US 12,392,387 B2
Elastic unit
Yasuhisa Kamikawa, Tokyo (JP); Hiroki Saijo, Tokyo (JP); and Satoko Nagakari, Tokyo (JP)
Assigned to SONY GROUP CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
Appl. No. 17/294,847
Filed by SONY GROUP CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
PCT Filed Oct. 10, 2019, PCT No. PCT/JP2019/040160
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date May 18, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/110482, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 4, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 2018-222011 (JP), filed on Nov. 28, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2022/0018416 A1, Jan. 20, 2022
Int. Cl. F16F 3/04 (2006.01); B25J 19/00 (2006.01); F16F 7/116 (2006.01)
CPC F16F 3/04 (2013.01) [B25J 19/00 (2013.01); F16F 7/116 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An elastic unit, comprising:
a shaft member that extends in a direction and that is connected to a force point acted on by an external force;
an enclosure member that has an internal space and that is penetrated by the shaft member;
a bearing that is at a point of contact between the shaft member and the enclosure member so that the shaft member is movable with respect to the enclosure member;
a plate member inside the internal space of the enclosure member, wherein
the plate member protrudes from the shaft member,
the plate member comprises a strain sensor that is flexible, and
the strain sensor is configured to detect bending of the plate member;
a first elastic member between the enclosure member and the plate member; and
a motion amount sensor inside the internal space of the enclosure member, wherein the motion amount sensor is configured to measure a distance between one of the plate member and the enclosure member or the shaft member and the enclosure member.