Abstract
A laboratory balance (1) has a base body (2), a weighing chamber (10) with a weighing chamber floor (3), a weighing chamber rear wall (4), and a draft shield (5,5′,5″). The draft shield has a top wall (6), a first side wall (7), a second side wall (8) arranged parallel to the first side wall, and a front wall (9). The weighing chamber floor, the draft shield and the weighing chamber rear wall act together to enclose the weighing chamber. The weighing chamber rear wall has a modular construction, with at least a base module (15) and a top module (16,16′,16″). The base module is connected to the base body, and the top module is connected to the top wall of the draft shield.
Claims
1. A laboratory balance, comprising: a base body; a weighing chamber, with a weighing chamber floor and a weighing chamber rear wall; and a draft shield, with a top wall, a first side wall, a second side wall arranged parallel to the first side wall, and a front wall, wherein the weighing chamber floor, the draft shield and the weighing chamber rear wall co-act to enclose the weighing chamber, and wherein the weighing chamber rear wall comprises a base module that is connected to the base body, and a top module that is connected to the top wall of the draft shield.
2. The laboratory balance of claim 1, wherein the base module and the top module co-act to form the weighing chamber rear wall.
3. The laboratory balance of claim 2, wherein the weighing chamber rear wall formed by the base module and the top module has at least one smooth surface in vertical direction.
4. The laboratory balance of claim 1, wherein the base module has a width that is equal to or exceeds a width of the base body.
5. The laboratory balance of claim 1, wherein the base module has a width that is smaller than a width of the base body.
6. The laboratory balance of claim 1, wherein the base module is positioned normal to the base body.
7. The laboratory balance of claim 1, wherein the base module and the top module each has a front surface profile, in cross-sectional planes that run parallel to the weighing chamber floor, the respective front surface profiles being identical.
8. The laboratory balance of claim 1, wherein the top module is positioned above the base module.
9. The laboratory balance of claim 1, wherein the top module is positioned in front of the base module such that the top module overlaps the base module.
10. The laboratory balance of claim 1, further comprising: at least one further module, arranged in the weighing chamber rear wall, between the base module and the top module.
11. The laboratory balance of claim 10, wherein the top module, the at least one further module and the base module co-act to form the weighing chamber rear wall.
12. The laboratory balance of claim 10, wherein the base module, the top module and each said further module has a front surface profile, in cross-sectional planes that run parallel to the weighing chamber floor, the respective front surface profiles being identical.
13. The laboratory balance of claim 1, wherein the top module of the weighing chamber rear wall is replaceable by a top module of a different height.
14. The laboratory balance of claim 1, wherein the draft shield is replaceable by a draft shield of different height commensurate with the total height of the weighing chamber rear wall.
15. The laboratory balance of claim 3, further comprising: at least one further module, arranged in the weighing chamber rear wall, between the base module and the top module.
16. The laboratory balance of claim 15, wherein the top module, the at least one further module and the base module co-act to form the weighing chamber rear wall.
17. The laboratory balance of claim 15, wherein the base module, the top module and each said further module has a front surface profile, in cross-sectional planes that run parallel to the weighing chamber floor, the respective front surface profiles being identical.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(1) The laboratory balance with the weighing chamber rear wall according to the invention will be described hereinafter through embodiments shown schematically in the drawings, wherein identical parts are identified with identical reference numbers and wherein:
(2) FIG. 1 illustrates a first embodiment of a laboratory balance with a weighing chamber having a rear wall according to the invention;
(3) FIG. 2 shows the weighing chamber of the laboratory balance of FIG. 1;
(4) FIG. 3A represents the front side of the weighing chamber rear wall of FIG. 2 in its assembled state;
(5) FIG. 3B shows the forward-facing side of the weighing chamber rear wall of FIG. 2 with the top module and the base module separated from each other, in a perspective view;
(6) FIG. 3C shows the front side of the weighing chamber rear wall of FIG. 2 with the top module and the base module separated from each other;
(7) FIG. 4 illustrates a second embodiment of a laboratory balance with a weighing chamber having a rear wall according to the invention;
(8) FIG. 5 shows the weighing chamber of the laboratory balance of FIG. 4;
(9) FIG. 6A shows the front side of the top module, the additional module and the base module of the weighing chamber rear wall of FIG. 5, as well as the covers for the additional module and the base module;
(10) FIG. 6B shows the forward-facing sides of the top module, the additional module and the base module of the weighing chamber rear wall of FIG. 5, as well as the covers for the additional module and the base module, in a perspective view;
(11) FIG. 7 illustrates a third embodiment of a laboratory balance with a weighing chamber having a rear wall according to the invention;
(12) FIG. 8 shows the weighing chamber of the laboratory balance of FIG. 7;
(13) FIG. 9A shows the front sides of the top module, the base module, and the cover for the base module of the weighing chamber rear wall of FIG. 8; and
(14) FIG. 9B shows the forward-facing sides of the top module, the base module, and the cover for the base module of the weighing chamber rear wall of FIG. 8, in a perspective view.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
(15) FIG. 1 illustrates a laboratory balance 1 according to the invention in a three-dimensional view. The principal parts of the laboratory balance 1 are the display console D, the base body 2, the weighing chamber 10, and the housing 11. The weighing pan 14, shown here as a grate-shaped weighing platform 14, is enclosed inside the weighing chamber 10. The weighing platform 14 is mechanically connected to the weighing cell 12 which is enclosed and blocked from view by the housing 11. The weighing chamber 10 is joined to the base body 2 through the weighing chamber floor 3, to the housing 11 through the weighing chamber rear wall 4, and closed off against the ambient air space by the transparent draft shield 5.
(16) FIG. 2 shows the weighing chamber 10 by itself in a first embodiment of the invention, wherein the weighing chamber rear wall 4 is of modular construction, with a base module 15 and a top module 16. The walls of the draft shield 5, normally in the form of rectangular transparent glass panels, include a top wall 6, a left sidewall 7, a right sidewall 8, and a front wall 9. The base module 15 of the weighing chamber rear wall 4 is connected to the base body 2, while the top module 16 is connected to the top wall 6 of the draft shield 5.
(17) FIG. 3A shows the weighing chamber rear wall 4 of FIG. 2 in its assembled state as seen from the front, i.e. from the side of the draft shield 5. The vertical slits 31 in the base module are openings for the contact-free passage of the aforementioned mechanical connections through which the weighing force is transmitted from the weighing pan 14 to the weighing cell 12. The perspective view of FIG. 3B is directed at the forward-facing side of the same weighing chamber rear wall 4 with the top module 16 and the base module 15 separated from each other. This drawing illustrates in particular how the top module 16 is designed so that a lower portion of the top module 16 will partially overlap an upper portion of the base module 15. As is further evident in the perspective view of the weighing chamber rear wall 4 in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3B, the front sides of the top module 16 and base module 15 have matching surface profiles, so that there is a flush transition across the parting joint. FIG. 3C shows the front side of the same weighing chamber rear wall 4 with the top module 16 and the base module 15 separated from each other.
(18) FIG. 4 illustrates a laboratory balance 1 analogous to FIG. 1, but incorporating a second embodiment of a modular weighing chamber rear wall 4 which uses the same base module 15, but wherein an additional module 18 (see FIG. 5) is inserted between the base module 15 and a top module 16′, so that a draft shield 5′, whose height may be different from the draft shield 5 of FIGS. 1 to 3, can be accommodated.
(19) The components that make up this second embodiment of a modular rear wall 4 of the weighing chamber 10 are illustrated in FIG. 6A in a view from the front, and in FIG. 6B, which shows the front side of the same set of components seen at an angle from above and from the right. Instead of the configuration of the first embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 3, where a downward-extending portion of the top module 16 overlaps the base module 15 and thereby covers a recess in the latter, the additional module 18 and the top module 16′ have no such downward-extending portions. Instead, the recess in the base module 15 is closed by a cover 70, and a recess in the additional module is closed by a cover 71.
(20) FIGS. 7, 8, 9A and 9B illustrate how the inventive concept of a modular weighing chamber rear wall 4 of the weighing chamber 10 allows the laboratory balance 1 of FIG. 4 to be fitted with a draft shield 5″ of lower height than the draft shield 5′. Using the same base module 15 and a top module 16″ that fits equally on the base module 15 as on the additional module 18, rear walls 4 of two different heights can be manufactured from a single set of modules 15, 16″, 18 and covers 70, 71 simply by either including or leaving out the additional module 18 and cover 71. The additional procurement and stock-keeping costs for the lower front and sidewall panels of the draft shield 5″ will in any event be substantially less than the costs for manufacturing a single-piece weighing chamber rear wall in different heights. Furthermore, the modules of modular weighing chamber rear wall 4 can be configured depending on the type of application for which the balance is used.
(21) While the invention has been described through the presentation of specific embodiments of a weighing chamber rear wall of modular construction, it is considered self-evident that numerous additional variants are encompassed by the teachings of the present invention, including modular weighing chamber rear walls with a larger number of wall modules, with different designs of the wall modules, or with additional elements and features added to any of the wall modules. Such combinations and variations of the modular concept for a weighing chamber rear wall described and claimed herein are considered without exception to fall within the scope of protection that is hereby sought for the present invention.
