Pivotable cover with releasable holding elements of a draft shield of a precision balance, and associated draft shield

Abstract

A cover (24) of a draft shield (12) of a precision balance (10), has a support frame (36) on which holding elements (40) and/or guide rails (38) are provided for a front panel (18) and/or at least one side panel (26), and a cover element (54) which is pivotable, about a bearing (60) provided at one edge, between a holding position and a releasing position. At the edge positioned opposite the bearing are holding elements (72, 74) which fix the cover element at the opposite edge of the support frame, wherein the holding elements can be released by displacing at least one portion of the cover element in the direction toward the bearing.

Claims

1. A cover for a draft shield of a precision balance, comprising: a support frame comprising holding elements and/or guide rails for a front panel and/or at least one side panel, a cover element which is pivotable, about a pivoting bearing provided at a first edge, between a holding position and a releasing position, relative to the support frame, and further holding elements positioned at a further edge of the cover element opposite the pivoting bearing, which fix the cover element at an edge of the support frame, wherein the further holding elements are configured to release by displacing at least one portion of the cover element in a direction toward the pivoting bearing.

2. The cover as claimed in claim 1, wherein the further holding elements comprise locking elements and/or locking receptacles provided on the cover element and directed away from the pivoting bearing and locking receptacles and/or locking elements provided on the support frame and directed toward the pivoting bearing.

3. The cover as claimed in claim 1, wherein an entirety of the cover element is displaceable toward the pivoting bearing in order to release the further holding elements.

4. The cover as claimed in claim 3, wherein the pivoting bearing is configured resilient away from the second edge, and wherein the pivoting bearing has bearing elements that are displaceable to a limited extent.

5. The cover as claimed in claim 4, wherein the bearing elements are spring loaded toward the holding elements.

6. The cover as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bearing elements each have a bearing pin, and bearing hooks, which engage the bearing pins, are provided on the cover element.

7. The cover as claimed in claim 1, further comprising at least one spring element, provided between the support frame and the cover element, which loads the cover element into the releasing position.

8. The cover as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cover has a cover panel which is displaceably mounted on the support frame, wherein in the holding position, the cover element holds the cover panel on the support frame and, in the releasing position, releases the cover panel.

9. The cover as claimed in claim 8, wherein the cover panel comprises an electrically conductive coating.

10. The cover as claimed in claim 8, further comprising slide rails on the support frame for the cover panel, wherein the slide rails consist of plastics, and wherein carbon brushes are provided on the slide rails as electric conductors which lie against the cover panel and connect the cover panel electrically to the support frame.

11. The cover as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support frame, the cover panel and/or the cover element are configured or coated to be electrically conductive and are electrically conductively interconnected.

12. A draft shield for a precision balance comprising: a front panel, a rear wall, two mutually opposed side panels and a cover as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support frame comprises guide rails for the side panels and/or holding elements for the front panel.

13. The draft shield as claimed in claim 12, wherein the guide rails have a U-shaped, upwardly open cross-section and the cover element covers the guide rails in the holding position.

14. The draft shield as claimed in claim 12 wherein the support frame is held on the rear wall.

15. The draft shield as claimed in claim 12, wherein the cover, the front panel and/or the side panels are configured or coated to be electrically conductive and are electrically conductively interconnected.

16. The cover as claimed in claim 1, wherein the further holding elements are configured to release the cover element from the support frame at the further edge.

17. The cover as claimed in claim 1, wherein the further holding elements are configured to release the further holding elements from each other.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further advantages and features are disclosed in the following description making reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a balance with a draft shield according to the invention,

(3) FIG. 2 is the balance of FIG. 1 with the side panels in the open position and the front panel removed,

(4) FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the balance of FIG. 1 with the cover partially open,

(5) FIG. 4 is the draft shield of FIG. 3 from a second perspective,

(6) FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a support frame of a cover of the draft shield of FIG. 1 with guide rails of a suspension guide according to the invention,

(7) FIG. 6 is a perspective view from below of a cover element for a suspension guide according to the invention,

(8) FIG. 7 is a side view of the balance of FIG. 1, in a partial sectional view in the region of the suspension guide and the cover,

(9) FIG. 7A is a partial view of the balance of FIG. 7, in the region of the suspension guide and the cover,

(10) FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a side panel of the balance of FIG. 1 with a holding device of a suspension guide according to the invention,

(11) FIG. 9 is the holding device of FIG. 8 in a detail view,

(12) FIG. 10 is the holding device of FIG. 8 in a detail view,

(13) FIG. 11 is a sectional view through the holding device of FIG. 8 in the region of a guide element,

(14) FIG. 12 is a sectional view through the draft shield of the balance of FIG. 1 in the region of the side panel,

(15) FIG. 13 is a detail view of the contact surface of the draft shield of the balance of FIG. 1,

(16) FIG. 14 is the balance of FIG. 1 with the cover element removed,

(17) FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the weighing chamber base of the precision balance of FIG. 1,

(18) FIG. 16 is a rear view of the weighing chamber base of FIG. 15,

(19) FIG. 17 is the precision balance of FIG. 1 with the weighing chamber base partially removed, and

(20) FIG. 18 is a second view of the precision balance of FIG. 17 with the front panel removed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(21) FIG. 1 shows a precision balance 10 with a weighing device 14 and a draft shield 12. The draft shield 12 serves to surround a weighing chamber 16 above the weighing device 14 and thus to protect the weighing dish of the weighing device 14 against external influences, for example, air movements, electrostatic attractive forces or thermal radiation and thereby to ensure an accurate measurement.

(22) The draft shield 12 has a front panel 18, a rear panel 20 and two mutually opposed side panels 22. In addition, a cover 24 is provided which closes the draft shield 12 upwardly. The rear wall 20 is firmly connected to the weighing device 14 and forms a support for the cover 24. The side walls 22 each have a side panel 26 which are respectively displaceable between a closed and an open position (FIG. 2). The side panels 26 and the front panel 18 extend from the cover 24 to the weighing device 14.

(23) In the closed position shown in FIG. 1, the front edges 28 of the side panels 26 lie against the side edges 30 of the front panel 18. The rear edges 32 of the side panels 26 lie against the side walls 22. The side walls 22 are tightly connected to the rear wall 20. Since the side panels 26 and the front panel 18 are also closed off upwardly at the cover 24 and downwardly at the weighing device 14, the weighing chamber 16 is completely closed off in the closed position of the side panels 26.

(24) In order to be able to clean the draft shield 12 and the precision balance 10 easily, the side panels 26, the front panel 18, parts of the cover 24 and the weighing chamber base 34 are configured demountable, as will now be described. In particular, all the parts can be disassembled without tools.

(25) The demountable components of the draft shield 12 and the precision balance 10 will now be described.

(26) As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the cover 24 of the draft shield 12 has a support frame 36 which is held at the rear wall 20. Guide rails 38 for the side panels 26 and holding elements 40 for the front panel 18 are provided on this support frame.

(27) As shown particularly in FIG. 5, the holding elements 40 are provided on a front end of the guide rails 38. The two guide rails 38 are connected to one another with a holding geometry 42. Provided on this holding geometry 42 are fastening apertures 44 for mounting the support frame 36 on the rear wall 20.

(28) Additionally, provided on the surfaces of the guide rails 38 facing one another are slide rails 46 extending in the longitudinal direction L of the guide rails 38. A cover panel 48 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) is mounted on these slide rails 46 and lies, in a closed position, against the upper edge 50 of the front panel 18. In order to provide access to the weighing chamber 16, the cover panel 48 can be displaced in the longitudinal direction L on the slide rails 46.

(29) The slide rails 46 are made preferably of plastics. The remainder of the support frame 36 can be made of metal, for example, aluminum, or also plastics. The cover panel 48 is made, for example, of glass and preferably has an electrically conductive coating. The fact that the slide rails 46 are made of plastics reliably prevents scratching of the cover panel 48. In order to prevent electrostatic charging of the cover panel 48, electric conductors 52, in particular, carbon brushes, are provided in the rear region of the slide rails 46 on the support frame 36, wherein the brushes lie against the cover panel 48 and connect the panel electrically to the support frame 36.

(30) In order to prevent electrostatic charging of the cover 24, all the parts of the cover 24 can be configured either electrically conductive or coated so that electric charges can be conducted away.

(31) Similarly, the front panel 18, the side panels 22 and all the further parts of the draft shield 12 or the precision balance 10 can be configured electrically conductive and/or coated and electrically connected to one another so that an electrostatic charging of individual parts, in particular, the panel, is reliably prevented.

(32) The cover 24 also has a cover element 54 which, as described below, is pivotable at one edge 56 of the cover 24, here the rear edge 56 between a holding position (FIG. 1) and a releasing position (FIGS. 3 and 4). Provided between the support frame 36 and the cover element 54 are spring elements 58 which load the cover element 54 toward the releasing position. The mounting 60 of the cover element 54 on the support frame 36 is formed by bearing elements 62 provided on the support frame 36 which each have a bearing pin 64 (see FIGS. 7 and 7A). The bearing elements 62 are configured to be elastically resilient in the longitudinal direction L. Bearing hooks 66 which are open in the longitudinal direction L, that is, rearwardly, and can engage on the bearing pins 64 are provided on the cover element 54.

(33) Since the bearing elements 62 are configured resilient in the longitudinal direction L, the whole cover element 54 can be displaced to a limited extent in the direction toward the bearing 60, wherein the cover element is loaded by the elastically yielding bearing elements 62 in the direction toward a second edge 68, here the front edge 68 of the support frame 36.

(34) In order to hold the cover 24 in the closed holding position (FIG. 7), holding elements 72, 74 are provided on the front edge 70 of the cover element opposite the bearing 60 and at the front edge 68 of the support frame. The holding elements 72, 74 are configured such that they fix the cover element 54 at the front edge 68 of the support frame 36. By displacement of the cover element 54 in the longitudinal direction L in the direction toward the bearing 60, the holding elements 72, 74 can be released.

(35) As shown in FIG. 6, the holding elements 74 are formed on the cover element 54 by locking elements facing away from the bearing hooks 66. The holding elements 72 provided on the support frame 36 are formed by locking receptacles which are directed in the direction toward the bearing 60. If the locking hooks, that is, the holding elements 74 are moved in the direction toward the bearing 60, they are released by the holding elements 72 formed by the locking receptacles, so that the cover element 54 can be pivoted about the bearing 60 into the releasing position.

(36) The holding elements 72, 74 are thus released, for example, by a pressure on the front edge of the cover element 54, by which the cover element is pushed toward the bearing 60. Subsequently, the cover element 54 is moved by the spring elements 58 into the releasing position.

(37) Even if no spring elements 58 are provided, it is easily possible to release the holding elements 72, 74 and to move the cover element into the releasing position. In order to release the holding elements 72, 74, pressure on the front edge 70 is needed. Following the release of the holding elements, the pressing direction must merely be changed and directed slightly upwardly. In particular, it is possible to select a pressing direction facing obliquely upwardly and in the longitudinal direction L, by which sufficient pressing force is applied to release the holding elements 72, 74 and the cover element 54 is subsequently moved into the releasing position without any change in the pressing direction. Thus, the cover element can be moved in a fluid movement from the holding position into the releasing position. Elaborate releasing of the holding elements 72, 74 is not necessary.

(38) In the releasing position shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, it is also possible to remove the cover panel 48 from the support frame 36 without tools in that it is removed upwardly out of the slide rails 46.

(39) Furthermore, in this releasing position, as described below, the side panels 26 of the draft shield 12 can also be removed without tools.

(40) As shown in FIG. 14, the cover element 54 can be completely removed after moving into the releasing position, so that easier removal of the cover panel 48 and the side panels 26 is possible. This removal is possible since the bearing hooks 66 are configured open so that they can be easily released from the bearing pins 64. In the holding position, however, the bearing hooks 66 are biased by the spring pre-tension of the bearing elements 62 against the bearing pins 64 so that release is not possible. The bearing hooks 66 can, for example, also latch onto the bearing pins 64 in order to provide additional security against removal of the cover element 54.

(41) The mounting of the side panels 26 is achieved with a suspension guide 78, shown in detail in FIGS. 8 to 12, arranged at the upper edge 76 of the side panels 26 and a contact surface 82 provided at the lower edge 80 of the side panels 26.

(42) The suspension guides 78 are each formed by a guide rail 38 of the support frame 36 and by a holding device 84 on which the side panel 26 is held.

(43) As shown in FIGS. 8 to 11, the holding device 84 has a seating 86 for the side panel 26. The seating 86 is formed by a slot through which a projection 88 of the side panel 26 is fed (FIG. 8). The projection 88 is fixed in the seating 86 by a screw 90. The screw 90 can clamp the side panel against the seating 86 or can extend through the side panel.

(44) Also provided on the holding device 84 are guide elements 92 formed by rollers, with which the holding device 84 can be mounted in the guide rails 38 displaceable in the longitudinal direction L.

(45) The contact surface 82 is formed by a lateral border of the weighing chamber base 34, wherein the contact surface 82 extends in the longitudinal direction L and substantially vertically.

(46) The guide rails 38 each have an upwardly open groove 94 into which the guide elements 92 can be hung vertically from above. The assembly made of the holding device 84 and the side panel 26 can be pivoted in this assembled state about the contact line 96 between the guide rails 38 and the guide elements 92.

(47) As shown particularly in FIG. 12, the guide elements 92 are arranged outside the plane E which is formed by the seating 86 and the side panel 26. In this way, the center of gravity of the assembly formed from the holding device 84 and the side panel 26 is situated, in relation to FIG. 12, laterally offset from the vertical through the contact line 96. Due to gravity, this assembly is therefore urged to move the center of gravity under the contact line 96. As a result, the side panel 26 is pressed with the lower edge 80 against the contact surface 82 so that the side panel 26 lies closely against the contact surface 82.

(48) Since the contact surface 82 extends in the longitudinal direction L, it also serves as a guide for the lower edge 80 of the side panel 26. Also provided on the contact surface 82 is a guide projection 97, which serves as a protective device in order to prevent lifting of the lower edge 80 of the side panel 26 from the contact surface 82. In normal operation of the precision balance 10 or of the draft shield 12, however, this guide projection 97 is not needed since the side panel 26 is pressed by gravity against the contact surface 82.

(49) Furthermore, a detent stop 99 is provided on the side surface 22, wherein the detent stop holds the side panel 26 in the closed position.

(50) Apart from the suspension guide 78 arranged at the upper edge 76 of the side panels 26, therefore, no additional complex mounting is needed at the lower edge 80.

(51) Since the guide rails 38 are formed by upwardly open grooves 94, the side panels 26 can be easily removed vertically upwardly from the guide rails 38.

(52) The assembly of the side panels 26 is also simplified since they have merely to be hung into the guide rails 38 with the holding devices 84 and the guide elements 92. Due to gravity, the lower edges 80 automatically come into contact with the contact surfaces 82. Complex orientation of the lower edges 80 or feeding into a lower guide is not necessary.

(53) In order to prevent the removal of the side panels 26 during normal operation of the draft shield 12, in the holding position, the cover element 54 covers the guide rails 38 vertically upwardly. The guide elements 92 thus cannot be removed from the guide rails. In order to be able to remove the side panels 26, it is necessary to move the cover element 54 into the releasing position in which the guide rails 38 are open vertically upwardly.

(54) Irrespective of the configuration of the holding device or of the guide elements 92, it is merely necessary for the guide elements 92 to be arranged outside the plane formed by the side panel 26 or the seatings 86, so that the side panel can tilt about the contact line 96 between the guide rail 38 and the guide element 92 against the contact surface 82.

(55) In order to prevent tilting in the plane of the side panels 26, a plurality of holding devices 84 can also be provided at a side panel 26.

(56) As shown in FIGS. 15 to 18, the contact surfaces 82 are arranged on the weighing chamber base 34 of the precision balance 10. Apart from the cover 24, the side panels 26 and the front panel 18, the weighing chamber base 34 is also configured demountable, so that this can also be removed from the precision balance 10 for cleaning.

(57) For this purpose, the weighing chamber base 34 has a weighing chamber base portion 98 and two side flanges 100. The side flanges 100 are disposed at opposing edges 102 of the weighing chamber base portion 98 and are arranged substantially perpendicular to the weighing chamber base portion 98 and parallel to one another.

(58) Situated at the inner surfaces 104 facing one another are fastening devices 106 which in this embodiment are formed by locking elements. Provided on the housing of the weighing device 14 are substantially horizontally extending locking edges 108 on which the fastening devices 106 can engage.

(59) The weighing chamber basebase 34 is placed vertically from above onto the weighing device 14, by which the side flanges 100 encompass the housing on opposite sides. The weighing chamber base 34 is pushed onto the housing until the fastening devices 106 latch onto the locking edges 108. The side flanges 100 are configured elastically resilient so that they can give way during pushing onto the locking edges. If the fastening devices 106 are located behind the locking edges, the side flanges 100 are pressed resiliently against the housing, so that the fastening devices 106 latch onto the locking edges 108.

(60) For demounting of the weighing chamber base 34, the side flanges 100 are pulled away laterally until the fastening devices 106 are released from the locking edges 108. Subsequently, the weighing chamber base 34 can be pulled upwardly from the housing (FIG. 18).

(61) As shown in FIGS. 15 and 17, the contact surfaces 82 for the side panels 26 are each formed by a step provided on the side flanges 100, on which the guide projection 97 is also provided. Depending on the form of the housing and of the weighing chamber base 34, however, a step of this type is not necessary.

(62) The weighing chamber base portion 98 is configured essentially planar (FIG. 15) wherein the peripheral edges 110 are raised relative to the remaining weighing chamber base portion 98. Situated centrally is a through opening 112 for a weighing mechanism (not shown in detail). Formed around this through opening 112 is also a raised edge 114.

(63) The raised edges 110, 114 prevent liquids that find their way onto the weighing chamber base portion 98 from flowing out of the weighing chamber base 34 and, for example, through the through opening 112 to the weighing mechanism and contaminating it.

(64) As shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, the side flanges 100 of the weighing chamber base 34 form the side walls 22 of the draft shield 12 in places. Since therefore no gap is present between the side walls and the weighing chamber base portion 98, liquids or foreign bodies which find their way onto the weighing chamber base 34 cannot penetrate into the housing and contaminate the weighing mechanism.

(65) As FIGS. 17 and 18 show, apart from the side panels 26, the cover 24 and the weighing chamber base 34, the front panel 18 can also be removed from the holding elements 40 and a holding rail 116. For this purpose, the holding elements 40 are configured elastically resilient to a limited extent in the vertical direction so that for removal of the front panel 18, they can be lifted upwardly.

(66) Thus, approximately all the parts of the draft shield 12 can be demounted without tools, so that easy cleaning of the draft shield 12 and the precision balance 10 and easy access to the weighing chamber 16 are possible.

(67) In order to be able to clean the panels easily, that is, the cover panel 48, the side panels 26 and the front panel 18, components present on the panels, for example, handles 118 or the holding devices 84, can also be easily demounted, preferably without tools. In particular, the handles 118 can be easily latched on the panels, so that tool-free release of this latching is possible.