Flowmeter structure for a beverage machine

• US 8,789,429 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2010
• Issued: 07/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Societe des Produits Nestle SA (Nestle SA)
• Original Assignee: Nestec SA (Nestle SA)
• Inventors: Etter, Stefan, Ziegler, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): THOMPSON, JEWEL VERGIE
• Application Number:
  US13/378,608
• Publication Number:
  US 20120090472A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,499 Days
• Field of Search: 738/617.9, 738/617.7, 738/619.4, 210/739
• US Class Current: 73/861.79
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/006 characterised by the use of a particular material, e.g. anti-corrosive material G01F15/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/075 using electrically-operated integrating means
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/14 Casings, e.g. of special material

Abstract

A flowmeter that includes a moulded housing delimiting a measuring chamber; a rotatable measuring body having a rotatable shaft extending across the measuring chamber; and point bearings for mounting and positioning opposite extremities of the rotatable shaft in the housing. Each point bearing is formed of a protruding part and a cooperating facing counter-part part, in particular a recessed part, associated, respectively, with the housing and an extremity of the rotatable shaft, or vice versa. This protruding part and its counter-part are integrally formed with their associated moulded housing and rotatable shaft.

Claims

1. A flowmeter comprising:

a moulded housing delimiting a measuring chamber;

a rotatable measuring body having a rotatable shaft extending across the measuring chamber; and

point bearings for mounting and positioning opposite extremities of the rotatable shaft in the housing, each point bearing being formed of a protruding part and a cooperating facing counter-part part, associated, respectively, with the housing and an extremity of the rotatable shaft, or vice versa,

wherein the protruding part and counter-part are integrally formed with their associated moulded housing and rotatable shaft.

2. The flowmeter of claim 1, wherein the protruding part and counter-part of each point bearing have a friction coefficient in the range of 0.1 to 0.8 under wet conditions.

3. The flowmeter of claim 1, wherein the counter-part part is a recessed part and wherein the protruding part and counter-part of each point bearing have a friction coefficient in the range of 0.2 to 0.4 under wet conditions.

4. The flowmeter of claim 1, wherein the protruding part and counter-part of each point bearing have an abrasion rate in the range of 0.05 to 10 μ

m/km.

5. The flowmeter of claim 1, wherein the protruding part and counter-part of each point bearing are respectively made of one of polyoxymethylene, polyformaldehyde or polybutyleneterephthalate.

6. The flowmeter of claim 1, wherein the housing or the shaft, or both, are made of a composite material containing a bonding material and a stabilising filler, the composite material including 10 to 70 vol % of filler material.

7. The flowmeter of claim 6, wherein the stabilizing filler comprises glass beads.

8. The flowmeter of claim 1, wherein the housing is made of two assembled moulded bodies.

9. The flowmeter of claim 8, wherein the two bodies of the housing are a cup-like body and a cover body.

10. The flowmeter of claim 9, wherein the rotatable shaft has a rotation axis that extends between a point bearing located in the cover body and a facing point bearing located in the cup-like body.

11. The flowmeter of claim 10, wherein the cup-like body has a rim forming a reference surface perpendicular to the rotation axis of the shaft, the cover body having an inner face that is urged against the reference surface for precisely setting a spacing between the point bearings so as to hold and allow free rotation of the shaft therebetween.

12. The flowmeter of claim 9, wherein the cup-like body has a rim and wherein the cover body has a seal lip the seal lip being force-fitted into the rim, or vice versa, for sealing the cover body on the cup-like body.

13. The flowmeter of claim 9, wherein the bodies are assembled by a snap, latch, clamp or hook arrangement.

14. The flowmeter.of claim 9, wherein the bodies are assembled by a bayonet connection.

15. The flowmeter of claim 9, wherein each of the moulded bodies has a through-opening communicating with the measuring chamber for circulating liquid therethrough.

16. The flowmeter of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises facing protrusions extending into the chamber for forming the point bearings.

17. The flowmeter of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a connecting arrangement for disconnectably connecting a sensor device thereto.

18. The flowmeter of claim 1 further comprising a connecting arrangement for disconnectably connecting a sensor device to the housing.

19. A beverage preparation machine having a circulation circuit for water or another liquid that comprises a flowmeter as defined in claim 1.