Measuring apparatus and method for detecting moisture at a measurement voltage input of the measuring apparatus

• US 20100109636A1
• Filed: 10/15/2009
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Endress + Hauser Conducta Gesellschaft Fur Mess- Und Regeltechnik Mbh + Co. Kg
• Original Assignee: Endress + Hauser Conducta Gesellschaft Fur Mess- Und Regeltechnik Mbh + Co. Kg
• Inventors: Uhle, Jörg, Straub, Herman, Lohmann, Martin, Buschnakowski, Stephan
• Granted Patent: US 8,322,236 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/71.100
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/286 Power or signal connectors associated therewith
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/5438 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/84 involving inorganic compounds or pH

Abstract

A measuring apparatus having a measurement voltage input with at least one input contact for an input voltage of a measuring element and a method for detecting moisture on the measurement voltage input of such a measuring apparatus are provided, wherein the measuring apparatus includes a supplemental voltage source, which delivers at least one supplemental voltage and is connected with a supplemental contact arranged in the region of the at least one input contact.

Claims

1-7. -7. (canceled)

8. A measuring apparatus comprising:

a measurement voltage input having at least one input contact for an input voltage of a measuring element;

a supplemental contact;

a supplemental voltage source, which delivers at least one supplemental voltage and is connected with said supplemental contact arranged in the region of said at least one input contact.

9. The measuring apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein:

said supplemental voltage source is so provided, that it delivers at least one supplemental voltage of a size, which lies outside of a range of a size of the input voltage.

10. The measuring apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein:

said supplemental voltage source is so provided, that it delivers at least a first supplemental voltage and a second supplemental voltage and includes a supplemental voltage switching system, which can be switched between the first supplemental voltage and the second supplemental voltage; and

the second supplemental voltage is preferably a positive voltage.

11. The measuring apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein:

said supplemental voltage source includes a microcontroller for operating said supplemental voltage switching system.

12. A method for detecting moisture on a measurement voltage input of a measuring apparatus having at least one input contact for an input voltage of a measuring element, comprising the steps of:

producing at least one supplemental voltage by use of a supplemental voltage source and a supplemental contact connected with the supplemental voltage source and arranged in the region of the at least one input contact; and

said supplemental voltage being applied to the supplemental contact, so that, in the case of occurrence of moisture in the region of the at least one input contact, a shunt connection is produced between the at least one input contact and the supplemental contact, so that a size of the input voltage is drawn in the direction of a size of the at least one supplemental voltage.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein:

a supplemental voltage with a size is delivered, which lies outside of a range of a size of the input voltage.

14. The method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising the step of:

switching between at least a first supplemental voltage and a second supplemental voltage.