Digital linearization in a weighing cell

Abstract

A force exerted by a load is determined in a force-measuring device (1) operating under electromagnetic force compensation. The device includes a measurement transducer (18, 118) with a coil (20, 120) movably immersed in a magnet system (19, 119) and a force-transmitting mechanical connection between a load-receiving part (12, 112) and the coil or magnet system. A position sensor (21, 28), also part of the device, determines a displacement of the coil from its settling position relative to the magnet system (19, 119) which occurs when the load is placed on the load-receiving part. An electrical current (24) flowing through the coil generates an electromagnetic force between the coil and the magnet system whereby the coil and the load-receiving part are returned to, and/or held at, the settling position. The magnitude of current and the amount of displacement are used to determine the weight force exerted by the load.

Claims

1. A method for determining a weight force of a load on a force-measuring device operating according to the principle of electromagnetic force compensation, the force measuring device comprising: a measurement transducer, comprising a magnet system and a coil, arranged for movement relative to the magnet system, the coil having a settling position at which the coil resides when all forces acting on the coil are in equilibrium; a load receiving part, arranged to transmit mechanically the weight force exerted thereon to the measurement transducer, through one of the coil and the magnet system; and a first position sensor, arranged to determine an amount of displacement of the coil from the settling position; the method comprising the steps of: applying a load to the load receiving part, causing the coil to be displaced from the settling position; determining, using the position sensor, an amount by which the coil is displaced from the settling position; applying, to the coil, an electrical current of a magnitude calculated to generate an electromagnetic force sufficient to return the coil to the settling position, the calculation achieved from an input signal to a position-controlling unit; and calculating a weight force exerted by the applied load, using both the magnitude of the electrical current and the amount of the coil displacement, wherein a transfer means relates, through an arithmetic instruction that is stored in a processing unit, the magnitude of the electrical current and the amount of the coil displacement to the determination of the weight force, the arithmetic instruction comprising the equation:
aX.sup.2+(db)X+ec wherein X is the coil displacement and a, b, c, d and e are constants.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein: the first position sensor that determines the amount of the coil displacement also provides the input signal to the position-controlling unit.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein: a second position sensor provides the input signal to the position-controlling unit.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein: the transfer means is stored as at least one of: a transfer table, in which values of the amount of the coil displacement and values of the magnitude of the electrical coil current are correlated with values of the weight force of the applied load; and a transfer function, having at least one parameter and using as input quantities at least the magnitude of the electrical coil current and the amount of the coil displacement.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein: the at least one parameter of the transfer function is stored as at least one of: a parameter table and a system-characteristic curve.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein: the at least one parameter of the transfer function is load-dependent.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein: the values of the transfer table and the at least one parameter of the transfer function are determined by at least one of the following methods: varying the displacement of the coil while measuring essentially simultaneously the magnitude of the electrical coil current associated with the displacement of the coil; varying the magnitude of the electrical coil current while measuring essentially simultaneously the displacement of the coil associated with the magnitude of the electrical coil current, and analyzing the displacement of the coil relative to the magnitude of the electrical coil current in the presence of vibrations.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein: the values of the transfer table and the at least one parameter of the transfer function are determined both with and without a weight being placed on the load-receiving part, the weight being one of: a weight that is set on the load-receiving part from the outside and a weight that is engaged internally by means of a mechanism.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein: the transfer means is one of: produced individually for each force-measuring device, and produced generically for force-measuring devices of the same type.

10. A force-measuring cell, functioning in accordance with the principle of electromagnetic force compensation, for a gravimetric force-measuring device that determines a weight force according to the method of claim 1.

11. A computer program, implemented on a gravimetric force-measuring device which operates according to the principle of electromagnetic force compensation and the method of claim 1, wherein the program contains an algorithm that: receives inputs comprising the magnitude of the electrical coil current and the amount of the displacement of the coil from its settling position; determines a weight force; and generates, as an output, a display value of the weight force.

12. The computer program of claim 11, wherein the inputs received by the algorithm further comprise: a time signal; and at least one temperature signal.

13. The computer program of claim 11 for the implementation of the method of determining a weight force, wherein the algorithm calls up a transfer means, stored in a processing unit of the device, the transfer means comprising an arithmetic instruction functioning to connect the magnitude of the electrical current and the amount of the coil displacement to the determination of the weight force.

14. A checkweighing system for weighing objects, comprising: an infeed conveyor belt to carry the weighing objects into the system; a weighing conveyor belt, connected to a force-measuring device; an outgoing conveyor belt to carry the weighing objects out of the system, and, a terminal, in communication with the force-measuring device, the terminal having a computer program according to claim 11 implemented thereon.

15. The method of claim 3, wherein: in the weight force calculating step, a transfer means connects the magnitude of the electrical current and the amount of the coil displacement to the determination of the weight force, the transfer means comprising an arithmetic instruction that is stored in the processing unit.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein: the transfer means is stored as at least one of: a transfer table, in which values of the amount of the coil displacement and values of the magnitude of the electrical coil current are correlated with values of the weight force of the applied load; and a transfer function, having at least one parameter and using as input quantities at least the magnitude of the electrical coil current and the amount of the coil displacement.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein: the at least one parameter of the transfer function is load-dependent.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In the following, the subject of the invention is further explained through examples of preferred embodiments which are illustrated in the attached drawings, wherein identical parts are identified with identical reference number sand wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 schematically illustrates, in a laterally directed sectional view, a force-measuring cell of a top-loading force-measuring device configured as a lever system;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a force-measuring cell configured as a direct-measuring system;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a block diagram which helps to describe the sequence of functions in a force-measuring device according to the invention;

(5) FIG. 4 represents a position/current graph covering the entire range of displacement of the coil, with a transfer function A and a transfer function B.sub.i;

(6) FIG. 5 represents a position/current graph covering the entire range of displacement of the coil, with a transfer function A and the transfer functions B.sub.1, B.sub.2 and B.sub.3:

(7) FIG. 6 represents a position/current graph covering a section of the displacement range in the vicinity of the settling position, with a transfer function A and a transfer function B.sub.i, in the presence of coil oscillations;

(8) FIG. 7 illustrates in diagram form a comparison between the zero point deviations due to oscillations of a force-measuring device with a weighing range of 0-400 grams for, respectively, a method of the prior art and the method according to the invention, in the absence of a weighing load (zero-load condition);

(9) FIG. 8 illustrates in diagram form a comparison between the zero point deviations due to oscillations of a force-measuring device with a weighing range of 0-400 grams for, respectively, a method of the prior art and the method according to the invention, at a weighing load of 400 grams;

(10) FIG. 9 illustrates in diagram form a comparison between the transient responses of dynamic checkweighing scales operating, respectively, according to a prior-art method and according to the method of the present invention; and

(11) FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing the process for applying a transfer means to calculate the weight force for display.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(12) In the following description, features with the same function and similar configuration are identified by the same reference symbols.

(13) FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a force-measuring cell of a force-measuring device 1, in a sectional view from the side. By way of the stationary part 11, the force-measuring device 1 is mounted on a supporting structure. The load-receiving part 12, which is connected to the stationary part 11 by two parallel guides 14, carries a weighing pan 15 on which the weighing load is placed. The parallel guides 14 are connected by flexure pivots 16 to the load-receiving part 12 and to the stationary part 11. A flexure pivot defines an axis of rotation, but in any direction transverse to the axis of rotation, the flexure pivot behaves as a practically rigid force-transmitting element. The force-measuring device 1 is not limited to the illustrated configuration with the weighing pan on top but can also be configured with the weighing pan arranged below, in most cases suspended by way of a hanger. The coupling 13 transmits the weight force to the first lever arm of the balance beam 17 which is supported by a fulcrum. Arranged at the other end, the outer extremity of the second lever arm of the balance beam 17, is the measurement transducer 18 which generates a compensation force 25 to counteract the lever-reduced weight force. The measurement transducer 18 illustrated here is shown as a current-conducting coil 20 which is movably immersed in a magnet system 19. If the compensation force 25 generated by the measurement transducer 18 and acting on the second lever arm corresponds to the weight force acting on the first lever arm, the balance beam 17 is in equilibrium and thus in the settling position. This settling position is monitored by a position sensor 21.

(14) When a mass is placed or a force is acting on the balance pan 15, the load-receiving part 12 moves downward, parallel to the stationary part 11, constrained by the parallel guides 12. The balance beam 17, which is connected to the load-receiving part 12 through the coupling member 13, transmits the movement of the load-receiving part 12 with a defined reduction ratio to the other end of the balance beam 17 which faces towards the measurement transducer 18. The position sensor 21, detecting a displacement of the coil 20 from its settling position, generates a corresponding position signal 22. The position signal 22 is sent as input signal to the position-controlling unit 23 which generates and controls an electrical current 24 through the coil 20 in such a way that the coil 20 and the balance beam 17 are returned to their settling position. After the coil 20 has settled back into a stationary state in the settling position, the magnitude of the coil current represents a measure for the mass or force imposed on the load-receiving part 12. The current 24 is measured; the display value 27 is calculated by means of a processing unit 26 and subsequently presented on a display panel.

(15) FIG. 2 shows a possible configuration of a force-measuring cell 100 as a direct-measuring system. The stationary parallel leg 111 is supported by a base structure. The movable parallel leg 112, which serves to receive the load, is connected to the force-transmitting rod 117 and movably constrained by parallel guides 114, which in the example of FIG. 2 have the form of diaphragm springs. In the illustrated embodiment, the measurement transducer 118 is arranged at the lower end of the force-transmitting rod 117, with the coil being connected to the movable parallel leg 112 and the magnet system 119 being attached to the stationary parallel leg 111. In possible alternative configurations the measurement transducer 118 could be arranged in the space between the parallel guides 114 and/or by switching places between the magnet system 119 and the coil 120.

(16) FIG. 3, which has the form of a block diagram, illustrates the sequence of functions in a force-measuring device according to the state of the art and in a force-measuring device 1 according to the invention. A load that is placed on the pan 15 exerts a force F on the load-receiving part 12, 112 which causes a displacement from the settling position of the balance beam 17 and the coil 20 or the magnet system 19 that is connected to the balance beam 17, or of the force-transmitting rod 117 and the coil 120 or the magnet system 119 that is connected to the transmitting rod 117. In other words, these elements take on a different position. The new position x is determined by the position sensor 21 and a corresponding position signal 22 is sent to the position-controlling unit 23. Based on the position signal 22, the position-controlling unit 23, which in most cases includes a PID controller, continuously determines the magnitude of coil current 24 required to return the system to the settling position. As a result of the coil current 24, the coil 20, 120 produces a magnetic field and generates a compensation force 25 acting between the magnet system 19, 119 and the coil 20, which moves, respectively, the balance beam 17 or the force-transmitting rod 117 back to the settling position. The same chain of events repeats itself continuously, whereby the system is regulated or held at the settling position. This control loop corrects the displacement of the balance beam 17 or of the force-transmitting rod 117 dynamically, i.e. several times per second, for example in the frequency range from 500 Hz to 10 kHz.

(17) Since the coil current 24 represents a direct measure for the compensation force 25, the weight force of the load on the load-receiver is calculated by the processing unit 26 based on the measured value of the coil current 24 and presented as the display result 27. The calculation of the display value 27 also includes additional factors such as for example the ambient temperature and the magnet temperature as well as time-dependent dynamic effects.

(18) In force-measuring devices 1 of the state of the art, the display value 27 is calculated according to an equation of the form:
F=f(I,T,t)
wherein the coil current 24 and the temperature-related factors enter into the calculation as independent parameters. In addition, the calculation includes time-dependent operations to compensate for dynamic effects occurring during the power-up phase or with a change in the load. This aspect is addressed in a transfer function with constants that are specific to a given type of force-measuring cell and include, among other factors, the lever ratio of the balance beam 17 for the conversion from the compensation force 25 of the coil 20 to the weight force or the mass placed on the load-receiving part 12. In order to continuously present a display value 27 on the display panel rather than only when the balance beam 17 or the force-transmitting rod 117 is exactly at the settling position, the display value 27 in state-of-the-art force-measuring devices is electronically filtered, i.e. a time dependent mean value is formed by means of the transfer function. The coil current is regulated by a position-controlling unit in accordance with the following function:
I=f(F,z,T,t)
which in addition to the effects of temperature (T) and dynamic effects (t) also takes possible disturbance quantities (z) into account.

(19) Some of the constants of the transfer function are stored in the processing unit 26 at the factory after the assembly process of the force-measuring device has been completed. These constants are valid only for the stationary state in the regulation of the coil at the settling position 20, 120 because, as mentioned earlier, the magnetic field of the magnet system 19, 119 is not perfectly homogeneous or because of non-linearities in the position measurement, in the flexure pivots 16 or in the elastic links or diaphragms, or in the lever reduction.

(20) In the presence of vibrations, oscillations or other disturbances of the force-measuring device 1, a display value 27 for the weight of a load on the load receiver which is calculated only on the basis of the coil current 24 will be subject to errors, because the constants of the transfer function which were calibrated for the exact settling position of the coil 20, 120 are no longer applicable with perfect accuracy. The calculated weight force F that is based on the magnitude of the coil current 24 at a time when the coil 20, 120 is not at the settling position is therefore different from the actual weight force F of the load on the balance pan.

(21) The method of determining the weight force in accordance with the invention is distinguished by the feature that the processing unit 26 additionally uses the position signal 22 of the position sensor 21, i.e. the amount of the displacement of the coil 20, 120 from its settling position, for the calculation of the display value 27 that corresponds to the weight value of the weight on the balance pan. To mathematically connect the magnitude of the electrical coil current 24 and the amount of the displacement of the coil 20, 120 to the determination of the weight, a transfer means 30 is stored in the processing unit 26 as an arithmetic instruction. This is indicated in FIG. 3 by the broken lines. Instead of the position signal 22, it is also possible to send input signals to the processing unit 26 which contain the same information regarding the position x, i.e. the position of the coil 20, 120 relative to the magnet system 19, 119. This is indicated in FIG. 3 by the dash-dotted line. For example, one could use a second, additional sensor 28 such as an acceleration sensor, a velocity sensor, an angle-measuring sensor or a position sensor, in order to supply the respective information to the processor unit 26. The calculation of the display value 27 according to the method of the invention is thus based on the formula:
F=f(x,I,T,t)
wherein the temperature T and the timing of the calculation of the display value again have an influence on the display value 27. The force-measuring device 1 thus has the capability to also enter the displacement of the coil 20, 120 from its settling position into the calculation of the display value 27 and, consequently, to also take non-linearities into account, such as for example the inhomogeneity of the magnet system 19, 119 as well as non-linearities in the position measurement, in the parallel guides 14, 114, especially in the flexure pivots 16 or in the elastic links or diaphragms, or in the lever reduction. This improves the quantitative value for the position signal 22, 22 which is taken into account in the calculation of the display value 27, but does not affect the regulating function performed by the position-controlling unit 23.

(22) FIGS. 4 to 6 show system-characteristic curves in the form of position/current diagrams for different force-measuring devices 1 and how they affect the calculation of the display value 27 in the processing unit 26. Each of the diagrams shows the system-characteristic curve A of an idealized force-measuring device 1 with an ideal behavior of the flexure pivots 16 or elastic links and of the magnet system 19, 119, and one or more system-characteristic curves B.sub.i for a force-measuring device 1 with an ideal behavior of the flexure pivots 16 or elastic links and a reality-based behavior of the magnet system 19, 119. The marks for 100% and 100% and for 10% and 10% on the horizontal axis define the displaced position of the coil 20, 120 relative to the magnet system 19, 119.

(23) In FIG. 4 the system-characteristic curve A is shown as a straight line, which means that under ideal conditions a displacement of the coil 20, 120 from its settling position translates into a change of the current 24 in a linear relationship. In contrast to this, the system-characteristic curve B.sub.i reflects the actually occurring situation, i.e. the aforementioned inhomogeneity of the magnet system 19, 119. If a force F is exerted on the load-receiving part 12, 112, the position x changes and the position-controlling unit 23 receives a corresponding position signal 22 from the position sensor 21. Based on the measurement of the coil current I.sub.A, the processing unit 26 calculates the display value 27 as indicated in FIG. 4 by the broken-line arrows. Once the coil 20, 120 has returned to the settling position at the end of the regulating action, the current I.sub.0 measured at that time will be proportionate to the force F acting on the load-receiving part.

(24) As mentioned above, the system-characteristic curve A falls short of reflecting the actual situation, i.e. it is only an inaccurate representation of the real behavior. Due to the inhomogeneity of the magnet system 19, 119 and the non-linear restoring forces of the flexure pivots 16 or elastic links, a transfer function of at least the second order, as illustrated by the graph B.sub.i in FIG. 4, is required in order to represent the actual behavior. Thus, when the processing unit receives the position signal 22, 22, it should in actuality calculate a display value 27 that corresponds to the coil current I.sub.B. The discrepancy between the system-characteristic curves A and B is smaller in the vicinity of the settling position, as the system-characteristic curves are matched to the behavior of the magnet system 19, 119 around the settling position. The consequence of using a graph A is that the processing unit 26 would be supplied with an incorrect current signal for the calculation of the display value.

(25) To correct this problem in the calculation of the display value, the processing unit 26 according to the invention uses additionally, i.e. besides the magnitude of the coil current 24, the position signal 22 of the position sensor 21 (or the position signal 22 of the position sensor 28) and a transfer means 30 which is stored in an internal memory of the processing unit 26. The transfer means 30 can for example have the form of a transfer function or a transfer table. This means that the transfer means 30 according to the invention includes the values of the previously mentioned transfer factor k for a plurality of positions x within the entire displacement range of the balance beam 17 or the force-transmitting rod 117. In the calculation of the display value 27, the processing unit 26 selects the transfer factor 27 based on the position signal 22, 22 received by the processing unit 26 and based on the load on the load-receiving part. In other words, the transfer means 30 is a computing instruction which depends, among other things, on the position x and thus establishes a correlation between the magnitude of the electrical coil current 24 and the amount of displacement of the coil 20, 120 from the settling position.

(26) It has been found that a transfer means 30 as described above depends on the mass of the weighing load, which means that the parameters of the transfer means 30 are associated with specific amounts of the weighing load. This is illustrated in FIG. 5 with different transfer functions B.sub.1, B.sub.2 and B.sub.3. The stronger the force that is exerted on the load receiver 12, 112, the more the transfer function B.sub.i will be curved away from the straight-line graph A. The graph of the transfer function B.sub.3 is curved upwards. This shape is characteristic for a measurement transducer 18, 118 in which the force reverses its direction, as is the case for example in push/pull systems. The transfer means 30 therefore includes at least one transfer function with the corresponding parameters which is used for the determination of the display value 27 at the point where the transfer function most closely agrees with the force acting on the load receiver, or an interpolation is made between the respective parameters of two transfer functions.

(27) FIG. 6 illustrates the effects of oscillations and/or vibrations centered at the settling position. The area around the settling position has been enlarged, so that the visible part of the x-axis extends only from 10% to +10% of the range of the position x. The oscillation of the position signal 22, 22 is shown in approximation as a sinus curve that is symmetric relative to the settling position. In an idealized force-measuring device 1 with the system-characteristic curve A, the oscillation will cause a current I.sub.A that oscillates about the mean value I.sub.Am. With a behavior as it occurs in reality and is illustrated by the system-characteristic curve B.sub.i, the oscillatory signal of the position x translates into a coil current signal I.sub.B. This current signal I.sub.B which reflects what occurs in reality is an asymmetrically distorted signal that was converted by the transfer function, resulting in a deviation M of the mean value of the current I.sub.B in relation to I.sub.A.

(28) In the comparison of the two mean values of the currents I.sub.A and I.sub.B, a deviation M of the mean value becomes apparent. Without the method of this invention, the display value 27 would therefore also be subject to a deviation. This deviation M is indicated on the ordinate axis (I-axis) in FIG. 6 by two mutually opposed arrows.

(29) To enable the processing unit 26 to calculate the display value 27 in accordance with actual behavior, a transfer means 30 is stored in the memory of the processing unit. The transfer means 30 defines the computing instruction for the display value 27 with the position x and the coil current 24 as input variables and also includes parameters. As previously mentioned, it can have the form of a transfer function or a transfer table.

(30) The values and/or parameters of a transfer means 30 can be determined according to one of the following approaches. Advantageously, the determination of the values and/or parameters of the transfer means 30 is performed in the course of the production process of the force-measuring device 1, specifically during the adjustment phase. A transfer means 30 can be produced individually for each force-measuring device 1, or a generic transfer means 30 can be determined for force-measuring devices 1 of the same type. The generic transfer means can be based on the arithmetic mean of a plurality of previously determined transfer means 30 which can subsequently be used for all force-measuring devices 1 of the same type. Another possibility is to determine the transfer means 30 at the place of installation of the equipment at a customer's facility. This can be accomplished in a short time by using the procedure of the following description.

(31) The term calibration is used in the sense of measuring and recording a deviation of a measured value from the true value of the measurement quantity under prescribed conditions without making a physical change. If a change is made to correct the deviation, the term adjustment is used. For example in the process of adjusting a balance, a deviation is corrected through manual fine-tuning of its functions by a trained technician making changes in the settings of specific elements, or through a semi-automatic procedure performed by the user, wherein a reference weight, which can be an external accessory or a built-in part of the balance, is placed on the load-receiver, or through an automatic process, if the balance is equipped with an automatically actuated adjusting mechanism.

(32) Among the possibilities for determining the values and/or parameters of the transfer function 30, a first approach is to vary the displacement of the coil 20, 120 and to measure at essentially the same time the magnitude of the electrical coil current 24 associated with the displacement of the coil 20, 120. Alternatively, as a second possible approach, the values and/or parameters of the transfer function 30 can be determined by varying the magnitude of the electrical coil current 24 and by measuring at essentially the same time the displacement of the coil 20, 120 associated with the magnitude of the electrical coil current 24.

(33) As a third possible approach in determining the values and/or parameters of the transfer function 30, the displacement of the coil 20, 120 in the presence of vibrations is analyzed in relation to the magnitude of the electrical coil current 24. This process can be performed during the calibration phase on a vibration table specifically designed for this purpose, or at the place of installation during normal operation of the force-measuring device 1. This third approach of determining the values and/or parameters of the transfer function 30 is used with preference in checkweighing scales.

(34) If the force-measuring device 1 is equipped with an internal calibration weight that is connected to the load-receiving part and can be coupled and uncoupled when a calibration is needed, the force-measuring device has the capability that one or more of the aforementioned possible approaches or the determination of the parameters can be performed either under menu control or autonomously.

(35) The graphs in FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate the improvement of the display value 27 that is achieved by the method of the invention (dash-dotted line) in comparison to a state-of-the-art force-measuring device with a lever system (dotted line) in a balance that oscillates with an acceleration amplitude of about 0.2 m/s.sup.2 or 2% of the gravitational acceleration on the earth's surface. This improvement of the display value 27 is also referred to as robustness. The abscissa in the graphs is graduated in units of the excitation frequency (Hz), and the ordinate axis is graduated in parts per million [ppm] of the deviation of the display value 27 relative to the weight of the load on the load receiver. The two graphs of FIGS. 7 and 8 relate to the same force-measuring device 1 which has a weighing range of 0 to 400 grams. FIG. 7 illustrates the behavior when the force-measuring device operates at the zero point, i.e. without a force being exerted on the load receiving part 12. FIG. 8 illustrates the robustness with a weighing load of 400 grams. From both of the FIGS. 7 and 8 it is clearly evident that in the case of this example an enormous, up to ten-fold improvement (i.e. a higher degree of robustness of the force-measuring device 1 against oscillations and/or vibrations) can be achieved at low oscillation frequencies, while at higher frequencies the dash-dotted line (method of the invention) and the dotted line (prior art) asymptotically approach each other.

(36) By using the method of the invention in force-measuring devices 1 of dynamic check-weighing scales, a faster weight measurement can be achieved as illustrated in FIG. 9. The products that are to be weighed move from the infeed conveyor belt to the weighing conveyor belt and from the weighing conveyor belt to the outgoing conveyor belt. This movement causes an oscillation of the weighing conveyor belt and in consequence also of the display value 27, whereupon the position-controlling unit 23 regulates the coil current 24 in such a way that the balance beam 17 or the force-transmitting rod 117 returns to the settling position. The signal F.sub.A of the display value of a checkweighing scale with a force-measuring device of the prior art follows an asymptotic curve F.sub.M which, due to the deviation M of the mean value (see FIG. 6), differs from the end value but gradually settles into the latter as the oscillation subsides and the deviation M of the mean value decreases at the same time. A force-measuring device 1 in which the display value 27 is determined in accordance with the method of the invention settles into the end value from the start. The difference is evident in the two filtered signal graphs F.sub.Am and F.sub.Bm, which are obtained with the same electrical filter and reach their respective mean values F.sub.A and F.sub.B after about one and a half oscillation periods. While the signal F.sub.Bm is within the tolerance band of the target value already after the time interval t.sub.B, the signal F.sub.Bm arrives within the tolerance band only after a time interval t.sub.A which is longer than t.sub.B. The tolerance band of the target value defines the threshold value where the display value 27 begins to meet the required precision for the weighing process. Consequently, the sooner the display value 27 arrives within the tolerance band, the faster the articles can be moved across the weighing conveyor belt. Conversely, one could tighten the required precision, i.e. set a narrower tolerance, and still arrive within the tolerance band in the same time t.sub.A. With the latter option, the throughput of articles remains the same, while the precision of the display value 27 is increased.

(37) It is known from the prior art that, when the weighing cell is in equilibrium, the display weight force F is proportional to the compensation force. Further, the compensation force is proportional to the coil current I. As a result, it may be stated that the coil current I is proportional to the display weight force:
F=kI.
In this equation, the transfer constant k is specified in the design for every type of weighing cell. It is also stored in a possessing unit, such as processing unit 26, so it can be used in the calculation of the compensation force. For this reason, the transfer constant k describes the conversion of a measured coil current I into a force F, that is, the proportional factor of the weighing cell (average ratio).

(38) The amount of coil displacement from the settling position also needs to be considered. For example, FIG. 4 shows a graph of current I as a function of displacement x. Under such a condition, the immediately prior equation can be expressed:
F=kI(x).

(39) Continuing to review FIG. 4, it may be seen that an idealized measuring device 1, with flexure pivots 16 and magnet system 19, 119 exhibiting ideal behavior, will provide a system-characteristic curve A, which is noted as being linear. The aim of an algorithm that linearizes the load cell is to adapt a real behavior curve, which is notably non-linear, such as system-characteristic curve B of FIG. 4, to operate in the manner of curve A. This allows the immediately prior equation to be restated as follows:
F=k(I.sub.Real(x)+I.sub.Comp(x))
At any given point, the coil current is separated into the measured coil current and a compensated coil current, and the immediately prior equation can be rewritten as:
F=k(I.sub.B(x)+I(x)).

(40) This allows the idealized system characteristic curve A in FIG. 4 to be expressed as a linear equation of form
I.sub.A(x)=dx+e

(41) The real system-characteristic curve B, which is noted above as being of at least second order, so it is of the form:
I.sub.B(x)=ax.sup.2+bx+c
which means that
I.sub.Comp(x)=I.sub.A(x)I.sub.B(x)=ax.sup.2+(db)x+ec

(42) Substituting, it is seen that the display value F can be expressed
F=k(I.sub.B(x)ax.sup.2+(db)x+ec)
and the real measured coil current is corrected arithmetically by what has been referred to above as a transfer means 30, which is equal to ax.sup.2+(db)x+ec

(43) The parameters a through e of the transfer means 30 can each be stored in the processing unit in the form of a transfer table or a transfer function. It will also be recognized that the parameters a through e can be dependent upon the force of the applied load.

(44) These formulas are not contrary to the equations mentioned above where the display value is based on a formula expressed as
F=f(x,I,T,t)
because the regulation of the coil current, which is done in the position-controlling unit 23 and not in the processing unit 26, already takes temperature, dynamic effects and possible disturbance quantities into account. Thus, it is also appropriate to express the current as:
I=f(F,(z),T,t)
where F is the force applied. This allows the prior equation to be restated:
F=f.sub.1(x)+f.sub.2(F,(z),T,t)
so F is still dependent on the variables x, I, T and t.

(45) In the prior art known to the inventors, the system-characteristic curve for the weight force calculation would be of the form:
I.sub.Prior Art(x)=0x+e
which is to say that the amount of displacement X is not considered in making the prior art weight force calculation.

(46) This process is shown graphically in FIG. 10. In that process, the calculation device is initialized at step 300. The amount of coil current I.sub.B is determined and the amount of coil displacement x is measured at step 302. Using the transfer means 30, the magnitude of the coil current IB and the amount of coil displacement are associated, at step 304. From this association, and using the method recited above, the weight force is calculated at step 306 and displayed at step 308.

(47) Although the invention has been described through the presentation of specific embodiments, it is evident that numerous further variant versions could be created based on the teachings of the present invention, for example by combining the features of the individual embodiments with each other and/or interchanging individual functional units between the embodiments.