate. Item 5. The sensor according to item 4.
6. The sensor according to claim 5, wherein the flexible substrate is bent such that a portion connected to the second system detection circuit is arranged from the upper surface to the lower surface of the strain generating body.
7. The sensor according to claim 5, wherein said connecting means is connected to said first system detection circuit and said second system detection circuit through one said flexible substrate.