Flow rate measuring device

• US 6,871,534 B1
• Filed: 10/22/1999
• Issued: 03/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Hamada, Shingo, Kotoh, Satoru, Yamakawa, Tomoya, Uramachi, Hiroyuki, Oshima, Takeharu, Yonezawa, Fumiyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, HARSHAD R
• Application Number:
  US09/425,630
• Time in Patent Office: 1,985 Days
• Field of Search: 732/042.1, 732/042.6, 732/042.2, 732/042.5, 731/182, 732/02, 732/025
• US Class Current: 73/204.22
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/185 using a vortex flow sensor
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/187 using a hot wire flow sensor
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/021 Arrangements of air flow meters in or on air cleaner housings
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/6842 with means for influencing the fluid flow
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 5/00 Measuring a proportion of the volume flow

Abstract

A post in a fluid passage for passing a fluid flow extends across a part of the fluid flow; a measuring duct in the post extends through the post; and a flow rate detector is located in the measuring duct. The measuring duct has a fluid introduction port with an elongated shape, the measuring duct is constricted and has at least a portion located between the fluid introduction port and the flow rate detector, substantially smoothly narrowing toward a downstream direction of the flow in a longitudinal direction of the elongated shape.

Claims

1. A flow rate measuring device comprising:

a post located in a fluid passage, the fluid passage passing a fluid flow and the post extending across a part of the fluid flow;

a measuring duct in the post, the measuring duct including a fluid introduction port having an elongated shape confronting a flow direction of the fluid flow, the elongated shape having a maximum inside dimension in a longitudinal direction and an inside dimension in a transverse direction, perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and smaller than the maximum inside dimension, the longitudinal and transverse directions being perpendicular to the fluid flow; and

a flow rate detector located in the measuring duct and comprising a substantially plate-shaped mounting member extending along the fluid flow and bridging the measuring duct, substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the elongated shape of the fluid introduction port, and a flow rate detection element on a main surface of the mounting member, wherein the measuring duct has a portion extending from the fluid introduction port to the flow rate detector substantially smoothly narrowing along the longitudinal direction of the elongated shape.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the measuring duct extends substantially linearly in a direction from an upstream side of the fluid passage toward a downstream side of the fluid passage.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the fluid introduction port has a length in the longitudinal direction and a width in a transverse direction, transverse to the longitudinal direction, the longitudinal length being at least twice the width.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the measuring duct includes a first pair of generally smooth, converging inner wall surfaces, narrowing toward a downstream direction of the fluid flow, each of the smooth inner wall surfaces having a profile, in a cross-section parallel to the fluid flow direction and to the post, and a second pair of generally smooth converging inner wall surfaces, generally transverse to the first pair of inner wall surfaces, narrowing in the downstream direction, and having a curved profile in a plane perpendicular to the fluid introduction port and parallel to a longitudinal direction of the fluid introduction port.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein each of the curved profiles include an inflection point.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the measuring duct narrows to at least a position where an upstream end of the flow rate detector is located.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the measuring duct narrows to at least a position where a flow rate detecting element of the flow rate detector is located.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the fluid introduction port has, in a plane perpendicular to the fluid flow, a closed curve shape.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein the measuring duct has a first pair of generally smooth, converging inner wall surfaces, narrowing toward a downstream direction of the fluid flow, each of the smooth inner wall surfaces having a profile, in a cross-section parallel to the fluid flow direction and to the post, and a second pair of inner wall surfaces, generally transverse to the first pair of inner wall surfaces, and extending from a location upstream of the flow rate detector to the flow rate detector and narrowing toward the downstream direction, in a transverse direction of the fluid introduction port.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein the measuring duct includes an outer wall surface that, at least in part, extends outwardly.

11. The device according to claim 1, including projections located on the duct near the fluid introduction port and extending in an upstream direction.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein the fluid introduction port has a substantially rectangular shape in a plane transverse to the fluid flow, and the projections are located at least one pair of long sides and short sides of the fluid introduction port, the projections being parallel plates.

13. The device according to claim 1, wherein the post extends into the fluid passage through an opening in a side wall of the fluid passage.

14. The device according to claim 1, wherein the portion from the fluid introduction port to the flow rate detector comprises a single hole.

15. The device according to claim 14, wherein the measuring duct includes a notch at the single hole.