Electricity: measuring and testing – Electrolyte properties – Using a conductivity determining device
Reexamination Certificate
2002-07-23
2004-12-14
Nguyen, Vincent Q. (Department: 2858)
Electricity: measuring and testing
Electrolyte properties
Using a conductivity determining device
C324S464000, C324S438000, C324S459000, C073S001020, C073S031040
Reexamination Certificate
active
06831465
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to an electrical measurement means, with at least one measurement input, at least one preferably integrated sensor, a measurement and evaluation circuit, at least one measured value display, and at least one measured value output.
2. Description of Related Art
The electrical measurement means according to the invention can be used to measure and process physical quantities (for example, pressures), temperatures, chemical quantities (for example, pH values), and electrical quantities (for example, voltages, currents, wattages and frequencies). One primary such electrical measurement mean is described below. It is used to measure and process pressures.
Electrical measurement means of the type under consideration can consist of several components, or can be made as a single-component measurement device. For the teaching of the invention, it is irrelevant whether the electrical measurement means in question consists of several components or is made as a single-component measurement device. An electrical measurement means is described below which consists of several components. Likewise, this measurement means can also be made as a single-component measurement device, wherein all components can be combined physically and spatially in one measurement device.
At this point, the initially used concepts “measurement input,” “sensor,” “measurement and evaluation circuit,” “measured value display,” and “measured value output” will be explained.
“Measurement input” means the location of the measurement means (or the measurement device) at which or via which the quantity to be measured, hereinafter always called the measured quantity, is supplied to the measurement means (or the measurement device). A “sensor” means a component which generate an intermediate value from a measured quantity. The intermediate value is generally proportional to the measured quantity. If the measured quantity is a pressure, the sensor can generate an electrical voltage, for example, as the intermediate value. Alternatively, the sensor can also generate an electrical current, a resistance value, a capacitance value, or an inductance value as the intermediate value.
It was stated initially that the electrical measurement means according to the invention includes at least one sensor which is preferably integrated. It should be noted that when the electrical measurement means according to the invention includes several sensors, one sensor can be a separate component, but all sensors can also be separate components. When the measurement means of the invention includes several sensors, one sensor can also be integrated, but all sensors can also always be integrated.
The “measurement and evaluation circuit” which is included in the electrical measurement means in accordance with the invention is used to convert either the intermediate value generated by the sensor directly into a measured value, or to make available the measured value after processing the intermediate value as a measured value.
The measured value made available by the measurement and evaluation circuit can be displayed by the “measured value display” in analog or digital format and can be made available at the “measured value output.” Generally, the measurement and evaluation circuit generates the measured value derived from the intermediate value in “electrical form,” for example, as a voltage proportional to the measured value between 0 V and 10 V. It may also be generated from a current proportional to the measured value between 4 mA and 20 mA or between 0 mA and 20 mA. If the measurement and evaluation circuit generates a voltage proportional to the measured value or a current proportional to the measured value, the measured value display is working in an analog form and there is an analog measured value. But the measurement and evaluation circuit can also generate the measured value which corresponds to the intermediate value in digital form. Additionally, it is also possible to work with a measurement and evaluation circuit which makes available both a measured value which corresponds to the intermediate value in analog form and also a measured value which corresponds to the intermediate value in digital form.
It is often necessary to “use” the measured value that is determined with an electrical measurement means of the type under consideration in mechanical device or means or in a process engineering system. When used in this fashion, the measured value is often dependent upon other values, such as comparison values or set points. Examples include difference pressure measurement, in which two certain measured values which represent pressure or two pressure-proportional measured values are needed, or a control means in which a quantity or measured value representing the present state is compared to a reference variable. To accomplish this in the prior art, relatively complex solutions were employed partially relying on a mechanical or physical basis, and partially relying on an electrical basis.
To overcome the problems in the prior art, the object of the invention is to make available an electrical measurement means with which not only one measured value or several measured values can be determined, but which makes it possible in an especially simple manner to display and optionally process the determined measured value or determined measured values depending on other values, for example comparison values or setpoints.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To achieve the object, the measurement means is characterized by at least one influencing input which acts on the sensor or on the measurement and evaluation circuit. The “influencing input” is one such connecting point of the electrical measurement means to which or via which the “influencing value” can be applied or input. The influencing input is a value with which the measured value or measured values can be influenced in the broadest sense. The influencing input, the sensor, and the measurement and evaluation circuit can be sensitive to electrical, optoelectronic, optical, pneumatic or hydraulic influencing values. When the electrical measurement means has several influencing inputs, the influencing inputs can be of different electrical sensitivity. Thus, at least one influencing input can be electrically sensitive, at least one influencing input can be optoelectronically or optically sensitive, and at least one influencing input can be pneumatically or hydraulically sensitive. The formulation “sensitive to electrical influencing values” or the formulation “sensitive to optoelectronic and/or optical influencing values” means that the influencing value can be present in electrical form or in optoelectronic or optical form.
Since the electrical measurement means, as explained above, includes an influencing input, to which or via which a influencing value can be applied or input, the electrical measurement means also includes an influencing value selector. That is, a component, device or means with which the influencing value to be used at the time is generated or selected. Preferably, this influencing value selector is external and separate from the remaining measurement means, and is connected to the remaining measurement means via an electrical line, via an optical line, or via a pressure line.
In alternative embodiments, the influencing value selector can be made differently, especially to work passively or actively.
If the influencing value selector is made to work passively in the electrical measurement means, the influencing value generated or selected by it must be interrogated or read out, proceeding from the influencing input of the measurement means. A passively working influencing value selector can provide a resistance, capacitance, or inductance value which represents the influencing value, to be interrogated or read out.
An actively operating influencing value selector can apply a voltage value to the influencing input of the electrical measurement means. The voltage value represents the influencing value or can imp
Kathan Benno
Wagner Alfred
i f m electronic GmbH
Nguyen Vincent Q.
Safran David S.
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