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US 11,958,028 B2Granted
Preparation apparatus
AssigneeDENSO TEN Limited
InventorHisaki Hayashi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A preparation apparatus includes a first tank, a second tank, a preparation tank, and a computer having a hardware processor. The first tank contains a first liquid. The second tank contains a second liquid having a lower viscosity than the first liquid. The preparation tank stirs the first liquid supplied from the first tank and the second liquid supplied from the second tank to prepare a preparation liquid. The hardware processor measures a viscosity of the first liquid based on a supply time required to supply a specified amount of the first liquid at a constant pressure from the first tank to the preparation tank, and supplies an amount of the second liquid to the preparation tank based on the measured viscosity of the first liquid so as to cause the preparation liquid to have a target viscosity.
Claims10
A preparation apparatus comprising:
- a first tank that contains a first liquid;
- a second tank that contains a second liquid having a lower viscosity than the first liquid;
- a preparation tank that stirs the first liquid supplied from the first tank and the second liquid supplied from the second tank to prepare a preparation liquid;
- a viscosity sensor located in the preparation tank and that measures a viscosity of the preparation liquid;
- at least one liquid level sensor located in the preparation tank and that measures a height of the preparation liquid that is located in the preparation tank;
- and
- a computer having a hardware processor configured to (i) cause a specified amount of the first liquid to be supplied at a constant pressure from the first tank to the preparation tank, the supply of the specified amount being determined to have been completed when the at least one liquid level sensor detects a first level of the first liquid in the preparation tank, (ii) determine a duration of a supply time required for the specified amount of the first liquid to be supplied at the constant pressure from the first tank to the preparation tank;
- (iii) determine a viscosity of the first liquid that has been supplied to the preparation tank based on a viscosity map information indicating a relationship between (1) the viscosity of the first liquid and (2) the duration of the supply time that was determined for supplying the specified amount of the first liquid at the constant pressure from the first tank to the preparation tank, (iv) after the specified amount of the first liquid has been supplied to the preparation tank, supply an amount of the second liquid to the preparation tank based on the viscosity of the first liquid that has been determined based on the duration of the supply time of the specified amount of the first liquid so as to cause the preparation liquid to have a target viscosity, (v) measure the viscosity of the preparation liquid using the viscosity sensor after the amount of the second liquid has been supplied to the preparation tank, (vi) when the viscosity of the preparation liquid that was measured using the viscosity sensor after the amount of the second liquid has been supplied to the preparation tank is greater than a target viscosity, add a second amount of the second liquid to the preparation tank, (vii) when the viscosity of the preparation liquid that was measured using the viscosity sensor after the amount of the second liquid has been supplied to the preparation tank is less than the target viscosity, add an amount of the first liquid to the preparation tank, and (viii) repeat (vi) and/or (vii) until the viscosity of the preparation liquid measured by the viscosity sensor is the target amount.
5 more elements
A preparation method executed by a preparation apparatus that includes:
- a first tank that contains a first liquid;
- a second tank that contains a second liquid having a lower viscosity than the first liquid;
- a preparation tank that stirs the first liquid supplied from the first tank and the second liquid supplied from the second tank to prepare a preparation liquid;
- a viscosity sensor located in the preparation tank and that measures a viscosity of the preparation liquid;
- and
- at least one liquid level sensor located in the preparation tank and that measures a height of the preparation liquid that is located in the preparation tank, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) causing a specified amount of the first liquid to be supplied at a constant pressure from the first tank to the preparation tank, the supply of the specified amount being determined to have been completed when the at least one liquid level sensor detects a first level of the first liquid in the preparation tank;
- (b) determining a duration of a supply time required for the specified amount of the first liquid to be supplied at the constant pressure from the first tank to the preparation tank;
- (c) determining a viscosity of the first liquid that has been supplied to the preparation tank based on a viscosity map information indicating a relationship between (1) the viscosity of the first liquid and (2) the duration of the supply time that was determined for supplying the specified amount of the first liquid at the constant pressure from the first tank to the preparation tank;
- (d) after the specified amount of the first liquid has been supplied to the preparation tank, supplying an amount of the second liquid to the preparation tank based on the viscosity of the first liquid that has been determined based on the duration of the supply time of the specified amount of the first liquid so as to cause the preparation liquid to have a target viscosity;
- (e) measuring the viscosity of the preparation liquid using the viscosity sensor after the amount of the second liquid has been supplied to the preparation tank;
- (f) when the viscosity of the preparation liquid that was measured using the viscosity sensor after the amount of the second liquid has been supplied to the preparation tank is greater than a target viscosity, adding a second amount of the second liquid to the preparation tank;
- (g) when the viscosity of the preparation liquid that was measured using the viscosity sensor after the amount of the second liquid has been supplied to the preparation tank is less than the target viscosity, adding an amount of the first liquid to the preparation tank;
- and
- (h) repeating (f) and/or (g) until the viscosity of the preparation liquid measured by the viscosity sensor is the target amount.
12 more elements
A control apparatus that controls preparation of a preparation liquid by stirring a first liquid and a second liquid having a lower viscosity than the first liquid in a preparation tank, a viscosity sensor being located in the preparation tank, the viscosity sensor being configured to measure a viscosity of the preparation liquid in the preparation tank, at least one liquid level sensor being located in the preparation tank and being configured to measure a height of the preparation liquid that is located in the preparation tank, the control apparatus including a computer having a hardware processor configured to:
- (i) cause a specified amount of the first liquid to be supplied at a constant pressure from a first tank to the preparation tank, the supply of the specified amount being determined to have been completed when the at least one liquid level sensor detects a first level of the first liquid in the preparation tank;
- (ii) determine a duration of a supply time required for the specified amount of the first liquid to be supplied at the constant pressure from the first tank to the preparation tank:
- (iii) determine a viscosity of the first liquid that has been supplied to the preparation tank based on a viscosity map information indicating a relationship between (1) the viscosity of the first liquid and (2) the duration of the supply time that was determined for supplying the specified amount of the first liquid at the constant pressure from the first tank to the preparation tank;
- (iv) after the specified amount of the first liquid has been supplied to the preparation tank, cause an amount of the second liquid to be supplied to the preparation tank based on the viscosity of the first liquid that has been determined based on the duration of the supply time of the specified amount of the first liquid so as to cause the preparation liquid to have a target viscosity;
- (v) measure the viscosity of the preparation liquid using the viscosity sensor after the amount of the second liquid has been supplied to the preparation tank;
- (vi) when the viscosity of the preparation liquid that was measured using the viscosity sensor after the amount of the second liquid has been supplied to the preparation tank is greater than a target viscosity, add a second amount of the second liquid to the preparation tank;
- (vii) when the viscosity of the preparation liquid that was measured using the viscosity sensor after the amount of the second liquid has been supplied to the preparation tank is less than the target viscosity, add an amount of the first liquid to the preparation tank;
- and
- (viii) repeat (vi) and/or (vii) until the viscosity of the preparation liquid measured by the viscosity sensor is the target amount.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.