Patent ID: 9423308
Filing Date: 2016-08-23
CPC Classification: G01L,G01P,G01R

Claim Text:
1. A sensing device for measuring force and/or torque, comprising: a top part with a top electrode structure; a bottom part with a bottom electrode structure; and a support structure comprising spring elements for supporting the top part on the bottom part with the top electrode structure parallel to and facing the bottom electrode structure, the spring elements being configured to provide a gap between the top and bottom electrode structures, wherein the top and bottom electrode structures comprise, for each of the three orthogonal directions, one or more pairs of top and bottom plate electrodes, with the plate electrodes in the top and bottom parts constituting a variable capacitor structure configured to measure change in capacitance due to a change of position of the electrode in the top part relative to the electrode in the bottom part, the change in position being one or more of a change in a gap distance and a change of the overlap area.