# US 2014/0360270 A1 · Device for determining properties of a medium

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- Number: US 2014/0360270 A1
- Document ID: US20140360270A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/297,399
- Filed: 2014-06-05
- Published: 2014-12-11
- Earliest claimed: 2013-06-05
- Assignees: Buerkert Werke GmbH; Buerkert S.A.S.
- Applicants: Buerkert Werke GmbH; Buerkert SAS
- Inventors: Bertrand Koenig; Yves Hoog; Christophe Gittinger; Yannick Fuchs
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140360270A1

## CPC

- G01N 29/221: {Arrangements for directing or focusing the acoustical waves (electronic orientation or focusing G01N29/262; sound directing or focusing G10K11/26; mechanical steering of sound transducers or their beams G10K11/35)}
- G01N 29/022: {Fluid sensors based on microsensors, e.g. quartz crystal-microbalance [QCM], surface acoustic wave [SAW] devices, tuning forks, cantilevers, flexural plate wave [FPW] devices (microdevices per se B81B)}
- G01N 29/024: by measuring propagation velocity or propagation time of acoustic waves
- G01N 29/2462: {Probes with waveguides, e.g. SAW devices}
- G01F 15/14: Casings, e.g. of special material
- G01N 2291/0423: Surface waves, e.g. Rayleigh waves, Love waves
- G01N 2291/0426: Bulk waves, e.g. quartz crystal microbalance, torsional waves
- G01N 2291/0428: Mode conversion
- G01N 2291/044: Internal reflections (echoes), e.g. on walls or defects
- G01N 2291/102: one emitter, one receiver
- G01N 2291/2634: cylindrical from outside
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)
- G01F: MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL; METERING BY VOLUME

## Abstract

A device for determining properties of a medium has a hollow body which accommodates the medium and a housing which circumferentially surrounds the hollow body. At least one portion of a wall of the hollow body is formed as waveguide for acoustic surface waves, which forms an interface to the medium. There is provided at least one transmitter for exciting acoustic waves in the waveguide and at least one receiver for receiving acoustic waves from the waveguide, which are arranged at a distance from each other, wherein the transmitter and the receiver are in direct contact with an outer surface of the waveguide and wherein the distance between transmitter and receiver is chosen such that acoustic waves excited by the transmitter can at least partly propagate on paths extending through the medium. There is provided at least one contact carrier on which the transmitter and/or the receiver are arranged. Between the waveguide and the contact carrier a continuous air gap is formed. The space between the hollow body, the contact carrier and the housing is filled with a filling mass.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A device for determining properties of a medium, comprising
a hollow body accommodating the medium,
a housing circumferentially surrounding the hollow body, wherein at least one portion of a wall of the hollow body is formed as a waveguide for acoustic surface waves, the portion forming an interface to the medium,
at least one transmitter for exciting acoustic waves in the waveguide, and at least one receiver for receiving acoustic waves from the waveguide, at least one transmitter and at least one receiver are arranged at a distance from each other, wherein the transmitter and the receiver are in direct contact with an outer surface of the waveguide and wherein the distance between transmitter and receiver is chosen such that acoustic waves excited by the transmitter can at least partly propagate on paths extending through the medium, and
at least one contact carrier on which at least one of the transmitter and the receiver are arranged,
wherein a continuous air gap is formed between the waveguide and the contact carrier, and
the space between the hollow body, the contact carrier and the housing is filled with a filling mass.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, wherein the filling mass consists of a material which absorbs acoustic waves excited by the transmitter.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, wherein the contact carrier is formed by a printed circuit board.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, wherein several assemblies of contact carrier, transmitter and receiver are arranged distributed over the circumference of the hollow body.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, wherein radially inwards of the air gap a flattened portion is formed in the surface of the hollow body.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, wherein the contact carrier has a longitudinal groove which faces the hollow body and which defines the air gap together with the hollow body.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The device according to claim 6, wherein the longitudinal edges defining the longitudinal groove are adhered to the hollow body.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The device according to claim 7, wherein the longitudinal edges defining the longitudinal groove are adhered to the hollow body by an electrically conductive adhesive.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The device according to claim 6, wherein the transmitter and the receiver terminate the long-side ends of the longitudinal groove and the air gap.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the transmitter and the receiver are bonded to the contact carrier.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the transmitter and the receiver are bonded to the contact carrier by at least one of an electrically and acoustically conductive adhesive.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, wherein the assembly of contact carrier, transmitter and/or receiver is prefabricated and as a whole attached to the hollow body.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, wherein the contact carrier is bonded to the waveguide.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, wherein the contact carrier is bonded to the waveguide by an electrically conductive adhesive.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, wherein a plug is attached to the contact carrier for contacting at least one of the transmitter and the receiver.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, wherein a plug is attached to the contact carrier by soldering for contacting at least one of the transmitter and the receiver.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, wherein the hollow body includes end-side fastening portions for the fluid connection with a fluid system.