US 12,276,560 B2
Torque measurement using metamaterial tracks aligned by low-friction structure
Dirk Hammerschmidt, Finkenstein (AT); and Christof Michenthaler, Feistritz an der Gail (AT)
Assigned to Infineon Technologies AG, Neubiberg (DE)
Filed by Infineon Technologies AG, Neubiberg (DE)
Filed on May 25, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/323,461.
Prior Publication US 2024/0393198 A1, Nov. 28, 2024
Int. Cl. G01L 3/08 (2006.01)
CPC G01L 3/08 (2013.01) 24 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A torque measurement system, comprising:
a first rotatable carrier structure mechanically coupled to a rotational shaft and configured to rotate about a rotational axis in a rotation direction;
a second rotatable carrier structure mechanically coupled to the rotational shaft and configured to rotate about the rotational axis in the rotation direction, wherein the second rotatable carrier structure is spaced apart from the first rotatable carrier structure;
a first metamaterial track coupled to the first rotatable carrier structure and configured to co-rotate with the first rotatable carrier structure, wherein the first metamaterial track is arranged at least partially around the rotational axis;
a second metamaterial track coupled to the second rotatable carrier structure and configured to co-rotate with the second rotatable carrier structure, wherein the second metamaterial track is arranged at least partially around the rotational axis,
wherein the first metamaterial track and the second metamaterial track are spaced apart by a predetermined distance,
wherein the first metamaterial track and the second metamaterial track are mutually coupled to each other by a torque-dependent coupling, thereby forming a mutually coupled structure, and
wherein, in response to a torque applied to the rotational shaft, the first metamaterial track is configured to undergo a rotational shift relative to the second metamaterial track; and
at least one low-friction material arranged between the first rotatable carrier structure and the second rotatable carrier structure,
wherein the at least one low-friction material is configured to provide a low-friction rotational shift between the first rotatable carrier structure and the second rotatable carrier structure such that the predetermined distance is constant during the rotational shift of the first rotatable carrier structure relative to the second rotatable carrier structure.