Fuji Photo Film Company, Limited

Noboru Higuchi

Chuzo Kobayashi

Keizo Matsui

Shigeru Yamaguchi

Hiroshi Ohnishi

Yasunori Ichikawa

A liquid or powder measurement apparatus, usable also for mixing a plurality of measured materials and for distributing the mixture to a plurality of dispensing containers. A flow control valve having a wide flow rate range and excellent linearity between the degree of valve opening and flow rate is disposed in each of the liquid flow paths and is adjustable to have a flow rate linearly varying with the stroke of the valve. A mixing container receives the raw material from one or more supply containers and is weighed by a load cell to thereby detect the amount of material flowing into or out of the mixing container. A control unit operating according to fuzzy logic compares the measured weight with a target weight and accordingly adjusts the flow rate of a selected one of the flow regulators. The same load cell and control unit can also control the flows from the mixing containers to the dispensing containers.

Liquid and powder measuring apparatus

A powder measuring device and powder measuring mixer in which powder is supplied from a supply hopper to a measuring hopper with its flow rate controlled by a flow regulator associated with the hopper. The weight of the measuring hopper is monitored. A controller compares the measured weight with a target rate to produce a deviation therebetween and a time variation of the deviation. The controller operates according to fuzzy inference to produce a desired flow rate for the next control cycle. This desired flow rate is then supplied to the flow regulator. Several supply hoppers with associated flow regulators can be used. Then the output of the controller is switched between the different flow regulators at different phases of the mixing measurement. Additionally, the measuring hopper can be movable between the different supply hoppers so as to avoid complicated piping.

Powder weighing mixer and method thereof

A method for measuring liquid to be transferred from a container or containers to a measurement pot includes the steps of: determining an initial degree of opening of the valve for controlling flow-rate of the liquid from the container to the pot based on the valve's flow-rate characteristics and an arbitrarily chosen set value; opening the valve by the initial degree of opening; detecting the actual amount of liquid that has flowed into the pot; determining a next degree of opening of the valve based on the actual measurement and the set value; and changing the degree of opening of the valve to the next degree of opening. The determination of the degrees of opening of the valve is based on fuzzy control, which uses a fuzzy inference from the set value and actual measured value. An apparatus for measuring liquid for use in a liquid mixing apparatus uses the above-mentioned method.

Method of and apparatus for measuring liquid

A measuring mixer for use with either liquids or powders in which different supply systems supply different stock liquids or powders to a receiving container from supply containers. A continuously variable flow regulator is associated with each supply container. The cumulative weight of the receiving container is measured and compared with a target weight. Then a computation section calculates a desired flow rate based upon both the deviation from the target weight and a time variation thereof. This calculation is preferably done according to fuzzy inference. The desired flow rate is then used to control a selected one of the flow regulators so that the measurement is sequentially performed between supply systems. Optionally, the receiving container can be movable between the different supply systems.

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Kanagawa, Japan

Noboru Higuchi