Method for measuring the level at the outlet of a container and a rotatable sensor for performing the method.

Abstract

The present invention provides a device for measuring liquid level using a sensor that emits an incident beam. [Solution] A method for measuring the liquid level at a container outlet connection located on the outlet side of a container includes oriented an incident beam through a container connection located on the upper head of the container opposite the outlet side, such that the incident beam forms an acute angle with the longitudinal axis of the container outlet connection. The apparatus for carrying out this method is configured such that the incident beam pivots ±30 degrees from the longitudinal axis of the container connection and rotates around the longitudinal axis of the container connection.

Description

Background Art

[0001] (Cross - References and Priority) This application claims the priority of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 634,351 filed on May 9, 2022 and U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 497,828 filed on April 24, 2023, and the teachings of both applications are incorporated herein in their entirety.

[0002] Many manufacturing processes, such as the manufacture of beverages, pharmaceuticals, and other liquid products, are carried out within a container having a container connection attached to the upper head of the container and a container outlet connection at a low position on the bottom head of the container. The container outlet connection is located at or near the bottom of the container, and the container has a conical, concave, or other angled bottom wall that orients the liquid product within the container towards the container outlet and allows for complete drainage from the container.

[0003] When monitoring a manufacturing process, it is important to measure the liquid level within the container. The measurement is often performed using a radar level measurement device. The radar level measurement device bounces a microwave electromagnetic signal off the liquid surface and measures the time required for the signal to travel to the liquid surface and back to the radar level measurement device. If the shape of the container is known, the liquid level within the container can be accurately calculated.

[0004] Typically, a radar level measurement device is attached to the container connection at or near the upper part of the container. In many cases where it is necessary to measure the minimum residual liquid level above the container outlet connection, it is impossible to attach the radar level measurement device directly above the container outlet connection. This can result in inaccurate measurement of the liquid level at the container outlet, especially when the container has a conical, concave, or other angled bottom wall.

[0005] Furthermore, the need to maintain the airtightness of the container (including sterile sealing), the need to maintain pressure and temperature during the manufacturing process, and the need to isolate and protect the radar sensor from the process material create additional complexities. These factors may be resolved by using appropriate process flow sight glass, which may result in the container connection intended for mounting the radar level measuring device being covered by the process flow sight glass during operation. An example of such process flow sight glass (forming the container connection and sterile sealing) is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 10,914,910B2, the teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. In such a device, the radar level measuring device is connected to the process flow sight glass to maintain airtightness (including sterile sealing) between the container connection and the process flow sight glass, enabling liquid level measurement while maintaining pressure and temperature during the manufacturing process, and protecting the sensor. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] Therefore, there is a need for improved apparatus and methods to maintain the airtightness of the container connection at the top of the container, measure the liquid level above the outlet at the bottom of the container, and measure the liquid level above the outlet connection at the bottom of the container more accurately. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] This specification describes a method for measuring the liquid level above a container outlet connection located on the outlet side of a container having a longitudinal axis of the container outlet connection, using a sensor that emits an incident beam forming an incident beam. This method includes oriented the incident beam through a container connection located on the side of the container opposite the outlet side and having a longitudinal axis of the container connection, such that the incident beam and the longitudinal axis of the container outlet connection form an acute angle with a degree ranging from 1 degree to the degree at which the incident beam intersects the longitudinal axis of the container outlet connection at the container outlet connection.

[0008] Furthermore, this specification describes an apparatus for carrying out the above method. The apparatus is configured to allow the incident beam to pivot by ±30 degrees from the longitudinal axis of the container connection, thereby forming a first angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the container connection. The apparatus is configured so that the incident beam rotates about the longitudinal axis of the container connection.

[0009] In a first embodiment of the apparatus, the apparatus comprises an apparatus base, a rotating member, and a pivot member. The apparatus base is configured to connect to a container connection. The rotating member includes an incident beam hole, at least one rotating member mounting hole, and at least one rotating member curved slot. The pivot member comprises a pivot member housing and a sensor housing. The pivot member housing includes a first hemispherical external shape, a pivot member housing through hole around the longitudinal axis of the pivot member housing, at least one pivot member housing longitudinal mounting hole, at least one pivot member housing radial mounting hole, and at least one pivot member housing curved slot. The sensor housing includes a second hemispherical external shape, a sensor housing through hole around the longitudinal axis of the sensor housing, at least one sensor housing first mounting hole, and a sensor housing second mounting hole. The rotating member is configured to be connected to the device base by inserting a first fastener through at least one rotating member mounting hole into at least one device base mounting hole. The pivot member housing is configured to be connected to the rotating member by passing a second fastener through at least one longitudinal mounting hole in the pivot member housing and at least one curved slot in the rotating member. The pivot member housing is configured to be connected to the sensor housing by inserting a third fastener through a radial mounting hole in the pivot member housing into a first mounting hole in the sensor housing, and by inserting a fourth fastener through a curved slot in the pivot member housing into a second mounting hole in the sensor housing. The hemispherical internal shape of the pivot member housing is configured to interact with the second hemispherical external shape. The sensor is configured to be at least partially housed within the longitudinal hole in the pivot member formed by the through-hole in the pivot member housing and the through-hole in the sensor housing.

[0010] In the first embodiment, the rotating member may be configured to be connected to the device base by passing a first fastener through at least one rotating member mounting hole and inserting it into at least one device base mounting hole. The pivot member housing may be configured to be connected to the rotating member by passing a second fastener through at least one longitudinal mounting hole for the pivot member housing and at least one curved slot for the rotating member. The pivot member housing may be configured to be connected to the sensor housing by passing a third fastener through a radial mounting hole for the pivot member housing and inserting it into a first mounting hole for the sensor housing, and by passing a fourth fastener through a curved slot for the pivot member housing and inserting it into a second mounting hole for the sensor housing. The hemispherical internal shape of the pivot member housing may be configured to interact with the second hemispherical external shape. The sensor may be configured to be at least partially housed in the longitudinal hole for the pivot member formed by the through-hole for the pivot member housing and the through-hole for the sensor housing.

[0011] In some embodiments of the first embodiment, the apparatus base is configured to be connected to the container connector by a clamp. In certain embodiments, the first gasket is configured to be located at the boundary between the apparatus base and the container connector. In some embodiments, the apparatus base is a process flow sight glass.

[0012] In one embodiment of the first embodiment, the apparatus further comprises a second gasket configured to be located at the boundary between the rotating member and the apparatus base. In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises a third gasket located at the boundary between the pivot member and the rotating member.

[0013] In a second embodiment of the present device, the device comprises a device base and a pivot member. The device base is configured to be connected to a container connection. The pivot member comprises a pivot member casing and a sensor casing. The pivot member casing includes a bottom wall, a first side wall extending upward from a first edge of the bottom wall and having a first concave inner surface, a second side wall extending upward from a second edge of the bottom wall opposite to the first edge of the bottom wall and having a second concave inner surface, a pivot member casing mounting hole parallel to the first and second edges of the bottom wall, and a pivot member casing through hole around the longitudinal axis of the pivot member casing. The sensor casing includes a sensor casing planar member having at least a first edge and a second edge, a sensor casing extension, a sensor casing mounting hole penetrating the tip of the sensor casing extension, and a sensor casing through hole around the longitudinal axis of the sensor casing.

[0014] In the second embodiment, the device base includes a clamp having at least one stud extending from the upper surface of the clamp. The pivot member casing is configured to be connected to the device base by passing a third fastener through the stud and the sensor casing mounting hole. The sensor casing is configured to be connected to the pivot member casing by passing a third fastener through the pivot member casing mounting hole and the sensor casing mounting hole. The first concave inner surface is configured to interact with the first edge. The second concave inner surface is configured to interact with the second edge. The sensor is configured to be at least partially housed in the pivot member longitudinal hole formed by the pivot member casing through hole and the sensor casing through hole.

[0015] In some embodiments of the second embodiment, the apparatus base is configured to be connected to the container connector by a clamp. In certain embodiments, the first gasket may be configured to be located at the boundary between the apparatus base and the container connector. In some embodiments, the apparatus base is a process flow sight glass.

[0016] In certain embodiments of the second embodiment, the apparatus further includes a fourth gasket configured to be located at the boundary between the pivot member casing and the apparatus base. In some embodiments, the sensor casing extension may have a substantially triangular shape.

[0017] In a third embodiment of the present apparatus, the apparatus comprises an apparatus base and an axial adjustment member. The apparatus base may be configured to be connected to a container connection. The axial adjustment member comprises a ball and a mounting clamp. The ball has an axial through hole. The mounting clamp comprises a first mounting clamp portion and a second mounting clamp portion. The first mounting clamp portion has a first concave surface, a mounting surface for the first mounting clamp portion, and a first mounting clamp portion through hole around the lateral axis of the length of the first mounting clamp. The second mounting clamp portion has a second concave surface and a second mounting clamp portion through hole around the lateral axis of the length of the second mounting clamp.

[0018] In the third embodiment, the axial adjustment member is configured to connect to the device base with the mounting surface of the first mounting clamp in contact with the plane of the device base. The ball is configured to be housed inside the mounting clamp formed by the first and second concave surfaces. The sensor is configured to be housed at least partially within the axial through-hole.

[0019] In some embodiments of the third embodiment, the apparatus base may be configured to be connected to the container connector by a clamp. In certain embodiments, the first gasket may be configured to be located at the boundary between the apparatus base and the container connector. In some embodiments, the apparatus base may be a process flow sight glass.

[0020] In a particular embodiment of the third embodiment, the device may further include a fourth gasket configured to be located at the boundary between the mounting surface of the first mounting clamp and the device base. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0021] [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows the operating principle of a method for measuring the liquid level in a container, which is prior art. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a diagram showing the operating principle of the device and method of the present invention for measuring the liquid level above the container outlet connection at the low position of the container bottom head. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a device for measuring the liquid level above the container outlet connection at the low position of the container bottom head. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is an exploded side view of an embodiment of a device for measuring the liquid level above the container outlet connection of Figure 3. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is an axial cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a device for measuring the liquid level above the container outlet connection of Figure 3. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a device for measuring the liquid level above the container outlet connection at the low position of the container bottom head. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a partially transparent perspective view of an embodiment of a device for measuring the liquid level above the container outlet connection of Figure 6. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is an axial cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a device for measuring the liquid level above the container outlet connection of Figure 6. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is an exploded side view of another embodiment of a device for measuring the liquid level above the container outlet connection at the low position of the container bottom head. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is an axial cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a device for measuring the liquid level above the container outlet connection of Figure 9. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a plot of the measured level and the actual level at various acute angles of the incident beam line. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is an enlarged plot of the measured level and the actual level at various acute angles of the incident beam line.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0022] This specification discloses an apparatus and method for measuring the liquid level above the container outlet connection. The apparatus and method are described below with reference to the figures. As described herein and in the claims, the following numbers refer to the following structures shown in the figures.

[0023] 100 refers to the container.

[0024] 110 refers to the container connection part.

[0025] 112 refers to the first flange.

[0026] 114 refers to the pivot axis.

[0027] 116 refers to the lateral axis of the container connection length.

[0028] 120 refers to the container outlet connection.

[0029] 125 refers to the longitudinal axis of the container outlet connection.

[0030] 200 refers to the device base.

[0031] 210 refers to the first fastener.

[0032] 220 refers to the mounting hole for the device base.

[0033] 230 refers to a clamp.

[0034] 240 refers to the first gasket.

[0035] 250 refers to the stud.

[0036] 300 refers to the rotating member.

[0037] 310 refers to the entrance beam hole.

[0038] 320 refers to the mounting hole for the rotating member.

[0039] 330 refers to the curved slot of the rotating member.

[0040] 340 refers to the second fastener.

[0041] 350 refers to the second gasket.

[0042] 400 refers to the pivot member.

[0043] 410 refers to the pivot member housing.

[0044] 411 refers to the first hemispherical external shape.

[0045] 412 refers to the through-hole in the pivot member housing.

[0046] 413 refers to the longitudinal axis of the pivot member housing.

[0047] 414 refers to the longitudinal mounting hole for the pivot member housing.

[0048] 415 refers to the radial mounting hole for the pivot member housing.

[0049] 416 refers to the curved slot in the pivot member housing.

[0050] 420 refers to the sensor housing.

[0051] 421 refers to the second hemispherical external shape.

[0052] 422 refers to the through-hole in the sensor housing.

[0053] 423 refers to the longitudinal axis of the sensor housing.

[0054] 424 refers to the first mounting hole of the sensor housing.

[0055] 425 refers to the second mounting hole of the sensor housing.

[0056] 430 refers to the third fastener.

[0057] 440 refers to the fourth fastener.

[0058] 450 refers to the longitudinal hole of the pivot member.

[0059] 460 refers to the third gasket.

[0060] 470 refers to the pivot member casing.

[0061] 471 refers to the bottom wall.

[0062] 472 refers to the first side wall.

[0063] 473 refers to the first edge of the bottom wall.

[0064] 474A refers to the first concave inner surface.

[0065] 474B refers to the second concave inner surface.

[0066] 475 refers to the second side wall.

[0067] 476 refers to the second edge of the bottom wall.

[0068] 477 refers to the mounting hole for the pivot member casing.

[0069] 478 refers to the through-hole in the pivot member casing.

[0070] 479 refers to the longitudinal axis of the pivot member casing.

[0071] 480 refers to the sensor casing.

[0072] 481 refers to the flat member of the sensor casing.

[0073] 482 refers to the first edge (of the sensor casing planar member).

[0074] 483 refers to the second edge (of the sensor casing planar member).

[0075] 484 refers to the sensor casing extension.

[0076] 485 refers to the sensor casing mounting hole.

[0077] 486 refers to the tip (of the sensor casing extension).

[0078] 487 refers to the sensor casing through-hole.

[0079] 488 refers to the longitudinal axis of the sensor casing.

[0080] 500 refers to the sensor.

[0081] 510 refers to the incident beam.

[0082] 520 refers to the incident beamline.

[0083] 600 refers to the shaft adjustment member.

[0084] 610 refers to the ball.

[0085] 615 refers to an axial through hole.

[0086] 620 refers to the mounting clamp.

[0087] 621 refers to the first mounting clamp portion.

[0088] 622 refers to the second mounting clamp portion.

[0089] 623 refers to the first concave surface.

[0090] 624 refers to the mounting surface of the first mounting clamp portion.

[0091] 625 refers to the through-hole of the first mounting clamp portion.

[0092] 626 refers to the lateral axis of the first mounting clamp length.

[0093] 627 refers to the second concave surface.

[0094] 628 refers to the through-hole of the second mounting clamp portion.

[0095] 629 refers to the lateral axis of the second mounting clamp length.

[0096] θ refers to the acute angle formed by the incident beam and the lateral axis of the container connection length.

[0097] Figure 1 shows the operating principle of a prior art method and apparatus for measuring the liquid level inside a container (100). As shown in Figure 1, in the prior art, a sensor (500) (sometimes called a radar level measuring device) is attached to a container connection part (110) at the upper head of the container. The sensor emits a microwave electromagnetic signal (referred to herein as an incident beam (510)) into the container. When the incident beam reaches the liquid surface, it is reflected from the liquid surface and returns to the sensor. The sensor can determine the liquid level by measuring the time it takes for the incident beam to travel from the sensor to the liquid surface and return to the sensor. An example of such a sensor is the VEGAPULS® 64 radar level sensor, available from VEGA Americas, Inc., located in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.

[0098] As shown in Figure 1, the incident beam (510) travels along the incident beamline (520). In many examples, such as those shown in Figure 1, the incident beamline does not intersect the longitudinal axis (125) of the container outlet connection. If the container outlet connection is located at or near the bottom of the container, and the container has a conical, concave, or other angled bottom wall, the incident beam may contact the liquid surface at a location within the container that is not aligned with the longitudinal axis of the container outlet connection, potentially leading to inaccurate measurements of the liquid level at the container outlet connection.

[0099] The wavelength of the microwave electromagnetic signal is preferably in the range of 0.03 cm to 30 cm, and more preferably in the range of 0.8 cm to 10.0 cm, which corresponds to the range of the radar electromagnetic signal.

[0100] Figure 2 shows the operating principle of a method and apparatus for measuring the liquid level in a container (100) according to the present invention. As shown in Figure 2, the sensor (500) is adjustablely mounted on a container connection (110) located at the top of the container. The sensor rotates about the longitudinal axis (116) of the container connection and / or pivots about a pivot axis (114) perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the container connection, orienting the incident beam (510) through the container connection such that the incident beam (520) intersects the longitudinal axis of the container connection and the longitudinal axis (125) of the container outlet connection (120).

[0101] As shown in Figure 2, the longitudinal axis of the incident beam and the container outlet connection form an acute angle (θ). This acute angle ranges from 1 degree to the angle at which the incident beam intersects the longitudinal axis of the container outlet connection. The maximum angle varies depending on the dimensions of the container, hence the description above.

[0102] As described herein and shown in Figure 2, guiding the incident beam (510) through the container connection (110) can be achieved by connecting the device to the container connection such that the incident beam (520) can rotate ±30 degrees about the longitudinal axis (116) of the container connection, as shown in Figure 2. This creates a first angle of the incident beam with respect to the longitudinal axis of the container connection.

[0103] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, the device may be configured so that the incident beam (520) can pivot around a pivot axis (114) perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (116) of the container connection. As a result, when the incident beam pivots, the incident beam (510) is more precisely oriented to intersect the longitudinal axis (125) of the container outlet connection.

[0104] This device has many different embodiments and configurations. One embodiment is shown in Figures 3 to 5 and will be described herein. Figure 3 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the device that includes a device base (200 shown in Figure 4), a rotating member (300), and a pivoting member (400).

[0105] Generally, the device base (200) is configured to be connected to the container connector (110). The connection between the container connector and the device base can take various forms. In some embodiments, the connection between the container connector and the device base includes a threaded connection in which the device base is screwed into or into the container connector. In other embodiments, the connection between the container connector and the device base includes the use of at least one fastener, such as a clamp, screw, bolt, or a combination thereof. To improve the airtightness between the container connector and the device base, a first gasket (240) is placed at the boundary between the device base and the container connector.

[0106] In some embodiments, the apparatus base (200) may be a process flow sight glass. An example of such a process flow sight glass (forming a sterile seal with the container connection) is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 10,914,910B2, the teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. As disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 10,914,910B2, the process flow sight glass may be connected to the container connection using a clamp (230) of the type disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 10,914,910B2. The optically transparent portion of the sight glass is also transparent to radar waves. Molten glass is preferred, and borosilicate is particularly preferred over soda lime.

[0107] Furthermore, process flow sight glasses are designed to use plastics such as polyetheretherketone (PEEK) instead of glass. An important operational consideration is the selection of a plastic that has at least 50% transparency to microwave electromagnetic wavelengths in the range of 0.03 cm to 30 cm, more preferably 0.8 cm to 10 cm.

[0108] Figure 3 shows a rotating member (300) of the first embodiment of the device. As shown in Figure 3, the rotating member has an incident beam hole (310 shown in Figure 4). The incident beam hole allows the incident beam (510 shown in Figure 5) to pass through the rotating member and enter the container (100 shown in Figure 2) when the device is connected to the container connection part (110). The rotating member also has at least one rotating member mounting hole (320 shown in Figure 4) and at least one rotating member curved slot (330 shown in Figure 3). In practice, the number of rotating member mounting holes (multiple are possible) and rotating member curved slots (multiple are possible) is not important. Generally, the number of rotating member mounting holes (multiple are possible) can be an integer in the range of 1 to 10. Similarly, the number of rotating member curved slots can be an integer in the range of 1 to 10.

[0109] Figure 3 further shows a pivot member (400) of a first embodiment of the device. As shown in Figure 3, the pivot member includes a pivot member housing (410) and a sensor housing (420). Typically, the pivot member housing is configured to enclose the sensor housing, with the sensor housing housed within the hollow interior of the pivot member housing.

[0110] The pivot member housing (410) may have a substantially hemispherical external shape (referred to as the first hemispherical external shape (411) in this embodiment). The through-hole (412 shown in Figure 4) of the pivot member housing may have the longitudinal axis (413 shown in Figure 4) passing through it, so that at least a part of the sensor (500) is housed inside the pivot member housing. This through-hole (412) of the pivot member housing may have a generally circular internal shape.

[0111] The pivot member housing (410) may also have, as shown in Figure 3, at least one longitudinal mounting hole for the pivot member housing (414 shown in Figure 4), at least one radial mounting hole for the pivot member housing (415 shown in Figure 4), and at least one curved slot for the pivot member housing (416). The longitudinal mounting hole(s) of the pivot member housing may be substantially aligned with or aligned with the longitudinal axis of the pivot member, thereby allowing the pivot member housing to be connected to the rotating member (300) as described herein. The radial mounting hole(s) of the pivot member housing may be substantially aligned with or aligned with the radial axis of the pivot member, thereby allowing the pivot member housing to be connected to the sensor housing as described herein. When the pivot member housing is connected to the sensor housing, the radial mounting holes(s) of the pivot member housing, together with the first mounting holes(s) of the sensor housing described herein (424 shown in Figure 4), function as pivot points for the incident beam(510 shown in Figure 5) to pivot away from the container connection longitudinal axis(116 shown in Figure 4). The curved slot(s) of the pivot member housing also function to substantially align with or be aligned with the radial axis of the pivot member and to further connect the pivot member housing to the sensor housing, as described herein.

[0112] In practice, the number of longitudinal mounting holes (multiple) (414), radial mounting holes (multiple) (415), and curved slots (multiple) (416) in the pivot member housing is not considered important. Typically, the number of longitudinal mounting holes (multiple) in the pivot member housing can be an integer in the range of 1 to 10. Similarly, the number of radial mounting holes in the pivot member housing can be an integer in the range of 1 to 2. When the number of radial mounting holes in the pivot member housing is 2, the longitudinal axes of each of the radial mounting holes are preferably aligned with one another. Also, the number of curved slots in the pivot member housing can be an integer in the range of 1 to 2. When the number of curved slots in the pivot member housing is 2, the longitudinal axes of each of the curved slots are preferably aligned with one another.

[0113] Figure 3 shows the sensor housing (420). As shown in Figure 3, the sensor housing may have a substantially hemispherical external shape (referred to in this embodiment as a second hemispherical external shape (421)). This second hemispherical external shape (421) may be configured to interact with the hemispherical internal shape of the pivot member housing (410). In some embodiments, an O-ring, gasket, or other sealing member may be placed at least a portion of or around the boundary between the sensor housing and the pivot member housing. A through-hole in the sensor housing (422 shown in Figure 4) extends around the longitudinal axis of the sensor housing (423 shown in Figure 4), and a portion of the sensor (500) is housed within the sensor housing.

[0114] Furthermore, the sensor housing (420) may have at least a first mounting hole (424) and a second mounting hole (425), as shown in Figure 4. Each of the first mounting hole(s) and the second mounting hole(s) is substantially aligned with or aligned with the radial axis of the sensor housing, thereby connecting the pivot member housing to the sensor housing as described herein.

[0115] In practice, the number of first mounting holes (multiple) (424) and second mounting holes (multiple) (425) of the sensor housing is not considered important. Typically, the number of first mounting holes (multiple) of the sensor housing is an integer in the range of 1 to 2. Similarly, the number of second mounting holes (multiple) of the sensor housing may also be an integer in the range of 1 to 2. Preferably, the number of first mounting holes of the sensor housing is equal to the number of radial mounting holes (415) of the pivot member housing. When the number of first mounting holes of the sensor housing is 2, the longitudinal axes of each first mounting hole are preferably aligned with each other. Preferably, the number of second mounting holes (multiple) of the sensor housing is equal to the number of curved slots (multiple) (416) of the pivot member housing. When the number of second mounting holes of the sensor housing is 2, the longitudinal axes of each second mounting hole are preferably aligned with each other.

[0116] As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the rotating member (300) may be configured to be connected to the device base (200) by passing a first fastener (210) through at least one longitudinal mounting hole (320) of the rotating member and inserting it into at least one mounting hole (220) of the device base. In embodiments including one or more longitudinal mounting holes of the rotating member and one or more mounting holes of the device base, a plurality of first fasteners may be used, each first fastener passing through one of the longitudinal mounting holes of the rotating member and inserting it into the corresponding mounting hole of the device base. Each first fastener may be selected from a group of fasteners consisting of bolts, screws, rivets, etc. In some embodiments, each first fastener may include an O-ring, gasket, or other sealing member. Preferably, when the rotating member is connected to the device base, a second gasket (350) is positioned at the boundary between the rotating member and the device base.

[0117] Figures 3 to 5 show a pivot member housing (410), which may be configured to connect to a rotating member by passing a second fastener (340) through at least one longitudinal mounting hole (414) of the pivot member housing and at least one curved slot (330) of the rotating member. In embodiments including one or more longitudinal mounting holes of the pivot member housing and one or more curved slots of the rotating member, a plurality of second fasteners may be used, each second fastener passing through one of the longitudinal mounting holes of the pivot member housing and inserted into the corresponding curved slot of the rotating member. Each second fastener may be selected from a group of fasteners consisting of bolts, screws, rivets, etc. In some embodiments, each second fastener may include an O-ring, gasket, or other sealing member. Preferably, a third gasket (460) is placed at the boundary between the pivot member and the rotating member when the pivot member is connected to the rotating member.

[0118] Furthermore, Figures 3 to 5 show a pivot member housing (410). This pivot member housing (410) is configured to connect to a sensor housing (420) by inserting a third fastener (430) through at least one pivot member housing radial mounting hole (415) into at least one sensor housing first mounting hole (424), and by inserting a fourth fastener (440) through at least one pivot member housing curved slot (416) into at least one sensor housing second mounting hole (425). In embodiments including one or more pivot member housing radial mounting holes and one or more sensor housing first mounting holes, a plurality of third fasteners may be used, each third fastener being inserted through one of the pivot member housing radial mounting holes into the corresponding sensor housing first mounting hole. Similarly, in embodiments including one or more curved slots in the pivot member housing and one or more second mounting holes in the sensor housing, a plurality of fourth fasteners may be used, each of which passes through one of the curved slots in the pivot member housing and is inserted into the corresponding second mounting hole in the sensor housing. Each third fastener may be selected from a group of fasteners consisting of bolts, screws, rivets, etc. In some embodiments, each third fastener may include an O-ring, gasket, or other sealing member. Similarly, each fourth fastener may be selected from a group of fasteners consisting of bolts, screws, rivets, etc. In some embodiments, each fourth fastener may include an O-ring, gasket, or other sealing member.

[0119] Once assembled, the sensor (500) is connected to the device as shown in Figure 5. The sensor is connected to the device by passing a portion of it through a longitudinal hole in the pivot member (450 shown in Figure 4), which is formed by a through-hole in the pivot member housing (412 shown in Figure 4) and a through-hole in the sensor housing (422 shown in Figure 4).

[0120] Another embodiment of this device is shown in Figures 6 to 8. This second embodiment of the device includes a device base (200 shown in Figure 7) and a pivot member (400).

[0121] Similar to the embodiments shown in Figures 3 to 5, in the embodiments shown in Figures 6 to 8, the device base (200 shown in Figure 7) is configured to be connected to the container connector (110). The connection between the container connector and the device base can take many forms. In some embodiments, the connection between the container connector and the device base involves the use of at least one fastener, such as a clamp, screw, bolt, or a combination thereof. A first gasket is placed at the boundary between the device base and the container connector to improve the airtightness between the container connector and the device base.

[0122] In some embodiments, the apparatus base (200) may be a process flow sight glass. An example of such a process flow sight glass (forming the container connection and sterile seal) is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 10,914,910B2, the teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. As described in U.S. Patent No. 10,914,910B2, the process flow sight glass may be connected to the container connection using a clamp (230) of the type disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 10,914,910B2.

[0123] Notably, the embodiments shown in Figures 6 to 8 do not necessarily include a separate rotating member like those in the embodiments shown in Figures 3 to 5. However, the sensor (500) in the embodiments shown in Figures 6 to 8 may still be rotated by some means. In some embodiments, the sensor may be rotated within the sensor casing (480) to adjust the incident beam (520 shown in Figure 8). In other embodiments, the connection between the device base (200 shown in Figure 7) and the container connector (110) may be loosened, and the entire device including the sensor may be rotated to adjust the incident beam.

[0124] Figure 6 shows the pivot member (400). As shown in Figure 6, the pivot member includes a pivot member casing (470) and a sensor casing (480). Typically, the pivot member casing is configured to enclose the sensor casing, with the sensor casing housed within the hollow interior of the pivot member casing.

[0125] As shown in Figures 6 to 8, the pivot member casing (470) has a bottom wall (471), which has a first bottom wall edge (473) and a second bottom wall edge (476). A first side wall (472) extends upward from the first bottom wall edge. Preferably, the first side wall has a first concave inner surface (474A), which, when assembled with the casing housing (480), interacts with the first edge (482) of the sensor casing planar member (481), as described herein. Similarly, a second side wall (475) extends upward from the second bottom wall edge. Preferably, the second side wall has a second concave inner surface (474B), which, when assembled with the casing housing, interacts with the second edge (483) of the sensor casing planar member (481) as described herein. A through-hole in the pivot member casing (478 shown in Figure 7) passes through the longitudinal axis (479 shown in Figure 7) of the pivot member casing, thereby housing at least a portion of the sensor (500) within the pivot member casing.

[0126] The pivot member casing (470) also has a pivot member casing mounting hole (477 shown in Figure 7). Preferably, the pivot member casing mounting hole is located within the hollow of the pivot member casing along the bottom wall. The pivot member casing is substantially parallel to or parallel to the first bottom wall edge (473) and the second bottom wall edge (476). When assembled as described herein, the pivot member casing mounting hole functions as a connection point between the pivot member casing and the sensor casing (480), and also works in cooperation with the third fastener (430) and the sensor casing mounting hole (485 shown in Figure 7) to form a pivot point that allows the sensor casing to rotate within the pivot member casing.

[0127] Figure 6 also shows the sensor casing (480). As shown in Figure 6, the sensor casing comprises a sensor casing planar member (481) having at least a first edge (482) and a second edge (483) opposite to the first edge. When assembled to the pivot member (400), the first edge interacts with the first concave inner surface (474A) of the pivot member casing (470), and the second edge interacts with the second concave inner surface (474B) of the pivot member casing.

[0128] The sensor casing (480) may include a sensor casing extension (484). The sensor casing extension generally extends away from the bottom surface of the sensor casing planar member (481). The sensor casing extension can take various shapes, but a preferred shape is triangular, as shown in Figure 6. A sensor casing through-hole (487, shown in Figure 7) passes through the longitudinal axis of the sensor casing (488, as shown in Figure 7), allowing at least a portion of the sensor (500) to be housed within the sensor casing.

[0129] The sensor casing extension (484) has a tip (486). As shown in Figure 6, the sensor casing mounting hole (485 shown in Figure 7) may pass through the tip of the sensor casing extension. When assembled as described herein, the sensor casing mounting hole functions as a connection point between the pivot member casing (470) and the sensor casing, and also, in cooperation with the third fastener (430) and the pivot member casing mounting hole (477 shown in Figure 7), forms a pivot point that allows the sensor casing to rotate within the pivot member casing.

[0130] Each third fastener (430) may pass through a stud (250 shown in Figure 6) extending from the upper surface of the clamp (230). Preferably, the stud is integrally connected to the clamp by welding the stud to the upper surface of the clamp or by manufacturing the stud and clamp as a single piece. In some embodiments, two studs are included, preferably positioned on both sides of the clamp. The pivot member casing (470) is configured to fit between the studs by third fasteners connecting the pivot member casing to the clamp, as shown in Figure 6.

[0131] Figures 6 to 8 show the sensor casing (480). The sensor casing may be configured to connect to the pivot member casing (470) by passing a third fastener (430) through the pivot member casing mounting hole (477) and the sensor casing mounting hole (485). Each of the third fasteners is selected from a group of fasteners consisting of bolts, screws, rivets, etc. In some embodiments, each of the third fasteners includes an O-ring, gasket, or other sealing member. The connection between the sensor casing and the pivot member casing forms a pivot point, allowing the sensor casing to pivot within the pivot member casing.

[0132] Once assembled, the sensor (500) is connected to the device as shown in Figure 8. The sensor is connected to the device by passing a portion of it through a longitudinal hole in the pivot member (450 shown in Figure 7), which is formed by a through-hole in the pivot member casing (478 shown in Figure 7) and a through-hole in the sensor casing (487 shown in Figure 7).

[0133] Another embodiment of this device is shown in Figures 9 and 10. This third embodiment of the device includes a device base (200 shown in Figure 9) and an axial adjustment member (600).

[0134] Similar to the embodiments shown in Figures 3 to 5 and Figures 6 to 8, in the embodiments shown in Figures 9 and 10, the device base (200 shown in Figure 9) is configured to connect to the container connector (110). The connection between the container connector and the device base can take many forms. In some embodiments, the connection between the container connector and the device base involves the use of at least one fastener, such as a clamp, screw, bolt, or a combination thereof. A first gasket is placed at the boundary between the device base and the container connector to improve the airtightness between the container connector and the device base.

[0135] In some embodiments, the apparatus base (200) may be a process flow sight glass. An example of such a process flow sight glass (forming the container connection and sterile seal) is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 10,914,910B2, the teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. As described in U.S. Patent No. 10,914,910B2, the process flow sight glass is connected to the container connection using a clamp (230) of the type disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 10,914,910B2.

[0136] Notably, the embodiments shown in Figures 9 and 10, like the embodiments shown in Figures 6 to 8, do not necessarily include a separate rotating member like those in the embodiments shown in Figures 3 to 5. However, the sensor (500) in the embodiments shown in Figures 9 and 10 may still be rotated by some means. In some embodiments, the sensor may rotate within a ball (610) of an axial adjustment member (610) to adjust the incident beam (520 shown in Figure 10). In other embodiments, the ball itself may rotate within a mounting clamp (620) to adjust the incident beam.

[0137] Figure 9 shows the axial adjustment member (600). As shown in Figure 9, the axial adjustment member may include a ball (610) and a mounting clamp (620). The ball may include an axial through hole (615 shown in Figure 10), which houses at least a portion of the sensor (500) when the device is assembled, as shown in Figure 10.

[0138] The mounting clamp (620) may include a first mounting clamp portion (621) and a second mounting clamp portion (622). Each mounting clamp portion may have a concave surface inside, the concave surface surrounding the mounting clamp portion through hole around the longitudinal axis of each mounting clamp. That is, the first mounting clamp portion has a first concave surface (623) and a first mounting clamp portion through hole (625) around the longitudinal axis of the first mounting clamp (626). Similarly, the second mounting clamp portion has a second concave surface (627) and a second mounting clamp portion through hole (628) around the longitudinal axis of the second mounting clamp (629).

[0139] During operation, the ball (610) is housed inside a mounting clamp (620) formed by a first concave surface (623) and a second concave surface (627). This configuration allows the sensor (at least a portion of which is housed in the axial through-hole (615) of the ball (610)) to pivot from the longitudinal axis of the container connection (116 shown in Figure 9) and rotate about the longitudinal axis of the container connection.

[0140] The first mounting clamp portion (621) may have a first mounting clamp portion mounting surface (624), as shown in Figure 9, where the first mounting clamp portion mounting surface is located on the side of the first mounting clamp portion opposite to the first concave surface (623). When assembled, the shaft adjustment member (600) is configured to connect to the device base portion (200) with the first mounting clamp portion mounting surface in contact with the flat surface of the device base portion, as shown in Figures 9 and 10. In some embodiments, fasteners such as bolts, screws, rivets, and clamps may be used to assist in connecting the shaft adjustment member to the device base portion. Preferably, a fourth gasket is positioned at the boundary between the first mounting clamp portion mounting surface and the device base portion when the shaft adjustment member is connected to the device base portion.

[0141] By pivoting the incident beamline away from the longitudinal axis of the container connection and rotating it around the longitudinal axis of the container connection, the incident beamline, and therefore the incident beam itself, can be adjusted to align with the longitudinal axis of the container outlet connection, as shown in Figure 2. Such adjustment allows the operator to more accurately measure and monitor the liquid level inside the container at the container outlet connection, especially when the container has a conical, concave, or other angled or inclined bottom wall. By mounting a sensor or radar level measuring device on the device base (which may be a process flow sight glass), the incident beamline can be pivoted and rotated while maintaining seals between various components, including the sterile seal between the device base and the container connection.

[0142] Furthermore, a method was devised to mark the side of the swivel to indicate the angle of inclination from the vertical line.

[0143] The precision of the setup is achieved by inserting a laser in the visible light range (380-720 nm) into a through-hole in the sensor housing so that the laser beam aligns with the longitudinal axis of the sensor housing. This allows the laser beam to be directed to a precise spot where the incident beam strikes the container or the container outlet.

[0144] Unless the laser is configured in exactly the same way as the radar, the laser requires a housing adapter to be fixed inside the housing so that it aligns with the longitudinal axis of the sensor housing. Once fixed inside the housing, the laser beam is adjusted to be tilted from the vertical and can be rotated around the container connection until the laser beam strikes a desired point on the container wall, including the bottom dome. The device is then set up, the laser and adapter are removed, and the radar is placed in the housing.

[0145] In this way, radar can be accurately installed without using a mode of repeated "guessing and confirmation."

[0146] The experiment also revealed that the effectiveness of the non-contact radar system is greatly influenced by the type of material used between the radar and the inside of the container.

[0147] experiment

[0148] By measuring various liquid level settings while changing the angle from the vertical longitudinal axis of the container, it was demonstrated that there are advantages to angling the incident beam.

[0149] In this case, the vessel had a diameter of 24 inches (61 cm), and the height of the round section was 26 inches (66 cm). The vessel had an upper dome and a lower dome, each dome being 5 inches (12.7 cm) high, and the total height of the vessel was 36 inches (91.4 cm). The vessel's outlet port was located along the longitudinal axis. The center of the connection point of the round vessel was 4 inches (10.2 cm) from the wall and 8 inches (10.3 cm) from the center of the outlet port.

[0150] Mathematically, the angle formed by the line intersecting the longitudinal axis of the container outlet connection and the container connection and its longitudinal axis is 12 degrees [O=Sin -1 (8 / 38) = 12].

[0151] The containers were filled with liquid to different heights, as measured by pressure transducers positioned beyond the container's outlet.

[0152] The same radar was tilted at angles of 0, 3, 6, and 8 degrees, and the liquid level was measured accordingly.

[0153] The difference between the raw data and the precise control level is shown in Table 1 below. [Table 1]

[0154] This data is plotted in Figures 11 and 12. Figure 11 shows data up to a liquid level of 3.0 inches. As can be seen, as the liquid level rises, the relative differences at multiple acute angles converge to zero. This visualizes that as the liquid level rises within the dome, the liquid level approaches the container wall and becomes easier to read by radar outside the field where there are few or no acute angles.

[0155] Figure 12 is an exploded view, showing a large deviation from the actual reading. However, as can be seen from the table and Figure 12, accuracy improves as the acute angle increases.

[0156] In this experiment, the 12-degree angle at the intersection was not as accurate as the 8-degree acute angle, and therefore was not reported. However, 12 degrees was more accurate than the vertical, i.e., 0 degrees. It was later found that some radar beams are not strongest at the center, but may be stronger somewhere between 0 degrees and the angle at the intersection.

Claims

1. A device for measuring the liquid level above a container outlet connection portion (120) located on the outlet side of a container (100) having a container outlet connection length lateral axis (125), using a sensor (500) that emits an incident beam (510) of electromagnetic waves forming an incident beam line (520), A device base (200) configured to connect to a container connection part, Pivot member (400) and Equipped with, The pivot member (400) is Pivot member casing (470) and Sensor casing (480) and, Equipped with, The pivot member casing (470) includes a bottom wall (471), a first side wall (472) extending upward from a first edge (473) of the bottom wall and having a first concave inner surface (474A), a second side wall (475) extending upward from a second edge (476) of the bottom wall opposite to the first edge and having a second concave inner surface (474B), a pivot member casing mounting hole (477) parallel to the first and second edges of the bottom wall, and a pivot member casing through hole (478) around the longitudinal axis (479) of the pivot member casing. The sensor casing (480) includes a sensor casing planar member (481) having at least a first edge (482) and a second edge (483), a sensor casing extension (484), a sensor casing mounting hole (485) penetrating the tip (486) of the sensor casing extension, and a sensor casing through hole (487) around the longitudinal axis (488) of the sensor casing. The sensor pivots about a pivot axis (114) perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the container connection, and orients the incident beam (510) through the container connection such that the incident beam (520) intersects the longitudinal axis of the container connection and the longitudinal axis (125) of the container outlet connection, and allows the incident beam to pivot by ±30 degrees from the longitudinal axis of the container connection, thereby forming a first angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the container connection. The sensor rotates within the sensor casing around the longitudinal axis of the container connection to orient the incident beam with respect to the longitudinal axis of the container connection. The device base portion has a clamp (230) having at least one stud (250) extending from the upper surface of the clamp, The pivot member casing is configured to be connected to the device base by passing a third fastener (430) through the stud and the sensor casing mounting hole. The sensor casing is configured to be connected to the pivot member casing by passing the third fastener through the pivot member casing mounting hole and the sensor casing mounting hole, The first concave inner surface is configured to interact with the first edge, The second concave inner surface is configured to interact with the second edge, The device is characterized in that the sensor is configured to be at least partially housed within the longitudinal hole (450) of the pivot member formed by the through-hole of the pivot member casing and the through-hole of the sensor casing.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the apparatus base is configured to be connected to the container connection part (110) by a clamp (230).

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a first gasket (240) configured to be located at the boundary between the apparatus base and the container connection portion.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the apparatus base is a process flow sight glass.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a fourth gasket configured to be located at the boundary between the pivot member casing and the apparatus base.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the sensor casing extension has a substantially triangular shape.

7. The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a first gasket (240) configured to be located at the boundary between the apparatus base and the container connection.

8. A device for measuring the liquid level above a container outlet connection portion (120) located on the outlet side of a container (100) having a container outlet connection length lateral axis (125), using a sensor (500) that emits an incident beam (510) of electromagnetic waves forming an incident beam line (520), A device base (200) configured to connect to a container connection part, A shaft adjustment member (600) and Equipped with, The aforementioned shaft adjustment member (600) is A ball (610) having an axial through hole (615), Mounting clamp (620), Equipped with, The mounting clamp (620) has a first mounting clamp portion (621) and a second mounting clamp portion (622), The first mounting clamp portion (621) has a first concave surface (623), a first mounting clamp portion mounting surface (624), and a first mounting clamp portion through hole (625) around the longitudinal axis (626) of the first mounting clamp portion. The second mounting clamp portion (622) has a second concave surface (627) and a through hole (628) of the second mounting clamp portion around the longitudinal axis (629) of the second mounting clamp portion, The sensor pivots about a pivot axis (114) perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the container connection, and orients the incident beam (510) through the container connection such that the incident beam (520) intersects the longitudinal axis of the container connection and the longitudinal axis (125) of the container outlet connection, and allows the incident beam to pivot by ±30 degrees from the longitudinal axis of the container connection, thereby forming a first angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the container connection. The shaft adjustment member is configured to be connected to the device base with the mounting surface of the first mounting clamp portion in contact with the flat surface of the device base portion. The ball is configured to fit inside the mounting clamp formed by the first concave surface and the second concave surface, The sensor is configured to be at least partially housed within the axial through-hole, The device is characterized in that the sensor rotates within the ball about the longitudinal axis of the container connection, thereby orienting the incident beam with respect to the longitudinal axis of the container connection.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that the apparatus base is configured to be connected to the container connection by a clamp (230).

10. The apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a first gasket configured to be located at the boundary between the apparatus base and the container connection portion.

11. The apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that the apparatus base is a process flow sight glass.

12. The apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a fourth gasket configured to be located at the boundary between the mounting surface of the first mounting clamp and the apparatus base.

13. The apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a first gasket (240) configured to be located at the boundary between the apparatus base and the container connection.

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