Humidity control system for a scale
US4846293A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 12, 1988 |
| Grant date | Jul 11, 1989 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 12, 2008 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01G7/06
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
Variations in the relative humidity of the air present within a housing of a scale, particularly a high accuracy scale utilizing a capacitive transducer mounted at the interior of the housing, are controlled by a combination of (i) a mechanical partial seal of the housing which resists a flow of moisture (by diffusion and air flow) through the seal, and (ii) a supply of a desiccant located within the housing which both absorbs and desorbs moisture from the air held within the housing. The partial seal is preferably located at an opening in the housing for a shaft mounting a weighing pan external to the housing. For low motion, a face seal of a few mils provides the appropriate flow resistance. For high motion or low capacity scales, the partial seal is a radial seal formed by the shaft and a surrounding sleeve mounted with a small annular clearance is used. The desiccant is preferbly silica gel. The values for the flow resistance and desiccant supply for a given interior volume produce a very slow change in the relative humidity in the housing over time, typically several years. In use, the relative humidity within the housing varies within .+-. 5% of a steady state value despite m…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.