Abstract:
An exemplary mounting arrangement serves for the mounting of a force transducer that has a sensor-equipped core part connecting a support part to a force-application part. The support part can be bolted to a fastening part by mounting screws, and the force-application part can be bolted to a weighing pan carrier by means of mounting screws. The support part and the force-application part of the force transducer can each have a triplet of threaded holes serving to receive the mounting screws. Each triplet forms an isosceles triangle whose apex points towards the deformable body. The symmetry axes of the triangles lie in a plane that is parallel to the displacement travel of the force transducer. The mounting arrangement can be further configured to provide an effective overload protection in a low-profile design and to provide a thermally uncoupled fixation.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 to European Application No. 02100271.2 filed in the EP on 18 Mar. 2002, and as a continuation application under 35 U.S.C. §120 to PCT/EP03/50048 filed as an International Application on 10 Mar. 2003 designating the U.S., the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     A force transducer is disclosed, along with a way of fastening the force transducer, a mounting arrangement for a force transducer, as well as a weighing scale in which a force transducer is installed by means of a mounting arrangement.  
         [0003]     Known force-measuring cells of weighing scales are equipped with a force transducer that is on one side connected to a scale housing serving as support base and on the other side to a weighing pan carrier through which the force to be measured is introduced. Force transducers can be configured in a variety of ways. Widely used are transducer designs with an elastically deformable body as a core element, or with a device that performs a force compensation, in most cases by means of a counterbalancing force which is generated by a current-regulated electromagnet and is acting through a lever mechanism.  
         [0004]     To give an example, a force transducer described in [1], DE 199 39 633 A1 and referred to as “counterforce” or “force receiver” in [2], EP 0 670 479 A1, has an elastically deformable body connecting a housing-connected fixed part of the transducer to a force-application part or, in the case of a weighing scale, a weighing-load application part. The force transducer has transverse grooves at the transitions between the deformable body and the parts that serve to connect the force transducer to the scale housing and the weighing pan carrier. The transverse grooves serve to mechanically uncouple the deformable body in which the deformations effected by the applied forces are measured by means of sensors, such as strain gauges.  
         [0005]     The deformable body can be configured as a parallelogram-shaped measuring element with an arrangement of guide members resembling a parallelogram (see for example [3], EP 0 511 521 A1).  
         [0006]     The analog signal representing the measurement can be generated by means of strain gauges connected to each other in a bridge circuit. The signal is normally digitized in a converter circuit and subsequently put through further processing steps. The principal structure of a bridge circuit with strain gauges is described, e.g., in [4], U. Tietze, Ch. Schenk, Halbleiterschaltungstechnik, 11 th edition, first reprint, Springer Verlag, Berlin 1999, pages 1242-1243.  
         [0007]     To support the further processing of the digitized measuring signal, the measuring cell described in [2] has a memory module in which characteristic parameters are stored that are specific to the individual measuring cell and are used to correct the measuring signals.  
         [0008]     As described in [5], published patent application Ser. No. GB 1 462 808, the aforementioned correction applies in particular to errors that are caused by non-linearities, hysteresis phenomena, temperature and creep effects. The calibration- and compensation data required for the correction are determined during production at the factory through specific test and measuring procedures and are stored in the memory module.  
         [0009]     According to [1], the measuring accuracy of force transducers in weighing cells depends to a significant degree on the hysteresis properties of the force transducer. The hysteresis of a force transducer can be caused by several factors that occur in most cases in combination with each other.  
         [0010]     Further according to [1], mechanical design measures that have heretofore been used to lessen the hysteresis effects have been directed mainly at avoiding plastic deformations of the material of the force transducer. As a means of avoiding friction between the fixed housing-connected part of the force transducer and the mounting base to which it is connected, the two parts were securely bolted together, joined through contact surfaces finished to a high degree of planarity and cleaned of grease and other contaminations. To limit the hysteresis error of the scale, specific requirements are set for the machining of the contact surfaces and for the tightening torque of the screw bolts.  
         [0011]     In the practical implementation of these requirements, it was found that the screw connection introduced variable amounts of stress in the material, with an additional unfavorable effect on the hysteresis.  
         [0012]     As a solution, it was proposed in [1] to insert a shim element of a flat elastic seal material between the part of the force transducer that is installed in a fixed condition relative to the housing and the mounting base to which the fixed transducer part is connected. However, besides the cost of the seal material, the long-term behavior of the shim element is of concern in this solution. In some cases, a scale that is equipped with an elastic shim element may have to be recalibrated after a relatively short time period.  
         [0013]     Furthermore, modern types of scales often have modular force-measuring cells that can be exchanged by a service technician at the user location without the need to send the scale to the factory. The use of an elastic shim element can hardly be recommended for these scales without a recalibration after the exchange of the force-measuring cell, because the behavior of the elastic shim element can change strongly with the exchange of the force-measuring cell.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0014]     Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are directed to an improved mounting arrangement for a force transducer, a force transducer that is compatible with the mounting arrangement, as well as a scale with a force transducer that is mounted by means of the improved mounting arrangement. The term “mounting arrangement” in the present context encompasses the mechanical components which in their entirety serve to interconnect the force transducer between the part of the scale where the weighing load is introduced and the base that provides the counteracting support force.  
         [0015]     Exemplary embodiments provide a cost-effective mounting arrangement that allows a force transducer with sensors to be mounted in such a manner that the measuring characteristic is to a large extent linear and therefore leaves only small deviations to be compensated. In addition, the deviations from an ideal behavior that remain after the installation of the force transducer should change as little as possible over time.  
         [0016]     An exemplary mounting arrangement allows force-measuring cells to be mounted in a scale housing within a small amount of space and with a high degree of stability.  
         [0017]     An exemplary mounting arrangement protects the force-measuring cells reliably against overload.  
         [0018]     In addition, the mounting arrangement can be suitable for mounting modular force-measuring cells that have to meet a requirement of being interchangeable without necessitating a recalibration of the scale.  
         [0019]     An exemplary force transducer is configured with a force-application part and a support part that are connected through a core part. The core part has at least one sensor and may be mechanically uncoupled from the force-application part and/or the support part by means of transverse grooves. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, the force transducer can be distinguished by a special arrangement of threaded bore holes that receive the fastening screws for the attachment of a load-receiving part to the force-application part of the force transducer as well as for the attachment of a fastening part to the support part of the force transducer. The attachment surfaces or contact zones for at least the fastening part, and in an exemplary embodiment, also for the load-receiving part, are each provided with three threaded bore holes that run parallel to each other in the direction of the force application. In the plane of the attachment surface, which is orthogonal to the threaded bore holes, the centers of the bore holes form an isosceles, (e.g., equilateral) triangle with its apex pointing towards the core part of the force transducer. With three threaded bore holes each on the force-application part and on the support part, the respective symmetry axes of the triangles run substantially parallel to each other and share the same plane as the direction of the force application.  
         [0020]     Furthermore, the planes of the triangles themselves can be parallel to each other, so that the load will subject the force transducer only to bending, but not to torsion.  
         [0021]     The mounting arrangement for a force transducer, in particular of the type that has just been described, can be distinguished by a fastening part with a U-shaped cross-section in which the open side of the U faces towards the force transducer. The fastening part extends from the attachment surface of the support part towards the force-application part, reaching beyond the middle of the core part, and includes means for installing the fastening part at a fixed position, for example screws, clamps, snap connectors, or similar fasteners. The installing means serve to attach the force-measuring cell to parts that are, for example, stationary, such as in particular a housing of a weighing scale. The fastening part can include means by which the fastening part can be screwed together with a force transducer of the aforementioned kind. The load-receiving part, which in the particular case of a weighing scale is also referred to as weighing pan support, can likewise be configured to be bolted to the force transducer in the same way as described above. However, this particular feature is not applicable, e.g., in a scale where the load is introduced from a suspended load through a hook that is screwed directly into the force-application part.  
         [0022]     As a result of exemplary arrangements of the mounting screws described herein, the stresses that occur in the force transducer can be significantly reduced, so that there is no longer a need for using a shim element as described in [1].  
         [0023]     A reduction of the measuring errors can be achieved even if an exemplary arrangement of the mounting screws on the force transducer is used on the fixed part alone or on the force-application part alone. However, there can be a further significant improvement if the arrangement of the mounting screws as described herein is used on both of these parts. It has further been found that the so-called recovery phenomenon can be drastically reduced. The term “recovery” in this context means a slow change of the stresses which occurs after the fastening connection has been tightened and which affects the creep behavior, hysteresis, and other deviations from an idealized behavior.  
         [0024]     The aforedescribed benefits of using the disclosed arrangements of the mounting screws prove to be particularly advantageous in weighing scales equipped with modular force-measuring cells, i.e., measuring cells that are for example equipped with a force transducer, sensors, and a local electronic circuit, where a recalibration of the scale is to be avoided when replacing the measuring cell.  
         [0025]     In an exemplary embodiment of the force transducer and the mounting arrangement, the distance between the two bore holes at the base corners of the isosceles triangle that is formed by the three bore holes is about twice as long as the distance of the bore holes from the border of the respective contact zone of the support part or the force-application part of the transducer. In the mounting arrangement, the support part can be connected to a fastening part which, in turn, can be appropriately anchored, for example in the housing of a scale. In exemplary applications of the force transducer, the support part is therefore a part of the force transducer that can be mounted at a fixed location of a housing. As a further feature of the mounting arrangement, the force-application part is connected to a load-receiving part. In the case of a scale, the load-receiving part is a weighing-pan carrier. When the force transducer is bolted to the fastening part and/or to the load-receiving part, the arrangement of the threaded bore holes described above can ensure a uniform stress distribution in the area of the contact zones.  
         [0026]     The fastening part and the load-receiving part themselves can, for example, be as stiff as possible and should have means for installing the force transducer that is equipped with the mounting arrangement, for example in the housing of a scale. According to an exemplary feature, the fastening part as well as the load-receiving part can be therefore configured as support members with a U-shaped profile and outward-protruding ledges formed on the sides of the U-channels. The lateral ledges provide stiffness. In the case of the fastening part, the lateral ledges also offer a possibility for connecting the fastening part to the outside. They also allow an arrangement of an overload protection with a low overall installation profile. In addition, the U-shaped support members protect the force transducer in the handling of the module.  
         [0027]     It is further known from [6], published patent application Ser. No. DE 199 10 003 A1, that force transducers and strain gauges can be highly sensitive components, that are easily destroyed by mechanical overload. The device described in [6] therefore has an adjustable end stop arranged above the housing-connected fixed part of the force transducer, which serves to limit the downward displacement of the weighing pan or weighing platform that is held by the weighing pan support. In modular force-measuring cells of the type described in [2], there is no advantageous way to realize this configuration of the overload safety device, which requires a relatively large amount of space in the vertical direction. Because of the way in which the weighing platform and the overload safety device are intended to work together, the design options for the scale are strongly restricted. In case the measuring cell is exchanged, the gap between the end stop and the weighing platform may have to be readjusted. Furthermore, in the device described in [6], the forces that the end stop and the weighing load apply to the weighing platform are not aligned in a common axis, so that after the end stop has been reached, a force component that is not constrained by the end stop can continue to act on the force transducer and have a detrimental influence on the elastic properties of the force transducer or even cause damage to the force transducer if the applied force is extreme and exerts an unfavorable torque.  
         [0028]     The aforementioned drawbacks can be avoided in exemplary embodiments of the inventive mounting arrangement. To avoid overloading the sensor-equipped force transducer, the ledges on the profile walls of the load-receiving part and the fastening part can extend far enough towards each other that they overlap. In the overlapping area, there are mutually matched end stops arranged to prevent an excessive displacement travel of the force-application part in relation to the support part when the applied force is too large. For example, at least one laterally extending part of the weighing pan carrier or—in more general terms—of the load-receiving part is provided with a round hole through which a vertical bolt passes with clearance. Two nuts on the bolt are adjustable in such a manner that one of the nuts limits the downward displacement of the force-application part and the other of the two nuts limits the displacement travel in the upward direction. Other configurations of the end stops on the overlapping profile parts are possible as straightforward possibilities within the scope of the invention.  
         [0029]     As the end stop acts directly on the weighing pan carrier, the overload safety device can be realized with a minimal requirement for extra space. Since the weighing platform or weighing pan is not cooperating directly with the overload safety device, the overload protection arrangement imposes no restrictions on the design of the scale.  
         [0030]     The fastening part as well as the load-receiving part can be equipped on both sides with an end stop for both displacement directions. For example, the weighing pan carrier can have laterally projecting parts on both sides, each with a round hole through which a vertical bolt passes with clearance. Two nuts on each of the bolts are adjustable in such a manner that the two laterally projecting parts are met simultaneously by the nuts that form the downward or upward limit stop, respectively, so that a lateral twisting of the force transducer as well as hysteresis problems caused by the twisting action can be avoided.  
         [0031]     The arrangement where the forces of the load on the weighing pan carrier are aligned along an axis sharing the same plane with the bolt axes of the overload safety device can prevent the risk that a load-dependent force component can continue to increase and adversely affect the force transducer after the overload stop has been reached on both sides.  
         [0032]     The weighing pan carrier and the fastening part can be configured with a U-shaped cross-section with the open side of the U-channel facing towards the force transducer, so that the force transducer is partially surrounded by these parts, which have an increased stiffness due to their U-shape. The mounting arrangement with the measuring cell held inside it can therefore also be used in small balances that are subject to exacting precision requirements.  
         [0033]     The ends of the U-profiled fastening part can be laterally extended into outward-bent wing portions that are provided with passage holes for mounting screws that can be screwed into support elements in the scale housing. The fastening part in this embodiment therefore serves at the same time to provide a firm hold on the force transducer, to realize a simple yet effective overload safety device, and to connect the entire measuring device to the scale housing. In contrast, solutions proposed in, e.g. [7], published patent application Ser. No. DE 198 36 317 A1, include an additional chassis for the connection of the measuring cell to the scale housing, for example a stamped sheet-metal part, which entails an increase in manufacturing cost and is installed in a commensurately larger scale housing.  
         [0034]     A force transducer according to an exemplary embodiment can be therefore connected to a weighing pan carrier and a fastening part of the foregoing description. However, this is not meant to preclude the possible use of differently shaped weighing pan carriers and fastening parts.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0035]     In the following, exemplary embodiments will be explained in more detail and with reference to drawings of an example of a force-measuring cell with a deformable body configured as a parallelogram-shaped measuring element with sensors. However, the example presented is not meant to impose limitations on the scope of the invention. The invention can also be used with other types of force-measuring cells. In the drawings:  
         [0036]      FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary force transducer  20  installed by means of a mounting arrangement, wherein the force transducer together with the sensors  28 ,  29  and a circuit module  24  forms a modular force-measuring cell  2  that can be connected to a weighing pan carrier  4  serving to apply the force and to a scale housing  5  by means of a fastening part  3 ;  
         [0037]      FIG. 2  shows a side view of the exemplary modular force-measuring cell  2  of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0038]      FIG. 3  illustrates the exemplary force transducer  20  of the modular force-measuring cell  2  of  FIG. 1  with the screws  36   BR ,  36   BL ,  36   F ;  46   BR ,  46   BL ,  46   F ;  231  that serve, respectively, to attach the fastening part  3  which can in turn be connected to a scale housing, to attach the weighing pan carrier  4 , and to attach a metal element serving to hold the circuit module;  
         [0039]      FIG. 4  illustrates the exemplary fixed part  208  of the force transducer  20  with the tapped holes  203   BR ,  203   BL ,  203   F  that receive the mounting screws  36   BR ,  36   BL ,  36   F  for the connection to the fastening part  3 ;  
         [0040]      FIG. 5  shows the exemplary modular force-measuring cell  2  of  FIG. 1  with the exemplary force-application part  206 , seen from the front;  
         [0041]      FIG. 6  illustrates the exemplary modular force-measuring cell  2  of  FIG. 1  as seen from above with two ribbon connectors  22   T ,  22   B , by which the circuit module  24  is connected to the sensors; and  
         [0042]      FIG. 7  schematically represents the modular structure of an exemplary circuit module  24  that is connected to the sensors  28   TF ,  28   TB ,  28   BF ,  28   BB ,  29  through the ribbon connectors  22   T ,  22   T ′,  22   B  and to a processor module  501  through the further ribbon connector  500 .  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0043]      FIGS. 1 and 2  illustrate an exemplary force transducer  20  that forms a modular force-measuring cell together with the sensors  28 ,  29  and is installed by means of a mounting arrangement according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. The force transducer  20  is connected to a fastening part  3  by means of mounting screws  36   BR ,  36   BL ,  36   F  and to a weighing pan carrier  4  by means of mounting screws  46   BR ,  46   BL ,  46   F . The circuit module  24  is connected to the sensors  28 ,  29  by means of two separate flexible ribbon-like connectors  22   T ,  22   B  and is held in place by an angle-shaped metal element  23  that is connected to the force transducer  20  by means of a screw  231  in a way that assures a good heat exchange between the circuit module  24  and the force transducer  20 .  
         [0044]     The force transducer  20  that is shown in an exemplary embodiment in  FIG. 3  has a deformable body  207  designed as a parallelogram-shaped measuring element connecting the support part  208 , i.e., the part of the force transducer that is configured to be held in a fixed condition relative to a housing, to the force-application part, in this case the load-receiving part  206  of a weighing scale. To uncouple the stress field of the deformable body  207 , the force transducer has transverse grooves  209  at the borders to the parts  208  and  206  that serve for the connection to the fastening part  3  and the weighing pan carrier  4 . At the corners of the virtual parallelogram linkage formed by the measuring element, the part  207  has thin material portions where strain gauges  28   TF ,  28   TB ,  28   BF ,  28   BB  are installed. The locations of maximum bending deformation at the thin material portions are indicated by the bending axes a TB , a TB , a BF , a BB  that extend perpendicular to the plane of the parallelogram. In addition, a temperature sensor  29  that is used for temperature compensation can be arranged on the top surface of the deformable body  207 .  
         [0045]     As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the part  208  that serves for the fixed installation of the transducer  20  in a housing and the force-application part  206  of the force transducer are provided with triplets of tapped holes  203   BR ,  203   BL ,  203   F  and  204   BR ,  204   BL ,  204   F , respectively, that run in the direction of the force application and serve to receive the mounting, screws  36   BR ,  36   BL ,  36   F  and  46   BR ,  46   BL ,  46   F . In a plane that intersects the tapped holes orthogonally, the triplets of holes form isosceles triangles pointing towards the deformable body. The respective symmetry axes  600  of the triangles run parallel to each other and define at least approximately a first plane, with the displacement travel of the force transducer  20  occurring parallel to the first plane. Furthermore, the triangles themselves lie in mutually parallel planes that are at least approximately perpendicular to the first plane.  
         [0046]     As a result of the exemplary arrangement of the mounting screws, the stresses as well as the long-term change of the stresses occurring in the force transducer  20 , both of which have an unfavorable influence on the behavior of the transducer, can be significantly reduced.  
         [0047]     In an exemplary embodiment, the distances between the tapped holes  203   BR ,  203   BL ,  203   F  and between the tapped holes  204   BR ,  204   BL ,  204   F  can be made approximately equal (e.g., ±a desired tolerance).  
         [0048]     Furthermore, a desired stress distribution can be achieved in the force transducer  20  by selecting the respective distances between the tapped holes  203   BR ,  203   BL  and between the tapped holes  204   BR ,  204   BL  at the end of the baseline  601  of the isosceles triangle to be about twice as long as the distance of these holes from the border of the respective contact zone where the fixed support part  208  is connected to the fastening part  3  and where the force-application part  206  is connected to the weighing pan carrier  4  (see  FIG. 4 ).  
         [0049]     As discussed above, the force transducer  20  and the strain gauges  28   TF ,  28   TB ,  28   BF ,  28   BB  (see  FIG. 3 ) can be highly sensitive components that are easily destroyed by a mechanical overload. An exemplary embodiment of the invention demonstrates a simple way to realize an overload protection device which limits the upward and downward displacement travel of the force transducer  20  without allowing harmful torque reactions to occur on the force transducer.  
         [0050]     To implement an exemplary embodiment of the overload safety device, the U-profiled weighing pan carrier  4  can have lateral portions  43 ,  43 ′ with holes  44 ,  44 ′. Bolts  33 ,  33 ′ that are connected to the fastening part  3  pass with clearance through the holes  44 ,  44 ′. Two nuts  34 ,  35  on bolt  33  and two nuts  34 ′,  35 ′ on bolt  33 ′ are adjustable in such a manner that the first nuts  34 ,  34 ′ limit the downward displacement of the force-application part  206  of the force transducer  20  by constraining the lateral parts  43 ,  43 ′, and the second nuts  35 ,  35 ′ analogously limit the displacement travel in the upward direction.  
         [0051]     As may be seen in  FIG. 5 , the overload protection device which is based on constraining the weighing pan carrier  4  directly through the upper and lower end stops formed by the nuts  35 ,  35 ′ and  34 ,  34 ′, respectively, can be realized with a minimal requirement for space. This can be of particular advantage in modular force-measuring cells  2 , because a very compact design is preferred for these types of force-measuring cells.  
         [0052]     The arrangement where the forces of the load on the weighing pan carrier  4  are aligned along an axis sharing the same plane with the axes  33 ,  33 ′ of the bolts of the overload safety device prevents that a load-dependent force component can continue to increase and have a potentially damaging effect on the force transducer  20  after the overload stop has been reached on both sides. Further increases in load-related forces are therefore absorbed entirely by the overload protection device.  
         [0053]     The fastening part  3  and the weighing pan carrier  4  can be configured with a U-shaped cross-section with the open side of the U-channel facing towards the force transducer  20 , so that the force transducer  20  is partially surrounded by these parts, which have an increased stiffness due to their U-shape. The mounting arrangement with the measuring cell held inside it, and with the overload protection device as a design option, can therefore also be used in small balances that are subject to exacting precision requirements.  
         [0054]     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the ends of the exemplary U-profiled fastening part are laterally extended into outward-bent wing portions  38 ,  38 ′ that are provided with passage holes  31  for mounting screws  32  that can be screwed into support elements  51  in the scale housing  5 . As an alternative to the screws  32 , one could also use other fasteners such as clamps, snap mechanisms or similar devices. The support elements  51  can, for example, be made of an insulating material, so that the measuring cell  2  is thermally uncoupled from the scale housing  5  and from other modules arranged in the housing such as, e.g., a processor module  501 .  
         [0055]     The fastening part  3  in this embodiment therefore serves at the same time to provide a firm hold on the force transducer  20 , to realize a simple yet effective overload safety device, and to connect the entire measuring device to the scale housing  5 , where the latter may in some cases have a very compact volume. In addition, the exemplary arrangement provides a good thermal separation of the force measuring cell.  
         [0056]      FIG. 6  illustrates the modular force-measuring cell  2  of  FIG. 1  as seen from above with the two ribbon connectors  22   T ,  22   B , by which the circuit module  24  is connected to the sensors  28   TF ,  28   TB ,  28   BF ,  28   BB ,  29 . Also clearly shown are the arrangement of the mounting screws  46   BR ,  46   BL ,  46   F  and the arrangement where the axes of the bolts  33 ,  33 ′ and the conical seating peg  41  for the weighing pan share the same plane.  
         [0057]      FIG. 7  schematically represents the modular structure of an exemplary circuit module  24  that is connected to the strain gauges  28   TF ,  28   TB ,  28   BF ,  28   BB  and the temperature sensor  29  through the terminal strip  241  and ribbon connectors  22   T ,  22   T ′,  22   B  and to a processor module  501  through the terminal strip  242  and a further ribbon connector  500 . The processor module, in turn, is connected to a display  502  and an interface module  503 . The processor module  501  is arranged inside the scale with a separation from the circuit module  24 , so as to avoid thermal coupling between the two modules. Thus, the heat generated by the processor module  501  has no influence on the modular force-measuring cell  2  according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.  
         [0058]     The circuit module  24  includes, for example, two converter circuits  243 ,  244 . The first converter circuit  243  converts the analog signals of the strain gauge bridge circuit  28   TF ,  28   TB ,  28   BF ,  28   BB  into bi-level, pulse-width modulated signals pwm 1 , while the second converter circuit  244  converts the analog signals of the temperature sensor  29  into bi-level, pulse-width modulated signals pwm 2 . The signals pwm 1 , pwm 2  are sent through the ribbon connector  500  to the processor module  501 , where the signals are further processed by means of compensation data that can be available for recall from a memory module  245  that is likewise arranged on the circuit module  24 .  
         [0059]     It is considered self-evident that the mounting arrangement according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention can be used regardless of the specific configuration of the electronic measuring circuit and the further configuration of the measuring cell. In particular, there are applications where the mounting arrangement can be used to mount measuring cells that are not of a modular design and to mount force transducers with different kinds of sensors in order to achieve a good degree of mechanical uncoupling.  
         [0060]     The disclosures of documents [1]-[7], referenced herein, are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.  
         [0061]     It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the present invention can be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The presently disclosed embodiments are therefore considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restricted. The scope of the invention is indicated by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description and all changes that come within the meaning and range and equivalence thereof are intended to be embraced therein.