Scales for use with cooking appliances such as pressure cookers, and associated systems and methods, are disclosed herein. In several implementations, a scale includes load cells configured to detect a weight of a cooking appliance placed on the scale and any food therein. The scale can further include temperature sensors positioned proximate to corresponding ones of the load cells and configured to detect the temperature proximate to each of the load cells. A processor within or external to the scale is communicatively coupled to the load cells and the temperature sensors, and is configured to determine the weight of the cooking appliance and food based at least in part on the detected weights and the detected temperatures.

A proposing an improvement in an installation environment of a weighing apparatus is made by including (a) a step of acquiring, weighed data of an object (7) to be weighed from a weighing sensor (13) together with time information, (b) a step of acquiring, environmental data together with time information, (c) a step of checking, with respect to the weighed data and the environmental data, whether an amount of change of the data per unit time or an average value of the data is less than or not less than a threshold with reference to a threshold database (191) and determining influence on the apparatus, and (d) a step of making a proposal on the installation environment for each result of the determination with reference to an improvement proposal database (193).

A proposing an improvement in an installation environment of a weighing apparatus is made by including (a) a step of acquiring, weighed data of an object (7) to be weighed from a weighing sensor (13) together with time information, (b) a step of acquiring, environmental data together with time information, (c) a step of checking, with respect to the weighed data and the environmental data, whether an amount of change of the data per unit time or an average value of the data is less than or not less than a threshold with reference to a threshold database (191) and determining influence on the apparatus, and (d) a step of making a proposal on the installation environment for each result of the determination with reference to an improvement proposal database (193).

A method and apparatus are provided for detecting the status of a load cell. When method for detecting the status of a load cell is applied to a multi-point weighing system, the method first collects characteristic sensing data of load cells. It then calculates an anomaly in the characteristic sensing data. From this, it acquires and generates an output signal corresponding to the load cell information when the anomaly exists. The method and apparatus for detecting the status of a load cell can help customers accurately locate a faulty, or potentially faulty, sensor, so as to avoid a measurement error due to sensor problems and improve user satisfaction.

A gravimetric measuring system (10), includes a balance (12) with a weighing chamber (22), surrounded by a weighing chamber wall (23, 24, 26, 28); an electromechanical weighing system (181); and an electronic control apparatus (36) for controlling the system operation according to algorithms stored in a memory (363) thereof; and a plurality of functional modules (14, 16), configured to be inserted, into module receptacles (283), arranged on the weighing chamber wall (28). Each module receptacle (283) has a device-side identification interface component (30a); and each functional module has a corresponding module-side identification interface component (306). The control apparatus (36) identifies each functional module (14, 16) inserted into a module receptacle (283), through interaction between the respective device-side and module-side identification interface components (30a, b) and selects one of a plurality of operating routines according to algorithms stored in the memory.

A gravimetric measuring system (10), includes a balance (12) with a weighing chamber (22), surrounded by a weighing chamber wall (23, 24, 26, 28); an electromechanical weighing system (181); and an electronic control apparatus (36) for controlling the system operation according to algorithms stored in a memory (363) thereof; and a plurality of functional modules (14, 16), configured to be inserted, into module receptacles (283), arranged on the weighing chamber wall (28). Each module receptacle (283) has a device-side identification interface component (30a); and each functional module has a corresponding module-side identification interface component (306). The control apparatus (36) identifies each functional module (14, 16) inserted into a module receptacle (283), through interaction between the respective device-side and module-side identification interface components (30a, b) and selects one of a plurality of operating routines according to algorithms stored in the memory.

A system including a smart junction box (SJB) device having an adjusted weight measurement calculator (AWMC) module. The AWMC module configured to calculate an adjusted weight measurement representative of a weight of the stored material in bin based on the sensed weight measurement from those weight measurement sensors in a non-failure state and an ambient environmental condition compensation factor (AECCF), during the weight measurement cycle. The SJB device includes a thermometer to measure a local ambient temperature for use in determining the AECCF. The SJB device is configured to calculate the adjusted weight measurement based on the signals from the remaining sensors in a non-failure state while ghosting the failed sensor.

A system including a smart junction box (SJB) device having an adjusted weight measurement calculator (AWMC) module. The AWMC module configured to calculate an adjusted weight measurement representative of a weight of the stored material in bin based on the sensed weight measurement from those weight measurement sensors in a non-failure state and an ambient environmental condition compensation factor (AECCF), during the weight measurement cycle. The SJB device includes a thermometer to measure a local ambient temperature for use in determining the AECCF. The SJB device is configured to calculate the adjusted weight measurement based on the signals from the remaining sensors in a non-failure state while ghosting the failed sensor.

A load cell unit includes: a load cell that is provided with a distortional member including a free-end block, a fixed-end block, an upper beam portion connecting an upper end of the free-end block and an upper end of the fixed-end block, and a lower beam portion connecting a lower end of the free-end block and a lower end of the fixed-end block; a first temperature sensor that is disposed at the upper beam portion or the lower beam portion; and a second temperature sensor that is disposed at one of the free-end block and the fixed-end block.

A load cell unit includes: a load cell that is provided with a distortional member including a free-end block, a fixed-end block, an upper beam portion connecting an upper end of the free-end block and an upper end of the fixed-end block, and a lower beam portion connecting a lower end of the free-end block and a lower end of the fixed-end block; a first temperature sensor that is disposed at the upper beam portion or the lower beam portion; and a second temperature sensor that is disposed at one of the free-end block and the fixed-end block.