The invention relates to a weighing device, e.g. for kitchens. It has a support plate (1) for receiving the object to be measured and a controller (16). Furthermore, an excitation element (12) for generating mechanical vibrations in the support plate (1) and a measuring element (14) for measuring the mechanical vibrations of the support plate (1) are provided. The excitation element (12) and the measuring element (14) are used to determine one or more resonance frequencies and/or other spectral characteristics of the support plate (1), and this is used, for example, to determine the mass of the object.

A mechanical resonator device. The resonator device includes a resonator element made of an elastic material under tensile stress and adapted for sustaining at least one oscillation mode; and a clamping structure supporting the resonator element. The clamping structure has a phononic density of states exhibiting a bandgap or quasi-bandgap such that elastic waves of at least one polarisation and/or frequency are not allowed to propagate through the clamping structure. The resonator element and the clamping structure are configured to match with a soft-clamping condition that elastic waves of polarisation and/or frequency corresponding to the at least one oscillation mode of the resonator penetrate evanescently into the clamping structure in a manner such as to minimize bending throughout the entire resonator device. Thereby, bending related loss may be minimized and the Q-factor of the mechanical resonator may be maximized.

An apparatus and method is provided for coating a surface of a material with a film of porous coordination polymer. A first substrate having a first surface to be coated is positioned in a processing chamber such that the first surface is placed in a substantially opposing relationship to a second surface. In some embodiments, the second surface is provided by a wall of the processing chamber, and in other embodiments the second surface is provided by a second substrate to be coated. The first substrate is held such that a gap exists between the first and second surfaces, and the gap is filled with at least one reaction mixture comprising reagents sufficient to form the crystalline film on at least the first surface. A thin gap (e.g., having a thickness less than 2 mm) between the first and second surfaces is effective for producing a high quality film having a thickness less than 100 μm. Confining the volume of the reaction mixture to a thin layer adjacent the substrate surface significantly reduces problems with sedimentation and concentration control. In some embodiments, the size, shape, or average thickness of the gap is adjusted during formation of the film in response to feedback from at least one film growth monitor.

A device for weighing micro- and nano-sized particles. The device includes a base portion, an oscillator coupled to the base portion and configured to vibrate the base portion, a first cantilevered beam coupled to the base portion, a second cantilevered beam coupled to the base portion, a first plurality of fingers coupled to the first cantilevered beam near the tip inwardly pointing toward the second cantilevered beam, and a second plurality of fingers coupled to the second cantilevered beam near the tip inwardly pointing toward the first cantilevered beam.

A mass measuring apparatus includes a transferring and gripping device for removing an article from a seat of a movement device, holding the article in a measuring position, and then reinserting the article into the seat. The transferring and gripping device includes a gripping element for holding the article, an actuator for operating with an actuating signal on the gripping element to make the gripping element vibrate at a specific resonance frequency, a sensor for measuring a vibration response signal of the gripping element vibrating and supporting the article in the measuring position, a processing unit for receiving the vibration response signal and controlling the actuator to generate an actuating signal to make the gripping element vibrate at an operating resonance frequency, and then calculating a mass of the article by comparing the operating resonance frequency with the resonance frequency of the gripping element.

The present invention relates to a mechanical resonator device. The resonator device comprises a resonator element made of an elastic material under tensile stress and adapted for sustaining at least one oscillation mode; and a clamping structure supporting the resonator element. The clamping structure has a phononic density of states exhibiting a bandgap or quasi-bandgap such that elastic waves of at least one polarisation and/or frequency are not allowed to propagate through the clamping structure. The resonator element and the clamping structure are configured to match with a soft-clamping condition that elastic waves of polarisation and/or frequency corresponding to the at least one oscillation mode of the resonator penetrate evanescently into the clamping structure in a manner such as to minimize bending throughout the entire resonator device. Thereby, bending related loss may be minimized and the Q-factor of the mechanical resonator may be maximized.

Apparatus and related methods are provided in a surface acoustic wave (SAW) scale for measuring weight of a load. A processor reads a first frequency of a SAW delay line operating in a first mode. A push oscillator injects a frequency similar to but different than the first frequency in order to cause the SAW delay line to operate in a second mode, and the processor reads a second frequency of the SAW delay line operating in the second mode. A difference between the frequencies is calculated and compared to values in a stored table to determine the first mode at which the SAW delay line was operating. Based on a determination of the first mode and the first frequency, the weight of the load is determined. This determined weight can be used to recalibrate an auxiliary weight sensor.

An apparatus and method is provided for coating a surface of a material with a film of porous coordination polymer. A first substrate having a first surface to be coated is positioned in a processing chamber such that the first surface is placed in a substantially opposing relationship to a second surface. In some embodiments, the second surface is provided by a wall of the processing chamber, and in other embodiments the second surface is provided by a second substrate to be coated. The first substrate is held such that a gap exists between the first and second surfaces, and the gap is filled with at least one reaction mixture comprising reagents sufficient to form the crystalline film on at least the first surface. A thin gap (e.g., having a thickness less than 2 mm) between the first and second surfaces is effective for producing a high quality film having a thickness less than 100 μm. Confining the volume of the reaction mixture to a thin layer adjacent the substrate surface significantly reduces problems with sedimentation and concentration control. In some embodiments, the size, shape, or average thickness of the gap is adjusted during formation of the film in response to feedback from at least one film growth monitor.

An apparatus and method is provided for coating a surface of a material with a film of porous coordination polymer. A first substrate having a first surface to be coated is positioned in a processing chamber such that the first surface is placed in a substantially opposing relationship to a second surface. In some embodiments, the second surface is provided by a wall of the processing chamber, and in other embodiments the second surface is provided by a second substrate to be coated. The first substrate is held such that a gap exists between the first and second surfaces, and the gap is filled with at least one reaction mixture comprising reagents sufficient to form the crystalline film on at least the first surface. A thin gap (e.g., having a thickness less than 2 mm) between the first and second surfaces is effective for producing a high quality film having a thickness less than 100 μm. Confining the volume of the reaction mixture to a thin layer adjacent the substrate surface significantly reduces problems with sedimentation and concentration control. In some embodiments, the size, shape, or average thickness of the gap is adjusted during formation of the film in response to feedback from at least one film growth monitor.

Methods and apparatus to measure mass in low gravity environments are disclosed. A disclosed example low-gravity mass-measuring apparatus includes a coupler to couple a coupling portion to an object, the coupling portion including a first inertial measurement unit (IMU), a force device to provide a force to cause a movement of a dock relative to the coupling portion, where the dock is releasably couplable to the coupling portion and includes a second IMU, and a processor to calculate a mass of the object based on movement data from the first and second IMUs and the force.