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US 2010/0300199 A1Published application
Positive displacement fluid flow meter
AssigneeElster Metering Limited
InventorsIan Holmes Higgin, Ian Young, Ivor Rogers
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AssigneeElster Metering Limited
InventorsIan Holmes Higgin, Ian Young, Ivor Rogers
Estimating the term…
A positive displacement fluid flow meter comprises a chamber having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet. A rotor is displaceable within the chamber, rotation of the rotor being related to the volume of fluid passing through the chamber. The chamber has a surface proximate which an end surface of the rotor passes, the chamber surface and/or the rotor end surface having at least one recess to retain at least a portion of debris carried by the metered fluid. The recess is preferably formed so as not to provide fluid, communication, from the inlet to the outlet across the rotor end surface. A lid closes an end of the chamber which in use is subject to the pressure of fluid within the chamber. The lid is engaged at its periphery to a wall of the chamber, and is preferably flexible adjacent its periphery to reduce the transmission of bending stresses between the periphery of the lid and the remainder thereof.
-20. (canceled)
A fluid flow meter comprising:
The fluid flow meter of claim 1 wherein the at least one recess is in a bottom said surface of the chamber.
The fluid flow meter of claim 1 wherein the recess is formed so as not to provide fluid communication from the inlet to the outlet of the chamber across the rotor end surface via the recess.
The fluid flow meter of claim 1 wherein the at least one recess has a width in one direction which is less than a cross sectional width of a sidewall of the rotor.
The fluid flow meter of claim 1 wherein the at least one recess is rounded.
The fluid flow meter of claim 1 wherein the at least one recess is cylindrical.
The fluid flow meter of claim 1 wherein the at least one recess is elongate.
The fluid flow meter of claim 1 wherein the at least one recess is annular and coaxial with an axis of the chamber.
The fluid flow meter of claim 1 wherein the at least one recess is adjacent a sidewall of the chamber.
The fluid flow meter of claim 1 comprising a plurality of said recesses.
The fluid flow meter of claim 1 wherein the rotor is a rotary piston.
The fluid flow meter of claim 1 comprising a lid closing an end of the chamber which in use is subject to the pressure of fluid within the chamber, the lid being engageable at its periphery to a sidewall of the chamber, the lid being flexible adjacent its periphery to reduce the transmission of bending stresses between the periphery of the lid and the remainder thereof.
A fluid flow meter comprising:
The fluid flow meter of claim 13 wherein the lid comprises an annular flex portion adjacent its periphery permitting said flexibility.
The fluid flow meter of claim 14 wherein the flex portion comprises a clamping portion of said engagement of the lid to the chamber.
The fluid flow meter of claim 14 wherein the flex portion comprises a groove permitting said flexibility.
The fluid flow meter of claim 16 wherein the groove is annular about a centre of the lid.
The fluid flow meter of claim 13 wherein the lid comprises a flat circular portion and a generally cylindrical sidewall appended to a periphery thereof, the flex portion being on the flat portion and allowing a central part of the flat portion bound by the flex portion to move with respect to an outer part of the flat portion outside of the flex portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.