Flow rate meter

• US 4,395,919 A
• Filed: 12/19/1980
• Issued: 08/02/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Beli Technics B.V.
• Original Assignee: Nevamo Incorporated
• Inventors: Peters, Paulus J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Goldstein, Herbert
• Application Number:
  US06/218,079
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• Field of Search: 73/861.33, 73/861.35, 73/861.83, 73/861.89, 73/861.93, 73/861.92, 73/861.77
• US Class Current: 73/861.77
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/10 using rotating vanes with axial admission

Abstract

A fluid flow rate meter, in particular a liquid flow rate meter, such as a fuel consumption meter for a motor vehicle. The meter comprises a housing to be mounted in a conduit. The housing has an axial passageway, and a liquid directing member in the form of an insert fills up the passage opening, which insert has at least one helical channel along its circumference. A rotor has a central shaft journalled with limited axial clearance on the downstream side of said insert in a cavity provided for the purpose in the downstream end face of said insert, and in a similar cavity in a counter-bearing. The counter-bearing comprises a central portion containing said cavity and is connected through radial sheet members to the wall of said passageway. A device is provided for sensing rotor revolutions and converting these into a signal representation of the fluid flow rate.

Claims

1. A fluid flow rate meter comprising:

a housing to be mounted in a circuit, said housing having an axial passageway;

a liquid directing member in the form of an insert filling up the passageway opening, said insert having at least one helical channel along its circumference;

a rotor journalled on the downstream side of said insert, said rotor having an axis of rotation oriented in the direction of the axis of said passageway, and vane members extending in spaced parallel position to the axis of the rotor;

means for sensing rotor revolutions and for converting sensed revolutions into a signal representative of the for a light beam positioned so that the light beam is interrupted a plurality of times during each revolution of said rotor for the generation of pulses representative of the speed of revolution of the rotor, said light beam being oriented to pass close to the rotor axis, and the rotor having a polygonal aperture formed in the vicinity of its axis through which the light beam passes, so that upon rotation of the rotor the parts of the rotor located in radially spaced relationship to the axis thereof always interrupt the light beam, and means for sensing the light beam; and

a counter-bearing having radial sheet members for connecting said counter-bearing to a wall of said housing, the rotor having a central shaft whose upstream end is journalled in a cavity in the downstream end face of said insert, and whose downstream end is journalled in a cavity in said counter-bearing, said counter-bearing comprising a central portion containing said cavity, the rotor being journalled with limited axial clearance.

2. A fluid flow rate meter according to claim 1, wherein said emitter for a light beam emits an infrared light beam.

6. A fluid flow rate meter according to claim 1 or 5, characterized in that the aperture present within the rotor is open to the downstream end of said rotor.

8. A fluid flow rate meter as claimed in claim 1 or 3, characterized in that the greatest radial dimension of the rotor is only slightly smaller than the corresponding dimension of the fluid passageway.

9. A fluid flow rate meter as claimed in claim 1 or 3, characterized in that the meter is a fuel consumption meter for an internal combustion engine.

3. A fluid flow rate meter comprising a housing to be mounted in a conduit, said housing having an axial passageway, a liquid directing member in the form of an insert filling up the passageway opening, said insert having at least one helical channel along its circumference, a rotor journalled on the downstream side of said insert, said rotor having an axis of rotation oriented in the direction of the axis of said passageway, and vane members extending in spaced parallel position to the axis of the rotor and comprising means for sensing rotor revolutions and for converting these into a signal representative of the fluid flow rate, the rotor having a central shaft whose upstream end is journalled in a cavity in the downstream end face of said insert, and whose downstream end is journalled in a cavity in a counter-bearing, said counter-bearing comprising a central portion containing said cavity and being connected through radial sheet members to the wall of said passageway, the rotor being journalled with limited axial clearance, the insert being provided with two helical circumferential channels, each extending at a steep angle to the axis for approximately 180°

and beginning and terminating diametrically opposite each other, the counter-bearing being formed as a flat strip extending transversely through the fluid passageway.

4. A fluid flow rate meter as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the rotor consists of a flat body with stub shafts extending on opposite ends thereof, said flat body having a central aperture therein for allowing the passage of light.

5. A fluid flow rate meter as claimed in claim 3, wherein said means for sensing rotor revolutions and for converting sensed revolutions into a signal representative of the fluid flow rate comprises an emitter for a light beam positioned so that the light beam is interrupted at least one time during each revolution of said rotor, and means for sensing the light beam;

wherein the rotor has an aperture in the vicinity of its axis; and

wherein said light beam is oriented to pass through the aperture of said rotor so that said light beam is interrupted a plurality of times per revolution of the rotor for the generation of pulses whereby upon rotation of the rotor the parts of the rotor located in radially spaced relationship to the axis thereof interrupt the light beam.

7. A fluid flow rate meter as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that, for sensing the rotor revolutions, use is made of infrared apparatus.

10. A fluid flow rate meter comprising a housing having an axial passageway therein and a stop shoulder protruding inwardly from a wall of said passageway, a fluid directing member in the form of an insert having two helical circumferential channels therein positioned in said passageway in contact with said stop shoulder, each channel extending for approximately 180°

and beginning and terminating diametrically opposite the other channel, a counter-bearing provided in said passageway downstream of said insert in the form of a plate extending transversely through said fluid passageway, and oriented approximately transversely to a line connecting terminal ends of said channels, facing end faces of said insert and said plate having bearing cavities formed therein for journalling, with axial clearance, a shaft of a rotor, a rotor having a shaft journalled in said cavities and a body extending transversely to said shaft, and from which rod elements extend in the downstream direction in spaced relationship to said shaft, and the meter further comprising an infrared transmitter and an infrared receiver disposed in opposition to each other, said transmitter being arranged to direct a light beam to said receiver so that when the rotor rotates the light beam is periodically interrupted by said rod elements.

11. A meter according to claim 10, wherein said rod elements have a round cross-sectional configuration.

12. A meter according to claim 10, wherein said rod elements have a half-round cross-sectional configuration.

13. A fluid flow rate meter comprising:

a housing to be mounted in a conduit, said housing having an axial passageway;

a liquid directing member in the form of an insert filling up the passageway opening, said insert having at least one helical channel along its circumference;

a rotor formed as a flat body having stub shafts extending from opposite ends thereof journalled on the downstream side of said insert, said rotor having an axis of rotation oriented in the direction of the axis of said passageway and a central aperture provided in a central portion thereof for passage of light, and vane members extending in spaced parallel position to the axis of the rotor;

means for sensing rotor revolutions and for converting sensed revolutions into a signal representative of the fluid flow rate, said means for sensing comprising an emitter for a light beam positioned so that the light beam passes through the central aperture in said rotor and is interrupted at least one time during each revolution of said rotor, and means for sensing the light beam; and

a counter-bearing having radial sheet members for connecting said counter-bearing to a wall of said housing, an upstream one of the stub shafts of the rotor being journalled in a cavity in the downstream end face of said insert, and the downstream one of the stub shafts being journalled in a cavity in said counter-bearing, said counter-bearing comprising a central portion containing said cavity, the rotor being journalled with limited axial clearance.

14. A fluid flow rate meter comprising:

a housing to be mounted in a conduit, said housing having an axial passageway;

a liquid directing member in the form of an insert filling up the passageway opening, said insert having at least one helical channel along its circumference;

a rotor journalled on the downstream side of said insert and having a rotor body extending transversely to a central shaft, and from which circumferentially spaced cantilever rod elements extend in the downstream direction in spaced relationship to said shaft, said rotor having an axis of rotation oriented in the direction of the axis of said passageway;

means for sensing rotor revolutions and for converting sensed revolutions into a signal representative of the fluid flow rate, said means for sensing comprising an emitter for a light beam positioned so that the light beam is interrupted by said rod elements during revolution of said rotor, and means for sensing the light beam to thereby obtain a signal representative of the fluid flow rate; and

a counter-bearing having radical sheet members for connecting said counter-bearing to a wall of said housing, the rotor having a central shaft whose upstream end is journalled in a cavity in the downstream end face of said insert, and whose downstream end is journalled in a cavity in said counter-bearing, said counter-bearing comprising a central portion containing said cavity, the rotor being journalled with limited axial clearance.