An instrument for determining the spreading capacity of a coating or a surface, including a plate on which a gripping system is secured, the tool including a measuring system configured to measure the coating to be spread, wherein the measuring system includes at least one force sensor for generating data relating to the average force applied on the instrument, the maximum force applied on the instrument and the duration, in order to provide a signal representative of the capacity of the coating to be spread or the surface to be spread.

Embodiments of the invention provide structures for a force sensor, and force sensors using such structures, which are compact and easy to manufacture, for example by 3D printing. In particular the structures comprise a pair of stacked ring sensor elements, the ring sensor elements in turn being formed by upper and lower ring elements joined together at points around the circumference thereof by resiliently mounted connection bars. The connection bars may extend in the same plane as the rings, in which case sensitivity to torque about the axis of the rings is much reduced, such that a five-axis sensor is effectively obtained, or the connection bars may extend obliquely between the upper and lower rings of each sensor element, such that they have a directional component in the direction of the axis of the rings (the rings of each element being co-axially stacked). In this second case application of a torque about the ring axis causes the oblique connection bars to either increase or decrease their directional component in the axial direction, thus providing sensitivity to torque about the axis, and providing a compact six axis sensor.

Provided is an elastically actuating device including an actuator configured to generate a rotary force, a gear part connected to the actuator and configured to transfer the rotary force from the actuator to an outside, and an elastic member including one end fastened to a ground and the other end connected to the gear part, and an elastic member including one end fastened to a ground and another end connected to the gear part, disposed outside the actuator to cover the actuator from the one end to the other end, and deformed in response to the gear part rotating relative to the actuator.

A method of determining torsional deformation in a drivetrain e.g. of a wind turbine. To provide a reliable and simple deformation assessment, the method comprises the step of generating a first signal representing first rotational speed of a low speed shaft, generating a second signal representing the second rotational speed of a high speed shaft, and determining torsional deformation based on changes in the ratio between the first and second signals.

A force balance sensor including a mechanical strain amplification system including a sensor torsion member having a first end and a second end spaced from one another along a longitudinal axis of the sensor torsion member, at least one strain sensor coupled to the sensor torsion member between the first and second ends, a first torsional stiffening member coupled to the first end of the sensor torsion member, and a second torsional stiffening member coupled to the second end of the sensor torsion member, wherein the first torsional stiffening member and the second torsional stiffening member are coupled to a torque member.

A sensor, comprising a deformable substrate, comprising a structural metamaterial in a first configuration; a plurality of raised structures disposed throughout the substrate, wherein the plurality of raised structures are invertible; a responsive material layer, wherein the responsive material layer is disposed on the plurality of raised structures and is configured to invert the plurality of raised structures in the presence of an external stimuli; and a plurality of second configurations of the deformable substrate that correspond to a plurality of inverted raised structures.

A trailer coupling for a towing vehicle, having a coupling carrier, which includes, in particular, a coupling arm and at whose free end a coupling body, in particular, a coupling ball is arranged for connecting a trailer, and which coupling carrier is fixedly or movably arranged on a mount which is or can be attached to the towing vehicle, and having a sensor arrangement which has at least one sensor and has the purpose of sensing a traction force and/or thrust force which can be caused by a traction load acting on the coupling element during a traction operation of the trailer and of outputting a force signal representing the traction force and/or thrust force, and having an evaluation device for determining a trailer mass value of the trailer on the basis of the force signal.

Provided is an elastically actuating device including an actuator configured to generate a rotary force, a gear part connected to the actuator and configured to transfer the rotary force from the actuator to an outside, and an elastic member including one end fastened to a ground and the other end connected to the gear part, and an elastic member including one end fastened to a ground and another end connected to the gear part, disposed outside the actuator to cover the actuator from the one end to the other end, and deformed in response to the gear part rotating relative to the actuator.

In a spring body for a force transducer built into a force-transmitting part, a force-input section is provided for receiving a force, a force-output section for transmitting the force, and an elastic deformation body arranged therebetween which couples the force-output section to the force-input section such that the force received by the force-input section is transmitted to the force-output section. The elastic deformation body performs a predetermined elastic deformation movement caused by the force to be transmitted at at least one point. A coding sampling section is provided at the at least one point of the deformation body and which follows deformation movements of the at least one point.

A method of determining torsional deformation in a drivetrain e.g. of a wind turbine. To provide a reliable and simple deformation assessment, the method comprises the step of generating a first signal representing first rotational speed of a low speed shaft, generating a second signal representing the second rotational speed of a high speed shaft, and determining torsional deformation based on changes in the ratio between the first and second signals.