Immersion device for an optical fiber for measuring the temperature of a melt

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9989419-B2
Application number	US-201514983819-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 30, 2015
Priority date	Jan 28, 2015
Publication date	Jun 5, 2018
Grant date	Jun 5, 2018

Abstract

An immersion device for disposable guiding tubes of a robotic immersion device includes a stack for the disposable guiding tubes, a feeding channel for feeding an optical fiber into the disposable guiding tube and for feeding the disposable guiding tube together with the optical fiber into a melt, and a transfer mechanism for transferring one disposable guiding tube from the stack into the channel.

First claim

We claim:

1. An immersion device ( 1 ) for disposable guiding tubes ( 31 ) comprising:
a stack ( 2 ) for the disposable guiding tubes ( 31 );
a feeding channel ( 26 ) for feeding an optical fiber into at least one of the disposable guiding tubes ( 31 ) and for feeding the at least one of the disposable guiding tubes ( 31 ) together with optical fiber into a melt; and
a transfer mechanism for transferring the disposable guiding tubes ( 31 ) from the stack ( 2 ) into the feeding channel ( 26 ) one by one.

2. The immersion device according to claim 1 , wherein the transfer mechanism is configured to separate the at least one of the disposable guiding tubes ( 31 ) in the feeding channel ( 26 ) from the disposable guiding tubes ( 31 ) in the stack ( 2 ) by a gap.

3. The immersion device according to claim 1 , wherein the stack ( 2 ) is arranged above the feeding channel ( 26 ) so that the at least one of the disposable guiding tubes ( 31 ) can fall into the feeding channel ( 26 ).

4. The immersion device according to claim 1 , wherein at least a lower end wall ( 4 ) of the stack ( 2 ) forms an acute angle with the feeding channel ( 26 ) so that the lower end wall ( 4 ) extends in a perpendicular direction or at least in an almost perpendicular direction in a working position of the immersion device.

5. The immersion device according to claim 1 , wherein the transfer mechanism comprises at least one relocatable separation element ( 15 ) which can be removed from a closed position, in which the at least one separation element ( 15 ) can separate the at least one of the disposable guiding tubes ( 31 ) in the feeding channel ( 26 ) from the disposable guiding tubes ( 31 ) in the stack ( 2 ), and which can be moved into the closed position.

6. The immersion device according to claim 5 , wherein the at least one separation element ( 15 ) can be removed from the closed position and can be moved into the closed position by a turning movement whereby each axis ( 28 ) of each separation element ( 15 ) comprises a non-circular cross section which can be inserted into a corresponding non-circular opening, in order to attach each separation element ( 15 ) at a body ( 10 , 11 ) of the immersion device ( 1 ) and/or the at least one separation element ( 15 ) is attached to the body ( 10 , 11 ) of the immersion device ( 1 ) by a frictional connection and/or by a form fit connection.

7. The immersion device according to claim 5 , wherein a diameter of the feeding channel ( 26 ) or of a first compartment ( 24 ) and a distance between a ground level of the feeding channel ( 26 ) or a ground level of the first compartment ( 24 ) and the at least one separation element are such that only one disposable guiding tube can enter the feeding channel ( 26 ) or the first compartment ( 24 ).

8. The immersion device according to claim 5 , wherein the at least one separation element ( 15 ) comprises a wedge-shaped edge ( 29 ) which can separate a disposable guiding tube ( 31 ) of the feeding channel ( 26 ) from the disposable guiding tubes ( 31 ) of the stack ( 2 ).

9. The immersion device according to claim 1 , wherein the feeding channel ( 26 ) comprises pressing means ( 21 ) which can press a disposable guiding tube ( 31 ) against one or more motor driven wheels.

10. The immersion device according to claim 9 , wherein the pressing means ( 21 ) can press a disposable guiding tube ( 31 ) against one or more motor driven cogwheels ( 22 ).

11. The immersion device according to claim 9 , wherein one or more rotatable disks ( 22 ) and/or one or more rotatable wheels are the pressing means.

12. The immersion device according to claim 11 , wherein the pressing means comprise wedge-shaped or rounded borders.

13. The immersion device according to claim 1 , wherein the feeding channel ( 26 ) is provided by two bars ( 3 ), and wherein at least one of the bars ( 3 ) is moveable between a feeding position and a non-feeding position.

14. The immersion device according to claim 13 , wherein the bars ( 3 ) are attached to a body ( 10 , 11 ) by a frictional connection and/or by a form closure.

15. The immersion device according to claim 14 , wherein the body ( 10 , 11 ) covers electrical equipment of the immersion device and/or in part one or more motor driven wheels and/or one or more motors.

16. The immersion device according to claim 14 , wherein the body is composed of at least two housings ( 10 , 11 ), and wherein the at least two housings are connected by a form closure comprising a hook connection.

17. The immersion device according to claim 16 , wherein the stack ( 2 ) is attached to the body by a form closure.

Assignees

• Heraeus Electro Nite Int

Inventors

• Neyens Guido Jacobus
• Thys Michel
• Stevens Frank

Classifications

• G01J5/04

  Casings · CPC title

• G01J5/0821

  Optical fibres · CPC title

• G01J5/021

  Probe covers for thermometers, e.g. tympanic thermometers; Containers for probe covers; Disposable probes · CPC title

• G01J5/004 Primary

  by molten metals · CPC title

• G01J5/043

  Physics · mapped topic