Patent ID: 7603919
Filing Date: 2009-10-20
Classification: G01L

Abstract:
1. A force measuring apparatus comprising: a plurality of first fixed electrodes disposed in one direction in one plane so as to be distant from each other; a plurality of second fixed electrodes disposed in the one direction in a plane opposed to the one plane, so as to be distant from each other and opposed to the respective first fixed electrodes; a plurality of movable electrodes movable in the one direction, each movable electrode cooperating with a first fixed electrode and a second fixed electrode to form capacitance elements; and a force receiving portion to receive an external force and thereby move the plurality of movable electrodes in the one direction so as to change the overlapped area between each first fixed electrode and the corresponding movable electrode and the overlapped area between each second fixed electrode and the corresponding movable electrode, the apparatus measuring the magnitude of the force applied to the force receiving portion on the basis of the changes in the capacitance values of the plurality of capacitance elements.