Patent ID: 7481123

Claim:
A load and load direction detecting apparatus for detecting a load value and a load direction, comprising: a main sensor unit which includes (i) a cylindrical strain body provided with, on a circumferential surface, at least four strain detecting elements circumferentially spaced, and (ii) a first member and a second member respectively fixed and supporting respective ends of the strain body so that a load directed perpendicular to an axis of the strain body acts on one of the respective ends of the strain body and a reaction force acts on the other end of the respective ends; a load value calculating unit which calculates the load value using a first output signal based on a signal output from a first bridge including at least a pair of strain detecting elements positioned relative to the axis, of the at least four strain detecting elements; and a load direction calculating unit which calculates the load direction using (i) a second output signal based on a signal output from a second bridge constituted of a pair of strain detecting elements positioned relative to the axis of the at least four strain detecting elements and two fixed resistors, and (ii) the first output signal.