LOAD CELL WITH A MEANS TO COMPENSATE FOR ERRORS DUE TO MISALIGNMENT

A load cell (1) comprises a deformable body (2) with an upper contact surface (3) and a lower contact surface (4) which are designed to introduce a force into the deformable body (2). Each contact surface (3, 4) contains a support point (5), with the two actual support points (5) defining a line of action (6) of the force. Between the contact surfaces (3, 4) the deformable body (2) has at least one column-shaped portion (7) with a central longitudinal axis (8) and a circumferential surface whose generating line runs parallel to the central longitudinal axis (8). The load cell further comprises a first determining means (9) which is installed on the column-shaped portion (7) of the deformable body (2) and converts a mechanical deformation of the deformable body (2) into an electronic signal, and a second determining means (10) which is installed on the column-shaped portion (7) of the deformable body (2) and converts a deviation of the central longitudinal axis (8) from the line of action (6) into a representative signal. The first determining means (9) and the second determining means (10) each comprise at least one strain gauge. In particular, the at least one strain gauge of the second determining means (10) is installed essentially midway between the upper contact surface (3) and the lower contact surface (4) and aligned at a predetermined acute angle relative to the generating line of the circumference surface in such a way that the signal of the second determining means (10) is zero in the absence of a deviation of the central longitudinal axis (8) from the line of action (6). La cabine de balances (1) comporte un élément déformable (2) qui possède une surface de contact supérieure (3) et une surface de contact inférieure (4). Les surfaces de contact (3, 4) sont configurées pour appliquer une force à l'élément déformable (2) et, pour cela, elles possèdent chacune un point d'appui (5), les points d'appuis réels formant conjointement une ligne de référence de force (6). Entre les surfaces de contact (3, 4) est disposé une zone en forme de colonne (7) de l'élément déformable qui possède un axe médian longitudinal (8) et une ligne d'enveloppe parallèle à celui-ci. La cabine de balances (1) comprend en outre un premier moyen de détermination (9) qui est monté sur la zone en forme de colonne (7) de l'élément déformable (2) et qui convertit la déformation mécanique de l'élément déformable (2) en un signal, et un second moyen de détermination (10) qui est mon