Connecting Devices

Abstract

To provide a connection device which allows for easily connecting an electrode unit and a measurement device for measuring electrical properties of a liquid.SOLUTION: A connection device (10) is provided, comprising an accommodating recess (43) for accommodating a measurement cell (1) having a cylindrical portion, a terminal unit (5) to be connected to a measurement device for measuring electrical properties of a liquid stored in the measurement cell (1), a pair of contacts (61) respectively contacting a pair of electrodes (3) provided on the measurement cell (1), and a connection unit (62) electrically connecting the terminal unit (5) and the contacts (61). The contacts (61) are disposed at positions to be in contact with the electrodes (3) when the measurement cell (1) is accommodated to a given accommodation depth in the accommodating recess (43).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a connection device. [Background technology]

[0002] A four-terminal measurement chip component jig for bottom electrode type chip components has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The jig described in Patent Document 1 has two terminal blocks each having a contact terminal, and the two terminal blocks can be connected and disconnected, making it possible to accommodate chip components of different sizes. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-26260 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When measuring the electrical characteristics of an object using a four-terminal measurement method or the like, the object may be a liquid. In such cases, it is necessary to place a pair of counter electrodes in the liquid contained in a cell or the like and connect these counter electrodes to a measuring device. However, it is difficult to bring the contact terminals described in Patent Document 1 into contact with such counter electrodes. Therefore, although a method of connecting a measurement wire to the counter electrodes using, for example, an alligator clip or the like has been considered, a simpler connection method has been desired.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a connection device that can easily connect an electrode part for measuring the electrical properties of a liquid to a measurement device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A connection device according to a representative embodiment of the present invention comprises a storage recess for storing a measurement cell having a cylindrical portion, a terminal portion connected to a measurement device for measuring the electrical characteristics of a liquid stored in the measurement cell, a pair of contact portions that contact each of a pair of electrode portions provided on the measurement cell, and a connection portion that electrically connects the terminal portions and the contact portions, and the contact portions are positioned so that they come into contact with the electrode portions when the measurement cell is stored in the storage recess to a predetermined storage depth. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The connection device according to the present invention makes it possible to easily connect the electrode portion for measuring the electrical properties of a liquid to the measurement device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a measurement unit including a connection device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a perspective view showing a measurement cell of a measurement unit equipped with a connection device according to an embodiment. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a front view showing a measurement cell of a measurement unit equipped with a connection device according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a rear view showing a measurement cell of a measurement unit equipped with a connection device according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a right side view showing a measurement cell of a measurement unit equipped with a connection device according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] 1 is a left side view showing a measurement cell of a measurement unit equipped with a connection device according to an embodiment. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a measurement cell of a measurement unit equipped with a connection device according to an embodiment. [Figure 8] 10 is a bottom view showing a measurement cell of a measurement unit equipped with a connection device according to an embodiment. FIG. [Figure 9] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a measurement cell of a measurement unit equipped with a connection device according to an embodiment. [Figure 10] 1 is a perspective view showing a connection device according to an embodiment; [Figure 11] FIG. 1 is a front view showing a connection device according to an embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a rear view showing the connection device according to the embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a connection device according to an embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a part of the connection device according to the embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a front view schematically showing a measurement unit according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] 1. Overview of the embodiment First, a typical embodiment of the invention disclosed in this application will be outlined. In the following description, for example, reference numerals in the drawings corresponding to components of the invention are written in parentheses.

[0010] [1] A connection device (10) according to a representative embodiment of the present invention comprises a storage recess (43) for storing a measurement cell (1) having a cylindrical portion, a terminal portion (5) connected to a measurement device for measuring the electrical characteristics of the liquid stored in the measurement cell (1), a pair of contact portions (61) that contact each of a pair of electrode portions (3) provided in the measurement cell (1), and a connection portion (62) that electrically connects the terminal portion (5) and the contact portions (61), and the contact portions (61) are positioned so as to come into contact with the electrode portions (3) when the measurement cell (1) is stored in the storage recess (43) to a predetermined storage depth.

[0011] [2] In the connection device (10) described in [1] above, a housing part (4) in which the accommodating recess (43) is formed may be provided, and the housing part (4) may have a metallic shield part (41) at least at a position sandwiching the pair of contact parts (61) from their opposing direction (X2 direction).

[0012] [3] In the connection device (10) described in [2] above, the housing portion (4) has an insulator portion (42) in which the accommodating recess (43) is formed, and the shield portion (41) is formed in a box shape and has an opening (416) in which the insulator portion (42) is accommodated, a pair of opposing plate portions (412, 413) facing each other in the opposing direction, and a pair of connecting plate portions (414, 415) connecting the pair of opposing plate portions (412, 413) to each other, and a notch portion (417) may be formed on the edge of the connecting plate portions (414, 415) on the opening (416) side at a position that sandwiches the contact portion (61).

[0013] 2. Specific examples of embodiments Hereinafter, specific examples of embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, components common to the embodiments will be designated by the same reference numerals, and repeated description will be omitted.

[0014] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a measurement unit 100 including a measurement cell 1 according to this embodiment. The measurement unit 100 includes the measurement cell 1 and a connection device 10. The measurement unit 100 is connected to, for example, an LCR meter or the like as a measurement device, to measure the impedance of a slurry as a liquid contained in the measurement cell 1. The liquid to be measured is not limited to a slurry but may be a plating liquid or the like, and the electrical property to be measured is not limited to impedance but may be series resistance, reactance, or the like. Below, the measurement cell 1 and the connection device 10 will be described individually, and then their relative positions will be described.

[0015] [Measurement cell] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the measurement cell 1 of the measurement unit 100 equipped with the connection device 10 of the embodiment, Figure 3 is a front view showing the measurement cell 1, Figure 4 is a back view showing the measurement cell 1, Figure 5 is a right side view showing the measurement cell 1, Figure 6 is a left side view showing the measurement cell 1, Figure 7 is a plan view showing the measurement cell 1, Figure 8 is a bottom view showing the measurement cell 1, and Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the measurement cell 1.

[0016] The measurement cell 1 is used to measure the impedance of a slurry, and includes a storage section (called a slurry storage section 2 in this embodiment) for storing the slurry, and a pair of electrode sections 3 attached to the slurry storage section 2.

[0017] The slurry storage section 2 is made of a light-transmitting resin (light-transmitting member) such as polypropylene. The material of the slurry storage section 2 may be selected depending on the type and temperature of the liquid to be stored. For example, a fluororesin may be used when storing a highly reactive liquid. The slurry storage section 2 is formed into a cylindrical shape extending along a predetermined direction. Hereinafter, this predetermined direction will be referred to as the Z1 direction, and two directions perpendicular to the Z1 direction and perpendicular to each other will be referred to as the X1 direction and the Y1 direction. The measurement cell 1 is used so that the Z1 direction is approximately aligned with the vertical direction. One side of the Z1 direction may be simply referred to as the upper side, and the other side may be simply referred to as the lower side.

[0018] The slurry storage section 2 integrally includes a cylindrical section 21, a protruding section 22, a pair of mounting cylindrical sections 23, a reinforcing section 24, and a lid section 25.

[0019] The cylindrical portion 21 has a cylindrical portion main body 211 extending along the Z1 direction and a bottom portion 212 provided at the lower end (other end) of the cylindrical portion main body 211, and is formed into a bottomed cylindrical shape with an open upper end (one end). That is, the cylindrical portion 21 has an opening 213 at the upper end, and the opening 213 side is the inlet side.

[0020] The cylindrical body 211 has guide lines 214 formed above the mounting tube 23 and the reinforcing portion 24 (closer to the inlet than the inner electrode 31, which will be described later). The guide lines 214 may be formed on either the inner or outer surface of the cylindrical body 211, and may be formed, for example, in a concave or convex shape; their shape is not particularly limited. In this embodiment, the guide lines 214 extend in the circumferential direction centered on the Z1 direction, and two such guide lines 214 are formed side by side in the Z1 direction. When the liquid level is located between these two guide lines 214, an appropriate amount of slurry is contained. Both of the two guide lines 214 are located above the mounting tube 23, and it is particularly preferable that the lower guide line 214 be located 1 mm or more above the mounting tube 23.

[0021] In the illustrated example, the cylindrical body 211 is cylindrical with approximately constant inner and outer diameters, but it may also be cylindrical (a cylinder with a truncated cone cross section) that extends with a slight inclination in the Z1 direction, and the inner and outer diameters may become smaller as they extend downward.

[0022] The protrusion 22 is continuous with the lower end of the cylindrical portion 21 and has an outer diameter that decreases toward the tip (lower end). It is a portion that is inserted into a holder having multiple openings on its upper surface. That is, multiple measurement cells 1 can be inserted into such a holder. The protrusion 22 is configured with four triangular plate-like portions 221. These plate-like portions 221 share a side extending along the Z1 direction and share an upper side with the bottom portion 212. The outer diameter of a virtual cone obtained by connecting these hypotenuses is referred to as the outer diameter of the protrusion 22. The protrusion may have a shape in which the outer diameter decreases toward the tip, and may have a conical or truncated conical side.

[0023] The bottom 212 of the cylindrical portion 21 is disposed at approximately the same height as the boundary A1 between the cylindrical portion 21 and the protruding portion 22 in the Z1 direction (see FIG. 9). That is, the slurry contained in the cylindrical portion 21 is not contained in the protruding portion 22. Note that the bottom 212 only needs to be disposed on the upper side (one end side) including the boundary A1, and may be at approximately the same height as the boundary A1 as described above, or may be disposed above the boundary A1.

[0024] The mounting tube portion 23 protrudes outward from the tube-shaped main body 211 of the tube-shaped portion 21, and the electrode portion 3 is inserted through it. The mounting tube portion 23 is formed in a cylindrical shape extending along the X1 direction. The shape of the mounting tube portion 23 may be any shape that corresponds to the shape of the electrode portion 3. For example, if the electrode portion is a square pillar, the mounting tube portion may also be a square pillar. In the illustrated example, the mounting tube portion 23 protrudes only outward from the tube-shaped main body 211, but it may also protrude both inward and outward, or it may protrude only inward.

[0025] The reinforcing portion 24 is a rib that extends between the pair of mounting tube portions 23. That is, the reinforcing portion 24 is formed in an arc shape that extends in the circumferential direction centered on the Z1 direction. In the illustrated example, the reinforcing portion 24 is configured with two ribs, but the number of ribs is not limited to this and may be one, or three or more.

[0026] The lid portion 25 is for closing the opening 213 of the cylindrical portion 21. That is, by bending a flexible portion that connects the lid portion 25 to the cylindrical portion 21, the opening 213 can be closed by the lid portion 25. Note that the flexible portion may not be provided, and the lid portion may be configured as a separate part from the cylindrical portion.

[0027] The electrode unit 3 is made of a conductive metal and formed into a cylindrical shape extending in the X1 direction. The end face of the portion provided inside the slurry storage unit 2 serves as the inner electrode 31, the portion provided outside the slurry storage unit 2 serves as the outer electrode 32, and the portion disposed within the cylindrical portion 21 serves as a connecting portion 33 connecting the inner electrode 31 and the outer electrode 32. The electrode unit 3 is preferably filled with a metal member on the inside as well, but the inside may be hollow. The outer diameter of the electrode unit 3 is slightly larger than the inner diameter of the mounting cylindrical portion 23 before mounting, and the electrode unit 3 is attached to the slurry storage unit 2 by being press-fitted. The electrode unit 3 may be integrally molded with the slurry storage unit 2.

[0028] The inner electrodes 31, which are the end faces of the electrode units 3, extend along the Y1Z1 plane, and the inner electrodes 31 of a pair of electrode units 3 function as parallel plates arranged facing each other with a predetermined gap in the X1 direction. In the illustrated example, the inner electrodes 3 are circular, but the shape is not limited thereto and may be polygonal. Furthermore, the inner electrodes, which are the end faces, do not have to be flat, and may be curved, such as hemispherical.

[0029] The cylindrical portion and end face of the outer electrode 32 are exposed from the mounting cylindrical portion 23, and electrical continuity is possible no matter where the mating terminal or the like comes into contact with the outer electrode 32.

[0030] [Connection device] Figure 10 is an oblique view showing a connection device 10 according to an embodiment, Figure 11 is a front view showing the connection device 10, Figure 12 is a rear view showing the connection device 10, Figure 13 is a plan view showing the connection device 10, and Figure 14 is an oblique view showing a portion of the connection device 10.

[0031] The connection device 10 is used together with the measurement cell 1 to measure the impedance of the slurry, and includes a housing portion 4, a terminal portion 5, and a pair of electrode members 6.

[0032] The housing 4 is formed into a rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole. Hereinafter, the height direction of the housing 4 will be referred to as the Z2 direction, the long side direction as the X2 direction, and the short side direction as the Y2 direction. The connection device 10 is used so that the Z2 direction roughly coincides with the vertical direction, and one side in the Z2 direction may be simply referred to as the upper side, and the other side may be simply referred to as the lower side.

[0033] The housing 4 has a shield part 41 that mainly constitutes the outer shell thereof, and an insulator part 42 that is provided on the upper surface of the housing 4.

[0034] The shield unit 41 is box-shaped and integrally includes a bottom surface 411, side surfaces 412 and 413 on both sides in the X2 direction, and side surfaces 414 and 415 on both sides in the Y2 direction, and has an opening 416 on the upper side. The box-shaped shield unit 41 is hollow. The bottom surface 411 constitutes the bottom surface of the housing unit 4, the side surfaces 412 and 413 constitute the side surfaces of the housing unit 4, and the side surfaces 414 and 415 constitute most of the side surfaces of the housing unit 4. The shield unit 41 is preferably made of a conductive metal material that can reduce noise during impedance measurement. Each component of the shield unit 41 may be made of a plate-like member and may be fixed to each other, for example, by screws.

[0035] A notch 417 is formed on the upper edge (edge ​​on the opening 416 side) of the side surface portions 414, 415. The notch 417 is U-shaped when viewed from the Y2 direction.

[0036] The insulator part 42 is made of an insulator such as resin, and is housed in the opening 416 of the shield part 41. The insulator part 42 has side parts 421 and 422 provided on both sides in the Y2 direction, and an upper surface part 423 that forms most of the upper surface part of the housing part 4. The side parts 421 and 422 are arranged without any gaps in the cutout part 417, and are arranged on the same plane as the side parts 414 and 415 to form the side surfaces of the entire housing part 4. The insulator part 42 is also divided into two parts in the Y2 direction, and a first part 42A and a second part 42B are assembled to each other.

[0037] The insulator portion 42 has an accommodation recess (referred to as a measurement cell accommodation recess 43 in this embodiment) that is open upward and accommodates the measurement cell 1 having a cylindrical slurry accommodation portion 2. When the measurement cell 1 is accommodated in the measurement cell accommodation recess 43 in the correct orientation, the X1 direction coincides with the X2 direction, the Y1 direction coincides with the Y2 direction, and the Z1 direction coincides with the Z2 direction. The measurement cell accommodation recess 43 has a cylindrical measurement cell main accommodation portion 431 that accommodates the cylindrical portion 21 and the protruding portion 22 of the measurement cell 1, and a measurement cell sub-accommodation portion 432 that accommodates the pair of mounting cylindrical portions 23.

[0038] The measurement cell main storage section 431 has a portion having an inner diameter substantially equal to the outer diameter of a predetermined portion of the cylindrical portion 21 or the protruding portion 22. As a result, when the measurement cell 1 is stored in the measurement cell storage recess 43, the cylindrical portion 21 or the protruding portion 22 abuts against the inner surface of the measurement cell main storage section 431, thereby restricting the measurement cell 1 from moving downward. In this way, the measurement cell 1 is stored to a predetermined storage depth in the measurement cell storage recess 43.

[0039] The measurement cell sub-container 432 is a groove that is continuous with the measurement cell main containment 431 and extends toward both sides in the X2 direction. The measurement cell sub-container 432 has a bottom surface, but the bottom surface may be omitted. Also, instead of the configuration in which the cylindrical portion 21 or the protruding portion 22 abuts against the inner surface of the measurement cell main containment 431 as described above, the mounting cylindrical portion 23 or the electrode portion 3 of the measurement cell 1 may abut against the bottom surface of the measurement cell sub-container 432, thereby restricting insertion in the Z2 direction.

[0040] 10, a groove 424 is formed in the first part 42A of the insulator part 42, which is located on the near side of the insulator part 42. The groove 424 is continuous with the measurement cell main storage part 431 and extends along the Y2 direction. The groove 424 is formed in the first part 42A across both ends in the Y2 direction, and the measurement cell 1 stored in the measurement cell main storage part 431 can be seen from the Y2 direction.

[0041] 10, the second part 42B of the insulator part 42 has a recess 425 formed at the boundary between the top surface 423 and the first part 42A for accommodating the electrode plate 200. The electrode plate 200 is placed in the measurement cell accommodating recess 43 to short-circuit the pair of contact parts 61 and is used for blank measurement. The recess 425 is provided with a pressing part 7, which will be described later, so that the accommodated electrode plate 200 can be pressed.

[0042] The terminal portion 5 is connected to a measuring device for measuring the electrical properties of the liquid contained in the measurement cell 1, and may be a connector of any suitable form, such as a BNC connector, and the shape and dimensions of the connector may be determined according to the type of measuring device, cable to be used, etc. In this embodiment, four terminal portions 5 for two-terminal method measurement are arranged in the X2 direction, and two terminal portions 5 at both ends have locking mechanisms for locking the mating connectors, but the present invention is not limited to this form, and the locking mechanisms may be provided in any suitable position, or may not be provided at all.

[0043] The electrode member 6 contacts each of the pair of electrode units 3 provided in the measurement cell 1, is formed into an L-shape from sheet metal, extends along the Z2X2 plane, and is housed in the housing unit 4. Of the L-shaped electrode member 6, the part that extends along the Z2 direction and is housed in the measurement cell sub-housing unit 432 becomes the contact part 61 that contacts the outer electrode 32 of the electrode unit 3 of the measurement cell 1, and the part that extends along the X2 direction becomes the connection part 62 that electrically connects the terminal unit 5 and the contact part 61.

[0044] The contact portion 61 is provided along one surface 432A (the surface of the second component 42B) of a pair of inner surfaces facing each other in the Y2 direction in the groove-shaped measurement cell sub-container 432. A pressing portion 7 is provided on the other surface 432B (the surface of the first component 42A) of the pair of inner surfaces so as to face the contact portion 61. Note that in Fig. 14, the first component 42A is omitted and only the pressing portion 7 is shown.

[0045] The pressing unit 7 includes a ball 71 and a biasing member, such as a spring, that presses the ball 71 toward one surface 432A. The ball 71 and the contact portion 61 are spaced apart in the Y2 direction, with the outer electrode 32 of the electrode unit 3 of the test cell 1 positioned in this gap. This gap is slightly smaller than the outer diameter (dimension in the Y2 direction) of the outer electrode 32. When the electrode unit 3 moves in the Z2 direction and is inserted into the gap, the outer electrode 32 comes into contact with the ball 71, compressing the biasing member and generating a restoring force. When the test cell 1 is inserted to a predetermined depth, the maximum outer diameter portion of the outer electrode 32 is located below the ball 71, and the biasing member has restored from its maximum compression state. As a result, when the test cell 1 is inserted to a predetermined depth, the restoring force of the biasing member presses the outer peripheral surface of the outer electrode 32 against the contact portion 61, preventing the electrode unit 3 from moving upward.

[0046] The connection portion 62 is accommodated below the insulator portion 42 and is configured so that one contact portion 61 is branched into two and connected to the two terminal portions 5.

[0047] In the connection device 10 described above, the shield part 41 has side parts 412, 413 as a pair of opposing plate parts at positions sandwiching the pair of contact parts 61 in the X2 direction, which is the opposing direction. Furthermore, the shield part 41 has side parts 414, 415 as a pair of connecting plate parts connecting the pair of opposing plate parts (side parts 412, 413). Furthermore, a notch part 417 is formed on the edge of the side part 414, 415 on the opening part 416 side (upper side) at a position sandwiching the contact part 61. In this case, in the Z2 direction, the depth of the notch part 417 is greater than the depth of the measurement cell sub-accommodation part 432, and the contact position between the outer electrode 32 and the contact part 61 is located above the bottom of the notch part 417.

[0048] [Measurement unit] The relationship between the measurement cell 1 and the connection device 10 in the entire measurement unit 100 will be described. The positional relationship of each part below is assumed to be the positional relationship when the measurement cell 1 is accommodated in the measurement cell accommodation recess 43 to a predetermined accommodation depth.

[0049] As the measurement cell 1 moves in the Z2 direction relative to the connection device 10, mainly the protrusion 22 is inserted into the measurement cell main accommodating portion 431 of the measurement cell accommodating recess 43. At this time, the biasing member of the pressing portion 7 is compressed and restored as described above. When the measurement cell 1 is accommodated to a predetermined accommodating depth in the measurement cell accommodating recess 43, the cylindrical portion 21 or the protrusion 22 abuts against the inner surface of the measurement cell main accommodating portion 431, restricting the measurement cell 1 from moving downward. In this state, the outer electrode 32 and the contact portion 61 come into contact with each other and are electrically connected.

[0050] Furthermore, by connecting a terminal extending from the measuring device to the terminal portion 5, it becomes possible to measure the impedance of the slurry contained in the measuring cell 1. Note that the measuring device and the terminal portion 5 may be electrically connected at all times, and the measuring cell 1 may be replaced, and this order is not limited.

[0051] Furthermore, when the measurement cell 1 is accommodated in the measurement cell accommodation recess 43 to a predetermined accommodation depth, the housing 4 preferably has a fall prevention part that can abut from the Y2 direction against a portion of the measurement cell 1 that is above the portion accommodated in the measurement cell accommodation recess 43. Such a fall prevention part can prevent the measurement cell 1 from falling when viewed from the X2 direction. The position that the fall prevention part abuts may be the slurry accommodation section 2 of the measurement cell 1 or the electrode section 3.

[0052] According to this embodiment, the measurement cell 1 is provided with a pair of electrode sections 3 attached to the slurry storage section 2, which makes it easier to maintain a constant distance and positional relationship between the pair of inner electrodes 31, thereby improving the measurement accuracy of the electrical properties of the liquid.

[0053] Furthermore, the slurry storage section 2 has a protrusion 22 whose outer diameter decreases toward the tip, making it easier to hold the slurry in a holder. This holder may have, for example, multiple recesses, each of which can hold a measurement cell 1, so long as it can hold multiple measurement cells 1. In this case, the cylindrical section 21 of the slurry storage section 2 has a bottom 212 at an upper position including the boundary section A1, so that the slurry is not stored in the protrusion 22. Therefore, compared to a configuration in which the slurry is stored in a section whose inner diameter decreases toward the tip, it is possible to suppress the inclusion of air bubbles in the liquid and improve the measurement accuracy of the electrical characteristics.

[0054] Furthermore, since the electrode unit 3 is a rod-shaped member that penetrates the slurry storage unit 2, it is possible to easily attach the electrode unit 3 to the slurry storage unit 2. Furthermore, since the slurry storage unit 2 has the mounting tube portion 23, it is possible to prevent the attached rod-shaped electrode unit 3 from tilting, and it is possible to make it difficult for the relative positions of the pair of inner electrodes 31 to change, thereby improving the measurement accuracy of the electrical characteristics.

[0055] Furthermore, since the slurry storage section 2 has a reinforcing section 24 extending between the pair of mounting tube sections 23, deformation of the slurry storage section 2 is suppressed, particularly deformation that causes the electrode section 3 to move in the Z1 direction is suppressed, and the relative positions of the pair of inner electrodes 31, etc., are less likely to change, thereby improving the measurement accuracy of the electrical characteristics.

[0056] Furthermore, since the slurry storage section 2 is made of a light-transmitting member and the guide line 214 is formed closer to the inlet side than the inner electrode 31, the entire inner electrode 31 can be immersed in the liquid. That is, the inner electrode 31 is prevented from being exposed from the liquid, and the measurement accuracy of the electrical characteristics can be improved.

[0057] In the connection device 10, the contact portion 61 is positioned at a position where it comes into contact with the outer electrode 32 when the measurement cell 1 is accommodated to a predetermined depth in the measurement cell accommodation recess 43, thereby making it possible to easily connect the electrode portion 3 for measuring the electrical properties of the liquid to the measurement device.

[0058] Furthermore, the housing 4 has a metallic shield 41 at a position sandwiching the pair of contacts 61 in the X2 direction, which is the opposing direction, so that noise can be suppressed when measuring the electrical characteristics of the liquid.

[0059] Furthermore, a notch 417 is formed on the edge of the side surface portions 414, 415 serving as connecting plates on the side of the opening 416 at a position that sandwiches the contact portion 61, thereby preventing the contact portion 61 and the metal member from being placed in close proximity to each other, and reducing the parasitic capacitance that occurs between the liquid and the metal member when measuring the electrical characteristics of the liquid.

[0060] <<Extension of Embodiment>> The invention made by the inventor of the present application has been specifically described above based on an embodiment, but it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited thereto and can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0061] For example, in the above embodiment, the cylindrical portion 21 of the slurry storage portion 2 includes the boundary portion A1 and has the bottom portion 212 at an upper position, but is not limited to this configuration. That is, the storage portion may have a portion that is stored in the holder by decreasing the outer diameter toward the tip, and the liquid may be stored inside this portion. In this case, it is sufficient that the inner diameter at the tip is formed sufficiently large or the surface is treated to make it difficult for bubbles to be generated. Alternatively, the portion that is stored in the holder may have approximately constant outer and inner diameters, and the liquid may be stored inside this portion.

[0062] In the above embodiment, the slurry storage section 2 has the reinforcing portion 24 extending between the pair of mounting cylindrical portions 23, but the reinforcing portion may be omitted if the storage section is unlikely to deform, for example, because the storage section is made of a relatively hard material or has a sufficiently thick wall. Also, appropriate reinforcing portions may be provided in other positions.

[0063] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the slurry storage section 2 has an attachment tube section 23, but the attachment tube section may be omitted if the electrode section is unlikely to tilt, for example, because the storage section is sufficiently thick or other fixing members are provided.

[0064] In the above embodiment, the electrode 3 is a rod-shaped member that penetrates the slurry storage unit 2, but the electrode is not limited to being rod-shaped and does not have to penetrate the storage unit. For example, the electrode may have a plate-shaped inner electrode and outer electrode, and a connecting part that connects the inner electrode and the outer electrode at the opening of the storage unit (i.e., has a U-shaped cross section).

[0065] In the above embodiment, the slurry storage section 2 is made of a light-transmitting material, and the reference line 214 is formed closer to the inlet than the inner electrode 31. However, a sufficient liquid level may be ensured by other methods. For example, if the relationship between the liquid level and the inner electrode is visible when the storage section is viewed from the opening side, or if the amount of liquid stored is controlled, a liquid level sufficient for measurement can be ensured. In such cases, the storage section may be opaque, or the reference line may not be formed.

[0066] In addition, in the above embodiment, the cutout portion 417 is formed in the side portion 414, 415, but if the dimensions of the shield portion are large and the parasitic capacitance generated between the liquid and the metal member is small, the cutout does not need to be formed.

[0067] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the housing 4 has a shielding portion 41, but if each device is used in an environment where noise is unlikely to occur during measurement, or if the electrical characteristics to be measured are unlikely to be affected by noise, then a shielding portion need not be provided.

[0068] Although the above embodiment describes measuring impedance using a two-terminal method, other suitable methods may be used to measure electrical characteristics. For example, as shown in FIG. 15, a four-terminal method may be used. In this embodiment, two types of electrode members 6A, 6B each have a contact portion 61 that contacts the outer electrode 32 at different positions. The two electrode members on the right side are not shown, but they may have a shape symmetrical to the left side.

[0069] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above in detail with reference to the drawings, but the specific configurations are not limited to these embodiments, and the present invention also includes design changes and the like that do not deviate from the gist of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0070] 10...connection device, 1...measurement cell, 3...electrode portion, 4...casing portion, 41...shield portion, 412, 413...side portion (opposing plate portion), 414, 415...side portion (connection plate portion), 416...opening, 417...notch portion, 42...insulator portion, 43...measurement cell accommodating recess (accommodating recess), 5...terminal portion, 61...contact portion, 62...connection portion

Claims

1. a receiving recess for receiving a measurement cell having a cylindrical portion; an insulator portion in which the accommodating recess is formed; a plurality of terminals connected to a measuring device for measuring the electrical properties of the liquid contained in the measuring cell; a pair of contact portions that come into contact with the pair of electrode portions provided in the measurement cell, respectively; a connection portion that is housed in the insulator portion at a position deeper in the housing recess than the pair of contact portions, and that branches one contact portion into two and electrically connects two of the plurality of terminal portions to the contact portion; The contact portion is disposed at a position where it comes into contact with the electrode portion when the measurement cell is accommodated in the accommodation recess to a predetermined accommodation depth.

2. a housing portion in which the insulator portion is formed, 2. The connection device according to claim 1, wherein the housing has metallic shielding portions at least at positions sandwiching the pair of contact portions in the opposing direction.

3. The shielding portion is formed in a box shape and has an opening in which the insulator portion is housed, a pair of opposing plate portions facing each other in the opposing direction, and a pair of connecting plate portions connecting the pair of opposing plate portions together, The connection device according to claim 2 , wherein the connection plate has an edge on the opening side, the edge having notches formed at positions that sandwich the contact portions.

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