MEASURING DEVICE, ATTACHMENT SYSTEM, MEASURING ASSEMBLY AND METHOD

Abstract

A measuring device with a filling and/or limit level sensor for measuring a filling level and/or limit level of a filling material in a container having a container wall and an attachment system for attaching the filling and/or limit level sensor to the container wall, wherein the attachment system comprises: a first adhesive surface, a second adhesive surface, a first adhesive arranged or for arrangement on the first adhesive surface, and a second adhesive arranged or for arrangement on the second adhesive surface.

Claims

1. A measuring device with a filling and/or limit level sensor for measuring a filling level and/or limit level of a filling material in a container having a container wall and an attachment system for attaching the filling and/or limit level sensor to the container wall, wherein the attachment system comprises the following: a first adhesive surface, a second adhesive surface, a first adhesive arranged or for arrangement on the first adhesive surface, and a second adhesive arranged or for arrangement on the second adhesive surface.

2. The measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the first adhesive is a pressure-sensitive adhesive, in particular without a solidification mechanism.

3. The measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the second adhesive is an adhesive with a solidification mechanism, in particular a two-component adhesive.

4. The measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the first adhesive surface is annular.

5. The measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the second adhesive surface is annular or disk-shaped.

6. The measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the filling and/or limit level sensor comprises a sensor housing and the attachment system comprises an attachment adapter.

7. The measuring device according to claim 6, wherein the first adhesive surface is arranged on the sensor housing and/or the attachment adapter.

8. The measuring device according to claim 6, wherein the second adhesive surface is arranged on the sensor housing and/or the attachment adapter.

9. The measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the second adhesive surface is configured such that, in the installed position (M) of the filling and/or limit level sensor on the container wall, it forms with the container wall a cavity for accommodating the second adhesive.

10. The measuring device according to claim 9, wherein the attachment system provides an adhesive filling opening reaching into the cavity and/or a vent opening.

11. The measuring device according to claim 10, wherein the adhesive filling opening is larger than the vent opening.

12. The measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the filling and/or limit level sensor is a radar sensor (S) and has a sensor unit for emitting and/or receiving a radar signal and/or an evaluation unit for determining, based on the radar signal, a measurement signal correlating with the filling level and/or the limit level.

13. An attachment system for attaching a filling and/or limit level sensor to a container wall of a container, wherein the attachment system comprises the following: a first adhesive surface, a second adhesive surface, a first adhesive arranged or for arrangement on the first adhesive surface, and a second adhesive arranged or for arrangement on the second adhesive surface.

14. A measuring assembly with a container having a container wall and a measuring device, wherein the measuring device is configured in accordance with claim 1, and the filling and/or limit level sensor of the measuring device is attached to the container wall by means of the attachment system of the measuring device.

15. A method for attaching a filling and/or limit level sensor to a container wall of a container with the following method steps: positioning the filling and/or limit level sensor and/or an attachment adapter on the container wall by gluing the filling and/or limit level sensor or the attachment adapter to the container wall by means of a first adhesive, gluing the filling and/or limit level sensor and/or the attachment adapter to the container wall by means of a second adhesive.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0108] FIG. 1 shows a partially cross-sectional view of a first exemplary embodiment of a measuring device with a first exemplary embodiment of an attachment system,

[0109] FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional illustration of a second exemplary embodiment of an attachment system,

[0110] FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional illustration of a third exemplary embodiment of an attachment system,

[0111] FIG. 4 shows a partially cross-sectional view of a second exemplary embodiment of the measuring device with a fourth exemplary embodiment of an attachment system,

[0112] FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional illustration of a fifth exemplary embodiment of an attachment system,

[0113] FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional illustration of a sixth exemplary embodiment of an attachment system,

[0114] FIG. 7 shows a cross-sectional illustration of a seventh exemplary embodiment of an attachment system,

[0115] FIG. 8 shows a view of a third exemplary embodiment of a measuring device.

[0116] FIG. 9 shows an exemplary embodiment of a measuring assembly,

[0117] FIG. 10 shows a perspective view of the attachment adapter of the measuring assembly shown in FIG. 9,

[0118] FIG. 11 shows an exemplary embodiment of an attaching method.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0119] The exemplary embodiment of a measuring device 100 shown in FIG. 1 comprises a filling and/or limit level sensor 1 configured as a radar sensor S, which serves for measuring a filling level and/or limit level of a filling material in a container 3 having a container wall 2. The measuring device 100 also comprises an attachment system 4 for attaching the filling and/or limit level sensor 1 to the container wall 2. The sensor 1 shown is in the installed position M.

[0120] The attachment system 4 comprises a first adhesive surface 5, a second adhesive surface 6, a first adhesive 7 arranged or for arrangement on the first adhesive surface 5, and a second adhesive 8 arranged or for arrangement on the second adhesive surface 6. The second adhesive 8 is represented with the crosshatched pattern.

[0121] The first adhesive surface 5 is annular, more specifically has the shape of a circular ring, is situated in exactly one plane, is different from the second adhesive surface 6 and is adjacent to the second adhesive surface 6.

[0122] The second adhesive surface 6 is arranged within the first adhesive surface 5 and is located in several planes extending at a right angle to each other. The second adhesive surface 6 is also annular and concentric with the first adhesive surface 5. A region through which the sensor 1 can measure remains free in its center. To seal this region B, which remains free, against the second adhesive 8 prior to its solidification, a seal 18 is provided, which is configured as an O-ring. In addition, this region B that remains free is sealed towards the outside by a dual seal caused by the two different adhesives 5, 6. Thus, the entry of moisture and a possible formation of condensate is reliably avoided thereby. The radar antenna 24 of the radar sensor S is sealed and completely free due to the region B that remains free, caused by the annular shape of the adhesive surfaces.

[0123] The attachment system 4 comprises a double-sided adhesive tape 17 having the first adhesive 7, which is a pressure-sensitive adhesive.

[0124] The second adhesive 8 is an adhesive with a chemical solidification mechanism, namely a two-component adhesive.

[0125] The sensor 1 has a sensor housing 9 enclosing the entire sensor 1, and the attachment system 4 comprises an attachment adapter 11. The first adhesive surface 5 is arranged on the attachment adapter 11, and the second adhesive surface 6 is arranged on the attachment adapter 11 and on the sensor housing 9. The first adhesive surface 5 is formed to run around the second adhesive surface 6.

[0126] The sensor comprises a sensor lens 10 as a part of the sensor housing 9.

[0127] The first adhesive surface 5 is configured such that, in the depicted installed position M of the sensor 1 on the container 3, it extends parallel to the container wall 2, namely spaced apart therefrom by the layer thickness of the double-sided adhesive tape 17 comprising the first adhesive 7. The second adhesive surface 6 is configured such that, in the depicted installed position M of the sensor 1, it forms with the container wall 2 a cavity 12 for accommodating the second adhesive 8. The cavity 12 is provided by an adapter depression.

[0128] As shown by dot-dashed lines, the attachment system 4 provides an adhesive filling opening 13 reaching into the cavity 12 and a vent opening 14.

[0129] The sensor 1 has a sensor unit 15 for emitting and/or receiving a radar signal and/or an evaluation unit 16 for determining, based on the radar signal, a measurement signal correlating with the filling level and/or the limit level. The sensor unit 15 includes a radar antenna 24 and a sensor lens 10.

[0130] The sensor housing 9 is detachably connected, i.e. screw-connected, with the attachment adapter 11 prior to the solidification of the second adhesive.

[0131] After the positioning of the measuring device 100 by means of the first adhesive 7, the second adhesive surface 6 was covered with the second adhesive 8 in a second step, by filling in the second adhesive 8 by means of the adhesive filling opening 13 and the vent opening 14 into the cavity 12.

[0132] Further exemplary embodiments are shown in FIGS. 2 to 9 and 11. Unless otherwise stated, identical reference numerals in this case denote identical components with identical functions. In that regard, reference is made to the above explanation. In the following, some differences from the measuring device shown in FIG. 1 and the attachment system shown in FIG. 1 will be discussed:

[0133] In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the first adhesive surface 5 and the second adhesive surface 6 are each arranged exclusively on the adapter 11. The second adhesive surface 6 forms no cavity provided by an adapter depression. The second adhesive 8 was thinly applied to the second adhesive surface 6.

[0134] In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the second adhesive surface 6 is arranged outside the first adhesive surface 5 and arranged so as to run around the latter.

[0135] In the adapter 11 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, no cavity and no adhesive filling opening or vent opening are provided.

[0136] In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the second adhesive surface 6 is disk-shaped, and in this exemplary embodiment, the sensor 1 measures through the second adhesive 8. The sensor lens 10 is in contact with the second adhesive agent 8 and glued to the container wall 2.

[0137] In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the region B that remains free is sealed, instead of by a seal, by means of a circumferentially extending projection 20 of the adapter 11.

[0138] In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the region B that remains free is sealed, instead of by a seal, by means of the first adhesive 7. The first adhesive surface 5 provides for this purpose a, relative to the second adhesive surface, inner ring, in addition to another ring of the first adhesive surface 5, which extends outside the second adhesive surface 6.

[0139] In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 7, a disk-shaped second adhesive surface 6 is exclusively provided by the adapter 11, so that no gluing of the sensor 1 takes place.

[0140] In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the sensor 1, as an alternative to the adapter 11, has a detachable module 19, which includes the sensor lens 10. The horizontal dashed line in FIG. 8 symbolizes the line of separation. The first adhesive surface 5 and the second adhesive surface 6 are arranged on this module 19.

[0141] The attachment adapter 11 shown in FIGS. 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 and 9 differs from the attachment adapter 11 shown in FIG. 1 in that the first adhesive surface 5 and the second adhesive surface 6 are each arranged exclusively on the adapter 11.

[0142] In the exemplary embodiment of a measuring assembly shown in FIG. 9, the container wall 2 has an opening 21 in the region in which the sensor 1 is arranged on the container 3. Other than in the other exemplary embodiments shown, the container wall here is not made from HDPE, but from metal, and the container 3 in the measuring assembly shown here was modified by incorporating the opening 21 for attaching the measuring device 100.

[0143] FIG. 10 illustrates a shape of the adapter 11 with a female thread 22. The adapter shown in FIG. 10 may be, for instance, the adapter shown in FIG. 2 or FIG. 9.

[0144] In the exemplary embodiment of the method for attaching the sensor 1 to the container wall 2 shown in FIG. 11, the positioning of the attachment adapter 11 on the container wall 2 has already taken place by gluing the attachment adapter 11 to the container wall 2 by means of the first adhesive 7 and gluing the adapter 11 to the container wall 2 by means of the second adhesive 8. For instance, the adapter 11 may correspond to the adapter 11 shown in FIG. 2 or FIG. 9. FIG. 11 illustrates the method step of attaching the sensor 1, more specifically the sensor housing 9, to the adapter 11 by screwing the male thread 23 of the housing into the female thread 22 of the adapter 11. The arrow R symbolizes the screwing direction. The method is free of the method steps modifying the container 3. Thus, the sensor 1 is attached to the container wall without any modifications to the container. In addition, FIG. 11 shows a shape of the housing 9 with a male thread 23. The housing shown in FIG. 11 may be the housing 9 shown, for example, in FIG. 1, 4 or 9.