Patent ID: 7823485

Claim:
A torque wrench, comprising: a main beam having a distal end and a proximal end; a drive element disposed at the distal end of the main beam; a stationary beam having a distal end fixedly secured to the main beam at a first location on the main beam, and having a proximal end; and an optical displacement sensor assembly disposed at a second location associated with the main beam and with the stationary beam to detect an amount of displacement of the main beam relative to the stationary beam, the optical displacement sensor assembly including: a surface that reflects radiation to generate an optical signal, wherein the surface is rigidly secured to one of the main beam or the stationary beam; and an actuable element that includes an optical sensor that senses the optical signal reflected by the surface, wherein the actuable element is rigidly secured to the other one of the main beam or the stationary beam.