Windshield for scale

Abstract

A windshield (3) for a scale (2), the windshield comprising a housing having a top side, a bottom side and a back side, the windshield (3) further comprising a heat transfer member (37) comprising at least a first plate-like portion (371) extending along and adjacent to the bottom side of the housing, the windshield further comprises a heat sink (41) arranged outside the housing, and means (51) for driving a heat flow from a component having a relatively lower temperature to a component having a relatively higher temperature, said means being functionally related to the heat transfer component (37) and to the heat sink (41). The device for driving a heat flow from a component having a relatively lower temperature to a component having a relatively higher temperature is a thermoelectric module, in particular a Peltier module.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The subject matter disclosed herein relates to a draft shield for a scale and a weighing system including a draft shield of the type proposed herein. More particularly, the invention claimed herein relates to the subject matter specified in the claims. Background Art

[0002] Draft shields are common in precision weight measurements. They are used to protect the weighing pan and the weighing item from external influences, such as the effects of agitated air, which induces forces acting on the weighing pan and the item weighed thereon, which can have a negative impact on the measurement accuracy. It can be easily understood that agitated air can affect the measurement or weight determination, and the greater the resolution of the weight measurement, the higher the accuracy of the weight determination.

[0003] Heat drawn from the electronics of the scale can induce convection currents inside the draft shield or, correspondingly, in a weighing chamber arranged inside the draft shield. This is particularly true when using so-called top-loading scales, in which the load cell (i.e. the transducer which converts the weight of the weighed product into an electrical signal) and the associated electronics are located below the weighing pan and therefore below the weighing chamber. The heat from the weighing chamber and / or the associated electronics heats up the air at the bottom of the weighing chamber, which leads to unstable air stratification in the weighing chamber and induces convection currents in the weighing chamber. When measuring with submilligram resolution, e.g. resolutions of about 10 μg or less, the resulting convection currents can significantly affect the measurements.

[0004] Various methods have been adopted in the art to avoid unstable air stratification in the weighing chamber and / or to balance the temperature difference in the weighing chamber, especially the vertical temperature difference. According to EP1396711, a vertical wall of the weighing chamber is provided by a wall fixedly attached to the scale. The thermoelectric module is thermally connected to the weighing chamber and is arranged to produce a temperature distribution of the wall, wherein the temperature of the wall increases from the bottom to the top. DE102009055622 suggests the use of a weighing system including a weighing chamber. The cover of the scale forms the bottom of the weighing chamber. The cover has thermal conductivity and is connected to the thermoelectric module. The thermoelectric module is used to cool the cover to provide cooling air at the bottom, thereby producing a stable air stratification in the weighing chamber. Summary of the invention

[0005] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a draft shield and a weighing system of the type initially mentioned. In more specific aspects, the disclosed subject matter should provide a weighing chamber with one of a stable temperature stratification and at least a substantially uniform temperature within the weighing chamber. In other aspects, the disclosed subject matter should provide a temperature within the weighing chamber that is at least substantially equal to the ambient temperature outside the draft shield. This may have the advantage that the transfer of weighing items from outside the weighing chamber has as little effect on the temperature and / or temperature distribution within the weighing chamber as possible, either by transferring weighing items at approximately ambient temperature into the weighing chamber or by ambient air entering the weighing chamber when the draft shield door is open. It goes without saying that the subject matter proposed herein should be as simple, easy to handle and reliable as possible.

[0006] In another aspect, a modular approach is followed, wherein it is desired to connect the beneficial properties of a single device to multiple scales.

[0007] This is achieved by the subject matter of claim 1 .

[0008] Additional effects and advantages of the disclosed subject matter, whether explicitly mentioned or not, will become apparent from the disclosure provided hereinafter.

[0009] Therefore, a windshield for a scale is disclosed, which includes a shell having a top side, a bottom side and a back side. The windshield also includes a heat transfer component. The heat transfer component can be arranged inside the shell. The heat transfer component at least includes a first plate-like portion extending along and adjacent to the bottom side of the shell. It can be said that the first plate-like portion of the heat transfer component extends parallel to the bottom side of the shell. In particular, the first plate-like portion can extend horizontally. The windshield also includes a radiator arranged outside the shell, and a device for driving a heat flow from a component with a relatively low temperature to a component with a relatively high temperature, which device has a functional relationship with the heat transfer component and the radiator. The functional relationship involves a thermally conductive connection. Therefore, the device for driving a heat flow from a component with a relatively low temperature to a component with a relatively high temperature is configured to drive the heat flow to flow between the heat transfer component and the radiator. The device for driving a heat flow from a component with a relatively low temperature to a component with a relatively high temperature is particularly arranged between the heat transfer component and the radiator. In particular, the first surface of the device for driving heat flow from a component with a relatively low temperature to a component with a relatively high temperature can be mounted to contact the heat transfer component, and / or the second surface of the device for driving heat flow from a component with a relatively low temperature to a component with a relatively high temperature can be mounted to contact the heat sink. In an embodiment, a spacing component comprising or composed of a material with a high thermal conductivity of 10W / (m·K) or higher, 20W / (m·K) or higher, 50W / (m·K) or higher, 100W / (m·K) or higher, or 200W / (m·K) or higher can be placed between the device for driving heat flow from a component with a relatively low temperature to a component with a relatively high temperature and the heat transfer component and / or the heat sink. This may help to adapt the geometry and / or size and further increase the distance between the heat transfer component and the heat sink, thereby reducing the radiation heat transfer between the heat transfer component and the heat sink. The device for driving heat flow from the component with relatively low temperature to the component with relatively high temperature can be particularly configured to drive heat flow from the heat transfer component to a heat sink outside the housing. In some cases, the heat sink can extend along the back side of the housing of the wind shield.

[0010] In this case, "along" should not be interpreted as implying contact or proximity between the two components, but should be interpreted as indicating that the two components extend at least substantially in at least one common direction. In another aspect, it can be understood that the two surfaces of the components are opposite to each other.

[0011] It is conceivable that the first plate-shaped portion of the heat transfer element is the entire heat transfer element.

[0012] At least the first plate-shaped portion of the heat transfer component, in particular the entire heat transfer component, may contain or consist of a material having a high thermal conductivity. A high thermal conductivity is understood to be a thermal conductivity of 10 W / (m·K) or more, 20 W / (m·K) or more, 50 W / (m·K) or more, 100 W / (m·K) or more or 200 W / (m·K) or more. All values ​​of thermal conductivity given in this document refer to values ​​at 20°C.

[0013] The first plate-shaped portion of the heat transfer component is used to collect and absorb heat from the weighing unit and related electronic components of the scale placed under the weighing chamber. By means of a device for driving the heat flow from the component with a relatively low temperature to the component with a relatively high temperature, the first plate-shaped portion of the heat transfer component can be actively cooled, and the heat brought into the interior of the wind shield or the corresponding weighing chamber from the electronic components of the scale located under the wind shield can be transferred to the radiator and dissipated into the ambient air. By driving the heat flow from the inside of the wind shield to the radiator through the first plate-shaped portion of the heat transfer component, the first plate-shaped portion of the heat transfer component can be cooled to a temperature approximately or lower than the temperature outside the wind shield. Therefore, around the first plate-shaped portion of the heat transfer component, i.e., at the bottom of the interior of the wind shield, there is air with a relatively low temperature, resulting in a stable stratification of the air in the ventilated hood or the corresponding weighing chamber, thereby avoiding convection in the wind shield or the weighing chamber.

[0014] In another aspect, since the heat transfer components, heat sinks, and means for driving heat flow from components with relatively low temperatures to components with relatively high temperatures are contained in the draft shield, the subject matter disclosed herein follows a modular approach, since one draft shield can be attached to and used in conjunction with multiple scales, eliminating the need to equip each scale with heat transfer components, heat sinks, and means for driving heat flow from components with relatively low temperatures to components with relatively high temperatures. Any scale to which the draft shield is applicable can benefit from the advantages of the subject matter disclosed herein.

[0015] It is understood that in the context of a scale, the spatial directions "top" and "bottom", as well as any related terms such as "above" or "below", are clearly defined and easily recognized by the skilled person through the intended use of the scale. The same applies to the draft shield, which is intended to be attached to the scale in a clearly defined specific and unique orientation. In addition, directions or orientations such as "front", "back" and "side" and terms related thereto have been clearly defined and recognized by the skilled person. For example, the operating control panel may define the front of the scale.

[0016] It should be noted that within the framework of the present disclosure, the use of the indefinite article "a" or "an" in no way defines a singularity, nor does it exclude the presence of a plurality of the components or features described. Therefore, it should be understood in the sense of "at least one" or "one or more".

[0017] In addition, it should be noted that in the context of this application, the terms "adjacent" and "adjacent" as well as "adjacent" and "adjacent to" are considered synonyms. "Adjacent" or "adjacent to" should not be interpreted as implying that two elements or components must be in contact with each other or adjacent to each other, but should be interpreted as "adjacent" or "very close".

[0018] In an embodiment, the heat transfer component may include a second plate-like portion extending from the first plate-like portion, the second plate-like portion of the heat transfer component extending along and adjacent to the back side of the wind shield. The second plate-like portion of the heat transfer component may extend in particular vertically. The second plate-like portion of the heat transfer component may extend from the first plate-like portion of the heat transfer component and extend at least substantially perpendicularly to the first plate-like portion of the heat transfer component. The second plate-like portion of the heat transfer component may extend from or approach the trailing edge of the first plate-like portion of the heat transfer component. In a more specific embodiment, the heat transfer component may be a curved L-shaped material sheet having the above-mentioned high thermal conductivity. The heat transfer component including the first and second plate-like portions may be a seamless, one-piece integral component in an embodiment. The second plate-like portion of the heat transfer component may be used to conductively distribute heat between the bottom and top of the wind shield or between the weighing chambers formed inside the wind shield, respectively, thereby helping to balance the temperature distribution in the wind shield or the corresponding weighing chamber. While in an embodiment, the device for driving the heat flow from a component having a relatively low temperature to a component having a relatively high temperature may be mounted directly or indirectly on the first plate-shaped portion of the heat transfer component, in other embodiments, the device may be mounted directly or indirectly on the second plate-shaped portion of the heat transfer component, and indirect mounting indicates that a component containing or consisting of a material having a high thermal conductivity as defined above is inserted therebetween. In the latter embodiment, the heat collected by the first plate-shaped portion of the heat transfer component is transferred to the second plate-shaped portion of the heat transfer component, from where it may be transferred to the heat sink by the device for driving the heat flow from a component having a relatively low temperature to a component having a relatively high temperature. The heat sink may extend along the second plate-shaped portion of the heat transfer component, and more specifically, may extend parallel to the second plate-shaped portion of the heat transfer component.

[0019] In some embodiments, the housing of the windshield may include a rear wall. In said embodiment, the second plate-like portion of the heat transfer component may extend along the inner side of the rear wall, and the heat sink may extend along the outer side of the rear wall. However, in other embodiments, the specific rear wall of the housing of the windshield may be omitted, and the second plate-like portion of the heat transfer component may be used as the rear wall of the windshield or the rear wall of the corresponding housing of the windshield, whereby one surface of the second plate-like portion of the heat transfer component is located inside the housing, and another surface of the second plate-like portion is located outside the housing.

[0020] In various aspects, the first plate-shaped portion of the heat transfer component may include at least one through hole. The at least one through hole may be configured to receive a suspension component for functionally connecting a weighing pan placed above the first plate-shaped portion of the heat transfer component to a weighing cell of a scale placed below the first plate-shaped portion of the heat transfer component.

[0021] The means for driving the heat flow from the component with a relatively low temperature to the component with a relatively high temperature may be a thermoelectric module, in particular a Peltier module. Modules of said type are readily available, relatively inexpensive, and contain no moving parts, thereby avoiding vibrations, reducing maintenance requirements, and having excellent reliability.

[0022] The heat sink may include a plurality of ribs, i.e. at least two ribs. The plurality of ribs may include or be a plurality of vertically extending ribs. Such ribs may dissipate heat well by free convection along the ribs without the need to use a fan or other means to stir the air around the ribs to promote heat transfer from the ribs to the ambient air.

[0023] In an embodiment, the wind shield is a separate device, in particular a device independent of the scale. The wind shield can further be adapted and configured to be selectively attached to and detached from the scale. To this extent, the wind shield can include at least one electrical contact member accessible from the outside. In particular, the at least one electrical contact member can be arranged at the bottom of the wind shield and / or can be contacted from the bottom of the wind shield accordingly. At least one electrical contact member can be adapted and configured to contact at least one mating electrical contact member on or provided by the scale. In a more specific aspect, at least one electrical contact member can be adapted and configured to selectively connect and disconnect with a mating electrical contact member. The mating electrical contact member is particularly arranged on a scale to which the wind shield is intended and configured, i.e., selectively attached and detached and removed, wherein the selective connection and disconnection are achieved by attaching the wind shield to the scale and detaching and removing the wind shield from the scale, respectively. In turn, in an embodiment, this can be achieved by moving the wind shield in the top-bottom or bottom-top direction, respectively, which can involve a vertical movement of the wind shield relative to the scale.

[0024] At least one of the at least one electrical contact components may be functionally connected, in particular may include an electrical terminal electrically connected to a device for driving a heat flow from a component with a relatively low temperature to a component with a relatively high temperature. The functional connection includes an electronic circuit connection between the electrical contact component and the device for driving a heat flow from a component with a relatively low temperature to a component with a relatively high temperature. Thus, at least one of the at least one electrical contact components may be configured to provide power to the device for driving a heat flow from a component with a relatively low temperature to a component with a relatively high temperature.

[0025] At least one temperature sensor may be arranged in the housing of the windshield. In addition, the windshield may include a temperature control circuit, which is functionally connected to at least one of the at least one temperature sensor and a device for driving a heat flow from a component with a relatively low temperature to a component with a relatively high temperature. Thus, the temperature in the windshield housing can be controlled. However, in other embodiments, the temperature sensor and / or the temperature control circuit may be omitted, which greatly saves costs, and the temperature in the windshield housing is uncontrolled or open-loop controlled. However, for many applications, uncontrolled or open-loop controlled cooling of the interior of the windshield housing may be sufficient.

[0026] A temperature sensor may be provided and connected to at least one of the at least one electrical contact of the draft shield. For example, a temperature control circuit may be provided in a scale for which the draft shield is intended.

[0027] In other aspects, a weighing system is disclosed that includes a scale and a wind shield of any type described above. The wind shield is independent of the scale and is adapted and configured to be selectively attached to the scale and detached and removed from the scale. When the wind shield is attached to the scale, the wind shield surrounds a weighing chamber that includes a weighing pan of the scale. In an exemplary aspect, the wind shield may include at least one electrical contact component in any of the above-described manners. The scale may include an electrical connection terminal that is adapted and configured to be electrically contacted with at least one of the at least one electrical contact components of the wind shield. The electrical connection terminal may also be adapted and configured to provide electrical connections for a device for driving heat flow from a component having a relatively low temperature to a component having a relatively high temperature, and / or for transmitting at least one measurement signal and / or at least one control signal between the scale and the wind shield. It can be understood that in these embodiments, at least one electrical contact component of the wind shield and the electrical connection terminal of the scale are adapted and configured to automatically make electrical contact with each other when the wind shield is connected to the scale, and conversely, automatically disconnect from each other when the wind shield is removed from the scale.

[0028] It is understood that the features and embodiments disclosed above can be combined with each other. In addition, it is understood that within the scope of the present disclosure, other embodiments can be imagined and these embodiments are obvious to the skilled person due to the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] The subject matter of the present disclosure will now be explained in more detail by means of selected exemplary embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings show:

[0030] Figure 1 is a first perspective view of a weighing system including a scale and a draft shield as disclosed herein;

[0031] Figure 2is a second perspective view of a weighing system including a scale and a draft shield of the type disclosed herein;

[0032] Figure 3 is a view of a heat transfer component and a heat sink in a first exemplary embodiment, with a thermoelectric module inserted therein;

[0033] Figure 4 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a heat transfer component;

[0034] Figure 5 is a view of a second exemplary embodiment of a heat transfer component and a heat sink, wherein a thermoelectric module is functionally inserted; and

[0035] Figure 6 A detailed view of an embodiment of an electrical connection component is shown.

[0036] It is understood that the drawings may be highly schematic, at least in part, and that unnecessary details may be omitted for ease of understanding and description. It is further understood that the drawings show only selected, illustrative embodiments, and that embodiments not shown may still be fully within the scope of the subject matter disclosed and / or claimed herein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] Figure 1 An exemplary embodiment of a weighing system 1 is shown, which comprises a scale 2 and an exemplary embodiment of a draft shield 3 of the type proposed herein. The scale 2 comprises a housing 21, in which, for example, a weighing sensor and electronic components are contained. Furthermore, the scale 2 comprises a display and an operating control panel 22. The weighing sensor is a transducer that converts the mechanical input of a weighing object placed on a weighing pan 23 into an electrical signal. The weighing chamber 11 is bounded by the housing of the draft shield 3 and the upper surface of the housing 21 of the scale 2 and contains the weighing pan 23. To this extent it is understood that the draft shield 3 is a separate component and can be selectively attached to the scale 2 so as to enclose the weighing chamber together with the upper surface of the housing 21 of the scale 2 and can be detached and removed from the scale 2. As shown in FIG. Figure 1As shown, when the draft shield 3 is attached to the scale 2, when the draft shield 3 is closed, the weighing pan 23 and the weighing object placed on the weighing pan 23 are contained in the weighing chamber 11 and protected from external influences, such as the influence of agitated air, which may otherwise cause the weighing pan 23 to move together with the weighing object placed thereon, thereby adversely affecting the accuracy of the weight measurement. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the housing of the draft shield 3 includes a front wall 31, a top wall 32, a rear wall 33, and side doors 34 and 38. The side door 38 is located on the opposite side of the side door 34 and is not visible in this figure. The side door 34 is slidably guided in the upper guide rail 351 and the lower guide rail 352. Those skilled in the art will easily understand how the side door 38 (although not visible in detail) is guided in the upper guide rail 361 and the lower guide rail (not visible in this figure). The side doors 34 and 38 are arranged to selectively close the draft shield 3, thereby enclosing the weighing chamber 11 within the housing of the draft shield 3, and to open the draft shield 3 to provide access to the weighing chamber 11. In the present figure, the side door 34 is open so that the interior of the weighing chamber 11 can be seen. A heat transfer component 37 is arranged in the weighing chamber. The heat transfer component 37 includes a first plate-like portion extending along the bottom side of the draft shield 3 or, respectively, along the bottom side of the weighing chamber 11, and a second plate-like portion 372 extending along and adjacent to the inner side of the rear wall 33. As described above, in other embodiments, the specific rear wall of the housing of the draft shield 3 can be omitted, so that the second plate-like portion 372 of the heat transfer component 37 can be used as the rear wall of the draft shield 3. The first plate-like portion 371 of the heat transfer component 37 extends adjacent to the bottom side of the draft shield 3 or, respectively, adjacent to the bottom of the weighing chamber 11, and extends at least substantially horizontally. The second plate-shaped portion 372 extends perpendicularly to the first plate-shaped portion 371, and it can be basically said that the second plate-shaped portion 372 is arranged vertically. The heat transfer component 37 can generally be an L-shaped curved plate material having a high thermal conductivity, and includes a first plate-shaped portion 371 and a second plate-shaped portion 372 as two legs of the L-shaped geometry. As described above, the material having a high thermal conductivity can be a material having a thermal conductivity of 10W / (m·K) or more, 20W / (m·K) or more, 50W / (m·K) or more, 100W / (m·K) or more, or 200W / (m·K) or more. In an embodiment, the heat transfer component of the present disclosure can be made of aluminum. Reference Figure 2 It can be seen that the radiator 41 is arranged outside the housing of the wind shield 3 and extends along the outer side of the rear wall 33. In addition, the power and signal transmission terminal 39 is arranged on the back of the scale 2.

[0038] like Figure 3As shown, the cross section is taken in a plane extending from the bottom to the top and from the front to the back of the wind shield 3. The thermoelectric module 51, such as a Peltier module, is arranged to be functionally connected to the second plate-shaped portion 372 of the heat transfer component 37 and the heat sink 41, that is, connected in a heat conductive relationship. In an exemplary embodiment, a spacing member 52 having a high thermal conductivity of 10W / (m·K) or more, 20W / (m·K) or more, 50W / (m·K) or more, or 200W / (m·K) or more is arranged between the second plate-shaped portion 372 of the heat transfer component 37 and the heat sink 41. The wire 53 is configured to supply power to the thermoelectric module 51. The thermoelectric module 51 is configured as a device for driving a heat flow from a component having a relatively low temperature to a component having a relatively high temperature, and drives heat between the second plate-shaped portion 372 of the heat transfer component 37 and the heat sink 41 by being arranged in a heat conductive relationship with the second plate-shaped portion 372 of the heat transfer component 37 and the heat sink 41. The thermoelectric module 51 can be particularly configured to drive a heat flow from the second plate-shaped portion 372 of the heat transfer component 37 to the heat sink 41. Therefore, the second plate-shaped portion 372 of the heat transfer component 37 can be cooled to a temperature lower than the temperature of the heat sink 41. At least one side of the second plate-shaped portion 372 of the heat transfer component 37 is arranged on the inner side of the wind shield 3. In the present exemplary embodiment, the second plate-shaped portion 372 of the heat transfer component 37 is completely arranged inside the wind shield 3. The heat sink 41 is arranged outside the housing, i.e., in the ambient air. Therefore, the lowest temperature that the heat sink 41 can reach is the temperature of the ambient air when the thermoelectric module 51 is turned off. If the thermoelectric module 51 is operated to drive heat to flow from the second plate-shaped portion 372 of the heat transfer component 37 to the heat sink 41, the temperature of the heat sink 41 will be higher than the temperature of the ambient air. The heat sink 41 includes a vertically extending rib 417, and another vertically extending rib, such as Figure 4 As shown, and it is an exemplary embodiment of a heat sink that produces enhanced heat dissipation that is well known to those skilled in the art. Depending on the operating power of the thermoelectric module 51, the second plate-shaped portion 372 of the heat transfer component 37 can be cooled to a temperature at least approximately equal to or lower than the ambient air temperature.

[0039] Through Figure 1 of Figure 33, it can be clearly seen that the electronic components in the housing 21 of the scale 2 can heat the lower part of the weighing chamber 11 arranged in the housing 3 of the wind shield 3. The heat transferred into the weighing chamber 11 in this way is at least partially collected or absorbed by the first plate-shaped portion 371 of the heat transfer component 37 and transferred to the second plate-shaped portion 372 of the heat transfer component 37, from where it is transferred to the heat sink 41 and dissipated into the ambient air. Therefore, the heat transfer component 3 functionally connected to the thermoelectric module 51 and the heat sink 41 is used to collect, distribute and dissipate the heat brought into the weighing chamber 11 into the ambient air, which heat is introduced through the electronic components in the housing 21 of the scale 2. Due to the high thermal conductivity of the heat transfer component 37, the temperature gradient required to drive the relevant heat flow through the heat transfer component 37 is relatively low. The vertical second plate-shaped portion 372 of the heat transfer component 37 can support the heat in the housing of the wind shield 3 to be distributed conductively in the vertical direction without involving convection inside the weighing chamber 11. On the contrary, in the case where the heat transfer component 37 is actively cooled, the temperature of the first plate-shaped portion 371 of the heat transfer component 37 can be cooled to below the average temperature in the weighing chamber 11, thereby achieving stable air stratification in the weighing chamber 11, with relatively cold air at the bottom and relatively warm air at the top. In an embodiment, at least one temperature sensor can be provided in the weighing chamber, and the cooling power of the thermoelectric module 51 is controlled by a temperature control circuit to control the temperature inside the weighing chamber 11 to a target value such as ambient temperature. As will be understood, the temperature control is achieved by controlling the power supplied to the thermoelectric module 51. However, in other embodiments, the thermoelectric module 51 can be operated in open-loop control, and the temperature control circuit and temperature sensor can be omitted for simplicity and cost saving. The temperature control circuit (if present) can be included in the wind shield 3 as well as the scale 2. The power supplied to the thermoelectric module 51 can be selected and adapted to the heat introduction from the electronic components in the housing 21 of the scale 2 to at least reach a target temperature in the weighing chamber 11, such as ambient temperature, in a good approximation.

[0040] refer to Figure 4, the heat sink 41 includes a plurality of vertically extending ribs 411, 412, 413, 414, 415, 416 and 417. As is familiar to those skilled in the art, the vertically extending ribs 411, 412, 413, 414, 415, 416 and 417 increase the heat dissipation surface of the heat sink 41 while allowing natural convection along the ribs 411, 412, 413, 414, 415, 416 and 417 to be unimpeded, which significantly increases the heat dissipation of the heat sink 41. It can further be seen that the first plate-like portion 371 of the heat transfer component 37 has through holes 373, 374 and 375, which allow components of the scale 2, such as a bracket for a weighing pan, to functionally connect the weighing pan (arranged above the first plate-like portion 371 of the heat transfer component 37) to a weighing cell of the scale, which is arranged below the first plate-like portion 371 of the heat transfer component 37.

[0041] Figure 5 A schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of a windshield 3 according to a second exemplary embodiment is shown. A first plate-shaped portion 371 of a heat transfer component 37 extends from the inside of the weighing chamber 11 or the inside of the windshield through the rear wall 33 of the windshield. The heat transfer component 37 includes only the first plate-shaped portion 371, but not the second plate-shaped portion. On the outside of the windshield, a spacing component 52 containing or consisting of a material having a high thermal conductivity as defined above is mounted to the portion of the first plate-shaped portion 371 that protrudes through the rear wall 33 to the outside of the weighing chamber. The thermoelectric module 51 is mounted on the spacing component 52 so that the first surface of the thermoelectric module 51 is in contact with the spacing component 52 over a large area, and the heat sink 41 is in turn mounted on the second surface opposite to the spacing component 52 and is in contact with it over a large area. The heat sink 41 can be of the same type as in the above-described embodiments, and, similar to the above-outlined embodiments, it is arranged so that the ribs (of which the ribs 417 are visible in this figure) extend vertically.

[0042] like Figure 6As shown, the power supply wire 53 of the thermoelectric module 51 is respectively connected to the first electrical contact parts 551, 561 of the electrical contact part pair 55, 56 including the first electrical contact parts 551, 561 and the matching related electrical contact parts 552, 562. The first electrical contact parts 551, 561 are the electrical contact parts of the wind shield 3, and the second electrical contact parts 552, 562 are the contact parts of the scale 2. The second electrical contact parts 552, 562 jointly form a terminal, which is adapted and configured to be able to make electrical contact with the first electrical contact parts 551, 561 of the wind shield 3. The second electrical contact parts 552, 562 are connected to the wire 54, and the wire 54 can connect the power supply device of the scale 2 to the second electrical contact parts 552, 562, so as to provide power to the thermoelectric module through the related electrical contact parts pair 55, 56 and the wire 53. It is understood that additional pairs of related electrical contact components can generally be provided for transmitting measurement data, control signals and other electrical signals that may need to be transmitted between the scale 2 and the draft shield 3. For example, if the draft shield 3 includes at least one temperature sensor and a temperature control circuit is provided inside the scale 2, additional pairs of related electrical contact components can be provided for transmitting signals between the at least one temperature sensor and the temperature control circuit. In addition, if the draft shield 3 includes at least one temperature sensor and a temperature control circuit, the wire 53 can advantageously be connected to the thermoelectric module via the temperature control circuit. Each pair of electrical contact components 55, 56 is provided and configured to establish electrical contact between the corresponding electrical contact components 551, 552 and 561, 562 when the draft shield 3 is connected to the scale 2, and disconnect the corresponding electrical contact components when the draft shield 3 is separated from the scale 2. In a non-limiting exemplary embodiment, at least one of the electrical contact components of the pair of electrical contact components 55, 56 can be a spring-loaded electrical contact component. In other non-limiting exemplary embodiments, one of the electrical contacts of the pair of electrical contacts 55, 56 may be a plug, while the other electrical contact of the pair of electrical contacts is a corresponding mating socket. It goes without saying that the ability to make electrical contact between the respective electrical contacts 551, 552 and 561, 562 when the draft shield 3 is attached to the scale 2 requires a matching arrangement of the electrical contacts 551, 561 at the draft shield 3 and the electrical contacts 552, 562 at the scale 2. Furthermore, if a plug and socket connection is provided between the mating electrical contacts, the mating orientation of the plug and socket connection needs to be adapted to the intended purpose.

[0043] Although the disclosed subject matter has been explained by way of exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that these are in no way intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention. It is to be understood that the claims cover embodiments not expressly shown or disclosed herein, and that examples that depart from the embodiments disclosed in the present disclosure but carry out the present teachings will still be included in the claims.

[0044] Reference numerals list

[0045] 1 Weighing system

[0046] 2 Scales

[0047] 3 Windshield

[0048] 11Weighing Room

[0049] 21 Scale housing

[0050] 22Operation control panel

[0051] 23 weighing pan

[0052] 31 Front wall of windshield

[0053] 32 Top wall of windshield

[0054] 33 Rear wall of windshield

[0055] 34 Side door of windshield

[0056] 37Heat transfer components

[0057] 38 Side door of windshield

[0058] 39 Scale power and signal transmission terminals

[0059] 41 Radiator

[0060] 51Thermoelectric module, Peltier module

[0061] 52 Spacer components

[0062] 53 wire

[0063] 54 wires

[0064] 55 matching pairs of related electrical contact components

[0065] 56 matching pairs of related electrical contact components

[0066] 351 Upper rail for doors

[0067] 352 Lower guide rail for door

[0068] 361 Upper guide rail for doors

[0069] 371 first plate-shaped portion of the heat transfer component

[0070] 372 second plate-shaped portion of the heat transfer component

[0071] 373 through the through hole of the first plate-shaped portion of the heat transfer component

[0072] 374 through the through hole of the first plate-shaped portion of the heat transfer component

[0073] 375 through the through hole of the first plate-shaped portion of the heat transfer component

[0074] 411 Radiator Ribs

[0075] 412 Radiator ribs

[0076] 413 Radiator ribs

[0077] 414 Radiator ribs

[0078] 415 Radiator ribs

[0079] 416 Radiator ribs

[0080] 417 Radiator ribs

[0081] 551 Electrical contact parts

[0082] 552 Electrical contact parts

[0083] 561 Electrical contact parts

[0084] 562 Electrical contact parts

Claims

1. A windshield (3) for a scale (2), the windshield comprising a shell, the shell having a top side, a bottom side and a back side, the windshield (3) further comprising a heat transfer component (37), the heat transfer component comprising at least a first plate-like portion (371) extending along and adjacent to the bottom side of the shell, the windshield further comprising a radiator (41) arranged outside the shell and a device (51) for driving a heat flow from a component having a relatively low temperature to a component having a relatively high temperature, the device being functionally related to the heat transfer component (37) and the radiator (41).

2. The windshield according to claim 1, wherein: The heat transfer component (37) includes a second plate-shaped portion (372) extending from a first plate-shaped portion (371) of the heat transfer component (37) and extending along the back side of the wind shield.

3. The windshield according to claim 2, wherein: The first plate-shaped portion (371) of the heat transfer component (37) includes at least one through hole (373, 374, 375).

4. A windshield according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The device (51) for driving a heat flow from a component having a relatively low temperature to a component having a relatively high temperature is a thermoelectric module, in particular a Peltier module.

5. A windshield according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The heat sink (41) includes a plurality of ribs.

6. The windshield according to claim 5, wherein: The plurality of ribs include a plurality of vertically extending ribs (411, 412, 413, 414, 415, 416, 417).

7. A windshield according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein The draft shield is a separate device, in particular a device independent of the scale.

8. A windshield according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein The wind shield comprises at least one electrical contact member (551, 561) which is accessible from the outside.

9. The windshield according to claim 8, characterized in that: The at least one electrical contact component (551, 561) is adapted and configured to be selectively connectable and disconnectable with a matching counterpart electrical contact component (552, 562).

10. The wind shield according to claim 8 or 9, wherein: At least one of the at least one electrical contact component (551, 561) is functionally connected to an electrical terminal of a device (51) for driving a heat flow from a component with a relatively low temperature to a component with a relatively high temperature, so as to be configured to be able to provide energy to the device for driving a heat flow from a component with a relatively low temperature to a component with a relatively high temperature through the at least one electrical contact component (551, 561).

11. A windshield according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein The wind shield also includes at least one temperature sensor located inside the shell of the wind shield (3).

12. The windshield according to claim 11, characterized in that The draft shield (3) comprises a temperature control circuit which is functionally connected to at least one of the at least one temperature sensor and a device (51) for driving a heat flow from a component having a relatively low temperature to a component having a relatively high temperature.

13. A windshield according to claim 11 or 12 when appended to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein: At least one of the at least one temperature sensor is connected to at least one of the at least one electrical contact member (551, 561).

14. A weighing system (1) comprising a scale (2) and a draft shield (3) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The draft shield is independent of the scale and is adapted and configured to be selectively attachable to, detachable from and removable from the scale, so that when the draft shield is attached to the scale, the draft shield encloses a weighing chamber (11) including a weighing pan (23) of the scale.

15. The weighing system according to claim 14, characterized in that: The wind shield (3) is a wind shield comprising the features of any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the scale (2) includes an electrical connection terminal, which is adapted and configured to be able to make electrical contact with at least one of the at least one electrical contact components (551, 561) of the wind shield, and is also adapted and configured to provide power to a device (51) for driving a heat flow from a component with a relatively low temperature to a component with a relatively high temperature, and / or is also adapted and configured to transmit at least one measurement signal and / or at least one control signal between the scale (2) and the wind shield (3).

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