WEIGHING DEVICE

• US 20090308665A1
• Filed: 08/31/2007
• Published: 12/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mettler Toledo GmbH
• Original Assignee: Mettler-Toledo AG (Mettler-Toledo International Inc.)
• Inventors: Schilling, Peter, Koeppel, Thomas, Metzger, Andreas, Burkhard, Hans-Rudolf, Emery, Jean-Christophe
• Granted Patent: US 7,935,900 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 177/210.EM
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 21/00 Details of weighing apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 21/28 Frames, Housings
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/00 Auxiliary devices for weighing apparatus

Abstract

Weighing device with at least one weighing cell and with a receiving structure serving to hold the at least one weighing cell, wherein the at least one weighing cell includes a first fastener device serving to fasten the weighing cell in the receiving structure, and the receiving structure includes a second fastener device which is a complementary counterpart of said first fastener device. The fastener devices include a detent engagement mechanism and are designed in such a way that they hold as well as release the weighing cell by means of a form-locking engagement which can be locked and released, respectively, by a simple action in the form of pushing in the direction of the load and pulling against the direction of the load.

Claims

1. A weighing device, comprising:

a weighing cell, defining a load direction and comprising a first fastener device;

a structure for receiving the weighing cell, comprising a second fastener device that is a complementary counterpart of the first fastener device;

a detent engagement mechanism formed by the combination of the fastener device, such that the fastener devices hold and release the weighing cell through a form-locking engagement which can be locked and released, respectively, by a force pushing in the load direction and pulling against the load direction.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the receiving structure receives a plurality of the weighing cells, and the plurality of the weighing cells is arranged in the receiving structure in a design space whose dimension in a plane orthogonal to the load direction matches the largest dimension that the weighing cell has in the same plane, the dimension being delimited by the design spaces reserved for neighboring weighing cells that are to be arranged in the receiving structure.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein:

the receiving structure accommodates the a plurality of the weighing cells in a two-dimensional area or matrix structure.

4. The device according to claim 2, wherein:

the receiving structure is configured to hold the weighing cells on a plurality of planes.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein:

the receiving structure comprises a base plate with the second fastener device arranged therein and

the weighing cell has an underside, the first fastener device arranged thereat.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the receiving structure comprises a fastening plate on which the weighing cell can be installed, and the second fastener device is incorporated in the fastening plate

7. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the fastener devices in cooperation with each other establish at least one of a mechanical and an electrical connection between the at least one weighing cell and the receiving structure.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the weighing cell comprises a housing, with the first fastener device arranged thereon.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein:

at least one of the first and the second fastener devices comprises a guide feature.

10. The device of claim 9 wherein:

the first fastener device comprises a groove or recess and the second fastener device comprises at least two balls, each of which is seated on a spring element, wherein at the moment of setting the weighing cell into the receiving structure, the balls snap into the groove or recess.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein:

the first fastener device comprises at least two holes and the second fastener device comprises at least two spreader pins, wherein when the weighing cell is set into the receiving structure, the spreader pins snap into engagement with the holes.

12. The device of claim 7, wherein:

the mechanical connection and the electrical connection are spatially separated from each other in the receiving structure.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein:

each weighing cell comprises a unique identification code, and

the receiving structure comprises a suitable counterpart for detecting the code.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein:

each weighing cell comprises a memory chip for storing compensation data and other data specific to the weighing cell.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein:

each weighing cell has a single load receiver.

16. The device of claim 3, wherein:

the receiving structure is configured to hold the weighing cells on a plurality of planes.