Weighing scales – With casing closure or shield
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-24
2001-07-03
Gibson, Randy W. (Department: 2859)
Weighing scales
With casing closure or shield
C177S238000, C177S245000, C374S014000, C073S076000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06255603
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a drying scale. More particularly, the present invention relates to a drying scale that contains a scale pan that is supported on a weighing system and that has a radiating source for heating and drying weighing material placed on the scale pan. In addition, the present invention relates to a method performed by the drying scale. The following disclosure is based on German Patent Application No. 19854563.0 which was filed on Nov. 26, 1998 and which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
Examples of scales that contain a radiating source for drying samples to be weighed are generally described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,666,007 (“the '007 patent”) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,889,201 (“the '201 patent”). Both the '007 patent and the '201 patent are incorporated herein by reference.
As described in the '007 patent, the drying scale is designed such that the radiating source does not obstruct the scale pan when a sample to be weighed is loaded on the scale pan. Specifically, the radiating source is arranged behind the scale pan, and after the sample is loaded onto the pan, a deflecting reflector is unfolded. Then, the thermal radiation produced by the radiation source is reflected via the deflecting reflector onto the scale pan to dry the sample. Afterwards, when the sample is dried, the deflecting reflector is folded away from the sample pan. Although the radiating source is located behind the scale pan so that it does not obstruct the scale pan, a large space exists between the radiating source and the scale pan. Thus, the thermal radiation generated by the source is weakened due to the distance that it must travel to the scale pan and due to reflection losses when it is deflected by the deflecting reflector. Accordingly, the energy efficiency of the drying scale described in the '007 patent is not optimum.
An example of a drying scale that attempts to overcome the above problem is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,787,600 (“the '600 patent”) which is incorporated herein by reference. As described in the patent, the drying scale contains a scale pan that is located directly below the radiating source when the sample in the pan is being dried. Also, when the sample is to be loaded onto the scale pan, the scale pan is moved out from underneath the radiating source. However, when the scale pan is moved with respect to the radiation source for the purposes of the loading the sample, the weighing system does not move. Thus, a complicated connection, which can be extended and retracted telescopically, between the scale pan and weighing system is required. However, such a complicated connection is extremely susceptible to vertical vibrations and degrades the accuracy of the drying scale.
To attempt to overcome such problem, the '600 patent describes another embodiment in which both the weighing system and scale pan move from underneath the radiating source when a sample is to be loaded into the scale pan. However, such a design does not adequately overcome the above problem because, when the weighing system is moved out from underneath the radiating source, it is very sensitive to vibrations because it extends out from the drying scale. In addition, the various components used to guide the weighing system between the drying position and the loading positing must be extremely precise since the horizontal position of the weighing system must be exactly the same when it is in the drying and loading positions. Therefore, the complexity and cost of the drying scale is substantially increased.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One object of the present invention to provide a drying scale that has a weighing system that is not very sensitive to external vibrations and that can measure the weight of the sample with significantly increased accuracy.
Another object of the present invention to provide a method performed by a drying scale in which a weighing system of the drying scale is not very sensitive to external vibrations and can measure the weight of the sample with significantly increased accuracy.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a drying scale having relatively low complexity and cost.
A yet further object of the present invention is to provide a method performed by a drying scale having relatively low complexity and cost.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a drying scale in which the energy efficiency of the drying scale is optimized.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide method performed by a drying scale in which the energy efficiency of the drying scale is optimized.
In order to achieve the above and other objects, a drying scale is provided. The drying scale comprises: a weighing system for weighing a sample; a scale pan that is operably supported by said weighing system and contains the sample to be weighed; and a radiating source that moves between a loading position and a drying position, wherein said radiating source exposes said scale pan when said radiating source is in said loading position and wherein said radiating source covers at least part of said scale pan to radiate heat and dry said sample when said radiating source is in said drying position.
In order to further achieve the above and other objects, a drying scale is provided. The drying scale comprises: a housing; a weighing system disposed within said housing for weighing a sample; a scale pan that is operably supported by said weighing system and contains the sample to be weighed; a carriage that moves between a loading position and a drying position; and a radiating source that is disposed within said carriage, wherein said carriage exposes said scale pan when said carriage is in said loading position, wherein said carriage moves said radiating source over at least part of said scale such that said radiation source radiates heat and dries said sample when said carriage is in said drying position, and wherein said weighing system and said scale pan are fixedly disposed with respect to said housing and said carriage and said radiating source move relative to said housing between said loading position and said drying position.
In order to even further achieve the above and other objects, a method for measuring a sample with a drying scale is provided. The method comprises: (a) placing a sample to be weighed in a scale pan that is operably supported by a weighing system; (b) moving a radiating source to a drying position over at least part of said sample in said scale pan; (c) radiating heat from said radiating source to said sample when said radiating source is in said drying position.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4666007 (1987-05-01), Knothe et al.
patent: 4889201 (1989-12-01), Oldendorf et al.
patent: 5064009 (1991-11-01), Melcher et al.
patent: 5485684 (1996-01-01), Philipp et al.
patent: 5499532 (1996-03-01), Kaiho et al.
patent: 5787600 (1998-08-01), Leisinger et al.
patent: 3305846 (1984-08-01), None
patent: 296 03 227 U (1996-05-01), None
patent: 2278202 (1994-11-01), None
Heine August
Spannagel Wilfried
Winkler Norbert
Gibson Randy W.
Shartorious AG
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
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