An IO-Link capacitive level meter

Abstract

The present invention relates to the technical field of level meters, and specifically to an IO‑Link capacitive level meter. It includes a device housing, in which interconnected electrical components and a communication module are arranged, the communication module receives a signal to send a control instruction to the electrical components, and also includes a driving component connected to the electrical components, the electrical components control the start of the driving component after receiving the instruction; a probe rod, the probe rod includes a mounting plate rotatably arranged on the device housing and connected to the driving component, an outer electrode sleeve and an inner electrode rod are coaxially mounted on the bottom of the mounting plate, and an insulating disk is arranged between the outer electrode sleeve and the inner electrode rod, a floating plate connected to the communication module is arranged at the bottom of the outer electrode sleeve, and the floating plate transmits the detected buoyancy data to the communication module, and starts the driving component when it is detected that the buoyancy continues to decrease. The present invention effectively removes the hanging material on the probe rod through centrifugal force, thereby improving the measurement accuracy, and can effectively solve the problem of the outer electrode sleeve heating up due to long-term power-on, thereby reducing errors.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of level meters, and in particular to an IO-Link capacitive level meter. Background Art

[0002] Capacitive level meter is one of the electromagnetic level detection methods. It directly converts the level change into the change of capacitance, and then converts it into a unified standard electrical signal, which is transmitted to the actual instrument for indication, recording, alarm or control. The capacitive level meter consists of a capacitive level sensor and a circuit for detecting capacitance. It is suitable for measuring the level of various conductive and non-conductive liquids or powders. Because its sensor structure is simple and has no moving parts, it has a wide range of applications.

[0003] At present, when the capacitive level meters on the market are used to detect liquid media, due to the adsorption effect of liquid, when the liquid material is discharged, part of the material will be adsorbed on the probe rod, causing the probe rod to hang material, resulting in material hanging on both the inner electrode and the outer electrode. When material hanging occurs, the amount of medium between the inner electrode and the outer electrode increases, causing deviations in the measured capacitance data. Therefore, when calculating the material height through the capacitance data, it will cause deviations in the material position data, resulting in low measurement accuracy and large measurement errors. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of the above-mentioned shortcomings of the prior art, the present invention provides an IO-Link capacitive level meter, which can effectively solve the problem in the prior art that material hanging on the probe rod cannot be solved, resulting in low measurement accuracy and large measurement errors.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention is implemented through the following technical solutions:

[0006] The present invention provides an IO-Link capacitive level meter, comprising:

[0007] The device housing includes interconnected electrical components and a communication module, wherein the communication module sends control instructions to the electrical components after receiving a signal, and further includes a drive connected to the electrical components;

[0008] The probe rod comprises a mounting plate rotatably mounted on the device housing and connected to the driving member, an outer electrode sleeve and an inner electrode rod are coaxially mounted on the bottom of the mounting plate, an insulating disk is arranged between the outer electrode sleeve and the inner electrode rod, a floating plate connected to the communication module is arranged at the bottom of the outer electrode sleeve, the floating plate is used to transmit the detected buoyancy data to the communication module, and the driving member is started when a continuous decrease in buoyancy is detected.

[0009] Furthermore, the communication module communicates based on the IO-Link protocol.

[0010] Furthermore, a power supply ring is rotatably mounted on the mounting plate, and the power supply ring is connected to the device housing. A conductive member for supplying power to the outer electrode sleeve and the inner electrode rod and outputting floating plate electrical signals is provided on the mounting plate, and the conductive member abuts against the power supply ring.

[0011] Furthermore, the outer electrode sleeve is provided with a plurality of mounting grooves and an external movable part, and the external movable part is located in the mounting groove, the size of the mounting groove is larger than the external movable part, and slots for entering and discharging liquid are reserved after the external movable part is installed, the external movable part is rotatably installed on the outer electrode sleeve, and the outer electrode sleeve is provided with a plurality of electrode sheets, the electrode sheets correspond to the external movable part and are located above it, while abutting against the top of the external movable part, releasing the limit on the electrode sheets when the external movable part rotates, and cutting off the power to the outer electrode sleeve when the electrode sheets descend.

[0012] Furthermore, the inner electrode rod is provided with a plurality of groups of inner movable parts distributed corresponding to the outer movable parts, and the inner movable parts are installed on the inner electrode rod in the same manner as the outer movable parts are installed on the outer electrode sleeve.

[0013] Furthermore, the mounting plate further comprises a limiting bar, the cross section of the limiting bar is a polygonal prism, and the limiting bar is slidably connected to the mounting plate.

[0014] Furthermore, it also includes a reciprocating cylinder slidably connected to the limit bar, the outer circumference of the reciprocating cylinder is symmetrically installed with a guide rod, and the device housing is provided with a spiral guide ring for guiding the reciprocating cylinder to rise when it rotates, the bottom of the reciprocating cylinder is provided with an elastic part sleeved on the limit bar, and the top of the reciprocating cylinder is provided with an elastic airbag connected to the device housing. When the reciprocating cylinder rotates, it moves in the vertical direction under the guidance of the spiral guide ring, thereby compressing the elastic airbag and stretching the elastic airbag.

[0015] Furthermore, the spiral guide rings are provided with two groups and are symmetrically distributed on the device housing, and the overhead angle between the initial end of the spiral guide ring at the low position and the end at the high position is greater than 180°, and after the guide rod is separated from the end of the spiral guide ring at the high position, it directly falls to the initial end of the spiral guide ring at the low position.

[0016] Furthermore, the elastic airbag is provided with a one-way air inlet valve and a one-way exhaust valve, and the air inlet end of the one-way air inlet valve is toward the periphery of the device casing, and the exhaust end of the one-way exhaust valve is toward the electrical components and communication modules inside the device casing. When the guide rod is disengaged from the spiral guide ring, the elastic member stretches the elastic airbag to draw external gas into the interior of the device casing.

[0017] Beneficial Effects

[0018] Compared with the known prior art, the technical solution provided by the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0019] 1. Through the detection of the floating plate and the electrical components, and the driving part and the mounting plate, when the material is discharged in the container, the outer electrode sleeve and the inner electrode rod are driven to rotate, and the hanging material on the probe rod is removed by centrifugal force, thereby improving the measurement accuracy;

[0020] Second, by arranging multiple groups of external moving parts on the outer electrode sleeve and multiple groups of internal moving parts on the inner electrode rod, when the mounting plate drives the outer electrode sleeve and the inner electrode rod to rotate, the centrifugal radius is increased to increase the centrifugal force, thereby accelerating the removal of hanging materials and further improving the detection accuracy;

[0021] 3. The position of the electrode sheet is adjusted by whether the external movable part rotates or not, so that the external electrode sleeve is intermittently powered on and off. The intermittent power supply can effectively solve the problem of the external electrode sleeve heating due to long-term power supply. At the same time, powering off when the external movable part is being deployed can prevent the external electrode sleeve and the inner electrode rod from contacting and short-circuiting, which is safer;

[0022] Fourth, the limit bar is driven by the rotation of the mounting plate to drive the reciprocating cylinder, which then cooperates with the elastic part and the spiral guide ring. The reciprocating compressed elastic airbag discharges the heat inside the equipment casing to prevent the interior of the equipment casing from overheating during long-term operation, affecting the equipment life and detection accuracy. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the prior art descriptions are briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention, and for ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0024] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 2 It is a partial cross-sectional view of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the connection structure between the reciprocating cylinder and the spiral guide ring of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 4 A partial cross-sectional view of the probe rod of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the partial structure of the outer electrode sleeve of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 6 This is a state diagram of the outer electrode sleeve of the present invention when it is in motion.

[0030] Figure numerals: 1. Equipment housing; 11. Electrical components; 12. Communication module; 13. Driving member; 14. Reciprocating cylinder; 141. Guide rod; 15. Elastic airbag; 16. Elastic member; 17. Spiral guide ring; 2. Probe rod; 21. Outer electrode sleeve; 211. Mounting groove; 212. Outer movable member; 213. Electrode sheet; 22. Inner electrode rod; 221. Inner movable member; 23. Mounting plate; 231. Conductive member; 232. Power supply ring; 233. Limiting strip; 24. Floating plate. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solution in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0032] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the embodiments.

[0033] Example:

[0034] An IO-Link capacitive level meter, see attached Figure 1-6 ,include:

[0035] The device housing 1 includes interconnected electrical components 11 and a communication module 12. The communication module 12 receives signals and issues control instructions to the electrical components 11. The communication module 12 communicates based on the IO-Link protocol. IO-Link is a digital communication protocol that allows RFID industrial readers, sensors, actuators and other industrial automation control systems to communicate. In addition, IO-Link provides accurate and reliable data transmission and reduces the possibility of errors and interference. IO-Link can also be used to remotely configure and monitor the status of sensors and actuators, provide convenient parameterization and fault diagnosis, and reduce maintenance time and costs. IO-Link provides a unified interface for various sensors and actuators, allowing them to be interchangeable between different manufacturers, reducing the complexity of device integration.

[0036] It also includes a driving member 13 connected to the electrical component 11, which controls the start of the driving member 13 after the electrical component 11 receives an instruction; thereby quickly rotating the probe rod 2, clearing the material attached to the probe rod 2 through centrifugal force, removing the material hanging on the probe rod 2, and improving the detection accuracy.

[0037] The probe rod 2 is used to detect the position of the material, so as to perform the required operation and open the switch for feeding and discharging the material. The probe rod 2 includes a mounting plate 23 which is rotatably arranged on the equipment housing 1 and is connected to the driving member 13. The outer electrode sleeve 21 and the inner electrode rod 22 are coaxially mounted at the bottom of the mounting plate 23, and an insulating disk is arranged between the outer electrode sleeve 21 and the inner electrode rod 22. A floating plate 24 which is connected to the communication module 12 for communication is arranged at the bottom of the outer electrode sleeve 21. The floating plate 24 floats in the liquid to generate buoyancy and squeezes the outer electrode sleeve 21, converts the squeezing force into an electrical signal output, and converts the detected buoyancy data into an electrical signal and transmits it to the communication module 12. When it is detected that the buoyancy continues to decrease, that is, the material is reduced in the container, the driving member 13 is started to rotate the outer electrode sleeve 21 and the inner electrode rod 22, and the material hanging on the outer electrode sleeve 21 and the inner electrode rod 22 is removed by centrifugal force, thereby reducing the amount of hanging material and improving the measurement accuracy.

[0038] Specifically, a power supply ring 232 is rotatably mounted on the mounting plate 23, and the power supply ring 232 is connected to the device housing 1. A conductive member 231 is provided on the mounting plate 23 for supplying power to the outer electrode sleeve 21 and the inner electrode rod 22 and outputting an electrical signal from the floating plate 24, and the conductive member 231 abuts against the power supply ring 232. The power supply ring 232 and the mounting plate 23 are rotatably connected, and the conductive member 231 abuts against the power supply ring 232, so that when the mounting plate 23 rotates and drives the outer electrode sleeve 21 and the inner electrode rod 22, the outer electrode sleeve 21 and the inner electrode rod 22 can still be continuously energized, and the electrical signal generated in the floating plate 24 can be transmitted to the power supply ring 232, and finally transmitted to the electrical component 11 for processing and execution. When the float 24 is covered by liquid material, buoyancy is generated. At this time, the float 24 will squeeze the bottom of the outer electrode sleeve 21 to generate pressure, and then convert the pressure into an electrical signal and transmit it to the electrical component 11. When the pressure continues to increase, it means that the material is being injected. The capacitance is measured and the material height is calculated by the cooperation of the outer electrode sleeve 21 and the inner electrode rod 22. When the pressure continues to decrease, it means that the material is being discharged. At this time, the electrical signal is transmitted to the electrical component 11 and the driving member 13 is controlled to rotate, thereby driving the mounting plate 23 to drive the outer electrode sleeve 21 and the inner electrode rod 22 to rotate. The centrifugal force generated by the rotation removes the material attached to the outer electrode sleeve 21 and the inner electrode rod 22, thereby improving the measurement accuracy.

[0039] In addition, the outer electrode sleeve 21 is provided with a plurality of mounting grooves 211 and an outer movable member 212, and the outer movable member 212 is located in the mounting groove 211, and the size of the mounting groove 211 is larger than the outer movable member 212. When the outer movable member 212 is installed, a slot hole for entering and discharging liquid is reserved, so that the material can be quickly discharged between the outer electrode sleeve 21 and the inner electrode rod 22 during discharge, and the material can quickly enter between the outer electrode sleeve 21 and the inner electrode rod 22 during feeding. In addition, the outer movable member 212 is rotatably installed on the outer electrode sleeve 21, The outer electrode sleeve 21 is provided with a plurality of groups of electrode sheets 213, which are evenly spaced from the bottom to the top, and each group is provided with a plurality of electrode sheets 213, which are distributed on the outer electrode sleeve 21 in an annular array at the same height, and the electrode sheets 213 correspond to the outer movable member 212, and the electrode sheets 213 are located above the outer movable member 212 and against the top of the outer movable member 212, and the limit on the electrode sheets 213 is released when the outer movable member 212 rotates, and the outer electrode sleeve 21 is powered off when the electrode sheets 213 descends; When the outer electrode sleeve 21 does not rotate, the outer movable part 212 is located in the installation groove 211 and abuts against the electrode sheet 213. At this time, the outer electrode sleeve 21 is powered on and measured normally. When the outer electrode sleeve 21 rotates, the outer movable part 212 rotates along the rotating shaft on the outer electrode sleeve 21 due to the centrifugal force, and the end away from the rotating shaft slowly rises. At this time, the limit on the electrode sheet 213 is released, and the electrode sheet 213 falls and the power supply is disconnected. At the same time, due to the increase in the centrifugal radius of the outer movable part 212, the centrifugal force increases, and the attached materials are discharged, which speeds up the hanging again. In order to remove the material, since the inner electrode rod 22 is provided with a plurality of groups of inner movable parts 221 corresponding to the outer movable parts 212, and the installation method of the inner movable parts 221 on the inner electrode rod 22 is the same as the installation method of the outer movable parts 212 on the outer electrode sleeve 21, the materials hanging on the outer electrode sleeve 21 and the inner electrode rod 22 can be quickly removed, and because the end of the outer movable part 212 away from the rotating shaft will disconnect the power supply of the outer electrode sleeve 21 when it is lifted, a short circuit caused by the contact between the outer electrode sleeve 21 and the inner electrode rod 22 can be prevented.

[0040] It is worth noting that it also includes a reciprocating cylinder 14 slidably connected to the limit bar 233, and the mounting plate 23 also includes a limit bar 233. The cross-section of the limit bar 233 is a polygonal prism, and the limit bar 233 is slidably connected to the mounting plate 23. Due to the special shape of the limit bar 233, the reciprocating cylinder 14 can be relatively displaced with the limit bar 233 in the vertical direction while the limit bar 233 rotates. The guide rods 141 are symmetrically installed on the outer circumference of the reciprocating cylinder 14, and the device housing 1 is provided with a spiral guide ring 17 for guiding the reciprocating cylinder 14 to rise when rotating. Among them, there are two groups of spiral guide rings 17 and they are symmetrically distributed on the device housing 1, and the overhead angle between the initial end of the low position of the spiral guide ring 17 and the terminal end of the high position is greater than 180°, so that the guide rod 141 directly falls to the initial end of the low position of the spiral guide ring 17 after the spiral guide ring 17 guides the high position terminal to disengage, so that the reciprocating cylinder 14 is better connected when rotating and rising to prevent the problem of jamming. The bottom of the reciprocating cylinder 14 is provided with an elastic member 16 sleeved on the limit strip 233, and the top of the reciprocating cylinder 14 is provided with an elastic airbag 1 connected to the device housing 1 5. When the guide rod 141 slides on the spiral guide ring 17 and drives the reciprocating cylinder 14 to rise, the elastic airbag 15 is squeezed and the internal gas is discharged. By setting the elastic member 16, the reciprocating cylinder 14 generates a pulling force through the elastic member 16 after descending, so as to quickly inflate the compressed elastic airbag 15. In addition, a one-way air inlet valve and a one-way exhaust valve are provided on the elastic airbag 15, and the air inlet end of the one-way air inlet valve faces the outer periphery of the device housing 1, and the exhaust end of the one-way exhaust valve faces the device housing 1 to blow air into the electrical component 11. When the guide rod 141 and the spiral guide ring 17 are connected, the elastic airbag 15 is compressed and the compressed airbag 15 is inflated. When disengaging, the elastic airbag 15 is stretched under the action of the elastic member 16 to evacuate air. When the reciprocating cylinder 14 rotates and rises, the reciprocating cylinder 14 compresses the elastic airbag 15 to discharge the gas into the device housing 1 and blows it toward the electrical component 11 and the communication module 12. When the elastic airbag 15 is repeatedly squeezed and stretched, the external gas is drawn into the interior of the device housing 1 to replace the hot air in the device housing 1, thereby improving heat dissipation. At the same time, the outer electrode sleeve 21 and the inner electrode rod 22 are intermittently powered, which can prevent them from generating heat due to long-term power supply and affecting the measurement of capacitance and the calculation accuracy of the material level.

[0041] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein. However, these modifications or replacements will not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the protection scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. An IO-Link capacitive level meter, characterized in that: include: A device housing (1), wherein the device housing (1) is provided with an electrical component (11) and a communication module (12) which are connected to each other, the communication module (12) sending a control instruction to the electrical component (11) after receiving a signal, and further comprising a driving component (13) connected to the electrical component (11); A probe rod (2), the probe rod (2) comprising a mounting plate (23) rotatably mounted on a device housing (1) and dynamically connected to a drive member (13), an outer electrode sleeve (21) and an inner electrode rod (22) being coaxially mounted on the bottom of the mounting plate (23), an insulating plate being provided between the outer electrode sleeve (21) and the inner electrode rod (22), a floating plate (24) being communicatively connected to a communication module (12) being provided at the bottom of the outer electrode sleeve (21), the floating plate (24) being used to transmit detected buoyancy data to the communication module (12), and when a continuous decrease in buoyancy is detected, the drive member (13) is started, the communication module (12) communicates based on the IO-Link protocol, and a plurality of mounting plates are provided on the outer electrode sleeve (21). A groove (211) and an external movable part (212), wherein the external movable part (212) is located in the installation groove (211), the size of the installation groove (211) is larger than the external movable part (212), and a groove hole for entering and discharging liquid is reserved after the external movable part (212) is installed, the external movable part (212) is rotatably installed on the external electrode sleeve (21), and the external electrode sleeve (21) is provided with a plurality of groups of electrode sheets (213), the electrode sheets (213) correspond to the external movable part (212) and are located above it, and at the same time abut against the top of the external movable part (212), release the limit on the electrode sheets (213) when the external movable part (212) rotates, and cut off the power to the external electrode sleeve (211) when the electrode sheets (213) descend.

2. The IO-Link capacitive level meter according to claim 1, characterized in that: A power supply ring (232) is rotatably mounted on the mounting plate (23), and the power supply ring (232) is connected to the device housing (1). A conductive member (231) for supplying power to the outer electrode sleeve (21) and the inner electrode rod (22) and outputting an electrical signal of the floating plate (24) is provided on the mounting plate (23), and the conductive member (231) abuts against the power supply ring (232).

3. The IO-Link capacitive level meter according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner electrode rod (22) is provided with a plurality of groups of inner movable parts (221) distributed corresponding to the outer movable parts (212), and the inner movable parts (221) are installed on the inner electrode rod (22) in the same manner as the outer movable parts (212) are installed on the outer electrode sleeve (21).

4. The IO-Link capacitive level meter according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mounting plate (23) further comprises a limiting strip (233), the cross section of the limiting strip (233) being a polygonal prism, and the limiting strip (233) is slidably connected to the mounting plate (23).

5. The IO-Link capacitive level meter according to claim 4, characterized in that: The device also comprises a reciprocating cylinder (14) slidably connected to the limit strip (233), a guide rod (141) being symmetrically mounted on the outer circumference of the reciprocating cylinder (14), and a spiral guide ring (17) being provided on the device housing (1) for guiding the reciprocating cylinder (14) to rise when rotating, an elastic member (16) being provided at the bottom of the reciprocating cylinder (14) and being sleeved on the limit strip (233), and an elastic airbag (15) being connected to the device housing (1) being provided at the top of the reciprocating cylinder (14), and when the reciprocating cylinder (14) rotates, it moves in the vertical direction under the guidance of the spiral guide ring (17), thereby compressing the elastic airbag (15) and stretching the elastic airbag (15).

6. The IO-Link capacitive level meter according to claim 5, characterized in that: The spiral guide rings (17) are provided in two groups and are symmetrically distributed on the device housing (1), and the top view angle between the initial end of the spiral guide ring (17) at the low position and the final end at the high position is greater than 180°, and after the guide rod (141) is separated from the final end of the spiral guide ring (17) at the high position, it directly falls to the initial end of the spiral guide ring (17) at the low position.

7. The IO-Link capacitive level meter according to claim 6, characterized in that: The elastic airbag (15) is provided with a one-way air inlet valve and a one-way air exhaust valve, wherein the air inlet end of the one-way air inlet valve faces the periphery of the device housing (1), and the air exhaust end of the one-way air exhaust valve faces the electrical components (11) and the communication module (12) in the device housing (1). When the guide rod (141) is separated from the spiral guide ring (17), the elastic member (16) stretches the elastic airbag (15) to draw external air into the interior of the device housing (1).

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