Multichannel flow tube with supports
AssigneeMicro Motion, Inc.
InventorsMark James Bell, Joel Weinstein, Mitalee Nayan Desai, Clinton R. Griffin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A multichannel flow tube (300) for a vibratory meter (5), and a method of manufacturing the multichannel flow tube are provided. The multichannel flow tube comprises a tube perimeter wall (304), a first channel division (302b), and a first support structure (308a). The first channel division is enclosed within and coupled to the tube perimeter wall, forming a first channel (306b) and a second channel (306c). The first support structure is coupled to the tube perimeter wall and the first channel division.
Claims25
A multichannel flow tube (300) printed via a 3D printer, the multichannel flow tube comprising:
- a tube perimeter wall (304);
- a first channel division (302b) enclosed within and coupled to the tube perimeter wall, the first channel division and the tube perimeter wall forming a first channel (306b) and a second channel (306c) in the multichannel flow tube;
- and
- a first support structure (308a) coupled to the tube perimeter wall and the first channel division, wherein the first support structure includes a straight edge oriented at a predetermined acute angle (314) or less with respect to the first channel division towards a first adjoining tube perimeter section (310) of the tube perimeter wall, the predetermined acute angle (314) being a maximum angle printable on the 3D printer with respect to a normal of a printer bed of the 3D printer without support material.
A vibratory meter (5) printed via a 3D printer, a multichannel flow tube comprising:
- a pickoff (170l, 170r) attached to a multichannel flow tube;
- a driver (180) coupled to the multichannel flow tube, the driver being configured to vibrate the multichannel flow tube;
- and
- the multichannel flow tube (300) further comprising:
- a tube perimeter wall (304),
- a first channel division (302b) enclosed within and coupled to the tube perimeter wall, the first channel division and the tube perimeter wall forming a first channel (306b) and a second channel (306c) in the multichannel flow tube, and
- a first support structure (308a) coupled to the tube perimeter wall and the first channel division, wherein the first support structure includes a straight edge oriented at a predetermined acute angle (314) or less with respect to the first channel division towards a first adjoining tube perimeter section (310) of the tube perimeter wall, the predetermined acute angle (314) being a maximum angle printable on the 3D printer with respect to a normal of a printer bed of the 3D printer without support material.
A method for manufacturing a multichannel flow tube via a 3D printer, the method comprising:
- forming a tube perimeter wall;
- forming a first channel division;
- and
- coupling the tube perimeter wall to the first channel division with a first support structure, the first channel division and the tube perimeter wall forming a first channel and a second channel in the multichannel flow tube, wherein the first support structure includes a straight edge oriented at a predetermined acute angle (314) or less with respect to the first channel division towards a first adjoining tube perimeter section (310) of the tube perimeter wall, the predetermined acute angle (314) being a maximum angle printable on the 3D printer with respect to a normal of a printer bed of the 3D printer without support material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.