Load cell topology network based on multi-branch cables

• US 9,601,821 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2013
• Issued: 03/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mettler Toledo (Changzhou) Precision Instrument Ltd, Mettler-Toledo (Changzhou) Scale & System Ltd (Mettler-Toledo International Inc.), Mettler-Toledo Measurement Technology Company Limited (Mettler-Toledo International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Mettler Toledo (Changzhou) Precision Instrument Ltd, Mettler-Toledo (Changzhou) Scale & System Ltd (Mettler-Toledo International Inc.), Mettler-Toledo Measurement Technology Company Limited (Mettler-Toledo International Inc.)
• Inventors: Zhang, Ying, Zhu, Zijian, Xu, Xiuzhu
• Primary Examiner(s): Pascal, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): GLENN, KIMBERLY E
• Application Number:
  US14/430,623
• Publication Number:
  US 20150280304A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,401 Days
• Field of Search: 333/127
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/00 Auxiliary devices for weighing apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/3735 using a digital network
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/12 Coupling devices having more than two ports H01P5/04 takes precedence

Abstract

The present invention relates to a load cell topology network comprising at least one multi-branch cable and a plurality of load cells. Each multi-branch cable comprises at least three connectors and one or more groups of signal lines; each group of signal lines comprise at least three branch signal lines, with one end of each branch signal line connected to at least three connectors described respectively and correspondingly, and the other end of each branch signal line connected to a common node, thereby realizing the interconnection of the same kinds of electrical signals between respective connectors; each connector is adapted to be connected to another multi-branch cable or a load cell. The plurality of load cells are electrically connected by the multi-branch cable to form a topology network.

Claims

1. A load cell topology network, comprising:

at least two multi-branch cables, each of which comprises;

at least three connectors, each of the connectors adapted for connection to another multi-branch cable or to a load cell; and

at least one group of signal lines;

each of the signal lines comprising;

a common node; and

a plurality of branch signal lines emanating from the common node, the plurality of branch signal lines corresponding to the number of connectors, such that an end of each of the branch signal lines are connected to a corresponding one of the at least three connectors, thereby realizing an interconnection of the same kinds of electrical signals between respective connectors;

each of the connectors are adapted to be connected to another one of the multi-branch cables or a load cell; and

at least three load cells, each of the load cells connected electrically to at least one of the multi-branch cables, forming the topology network.

2. The load cell topology network of claim 1, wherein:

each of the connectors on at least one of the multi-branch cables is a male connector that mates with a female connector on one of the load cells.

3. The load cell topology network of claim 1, wherein:

each of the connectors on at least one of the multi-branch cables is a female connector that mates with a male connector on another of the multi-branch cables.

4. The load cell topology network of claim 1, wherein said load cell topology network is a daisy-chain topology network.

5. The load cell topology network of claim 1, wherein said load cell topology network is a bus topology network.

6. The load cell topology network of claim 1, wherein said load cell topology network is a cascaded topology network.