Electronic Balance Door-Cycle Check for Weighing Repeatability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic balances with windshields face challenges in maintaining weighing accuracy due to the influence of surrounding environments during actual use, as door opening and closing operations are inevitable and affect repeatability, despite prior calibration in a closed state.
Innovation Solution
An electronic balance with a weighing pan, windshield, door opening and closing mechanism, built-in weight, and control unit that measures standard deviations under both closed and open conditions to assess the impact of environmental influences, notifying users if the standard deviation increases significantly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the door of the windshield is opened and closed during weighing operations, then the balance can be used for actual weighing tasks, but the weighing accuracy and repeatability deteriorate due to environmental influences
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit performs preliminary actions by automatically opening and closing the door and loading/unloading built-in weights before actual weighing to measure standard deviations. This preliminary environmental assessment allows the system to predict and compensate for potential accuracy deterioration during actual weighing operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by comparing the first standard deviation (measured with door closed) and second standard deviation (measured with door operations). When the second standard deviation exceeds a predetermined threshold, the control unit provides feedback to notify the user of environmental influence, enabling corrective actions to maintain weighing accuracy.
2Reliability
If the repeatability is confirmed with the windshield closed during calibration, then the balance shows good repeatability, but the weighing performance cannot be guaranteed under actual use conditions with door operations
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from static calibration (door closed) to dynamic assessment (door operations). The control unit automatically performs door opening/closing operations during the second standard deviation measurement, making the repeatability confirmation adaptive to actual use conditions and ensuring the balance performs reliably in dynamic environments.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters during measurement by introducing door opening/closing operations in the second measurement phase. This parameter change allows the system to assess repeatability under conditions that closely match actual use, bridging the gap between calibration reliability and actual use performance.
3Productivity
If automatic calibration is performed with built-in weights in a closed state, then the calibration process is simple and quick, but it does not reflect the environmental influences present during actual weighing
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses periodic action by performing automatic calibration with built-in weights in the first phase (door closed), then periodically introducing door opening/closing operations in the second phase. This periodic incorporation of environmental stressors maintains calibration efficiency while progressively assessing environmental influences on measurement precision.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables accurate assessment of the balance's performance under actual use conditions, allowing users to take corrective measures to minimize environmental influences and maintain weighing accuracy.
Implementation Method 1
a weight sensor to which a load applied to the weighing pan is transmitted
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic balance includes a weighing pan, a windshield, door opening and closing mechanisms configured to automatically open and close doors of the windshield, a weight sensor, a built-in weight, a weight applying and removing mechanism for the built-in weight, and a control unit, the control unit obtains a first standard deviation measured while the doors of the windshield are left closed, and a second standard deviation measured accompanied by a series of opening and closing operations consisting of opening the door by the door opening and closing mechanism, loading the built-in weight by the weight applying and removing mechanism, closing the door by the door opening and closing mechanism, acquiring weighing data of the built-in weight, opening the door by the door opening and closing mechanism, unloading the built-in weight by the weight applying and removing mechanism, and closing the door by the opening and closing mechanism.