Patent ID: 6109117
Filing Date: 2000-08-29
Classification: B60N,B60R,G01G,G01L

Abstract:
A sensor for measuring a compressive load, comprising:a. a first plate having first and second sides;b. a plurality of protrusions attached to said second side of said first plate;c. a second plate having first and second sides, whereby the compressive load is applied across respective said first sides of said first and second plates; andd. a plurality of force sensitive resistive elements interposed between respective said second sides of said first and second plates and electrically interconnected in a series combination, each said force sensitive resistive element comprising:1) a flexible and elastic first substrate having first and second sides, wherein said first side of said first substrate is operatively coupled to one of said protrusions and said second side of said first substrate is coated with a force sensitive resistive coating over at least a portion of a surface of said second side so as to constitute a first sensor contact; and2) a second substrate having first and second sides, wherein said first side of said second substrate is operatively coupled to said second side of said second plate and said second side of said second substrate is coated with a force sensitive resistive coating over at least a portion of the surface of said second side so as to constitute a second sensor contact, whereby said protrusion operatively coupled to said first substrate in cooperation with said second plate thereby compresses said first and second sensor contacts against one another with a component of compressive load so that a resistance between said first and second sensor contacts is dependent upon a magnitude of said component of compressive load.