Measuring device for measuring at least one measurand of a medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12480885-B2
Application number	US-202318542867-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2023
Priority date	Dec 20, 2022
Publication date	Nov 25, 2025
Grant date	Nov 25, 2025

Abstract

A measuring device for measuring a measurand of a medium includes a measuring cell, a measuring cell receptacle for holding the measuring cell, and a measuring apparatus for measuring the measurand, wherein the measuring cell includes a measurement chamber containing the medium and a reference chamber separate from the measurement chamber and containing a reference medium. The measurement chamber and the reference chamber are arranged relative to one another such that the measuring cell can be inserted into the measuring cell receptacle in a measuring position, in which measurements of the measurand of the medium can be performed by means of the measuring apparatus, and can be inserted into the measuring cell receptacle in a reference position, in which reference measurements of a reference variable of the reference medium in the reference chamber can be performed by means of the measuring apparatus.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A measuring device for measuring at least one measurand of a medium, the measuring device comprising:
a measuring cell including a measurement chamber, which is configured to enable the medium to flow therethrough or configured to be filled with the medium, and a reference chamber, which is separate from the measurement chamber and is fillable or filled with a reference medium; a measuring cell receptacle configured to hold the measuring cell; and a measuring apparatus configured to measure the at least one measurand of the medium, wherein the measurement chamber and the reference chamber are arranged relative to each other such that the measuring cell is insertable into the measuring cell receptacle in a measuring position and in a reference position, wherein:
when in the measuring position, measurements of the at least one measurand of the medium disposed in the measurement chamber or flowing through the measurement chamber are enabled using the measuring apparatus; and
when in the reference position, reference measurements of at least one reference variable of the reference medium disposed in the reference chamber are enabled using the measuring apparatus.

2 . The measuring device according to claim 1 , wherein, at least one of:
the measuring cell is configured such that a measurement chamber axis, which extends through the measurement chamber of the measuring cell, extends parallel to a reference chamber axis, which extends through the reference chamber of the measuring cell, and wherein the reference chamber axis is spaced apart from the measurement chamber axis in a first direction extending parallel to a longitudinal axis of the measuring cell by a first distance and/or in a second direction extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the measuring cell by a second distance; and the measuring cell receptacle includes an inner chamber, at least partially delimited by two side elements arranged opposite each other and by a base element of the measuring cell receptacle, in which inner chamber the measuring cell is insertable or inserted into the measuring cell receptacle through an opening, opposite the base element, of the measuring cell receptacle.

3 . The measuring device according to claim 2 , wherein at least one of the two side elements includes an opening arranged such that the measurement chamber axis extends through the opening, or a through window inserted into the opening, when the measuring cell is arranged in the measuring position in the measuring cell receptacle, and such that the reference chamber axis extends through the opening, or through the window inserted into the opening, when the measuring cell is arranged in the reference position in the measuring cell receptacle.

4 . The measuring device according to claim 2 , wherein the measuring cell and the measuring cell receptacle, including the base element, are configured such that the measuring cell, in the measuring position, is arranged in the measuring receptacle at a measuring insertion depth specified for the measuring position and, in the reference position, is arranged in the measuring receptacle at a reference insertion depth specified for the reference position, which reference insertion depth different than the measuring insertion depth.

5 . The measuring device according to claim 2 , wherein:
a first upper side of a first region of the measuring cell is arranged offset in the second direction relative to a second upper side of a second region of the measuring cell such that a third distance between the first and second upper sides of the first and second regions, respectively, in the second direction corresponds to the second distance of the measurement chamber axis from the reference chamber axis in the second direction; wherein first upper side and second upper side face away from the base element in a state inserted into the measuring cell receptacle; and wherein the first region includes the measurement chamber, and the second region includes the reference chamber.

6 . The measuring device according to claim 1 , wherein an underside of the measuring cell, the underside facing a base element of the measuring cell receptacle when the measuring cell is inserted into the measuring cell receptacle, and an inner side of the base element, the inner side facing the measuring cell when the measuring cell is inserted into the measuring cell receptacle, each include complementary shapes configured as to:
effect a form-fit connection between the measuring cell, disposed at a measuring insertion depth in the measuring cell receptacle, and the measuring cell receptacle, in particular the base element, when the measuring cell is inserted in the measuring position; and/or effect a form-fit connection between the measuring cell, disposed in the measuring cell receptacle at a reference insertion depth, and the measuring cell receptacle, in particular the base element, when the measuring cell is inserted in the reference position.

7 . The measuring device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the measuring cell comprises, on its underside facing a base element of the measuring cell receptacle when the measuring cell receptacle is in an inserted state, cell plug-in connector elements configured as locating pins, projections, recesses, cutouts, or blind holes; the base element comprises first base plug-in connector elements arranged complementary to the cell plug-in connector elements of the measuring cell and disposed on an inner side of the base element, the first base plug-in connector elements configured as cutouts, blind holes, recesses, projections, or locating pins; wherein the cell plug-in connector elements are configured and arranged as to engage the first base plug-in connector elements in a form-fit when the measuring cell is or is being introduced into the measuring cell receptacle in the measuring position; wherein the measuring device is configured such that:
the cell plug-in connector elements of the measuring cell, in cooperation with the first base plug-in connector elements, complementary thereto, effect a measurement insertion depth, specified for the measuring position, of the measuring cell in the measuring cell receptacle, when inserting the measuring cell in the measuring position; and/or
the measuring cell and the measuring cell receptacle either:
are configured such that, when introducing the measuring cell in the reference position, the cell plug-in connector elements of the measuring cell interact with second base plug-in connector elements of the base element, which are complementary to the cell plug-in connector elements and are arranged offset relative to the first base plug-in connector elements to effect a reference insertion depth, specified for the reference position, of the measuring cell in the measuring cell receptacle; or
are configured such that, when introducing the measuring cell in the reference position, the measuring cell comprises a second set of cell plug-in connector elements, which set is arranged offset relative to the cell plug-in connector elements of the measuring cell and, in cooperation with the first base plug-in connector elements of the base element, effects a form-fit connection between the measuring cell and the measuring cell receptacle and/or the reference insertion depth of the measuring cell in the measuring cell receptacle.

8 . The measuring device according to claim 1 , further comprising a clamping device configured to selectively clamp the measuring cell in the measuring position and in the reference position in the measuring cell receptacle.

9 . The measuring device according to claim 8 , wherein the clamping device comprises a transverse

Assignees

• Endress Hauser Conducta Gmbh Co Kg

Inventors

• MüLLER ANDREAS
• Meyer Hans
• Grossmann Matthias

Classifications

• G01N2021/0112

  Apparatus in one mechanical, optical or electronic block · CPC title

• G01N2021/174

  either absorption-reflection or emission-fluorescence · CPC title

• G01N2021/0193

  the sample being taken from a stream or flow to the measurement cell · CPC title

• G01N2021/1751

  Constructive features therefore, e.g. using two measurement cells · CPC title

• G01N2021/6497

  Miscellaneous applications · CPC title