Patent Description:
From a technical perspective, tribology and specifically friction are phenomena of paramount importance in virtually any and all engineering applications, since interfacing surfaces of materials cannot conceivably move in a space where intermolecular forces are nonexistent. A certain level and presence of friction is mandatory for any kind of motion to take place. Different materials have different frictional characteristics, properties of which must be ascertained and scrutinized thoroughly in order for them to be considered for their proper areas of use. Moreover, for many industrial applications from conveyor lines to robotic arms, force sensors are widely utilized.

Force sensing is in itself a communication method and peripheral feedback utility, such as the ones included in prior art publications. Force sensors provide feedback to automatized processes, ensuring different steps are taken sensitive to peripheral changes. However, force sensing methods can be modified or refined to serve specific ends such as the detection of even the most minuscule amounts of friction. A prominent example would be the case of wing design of aircraft such as commercial airplanes. Main wings of commercial airliners also serve as the fuel depot, and shall retain a certain amount of flexibility in order to withstand large G forces. Once airplanes reach the cruising altitude, however, ice begins to form on the surface of the wings, reducing flexibility greatly and diminishing maneuverability. To prevent this, outer surface of the wings is covered with a special type of polymer that has very small friction so that ice cannot build up on top of it.

Present invention is conceived to address this problem specifically: The main purpose of the present invention is to detect friction forces in millinewton ranges and to measure the coefficient of friction between the interacting surfaces of two specimens. Detection of force in a command space has been performed in different ways. A prior art document referred to with the publication number <CIT> defines as such for robot control; a photointerrupter based force sensing handle based on flexure as the main object of said disclosure. Robotic handling that is mentioned in the patent reference is attached to <NUM> different force sensing modules which determine the forces applied on the robotic handle.

Another prior art document with the publication number <CIT> discloses an invention of a single position, photointerrupter-utilizing force sensor. The working principle of this force sensor is based on the usage of a photo-interrupter horizontally place underneath a plate. However the design and complexity, as well as application thereof is of limited complexity and therefore limited to sensing, and not measurement.

In the frst prior art document, the invention utilizes a force sensing technique, which is based on a photointerrupter blockage, as opposed to purely strain gauge-based methods applied in other industrial examples, none of which are intended to solely detect and measure friction simultaneously in millinewton range; it is envisioned to work in the immediate robotic setting it is a greater part of. In addition, second prior art has no data acquisition means for measurement and processing, which illustrates the shortcomings unto itself.

Another prior art device is known from <CIT>.

Primary object of the present invention is to provide a system for the sensitive detection and measurement of the friction force acting between two different types of material.

Basic principle of the friction sensor rests on the premise that, a displacement or perturbance caused by an object in a sensory element calibrated appropriately to deduce force causing the displacement of the said object may be used to develop a friction sensing mechanism.

A photointerrupter sensor is an electronic device which consists of a light emitter, a light transmitter and a light-sensitive receiver. The beam of light travels across a gap and is picked up by the receiver on the other end of the said gap. This transparent gap can be disturbed by a interrupter which can change the photo-transistor output, resulting in a means to deduce environmental changes caused by an external force, in this case the force acted upon a force application point by a test specimen.

The central part of the invention preferably consists of two monolithically manufactured parts, one photointerrupter and one mounting element.

This setup is mounted on a vertical surface with the intention of maintaining stability. The measurement system is in contact with a certain first specimen situated on a disk rotating around an axis going through its center, surface of which is covered by another certain second specimen.

Movement of the object which is the first specimen is horizontal, therefore compliant with the resilience of the mounted piece. Rotating disk is covered with another specimen the friction characteristics between which and the first specimen is to be examined, e.g. first specimen being an ice block and the second being the polymer considered for wing coating.

Accompanying drawings are given solely for the purpose of exemplifying a friction force sensor, whose advantages over prior art were outlined above and will be explained in brief hereinafter.

The drawings are not meant to delimit the scope of protection as identified in the claims nor should they be referred to alone in an effort to interpret the scope identified in said claims without recourse to the technical disclosure in the description of the present invention.

The following numerals are referred to in the detailed description of the present invention:.

The present invention discloses a friction force sensor comprising a flexible assembly (<NUM>) having one fixed end (<NUM>) and one free end (<NUM>) with flexures (<NUM>) separated with a slot cut. A mounting housing (<NUM>) integral to a blocking extension (<NUM>) allows a mounting element (<NUM>) to be attached to said flexible assembly (<NUM>).

The flexible assembly (<NUM>) is designed with a interrupter repositioning slot (<NUM>) between its fixed (<NUM>) and free (<NUM>) ends so as to accommodate the interrupter (<NUM>) firmly. Said interrupter repositioning slot (<NUM>) is the end portion of the slot cut and is used when the interrupter blocking extension (<NUM>) is needed to be repositioned due to excessive bending of the flexures (<NUM>).

Photointerrupter sensor (<NUM>) is attached/glued to the edge of the fixed end (<NUM>) that faces the flexures (<NUM>). Interrupter (<NUM>), which is connected to the flexible assembly (<NUM>) with the use of a mounting element (<NUM>) comprises said blocking extension (<NUM>) facing the fixed end (<NUM>) of the flexible assembly (<NUM>) and inserted straight into the photointerrupter sensor (<NUM>), by which sensing is effectuated with the deflection of the tip of the said interrupter (<NUM>) within the photointerrupter sensor (<NUM>).

Said friction force sensor is attached/mounted to a fixture (<NUM>) on a vertical surface to form an assembly by its fixed end (<NUM>) side, while the free end (<NUM>) side allows to deflect under the applied force. Two types of threaded holes (mounting hole (<NUM>), fastening slot (<NUM>)), one for fastening the assembly to the fixture (<NUM>) and one for mounting the fixture (<NUM>) to a vertical surface exist. Situated beneath the mounted sensor assembly is the rotary plate (<NUM>) with a second test specimen (<NUM>) appropriately positioned on top of which the first test specimen (<NUM>) in contact with the sensor unit's force application point (<NUM>).

The flexible assembly (<NUM>) is preferably monolithically manufactured from a desired type of material in compliance with the measuring surface. Two symmetrically shaped rectangular flexures (<NUM>) are cut to form an inner space extending to the interrupter repositioning slot (<NUM>), which lie long enough to accommodate the deflection of the interrupter (<NUM>). Fixed end (<NUM>) side of the part is used to attach the sensor to the flexible assembly (<NUM>) while the free end (<NUM>) side allows deflection under the force applied by the first test specimen (<NUM>).

The interrupter (<NUM>) is also preferably manufactured using a desired type of material, however it is apt to denote here that steel and titanium alloys are also considerable alternatives. Preferably rectangular cross-section blocking extension (<NUM>) of interrupter (<NUM>) moves back and forth under the applied force at the force application point (<NUM>), which interrupts the light transmission in the photointerrupter sensor (<NUM>). The mounting housing (<NUM>) in the support means (<NUM>) of said interrupter (<NUM>) provides the adjustment of the position of the blocking extension (<NUM>) with respect to the photointerrupter sensor (<NUM>), in addition to attaching the interrupter (<NUM>) to the flexible assembly (<NUM>) via said mounting element (<NUM>).

Along with rotary plate (<NUM>) covered with the second test specimen (<NUM>) and the first test specimen (<NUM>) on top of it, friction force measurement is performed by the sensor unit comprising the interrupter (<NUM>), the flexible assembly (<NUM>) and the photointerrupter sensor (<NUM>). For this, a photointerrupter sensor (<NUM>), such as RPI <NUM> manufactured by Mouser Electronics (Trade name) can be used. The photointerrupter sensor rests glued on top of the fixed end (<NUM>) of the flexible assembly (<NUM>) in continuous interaction with the interrupter (<NUM>). The interrupter (<NUM>), the tip of the blocking extension (<NUM>) of which is stationed in the gap of the photointerrupter sensor (<NUM>), is displaced whenever a force of any magnitude acts on the force application point (<NUM>) of the mounting element (<NUM>), the latter connecting said flexible assembly (<NUM>) to said interrupter (<NUM>). When force acts on as stated previously, the tip of the blocking extension (<NUM>) deflects inside the photointerrupter sensor's (<NUM>) cavity, disrupting the light transmission therein. Changing signal produces a change in current, which provides the basis for ascertaining the magnitude of the friction force with the aid of calibration made beforehand.

The mounting element (<NUM>) connects said interrupter (<NUM>) to the flexible assembly (<NUM>), inserted into the threaded hole (<NUM>) that accommodates it appropriately. It is fixedly attached when its head portion touches the mounting housing (<NUM>) of the interrupter (<NUM>) at the height of its corresponding end, producing a tight grip to keep them together. The free end of the mounting element (<NUM>), which is the force application point (<NUM>) protrudes off the bottom by an unspecified length. First test specimen (<NUM>) enacts a force on said free end of the mounting element (<NUM>), i.e. at the force application point (<NUM>), causing the flexible assembly (<NUM>) to bend at the flexures (<NUM>) by a certain amount which tilts its free end (<NUM>) backwards.

Tilted flexures (<NUM>) along with the bent free end (<NUM>) disrupt the positional axis of the interrupter (<NUM>), causing the tip of its blocking extension (<NUM>) to deflect inside the transparent gap of the photointerrupter sensor (<NUM>), which, in turn, disturbs the light picked up by the light sensitive photo-transistor therein. Current generated by the said photo-transistor is representative of the amount of the tip portion's displacement as the maximum amount of blockage of the LED light ranges from <NUM>% to <NUM>%. Therefore, an electronic control unit is able to calculate the exact amount of blockage in accordance with the final position of the blocking extension's (<NUM>) tip integral to said interrupter (<NUM>), translating it into the amount of force acting on the force application point (<NUM>).

Rotary plate (<NUM>) with second test specimen (<NUM>) lies on a horizontal surface, with the first test specimen (<NUM>) situated on top of its disk, rotating with a constant radial velocity. As soon as the first test specimen (<NUM>) is in contact with the force application point (<NUM>) of the sensor, flexures (<NUM>) begin to bend with the said first test specimen (<NUM>) retaining inertia. Once friction force is overcome, first test specimen (<NUM>) comes to a halt, with the rotary plate (<NUM>) with second test specimen continuing its rotation however still, meaning the force acting on the force application point (<NUM>) is equal to the friction force between the touching surfaces of the first test specimen (<NUM>) and said rotary plate (<NUM>) with second test specimen (<NUM>).

Claim 1:
A friction force sensing system comprising:
a rotary plate (<NUM>) configured to rotate with a constant radial velocity and to be covered with a second test specimen (<NUM>) lies on a horizontal surface, and configured to receive a first test specimen (<NUM>) on top of it;
one flexible assembly (<NUM>) having a fixed end (<NUM>) and a free end (<NUM>), longitudinal flexures (<NUM>) extending between said fixed end (<NUM>) and free end (<NUM>), with a mounting element (<NUM>) at the free end (<NUM>) of said flexible assembly (<NUM>), said friction force sensing system further comprising a sensor unit in connection with the said flexible assembly (<NUM>) in the manner that a free end of said mounting element (<NUM>) provides a force application point (<NUM>) for the measurement of friction forces between the touching surfaces of the first test specimen (<NUM>) and said rotary plate (<NUM>) with second test specimen (<NUM>) when the first test specimen (<NUM>) is in contact with the force application point (<NUM>),
said system further comprising two symmetrical flexures (<NUM>) extending between said fixed end (<NUM>) and free end (<NUM>) of the flexible assembly (<NUM>), the flexures separated by a gap (<NUM>)
characterized in that;
a photointerrupter sensor (<NUM>) is attached on the fixed end (<NUM>) of the flexible assembly (<NUM>) and,
an interrupter (<NUM>) with a blocking extension (<NUM>) in a structural relation with the flexible assembly (<NUM>) is provided such that said blocking extension (<NUM>) extends into the gap portion of said flexible assembly (<NUM>) such that deflection of the said interrupter (<NUM>) within the photointerrupter sensor (<NUM>) enables the measurement of friction forces.