Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.

Panasonic Corporation

Hirokazu Gotou

Yuji Fujii

Yuji Nakabayashi

Aoi Watanabe

Akihisa Adachi

Yukio Sakaguchi

Yasuharu Kawano

Masato Satou

Yukinori Ozaki

Kenji Yasuda

Takehiko Shigeoka

Kouichi Takemura

Makoto Nakano

Hirokuni Murakami

A flow meter device includes plural fluid passages which are provided between an inlet section into which a fluid flows and an outlet section from which the fluid flows out, and through which the fluid flows and flow value measuring units installed in the plural fluid passages, respectively. The flow value measuring units are configured to measure flow values of the fluid flowing through the fluid passages. The flow meter device further includes a control unit configured to determine whether or not to cause one or more of the flow value measuring units to stop a measuring operation of the flow value based on the flow values measured by the flow value measuring units. The control unit is further configured to determine whether or not to cause the one or more of the flow value measuring units to resume the measuring operation of the flow value, based on the flow value measured by the flow value measuring unit as a monitoring measuring unit which is other than the one or more of the flow value measuring units and is activated to perform the measuring operation of the flow value.

Flow meter device

A gas meter device of the present invention includes an inlet into which a fluid flows, and an outlet from which the fluid flows out, and is configured to derive a flow value of the fluid flowing from the inlet to the outlet. The gas meter device comprises plural measurement fluid passages provided in parallel between the inlet and the outlet; flow value measuring units provided in the plural measurement fluid passages, respectively, and configured to independently measure flow values of fluids flowing through the measurement fluid passages, respectively; an average flow value calculation unit configured to derive an average flow value of the flow values measured by the flow value measuring units, respectively; and a flow value comparison unit configured to obtain index values indicating a relation between the average flow value derived by the average flow value calculation unit and the flow values measured by the flow value measuring units, and determine whether or not each of the index values is equal to or larger than a predetermined value. Thereby, the present invention can determine whether or not there is an erroneous measurement flow value from only the separate flow values independently measured in the measurement fluid passages, respectively.

Fluid meter device

A gas meter device of the present invention comprises plural measurement fluid passages provided in parallel between an inlet into which a fluid flows, and an outlet from which the fluid flows out; flow value measuring sections provided in the measurement fluid passages, respectively, and configured to obtain flow values of fluids flowing through the measurement fluid passages, respectively; memories configured to store coefficient data which are values corresponding to the measurement fluid passages, respectively and indicating a relation between the flow values of the fluids flowing through the measurement fluid passages, respectively, and a total flow value of the fluid flowing from the inlet to the outlet; and total flow value estimation sections configured to estimate total flow values of the fluids based on the flow values obtained by the flow value measuring sections, respectively, and the coefficient data stored in the memories. This makes it possible to reduce time required for adjustment work in manufacturing steps of the fluid meter device assembled by connecting the plural measurement fluid passages in parallel.

A flow meter device includes: an inlet portion, into which a fluid flows; an outlet portion, from which the fluid flows out; a plurality of measurement passage portions provided parallel to each other between the inlet portion and the outlet portion; and at least one flow rate measurement unit, each flow rate measurement unit being configured to measure a flow rate of the fluid that flows through a passage in a corresponding one of the measurement passage portions. Shapes of passages in the respective measurement passage portions coincide with each other. The plurality of measurement passage portions include: the one measurement passage portion(s), which is/are each provided with the flow rate measurement unit; and the other measurement passage portion(s), which is/are not provided with the flow rate measurement unit.

To measure the propagation time of an ultrasonic signal, the flow rate measuring device of the present invention has amplifier for amplifying a received signal, reference-voltage changing part, reference-voltage setting part, and reference comparator for comparing between the received signal waveform and reference voltage. Reference-voltage changing part changes the reference voltage according to the amplification degree of the amplified waveform of the received signal in amplifier. Comparing the changed reference voltage with the received signal waveform enhances stability in calculation of the propagation time. This prevents measurement accuracy of the flow velocity and the flow rate of fluid to be measured from degradation.

Flow rate measuring device

Ultrasonic flow rate measurement device includes measurement flow path in which a fluid to be measured flows, and a pair of ultrasonic vibrators that are disposed in directions such that a propagation path of an ultrasonic wave forms a V-shape relative to measurement flow path. Moreover, the device includes measurement circuit which measures a flow rate of the fluid to be measured by measuring a propagation time of the ultrasonic wave between the pair of ultrasonic vibrators, and inlet-side rectification part which is disposed, in the inlet side of measurement flow path, to stabilize the flow of the fluid to be measured. Furthermore, the device includes outlet-side coupling part which is disposed in the outlet side of measurement flow path, and signal lead-out part which outputs a flow rate value measured with measurement circuit.

Ultrasonic flow rate measurement device having inlet side flow rectification part and outlet side coupling part

An ultrasonic flow rate measuring device includes a flow path, a partition plate that is inserted from an aperture to partition the flow path into plural sections, an ultrasound transmission body, plural ultrasonic transducers that are provided in positions facing a bottom plate such that an ultrasonic wave transmitted from one of the ultrasonic transducers through the ultrasound transmission body is reflected by the bottom plate and received by the other ultrasonic transducer, a measurement circuit that measures an ultrasonic propagation time between the plurality of the ultrasonic transducers; and a calculation circuit that obtains a flow rate of the target fluid based on a signal from the measurement circuit.

Partition plate securement for an ultrasonic flow meter

When a flow rate is equal to or more than a reference flow rate, a reference voltage is changed to a level capable of measuring stably to thereby realize the improvement of measurement accuracy at the time of a large amount of flow rate. A flow rate determination means compares a flow rate calculated by a flow rate calculation means with the reference flow rate. When the calculated flow rate is larger than the reference flow rate, the reference voltage set by a reference voltage setting means is changed, whereby the zero cross point can be detected stably at the portion where the degree of the influence of the change in the amplitude of the received signal is small. Thus, it is possible to provide a flow rate measuring device capable of measuring a flow rate stably with high accuracy even when a fluid flow is disturbed due to a large amount of flow rate.

An objective of the invention is to provide a multilayered flow passage member that enhances fluid measurement accuracy of an ultrasonic fluid measurement apparatus and an ultrasonic fluid measurement apparatus using the multilayered flow passage member. When fusible projectionsare fused by a heating headwhile partition platesare inserted into side platesand, a fused state provided by the heating headchanges according to either side of each of the partition plates, because fuse surfaces at leading ends of the respective fusible projectionsare sloped in the vertical direction. An outermost end of each of fusible projectionsthat first contacts the heating headis first fused. During a course of the fusible projectionsbeing fused toward their roots, the partition platesare pressed against ends of respective insert holesthat are on the opposite side of the outermost ends that are first fused. As a result, the partition platesbecome one-sided with respect to the respective insert holesand fixed by means of positional accuracy of the insert holes. Even when clearance exists between the partition platesand the insert holes, the partition plates can be fused with superior accuracy.

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Shiga, Japan

Hirokazu Gotou