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Th. Becker, M. Kluge, M. Schneider, A. Bittner, U. Schmid:
"Apparatus and Method for Acquiring Mechanical Loads on Thrust Elements";
Patent: USA, No. Us 8,677,830 B2; submitted: 12-20-2010, granted: 03-25-2014.

A device for acquiring mechanical loads on mechanically loaded bodies is provided. The device exhibits a resonancecapable micro-bridge structure, an altemating voltage source with a variable frequency, an impedance measuring device for acquiring the impedance of the micro-bridge structure and an electronic unit for receiving determined impedance values and changing the frequency of the altemating voltage source. By exciting the micro-bridge structure and measuring its impedance, a conclusion can be drawn as to the expansiondependent resonance frequency, which in retum makes it possible to determine the expansion, and hence the mechanical load. Such a device is sufficiently accurate, and largely independent of outside influences.

A device for acquiring mechanical loads on mechanically loaded bodies is provided. The device exhibits a resonancecapable micro-bridge structure, an altemating voltage source with a variable frequency, an impedance measuring device for acquiring the impedance of the micro-bridge structure and an electronic unit for receiving determined impedance values and changing the frequency of the altemating voltage source. By exciting the micro-bridge structure and measuring its impedance, a conclusion can be drawn as to the expansiondependent resonance frequency, which in retum makes it possible to determine the expansion, and hence the mechanical load. Such a device is sufficiently accurate, and largely independent of outside influences.