Load receiver with snap-locking connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10139266-B2
Application number	US-201615269094-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 19, 2016
Priority date	Oct 6, 2015
Publication date	Nov 27, 2018
Grant date	Nov 27, 2018

Abstract

A gravimetric measuring instrument (10) includes a housing (103) and a weighing cell (120), wherein the latter is arranged inside the housing and includes a load-transmitting member (108). The load-transmitting member reaches through a passage opening (111) of the housing and is releasably connectable to a load receiver (401, 501, 1001). The invention has the distinguishing feature that the load receiver includes a fastening element (450), a weighing pan element (440, 540, 1040) and a snap-locking device (460, 1060) for the releasable seating of the weighing pan element on the fastening element, wherein the snap-locking device includes a detent element (461, 1061) and a spring element (462) which engages the detent element when the weighing pan element is seated in place.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A gravimetric measuring instrument, comprising:
a housing having a passage opening;
a weighing cell that is arranged inside the housing;
a load-transmitting member which reaches through the passage opening to transmit a load to the weighing cell;
a first fastening part, arranged on the load-transmitting member; and
a load receiver, arranged for releasable connection to the load-transmitting member, the load receiver comprising:
a weighing pan element;
a second fastening part, having an essentially cylindrical surface, arranged to act with the first fastening part, attaching the load receiver to the load transmitting member; and
a snap-locking device, comprising a detent element and a spring element, one of which is arranged on the essentially cylindrical surface, for releasably seating the weighing pan element on the first fastening part, wherein the spring element engages the detent element when the weighing pan element is seated in place.

2. The gravimetric measuring instrument of claim 1 , wherein:
a side of the weighing pan element and the essentially cylindrical surface of the second fastening part are arranged in complementary facing relationship; and
the respective elements of the snap-locking device are arranged in complementary relationship, with one on the side of the weighing pan element and the other on the essentially cylindrical surface.

3. The gravimetric measuring instrument of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one shim disk, arranged between the first fastening part and the second fastening part to set the relative distance between a receiving surface of the weighing pan and a mounting surface through which the gravimetric measuring instrument can be brought into contact with an understructure.

4. The gravimetric measuring instrument of claim 1 , further comprising:
a fastening means that releasably fastens the second fastening part to the first fastening part, the fastening means passing through at least two elongated holes in the second fastening part which extend over non-connected circular segments, the elongated holes serving to set a relative angle between the weighing pan element and the housing about the longitudinal axis of the load-transmitting member.

5. The gravimetric measuring instrument of claim 1 , further comprising:
positioning elements, one of which is on the weighing pan element and the other of which is on the second fastening part.

6. The gravimetric measuring instrument of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the fastening parts comprises a material of low thermal conductivity, specifically a polymer plastic material or a ceramic material, or chromium steel.

7. The gravimetric measuring instrument of claim 1 , wherein the spring element, which serves to generate friction forces and radial spring forces as a result of elastic deformation caused by seating the spring element into the detent element in the form of a detent groove, is configured as an annular spring or as a fingered annular spring.

8. The gravimetric measuring instrument of claim 1 , wherein, in an operative arrangement, an electrically-conductive connection is established between the weighing pan element and the load-transmitting member.

9. The gravimetric measuring instrument of claim 1 , wherein the spring element, which serves to generate friction forces and radial spring forces as a result of elastic deformation caused by seating the spring element into the detent element in the form of a detent groove is configured as an annular spring or as a fingered annular spring.

10. The gravimetric measuring instrument of claim 9 , wherein the annular spring is arranged on the second fastening part in a ring groove which is arranged on the essentially cylindrical surface.

11. The gravimetric measuring instrument of claim 9 , wherein the detent groove is arranged at the bottom of a recess of the weighing pan element which, when the weighing pan element is seated in place, surrounds the surface of the second fastening part and is configured as a radially recessed internal groove or as a resistance bump which locally constricts the diameter of the recess.

12. The gravimetric measuring instrument of claim 9 , wherein the annular spring has a radially ouptward-directed outside surface, a radially inward-directed inside surface and two opposite-facing side surfaces that connect the outside surface and the inside surface to each other, with at least one of the outside surface and the inside surface varying in diameter over at least sections thereof.

13. The gravimetric measuring instrument of claim 9 , wherein the annular spring comprises a sheet metal element that surrounds the surface of the second fastening part and has cutbacks designed to improve its elastic resilience.

14. The gravimetric measuring instrument of claim 1 , further comprising a contact-free sealing system arranged between the housing and the load receiver.

15. The gravimetric measuring instrument of claim 3 , wherein:
each of the at least one shim disk is made of thin metal foil material.

16. The gravimetric measuring instrument of claim 8 , wherein each of the weighing pan element and the load-transmitting member is made of an electrically conductive material.

Assignees

• Mettler Toledo Gmbh

Inventors

• Scheu Matthias
• Balsen Franz

Classifications

• G01G21/28 Primary

  Frames, Housings · CPC title

• G01G21/23 Primary

  Support or suspension of weighing platforms (G01G21/24 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01G21/22

  Weigh pans or other weighing receptacles; Weighing platforms · CPC title

• G01G3/12 Primary

  wherein the weighing element is in the form of a solid body stressed by pressure or tension during weighing · CPC title