Device for measuring a mass of a body and associated methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12097517-B2
Application number	US-202017602013-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 17, 2020
Priority date	Apr 19, 2019
Publication date	Sep 24, 2024
Grant date	Sep 24, 2024

Abstract

A device for measuring a mass of a body, the device including a support suitable for supporting the body, a frame and an actuator designed to vibrate the support relative to the frame. The device includes an accelerometer designed to measure values of an acceleration of the support upon vibration of the support, and an electronic control module designed to estimate the mass of the support body from the measured acceleration values.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for measuring a mass of a body, the device comprising:
a support suitable for supporting the body;
a frame;
an actuator designed to vibrate said support relative to said frame;
an accelerometer configured to measure values of acceleration of said support during a vibration of said support; and
an electronic control module configured to calculate speed values of said support relative to said frame from the acceleration values measured by said accelerometer and to estimate the mass of the body from the speed values.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said control module is further configured to determine a vibration frequency of said support relative to said frame from the calculated speed values, and to estimate the mass of the body from the vibration frequency.

3. The device according to claim 2 , wherein said control module is further configured to compare the vibration frequency with at least a first predetermined threshold, and to estimate the mass of the body based on the comparison.

4. The device according to claim 3 , wherein said control module is further configured to generate, when the vibration frequency is greater than or equal to the at least one first threshold, a signal intended for a user of the device.

5. The device according to claim 2 , wherein said control module is further configured to compare the vibration frequency with a plurality of first predetermined thresholds, and to estimate the mass of the body based on each comparison.

6. The device according to claim 2 , wherein said control module is further configured to calculate speed values of said support relative to said frame from the acceleration values measured by said accelerometer, to calculate values of coefficients of a Fourier transform of the speed values, and to determine the vibration frequency from the calculated coefficient values.

7. The device according to claim 2 , wherein said control module is further configured to:
apply frequency band-pass filtering to the speed values,
calculate the coefficient values of a Fourier transform of the filtered speed values,
compare an absolute value of each calculated coefficient value with a second predetermined threshold, and
estimate the mass, to generate a signal to a user, based on the result of the compare.

8. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said actuator configured to move said support in a specific direction relative to said frame while said actuator is vibrating said support, and wherein said accelerometer is configured to measure acceleration values of said support in the specific direction.

9. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the body is a reserve of a product, and wherein the device further comprises a sprayer configured to receive a stream of the product from the reserve and to spray the product received.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein said actuator comprises:
a shaft, and
an electric motor, configured to rotate said shaft for vibrating said support relative to said frame.

11. The device of claim 1 , further comprising one or more dampers, connecting said support to said frame, wherein a deformation of said one or more dampers allows relative movement of said support relative to said frame.

12. The device of claim 1 , wherein the vibration has a first temporal frequency less than or equal to 100 Hz.

13. A method of measuring a mass of a body, implemented by a measuring device comprising a support supporting the body, a frame, and an actuator configured to vibrate the support relative to the frame, the method comprising:
vibrating, by the actuator, the support relative to the frame;
measuring, by an accelerometer, values of acceleration of the support during said vibrating;
calculating, by an electronic control module, speed values of the support relative to the frame from the acceleration values measured by the accelerometer; and
estimating, by the electronic control module, the mass of the body from the speed values.

14. A method of spraying a product, implemented by a device according to claim 9 , the support of the device supporting a reserve of the product, the method comprising:
circulating the product from the reserve to the sprayer of the device;
spraying, by the sprayer, the product received; and
applying the method of claim 13 for measuring the mass of a body, the body being the reserve of the product.

15. The device of claim 9 wherein the product is a powder.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the product is a powder.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the vibration has a first temporal frequency less than or equal to 100 Hz.

Assignees

• Exel Ind

Inventors

• Foubert Guillaume
• Brochier-Cendre Hervé
• Ghio Eric

Classifications

• G01G19/00

  Weighing apparatus or methods adapted for special purposes not provided for in the preceding groups {(electric measuring arrangements involving comparison with a reference value G01R17/00)} · CPC title

• G01F23/2966

  making use of acoustical resonance or standing waves · CPC title

• G01F22/00 Primary

  Methods or apparatus for measuring volume of fluids or fluent solid material, not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B05B7/1445

  involving vibrations (B05B7/145 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B05B7/0093

  At least a part of the apparatus, e.g. a container, being provided with means, e.g. wheels or casters for allowing its displacement relative to the ground · CPC title