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:
May. 18, 1999
Filed:
Jun. 02, 1997
Ryutaro Yoshino, Wako, JP;
Hideaki Takahashi, Wako, JP;
Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A tactile sensor device for detecting a state of contact with a workpiece has a base body and a contact member spaced from the base body by a gap, for contacting the workpiece. The contact member is supported on the base body by a thin leaf spring for angular movement with respect to the base body and/or movement across the gap to cause a change in a distance between the contact member and the base body across the gap when the contact member is contacted by the workpiece. A gap sensor is mounted in the base body for generating a signal depending on the distance between the contact member and the base body across the gap at a predetermined region. A state of contact between the contact member and the workpiece can be detected on the basis of the distance across the gap as detected by the signal generated by the gap sensor.