Weighing balance having a mounting unit for carrying accessories

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10955285-B2
Application number	US-202016798694-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 24, 2020
Priority date	Mar 7, 2019
Publication date	Mar 23, 2021
Grant date	Mar 23, 2021

Abstract

A balance ( 10 ) has a mounting unit ( 30 ) movably connected to a first side ( 35 ) of a rear wall ( 25 ) of a weighing chamber. The mounting unit is above a top wall ( 23 ) of the weighing chamber. An elongate slot ( 40 ) extends from the first side through a second side ( 36 ) and receives the mounting unit and the top wall. The elongate slot guides the mounting unit and the top wall in a direction normal to a base body ( 11 ) of the balance. A position control unit ( 50 ), on the second side, has lower and upper carriages ( 52, 54 ). The upper carriage is connected to the mounting unit and the lower carriage is connected to the top wall. A stopper ( 64 ) limits the lower carriage at a predetermined position away from the base body, while allowing the upper carriage to advance therebeyond, separating the mounting unit from the top wall.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A weighing balance, comprising:
a base body;
a weighing chamber, atop the base body and enclosed by a draft shield, having a rear wall and a top wall, the rear wall having a first side that faces the draft shield and a second side opposite the first side, the rear wall also having an elongate slot that extends from the first side through the second side;
a mounting unit, movably connected to the first side and positioned above the top wall, with the elongate slot receiving the mounting unit and the top wall about the first side, such that the elongate slot guides the mounting unit and the top wall in a direction normal to the base body;
a position control unit, located on the second side of the rear wall, comprising a lower carriage operatively connected to the top wall and an upper carriage operatively connected to the mounting unit, such that the mounting unit and the top wall are movable together along the elongate slot; and
a stopper, arranged to stop the lower carriage at a predetermined position away from the base body while allowing the upper carriage to advance therebeyond, thereby separating the mounting unit spatially from the top wall.

2. The weighing balance of claim 1 , wherein:
the mounting unit is configured to receive one or more replaceable accessories selected from the group consisting of: a dosage-dispensing unit for dosing test substances in powder or fluid form, a titration unit, a pump unit, a unit with pipe conduits and armatures, a container unit, a sensor unit, a heating and/or cooling unit, a display unit, an illuminating unit, an ionizing unit, and an adapter serving to receive one of the aforementioned units or to receive further units.

3. The weighing balance of claim 2 , further comprising:
an opening in the top wall, configured to facilitate the entry of the replaceable accessories.

4. The weighing balance of claim 3 , wherein:
the replaceable accessory is a dosing device adapted to enter the weighing chamber through the opening for carrying out a fluid or powder dosing operation.

5. The weighing balance of claim 2 , wherein:
an upper position limiter stops the upper carriage at a point farthest from the base body; and
a lower position limiter stops the lower carriage and the upper carriage together at a point closest to the base body.

6. The weighing balance of claim 5 , wherein:
the stopper and the upper position limiter are spaced sufficiently spaced apart to facilitate removal, replacement, cleaning, or servicing of the replaceable accessories received by the mounting unit.

7. The weighing balance of claim 5 , wherein:
the stopper and the upper position limiter are located on the second side of the weighing chamber rear wall.

8. The weighing balance of claim 1 , wherein:
the position control unit further comprises a connecting member in the form of a spring or a telescopic member or a mechanical coupling that connects the lower carriage and the upper carriage.

9. The weighing balance of claim 1 , wherein:
the top wall is constituted as a part of the draft shield, which further comprises a first side wall, a second side wall, and a front wall; and
the weighing balance further comprises a weighing chamber floor, such that the weighing chamber floor, the weighing chamber rear wall, and the draft shield together enclose the weighing chamber.

10. The weighing balance of claim 1 , wherein:
the elongate slot is sufficiently long to allow the mounting unit to traverse at least one-third of a length of the weighing chamber rear wall; and
the elongate slot is covered by a longitudinal strip that separates the weighing chamber from the second side of the weighing chamber rear wall.

11. The weighing balance of claim 1 , wherein:
the weighing chamber rear wall comprises a base module and a top module, the base module being connected to the weighing chamber floor, and the top module being connected to the top wall.

12. The weighing balance of claim 1 , wherein:
the position control unit further comprises a guide rail for guiding the lower carriage and the upper carriage along the elongate slot in the direction normal to the base body.

13. The weighing balance of claim 1 , wherein:
the position control unit further comprises a motor unit and a drive unit, with the drive unit connected to the upper carriage.

14. The weighing balance of claim 13 , wherein the drive unit further comprises:
a spindle, rotatable about a longitudinal axis thereof; and
a spindle nut, movably connected to the spindle and adapted to move linearly along the longitudinal axis of the spindle, the spindle nut being connected to the spindle nut, such that rotational movement of the spindle induces linear movement in the spindle nut, thereby causing simultaneous movement of the upper carriage and the mounting unit in a direction normal to the base body.

15. The weighing balance of claim 1 , wherein:
at least a portion of the weighing chamber rear wall is configured as a compartment, and the position control unit is arranged in the compartment-shaped portion of the weighing chamber rear wall, such that the position control unit is substantially enclosed within the weighing chamber rear wall.

Assignees

• Mettler Toledo Gmbh

Inventors

• Zehnder Marc
• Caglioni Louis

Classifications

• G01G13/24 Primary

  Weighing mechanism control arrangements for automatic feed or discharge · CPC title

• G01G21/286 Primary

  with windshields · CPC title

• G01G17/06

  having means for controlling the supply or discharge · CPC title