Patent ID: 7091428

Claim:
A weighing apparatus for measuring a weight of an article, said apparatus comprising: a Roberval mechanism including a base portion, a load receiving portion and a pair of parallel link portions which couple said base portion and load receiving portion to each other via flexures; a load converting section which includes at least one lever having a first end that is operationally coupled with the load receiving portion of the Roberval mechanism, and which is arranged in a plane that is different from a plane in which said Roberval mechanism is arranged; and a load sensor unit including a base portion, a load receiving portion which is operationally coupled with a second end of said lever of the load converting section, and a load sensor coupled with said load receiving portion of the load sensor unit, wherein a load applied to said load receiving portion of the Roberval mechanism is enlarged or reduced by the lever of the load converting section such that an enlarged or reduced load is applied to the load sensor.