Adjustment method, adjustment device, method for manufacturing measurement device, and measurement device

Abstract

To enable adjustment of a measurement device without using oil.SOLUTION: Provided is an adjustment method for adjusting a measurement device that has a light irradiation unit for radiating light to a measurement flow passage and a light-receiving unit for obtaining a continuous electrical signal by continuously receiving the light radiated from the light irradiation unit to pass through the measurement flow passage, and measures a contamination level of oil on the basis of the electrical signal obtained by the light-receiving unit in a state in which oil is caused to flow through the measurement flow passage. In a state in which oil is not caused to flow to the measurement flow passage, light is radiated from the light irradiation unit using a first pseudo-signal for causing light equivalent to light inputted to the light-receiving unit to be radiated when oil having a first contamination level, which is an arbitrary contamination level, is caused to flow through the measurement flow passage, and a measurement value at the first contamination level is obtained on the basis of the electrical signal obtained by receiving the radiated light by the light-receiving unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an adjustment method, an adjustment device, a manufacturing method for a measuring device, and a measuring device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a measuring device including a light irradiating unit that continuously irradiates light onto a liquid, a light receiving unit that continuously receives the light that is irradiated from the light irradiating unit and has passed through the liquid and converts the continuously received light into a continuous electrical signal, a particle detection unit that amplifies the continuous electrical signal converted by the light receiving unit by a first magnification to generate a particle detection signal, which is a continuous signal, an air bubble detection unit that amplifies the continuous electrical signal converted by the light receiving unit by a second magnification that is smaller than the first magnification to generate an air bubble detection signal, which is a continuous signal, and a contamination level measuring unit that generates a signal for measuring the contamination level of the body based on the particle detection signal and the air bubble detection signal. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6367649 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the measurement device described in Patent Document 1, the light receiving unit needs to be adjusted before measuring the pollution level. The light receiving unit is adjusted by continuously irradiating light from the light emitting unit while a liquid (oil such as hydraulic oil) with a known pollution level is flowing through the measurement flow path, and the light receiving unit receives the light and obtains an electrical signal. However, if oil is flowed through the measurement flow path, it is time-consuming to wash the oil, and adjustment is time-consuming.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and has an object to provide an adjustment method, an adjustment device, a manufacturing method for a measuring device, and a measuring device that can adjust a measuring device without using oil. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the adjustment method of the present invention is, for example, a method for adjusting a measuring device having a light irradiating unit that irradiates light onto a measurement flow path, and a light receiving unit that continuously receives light irradiated from the light irradiating unit and passed through the measurement flow path to obtain a continuous electrical signal, and measures the degree of contamination of oil based on the electrical signal obtained by the light receiving unit when oil is flowing through the measurement flow path, and is characterized in that it includes a first adjustment step of irradiating light from the light irradiating unit using a first pseudo signal that irradiates light equivalent to the light input to the light receiving unit when oil of a first contamination level, which is an arbitrary contamination level, flows through the measurement flow path when no oil is flowing through the measurement flow path, and obtaining a measurement value at the first contamination level based on the electrical signal obtained by receiving the irradiated light by the light receiving unit.

[0007] In addition, an adjustment device according to another aspect of the present invention is, for example, an adjustment device having a light irradiating unit that irradiates light onto a measurement flow path, and a light receiving unit that continuously receives the light irradiated from the light irradiating unit and passed through the measurement flow path to obtain a continuous electrical signal, and adjusts a measurement device that measures the degree of contamination of oil based on the electrical signal obtained by the light receiving unit when oil is flowing through the measurement flow path, and is characterized by including: an irradiation control unit that irradiates light from the light irradiating unit using a first pseudo signal that irradiates light equivalent to the light input to the light receiving unit when oil of a first contamination level, which is an arbitrary contamination level, flows through the measurement flow path when oil is not flowing through the measurement flow path, and a measurement unit that obtains a measurement value at the first contamination level based on the electrical signal obtained by receiving the light irradiated from the light irradiating unit at the light receiving unit.

[0008] In addition, a manufacturing method for a measuring device according to another aspect of the present invention is a manufacturing method for a measuring device that measures the degree of contamination of oil based on an electrical signal obtained by continuously receiving light that has passed through a measurement flow path including a piping and is irradiated from a light irradiating unit that irradiates light into the measurement flow path and is irradiated from the light irradiating unit into the measurement flow path and passed through the measurement flow path at a light receiving unit, and is characterized by including the steps of: arranging the light irradiating unit and the light receiving unit so as to sandwich the piping; irradiating light from the light irradiating unit using a first pseudo signal that irradiates light equivalent to the light that is input to the light receiving unit when oil of a first contamination level, which is an arbitrary contamination level, flows through the measurement flow path, without oil being flowed through the measurement flow path, and obtaining a measurement value at the first contamination level based on the electrical signal obtained by receiving the irradiated light at the light receiving unit; and assembling a housing in which the measurement flow path, the light irradiating unit, and the light receiving unit are provided inside.

[0009] In any of the above aspects of the present invention, a first pseudo signal is used to irradiate the light receiving unit with light equivalent to the light input when oil of a given pollution level (first pollution level) flows through the measurement flow path without oil flowing through the measurement flow path, and a measurement value at the first pollution level is obtained based on an electrical signal obtained by receiving the light irradiated from the light irradiating unit at the light receiving unit, and the measurement device is adjusted. This makes it possible to adjust the measurement device without using oil.

[0010] The method may include a pseudo signal generating step of generating the first pseudo signal by using a reference measurement device, the reference measurement device having a reference light irradiating unit that continuously irradiates light into a reference measurement flow path, and a reference light receiving unit that continuously receives light that has been irradiated from the reference light irradiating unit and passed through the measurement flow path to obtain a continuous electrical signal, and the pseudo signal generating step may include a first reference value measuring step of irradiating light from the reference light irradiating unit while oil having the first contamination level is flowing in the reference measurement flow path, measuring the electrical signal obtained by receiving the irradiated light at the reference light receiving unit, and obtaining a first reference measurement value for the first contamination level, and a first pseudo signal acquiring step of irradiating light from the reference light irradiating unit using a blinking signal that blinks the reference light receiving unit while no oil is flowing in the measurement flow path, and determining the blinking signal as the first pseudo signal when the electrical signal obtained at the reference light receiving unit is equivalent to the electrical signal obtained at the reference light receiving unit. This can improve the accuracy of the first pseudo signal.

[0011] In the first reference value measuring step, the integral value per unit time of the electrical signal obtained by receiving light at the reference light receiving section may be smoothed to obtain the first reference measurement value, and in the first pseudo signal obtaining step, the blinking signal when the integral value per unit time of the electrical signal obtained by receiving light at the reference light receiving section becomes equal to the first reference measurement value may be set as the first pseudo signal. This makes it possible to obtain an accurate first pseudo signal, thereby improving the accuracy of the adjustment.

[0012] In the first pseudo signal acquisition step, an output level of the reference light irradiator may be adjusted so that the maximum output value of the signal obtained by the reference light receiving unit is equivalent to a reference output value, which is the maximum value of the electrical signal obtained by receiving light by the reference light receiving unit in the first reference value measurement step, without oil flowing through the measurement flow path, and the first pseudo signal may be obtained by irradiating light from the reference light irradiator after the adjustment. This makes it possible to obtain an accurate first pseudo signal and increase the accuracy of the adjustment.

[0013] In the first adjustment step, the output level of the light emitting unit may be adjusted based on the result of the output level adjustment in the first pseudo signal acquisition step, and the light emitting unit may emit light using the first pseudo signal at the adjusted output level. This can improve the accuracy of the adjustment.

[0014] The measurement flow path includes a pipe at least partially made of glass, and the state where oil is not flowed through the measurement flow path may be a state where no liquid is flowed through the measurement flow path, a state where a liquid other than oil is flowed through the measurement flow path, or a state where a glass rod is provided instead of the pipe. Also, the state where a liquid other than oil is flowed through the measurement flow path may be a state where water, alcohol, or a mixture of water and alcohol is flowed through the measurement flow path. In the state where no liquid is flowed through the measurement flow path, the adjustment time can be particularly shortened. In addition, the state where a liquid other than oil is flowed through the measurement flow path or the state where a glass rod is provided instead of the pipe is close to the state where oil is flowed through the pipe, so that the adjustment time can be shortened while the adjustment accuracy is easily improved.

[0015] In order to solve the above problems, the adjustment method of the present invention is, for example, a method for adjusting a measuring device having a light irradiation unit that irradiates light onto a measurement flow path, and a light receiving unit that continuously receives the light irradiated from the light irradiating unit and passed through the measurement flow path to obtain a continuous electrical signal, and measures the degree of contamination of oil based on the electrical signal obtained by the light receiving unit while oil is flowing through the measurement flow path, and is characterized in that it includes a first measurement step in which light is continuously irradiated from the light irradiating unit while a rod-shaped member having a plurality of light-blocking slits that do not transmit light is moved through the measurement flow path at a first speed so that the light is equivalent to the light input to the light receiving unit when oil of a first contamination level, which is an arbitrary contamination level, flows through the measurement flow path, and a measurement value at the first contamination level is obtained based on the electrical signal obtained by receiving the light by the irradiation at the light receiving unit.

[0016] In addition, an adjustment device according to another aspect of the present invention is, for example, an adjustment device having a light irradiating unit that irradiates light onto a measurement flow path, and a light receiving unit that continuously receives the light irradiated from the light irradiating unit and passed through the measurement flow path to obtain a continuous electrical signal, and adjusts a measurement device that measures the degree of contamination of oil based on the electrical signal obtained by the light receiving unit when oil is flowing through the measurement flow path, and is characterized by including an irradiation control unit that continuously irradiates light from the light irradiating unit while moving a rod-shaped member having a plurality of light-blocking slits that do not transmit light through the measurement flow path at a first speed so that the light is equivalent to the light input to the light receiving unit when oil of a first contamination level, which is an arbitrary contamination level, flows through the measurement flow path, and a measurement unit that obtains a measurement value at the first contamination level based on the electrical signal obtained by receiving the light irradiated from the light irradiating unit at the light receiving unit.

[0017] In addition, a manufacturing method for a measuring device according to another aspect of the present invention is a manufacturing method for a measuring device that measures the degree of contamination of oil based on an electrical signal obtained by continuously receiving light that has been irradiated from a light irradiating unit that irradiates light into a measurement flow path including a piping and that has passed through the measurement flow path and is detected by a light receiving unit, the manufacturing method for a measuring device including a piping, the manufacturing method including the steps of: providing the light irradiating unit and the light receiving unit so as to sandwich the piping; moving a rod-shaped member having a plurality of light-blocking slits that do not transmit light through the measurement flow path at a first speed while irradiating light from the light irradiating unit so that the light is equivalent to the light input to the light receiving unit when oil of a first contamination level, which is an arbitrary contamination level, flows through the measurement flow path, and obtaining a measurement value at the first contamination level based on the electrical signal obtained by receiving the light by the irradiation; and assembling a housing having the measurement flow path, the light irradiating unit, and the light receiving unit provided therein.

[0018] In any of the above aspects of the present invention, a rod-shaped member provided with a plurality of light-blocking slits that do not transmit light is moved through the measurement flow path at a first speed to continuously irradiate light from the light irradiating unit so that the light is equivalent to the light input to the light receiving unit when oil of an arbitrary pollution level (first pollution level) flows through the measurement flow path, and a measurement value at the first pollution level is obtained based on an electrical signal obtained by receiving the light by the irradiation at the light receiving unit, and the measurement device is adjusted. This makes it possible to adjust the measurement device without using oil.

[0019] The method includes a rod-shaped member adjusting step of adjusting the size and number of the light-shielding slits of the rod-shaped member and the first speed using a reference measurement device, the reference measurement device having a reference light irradiating unit that continuously irradiates light into a reference measurement flow path, and a reference light receiving unit that continuously receives the light that is continuously irradiated from the reference light irradiating unit and has passed through the measurement flow path to obtain a continuous electrical signal, and the rod-shaped member adjusting step includes irradiating light from the reference light irradiating unit while oil of the first contamination level is flowing through the reference measurement flow path, and adjusting the size and number of the light-shielding slits of the rod-shaped member and the first speed using a reference measurement device. The method may include a first reference value measurement step of measuring an electrical signal obtained by receiving light at the reference light receiving unit to obtain a first reference measurement value for the first contamination level, and an adjustment step of continuously emitting light from the reference light emitting unit, obtaining an electrical signal at the reference light receiving unit while moving a temporary rod-shaped member having light-shielding slits of an arbitrary size and number in the reference measurement flow path at an arbitrary temporary speed, and adjusting the temporary rod-shaped member and the temporary speed to the rod-shaped member and the first speed when the electrical signal becomes equivalent to the first reference measurement value. This makes it possible to increase the adjustment accuracy of the rod-shaped member and the first speed.

[0020] In the first reference value measuring step, an integral value per unit time of the electrical signal obtained by receiving light at the reference light receiving unit may be smoothed to obtain the first reference measurement value, and in the adjustment step, the provisional rod-shaped member and the provisional velocity when the integral value per unit time of the electrical signal obtained by receiving light at the reference light receiving unit becomes equal to the first reference measurement value may be set as the rod-shaped member and the first velocity. This makes it possible to increase the accuracy of the adjustment. Effect of the Invention

[0021] According to the present invention, the measuring device can be adjusted without using oil. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an outline of a measuring device 1. [Diagram 2] 2 is a block diagram showing an outline of the electrical configuration of measuring devices 1 and 1A and an adjusting device 2 connected to the measuring devices 1 and 1A. [Diagram 3] 10 is a flowchart showing a process flow in which adjustment device 2 performs adjustment processing on measurement device 1A. [Figure 4] 1 is a flowchart showing the flow of processes in a manufacturing method of the measuring device 1A. [Diagram 5] 1A and 1B are schematic diagrams for explaining a method for obtaining measured values, in which (A) shows a schematic flow of particles (dust) contained in oil flowing through pipe 39, and (B) shows a schematic change in the output of an electrical signal over time. [Figure 6] 13 is a flowchart showing the process flow of the process of acquiring a pseudo signal (step SP20). [Figure 7] 1A shows the state of light emitted from light emitting element 11, where (A) shows a state in which there is oil in pipe 39, and (B) shows a state in which there is no oil in pipe 39 but there is air. [Figure 8] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of an electrical signal obtained at a light receiving section 20 when a light emitting element 11 is caused to blink using a blinking signal sn. [Figure 9] 13 is a flowchart showing the process flow of step SP30. [Figure 10] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of how a pseudo signal is obtained by a measurement device 1 and how a measurement value is obtained by a measurement device 1A. [Figure 11] 2 is a block diagram showing an outline of the electrical configuration of measuring devices 1, 1A and an adjusting device 2A connected to the measuring devices 1, 1A. [Figure 12] 13 is a flowchart showing a process flow in which adjustment device 2A performs adjustment processing on measurement device 1A. [Figure 13] 13 is a flowchart showing the process flow of the rod-shaped member adjusting step (step SP40). [Figure 14] 13 is a flowchart showing the process flow of step SP50. [Figure 15] 2 is a block diagram showing an outline of the electrical configuration of a measuring device 1B and an adjusting device 2A connected to the measuring devices 1 and 1A. FIG. [Figure 16] 13 is a flowchart showing a process flow in which adjustment device 2 performs adjustment processing on measurement device 1B. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The present invention relates to adjustment of a measuring device that is provided at a desired position in a device that performs a desired operation using oil, such as a construction machine or a hydraulic device, and measures the degree of contamination of the oil. The adjustment of the measuring device is performed in a manufacturing process before the measuring device is shipped.

[0024] <First embodiment> Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an outline of a measuring device 1. Note that some hatching showing a cross section is omitted in Fig. 1. The measuring device 1 mainly has a light emitting unit 10, a light receiving unit 20, a housing 30, and a pipe 39.

[0025] The light emitting unit 10 mainly includes a light emitting element 11 and a substrate 15 on which the light emitting element 11 is provided. The light emitting element 11 is, for example, an LED, and irradiates light toward the pipe 39.

[0026] The light receiving section 20 mainly includes a light receiving element 21 and a substrate 25 on which the light receiving element 21 is provided. The light receiving element 21 is, for example, a photodiode (PD), and detects transmitted light due to irradiation with light.

[0027] The light-emitting element 11 and the light-receiving element 21 are arranged with a pipe 39 therebetween. The optical axis ax1 of the light-emitting element 11 overlaps with the light-receiving area of ​​the light-receiving element 21. The light-receiving area is an area where incident light can be detected, and the light-receiving element 21 converts the light incident on the light-receiving area into an electrical signal. For example, when the light-receiving element 21 is a photodiode, the inner area surrounded by the annular electrode is the light-receiving area.

[0028] In FIG. 1, the optical axis ax1 of the light-emitting element 11 coincides with the optical axis ax2 of the light-receiving element 21, but the optical axis ax1 and the optical axis ax2 do not have to coincide with each other.

[0029] At least a portion of the piping 39 is made of a light-transmitting material (here, glass), and the liquid to be measured, such as oil or water, passes through the inside of the piping 39. The light-emitting element 11 irradiates light from one side to the portion of the piping 39 made of the light-transmitting material, and the light-receiving element 21 receives the light on the opposite side.

[0030] The piping 39 may be entirely made of a light-transmitting material, or may have a window formed in a part thereof for introducing and guiding light. In Fig. 1, the piping 39 is a glass tube entirely made of glass.

[0031] The piping 39 is provided inside the housing 30. The housing 30 has a first housing 31, a second housing 32, and a third housing 33 as main components.

[0032] The first housing 31 has holes 31a at both ends and a hole 31b that connects the two holes 31a. The central axis of the hole 31a and the central axis of the hole 31b are substantially aligned.

[0033] A pipe 39 is inserted into the hole 31b, and a second housing 32 is inserted into the hole 31a. A part of a third housing 33 is inserted into the hole 31a on the outside of the second housing 32. A female thread portion 31c is formed in the hole 31a, and male thread portions 32a, 33a formed on the outer circumferential surfaces of the second housing 32 and the third housing 33 are screwed together, whereby the second housing 32 and the third housing 33 are provided in the hole 31a, and the housing 30 is assembled.

[0034] Holes 32b and 33b are provided in the second housing 32 and the third housing 33, respectively. The holes 32b and 33b communicate with a hollow portion of the pipe 39. The holes 32b and 33b and the pipe 39 are included in the measurement flow path.

[0035] In this embodiment, the second housing 32 and the third housing 33 are separate members, but the second housing 32 and the third housing 33 may be a single member.

[0036] The first housing 31 has recesses 31d and 31e. A substrate 15 is provided in the recess 31d, and a substrate 25 is provided in the recess 31e. A hole 31g is provided in the bottom surface of the recess 31d, and a light emitting element 11 is provided in the hole 31g. A hole 31f is provided in the bottom surface of the recess 31e, and light emitted from the light emitting element 11 passes through a pipe 39 and the hole 31f and enters the light receiving element 21.

[0037] In this embodiment, at least two measuring devices 1, 1A are used. Measuring device 1 is a reference measuring device that serves as a reference for contamination level measurement, and measuring device 1A is adjusted using the measurement results of measuring device 1. Although measuring device 1 is the only reference measuring device, measuring device 1 can be used to adjust multiple measuring devices other than measuring device 1A.

[0038] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an outline of the electrical configuration of the measuring devices 1 and 1A and the adjusting device 2 connected to the measuring devices 1 and 1A.

[0039] The measuring devices 1 and 1A have a control unit 40, and the adjusting device 2 has a control unit 50. The control unit 40 mainly has a drive unit 41, a contamination level measuring unit 42, a memory unit 43, an output unit 45, and a display unit 46. The control unit 50 mainly has an irradiation control unit 51, a measurement unit 52, and a memory unit 53.

[0040] The driving unit 41 is a functional unit that drives the light-emitting element 11. The driving unit 41 has a switching unit 41a that switches the driving mode of the light-emitting element 11. The driving unit 41 includes a plurality of driving circuits that drive the light-emitting element 11. The first driving circuit includes a constant current circuit that keeps the amount of light emitted by the light-emitting element 11 constant. When the switching unit 41a switches to the first driving circuit, the driving unit 41 causes the light-emitting element 11 to continuously emit light. When the switching unit 41a switches to the second circuit that does not use a driving circuit, the driving unit 41 causes the light-emitting element 11 to blink based on a pseudo signal (described later in detail) output from the irradiation control unit 51. The first driving circuit may include an APC circuit that feeds back the amount of light received by the light-receiving element 21.

[0041] In the present embodiment, the drive unit 41 (switching unit 41a) is included in the control unit 40. However, the drive unit 41 (switching unit 41a) may be an analog circuit provided on the substrate 15.

[0042] The light receiving element 21 receives the light emitted from the light emitting element 11 and passed through the pipe 39. The light receiving section 20 has an amplifier 22, and the output signal of the light receiving element 21 is amplified by the amplifier 22 and then input to the pollution level measuring section 42 and the measuring section 52.

[0043] The light receiving unit 20 has a switching unit 23 that switches the output. Here, the switching unit 23 switches whether the output signal of the light receiving element 21 is input to the pollution level measuring unit 42 or the measuring unit 52.

[0044] In the present embodiment, the switching unit 23 is included in the light receiving unit 20 (substrate 25), but the switching unit 23 may be included in the control unit 40.

[0045] The pollution level measurement unit 42 is a functional unit that measures the pollution level of the liquid based on the output signal from the light receiving element 21. If the oil contains particles (impurities), light will not enter the light receiving element 21 to the extent that it is blocked by the particles. The pollution level measurement unit 42 measures the amount of particles contained in the liquid, i.e., the pollution level, based on the number of times and the time that the output signal from the light receiving element 21 is blocked. The processing by the pollution level measurement unit 42 can use a known method, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0046] An output unit 45 is connected to the pollution level measuring unit 42. A display, a processing device, a storage device, a communication device, a construction machine, etc. are connected to the output unit 45. The measurement results are displayed on a display, stored in a storage device, output to the construction machine via the communication device, and displayed on the construction machine. In this embodiment, a display unit 46 is connected to the output unit 45. The output unit 45 may be configured to output the measurement results to an external output device, etc., via a network (whether wired or wireless).

[0047] The irradiation control unit 51 is a functional unit that outputs a blinking signal to the driving unit 41. The pseudo signal causes the light emitting element 11 to blink (flash).

[0048] The measurement unit 52 is a functional unit that acquires an electrical signal obtained by receiving light at the light receiving unit 20 when the drive unit 41 drives the light emitting element 11 using the blinking signal output from the irradiation control unit 51, and obtains a measurement value. Furthermore, the measurement unit 52 determines whether or not the blinking signal output from the irradiation control unit 51 is a pseudo signal based on the obtained measurement value. The process performed by the measurement unit 52 will be described in detail later.

[0049] FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the flow of the process in which adjustment device 2 performs adjustment processing on measurement device 1A.

[0050] (Step SP10) The measuring device 1 (corresponding to the reference measuring device of the present invention) is connected to the adjusting device 2. In a state where oil of an arbitrary pollution level (corresponding to the first pollution level of the present invention) is flowing in the measurement flow path (including the piping 39) of the measuring device 1, the driving unit 41 of the measuring device 1 irradiates light from the light irradiating unit 10 (corresponding to the reference light irradiating unit of the present invention) of the measuring device 1. At this time, the measuring device 1 continuously lights up the light emitting element 11. The irradiated light is received by the light receiving unit 20 (corresponding to the reference light receiving unit of the present invention) of the measuring device 1, and the measuring unit 52 acquires an electrical signal obtained thereby, and the measuring unit 52 acquires a measurement value from this electrical signal. The measuring unit 52 stores the acquired measurement value in the memory unit 53 as a reference measurement value (corresponding to the first reference measurement value of the present invention) at an arbitrary pollution level. Step SP10 corresponds to the first reference value measurement step of the present invention.

[0051] The desired contamination level is, for example, any one of ISO grades 16 to 22. The oil to be flowed into the pipe 39 is prepared by mixing particles (dust) into clean oil so that the oil has a contamination level of any one of ISO grades 16 to 22. For example, dust is gradually added to the oil while checking the contamination level with a calibrated measuring device, to prepare oil with the desired contamination level.

[0052] In step SP10, the pollution level measuring section 42 of the measurement device 1 may obtain a measurement value from an electrical signal obtained by receiving light at the light receiving section 20, and the measurement section 52 may acquire this measurement value.

[0053] (Step SP20) When the process of step SP10 is completed, the oil is removed from the measurement flow path of the measurement device 1 and cleaned. Then, the control unit 50 causes the light emitting unit 10 of the measurement device 1 to emit light using a blinking signal that blinks the light emitting unit 10 of the measurement device 1 when there is no oil in the measurement flow path, and regards the blinking signal obtained when an electrical signal equivalent to the reference measurement value is obtained by the light receiving unit 20 of the measurement device 1 as a pseudo signal. Step SP20 corresponds to the first pseudo signal acquisition step of the present invention.

[0054] In this embodiment, a state in which there is no oil in the measurement flow path means a state in which no liquid flows in the measurement flow path and air has entered the measurement flow path (including the pipe 39).

[0055] (Step SP30) When the processes of steps SP10 and SP20 (corresponding to the pseudo signal generating step of the present invention) are completed, the measuring device 1A (corresponding to the measuring device of the present invention) is connected to the adjustment device 2. The irradiation control unit 51 outputs the pseudo signal obtained in step SP20 to the driving unit 41. The driving unit 41 of the measuring device 1 irradiates light from the light irradiating unit 10 (corresponding to the light irradiating unit of the present invention) of the measuring device 1A using the pseudo signal output from the irradiation control unit 51 in a state where no liquid flows in the measurement flow path of the measuring device 1A. In other words, the pseudo signal is a signal that irradiates light equivalent to the light input to the light receiving unit 20 when oil of an arbitrary pollution level (first pollution level) flows through the measurement flow path in a state where there is no oil in the measurement flow path. Therefore, in step SP230, the measuring device 1A blinks the light emitting element 11.

[0056] This irradiated light is received by light receiving unit 20 (corresponding to the light receiving unit of the present invention) of measurement device 1A, which obtains an electrical signal, which is acquired by measurement unit 52. Measurement unit 52 obtains a measurement value from the obtained electrical signal, and stores this measurement value in memory unit 43 as an output value for a given pollution level in measurement device 1A. Step SP30 corresponds to the first adjustment step of the present invention. This completes the adjustment process of measurement device 1A at a given pollution level.

[0057] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the process flow of the manufacturing method of the measuring device 1A. (Step SP110) First, the light emitting unit 10 and the light receiving unit 20 are provided in the first housing 31 so as to sandwich the pipe 39. At this stage, the housing 30 is not assembled.

[0058] (Step SP120) Next, an adjustment process (step SP120) is performed on the measurement device 1A. Steps SP120 and SP30 are the same process.

[0059] (Step SP130) Next, the housing 30 in which the piping 39, the light emitting section 10 and the light receiving section 20 are provided is assembled to obtain the completed product of the measuring device 1A.

[0060] The finished measuring device 1A thus obtained is packaged and shipped. The measuring device is then installed in a device such as a construction machine or hydraulic equipment, and measures the degree of contamination of the oil based on the output value stored in the memory unit 43 in step SP120 (step SP30) and the measurement value obtained using the electrical signal acquired by the light receiving unit 20.

[0061] Next, the details of the processing in steps SP10 to SP30 will be described. First, how the measured values ​​are obtained using the electrical signal acquired by the light receiving unit 20 in step SP10 and when measuring the level of contamination after shipment will be described. The method of obtaining the measured values ​​is the same in step SP10 and when measuring the level of contamination after shipment.

[0062] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram explaining a method for obtaining measurement values, in which (A) shows a schematic flow of particles (dust) contained in oil flowing through pipe 39, and (B) shows a schematic flow of the electrical signal output over time.

[0063] The light emitting unit 10 emits light continuously, and the continuously irradiated light is continuously received by the light receiving unit 20. When dust passes through the inside of the pipe 39 (see FIG. 5(A)), a shadow is cast, which reduces the amount of light received by the light receiving unit 20, and the output is reduced compared to when there is no dust (see FIG. 5(B)).

[0064] The pollution level measuring unit 42 and the measuring unit 52 obtain the integral value per unit time of the electrical signal shown in Fig. 5(B) (see the shaded area in Fig. 5(B)). The pollution level measuring unit 42 and the measuring unit 52 also obtain a moving average of the integral value per unit time of the electrical signal, and smooth the integral value per unit time. When measuring the pollution level of oil containing dust, the degree of output reduction varies depending on the size of the dust, etc., so it is necessary to smooth the integral value per unit time.

[0065] The pollution level measuring section 42 calculates the total dust amount (pollution level grade) per unit time based on the smoothed integral value, and the measuring section 52 obtains a reference measurement value based on the smoothed integral value.

[0066] Note that there are individual differences between the light-emitting element 11 and the light-receiving element 21. For example, there are individual differences in the light-emitting efficiency of the light-emitting element 11, which causes variation in the amount of light emitted. In addition, there are individual differences in the light-to-voltage conversion efficiency of the light-receiving element 21, which causes variation in the output value. Therefore, when dust does not pass through the inside of the pipe 39, the output value obtained from the light-receiving unit 20 will be different even if the same voltage is input to the light-emitting element 11.

[0067] Therefore, in step SP10 and when measuring the level of contamination after shipment, the driving unit 41 and the irradiation control unit 51 adjust the power applied to the light irradiation unit 10 (brightness of the light-emitting element 11) so that the maximum value Omax of the electrical signal obtained by the light receiving unit 20 (see Figure 5 (B)) becomes a predetermined value, thereby adjusting the output level of the output obtained from the light receiving unit 20.

[0068] Taking into consideration individual differences in electronic circuits (sensing circuits), the pollution level measuring section 42 and the measuring section 52 may adjust the output level by processing the electrical signal output from the sensing circuit.

[0069] 6 is a flowchart showing the process flow of the pseudo signal acquisition process (step SP20). First, the measurement device 1 is disconnected from the adjustment device 2, and the measurement device 1A is connected to the adjustment device 2.

[0070] (Step SP21) The oil is removed from the measurement flow path of the measurement device 1 and cleaned, so that the measurement flow path is oil-free (here, air has entered the piping 39). The irradiation control unit 51 adjusts the power applied to the light irradiation unit 10, i.e., the output level of the light irradiation unit 10, so that the maximum value Omax of the electrical signal obtained by the light receiving unit 20 becomes similar to the maximum value Omax in step SP10.

[0071] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the state of light irradiated from the light-emitting element 11, where (A) shows a state where there is oil in the pipe 39, and (B) shows a state where there is air but no oil in the pipe 39. The refractive index of oil is 1.467, and when there is oil in the pipe 39, the pipe 39 with the oil acts as a lens, and the light irradiated from the light-emitting element 11 is focused on the light-receiving element 21 (see FIG. 7(A)). In contrast, the refractive index of air is 1, and therefore when there is air in the pipe 39, the pipe 39 does not act as a lens, and the light irradiated from the light-emitting element 11 is not focused on the light-receiving element 21 (see FIG. 7(B)). Therefore, when there is air in the pipe 39, less light enters the light-receiving element 21 than when there is oil in the pipe 39, and the maximum value Omax of the electrical signal obtained by the light-receiving unit 20 becomes smaller.

[0072] Therefore, in step SP21, the irradiation control unit 51 adjusts the output level of the light irradiation unit 10 so that the maximum value Omax of the electrical signal obtained by the light receiving unit 20 becomes the same as the maximum value Omax in step SP10.

[0073] For example, if the maximum value Omax of the electric signal obtained by the light receiving unit 20 when there is oil in the pipe 39 is 3.5 V and the maximum value Omax of the electric signal obtained by the light receiving unit 20 when there is air in the pipe 39 is 1 V, the irradiation control unit 51 applies 3.5 times the power to the light irradiation unit 10 when there is air in the pipe 39 compared to when there is oil in the pipe 39 to make the maximum value Omax equal. This improves the accuracy of the pseudo signal.

[0074] (Steps SP22 and SP23) Returning to the description of Fig. 6, the irradiation control unit 51 outputs a blinking signal sn to the driving unit 41, and the driving unit 41 blinks the light emitting element 11 using the blinking signal sn. Since n=1 is set in step SP22, the blinking signal when step SP23 is executed for the first time is the blinking signal s1. An electrical signal obtained by receiving the irradiated light by the light receiving unit 20 in this manner is input to the measurement unit 52. The measurement unit 52 obtains a measurement value based on this electrical signal.

[0075] Fig. 8 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of an electrical signal obtained by the light receiving unit 20 when the light emitting element 11 is blinked using the blinking signal sn. The electrical signal periodically exhibits high and low output states. The measuring unit 52 obtains an integral value per unit time of this electrical signal (see the shaded portion in Fig. 8) and regards this as a measured value.

[0076] Returning to the description of Fig. 6, a plurality of blinking signals sn (n is a natural number) are stored in the storage unit 53. The irradiation control unit 51 acquires the blinking signal sn required to execute step SP23 from the storage unit 53 and outputs it to the drive unit 41.

[0077] (Step SP24) The measurement unit 52 determines whether the measurement value obtained in step SP23 is equivalent to the reference measurement value obtained in step SP10. The measurement unit 52 obtains the reference measurement value from the storage unit 53. Here, being equivalent to the reference measurement value is a concept that includes the case where the measurement value is approximately equivalent to the reference measurement value, i.e., the case where the measurement value matches the reference measurement value, and the case where the measurement value does not match the reference measurement value but the error is small.

[0078] If the measurement value obtained in step SP23 is not equivalent to the reference measurement value (No in step SP24), the process proceeds to step SP25. If the measurement value obtained in step SP23 is equivalent to the reference measurement value (Yes in step SP24), the process proceeds to step SP26.

[0079] (Step SP25) If the measurement value obtained in step SP23 is not equivalent to the reference measurement value (No in step SP24), the measurement unit 52 sets n=n+1 and returns the process to step SP23. For example, if the measurement value obtained when the light-emitting element 11 is driven to blink using the blinking signal s1 is not equivalent to the reference measurement value, the measurement unit 52 performs the process of step SP23 using the blinking signal s2. In this manner, steps SP23 to SP25 are repeated until a blinking signal sn that is equivalent to the reference measurement value is found.

[0080] (Step SP26) If the measurement value obtained in step SP23 is equivalent to the reference measurement value (Yes in step SP24), the measurement unit 52 sets the blinking signal sn used when the measurement value became equivalent to the reference measurement value as a pseudo signal (corresponding to the first pseudo signal of the present invention). Then, the measurement unit 52 stores the pseudo signal in the memory unit 53. This ends the series of processes in step SP20. In this way, an accurate pseudo signal can be obtained by equating the measurement value, which is an integral value per unit time, with the reference measurement value, thereby improving the accuracy of the adjustment.

[0081] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the process flow of step SP30. (Step SP31) In a state where there is no oil in the measurement flow path of the measurement device 1A (here, a state where air has entered the piping 39), the irradiation control unit 51 adjusts the output level of the light irradiating unit 10 based on the result of the adjustment of the output level in step SP21. For example, the irradiation control unit 51 applies to the light irradiating unit 10 via the driving unit 41 the same power as the power applied to the light irradiating unit 10 by the irradiation control unit 51 in step SP21. As a result, the maximum value Omax of the electrical signal obtained by the light receiving unit 20 becomes equivalent to the maximum value Omax of the electrical signal obtained by the light receiving unit 20 without adjusting the output level in a state where there is oil in the measurement flow path.

[0082] (Step SP32) The irradiation control unit 51 outputs the pseudo signal stored in the memory unit 53 to the driving unit 41. The driving unit 41 uses the pseudo signal to irradiate light from the light irradiating unit 10 in the state after the output level has been adjusted in step SP31. The electric signal obtained by receiving the irradiated light in this way at the light receiving unit 20 is input to the measuring unit 52. The measuring unit 52 obtains a measurement value (corresponding to the measurement value in the first pollution degree of the present invention) based on this electric signal. For example, the measuring unit 52 obtains an integral value per unit time of the electric signal as in step SP23, and sets this as the measurement value. The measuring unit 52 stores this measurement value in the memory unit 43. This completes the series of processes in step SP30.

[0083] According to this embodiment, the measurement device 1A can be adjusted without causing oil to flow in the measurement flow path including the pipe 39. This reduces the time required for the adjustment. Also, the accuracy of the adjustment is increased.

[0084] In the past, when oil was poured into the measurement flow path for adjustment, cleaning after adjustment was time-consuming and it took a long time to complete the adjustment. In addition, although air transport is sometimes used for delivery, it is undesirable for oil to remain inside the object being transported by air, so if oil has been poured into the measurement flow path in the past, packaging costs will increase.

[0085] Furthermore, when adjusting by adding oil to the measurement flow path, it is necessary to prepare oil containing dust when adjusting the measurement device 1A. However, it takes time to heat the oil and disperse the dust into the oil. In particular, to disperse the dust into the oil, it is necessary to add the dust in multiple batches until the desired contamination level is reached, and it takes a long time to finish adding the dust to the oil. Also, in order to reuse the oil that has been used for adjustment, the oil must be cleaned up, which also takes time.

[0086] In contrast, by adjusting the measurement device 1A without flowing oil in the measurement flow path as in this embodiment, it is possible to eliminate the problems of time, cost, and effort that are caused by using oil.

[0087] Furthermore, if oil containing dust is used when adjusting the measurement device 1A, it takes a long time for measurement by the pollution level measurement unit 42. In contrast, if a pseudo signal is used, smoothing is not necessary and adjustment can be performed in a short time.

[0088] Furthermore, although oil with a known degree of contamination is generated by mixing a predetermined amount of particles with a particle size within a predetermined range into the oil, it is not possible to eliminate variations in particle size and the amount of mixed particles, etc., which may result in unstable adjustment accuracy. In contrast, in this embodiment, a pseudo signal is used, so the light irradiated from the light irradiating unit 10 is stable, improving adjustment accuracy.

[0089] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, by adjusting the output level of the light irradiating unit 10 before measurement, an accurate pseudo signal can be obtained and the adjustment can be performed accurately.

[0090] In this embodiment, the pseudo signal was acquired and the measurement device 1A was adjusted in a state where no oil was flowing in the measurement flow path and air was present in the pipe 39, but the state where there is no oil in the measurement flow path is not limited to this. For example, the state where there is no oil in the measurement flow path may be a state where no liquid is flowing in the measurement flow path and air is present, a state where a liquid other than oil is flowing in the measurement flow path, or a state where a glass rod is provided instead of the pipe 39.

[0091] The state where a liquid other than oil is flowed in the measurement flow path may be a state where water, alcohol, or a mixture of water and alcohol is poured into the measurement flow path including the pipe 39. The refractive index of air is 1, but the refractive indexes of water and alcohol are 1.3 to 1.4, which are close to the refractive index of oil, 1.467. Specifically, the refractive index of water is 1.33, the refractive index of ethanol is 1.361, the refractive index of methanol is 1.329, and the refractive index of isopropyl alcohol is 1.384.

[0092] In this way, when water, alcohol, or a mixture of water and alcohol is put into the pipe 39, unlike when air is put into the pipe 39, the pipe 39 acts as a lens and the light emitted from the light emitting element 11 is focused on the light receiving element 21. This makes it easier to obtain a pseudo signal and adjust the measurement device 1A. Depending on the type of liquid flowing through the pipe 39, it may be possible to obtain a pseudo signal and adjust the measurement device 1A without adjusting the output level (steps SP21 and SP31 are not essential). Furthermore, since water and alcohol have quick drying properties, even if water or alcohol is flowed into the measurement flow path, it takes a short time for it to dry, and the time required for adjustment is short.

[0093] Also, for example, a state where there is no oil in the measurement flow path can be replaced by a state where a glass rod is provided instead of the pipe 39. The refractive index of glass, for example, quartz glass, is 1.46 to 1.47, and the refractive index of BK7 is 1.51 to 1.53, so that it has a refractive index close to 1.467, which is the refractive index of oil. Therefore, the glass rod plays the role of a lens, and the light emitted from the light-emitting element 11 is focused on the light-receiving element 21. This makes it easy to obtain a pseudo signal and adjust the measurement device 1A. Also, it becomes possible to obtain a pseudo signal and adjust the measurement device 1A without adjusting the output level (steps SP21 and SP31 are unnecessary).

[0094] In this embodiment, in step SP10, a reference measurement value (first reference measurement value) is measured using oil of an arbitrary pollution level (first pollution level), and in step SP20, a signal that irradiates light equivalent to the light input to the light receiving unit 20 when oil of the first pollution level flows through the measurement flow path with no oil in the measurement flow path is obtained as a pseudo signal, and in step SP30, a measurement value at the first pollution level is obtained using this pseudo signal. In other words, the measurement device 1A is adjusted for one pollution level, but the measurement device 1A may be adjusted for multiple pollution levels (at least two, the first pollution level and the second pollution level). If the arbitrary pollution level is an ISO level of 16 to 22, for example, the first pollution level may be ISO level 16 and the second pollution level may be ISO level 20.

[0095] That is, the control units 40 and 50 find the reference measurement values ​​and pseudo signals for each level for which a measurement value is to be obtained. The control units 40 and 50 also obtain the respective measurement values ​​using the pseudo signals for each level. For example, when adjusting the measurement device 1A for the first and second pollution levels, the control units 40 and 50 measure the reference measurement values ​​(first reference measurement values ​​and second reference measurement values) for the first and second pollution levels in step SP10, obtain pseudo signals (first pseudo signal and second pseudo signal) for the first and second pollution levels in step SP20, and obtain the measurement values ​​for the first and second pollution levels using the first pseudo signal and the second pseudo signal in step SP30.

[0096] In the present embodiment, the adjustment is performed for one measuring device 1A, but it is also possible to continuously adjust a plurality of measuring devices 1A. In this case, the process of step SP30 should be continuously performed the same number of times as the number of measuring devices 1A.

[0097] In addition, in this embodiment, steps SP10 and SP20 are performed before step SP30, but steps SP10 and SP20 are not essential. For example, a pseudo signal may be stored in advance in storage unit 43 or 53, and the process of step SP30 may be performed using this pseudo signal. In this case, the process of obtaining the pseudo signal is not limited to the method of steps SP10 and SP20. However, in order to increase the accuracy of the pseudo signal, it is desirable to obtain the pseudo signal using the method of steps SP10 and SP20.

[0098] <Second embodiment> In the first embodiment, the measurement device 1A is adjusted using a pseudo signal, but the method of adjusting the measurement device 1A is not limited to this. In the second embodiment of the present invention, the measurement device 1A is adjusted using a rod-shaped member provided with a plurality of light-blocking slits that do not transmit light. The second embodiment will be described below. However, the same reference numerals are used for configurations and processes similar to those in the first embodiment, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0099] 10 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of how a pseudo signal is obtained by the measurement device 1 and how a measured value is obtained by the measurement device 1A. Light is continuously irradiated from the light irradiating unit 10 while the rod-shaped member 90 is moved through the measurement flow path (including the piping 39). The light irradiated from the light irradiating unit 10 and passing through the piping 39 and the rod-shaped member 90 is received by the light receiving unit 20 to obtain an electrical signal. The rod-shaped member 90 is, for example, a glass rod, and is provided with a plurality of light-shielding slits 91 that do not transmit light.

[0100] 10, the light-shielding slits 91 are provided at regular intervals. However, the form of the bar-shaped member 90 is not limited to this. The width and spacing of the light-shielding slits 91 are arbitrary. For example, a plurality of types of light-shielding slits with different thicknesses may be provided in the bar-shaped member 90. Furthermore, the spacing between adjacent light-shielding slits 91 does not have to be the same.

[0101] The rod-shaped member 90 is provided with a driving device 3. The driving device 3 mainly has a driving unit 35 such as an actuator that moves the rod-shaped member 90, and a transmission unit 36 ​​that transmits the output of the driving unit 35 to the rod-shaped member 90. The driving unit 35 moves the rod-shaped member 90 in the longitudinal direction of the rod-shaped member 90 via the transmission unit 36.

[0102] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an outline of the electrical configuration of the measuring devices 1 and 1A and an adjusting device 2A connected to the measuring devices 1 and 1A.

[0103] The measuring devices 1 and 1A have a control unit 40, and the adjustment device 2A has a control unit 50A. The control unit 50A mainly has an irradiation control unit 51, a measurement unit 52, a storage unit 53, and a drive control unit .

[0104] The drive control unit 54 is a functional unit that outputs a signal for driving the drive unit 35 to the drive device 3. The signal sm for driving the drive unit 35 moves the rod-shaped member bn at a predetermined speed cm. A plurality of signals sm (m is a natural number) are stored in the memory unit 53.

[0105] FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the flow of the process in which adjustment device 2A performs adjustment processing on measurement device 1A.

[0106] (Step SP10) The measuring device 1 is connected to the adjustment device 2A. With oil of a given pollution level flowing through the measurement flow path of the measuring device 1, the driving unit 41 of the measuring device 1 continuously irradiates light from the light irradiating unit 10 of the measuring device 1. The irradiated light is received by the light receiving unit 20 of the measuring device 1, and the resulting electrical signal is measured and acquired by the measuring unit 52. The measuring unit 52 stores the acquired measurement value in the memory unit 53 as a reference measurement value at a given pollution level. Step SP40 corresponds to the first reference value measurement step of the present invention.

[0107] (Step SP40) After the process of step SP10 is completed, the oil is removed and cleaned from the measurement flow path of the measurement device 1. In addition, a plurality of rod-shaped members 90 having different widths and numbers of light-shielding slits 91 are prepared. Hereinafter, the plurality of rod-shaped members are referred to as rod-shaped members bn (n is a natural number).

[0108] The control unit 50A adjusts the size and number of light-shielding slits 91 in the rod-shaped member 90 and the speed at which the rod-shaped member 90 is moved, with no oil in the measurement flow path. For example, with light continuously irradiated from the light irradiating unit 10 of the measurement device 1, the rod-shaped member bn is moved at an arbitrary speed, and the light is received by the light receiving unit 20 of the measurement device 1 to obtain an electrical signal. The control unit 50A then obtains the rod-shaped member bn and its moving speed (first speed of the present invention) when an electrical signal equivalent to the reference measurement value is obtained by the light receiving unit 20 of the measurement device 1. Step SP40 corresponds to the adjustment step of the present invention.

[0109] (Step SP50) After the processes of steps SP10 and SP40 (corresponding to the rod-shaped member adjustment step of the present invention) are completed, the measurement device 1A is connected to the adjustment device 2A. The drive unit 41 of the measurement device 1 continuously irradiates light from the light irradiation unit 10 of the measurement device 1A. At this time, the rod-shaped member bn is moved inside the pipe 39 at the moving speed obtained in step SP40.

[0110] The irradiated light is received by the light receiving unit 20 of the measurement device 1A, and the resulting electrical signal is measured and acquired by the measurement unit 52. The measurement unit 52 stores the acquired measurement value in the memory unit 43 as the output value at the arbitrary pollution level of the measurement device 1A. Step SP50 corresponds to the first adjustment step of the present invention. This completes the adjustment process of the measurement device 1A at the arbitrary pollution level.

[0111] The manufacturing method of the measuring device 1A in this embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment. That is, the light emitting unit 10 and the light receiving unit 20 are provided in the first housing 31 so as to sandwich the piping 39 (step SP110), the adjustment process of the measuring device 1A (step SP120) is performed, and the housing 30 in which the piping 39, the light emitting unit 10 and the light receiving unit 20 are provided is assembled to obtain the completed measuring device 1A (step SP130). However, step SP120 in this embodiment is the same process as step SP50.

[0112] The finished measuring device 1A thus obtained is packaged and shipped. The measuring device is then installed in a device such as a construction machine or hydraulic equipment, and measures the degree of contamination of the oil based on the output value stored in the memory unit 43 in step SP120 (step SP50) and the measurement value obtained using the electrical signal acquired by the light receiving unit 20.

[0113] 13 is a flowchart showing the process flow of the adjustment step (step SP40). First, the measurement device 1 is disconnected from the adjustment device 2A, and the measurement device 1A is connected to the adjustment device 2A. Also, a plurality of rod-shaped members bn (n is a natural number) are prepared in advance.

[0114] (Step SP41) Oil is removed from the measurement flow path of the measuring device 1 and the measurement flow path is cleaned, and air is introduced into the piping 39 of the measurement flow path. The irradiation control unit 51 adjusts the power applied to the light irradiation unit 10, i.e., the output level of the light irradiation unit 10, so that the maximum value Omax of the electrical signal obtained by the light receiving unit 20 becomes the same as the maximum value Omax in step SP10. The process of step SP41 is the same as step SP21.

[0115] (Steps SP42 and SP43) The irradiation control unit 51 acquires the speed cm from the memory unit 53 and outputs it to the driving unit 41, and moves the rod-shaped member bn (the provisional rod-shaped member of the present invention) at the speed cm (the provisional speed of the present invention) via the driving device 3. In this state, the driving unit 41 continuously lights up the light emitting unit 10 (the light emitting element 11). The electric signal obtained by receiving the light irradiated in this manner by the light receiving unit 20 is input to the measuring unit 52. The measuring unit 52 obtains a measurement value based on this electric signal. The measuring unit 52 obtains an integral value per unit time of the electric signal, and regards this as the measurement value.

[0116] Since n and m are set to 1 in step SP42, the rod-shaped member when step SP43 is first executed is rod-shaped member b1, and its speed is speed c1.

[0117] (Step SP44) The measurement unit 52 determines whether the measurement value obtained in step SP43 is equivalent to the reference measurement value obtained in step SP10. The measurement unit 52 acquires the reference measurement value from the storage unit 53.

[0118] If the measurement value obtained in step SP43 is not equal to the reference measurement value (No in step SP24), the process proceeds to step SP45. If the measurement value obtained in step SP23 is equal to the reference measurement value (Yes in step SP44), the process proceeds to step SP48.

[0119] (Steps SP45 to SP47) If the measurement value obtained in step SP43 is not equivalent to the reference measurement value (No in step SP44), the measurement unit 52 determines whether the speed cm can be changed, i.e., whether all of the speeds stored in the memory unit 53 have been performed (step SP45).

[0120] If the speed cm is changeable (Yes in step SP45), the measurement unit 52 sets m=m+1 (step SP46) and returns the process to step SP43. If the speed cm is not changeable (No in step SP45), the measurement unit 52 sets m back to 1, changes the rod-shaped member bn by setting n=n+1 (step SP47), and returns the process to step SP43. In this manner, steps SP43 to SP47 are repeated until a rod-shaped member bn and speed cm whose measured value is equivalent to the reference measured value are found.

[0121] (Step SP48) If the measurement value obtained in step SP43 is equivalent to the reference measurement value (Yes in step SP44), the measurement unit 52 sets the rod-shaped member bn and speed cm (hereinafter, rod-shaped member bx and speed cx) used when the measurement value is equivalent to the reference measurement value as the rod-shaped member (rod-shaped member of the present invention) and speed (first speed of the present invention) at an arbitrary pollution level (first pollution level). Then, the measurement unit 52 stores the rod-shaped member bx and speed cx in the memory unit 53. This ends the series of processes in step SP40.

[0122] FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the process flow of step SP50. (Step SP51) In a state where there is no oil in the measurement flow path of the measurement device 1A (here, a state where air has entered the piping 39), the irradiation control unit 51 adjusts the output level of the light irradiation unit 10 based on the result of the output level adjustment in step SP21. The process of step SP51 is similar to that of step SP31.

[0123] (Step SP52) The drive control unit 54 outputs the speed cx stored in the memory unit 53 to the drive device 3, and the drive unit 35 moves the rod-shaped member bx at the speed cx. Furthermore, the drive unit 41 and the irradiation control unit 51 continuously irradiate light from the light irradiating unit 10 in the state after the output level has been adjusted in step SP31. An electrical signal obtained by receiving the irradiated light in this manner at the light receiving unit 20 is input to the measurement unit 52. The measurement unit 52 obtains a measurement value (corresponding to the measurement value in the first pollution degree of the present invention) based on this electrical signal. For example, the measurement unit 52 obtains an integral value per unit time of the electrical signal, as in step SP43, and sets this as the measurement value.

[0124] According to this embodiment, the measurement device 1A can be adjusted without flowing oil into the measurement flow path including the pipe 39. Therefore, the time required for the adjustment can be shortened. Also, the accuracy of the adjustment can be improved.

[0125] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, since the rod-shaped member 90 is made of glass, light can be focused on the light receiving unit 20 in the same manner as when oil is flowing in the pipe 39. This may make it possible to obtain a pseudo signal and adjust the measurement device 1A without adjusting the output level (steps SP41 and SP51 are not essential).

[0126] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, by adjusting the output level of the light irradiation unit 10 before obtaining a measured value, an accurate pseudo signal can be obtained and the adjustment can be performed accurately.

[0127] In this embodiment, the measurement device 1A is adjusted at one pollution level, but similar to the first embodiment, the measurement device 1A may be adjusted at multiple pollution levels (at least two levels: the first pollution level and the second pollution level). In this embodiment, the measurement device 1A is adjusted, but similar to the first embodiment, it is also possible to continuously adjust multiple measurement devices 1A.

[0128] <Third embodiment> In the first and second embodiments, there is one each of the light-emitting element 11 and the light-receiving element 21, but the numbers of the light-emitting element 11 and the light-receiving element 21 are not limited to this. For example, there may be a plurality of light-emitting elements 11 and a plurality of light-receiving elements 21, or there may be one light-emitting element 11 and two light-receiving elements 21.

[0129] The third embodiment of the present invention has two light-emitting elements 11 and two light-receiving elements 21, and measures the level of contamination based on the difference between the light received by the two light-receiving elements 21. The third embodiment of the present invention will be described below. However, the same reference numerals are used for configurations and processes similar to those of the first and second embodiments, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0130] 15 is a block diagram showing an outline of the electrical configuration of a measurement device 1B and an adjustment device 2A connected to the measurement devices 1 and 1A. The measurement device 1B is a measurement device on which adjustment is performed, and the measurement device 1 is used to obtain reference measurement values ​​and pseudo signals.

[0131] The measuring device 1B has a light irradiating section 10A having a plurality (two in this case) of light emitting elements 11, and a light receiving section 20A having a plurality (two in this case) of light receiving elements 21 and an amplifier 22. The measuring device 1B also has a control section 40A, and the adjusting device 2 has a control section 50. The control section 40 mainly has a drive section 41A, a pollution level measuring section 42A, a memory section 43, a switching section 44, an output section 45, and a display section 46.

[0132] The driving section 41A is a functional section that drives only a desired light-emitting element 11 out of the two light-emitting elements 11. The driving of the light-emitting element 11 is similar to that of the driving section 41, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0133] The contamination level measurement unit 42A is a functional unit that measures the contamination level of the liquid based on output signals from the two light receiving elements 21. For example, the contamination level measurement unit 42A measures the contamination level based on the difference between a measurement value obtained from the output signal from one light receiving element 21 and a measurement value obtained from the output signal from the other light receiving element 21. Various methods can be used to measure the contamination level, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0134] The switching unit 44 is a functional unit that switches the output from the light-receiving unit 20A. During adjustment, the switching unit 44 outputs a signal from the light-receiving unit 20A to the measurement unit 52, and during pollution level measurement after shipment, the switching unit 44 outputs the signal from the light-receiving unit 20A to the pollution level measurement unit 42. In this way, the switching unit 44 causes the output destination from the light-receiving unit 20A to differ depending on whether it is during adjustment or pollution level measurement.

[0135] During adjustment, the switching unit 44 outputs signals from the plurality of light receiving elements 21 and the amplifier 22 separately to the measurement unit 52. For example, the switching unit 44 outputs a signal obtained by the light receiving element 21 corresponding to the driven light emitting element 11 to the measurement unit 52.

[0136] FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing the flow of the process in which the adjustment device 2 performs the adjustment process on the measurement device 1B.

[0137] (Step SP10) The measuring device 1 is connected to the adjustment device 2. With oil of a given pollution level (first pollution level) flowing through the measurement flow path of the measuring device 1, the driving unit 41 of the measuring device 1 continuously irradiates light from the light irradiating unit 10 of the measuring device 1. The irradiated light is received by the light receiving unit 20 of the measuring device 1, and an electrical signal is obtained, which is acquired by the measuring unit 52. The measuring unit 52 stores the acquired measurement value in the memory unit 53 as a reference measurement value (first reference measurement value) for the given pollution level.

[0138] (Step SP20) When the process of step SP10 is completed, the oil is removed and cleaned from the measurement flow path of the measurement device 1. Then, when there is no oil in the measurement flow path, the control unit 50 causes the light irradiating unit 10 of the measurement device 1 to irradiate using a blinking signal that causes the light irradiating unit 10 of the measurement device 1 to blink, and sets the blinking signal when an electrical signal equivalent to the reference measurement value is obtained by the light receiving unit 20 of the measurement device 1 as a pseudo signal.

[0139] (Step SP30A) When the process of step SP20A is completed, the measurement device 1B (corresponding to the measurement device of the present invention) is connected to the adjustment device 2. The irradiation control unit 51 outputs the pseudo signal obtained in step SP20A to the drive unit 41A. The drive unit 41A of the measurement device 1 drives any of the light emitting elements 11 of the light emitting unit 10A (corresponding to the light emitting unit of the present invention) of the measurement device 1B using the pseudo signal output from the irradiation control unit 51 in a state where no liquid is flowing through the measurement flow path of the measurement device 1A. The irradiated light is received by the light receiving element 21 corresponding to the light emitting element 11 that irradiated the light in the light receiving unit 20A (corresponding to the light receiving unit of the present invention) of the measurement device 1B, and the measurement unit 52 acquires the obtained electrical signal via the switching unit 44. The measurement unit 52 acquires a measurement value based on the electrical signal, and stores this in the memory unit 43 as an output value at an arbitrary contamination level in the measurement device 1A. Step SP30A corresponds to the first adjustment step of the present invention.

[0140] The difference between step SP30 and step SP30A is that the measurement values ​​are obtained repeatedly the number of times (here, twice) that there are light-emitting elements 11 and light-receiving elements 21, but the specific process contents are the same. This completes the adjustment process of the measurement device 1B at an arbitrary pollution level.

[0141] The manufacturing method of the measuring device 1B is the same as the manufacturing method of the measuring device 1A (FIG. 4).

[0142] According to this embodiment, the measurement device 1B can be adjusted without flowing oil into the measurement flow path including the pipe 39. Therefore, the time required for the adjustment can be shortened. Also, the accuracy of the adjustment can be improved.

[0143] In this embodiment, the adjustment was performed with air in piping 39. However, as in the first embodiment, the measurement flow path including piping 39 may contain water, alcohol, or a mixture of water and alcohol, or a glass rod may be provided in place of piping 39.

[0144] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the adjustment is performed using a pseudo signal, but similarly to the second embodiment, the adjustment may be performed using a rod-shaped member 90.

[0145] Furthermore, in this embodiment, steps SP10 and 20 are performed using a measuring device 1 having one light-emitting element 11 and one light-receiving element 21, but steps SP10 and 20 may be performed using a measuring device having a plurality of light-emitting elements 11 and light-receiving elements 21. In this case, the processing of steps SP10 and 20 only needs to be repeated the number of times (twice in this case) for the number of light-emitting elements 11 and light-receiving elements 21, and the specific processing content is the same.

[0146] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above in detail with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and design changes within the scope of the gist of the present invention are also included. For example, the above example has been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and is not necessarily limited to those having all of the configurations described. In addition, it is possible to replace a part of the configuration of the embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, and it is also possible to add, delete, or replace other configurations to the configuration of the embodiment.

[0147] In the present invention, "approximately" is a concept that includes not only the case of being strictly identical, but also an error or deformation to the extent that the identity is not lost. For example, "approximately perpendicular" is a concept that includes an error of, for example, about several degrees, not limited to the case of being strictly perpendicular. In addition, for example, when expressing orthogonal, parallel, coincident, etc., it includes not only the case of being strictly orthogonal, parallel, coincident, etc., but also the case of being approximately parallel, approximately orthogonal, approximately coincident, etc.

[0148] In the present invention, the term "vicinity" means including a certain range (which can be arbitrarily determined) near a reference position. For example, the term "near an end" refers to a certain range near the end, and is a concept indicating that the end may or may not be included. [Explanation of symbols]

[0149] 1, 1A, 1B: Measuring device 2, 2A: Adjustment device 3: Drive unit 10, 10A: Light irradiation part 11: Light emitting element 15: Substrate 20, 20A: Light receiving section 21: Light receiving element 22: Amplifier 23: Switching section 25: Substrate 30: Housing 31: First unit 31a: Hole 31b:hole 31c: Female thread 31d, 31e: recess 31f, 31g: hole 32: Second cabinet 32a: Male thread 32b: hole 33: 3rd unit 33a: Male thread 33b: hole 35: Drive unit 36: Transmission section 39: Piping 40, 40A: Control unit 41, 41A: Drive unit 41a: Switching section 42, 42A: Contamination level measurement section 43: Storage section 44: Switching section 45: Output section 46: Display section 50, 50A: Control unit 51: Irradiation control unit 52: Measuring part 53: Storage section 54: Drive control unit 90: Rod-shaped member 91: Light shielding slit

Claims

1. A light irradiation unit that irradiates the measurement channel with light, and a light irradiated from the light irradiation unit that passes through the measurement channel. It has a light receiving unit that continuously receives light and obtains a continuous electrical signal, and the measurement channel has A method for adjusting a measuring device that measures the degree of oil contamination based on an electrical signal obtained by the light receiving unit while oil is flowing, The first adjustment step includes: irradiating the light-emitting unit with light equivalent to the light input to the light-receiving unit when oil of a first contamination level (an arbitrary contamination level) flows through the measurement channel, while no oil is flowing through the measurement channel; and obtaining a measurement value at the first contamination level based on the electrical signal obtained by receiving the irradiated light at the light-receiving unit. A method for adjusting the temperature, characterized by the features described above.

2. The process includes a pseudo-signal generation step of generating the first pseudo-signal using a reference measuring device, The reference measurement device comprises a reference light irradiation unit that continuously irradiates light into a reference measurement channel, and a reference light receiving unit that continuously receives the light irradiated from the reference light irradiation unit and passed through the measurement channel to obtain a continuous electrical signal. The pseudo-signal generation step is as follows: A first reference value measurement step involves flowing the oil with the first degree of contamination through the reference measurement channel, irradiating it with light from the reference light irradiation unit, receiving the irradiated light with the reference light receiving unit, and measuring the resulting electrical signal to obtain a first reference measurement value at the first degree of contamination; A first pseudo-signal acquisition step in which, with no oil flowing through the measurement channel, light is irradiated from the reference light irradiation unit using a blinking signal that causes the reference light receiving unit to blink, and the blinking signal when the electrical signal obtained by the reference light receiving unit is equivalent to the electrical signal obtained by the reference light receiving unit is set as the first pseudo-signal, The adjustment method according to claim 1, characterized by including the following:

3. In the first reference value measurement step, the integral value per unit time of the electrical signal received by the reference light receiving unit is smoothed to obtain the first reference value measurement, In the first pseudo-signal acquisition step, the blinking signal when the integral value per unit time of the electrical signal received by the reference light receiving unit becomes equal to the first reference measurement value is defined as the first pseudo-signal. The adjustment method according to feature 2.

4. In the first pseudo-signal acquisition step, with no oil flowing through the measurement channel, the output level of the reference light irradiation unit is adjusted so that the maximum value of the signal output obtained by the reference light receiving unit is equivalent to the reference output value, which is the maximum value of the electrical signal obtained by receiving light at the reference light receiving unit in the first reference value measurement step. After this adjustment, light is irradiated from the reference light irradiation unit to obtain the first pseudo-signal. The adjustment method according to feature 2 or 3.

5. In the first adjustment step, the output level of the light irradiation unit is adjusted based on the output level adjustment result in the first pseudo-signal acquisition step, and light is irradiated from the light irradiation unit using the first pseudo-signal at the adjusted output level. The adjustment method according to feature 4.

6. The measurement channel includes a pipe in which at least a portion is made of glass, The state in which oil is not flowing through the measurement channel means a state in which no liquid is flowing through the measurement channel, a state in which a liquid other than oil is flowing through the measurement channel, or a state in which a glass rod is installed in place of the piping. The adjustment method according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

7. The state in which a liquid other than oil is flowed through the measurement channel refers to the state in which water, alcohol, Alternatively, it is a state where a mixture of water and alcohol is being poured. The adjustment method according to feature 6.

8. A method for adjusting a measuring device that has a light irradiation unit that irradiates light into a measuring channel, and a light receiving unit that continuously receives the light irradiated from the light irradiation unit and passed through the measuring channel to obtain a continuous electrical signal, wherein the device measures the degree of oil contamination based on the electrical signal obtained by the light receiving unit while oil is flowing through the measuring channel, The first adjustment step includes continuously irradiating a rod-shaped member, which has multiple light-blocking slits that do not allow light to pass through, with light from a light irradiation unit while moving the rod-shaped member through the measurement channel at a first speed, so that the light input to the light receiving unit is equivalent to the light when oil of a first contamination level, which is an arbitrary contamination level, flows through the measurement channel, and obtaining a measurement value for the first contamination level based on the electrical signal obtained by the light receiving unit as a result of said irradiation. A method for adjusting the temperature, characterized by the features described above.

9. The process includes a rod member adjustment step in which the size and number of light-shielding slits of the rod member and the first speed are adjusted using a reference measuring device. The reference measurement device comprises a reference light irradiation unit that continuously irradiates light into a reference measurement channel, and a reference light receiving unit that continuously receives the light irradiated from the reference light irradiation unit and passed through the measurement channel to obtain a continuous electrical signal. The aforementioned rod-shaped member adjustment step is, A first reference value measurement step involves flowing the oil with the first degree of contamination through the reference measurement channel, irradiating it with light from the reference light irradiation unit, receiving the irradiated light with the reference light receiving unit, and measuring the resulting electrical signal to obtain a first reference measurement value at the first degree of contamination; An adjustment step is to continuously illuminate the reference light irradiation unit, move a temporary rod-shaped member having light-shielding slits of arbitrary size and number within the reference measurement channel at an arbitrary temporary speed, obtain an electrical signal with the reference light receiving unit, and when the electrical signal becomes equivalent to the first reference measurement value, set the temporary rod-shaped member and the temporary speed to the rod-shaped member and the first speed, The adjustment method according to claim 8, characterized by including the following:

10. In the first reference value measurement step, the integral value per unit time of the electrical signal received by the reference light receiving unit is smoothed to obtain the first reference value measurement, In the adjustment step, the temporary rod-shaped member and the temporary speed are defined as the rod-shaped member and the first speed when the integral value per unit time of the electrical signal obtained by receiving light with the reference light-receiving unit becomes equivalent to the first reference measurement value. The adjustment method according to feature 9.

11. An adjustment device for adjusting a measuring device that measures the degree of oil contamination based on the electrical signal obtained by the light receiving unit while oil is flowing through the measuring channel, the device comprising: a light irradiation unit that irradiates light into a measuring channel; and a light receiving unit that continuously receives the light irradiated from the light irradiation unit and passed through the measuring channel to obtain a continuous electrical signal. An irradiation control unit irradiates light from the light irradiation unit using a first pseudo-signal that irradiates light equivalent to the light input to the light receiving unit when oil of a first contamination level, which is an arbitrary contamination level, flows through the measurement channel, while no oil is flowing through the measurement channel. A measuring unit that obtains a measurement value for the first degree of contamination based on an electrical signal obtained by receiving light emitted from the light irradiation unit with the light receiving unit, An adjustment device characterized by including

12. An adjustment device for adjusting a measuring device that measures the degree of oil contamination based on the electrical signal obtained by the light receiving unit while oil is flowing through the measuring channel, the device comprising: a light irradiation unit that irradiates light into a measuring channel; and a light receiving unit that continuously receives the light irradiated from the light irradiation unit and passed through the measuring channel to obtain a continuous electrical signal. An irradiation control unit continuously irradiates light from a light irradiation unit while moving a rod-shaped member, which has multiple light-blocking slits that do not allow light to pass through, through the measurement channel at a first speed, so that the light input to the light receiving unit is equivalent to the light when oil of a first degree of contamination, which is an arbitrary degree of contamination, flows through the measurement channel. A measuring unit that obtains a measurement value for the first degree of contamination based on an electrical signal obtained by receiving light emitted from the light irradiation unit with the light receiving unit, An adjustment device characterized by including

13. A method for manufacturing a measuring device that measures the degree of oil contamination based on an electrical signal obtained by continuously receiving light from a light-emitting unit that irradiates light into the measuring channel, which has passed through the measuring channel, while oil is flowing through the measuring channel, including piping, The steps include providing the light irradiation unit and the light receiving unit so as to sandwich the aforementioned piping, With no oil flowing through the measurement channel, the light irradiation unit is used to irradiate light using a first pseudo-signal that emits light equivalent to the light input to the light receiving unit when oil of a first contamination level (an arbitrary contamination level) flows through the measurement channel, and the light receiving unit receives the irradiated light to obtain a measurement value at the first contamination level based on the resulting electrical signal. The steps include assembling a housing in which the measurement channel, the light irradiation unit, and the light receiving unit are provided inside, A method for manufacturing a measuring device, characterized by including the following:

14. A method for manufacturing a measuring device that measures the degree of oil contamination based on an electrical signal obtained by continuously receiving light from a light-emitting unit that irradiates light into the measuring channel, which has passed through the measuring channel, while oil is flowing through the measuring channel, including piping, The steps include providing the light irradiation unit and the light receiving unit so as to sandwich the aforementioned piping, With no oil flowing through the measurement channel, a rod-shaped member having multiple light-blocking slits that do not allow light to pass through is moved at a first speed through the measurement channel, and light is continuously irradiated from the light irradiation unit, such that the light is equivalent to the light input to the light receiving unit when oil of a first degree of contamination, which is an arbitrary degree of contamination, flows through the measurement channel, and a measurement value for the first degree of contamination is obtained based on the electrical signal obtained by the light receiving unit as a result of said irradiation. The steps include assembling a housing in which the measurement channel, the light irradiation unit, and the light receiving unit are provided inside, A method for manufacturing a measuring device, characterized by including the following:

15. A light irradiation unit that irradiates light into the measurement channel, A light receiving unit that continuously receives light irradiated from the light irradiation unit and passed through the measurement channel to obtain a continuous electrical signal, A control unit that controls the illumination of the light irradiation unit and obtains a measurement value based on the light reception result at the light receiving unit, A switching unit that switches the output from the light receiving unit between two cases: when oil is not flowing through the measurement channel, a first pseudo-signal is used to irradiate the light receiving unit with light equivalent to the light input to the light receiving unit when oil of a first contamination level (an arbitrary contamination level) flows through the measurement channel, and the light receiving unit receives the irradiated light to obtain a measurement value at the first contamination level based on the electrical signal obtained; and when the contamination level of the oil is measured based on the measurement value at the first contamination level and the electrical signal obtained by the light receiving unit while oil is flowing through the measurement channel. A measuring device characterized by being equipped with the following features.

16. A light irradiation unit that irradiates light into the measurement channel, A light receiving unit that continuously receives light irradiated from the light irradiation unit and passed through the measurement channel to obtain a continuous electrical signal, A control unit that controls the illumination of the light irradiation unit and obtains a measurement value based on the light reception result at the light receiving unit, A switching unit switches the output from the light receiving unit between two cases: one in which a rod-shaped member having multiple light-blocking slits moves at a first speed through the measurement channel while continuously irradiating light from the light irradiation unit so that the light input to the light receiving unit is equivalent to the light input when oil of a first degree of contamination, which is an arbitrary degree of contamination, flows through the measurement channel, and the output from the light receiving unit is switched between the case in which a measurement value at the first degree of contamination is obtained based on the electrical signal obtained by the light receiving unit as a result of said irradiation, and the case in which the degree of contamination of the oil is measured based on the measurement value at the first degree of contamination and the electrical signal obtained by the light receiving unit while oil is flowing through the measurement channel. A measuring device characterized by being equipped with the following features.

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