Compact ultrasonic flowmeter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12007261-B2
Application number	US-202318174811-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 27, 2023
Priority date	Apr 5, 2018
Publication date	Jun 11, 2024
Grant date	Jun 11, 2024

Abstract

A compact ultrasonic flowmeter for measuring flowrate and other fluid related data includes a flow tube with a flow bore for passage of the fluid between an inlet and an outlet, a flowmeter housing associated with the flow tube, a printed circuit board arranged in the flowmeter housing and including a processor for controlling operations of the flowmeter, a meter circuit including ultrasonic transducers provided on the printed circuit board and configured for operating the ultrasonic transducers to transmit and receive ultrasonic wave packets through the fluid, a display mounted on the printed circuit board and configured for displaying a measured flowrate and the other fluid related data, one or more battery packs for powering flowmeter operations, and an antenna element configured to be connected to a radio circuit via connectors provided on the printed circuit board and/or the antenna element.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A compact ultrasonic flowmeter for measuring flowrate and other fluid related data, comprising:
a flow tube with a flow bore for passage of the fluid between an inlet and an outlet;
a flowmeter housing associated with the flow tube;
a single printed circuit board arranged in the flowmeter housing and including a processor for controlling operations of the flowmeter;
a meter circuit including two or more ultrasonic transducers provided on the printed circuit board and configured for operating the ultrasonic transducers to transmit and receive ultrasonic wave packets through the fluid;
a display mounted on the printed circuit board and configured for displaying a measured flowrate and the other fluid related data; and
one or more battery packs for powering flowmeter operations including at least the processor and the meter circuit and the display;
wherein the processor and the ultrasonic transducers being surface mounted on a lower side of the single printed circuit board and the display being mounted on an upper side of the single printed circuit board, said display being provided with pins which are arranged in through-holes in the printed circuit board and selective soldered on the lower side and where the one or more battery packs are mounted on the lower side of the printed circuit board and extend in longitudinal direction of the flowmeter along the flow tube, and
wherein the one or more battery packs are mounted directly on the printed circuit board by battery pins extending through plated through holes in the printed circuit board, wherein the batteries are supported on a bottom face of the housing.

2. The compact ultrasonic flowmeter according to claim 1 , wherein battery pins are fixed directly to poles of the battery cells.

3. The compact ultrasonic flowmeter according to claim 2 , wherein the battery pins are fixed directly to the poles of the battery cells by welding.

4. The compact ultrasonic flowmeter according to claim 1 , further comprising a container arranged on top of the printed circuit board, the container being provided with a through-going opening for receiving the display and configured to protect the printed circuit board and other components arranged in the flowmeter housing.

5. The compact ultrasonic flowmeter according to claim 4 , further comprising a front plate providing a lid for the container, wherein the front plate is provided with an opening for receiving the display and the front plate is arranged in flush with the display.

6. The compact ultrasonic flowmeter according to claim 4 , wherein the container is designed to encompass components extending from the printed circuit board.

7. The compact ultrasonic flowmeter according to claim 1 , further comprising backing devices arranged to provide a holding force to each of the transducers, forcing a lower side of the transducers against transducer areas provided on the flow tube.

8. The compact ultrasonic flowmeter according to claim 7 , wherein the backing devices are mounted on top of the printed circuit board to apply the holding force to an area of the printed circuit board containing the ultrasonic transducers.

9. A compact ultrasonic flowmeter for measuring flowrate and other fluid related data, comprising:
a flow tube with a flow bore for passage of the fluid between an inlet and an outlet;
a flowmeter housing associated with the flow tube;
a single printed circuit board arranged in the flowmeter housing and including a processor for controlling operations of the flowmeter;
a meter circuit including two or more ultrasonic transducers provided on the printed circuit board and configured for operating the ultrasonic transducers to transmit and receive ultrasonic wave packets through the fluid;
a display mounted on the printed circuit board and configured for displaying a measured flowrate and the other fluid related data;
one or more battery packs for powering flowmeter operations including at least the processor and the meter circuit and the display;
a container arranged on top of the printed circuit board, the container being provided with a through-going opening for receiving the display and configured to protect the printed circuit board and other components arranged in the flowmeter housing; and
a front plate providing a lid for the container, wherein the front plate is provided with an opening for receiving the display and the front plate is arranged in flush with the display;
wherein the processor and the ultrasonic transducers being surface mounted on a lower side of the single printed circuit board and the display being mounted on an upper side of the single printed circuit board, said display being provided with pins which are arranged in through-holes in the printed circuit board and selective soldered on the lower side and where the one or more battery packs are mounted on the lower side of the printed circuit board and extend in longitudinal direction of the flowmeter along the flow tube.

10. A compact ultrasonic flowmeter for measuring flowrate and other fluid related data, comprising:
a flow tube with a flow bore for passage of the fluid between an inlet and an outlet;
a flowmeter housing associated with the flow tube;
a single printed circuit board arranged in the flowmeter housing and including a processor for controlling operations of the flowmeter;
a meter circuit including two or more ultrasonic transducers provided on the printed circuit board and configured for operating the ultrasonic transducers to transmit and receive ultrasonic wave packets through the fluid;
a display mounted on the printed circuit board and configured for displaying a measured flowrate and the other fluid related data;
one or more battery packs for powering flowmeter operations including at least the processor and the meter circuit and the display; and
a container arranged on top of the printed circuit board, the container being provided with a through-going opening for receiving the display and configured to protect the printed circuit board and other components arranged in the flowmeter housing;
wherein the processor and the ultrasonic transducers being surface mounted on a lower side of the single printed circuit board and the display being mounted on an upper side of the single printed circuit board, said display being provided with pins which are arranged in through-holes in the printed circuit board and selective soldered on the lower side and where the one or more battery packs are mounted on the lower side of the printed circuit board and extend in longitudinal direction of the flowmeter along the flow tube, and
wherein the container is designed to encompass components extending from the printed circuit board.

Assignees

• Kamstrup As

Inventors

• Pilegaard Lasse
• Hedegaard Anders
• Aarøe Kaspar Raahede

Classifications

• G01F1/662 Primary

  Constructional details · CPC title

• Y04S20/30

  Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading · CPC title

• G01F1/667 Primary

  Arrangements of transducers for ultrasonic flowmeters; Circuits for operating ultrasonic flowmeters · CPC title