Apparatus and method for reducing stress in the brace bar of a Coriolis effect mass flow meter
US5370002A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 23, 1993 |
| Grant date | Dec 6, 1994 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 23, 2013 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01F15/024
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A Coriolis effect mass flow meter having a brace bar of improved flexibility which reduces the stress concentration in a brace bar as well as in areas of meter's flow tubes proximate the brace bar and flow tubes of the flow meter. A brace bar means is disclosed that has a void in an area between its holes that receive the flow tubes. This void increases the flexibility of the brace bar and shifts the concentration of operational and manufacturing induced stresses away from the braze joints between the brace bar and the flow tubes. The stresses are reduced and shifted away from the flow tubes to an area within the brace bar that is less critical to the overall life and reliability of the flow tubes. Meter sensitivity is improved due to enhanced flexibility of the present invention's brace bar in response to the motion induced by the Coriolis effect. Additional embodiments are disclosed which also provide increased flexibility of the brace bar while maintaining required rigidity to resist undesirable independent motion of the flow tubes.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.