The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 20, 1987
Filed:
Apr. 19, 1985
Gerry B Andeen, Menlo Park, CA (US);
Eric J Shrader, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Roy D Kornbluh, Redwood City, CA (US);
SRI International, Menlo Park, CA (US);
Abstract
A slip sensor and method of sensing slip for object supporting structure such as a manipulator which includes a pair of relatively movable jaws having opposing jaw faces between which an object may be gripped are shown. At least one thermistor is located at the face of the object supporting structure, which thermistor is intimately engageable with the supported object. The thermistor is maintained at a substantially constant temperature, above ambient temperature, by the passage of current therethrough. The temperature of the gripped object adjacent the thermistor is raised to the above-ambient temperature by heat conduction thereto from the thermistor. With slippage of the gripped object between the jaws, the thermistor is exposed to another portion of the object which is at a different temperature than the temperature of the thermistor whereby the resistance of the thermistor changes. The thermistor is included in a temperature sensing and control unit which maintains the thermistor at a substantially constant temperature, and which has an output related to power supplied to the thermistor to maintain the set-point temperature. The output is digitized and supplied to a digital computer for determining whether or not slippage of the object between the jaws has occurred.