G01L1/00

Slotted MEMS force sensor

Described herein is a MEMS force sensor with stress concentration design. The stress concentration can be performed by providing slots, whether through or blind, and/or selective thinning of the substrate. The MEMS force sensor is in chip scale package with solder bumps or metal pillars and there are sensing elements formed on the sensor substrate at the stress concentrate area. The stress concentration can be realized through slots, selective thinning and a combination of both.

Linear actuator

The disclosure relates to a linear actuator including a base, a linear motor, a load cell and a rotary motor. The linear motor is disposed on the base and includes a fixed coil module and a movable magnetic backplane. The fixed coil module is fixed on the base, and the movable magnetic backplane is configured to slide relative to the fixed coil module along a first direction. The rotary motor is rotated around a central axis in parallel with the first direction. The load cell has two opposite sides parallel to the first direction, respectively. The movable magnetic backplane of the linear motor and the rotary motor are connected to the two opposite sides of the load cell, respectively. The load cell is subjected to a force applied thereto by the rotary motor and parallel to the first direction, and configured to convert the force into an electrical signal.

System and method using a hand-mounted force sensor to verify installation of connector-position-assurance enabled electrical connector

The present invention is a system and method using a hand-mounted force sensor to verify installation of a CPA-enabled electrical connector. The system has at least one CPA-enabled electrical connector with a locking button; at least one hand-mounted force sensor; an interface board; a transmission channel; a system processor; a non-transitory computer readable memory element; a display; and an input. The hand-mounted force sensors have an electrical output that is proportional to the force. The method is accomplished with the steps of mounting at least one force sensor so that it will record the force exerted when depressing a locking button of a CPA-enabled electrical connector; depressing the locking button; measuring the force; recording the force; comparing the force to a pre-determined threshold; passing the CPA-enabled electrical connector if the force was less than the pre-determined threshold and otherwise failing it.

Tensile testing machine and control method of tensile testing machine
11549873 · 2023-01-10 · ·

A high-speed tensile testing machine conducts a tensile test on a test piece by applying a test force to the test piece. The high-speed tensile testing machine includes a detection unit configured to detect a test period indicating a time from when the test piece starts to deform under action of the test force to when the test piece breaks, and a determination unit configured to determine validity of a test result of the tensile test, on the basis of the test period and natural vibration of the high-speed tensile testing machine. Specifically, in the case where the test period is a predetermined multiple or more of a specific cycle indicating a cycle of the natural vibration of the high-speed tensile testing machine, the determination unit determines that the test result of the tensile test is valid.

Method for identifying spatial-temporal distribution of vehicle loads on bridge based on densely connected convolutional networks
11692885 · 2023-07-04 · ·

The present invention proposes a method for identifying the spatial-temporal distribution of the vehicle loads on a bridge based on the DenseNet. The method includes five steps: firstly, mounting a plurality of cameras in different positions of a bridge, acquiring images of the bridge from different directions, and outputting video images with time tags; secondly, acquiring multichannel characteristics of vehicles on the bridge by using DenseNet, including color characteristics, shape characteristics and position characteristics; thirdly, analyzing the data and characteristics of the vehicles from different cameras at a same moment to obtain vehicle distribution on the bridge at any time; fourthly, continuously monitoring the vehicle distribution in a time period to obtain a vehicle load situation on any section of the bridge; and finally, integrating the time and space distribution of the vehicles to obtain spatial-temporal distribution of the bridge.

Method for identifying spatial-temporal distribution of vehicle loads on bridge based on densely connected convolutional networks
11692885 · 2023-07-04 · ·

The present invention proposes a method for identifying the spatial-temporal distribution of the vehicle loads on a bridge based on the DenseNet. The method includes five steps: firstly, mounting a plurality of cameras in different positions of a bridge, acquiring images of the bridge from different directions, and outputting video images with time tags; secondly, acquiring multichannel characteristics of vehicles on the bridge by using DenseNet, including color characteristics, shape characteristics and position characteristics; thirdly, analyzing the data and characteristics of the vehicles from different cameras at a same moment to obtain vehicle distribution on the bridge at any time; fourthly, continuously monitoring the vehicle distribution in a time period to obtain a vehicle load situation on any section of the bridge; and finally, integrating the time and space distribution of the vehicles to obtain spatial-temporal distribution of the bridge.

Impact testing apparatuses and methods for drug delivery devices

Impact testing apparatuses are disclosed which simulate and measure various impact-related events associated with the operation of a drug delivery device. The impact testing apparatus may include an impactor configured to simulate a plunger rod of the drug delivery device, and a guide sleeve configured to receive a syringe corresponding to the drug delivery device. The syringe may have a proximal end, a distal end defining an outlet, and an interior chamber extending between the proximal and distal ends and carrying a plunger. Additionally, the impact testing apparatus may include an energy source configured to reduce a distance between the impactor and the plunger so that the impactor strikes the plunger. Various sensors may be included to measure characteristics of one or more impacts caused by the impactor. Methods of impact testing a syringe filled with a fluid and carrying a plunger are also disclosed.

Strain gauge
11543308 · 2023-01-03 · ·

A strain gauge includes a flexible substrate; a resistor formed of material including at least one from among chromium and nickel, on or above the substrate; and electrodes electrically coupled to the resistor. Each electrode includes a terminal section extending from a corresponding end portion from among end portions of the resistor; a first metallic layer formed of copper, a copper alloy, nickel, or a nickel alloy, on or above the terminal section; and a second metallic layer formed of material having better solder wettability than the first metallic layer, on or above the first metallic layer.

Strain gauge and sensor module

A strain gauge includes a flexible substrate; a functional layer formed of a metal, an alloy, or a metal compound, on one surface of the substrate; a resistor formed of a Cr composite film, on one surface of the functional layer; and an insulating resin layer with which the resistor is coated.

Ultra-sensitive, mechanically-responsive optical metasurfaces via strain amplification

Provided are structurally-reconfigurable, optical metasurfaces constructed by, for example, integrating a plasmonic lattice array in the gap between a pair of microbodies that serve to locally amplify the strain created on an elastomeric substrate by an external mechanical stimulus. The spatial arrangement and therefore the optical response of the plasmonic lattice array is reversible.