Weighing scales – Weigher responsive material control – Feed
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-22
2001-01-30
Gibson, Randy W. (Department: 2859)
Weighing scales
Weigher responsive material control
Feed
C177S178000, C177S245000, C222S160000, C141S083000, C141S247000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06180892
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Not Applicable.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates generally to measuring devices. Specifically, the invention relates to measuring devices wherein measurement values are presented during the course of altering the composition of or adding to that which is being measured.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Measuring devices are, of course, in wide use generally in a variety of environments. For example, measuring devices include scales which are used in such places as laboratories, hospitals, processing plants, and so on. In many instances, such measuring devices form part of a system for combining substances to achieve a predetermined mixture with a high degree of accuracy. When attempting such a mixture, the measuring device is used to ensure proper amounts of each substance, or additive, are combined. In other instances such devices are used for arriving at a predetermined amount of a single substance. To facilitate ease of reading the measurement values from such devices, digital displays are now commonly used as the output mechanism for the presentation of such values. Depending on the application, measuring devices may be operated by a human user or part of an automated system.
One instance where achieving predetermined mixtures with a very high degree of accuracy is required is with “mixing scales” used for measuring and, typically, combining paints. Such paint mixing scales may be used, for example, in auto body shops or paint and hardware stores that sell or distribute paint for any of a wide variety of applications (e.g., house paint or auto paint). Paint manufactures typically make a large selection of colors and types of paint available to consumers or other users. Therefore, it is increasingly impractical for a paint distributor or paint shop to keep on hand such a large selection of paints in inventory. This problem is further exacerbated if a shop carriers more than one manufacture's lines of paint. Accordingly, it is commonplace for a shop or store to carry a small subset of “base” paints, to which a mixture of primary colors, for example, can be added to form any of the colors from a manufacturer's line of colors.
Inaccuracies in the measuring equipment or measuring process cause the paint color to be off, which is often not evident until the paint is applied and then dried. Such inaccuracies can occur when a user is manually controlling the flow of fluid (e.g., paint) into a receiver container positioned on the mixing scale. In that case, the user can not closely view the flow of fluid and the display of measurement values at or near the same time, since they are not proximate to each other. As a result, the user may not adequately control the rate of flow of the fluid, if focusing on the display, which tends to lead to over filling and/or improper paint mixtures. On the other hand, if the user focuses on the flow of fluid, it is extremely difficult to measure out the proper amount, again leading to improper mixtures. When a paint is improperly mixed, not only is paint wasted, but a significant amount of the painter's time is lost, as well as the possible loss of goodwill and reputation of the shop or store that mixed the paint. Even when not mixing paint, it may be desirable or advantageous to accurately measure out a predetermined amount of a single paint.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a mixing scale with improved accuracy and ease of use in the measurement and/or mixing of substances. Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be evident from the description and accompanying drawings herein.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is an improved mixing scale used, for example, in the measuring and/or mixing of paints. The improved mixing scale includes a base which supports a scale pan in a substantially horizontal orientation. A receiver container for the item to be weighed or measured is placed on the scale pan. Extending from the base in a generally vertical orientation is a backing member which includes a user interface panel proximate to the top of the backing member, or at least above the height of a typical receiver container. Among other things, the user interface panel includes operator controls and an output display. Preferably the output display is a digital display which displays the value of the measurement taken by the mixing scale. Proximate to the output display is a visual flow monitoring device (e.g., a reflector), which allows a user of the mixing scale to simultaneously, or nearly simultaneously, view the output display and reflector. To accommodate users of different heights, the reflector is rotatable with respect to a vertical axis. In some embodiments, the output display and reflector may also be moved vertically and in combination to accommodate receiver containers of different heights. Benefits may also be realized from enabling the reflector and/or display to move horizontally.
In practice, a receiver container is positioned on the scale pan and the scale is calibrated to a zero measurement position to ensure that only the contents of the receiver container are measured, and not the receiver container itself. In most instances, an additive (e.g., a paint or a paint tint) is poured from an additive container into the receiver container by the user, as the user monitors the output display and the flow of the additive into the receiver container using the reflector. In other instances, the additive may be delivered from an additive container by means other than pouring, but where monitoring of the flow of the additive is still necessary. The proximity of the reflector to the display make it relatively easy to view both simultaneously or nearly simultaneously. Additionally, the orientation of the reflector proximate to the output display ensures that a user will not have to physically adjust his or her position to view one or the other. Such physical movement could cause a disruption of the flow of fluid and resulting errors in mixing or measuring out a predetermined quantity of the fluid.
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Gibson Randy W.
McDermott & Will & Emery
Setra Systems, Inc.
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