# Patent

## Title
Weighing system of monolithic construction including flexural pivot

## Abstract

A weighing system having a base region (1), a parallel-guided load receiver (4), at least one transmission lever (2) that is pivotably mounted on the base region via at least one flexural pivot (3), and a coupling element (7) that connects the load sensor to the short lever arm of the transmission lever. The flexural pivot (3), at least one part of the transmission lever (2), and at least one part of the base region (1′) are monolithically formed from a block. The flexural pivot (3) is separated from the rest of the block, and at least one spring connecting segment (36/35/38, 37/35′/39) of the flexural pivot (3) includes two spaced-apart thin material points (36, 38; 37, 39). In this way, a hysteresis-free flexural pivot can be created without the need for separate assembly components.

## Background
This is a Continuation of International Application PCT/EP2006/000832, with an international filing date of Feb. 1, 2006, which was published under PCT Article 21(2) in German, and the disclosure of which is incorporated into this application by reference.


FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a weighing system having a base region, a parallel-guided load receiver, at least one transmission lever that is pivotably mounted on the base region by means of at least one flexural pivot, and a coupling element that connects the load receiver to the short lever arm of the transmission lever.
Weighing systems of this kind are conventional in the art and are described, for example, in German Utility Model DE-Gbm 81 35 182.
A disadvantage of this known weighing system is that the complexity of assembly and calibration of the flexural pivot constructed of individual leaf springs is relatively high and securing the leaf springs to the transmission lever and the base region can deform the flexural pivot, thereby causing hysteresis effects, drift and poor long-term consistency.
To alleviate this problem, U.S. Pat. No. 3,700,289 proposes to configure a universal joint in such a way that the horizontal spring connecting segments of the flexural pivot are produced by means of bores in an outer tubular member and the vertical spring connecting segments are similarly produced in an inner tubular member.
In this manner the flexural pivots are created as the two tubular members are concentrically assembled. Here too, however, the production and assembly complexity is high because the crossing points of the horizontal and the vertical spring connecting segments must be aligned very precisely to each other so as to avoid any constraining forces during pivoting.
Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. 3,063,670 proposes to form a flexural pivot with one vertical and two horizontal leaf springs from a cubical block by milling. This, however, requires path milling from four different directions with a relatively high machining volume so that production is time consuming.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an improved flexural pivot for a weighing system of the above-described type, which is simple to manufacture and, to the extent possible, shows no hysteresis.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to one formulation of the invention, this object is attained by a weighing system having a base region, a parallel-guided load receiver, at least one transmission lever that is pivotably mounted on the base region by at least one flexural pivot, and a coupling element that connects the load receiver to the short lever arm of the transmission lever. The flexural pivot, at least one part of the transmission lever and at least one part of the base region are monolithically formed from a block, and at least one spring connecting segment of the flexural pivot has two spaced-apart thin material points.
Because of the monolithic construction, the individual springs of the flexural pivot do not have to be screwed, welded or in some other way connected to the base region and the transmission lever such that the introduction of stresses during assembly is avoided from the outset.
The monolithic construction of the weighing system is already known per se from German Utility Model DE 295 09 829 U1 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 5,771,986). In that design, however, no flexural pivots are provided for mounting the transmission lever but rather individual vertical springs. Individual springs are much easier to integrate monolithically because no crossing points of spring connecting segments occur there. The cited utility model contains no reference to a monolithic construction of flexural pivots. Furthermore with regard to transport safety of the weighing systems, individual springs are much more critical than cross-shaped springs, so that they often cannot replace flexural pivots.
Monolithic production at a reasonable cost becomes possible only if at least one of the spring connecting segments that form the flexural pivot has two spaced-apart thin material points. This eliminates the thin material point in the axis of rotation of the flexural pivot, which could be manufactured there only at a significant technological cost, and replaces it by two thin material points outside the axis of rotation, where manufacturability is much easier. The essential outlines of the contours of the spring connecting segments of the flexural pivot can advantageously be formed from a block, for example by four horizontal bores extending parallel to the axis of rotation of the flexural pivot.
Advantageous embodiments are set forth in the dependent claims.



BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Specific embodiments will now be described in greater detail with reference to the schematic drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 shows a weighing system in a perspective view,
FIG. 2 shows a first embodiment of the parts of the weighing system that are essential to the invention in a perspective view,
FIG. 3 shows the embodiment depicted in FIG. 2 from a different angle in a perspective view,
FIG. 4 shows the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 2 and 3 in a side elevation,
FIG. 5 shows a second embodiment of the parts of the weighing system that are essential to the invention in a perspective view,
FIG. 6 shows the embodiment depicted in FIG. 5 in a side elevation,
FIG. 7 shows a third embodiment of the parts of the weighing system that are essential to the invention in a perspective view,
FIG. 8 shows a fourth embodiment of the parts of the weighing system that are essential to the invention in a perspective view,
FIG. 9 shows the embodiment depicted in FIG. 8 from a different angle in a perspective view, and
FIG. 10 shows the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 8 and 9 in a side elevation.



DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The weighing system 11 depicted in a perspective view in FIG. 1 has a base region 1 that is fixed to the housing and a load receiver 4 that is connected to the base region so as to be vertically movable by an upper guide 5 and a lower guide 6 in the form of a parallel guide unit. The thin material points acting as linkage points are identified as 9. The weight force of the material being weighed, which is applied to the load receiver 4 and introduced at the bores 12, for example, is transmitted to the short lever arm of a transmission lever 2 via a projection 8 and a coupling element 7, which is only partially visible in FIG. 1. The transmission lever 2 is pivotably mounted on a protruding part 1′ of the base region 1 by means of a flexural pivot 3. The coil, which is not visible in FIG. 1, is secured to the long lever arm 2′ of the transmission lever 2. This coil protrudes into the air gap of a permanent magnet system, not depicted in the drawing, which can be mounted within the clearance 10 on the base region 1. The construction of the flexural pivot 3 will now be explained with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4, 5 to 6, 7, and 8 to 10. The construction and function of the remaining parts of the weighing system are generally known, so that they do not need to be explained in greater detail.
FIGS. 2 to 4 show the flexural pivot in a first embodiment in which the two spring connecting segments have two spaced-apart thin points. FIGS. 2 and 3 are perspective views from two different angles while FIG. 4 is a side elevation. The figures show that the flexural pivot 3 is essentially formed from the material block 30 by four horizontal bores 31, 32, 33 and 34 with the same diameter. In FIG. 4 the center points of these bores are suggested by thin coordinate axes. These center points are located in the corners of a square standing on one tip. The bore 31 is expanded upwardly to an opening in the region of the flexural pivot. The bore 33 is similarly expanded downwardly to an opening. Between the four bores initially remains a cross-shaped inner part 35/35′ that is connected to the rest of the block 30 by four thin material points 36, 37, 38 and 39. In a next production step, the flexural pivot 3 is separated from the transmission lever 2 by a vertical slot 40 and divided into two partial areas by another vertical slot, whose rear boundary 41 is visible in FIGS. 2 and 3. Subsequently two opposite thin material points are separated on the cross-shaped inner part 35 in the partial area lying in front, as seen in the figures, so that the inner part is connected to the rest of the block only by the thin material points 36 and 38. Correspondingly, in the rear area, as seen in the figures, two opposite thin material points are separated on the cross-shaped inner part 35′, so that the rear inner part is connected to the rest of the block only by the thin material points 37 and 39.
In the described manner, two separate crosswise-arranged spring connecting segments are formed, namely the spring connecting segment 36/35/38 in front, as seen in the figures, and the spring connecting segment 37/35′/39 in the rear, as seen in the figures. The two spring connecting segments together form the flexural pivot 3.
The geometry of the flexural pivot has been described above with reference to a production sequence for better understanding. However, this sequence is only one of various possible ways to produce the structure of the monolithic flexural pivot according to the invention.
It should be noted that four thin material points are produced by the four horizontal bores, two of which are removed for each spring connecting segment. This makes it possible in the first place to manufacture the flexural pivot monolithically at reasonable cost. The construction of each spring connecting segment with two thin material points, which act as linkage points, furthermore makes the flexural pivot less sensitive to machining tolerances because a total of four linkage points more easily compensate any machining variances during the movement of the flexural pivot.
In FIGS. 2 to 4 a flexural pivot is produced not only in the front region of the material block 30, but two crosswise-arranged spring connecting segments are correspondingly produced in the rear region of the block behind the transmission lever 2. This divides the material block 30 into a base region 1′ and a transmission lever 2, which can be pivotably interconnected by two flexural pivots.
The material block 30 described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4 is either used as a part of a weighing system by screwing the base region 1′ to the base region 1 of the weighing system, completing the transmission lever 2 with a long lever arm 2′ and screwing a coupling element to the short lever arm (two fastening holes 42 are schematically indicated in FIG. 2 for this purpose), or the material block 30 is not manufactured as a separate block but is formed from a single larger block together with the remaining parts of the weighing system, as already depicted in FIG. 1.
One advantageous embodiment in which the upper thin point of the coupling element can be produced together with the flexural pivot is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG. 5 is a perspective view, the viewing angle of which corresponds to that of FIG. 2. FIG. 6 is a side elevation. Parts that are the same as those shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 are identified by the same reference numerals and will not be explained again here. The embodiment depicted in FIGS. 5 and 6 has two additional slots 50 and 51 and an additional bore/milled recess 52. The two slots 50 and 51 separate the upper part of the coupling element 7 from the transmission lever 2. The bore/milled recess 52 together with the bore 32 required for the flexural pivot forms the upper thin linkage point 53 for the coupling element. The slots 50 and 51 are only deep enough that the lower parts 54 and 54′ of the transmission lever 2 remain stably connected to the main part of the transmission lever, which is not evident from the figures, however.
This embodiment depicted in FIGS. 5 and 6 can now be easily completed to form an entire monolithic weighing system, which—with the exception of the coil and the permanent magnet system—can be formed completely from a single block. The weighing system 11 shown in FIG. 1 has such a monolithic construction.
FIG. 7 shows yet another embodiment. Parts that are the same as those in the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 5 and 6 are again identified by the same reference numerals and will not be re-explained here. The embodiment depicted in FIG. 7 differs only by additional recesses 60 in the thin material points 36, 37, 38 and 39. These recesses are produced by boring from the top and are arranged in such a way that they do not contact the edge of the thin material points. Thus they reduce the spring constant of the flexural pivot without substantially reducing its stability.
FIGS. 8 to 10 show a fourth embodiment. The representation corresponds to that of FIGS. 2 to 4: FIGS. 8 and 9 are perspective views from two different angles. FIG. 10 is a side elevation. Parts that are the same as those depicted in FIGS. 2 to 4 are again identified by the same reference numbers and will not be re-explained here. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 8 to 10 only the rear spring connecting segment 37/35′/39 has two spaced-apart thin material points whereas the front spring connecting segment 36/38 has only a single thin material point 59. This geometry is created by locating the center points of the bores 31 to 34 not in the corners of a square but in the corners of a rectangle with unequal sides. This is best seen in FIG. 10: the distance between the bores 31 and 34 as well as 32 and 33 is smaller than the distance between the bores 31 and 32 as well as 34 and 33. The thin material points 36 and 38 remaining between the bores are therefore thicker than the thin material points 37 and 39. The thin material points 37 and 39 act as linkages in the manner described above with reference to other embodiments. The thicker “thin material points” 36 and 38 are clearly more stable, and the actual linkage between them is produced by an additional thin material point 59. Since this thin material point 59 is formed only in the spring connecting segment located in front as seen in the figures it is easily formed from the block. In the rear spring connecting segment with the spaced-apart thin material points 37 and 39 it would be practically impossible to produce such a central thin material point. This embodiment with the two spaced-apart thin material points 37 and 39 in the rear spring connecting segment and the thin material point 59 as the only linkage in the front spring connecting segment has the advantage that the kinematic center of rotation of the flexural pivot can be defined more precisely in at least one direction. This flexural pivot therefore behaves similarly to the conventional non-monolithic flexural pivots in which the thin points of the two spring connecting segments are located directly at the crossing point (as in the previously cited U.S. Pat. No. 3,700,289, for example). This is particularly advantageous if the two spring connecting segments of the flexural pivot are not disposed at a +/−45° angle to the horizontal—as in the examples shown here—but are instead disposed horizontally and vertically.
The above description of the preferred embodiments has been given by way of example. From the disclosure given, those skilled in the art will not only understand the present invention and its attendant advantages, but will also find apparent various changes and modifications to the structures and methods disclosed. It is sought, therefore, to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined by the appended claims, and equivalents thereof.

## Claims

1. A weighing system comprising:
a base region,
a parallel-guided load receiver,
at least one transmission lever pivotably mounted on the base region with at least one flexural pivot, and
a coupling element connecting the load receiver to the short lever arm of the transmission lever,
wherein the flexural pivot, at least one part of the transmission lever and at least one part of the base region are monolithically formed from a block, and at least one spring connecting segment of the flexural pivot has two spaced-apart material points that are thin relative to remaining portions of the connecting segment.

2. The weighing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flexural pivot comprises two spring connecting segments, each having the two spaced-apart thin material points.

3. The weighing system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the two spring connecting segments are at least essentially bounded by four horizontal bores extending parallel to the axis of rotation of the flexural pivot, wherein the center points of the four bores are arranged in the corners of a square, wherein the bores have the same diameter, and wherein the length of the sides of the square exceeds the diameter of the bores by the thickness of the thin material points.

4. The weighing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the two spring connecting segments are at least essentially bounded by four horizontal bores extending parallel to the axis of rotation of the flexural pivot, wherein the center points of the four bores are arranged in the corners of a rectangle, wherein the bores have the same diameter, and wherein the shorter side of the rectangle exceeds the diameter of the bores by the thickness of the thin material points.

5. The weighing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flexural pivot comprises two pairs of spring connecting segments, wherein one of the pairs is spaced apart from the other of the pairs in axial direction of the flexural pivot.

6. The weighing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thin material points are weakened by recesses that do not contact vertical edges of the thin material points.

7. The weighing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in addition to the base region, the transmission lever and the flexural pivot, the load receiver, guides of a parallel guide unit and the coupling element are monolithically formed from a block.

8. The weighing system as claimed in claim 3, wherein, in addition to the base region, the transmission lever and the flexural pivot, the load receiver, guides of a parallel guide unit and the coupling element are monolithically formed from the block.

9. The weighing system as claimed in claim 8, wherein one of the four horizontal bores for the flexural pivot additionally delimits a thin point of the coupling element.