JP2017102069A - Inner capacity estimation device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an inner capacity estimation device capable of accurately estimating the amount of liquid or solid contents in a container with simple constitution.SOLUTION: An inner capacity estimation device comprises: sending-in means 1 of sending a gas into a vapor phase part 72; pressure measuring means 2 arranged at a container 7 and measuring atmospheric pressure of the vapor phase part 72; and a control part 5 which controls the sending-in means 1 and the pressure measuring means 2. The sending-in means 1 has a pressurization part 10 capable of containing the gas to be sent in the container 7, and a drive part 12 sending the contained gas to the vapor phase part 72 by reducing the volume of the pressurization part 10. For measurement, the inner capacity estimation device is placed in a first state in which the container 7 and the pressurization part 10 serve as an integrated sealed space as the drive part 12 is driven and a second state in which at least part of the gas of the vapor-phase part 72 of the container 7 is sent in by reducing the volume of the pressurization part 10 are set. When no measurement is carried out, the inner capacity estimation device is in an initial state in which the drive part 12 is not driven and thereby the pressurization part 10 is released from the sealed space.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to an internal volume estimation device that estimates the internal volume of a liquid or solid in a container that contains a liquid such as gasoline or a solid such as resin pellets.

  Conventionally, the fuel remaining in the fuel tank has been estimated by the liquid level detecting means. The liquid level detecting means having the simplest configuration floats a float on the fuel in the fuel tank and detects the liquid level (that is, the liquid level) from the position of the float. However, in a vehicle or the like, since the liquid level in the fuel tank of the vehicle fluctuates when the vehicle tilts or vibrates, the float follows the liquid level fluctuation in the fuel tank and the height of the float. There is a problem that an error occurs between the display of the fuel gauge and the actual content. Further, the shape of the fuel tank is complicated, and there is a problem that it is difficult to accurately detect the remaining amount of fuel based on the liquid level.

  As a more accurate estimation method, there is a method of sending gas into the fuel tank and estimating the remaining amount of fuel from the atmospheric pressure in the fuel tank at that time. As such a method, Patent Document 1 discloses an internal capacity estimation system provided with an airtight tank.

  FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram showing a vehicle fuel system 900 by the internal capacity estimation system described in Patent Document 1. As shown in FIG. 7, the vehicle fuel system 900 includes a fuel tank 910 as a container and a liquid amount estimation device 908 that estimates the amount of liquid in the fuel tank 910. When the ignition switch of the vehicle is turned on, the vehicle fuel system 900 starts operation and estimates the amount of liquid in the fuel tank 910 periodically (for example, every minute).

  The liquid amount estimation device 908 includes an airtight tank 920, a pipe 930, a piston unit 940 as gas pushing means, a first pressure sensor 951 as gas phase pressure measuring means, and a control unit 960. Yes. The airtight tank 920 is provided separately from the fuel tank 910 and is connected to an upper portion of the fuel tank 910, that is, a gas phase portion 917 in the fuel tank 910. The piston unit 940 includes a piston 941, a piston rod 942, an actuator 943, and a pressure adjustment valve 944 serving as a gas transfer means. The pressure regulating valve 944 is provided in a through hole 941c provided in the piston 941 and penetrating the upper end surface 941a and the lower end surface 941b, and is constituted by an electromagnetic valve that opens and closes the through hole 941c. . The pressure regulating valve 944 is electrically connected to the control unit 960 and is driven by a control signal from the control unit 960.

  The airtight tank 920 functions as a cylinder for the piston 941, that is, the piston unit 940 is provided to push the gas in the airtight tank 920 into the gas phase portion 917. Further, when the through hole 941c is opened by the pressure regulating valve 944, the gas phase portion 917 and the gas phase portion 917 are hermetically sealed so that the upper end surface 941a side and the lower end surface 941b side of the piston 941 in the airtight tank 920 communicate with each other. Gas is transferred between the tank 920 and the pressure in the airtight tank 920 and the pressure in the gas phase section 917 become the same. The first pressure sensor 951 is constituted by, for example, a semiconductor pressure sensor, and is provided on the upper wall 910a of the fuel tank 910, and measures the pressure in the gas phase portion 917.

  The gas phase volume can be calculated using the pressure when the gas in the airtight tank 920 is pushed into the gas phase portion 917 and the pressure before being pushed. Then, the liquid phase volume is calculated by subtracting the gas phase volume from the volume of the fuel tank 910, and this liquid phase volume is displayed on the fuel gauge as the amount of fuel in the fuel tank 910.

JP 2012-225783 A

  However, the liquid amount estimation device 908 has to provide the airtight tank 920 separately from the fuel tank 910, connect it via the pipe 930, and store the piston unit 940 in the airtight tank 920. It was. The pressure adjustment valve 944 is driven by being electrically connected to the control unit 960. However, since the pressure adjustment valve 944 is provided on the moving piston 941, the control mechanism including the wiring becomes complicated and is difficult to realize. It was. For this reason, it has been desired to realize a small-sized internal volume estimation device capable of accurately estimating the amount of contents with a simpler configuration.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the above-described problems, and to provide an internal volume estimation device capable of accurately estimating the amount of liquid or solid contents in a container with a simple configuration.

  The internal volume estimation device of the present invention is connected to a container in which a container capable of storing a liquid or solid content can be classified into a volume space occupied by the content and a gas phase portion which is other space. A feeding unit that feeds gas into the phase part, a pressure measuring unit that is disposed in the container and measures the pressure of the gas phase part, and a control unit that controls the feeding unit and the pressure measuring unit, In the internal volume estimation device for measuring the pressure of the gas phase part before and after the gas is fed into the container by the feeding means by the pressure measuring means and estimating the amount of the contents, the feeding means is A pressure unit capable of accommodating the gas to be sent into the container, and a driving unit for sending the gas contained by reducing the volume of the pressure unit to the gas phase unit, Sometimes said When the moving part is driven, the container and the pressurizing part form a first sealed space, and the volume of the pressurizing part is reduced to reduce the volume of the gas in the gas phase part of the container. A second state in which at least a part is sent, and the atmospheric pressure of the gas phase portion in each state is measured, and the first volume and the first pressure that are the volume and the atmospheric pressure in the pressurizing portion in the first state The volume of the gas phase part is calculated from the atmospheric pressure and the second volume and the second atmospheric pressure, which are the volume and the atmospheric pressure in the pressurizing part in the second state, and the drive part is not driven at the time of non-measurement. The pressurizing unit is in an initial state where it is opened from the sealed space.

  According to this configuration, when the measurement is not performed when the drive unit is not driven, the pressure unit is opened without controlling the valve or the like. For this reason, the volume of the gas phase part is calculated from the first state and the second state stably without being influenced by the pressure of the gas phase part in the container in the initial state and without providing a complicated control mechanism. be able to. Therefore, the amount of liquid or solid contents in the container can be accurately estimated with a simple configuration.

  In the content estimation device of the present invention, the pressurizing unit includes a pressure partition that can be elastically deformed, and the driving unit is driven to deform the pressure partition and set the second state. It is characterized by that.

  According to this configuration, when the driving unit is driven, the pressure partition is elastically deformed corresponding to the first state to the second state, and thus the feeding means can be configured easily.

  In the internal capacity estimation device of the present invention, it is preferable that the drive unit is a voice coil motor.

  According to this structure, it can be made small and light by comprising a drive part with a voice coil motor.

  In addition, the internal volume estimation device of the present invention includes temperature measuring means that is disposed in the container and measures the temperature of the gas phase portion, and the gas in the first state and the second state is measured by the temperature measuring means. It is preferable to measure the temperature of each phase part and estimate the amount of the contents in consideration of the temperature change.

  According to this configuration, since the amount of contents is estimated in consideration of the temperature, the estimation accuracy is improved.

  Moreover, the internal capacity estimation apparatus of this invention is equipped with the case which accommodates the said feeding means, The said case has an air hole connected with the exterior other than the said container, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.

  Although air holes may be provided so that the pressure in the gas phase portion of the container does not become too high, the whole can be reduced in size by providing air holes in the case that houses the feeding means. Further, at the time of measurement, the lower the first atmospheric pressure in the first state, the smaller the power for driving the drive unit.

  In the internal capacity estimation device of the present invention, the container includes a vent, and the pressurizing portion includes a dome-shaped pressure partition that can cover the vent and is elastically deformable. And

  According to this configuration, the pressure partition covers the vent hole in the first state, so that the container and the pressure unit become an integrated sealed space, and the dome-shaped pressure partition is elastically deformed to shift to the second state. Is easy.

  According to the present invention, at the time of non-measurement when the drive unit is not driven, the pressurization unit is opened without requiring control of the on-off valve or the like. For this reason, the volume of the gas phase part is calculated from the first state and the second state stably without being influenced by the pressure of the gas phase part in the container in the initial state and without providing a complicated control mechanism. be able to. Therefore, it is possible to provide an internal volume estimation device that can accurately estimate the amount of liquid or solid contents in a container with a simple configuration.

It is a schematic cross section which shows the structure of the internal capacity estimation apparatus of 1st Embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the internal capacity estimation apparatus of 1st Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the operation | movement principle of an internal capacity estimation apparatus, Fig.3 (a) is a schematic cross section which shows the state at the time of non-measurement, FIG.3 (b) is a schematic cross section which shows the 1st state at the time of measurement FIG. 3C is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a second state at the time of measurement. It is explanatory drawing which shows the 1st modification of an internal capacity estimation apparatus, Fig.4 (a) is a schematic cross section which shows the state at the time of non-measurement, FIG.4 (b) is a schematic diagram which shows the 1st state at the time of measurement. FIG. 4C is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a second state at the time of measurement. It is explanatory drawing which shows the 2nd modification of an internal capacity estimation apparatus, Fig.5 (a) is a schematic cross section which shows the state at the time of non-measurement, FIG.5 (b) is a schematic diagram which shows the 1st state at the time of measurement. FIG. 5C is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a second state at the time of measurement. It is explanatory drawing which shows the 3rd modification of an internal capacity estimation apparatus, Fig.6 (a) is a schematic cross section which shows the state at the time of non-measurement, FIG.6 (b) is a schematic diagram which shows the 1st state at the time of measurement. FIG. 6C is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a second state at the time of measurement. It is a block diagram which shows the vehicle fuel system by the conventional internal capacity estimation system.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. For easy understanding, the dimensions of the drawings are appropriately changed.

[First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the internal capacity estimation device 100 of the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the internal capacity estimation device 100 of the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation principle of the internal capacity estimation device 100.

  The internal capacity estimation device 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention estimates the remaining amount of fuel in a fuel tank of a vehicle or the like, and as shown in FIG. It is connected to the container 7 provided with. A supply pipe 7b and a transfer pipe 7c are connected to the container 7. The valve (or cap) of the supply pipe 7b is always closed except during supply. The accommodating part 70 can be classified into a volume space 71 (liquid phase part) occupied by the contents and a gas phase part 72 which is other space. On a display device (not shown) mounted on a vehicle or the like, the remaining amount of the content from the upper limit value that can store the liquid content to the empty (zero) is displayed as a numerical value, a graph, or the like.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the container 7 has a vent 7 a communicating from the gas phase part 72 to the outside, and the internal volume estimation device 100 is disposed so as to cover the vent 7 a. Although it is possible to arrange the internal capacity estimation device 100 on the ceiling side of the container 70 of the container 7, it is easier to manufacture it by placing it outside the container 7 than attaching it in advance to the inside of the container 7.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the internal capacity estimation apparatus 100 of this embodiment includes a feeding means 1, a pressure measuring means 2, a temperature measuring means 3, a control unit 5, and a case 6.

  The feeding means 1 has a pressure unit 10 and a drive unit 12. The pressurizing unit 10 includes a pressure partition wall 11 that can cover the vent hole 7a. The pressure partition 11 has a dome-like appearance and is made of an elastically deformable material. Since the pressure partition 11 has a dome shape, the pressurizing unit 10 has a space that can accommodate the gas sent into the accommodating unit 70 of the container 7. The drive part 12 is comprised by the voice coil motor, and can move the pressure partition 11 to Z1-Z2 direction. The drive unit 12 is connected to the control unit 5 via a wiring (not shown).

  A voice coil motor combines a drive coil, a permanent magnet, and a spring material, and moves a movable part by sending an electric current through a drive coil. In FIG. 1, the movable part urged in the Z1 direction by the spring material is configured to move in the Z2 direction during driving. Note that details of the voice coil motor are omitted in this specification, and FIG. 1 schematically shows the movable portion and the fixed portion.

  The pressure measuring means 2 includes a semiconductor type pressure sensor, and is disposed in the container 7 so that the pressure of the gas in the gas phase portion 72 can be measured. In the present specification, details of the pressure measuring means 2 are omitted.

  The temperature measuring means 3 includes a temperature sensor such as a thermistor and is disposed in the container 7 so that the temperature of the gas in the gas phase portion 72 can be measured. In the present specification, details of the temperature measuring means 3 are omitted.

  The control unit 5 is composed of a microcomputer or the like. As shown in FIG. 2, the control unit 5 includes an input / output unit, a calculation unit, a storage unit, and the like, drives the drive unit 12 of the feeding unit 1, and before and after the pressure measurement unit 2 and the temperature measurement unit. The measurement value of 3 can be acquired. Moreover, the control part 5 performs the arithmetic processing using the acquired measured value, and outputs the content volume calculated to the display apparatus via the wiring which is not shown in figure.

  The case 6 is made of a material such as a metal that can support the drive unit 12, and is attached with a control unit 5 and a wiring connector (not shown). The case 6 accommodates at least the pressure unit 10. Further, the case 6 has an air hole 6 a connected to the outside other than the container 7. The air holes 6a may be provided so that the air pressure in the gas phase portion 72 of the container 7 does not become too high, but the whole can be downsized by providing the air holes 6a in the case 6 that houses the feeding means 1.

  As shown in FIG. 3A, the internal volume estimation device 100 of the present embodiment is arranged so that a gap is formed between the container 7 and the pressure partition wall 11 at the time of non-measurement. Thereby, the atmospheric pressure of the gas phase part 72 of the container 7 is in an initial state in which the atmospheric pressure is maintained at the same atmospheric pressure as that of the external space via the vent 7a and the air hole 6a.

  At the time of measurement, the control unit 5 drives the voice coil motor of the drive unit 12 of the feeding means 1 so that the pressurizing unit 10 is pressed against the container 7 as shown in FIG. And the pressurizing unit 10 are set in a first state where the sealed space is integrated. At this time, the volume of the pressurizing unit 10 surrounded by the pressure partition 11 in the first state is grasped in advance and recorded in the storage unit of the control unit 5 as the first volume V1.

  The atmospheric pressure of the gas phase part 72 in the first state shown in FIG. 3B is measured, and the obtained atmospheric pressure is recorded in the storage unit of the control unit 5 as the first atmospheric pressure P1. Further, the temperature of the gas phase unit 72 in the first state is measured, and the temperature obtained is recorded in the storage unit of the control unit 5 as the first temperature T1.

  Further, the control unit 5 drives the voice coil motor of the driving unit 12 of the feeding means 1 to set a second state in which the pressure bulkhead 11 is elastically deformed as shown in FIG. The gas of the pressurizing unit 10 in the first state shown in FIG. 3B is compressed and accommodated while reaching the second state shown in FIG. 3C by reducing the volume of the pressurizing unit 10. A part of the gas is fed into the gas phase portion 72 of the container 7. At this time, the volume of the pressure unit 10 surrounded by the pressure partition 11 in the second state is grasped in advance and recorded in the storage unit of the control unit 5 as the second volume V2.

  The atmospheric pressure in the gas phase portion 72 in the second state shown in FIG. 3C is measured, and the obtained atmospheric pressure is recorded in the storage unit of the control unit 5 as the second atmospheric pressure P2. Further, the temperature of the gas phase unit 72 in the second state is measured, and the temperature obtained is recorded in the storage unit of the control unit 5 as the second temperature T2.

  After the necessary measurement values are obtained, the initial state shown in FIG. In the initial state in which the driving unit 12 is not driven, there is a gap between the container 7 and the pressure partition 11 as described above, and the pressurizing unit 10 is released from the sealed space.

  As described above, the operation of the feeding means 1 is arranged so that there is a gap between the container 7 and the pressure partition 11 at the time of non-measurement, and the pressurizing unit 10 is pressed against the container 7 at the time of measurement, A first state and a second state in which the container 7 and the pressurizing unit 10 form an integrated sealed space are set. For this reason, control of an on-off valve etc. is not required but it is a very simple structure.

  In addition, if gas is compressed in a sealed space in a short time, it becomes adiabatic compression and the temperature of the gas rises, but in the second state of this embodiment, the temperature rise can be ignored. Therefore, a simple calculation method that does not take temperature changes into account will be described first.

  The gas equation of state is P × V = n × R × T, where pressure P, volume V, absolute temperature T, number of moles of gas molecules n, and Avogadro number R. When the first volume V1 and the first atmospheric pressure P1, which are the volume and pressure in the pressurizing unit 10 in the first state, and the volume Vg of the gas phase unit 72 in the container 70 of the container 7 are used, P1 × (Vg + V1 ) = N × R × T.

  Similarly, when the second volume V2 and the second atmospheric pressure P2 that are the volume and the atmospheric pressure in the pressurizing unit 10 in the second state and the volume Vg of the gas phase unit 72 in the container 70 of the container 7 are used, P2 X (Vg + V2) = n * R * T. It is assumed that the volume Vf of the volume space 71 (liquid phase portion) occupied by the contents in the container 70 of the container 7 does not change due to the change in the first atmospheric pressure P1 and the second atmospheric pressure P2.

  To summarize this, Vg = (P1 * V1-P2 * V2) / (P2-P1). Therefore, the volume Vf of the volume space 71 (liquid phase portion) occupied by the contents is a value obtained by subtracting the volume Vg of the gas phase portion 72 from the volume V0 of the accommodating portion 70. For example, when the pressurizing unit 10 has the first volume V1 = 0.2 (L) and the second volume V2 = 0.1 (L), the measured values of the first atmospheric pressure P1 = 1000 hPa and the second atmospheric pressure P2 = 1005 hPa. Is obtained, Vg = 19.9 (L). If the volume V0 of the storage unit 70 is 50 (L), the content volume Vf = 30.1 (L) is output. Therefore, it is possible to accurately estimate the amount of the contents accommodated in the accommodating portion 70 of the container 7 with a simple configuration. Moreover, since it is the structure attached to the upper part of the container 7 from the outside, it can be easily added by retrofitting also to the system provided with the conventional liquid level detection means.

  In consideration of the measurement accuracy of the pressure measuring means 2 and the volume of the accommodating portion 70, the pressurizing portion 10 is preferably designed for optimum performance. When the volume Vg of the gas phase portion 72 is small, the increase in the second pressure P2 is relatively large, and when the volume Vg of the gas phase portion 72 is large, the increase in the second pressure P2 is small. For this reason, it is preferable that the first volume V <b> 1 and the second volume V <b> 2 of the pressurizing unit 10 be increased with respect to the accommodating portion 70 having a large volume so that more gas is sent. If the pressure measuring means 2 is selected with high accuracy, the pressure can be measured even when the difference between the first pressure P1 and the second pressure P2 is small. 70 containers 7 can be accommodated. Further, at the time of measurement, the lower the first atmospheric pressure in the first state, the smaller the power for driving the drive unit 12 is.

  As described above, when the temperature change is taken into consideration, the estimation accuracy is improved. In the above gas equation of state, if the first temperature T1 in the first state and the second temperature T2 in the second state are used, Vg = (P1 × V1 × T2−P2 × V2 × T1) / (P2 × T1-P1 × T2). The temperature measuring means 3 measures the first temperature T1 and the second temperature T2 of the gas phase part 72 in the first state and the second state, respectively, and calculates the volume Vg of the gas phase part 72 using the above formula. By so doing, it is possible to estimate the amount (volume Vf) of the contents of the storage unit 70 with higher accuracy in consideration of temperature changes in the first state and the second state.

  In the above, assuming that the fuel tank of a vehicle or the like is assumed, the contents are described as being liquid. However, even if the contents are solid, the volume Vg of the gas phase portion 72 is calculated in the same manner. The quantity (volume Vf) can be estimated.

  Hereinafter, the effect by having set it as this embodiment is demonstrated.

  The internal capacity estimation device 100 of the present invention is connected to a container 7 that can be classified into a volume space 71 occupied by the contents and a gas phase part 72 that is a space other than the contents that can accommodate liquid or solid contents. The And the feeding means 1 which sends gas into the gas phase part 72, the pressure measuring means 2 which is arrange | positioned in the container 7 and measures the atmospheric pressure of the gas phase part 72, and the control which controls the feeding means 1 and the pressure measuring means 2 Part 5. Further, the pressure measuring means 2 measures the pressure of the gas phase part 72 before and after the gas is sent into the container 7 by the feeding means 1 to estimate the amount of contents. In the internal volume estimation device 100, the feeding means 1 includes a pressurizing unit 10 that can accommodate the gas fed into the container 7, and the gas contained in the gas phase unit 72 by reducing the volume of the pressurizing unit 10. And at the time of measurement, when the driving unit 12 is driven, the pressurizing unit 10 is pressed against the container 7 so that the container 7 and the pressurizing unit 10 are integrated. A first state that becomes a sealed space and a second state in which at least part of the gas is sent to the gas phase portion 72 of the container 7 by reducing the volume of the pressurizing unit 10 are set. The atmospheric pressure of the phase part 72 is measured. Accordingly, the first volume V1 and the first atmospheric pressure P1 that are the volume and the atmospheric pressure in the pressurizing unit 10 in the first state, and the second volume V2 that is the volume and the atmospheric pressure in the pressurizing unit 10 in the second state. The volume of the gas phase part 72 is calculated from the second atmospheric pressure P2. Further, at the time of non-measurement, the drive unit 12 is not driven, so that there is a gap, and the pressure unit 10 is in an initial state opened from the sealed space.

  According to this configuration, when the driving unit 12 is not being driven, the pressurizing unit 10 is in an initial state in which the pressurizing unit 10 is opened without specially controlling the valve or the like. For this reason, it is not influenced by the atmospheric pressure of the gas phase portion 72 in the container 7 in the initial state, and is stable without providing a complicated control mechanism, and the volume of the gas phase portion 72 from the first state and the second state is stable. Can be calculated. Therefore, the amount of liquid or solid contents in the container 7 can be accurately estimated with a simple configuration.

  Moreover, the pressurization part 10 is provided with the pressure partition 11 which can be elastically deformed, and when the drive part 12 is driven, the pressure partition 11 will deform | transform and a 2nd state will be set. According to this configuration, when the drive unit 12 is driven, the pressure bulkhead 11 is elastically deformed corresponding to the second state from the first state, so that the feeding means 1 can be configured easily.

  The drive unit 12 is a voice coil motor. By configuring the drive unit 12 with a voice coil motor, it is possible to reduce the size and weight.

  Further, it is provided with a temperature measuring means 3 disposed in the container 7 for measuring the temperature of the gas phase portion 72, and the temperature measuring means 3 measures the temperature of the gas phase portion 72 in the first state and the second state, respectively. It is preferable to estimate the amount of contents in consideration of temperature changes. According to this configuration, since the amount of contents is estimated in consideration of the temperature, the estimation accuracy is improved.

  In addition, a case 6 for storing the feeding means 1 is provided, and the case 6 has an air hole 6 a connected to the outside other than the container 7. The air holes 6a may be provided so that the air pressure in the gas phase portion 72 of the container 7 does not become too high, but the whole can be downsized by providing the air holes 6a in the case 6 that houses the feeding means 1. Further, at the time of measurement, the lower the first atmospheric pressure in the first state, the smaller the power for driving the drive unit 12 is.

  The container 7 includes a vent 7a, and the pressurizing unit 10 includes a dome-shaped pressure partition 11 that can cover the vent 7a and is elastically deformable. According to this configuration, the pressure partition 11 covers the vent hole 7a in the first state, whereby the container 7 and the pressurizing unit 10 become an integrated sealed space, and the dome-shaped pressure partition 11 is elastically deformed to form the first space. It is easy to shift to two states.

  As described above, the internal capacity estimation device 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention has been specifically described. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Can be implemented. For example, the present invention can be modified as follows, and these also belong to the technical scope of the present invention.

  (1) In this embodiment, although the pressurization part 10 was provided with the conical pressure partition 11, it is not limited to this aspect. For example, a hemispherical shape may be used as long as it is an elastically deformable pressure partition. Moreover, a cylindrical metal bellows may be used. FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing a first modification using a hemispherical pressure partition 81. FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing a second modification using a pressure partition wall 82 of a cylindrical metal bellows. FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing a third modification in which a pressure partition 83 of a cylindrical metal bellows is used as a vent 7 a of the container 7.

  (2) In the present embodiment, the drive unit 12 is configured by a voice coil motor, but the present invention is not limited to this, as long as the movable unit can be moved in the Z1-Z2 direction.

  (3) In the present embodiment, the case 6 has the air holes 6a connected to the outside other than the container 7, but may have a sealed structure. In particular, when it is not desired to release gas to the outside or when volatile contents are stored at room temperature, a sealed structure is preferable. Even in this case, there is a gap between the container 7 and the pressure partition 11 at the time of non-measurement, and the pressure difference generated in the pressure partition 11 at the time of measurement is that the pressurizing unit 10 is opened from the sealed space. It is effective to reduce the size. Thereby, the pressure | voltage resistance of the pressure partition 11 can be designed to the minimum, and there exists an effect in size reduction and weight reduction.

  (4) In this embodiment, although the pressurization part 10 was provided with the pressure partition which can be elastically deformed, it is not limited to that whose volume changes by elastic deformation. That is, the container 7 and the pressurizing unit 10 become an integrated sealed space, and the first volume V1 and the first atmospheric pressure P1, which are the volume and the atmospheric pressure in the pressurizing unit 10 in the first state, and the second state What is necessary is just to obtain the second volume V2 and the second atmospheric pressure P2 which are the volume and the atmospheric pressure in the pressurizing unit 10. For example, the volume may be changed by combining cylindrical members.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Feeding means 2 Pressure measuring means 3 Temperature measuring means 5 Control part 6 Case 6a Air hole 7 Container 7a Vent 7b Supply pipe 7c Transfer pipe 10 Pressurization part 11 Pressure partition 12 Drive part 70 Storage part 71 Volume which the content occupies Space 72 Gas phase portion 81, 82, 83 Pressure partition 100 Internal volume estimation device P1 First pressure P2 Second pressure T1 First temperature T2 Second temperature V0, Vf, Vg Volume V1 First volume V2 Second volume

Claims (6)

Feeding means for feeding a gas into the gas phase part, wherein a container capable of storing a liquid or solid content is connected to a container which can be classified into a volume space occupied by the content and a gas phase part which is the other space When,
Pressure measuring means disposed in the container for measuring the pressure in the gas phase part;
A control unit for controlling the feeding means and the pressure measuring means;
With
In the internal volume estimation device for measuring the pressure of the gas phase part before and after the gas is fed into the container by the feeding means by the pressure measuring means, and estimating the amount of the contents,
The feeding means includes a pressurizing unit capable of accommodating the gas to be fed into the container, and a driving unit for feeding the gas contained by reducing the volume of the pressurizing unit to the gas phase unit, Have
At the time of measurement, a first state where the container and the pressurizing unit become an integral sealed space by driving the driving unit, and the gas phase part of the container by reducing the volume of the pressurizing unit. A second state in which at least a part of the gas is fed into
The atmospheric pressure of the gas phase part in each state is measured, and the first volume and the first atmospheric pressure, which are the volume and the atmospheric pressure in the pressurizing part in the first state, and in the pressurizing part in the second state The volume of the gas phase part is calculated from the second volume and the second atmospheric pressure, which are the volume and the atmospheric pressure,
The internal capacity estimation device according to claim 1, wherein when the measurement is not performed, the driving unit is not driven, and thus the pressurizing unit is in an initial state opened from the sealed space. The pressurizing unit includes a pressure partition wall that is elastically deformable,
2. The internal capacity estimation device according to claim 1, wherein when the driving unit is driven, the pressure partition is deformed and the second state is set.   The internal capacity estimation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the driving unit is a voice coil motor. A temperature measuring means disposed in the container for measuring the temperature of the gas phase part;
The temperature measurement means measures the temperature of the gas phase part in the first state and the second state, respectively, and estimates the amount of the contents in consideration of the temperature change. The internal capacity estimation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3. A case for storing the feeding means;
5. The internal capacity estimation device according to claim 1, wherein the case has an air hole connected to the outside other than the container. The container includes a vent;
6. The internal volume estimation device according to claim 1, wherein the pressurizing unit includes a pressure partition that is dome-shaped and elastically deformable so as to cover the vent hole. .