General Electrodynamics Corporation

Narendranath Menon

A weighing scale (10) includes a base (12) with a connecting channel (14) disclosed therein. A layer (16) of elastically deformable material is disposed over this channel with longitudinal corrugations (18) disposed therein. Each of these corrugations (18) is formed integral to the layer (16) and has a wall thickness essentially equal thereto. The interior portion of each of the corrugations (18) and the surface of the base (12) form a plurality of deformable volumes (20). The deformable volumes (20) and the connecting channel (14) comprise a common reservoir that is connected to an expanding bellows-type gauge (30). The expanding bellows gauge (30) allows for volumetric displacement of fluid within the deformable volumes (20). A load bearing layer (28) is disposed adjacent the apexes of the corrugations (18) exterior to the deformable volumes (20). Weight applied to the load bearing layer (28) results in deformation of the corrugations (18) and a volumetric displacement of fluid from the deformable volumes (20) to the expanding bellows-type gauge (30). Measurement of this volumetric displacement is converted into a weight measurement that can be directly read from the face of the gauge (30).

Weight measuring apparatus with corrugated spring elements

A weighing scale (10) includes a base (12) with longitudinal channels (14) milled therein. A layer (20) of elastic deformable material is disposed over these channels with longitudinal rods (22) disposed over the layer (20) and oriented along the longitudinal axis of an associated one of the longitudinal channels (14). A connecting channel (18) connects the longitudinal channels (14) together to form a common reservoir. A load bearing deformable layer (30) is disposed over the rods (22) to distribute weight thereto. The weight is transferred through the rods (22) to the portion of the layer (20) covering each of the channels (14). The channels (14) are filled with a fluid that expands outward from the channels when weight is applied to any of the rods (22), thereby reducing the volume in the channel (14). A gauge (34) having a diaphragm disposed therein measures the volumetric change within the channels (14).

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Arlington, TX, United States of America

Narendranath Menon