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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7364222 | Wire collision sensor system A wire collision sensor system for a vehicle, which includes a vehicle body, includes a bumper, a wire, a wire deformation sensor and a determination circuit. The bumper is mounted on a longitudinal end portion of the vehicle body. The wire, which senses a collision... | 04/29/2008 |
| 7360439 | Sample resistance measurement device In a circuit, as the bridge resistance of one side of a Wheatstone bridge circuit, a distortion gauge (fixed reference resistance) of which variation caused by environmental conditions is suppressed and a sample having a resistance component ΔR varied by the enviro... | 04/22/2008 |
| 7334485 | System, method and computer-readable medium for locating physical phenomena A method, system and computer product for detecting the location of a deformation of a structure includes baselining a defined energy transmitting characteristic for each of the plurality of laterally adjacent conductors attached to the structure. Each of the plural... | 02/26/2008 |
| 7331102 | Apparatus for detecting an amount of strain and method for manufacturing same An apparatus for detecting an amount of strain comprises a strain generating part, an electrical insulating layer and sensing elements. The strain generating part is a member to which strain is to be applied. The electrical insulating layer is formed on the strain g... | 02/19/2008 |
| 7293809 | Load sensing device for automobiles A load sensing device comprise an inner member provided at a front part of a vehicle and a load sensor provided at a position before a front of the inner member, in addition to an outer member and a load transfer member. The outer member is provided at the front par... | 11/13/2007 |
| 7261005 | Magneto-elastic resonator torque sensor A magneto-elastic torque sensor and system include a substrate and a magneto-elastic sensing component formed from or on the substrate. The magneto-elastic sensing component and the substrate together form a magneto-elastic torque sensor, which when subject to a str... | 08/28/2007 |
| 7234729 | Seat belt force sensor system A system for measuring seat belt forces is used to control deployment of vehicle airbags. The system includes a rigid plate member having one end attached to a portion of the seat belt and an opposite end mounted to a vehicle structure. The seat belt is used to secu... | 06/26/2007 |
| 7191662 | Polymer-based sensor apparatus and method A strain sensor (10) includes a flexible substrate (11) having one or more polymer-based resistive elements (12) at least partially conformably disposed thereon. Two or more conductive leads (13, 14) are electrically coupled to the resist... | 03/20/2007 |
| 7190038 | Micromechanical sensors and methods of manufacturing same A micromechanical sensor and, in particular, a silicon microphone, includes a movable membrane and a counter element in which perforation openings are formed, opposite to the movable membrane via a cavity. The perforation openings are formed by slots, the width of w... | 03/13/2007 |
| 7185545 | Instrumentation and method for monitoring change in electric potential to detect crack growth Instrumentation for monitoring crack growth using a change in electric potential across a starter crack as the crack propagates is disclosed. The instrumentation includes a specimen of a material to be analyzed for crack growth propagation having a surface with a st... | 03/06/2007 |
| 7178762 | Reinforcing material for parachutes and methods for reinforcing parachutes A parachute is formed using a non-woven composite material. The non-woven composite material is formed by fusing a plurality of mono-filament fibers between thin layers of plastic. The non-woven material may be used as reinforcing tapes or as parachute lines in conn... | 02/20/2007 |
| 7141990 | Device for detecting degradation of a component An apparatus for monitoring the structural integrity of a component. A monitoring structure is applied to a component that is subject to structural degradation. The monitoring structure includes an electrical conductor that becomes cracked if the component becomes s... | 11/28/2006 |
| 7111577 | Electromagnetic wave propagation scheme An apparatus for effecting propagation of electromagnetic waves, comprising a hull outer surface, a dielectric material disposed over the hull outer surface, and an electrically conductive member embedded within the dielectric material. When a liquid medium contacts... | 09/26/2006 |
| 7106215 | Device for monitoring the integrity of spacecraft thermal protection tiles An electrical circuit, attached to the tiles of the space shuttle, provides an indication of tile integrity in real time. Each tile has a resistor attached thereto between parallel conductors, and a series of tiles forms a protected grid series tile section. A compu... | 09/12/2006 |
| 7096748 | Embedded strain gauge in printed circuit boards An apparatus generally having a circuit board and a first strain gauge is disclosed. The circuit board may have a plurality of insulating layers. The first strain gauge may be disposed between two of the insulating layers. ... | 08/29/2006 |
| 7055365 | Load sensor and seat weight measuring apparatus with a plurality of strain gauges A load sensor hardly causing error in weight measurement even when the environmental temperature of the load sensor varies, and a seat weight measuring apparatus using the load sensor. The sensor includes a plurality of strain gauges form a bridge circuit. The strai... | 06/06/2006 |
| 7055400 | Seat belt force sensor system A system for measuring seat belt forces is used to control deployment of vehicle airbags. The system includes a rigid plate member having one end attached to a portion of the seat belt and an opposite end mounted to a vehicle structure. The seat belt is used to secu... | 06/06/2006 |
| 7038571 | Polymer thick film resistor, layout cell, and method A printed circuit polymer thick film (PTF) resistor includes tolerance control material that substantially surrounds the resistor body and significantly improves the linearity of resistance vs. resistor length, and significantly reduces resistor-to-resistor and boar... | 05/02/2006 |
| 7024941 | Method of mounting a sensor arrangement in a tubular member, and use of the method For use in the monitoring of a tubular member (1) having at least a helically wound reinforcement layer (10), the invention provides a method of mounting a sensor arrangement (17, 18), wherein the reinforcement layer is formed with a groove (... | 04/11/2006 |
| 6997060 | Load-detecting device A load-detecting device includes a supporting member, a load transfer member, a load sensor, and a load sensor supporting member. The load transfer member is supported by the supporting member and includes an elastic displacement area in which an elastic displacemen... | 02/14/2006 |
| 6995677 | Apparatus and methods for monitoring pipelines A system for monitoring at least one parameter of interest relating to a flow conduit having a through passage and a fluid flow therein comprises at least one measurement station coupled to the flow conduit for taking a measurement relating to the parameter of inter... | 02/07/2006 |
| 6987229 | Frame-based occupant weight estimation apparatus having compliant linkage assembly A frame-based occupant weight estimation apparatus for a vehicle seat includes a compliant linkage assembly that translates vertically applied seat loads to a horizontal plane, where the horizontal forces are measured by a set of force sensors. A compliant member, w... | 01/17/2006 |
| 6908467 | Supreme distracter A fixation device for internally or externally fixing fractures comprising at least one nitinol wire having an S-shaped section and two ends wherein each of said two ends forms a hook for hooking into a bone section of a fractured bone. This device can be made from ... | 06/21/2005 |
| 6684713 | Measuring force transmitted by force transmission equipment A bicycle which comprises as force transmission equipment a chain for transmitting the muscular strength of a person pedaling the bicycle from the person to the bicycle for the purpose of moving the bicycle, characterized in that the chain has a vibration... | 02/03/2004 |
| 6550341 | Method and device for measuring strain using shape memory alloy materials An article and method for measuring strain using a strain gauge made of a shape memory y alloy, and preferably a pseudoelastic alloy, is disclosed. The strain gauge includes an element that preferably is attached to a substrate and mounted on an object, o... | 04/22/2003 |
| 6546806 | Multi-range force sensors utilizing shape memory alloys The present invention provides a multi-range force sensor comprising a load cell made of a shape memory alloy, a strain sensing system, a temperature modulating system, and a temperature monitoring system. The ability of the force sensor to measure contac... | 04/15/2003 |
| 6435034 | Piezo-electric stretching detector and method for measuring stretching phenomena using such a detector The present invention relates to a piezo-electric stretching detector which is used for measuring the positive and negative stretching on the surfaces of rigid structures using electric signals, wherein said detector can be attached by a force connection ... | 08/20/2002 |
| 6253626 | Three-axis transducer body and strain gage arrangement therefor A transducer body having a traditional single-axis envelope capable of multi-axis measurements. The transducer body includes coaxial base ends with an intermediate flexure element in the form of a ring having an internally centered stiffening web which re... | 07/03/2001 |
| 6240786 | Two-layer structure composite material for detecting cracks A two-layer structure composite material, by which it is possible to easily detect the occurrence of the cracks occurred in the structural material and to predict the possible destruction of the structural material before it actually occurs. To a structur... | 06/05/2001 |
| 6227057 | Apparatus and method for rapid strain measurement A strain gage assembly 10 includes a mounting substrate 12 having an adhesive surface 14 and a gage surface 16. The adhesive surface 14 of the mounting substrate 12 includes an adhesive layer 18 disposed thereon operable to affix the mounting substrate 12... | 05/08/2001 |
| 5969260 | Remotely interrogatable apparatus and method for detecting defects in structural members The apparatus and associated method of the present invention remotely detects structural defects in a workpiece by monitoring the electrical continuity of thin crack wires deposited on or within the workpiece in response to a communication from a remote i... | 10/19/1999 |
| 5955679 | Device for measuring strain parameters of a generally cylindrical member of virtually any size A device for measuring strain parameters of a stem, shaft or other cylindrical member of virtually any size or diameter includes a pair of generally flexible holders, each holder supporting a substrate having at least one strain gage thereon. Each substra... | 09/21/1999 |
| 5777234 | Pre-straining apparatus and method for strain sensors A method and apparatus for pre-straining a bolt-on strain sensor. The pre-strain is preferably adjusted by inserting a strain adjusting tool through strain adjusting holes in the sensor and the structural member. The portion of the tool engaging the senso... | 07/07/1998 |
| 5739419 | Apparatus for monitoring the vacuum of a vacuum switch An apparatus for monitoring the vacuum of a vacuum switch having at least one vacuum switch tube with a switch chamber and switch contacts is provided. The apparatus has a remotely interrogatable pressure measurement sensor in the form of a piezocrystal o... | 04/14/1998 |
| 5652395 | Bending sensor A bending sensor of the invention is formed of a flexible segment, a pressure-sensitive electrically-conductive resin film formed on the flexible segment, and a pair of electrodes to be attached to the resin film. The resin film is made of pressure-sensit... | 07/29/1997 |
| 5522270 | Device for the measurement of stresses exerted on a mechanical part, and method to fasten said device Disclosed are a device for the measurement of stresses exerted on a mechanical part and a method for the fastening of this device. The device comprises at least one plate and one strain gauge, the gauge being fixed to the plate which is connected to the m... | 06/04/1996 |
| 5505093 | Homogeneously conductive polymer films as strain gauges An electrical type strain gauge for measuring both micro and macro deformations. The gauge may be constructed from thin films of homogeneously conductive polymers, including soluble polyaniline-based conducting polymers and ion-implanted organic polymers.... | 04/09/1996 |
| 5461927 | Optical fiber strain sensor for measuring maximum strain An optical fiber strain sensor is provided which remembers the maximum stn a structure has experienced in a given timeframe. A pair of multi-mode optical fibers with flat ends meet end-to-end within a microbore capillary tube with which the fibers have f... | 10/31/1995 |
| 5461926 | Single-ended optical fiber strain sensor for measuring maximum strain An optical fiber strain sensor is provided which remembers the maximum stn a structure has experienced in a given timeframe. A reflective surface is fixed at one location on the structure, and a multi-mode optical fiber with a flat end is fixed at anothe... | 10/31/1995 |
| 5440193 | Method and apparatus for structural, actuation and sensing in a desired direction An apparatus, system and method for actuating or sensing strains in a substrate which includes at least one actuator/sensor element which has transverse and longitudinal axes. The actuator/sensor element is attached to the substrate in such a manner that ... | 08/08/1995 |
