Load cell diagnostics and failure prediction weighing apparatus and process

• US 6,576,849 B2
• Filed: 12/01/2000
• Issued: 06/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mettler-Toledo Incorporated (Mettler-Toledo International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Mettler-Toledo Incorporated (Mettler-Toledo International Inc.)
• Inventors: Bliss, Doug, Bentz, James W., Stickel, Craig
• Primary Examiner(s): GIBSON, RANDY W
• Application Number:
  US09/728,638
• Publication Number:
  US 20020066602A1
• Time in Patent Office: 921 Days
• Field of Search: 702/101, 702/102, 702/173, 177/25.11, 177/25.12, 177/25.13, 177/25.14, 177/25.15, 177/25.19, 177/50, 177/199, 177/200
• US Class Current: 177/25.13
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/01 Testing or calibrating of weighing apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/3735 using a digital network

Abstract

The invention disclosed consists of weighing apparatus and process that includes a new Calibration management utility to automate compliance testing to ISO 9000 requirements and has the “load cell symmetry”, “empty platform” and “test load” readings for each load stored on the weighing apparatus. This weighing apparatus makes periodic tests to determine the health of the load cells in the system, producing a log file to record events such as any detected failure, any suspicious reading, overload condition, or any user defined parameter, and is network enabled to be connected through a LAN via an Ethernet to the Internet.

Claims

1. Weighing apparatus comprising a single or plurality of load cells, means associated with said load cells for analyzing diagnostic events, means for storing information and where a message is sent based on the severity on the event.

2. Weighing apparatus comprising a single or plurality of load cells, means associated with said load cells for analyzing diagnostic events, means for storing information and where a message is sent based on the severity on the event via an E-mail.

3. A method for analyzing a single or multiple load cell scale for diagnostic events, said scale including means for analyzing the load cells for such events, and including the steps of polling the load cells, retrieving historic data from storage means and comparing the results with historic data, and sending a message based on the severity on the event.