Ultrasonic flow switch

• US 9,696,195 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2016
• Issued: 07/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Keyence Corporation (Keyence)
• Original Assignee: Keyence Corporation (Keyence)
• Inventors: Ishikawa, Kaname, Hanada, Tomoki
• Primary Examiner(s): THOMPSON, JEWEL VERGIE
• Application Number:
  US15/140,603
• Publication Number:
  US 20160334254A1
• Time in Patent Office: 432 Days
• Field of Search: 7386127-86129
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/662 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/667 Arrangements of transducers for ultrasonic flowmeters; Circuits for operating ultrasonic flowmeters
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/14 Casings, e.g. of special material
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/18 Supports or connecting means for meters

Abstract

Provided is an ultrasonic flow switch that can be used by simple setting operation. Input information regarding at least one of the pipe and the fluid is accepted, a flow rate of the fluid in the pipe is calculated, based on an output signal of at least one of the ultrasonic elements, and the accepted input information, and an on/off signal is outputted, based on the calculated flow rate and a flow rate threshold value decided beforehand. In a simple setting mode, only an outer diameter of the pipe, only a thickness of the pipe, or both the outer diameter and the thickness of the pipe is (are) accepted as the input information.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic flow switch to output an on/off signal based on a flow rate of a fluid flow in a pipe, the ultrasonic flow switch comprising:

a first ultrasonic element configured to transmit an ultrasonic wave to a fluid flow in a pipe;

a second ultrasonic element configured to receive the ultrasonic wave from the fluid flow in the pipe;

a fixture detachably fixing the first and second ultrasonic elements to an outer surface of the pipe integrally or separately;

a reception interface configured to receive input information regarding at least one of the pipe and the fluid;

a calculation part configured to calculate the flow rate of the fluid in the pipe, based on an output signal of at least one of the first and second ultrasonic elements, and the input information received by the reception interface; and

an output part configured to output the on/off signal, based on the flow rate calculated by the calculation part, and a preset flow rate threshold value,

wherein the reception interface receives only an outer diameter of the pipe, only a thickness of the pipe, or both the outer diameter and the thickness of the pipe as the input information regarding the at least one of the pipe and the fluid in a first setting mode.

2. The ultrasonic flow switch according to claim 1, wherein the reception interface accepts, as the input information, one condition selected by a user from a plurality of conditions decided beforehand as the outer diameter of the pipe, the thickness of the pipe, or the outer diameter and the thickness of the pipe in the first mode.

3. The ultrasonic flow switch according to claim 1, wherein the reception interface accepts, as the input information, detailed information including a parameter regarding the pipe or the fluid other than the outer diameter and the thickness of the pipe in a second setting mode.

4. The ultrasonic flow switch according to claim 3, wherein the detailed information includes adjustment information for adjusting the flow rate calculated by the calculation part.

5. The ultrasonic flow switch according to claim 3, wherein the reception interface sequentially accepts a plurality of pieces of setting information corresponding to a plurality of setting items as the input information.

6. The ultrasonic flow switch according to claim 5, wherein the reception interface sequentially displays a plurality of setting screens corresponding to the plurality of setting items to accept the setting information on the setting screens.

7. The ultrasonic flow switch according to claim 1, wherein

the output part includes first and second output parts,

the threshold value includes first and second threshold values,

the first output part outputs the on/off signal, based on the flow rate calculated by the calculation part and the first threshold value, and

the second output part outputs the on/off signal, based on the flow rate calculated by the calculation part and the second threshold value.

8. The ultrasonic flow switch according to claim 1, wherein the second ultrasonic wave element is further configured to transmit an ultrasonic wave to the fluid in the pipe;

the first ultrasonic wave element is further configured to receive the ultrasonic wave from the fluid in the pipe;

a calculation part is configured to calculate the flow rate of the fluid in the pipe, based on an output signal of the first and second ultrasonic elements, and the input information received by the reception interface.