A device for measuring conduit flow

Abstract

A device for measuring flow of a conduit includes a container and a support member. The container has an upper opening. The support member at least partially covers the upper opening of the container, the support member is configured to horizontally support the entire conduit, and the support member has a plurality of holes distributed on a surface of the support member that supports the conduit, wherein the plurality of holes are configured to allow all fluid flowing out of the conduit to flow into the container.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to an apparatus for measuring flow rate, and more specifically, to an apparatus for measuring flow rate in a conduit. Background Technology

[0002] According to standards (such as BS-EN-1618-1997 and GB-T-15812-1995), during the measurement of flow rate in a conduit, the constant liquid level in the conduit and the constant liquid level container must maintain a static pressure head of 1000±5 mm. To meet the requirements of the standards, the entire conduit must be kept horizontal during the measurement process and at the same level as the outlet of the measuring equipment.

[0003] In one existing measurement method, after connecting the conduit to the measuring device, the end of the conduit hangs down naturally, and a common plastic or glass beaker is used as the collection container. However, this measurement method does not correctly understand the requirements of the standard. The natural hanging of the conduit will cause the actual static head at the conduit outlet to exceed the aforementioned standard requirement that "the constant liquid level between the conduit under test and the constant liquid level container should maintain a static head of 1000±5mm," resulting in an overestimation of the flow rate and failing to reflect the true flow rate of the conduit.

[0004] In another existing measurement method, a conduit is placed on a temporary platform with a groove at the bottom to guide fluid into a beaker, used to determine the amount of liquid flowing through the conduit per unit time. However, this method uses a horizontal surface to support the conduit, and the liquid flowing out of the conduit may adhere to the horizontal surface due to surface tension, failing to be completely collected into the beaker. Furthermore, for conduits with side holes, when placed on the platform, the side holes may face the platform and be blocked by the platform surface, hindering liquid flow. Therefore, this measurement method can lead to an underestimation of the flow rate.

[0005] Therefore, it is necessary to provide an improved device for measuring catheter flow that can measure catheter flow as accurately as possible. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of the problems existing in the prior art, this application provides a device for measuring the flow rate of a conduit.

[0007] According to one aspect of this application, an apparatus for measuring conduit flow rate is provided, comprising: a container and a support member. The container has an upper opening. The support member at least partially covers the upper opening of the container, wherein the support member is configured to horizontally receive and support the entire conduit, and the support member has a plurality of orifices distributed on a surface of the support member supporting the conduit, the plurality of orifices being configured to allow all fluid flowing out of the conduit to flow into the container.

[0008] In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes a weighing device for supporting the container.

[0009] In some embodiments, the weighing device is a balance or an electronic scale.

[0010] In some embodiments, the container has a discharge port extending through the bottom of the container.

[0011] In some embodiments, the container has an inner bottom surface that is configured as an inclined surface, curved surface, or conical surface that slopes toward the outlet.

[0012] In some embodiments, the support member is removably attached to the container.

[0013] In some embodiments, the device further includes at least one additional support member having a plurality of holes, the size of which differs from the size of the plurality of holes in the support member.

[0014] In some embodiments, the container has a guiding mechanism, and the support member and the at least one additional support member are attached to the container by means of slidable movement along the guiding mechanism.

[0015] In some embodiments, the support member and the additional support member are made of a corrosion-resistant material.

[0016] In some embodiments, the corrosion-resistant material is plastic, nylon, ceramic, carbon fiber, or stainless steel.

[0017] In some embodiments, the container is made of a transparent material.

[0018] In some embodiments, the transparent material is glass or plexiglass.

[0019] In some embodiments, the device further includes a lifting platform that supports the container and is used to adjust the height of the container in the vertical direction.

[0020] In some embodiments, the device further includes a baffle surrounding at least a portion of the upper opening of the container, wherein the baffle extends upward from the upper opening beyond the support member.

[0021] In some embodiments, the plurality of holes are rectangular, square, rhomboid, triangular, or a combination thereof.

[0022] In some embodiments, the plurality of holes are defined by a wire or strip, the width of which is less than 1 mm.

[0023] The above is an overview of this application, and there may be simplifications, generalizations, and omissions of details. Therefore, those skilled in the art should recognize that this section is merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of this application in any way. This overview section is neither intended to identify the key or essential features of the claimed subject matter nor to serve as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. Attached Figure Description

[0024] The above and other features of this application will become more fully clear through the following description and appended claims, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is understood that these drawings depict only a few embodiments of the application and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the application. The application will be described more clearly and in more detail through the use of the drawings.

[0025] Figure 1 A schematic perspective view of an apparatus for measuring catheter flow rate according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0026] Figures 2a to 2c A schematic top view of a support member with holes of different shapes according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0027] Figures 3a to 3c A schematic perspective view, longitudinal sectional view, and cross sectional view of an apparatus for measuring catheter flow according to an embodiment of the present invention are shown respectively.

[0028] Figures 4a to 4b Schematic perspective views of an apparatus for measuring catheter flow according to another embodiment of the present invention are shown, wherein... Figure 4b The support members of the device shown have been removed.

[0029] Figures 5a to 5b A schematic perspective view and a longitudinal sectional view of an apparatus for measuring conduit flow according to yet another embodiment of the present invention are shown.

[0030] Figures 6a to 6b A schematic perspective view and a front view of an apparatus for measuring conduit flow according to another embodiment of the present invention are shown respectively.

[0031] List of reference numerals in the instruction manual's attached figures:

[0032] Detailed Implementation

[0033] In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form part of the description. In the drawings, similar symbols generally denote similar components unless the context otherwise requires. The illustrative embodiments described in the detailed description, drawings, and claims are not intended to limit the scope of this application. Other embodiments and variations may be employed without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter of this application. It is understood that various different configurations, substitutions, combinations, and designs can be made to the various aspects of this application generally described and illustrated in the drawings, all of which explicitly form part of the scope of this application.

[0034] Figure 1 A device 10 for measuring conduit flow rate is shown. The device 10 includes a container 11 and a support member 21. The container 11 has an upper opening 12 (see...). Figure 3a ).exist Figure 1 In the illustrated embodiment, the support member 21 partially covers the upper opening 12 of the container. In some embodiments, the support member 21 may completely cover the upper opening 12 of the container. The support member 21 may be fixedly attached to the top or side wall of the container 11.

[0035] Support member 21 is constructed and positioned to horizontally support the entire conduit 31 (not shown). Orifices 23 are distributed on the surface of support member 21 supporting the entire conduit, and are configured to allow all fluid flowing out of conduit 31 to flow into container 11. Since conduit 31 is typically a slender member made of a soft material (e.g., plastic, nylon, polyurethane, or silicone rubber), it is prone to bending and sagging. On the one hand, to avoid localized natural sagging of conduit 31 affecting measurement accuracy, the size of orifice 23 should not be too large. On the other hand, an orifice 23 that is too small will create significant resistance to the liquid flowing out of conduit 31, hindering the timely collection of all liquid flowing out of conduit 31 into container 11. Therefore, an appropriately sized orifice 23 needs to be selected to minimize conduit bending and ensure that all liquid flowing out of conduit is collected into container 11. This will be discussed below in conjunction with… Figures 2a to 2c Further explanation of the selection based on the size and shape of hole 23.

[0036] Figures 2a to 2c Support members with holes of different shapes are shown, the holes 23 on the support member 21 being defined by intersecting lines or strips 25. In such... Figure 2aIn the embodiment shown, the hole 23 on the support member 21 is rectangular, and the length of its long side can be 10-50 mm, such as 50 mm, 45 mm, 40 mm, 35 mm, 30 mm, 25 mm, 20 mm, 19 mm, 18 mm, 17 mm, 16 mm, 15 mm, 14 mm, 13 mm, 12 mm, 11 mm, or 10 mm. The length of its short side can be 1-10 mm, such as 10 mm, 9 mm, 8 mm, 7 mm, 6 mm, 5 mm, 4 mm, 3 mm, 2 mm, or 1 mm. The lengths of the long and short sides listed above can be combined arbitrarily.

[0037] In such Figures 2b to 2c In the embodiment shown, the hole 23 on the support member 21 is constructed as a triangle (e.g., an equilateral triangle, an isosceles triangle, an isosceles right triangle, or any other suitable triangle shape), wherein the length of the longest side of the triangle can be 10-30 mm, for example 30 mm, 25 mm, 20 mm, 19 mm, 18 mm, 17 mm, 16 mm, 15 mm, 14 mm, 13 mm, 12 mm, 11 mm, or 10 mm.

[0038] In some embodiments, the holes 23 on the support member 21 are constructed as parallelograms, wherein triangular holes are formed at the edges of the support member 21, while parallelogram holes are formed in the remaining parts. The length of the longest side of the triangular hole can be 10-30 mm, for example, 30 mm, 25 mm, 20 mm, 19 mm, 18 mm, 17 mm, 16 mm, 15 mm, 14 mm, 13 mm, 12 mm, 11 mm, or 10 mm, while the length of the long side of the parallelogram hole can be 10-30 mm, for example, 30 mm, 25 mm, 20 mm, 19 mm, 18 mm, 17 mm, 16 mm, 15 mm, 14 mm, 13 mm, 12 mm, 11 mm, or 10 mm.

[0039] Those skilled in the art will understand that, when the material and width of the lines or strips used to define the holes on the surface of the support member are the same, the smaller the hole size, the more support points there are for the conduit, and the less likely the supported conduit is to deform. Although all the holes in a single support member shown in the figure have the same shape and size, this is not a limitation, and the shape and size of the holes in different areas can be set to be different from each other as appropriate.

[0040] Although the shape and size of the hole 23 on the support member 21 that can be used in this application have been described above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art will understand that the shape and size of the hole 23 can be varied and combined in many other ways. The shape and form of multiple holes on the surface of the support member can be set according to different measurement conditions (e.g., the material and diameter of the conduit), the material of the support member, and the processing technology.

[0041] In addition, the width of the wire or strip 25 used to define the hole also affects the measurement accuracy. In order to reduce the obstruction of the wire or strip to the fluid, it is preferable to set the width of the wire or strip 25 to be less than or equal to 1 mm, for example, 1 mm, 0.9 mm, 0.8 mm, 0.7 mm, 0.6 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.4 mm, 0.3 mm, 0.2 mm, or 0.1 mm.

[0042] In some embodiments, materials with a lower specific gravity can be selected for the container 11 and the support member 21, depending on the requirements of lightweight design. In some embodiments, the container 11 can be made of a transparent material (such as glass or plexiglass) to allow the user to observe the liquid level of the fluid in the container.

[0043] In some implementations, distilled or deionized water is used for catheter flow detection. However, other fluids, such as physiological saline, glucose solution, or other clinically used fluids, may be used depending on the actual needs. Accordingly, the material of container 11 can be selected based on the chemical properties of the fluid being detected to avoid chemical reactions between the container material and the fluid.

[0044] exist Figure 1 In the illustrated embodiment, container 11 is constructed as a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape with an open top. Wherein, Figure 3a This is a 3D view of container 11. Figure 3b This is a longitudinal sectional view of container 11. Figure 3c This is a cross-sectional view of container 11.

[0045] like Figures 3b to 3c As shown, container 11 has an outlet 13 extending through the bottom of container 11, so that fluid flowing into container 11 through a plurality of holes 23 on the surface of support member 21 can flow from the outlet 13 at the bottom of container 11 to a measuring instrument such as a beaker, so as to more accurately measure the volume of fluid and thus calculate the flow rate of the conduit.

[0046] like Figures 3b to 3cAs shown, the inner bottom surface 14 of container 11 can be configured as an inclined surface facing the outlet 13 to guide fluid out of the outlet 13 at the bottom of container 11, preventing fluid residue in container 11 from affecting measurement accuracy. Of course, depending on actual needs, the inner bottom surface 14 of container 11 can also be configured in other forms, such as a curved surface, a conical surface, or including multiple inclined surfaces that together slope towards the outlet 13. Although in Figures 3a to 3c The diagram shows a rectangular outlet 13, but the outlet can also have other shapes, such as a circle. This application does not limit the shape of the outlet. The location of the outlet 13 is not limited to the corner of the container as shown in the figure, and can be set in other locations as needed, such as the center of the container.

[0047] like Figures 3b to 3c As shown, the device 10 also includes a baffle 71 surrounding at least a portion of the upper opening 12 of the container 11, and wherein the baffle 71 extends beyond the support member 21 from the upper opening 12. When the conduit has a side hole (not shown), the baffle 71 can block fluid flowing out of the side hole, causing it to flow into the container 11, thereby avoiding flow measurement errors due to incomplete fluid collection.

[0048] In some embodiments, the baffle 71 may be made of the same material as the container 11. The baffle 71 may further be integrally formed with the container 11. In some embodiments, the baffle 71 may be made of a transparent material (such as glass or plexiglass) to allow the user to observe the fluid flow.

[0049] Figures 4a to 4b An apparatus 10 for measuring conduit flow rate according to another embodiment of this application is shown, wherein a container 11 has a guide mechanism 41 and a support member 21 slidably attached to the guide mechanism 41.

[0050] like Figures 4a to 4b As shown, the device 10 may include a detachable support member 21, and the device 10 may include two or more support members. When the device 10 has multiple support members, each support member has multiple holes, and the size of the hole in one of the support members may be different from the size of the holes in the other support members, so as to support different types of conduits.

[0051] In the illustrated embodiment, the guide mechanism 41 is configured as a generally horizontally extending guide groove, the guide groove being sized to receive and guide a corresponding guide rail 42 on the support member 21 and allow the latter to slide within the guide groove, thereby covering at least a portion of the opening 12 of the container 11. In some embodiments, the guide mechanism 41 may also be formed as a horizontally extending guide rail, with a guide groove formed on the corresponding sidewall of the support member 21 that slidably engages with the guide rail.

[0052] During measurement, a suitable support member 21 can be selected according to the specific model of the conduit to be tested, and the selected support member 21 is attached to the container 11 to ensure that while horizontally supporting all parts of the conduit, as much liquid as possible flowing out of the conduit can flow into the container 11 through the orifice 23. Since the support mechanism 21 is detachable from the container 11, it is also convenient to replace damaged support members 21 and to clean the container 11.

[0053] The support member 21 may be made of a corrosion-resistant material to extend its service life. In some embodiments, the corrosion-resistant material (such as plastic, nylon, ceramic, carbon fiber, or stainless steel) may be selected depending on the different measurement conditions and the chemical properties of the fluid.

[0054] Figures 5a to 5b An apparatus 50 for measuring conduit flow rate according to another embodiment of this application is shown. The main difference between the apparatus 50 and the apparatus 10 is that the apparatus 50 further includes a lifting platform 51, which can support the container 11 and is used to adjust the height of the container 11 in the vertical direction so as to adjust the height of the container 11 according to the outlet height of the constant liquid level container to ensure the static pressure head required for the test.

[0055] Figures 6a to 6b A device 60 for measuring catheter flow rate according to another embodiment of this application is shown, the device 60 being... Figure 1 The main difference of the apparatus 50 shown is that the apparatus 60 also includes a weighing device 61 for supporting the container 11 so as to obtain the weight of the fluid flowing into the container 11 from the conduit 31 during the measurement period. The flow rate of the fluid can then be calculated by dividing the weight of the fluid by the time during the measurement period and the density of the fluid.

[0056] The device 60 may have a drain plug 62 for blocking the drain outlet 13 to collect the weight of the fluid flowing into the container 11 for measurement. After the measurement is completed, the drain plug 62 can be opened to allow the fluid in the container 11 to flow out through the drain outlet 13.

[0057] In some embodiments, the total weight of the components, including the container 11, support member 21, lifting platform 51, and conduit 31, can be measured using a weighing device 61 before measurement, after the device 60 is set up. The weight displayed on the weighing device 61 is then read at the end of the measurement, and the difference between the two is the weight of the fluid flowing into the container from the conduit during the measurement. In some embodiments, the weighing device 61 can be zeroed and calibrated before measurement, after the device 60 is set up, so that the subsequent reading of the weighing device 61 is the weight of the fluid flowing into the container 11 from the conduit 31 during the measurement. The weighing device 61 can be, for example, a balance or electronic scale, or other devices suitable for weighing.

[0058] In some embodiments, the lifting platform 51 may be omitted, and the container 11 may be directly supported on the weighing device 61. In other embodiments, the container 11 may be supported on the weighing device 61, and the lifting platform 51 may be used to support it on the weighing device 61.

[0059] Various embodiments of this application have been described above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art will understand that the solutions in the above-described embodiments can be combined with each other. For example, the features of the container baffle 71, outlet 13, inclined inner bottom surface 14, and guide mechanism 41 can be arbitrarily combined. Those skilled in the art can understand and implement other modifications to the disclosed embodiments by studying the specification, the disclosure, the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements and steps, and the words "a" or "an" do not exclude a plurality. In practical applications of this application, a single component may perform the function of multiple technical features referenced in the claims. Any reference numerals in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope.

Claims

1. A device for measuring the flow rate of a conduit, characterized in that, The device includes: Container, the container having an opening at the top; A support member that at least partially covers the upper opening of the container, wherein the support member is configured to horizontally support the entire conduit, and the support member has a plurality of holes distributed on the surface of the support member supporting the conduit, the plurality of holes being configured to allow all fluid flowing out of the conduit to flow into the container.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The device also includes a weighing device to support the container.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, The weighing device is a balance or an electronic scale.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The container has a discharge port extending through the bottom of the container.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that, The container has an inner bottom surface, which is configured as an inclined surface, curved surface, or conical surface that slopes toward the outlet.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The support member is removably attached to the container.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that, The device further includes at least one additional support member having a plurality of holes, the size of which differs from the size of which is the size of the plurality of holes in the support member.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that, The container has a guiding mechanism, and the support member and the at least one additional support member are attached to the container by means of slidable movement along the guiding mechanism.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that, The supporting member and the additional supporting member are made of corrosion-resistant material.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that, The corrosion-resistant material is plastic, nylon, ceramic, carbon fiber, or stainless steel.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The container is made of a transparent material.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, characterized in that, The transparent material is glass or plexiglass.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The device also includes a lifting platform that supports the container and is used to adjust the height of the container in the vertical direction.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The device also includes a baffle surrounding at least a portion of the upper opening of the container, wherein the baffle extends upward from the upper opening beyond the support member.

15. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that, The shapes of the plurality of holes are rectangular, square, rhomboid, triangular, or combinations thereof.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, characterized in that, The plurality of holes are defined by a line or strip, the width of which is less than 1 mm.

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