Drip detecting device and drip alarming device and drip rate control device which incorporate drip detecting device

A drip alarm device for generating an alarm signal when a dripping rate in a drip cylinder is not a proper rate, said device comprising:

• a drip detecting device for detecting drips dropping in a drip cylinder, said drip detecting device including
• a transparent drip cylinder,
• light source means for directing a beam of collimated light having a width similar to a diameter of the transparent drip cylinder into the transparent drip cylinder,
• image detecting means, comprising an image sensor positioned at an opposite side of the transparent drip cylinder as said light source means, for detecting transmitted light through the drip cylinder as a result of the collimated light directed therein, and for providing image data corresponding to a side view of the drip cylinder from the transmitted light, and
• drip detecting means for detecting a drip dropping in the transparent drip cylinder by extracting image data representative of the drip from image data representative of a plurality of images provided by said image detecting means, said plurality of images including at least one image when there is no drip in the transparent drip cylinder, and at least one image when there is a drip therein, and said image data representative of the drip being provided by the difference between image data representative of said at least one image when there is no drip and image data representative of said at least one image when there is a drip;
• drip rate detecting means for detecting a drip rate on the basis of drips detected by said drip detecting device;
• determining means for determining whether the drip rate is substantially equal to a predetermined value;
• and
• generating means for generating an alarm in accordance with a determination result by said determining means.

A drip rate control device for controlling a drip rate for drips in a drop cylinder, said device comprising:

• a drip detecting device for detecting drips dropping in a drip cylinder, said drip detecting device including
• a transparent drip cylinder,
• light source means for directing a beam of collimated light having a width similar to a diameter of the transparent drip cylinder into the transparent drip cylinder,
• image detecting means, comprising an image sensor positioned at an opposite side of the transparent drip cylinder as said light source means, for detecting transmitted light through the drip cylinder as a result of the collimated light directed therein and for providing image data corresponding to a side view of the drip cylinder from the transmitted light, and
• drip detecting means for detecting a drip dropping in the transparent drip cylinder by extracting image data representative of the drip from image data representative of a plurality of images provided by said image detecting means, said plurality of images including at least one image when there is no drip in the transparent drip cylinder, and at least one image when there is a drip therein, and said image data representative of the drip being provided by the difference between image data representative of said at least one image when there is no drip and image data representative of said at least one image when there is a drip;
• drip rate detecting means for detecting a drip rate on the basis of drips detected by said drip detecting device;
• and
• drip rate control means for controlling a drip rate to a required rate in accordance with the drip rate detected by said drip rate detecting means.