JPH11230809A - Simple flowmeter - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To measure intermittent flow rate at small amount flow area such as leakage, etc. SOLUTION: A measurement vessel 3 which, holding a liquid 1 in reference state, is tilted when a specified volume of liquid 1 is kept to discharge the liquid for restoring to the reference state, a time counter 9 which measures a time period between the reference state and starting of tilting, a calculator 10 which obtains average flow rate based on a specified volume of the measurement vessel 3 and the measured value of the time counter 9, and a flow rate display device 11 for displaying average flow rate obtained by the calculator 10, are provided.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a flow meter having a simple structure for measuring an amount of discontinuous flow in a small flow rate region such as a leak amount.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, means for measuring the flow rate of a liquid include:
A throttle mechanism such as a weir or an orifice or an instrument such as an electromagnetic flowmeter is used.

[0003]

However, such a flow rate measuring means can measure the amount of a continuous flow of liquid, but is not suitable for measuring the amount of a discontinuous flow. It is. In recent years, an electromagnetic flow meter or the like that can measure the amount of discontinuous flow has come to be used, but it is extremely expensive.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves such a problem in flow measurement, and provides a flow meter having a simple structure capable of measuring the amount of discontinuous flow in a small flow rate region such as a leak amount. With the goal.

[0005]

A simple flow meter according to the present invention comprises:
A measuring container that can store liquid in the reference state, tilts when a predetermined volume of liquid is stored, returns to the reference state after discharging the liquid, and a measuring container that is in the reference state and starts tilting. A time meter for measuring time, a calculator for obtaining an average flow rate from a predetermined volume of the measuring container and a measured value of the time meter, and a flow rate display for displaying the average flow rate obtained by the calculator are provided.

When the flow rate of a liquid is measured by the simple flow meter, the liquid to be measured flows into the measuring container in the reference state. The inflowing liquid is stored in the measuring container. When the liquid reaches a predetermined volume, the measuring container tilts by its weight and discharges the liquid. The empty measuring container from which the liquid has been discharged returns to the original reference state, and the same cycle is repeated thereafter.

[0007] The time meter measures the time from when the measuring container is in the reference state to when the measuring container starts tilting, and sends the measured value to a computing unit. The arithmetic unit calculates the average flow rate from the predetermined volume of the measurement container and the measured value of the hour meter, and sends the value to the flow rate display for display.

Therefore, the simple flow meter of the present invention can easily measure the amount of discontinuous flow in a small flow rate region such as the amount of water leakage. Further, since the structure is simple, it can be manufactured at low cost.

[0009]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a simplified flow meter according to an embodiment of the present invention. Here, the simple flow meter is
The apparatus includes a measuring container 3, a time meter 9, a calculator 10, and a flow rate display 11.

The measuring container 3 is a cylindrical body having a bottom 31 at one end and an opening 32 at the other end, and is pivotally supported by a support 6 at a fulcrum 5. The center of gravity of the measuring container 3 is closer to the bottom 31 than the fulcrum 5, and the bottom 31 abuts on the stand 7 in the standard state.
The liquid 1 that is held at a slightly inclined position with the opening 32 facing upward and flows from the upper liquid tank 2 through the opening 32
Can be stored.

In the measuring container 3, the fulcrum 5 is located slightly below the center 31 side, and when a predetermined volume of the liquid 1 is stored, the center of gravity moves toward the opening 32 due to the weight of the liquid 1.
The liquid 1 is discharged by tilting counterclockwise in the figure. When the liquid 1 is discharged and emptied, the center of gravity returns to the bottom 31 side.
The measuring container 3 rotates clockwise and returns to the reference state.
The volume of the liquid 1 stored in the measuring container 3 when tilting is started is measured in advance and stored in the arithmetic unit 10.

A detection plate 4 is attached to the bottom 31 of the measurement container 3. The proximity switch 8 is attached to the stand 7 at a position where the detection plate 4 approaches in the reference state of the measurement container 3, and the proximity switch 8 is connected to the hour meter 9.

Accordingly, the proximity switch 8 is turned on when the measuring container 3 is in the reference state, and is turned off when the measuring container 3 starts to tilt.
F is reached, and the hour meter 9 can measure the time from when the measuring container 3 is in the reference state to when the measuring container 3 starts tilting.
This measured value is sent to the calculator 10.

The arithmetic unit 10 divides the previously stored volume of the liquid 1 at the start of tilting by the measured value of the hour meter 9 to obtain an average flow rate, and sends the average flow rate to the flow rate display 11 for display.
The arithmetic unit 10 includes a microcomputer and a flow rate display 11
A liquid crystal, LED, or the like can be used, but other materials may be used.

When measuring the amount of discontinuous flow of the liquid 1 in a small flow rate range, such as the amount of water leakage, with the simple flow meter, the liquid 1 is collected in the liquid tank 2 and flows into the measuring vessel 3 in the reference state. Let it. The liquid 1 that has flowed in is stored in the measuring container 3, but when it reaches a predetermined volume, the measuring container 3 is tilted and discharged by its weight. The measuring container 1 from which the liquid 1 has been discharged and emptied returns to the original reference state, and the same cycle is repeated thereafter.

The timer 9 measures the time from when the measuring container 3 enters the reference state to when the measuring container 3 starts tilting, and sends the measured value to the arithmetic unit 10. The arithmetic unit 10 calculates the average flow rate from the predetermined volume of the measuring container 3 and the measured value of the hour meter 9 and sends the average flow rate to the flow rate display 11 for display.

As described above, the simple flow meter can easily measure the amount of discontinuous flow in the small flow rate region of the liquid 1 such as the amount of water leakage. Further, since the structure is simple, it can be manufactured at low cost.

[0018]

As described above, the flow meter according to the present invention can easily measure the amount of discontinuous flow in a small flow rate region such as a water leakage amount. In addition, the structure is simple and can be manufactured at low cost.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a simple flow meter according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Liquid 2 Liquid tank 3 Measuring container 4 Detection plate 5 Support 6 Support 7 Stand 8 Proximity switch 9 Hour meter 10 Computing unit 11 Flow rate display

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A measuring container capable of storing a liquid in a reference state, tilting when a predetermined volume of liquid is stored, discharging the liquid, and returning to the reference state, and tilting after the measuring container is in the reference state. A time meter for measuring the time until the start of the measurement, a calculator for obtaining an average flow rate from a predetermined volume of the measurement container and the measured value of the time meter, and a flow indicator for displaying the average flow rate obtained by the calculator. Simple flow meter.