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US 5,509,298 AGranted
Apparatus and method for measuring visco-elastic characteristics of a sample
OwnerMandranjan S. Cheemainventor
Life of this patent
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OwnerMandranjan S. Cheemainventor
Estimating the term…
Apparatus for measuring the fluid characteristics of a sample comprises a frame, at least a first stage mounted on the frame for rectilinear movement, first mounting means mounted on the first stage, and a first member carried by the mounting means, a second member mounted to the frame in register with the first member, at least one of the first member and second member being readily interchangeable, positioning means for moving the first stage to adjust the relative positions of the members whereby a sample carried by one of the members can be brought into contact with the other of the members and whereby to adjust the spacing between the first and second members to a preselected distance, a device for vibrating the first mounting means rectilinearly, and thus the first member carried thereby, at a preselected frequency. A Piezo-electric device is provided for vibrating the first member rectilinearly as indicated by the arrow and a force transducer detects the phase angle and amplitude of the vibration transmitted through the sample. Relationship between the vibration applied by the device and those received by the transducer are used by a controlling computer to calculate the characteristics of the sample. The apparatus can operate over a wide range of frequencies; the sample temperature can be accurately controlled.
Apparatus suitable for use in measuring the visco-elastic characteristics of a sample comprising frame means, at least a first stage mounted on said frame means for rectilinear movement, first mounting means mounted on said first stage, and a first member carried by said mounting means, a second member mounted to said frame means in register with said first member, at least one of the first member and second member being readily interchangeable, positioning means for moving the first stage to adjust the relative positions of said members whereby a sample carried by one of said members can be brought into contact with the other of said members and whereby to adjust the spacing between the first and second members to a preselected distance, means for vibrating said first mounting means rectilinearly, and thus said first member carried thereby, at a preselected frequency, and means for detecting the behaviour of said sample.
A method of measuring visco-elastic characteristics of a sample comprising placing a sample on a first member or second member of an apparatus comprising a frame means, said frame means comprising at least a first stage mounted on said frame means for rectilinear movement, first mounting means mounted on said first stage and a first member carried by said mounting means, said second member mounted to said frame means in register with said first member, moving said first member to adjust the relative positions of said members until said first member is spaced a preselected distance from said second member whereby said sample can be brought into contact with said other member causing said first member to vibrate rectilinearly by means of an electrical oscillator through a small amplitude relative to said second member and at a controlled frequency, detecting the force applied to the sample, and relating the detected force applied to the vibration of the oscillator whereby to determine the properties of the sample.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.