Patent ID: 8776615

Claim:
A load cell for sensing a force exerted by a load upon a sensing node of the load cell in one or more of a first, second, and third directions relative to the load cell, the load cell comprising: a plurality of sensing beams disposed between the sensing node and a base of the load cell; a first one or more strain gages disposed upon a first one or more of the plurality of sensing beams, wherein each of the first one or more strain gages is positioned perpendicularly with respect to the first direction, and wherein the first one or more of the plurality of sensing beams and the first one or more strain gages disposed thereon deform in response to a component of the force that corresponds to the first direction; a second one or more strain gages disposed upon a second one or more of the plurality of sensing beams, wherein each of the second one or more strain gages is positioned perpendicularly with respect to the second direction, and perpendicularly with respect to each of the first one or more strain gages, and wherein the second one or more of the plurality of sensing beams and the second one or more strain gages disposed thereon deform in response to a component of the force that corresponds to the second direction; and a third one or more strain gages disposed upon at least one of the first and second one or more of the plurality of sensing beams, wherein each of the third one or more strain gages is positioned perpendicularly with respect to the third direction, and perpendicularly with respect to each of the first and second one or more strain gages, and wherein the at least one of the first and second one or more of the plurality of sensing beams and the third one or more strain gages disposed thereon deform in response to a component of the force that corresponds to the third direction, wherein each of the plurality of sensing beams has three or more alternately orthogonally-oriented substrate sections with a strain gage disposed on each substrate section.