Method for measuring in a fluid with the aid of sing-around technique

Claim 3

A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said delay is produced by counting a predetermined number of zero crossings in the received sound pulse.

Claim 4

A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the delay is 1-100 times the sound period time of the sound pulse.

Claim 5

A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the sound pulses employed are ultrasonic pulses.

Claim 6

A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the delay is 1-100 times the sound period time of the sound pulse.

Claim 7

A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sound pulses employed are ultrasonic pulses.

Claim 10

A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the measured time between the reception of a multiple-reflected sound pulse and the reception of a directly received sound pulse is used for assessing the thickness of a coating between the fluid and respectively the transmitter and the receiver.

Claim 11

A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the delay is produced by counting a predetermined number of zero crossings in the received sound pulse.

Claim 12

A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the delay is 1-100 times the sound period time of the sound pulse.

Claim 13

A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the sound pulses employed are ultrasonic pulses.

Claim 14

In a measuring instrument of sing-around type comprising a transmitter, which is adapted to repeatedly transmit sound pulses comprising at least two sound periods in a fluid, and a receiver, which is adapted to acoustically be disposed opposite to the transmitter and to receive the sound pulses transmitted by the transmitter, said device comprising reception-detecting means for detecting the reception of a sound pulse by the receiver, and exciting means which are adapted, in response to the detection by the reception-detecting means of the reception of a sound pulse, to excite the transmitter to transmit a sound pulse, a device comprising delay means which are adapted to produce a delay, so as to cause the excitation of the transmitter by the exciting means to be delayed with this delay, the delay avoiding interference between a directly received sound pulse and a multiple-reflected sound pulse and the delay equaling at least half the length of the multiple-reflected sound pulse, wherein the delay between reception of the sound pulse and transmission of the subsequent sound pulse is established as a function of the frequency of the received sound pulse.

Claim 15

In a measuring instrument of sing-around type comprising a transmitter, which is adapted to repeatedly transmit sound pulses comprising at least two sound periods in a fluid, and a receiver, which is adapted to acoustically be disposed opposite to the transmitter and to receive the sound pulses transmitted by the transmitter, said device comprising reception-detecting means for detecting the reception of a sound pulse by the receiver, and exciting means which are adapted, in response to the detection by the reception-detecting means of the reception of a sound pulse, to excite the transmitter to transmit a sound pulse, a device comprising delay means which are adapted to produce a delay, so as to cause the excitation of the transmitter by the exciting means to be delayed with this delay, the delay avoiding interference between a directly received sound pulse and a multiple-reflected sound pulse and the delay equaling at least half the length of the multiple-reflected sound pulse, wherein the delay between reception of the sound pulse and transmission of the subsequent sound pulse is established as a function of the frequency of the received sound pulse.

Claim 16

A device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the delay means comprises a counter.

Claim 17

A device as claimed in claim 13, wherein zero-crossing-detecting means have one input from the receiver and one output to the counter and are adapted to detect zero crossings in the sound pulses received by the receiver.

Claim 18

In a measuring instrument of sing-around type comprising a transmitter, which is adapted to repeatedly transmit sound pulses comprising at least two sound periods in a fluid, and a receiver, which is adapted to acoustically be disposed opposite to the transmitter and to receive the sound pulses transmitted by the transmitter, said device comprising reception-detecting means for detecting the reception of a sound pulse by the receiver, and exciting means which are adapted, in response to the detection by the reception-detecting means of the reception of a sound pulse, to excite the transmitter to transmit a sound pulse, a device comprising delay means which are adapted to produce a delay with the aid of the frequency of the received sound pulse, so as to cause the excitation of the transmitter by the exciting means to be delayed with this delay, the delay avoiding interference between a directly received sound pulse and a multiple-reflected sound pulse and the delay equaling at least half the length of the multiple-reflected sound pulse, wherein time meters are adapted to measure the time elapsing between the reception of a multiple-reflected sound pulse and the reception of a directly received sound pulse.

Claim 19

In a measuring instrument of sing-around type comprising a transmitter, which is adapted to repeatedly transmit sound pulses comprising at least two sound periods in a fluid, and a receiver, which is adapted to acoustically be disposed opposite to the transmitter and to receive the sound pulses transmitted by the transmitter, said device comprising reception-detecting means for detecting the reception of a sound pulse by the receiver, and exciting means which are adapted, in response to the detection by the reception-detecting means of the reception of a sound pulse, to excite the transmitter to transmit a sound pulse, a device comprising delay means which are adapted to produce a delay with the aid of the frequency of the received sound pulse, so as to cause the excitation of the transmitter by the exciting means to be delayed with this delay, the delay avoiding interference between a directly received sound pulse and a multiple-reflected sound pulse and the delay equaling at least half the length of the multiple-reflected sound pulse, wherein time meters are adapted to measure the time elapsing between the reception of a multiple-reflected sound pulse and the reception of a directly received sound pulse.

Claim 20

In a measuring instrument of sing-around type comprising a transmitter, which is adapted to repeatedly transmit sound pulses comprising at least two sound periods in a fluid, and a receiver, which is adapted to acoustically be disposed opposite to the transmitter and to receive the sound pulses transmitted by the transmitter, said device comprising reception-detecting means for detecting the reception of a sound pulse by the receiver, and exciting means which are adapted, in response to the detection by the reception-detecting means of the reception of a sound pulse, to excite the transmitter to transmit a sound pulse, a device comprising delay means which are adapted to produce a delay with the aid of the frequency of the received sound pulse, so as to cause the excitation of the transmitter by the exciting means to be delayed with this delay, the delay avoiding interference between a directly received sound pulse and a multiple-reflected sound pulse and the delay equaling at least half the length of the multiple-reflected sound pulse, wherein the delay means comprises a counter, wherein time meters are adapted to measure the time elapsing between the reception of a multiple-reflected sound pulse and the reception of a directly received sound pulse, the directly received sound pulse being part of a sound pulse transmitted by the transmitter and directly received by the receiver, and the multiple-reflected sound pulse being part of a sound pulse transmitted by the transmitter and reflected first at the receiver and then at the transmitter and thereafter received by the receiver.

Claim 21

In a measuring instrument of sing-around type comprising a transmitter, which is adapted to repeatedly transmit sound pulses comprising at least two sound periods in a fluid, and a receiver, which is adapted to acoustically be disposed opposite to the transmitter and to receive the sound pulses transmitted by the transmitter, said device comprising reception-detecting means for detecting the reception of a sound pulse by the receiver, and exciting means which are adapted, in response to the detection by the reception-detecting means of the reception of a sound pulse, to excite the transmitter to transmit a sound pulse, a device comprising delay means which are adapted to produce a delay with the aid of the frequency of the received sound pulse, so as to cause the excitation of the transmitter by the exciting means to be delayed with this delay, the delay avoiding interference between a directly received sound pulse and a multiple-reflected sound pulse and the delay equaling at least half the length of the multiple-reflected sound pulse, wherein the delay means comprises a counter, wherein time meters are adapted to measure the time elapsing between the reception of a multiple-reflected sound pulse and the reception of a directly received sound pulse, the directly received sound pulse being part of a sound pulse transmitted by the transmitter and directly received by the receiver, and the multiple-reflected sound pulse being part of a sound pulse transmitted by the transmitter and reflected first at the receiver and then at the transmitter and thereafter received by the receiver.

Claim 22

In a measuring instrument of sing-around type comprising a transmitter, which is adapted to repeatedly transmit sound pulses comprising at least two sound periods in a fluid, and a receiver, which is adapted to acoustically be disposed opposite to the transmitter and to receive the sound pulses transmitted by the transmitter, said device comprising reception-detecting means for detecting the reception of a sound pulse by the receiver, and exciting means which are adapted, in response to the detection by the reception-detecting means of the reception of a sound pulse, to excite the transmitter to transmit a sound pulse, a device comprising delay means which are adapted to produce a delay with the aid of the frequency of the received sound pulse, so as to cause the excitation of the transmitter by the exciting means to be delayed with this delay, the delay avoiding interference between a directly received sound pulse and a multiple-reflected sound pulse and the delay equaling at least half the length of the multiple-reflected sound pulse, wherein the delay means comprises a counter, wherein zero-crossing-detecting means have one input from the receiver and one output to the counter and are adapted to detect zero crossings in the sound pulses received by the receiver, wherein time meters are adapted to measure the time elapsing between the reception of a multiple-reflected sound pulse and the reception of a directly received sound pulse.

Claim 23

In a measuring instrument of sing-around type comprising a transmitter, which is adapted to repeatedly transmit sound pulses comprising at least two sound periods in a fluid, and a receiver, which is adapted to acoustically be disposed opposite to the transmitter and to receive the sound pulses transmitted by the transmitter, said device comprising reception-detecting means for detecting the reception of a sound pulse by the receiver, and exciting means which are adapted, in response to the detection by the reception-detecting means of the reception of a sound pulse, to excite the transmitter to transmit a sound pulse, a device comprising delay means which are adapted to produce a delay with the aid of the frequency of the received sound pulse, so as to cause the excitation of the transmitter by the exciting means to be delayed with this delay, the delay avoiding interference between a directly received sound pulse and a multiple-reflected sound pulse and the delay equaling at least half the length of the multiple-reflected sound pulse, wherein the delay means comprises a counter, wherein zero-crossing-detecting means have one input from the receiver and one output to the counter and are adapted to detect zero crossings in the sound pulses received by the receiver, wherein time meters are adapted to measure the time elapsing between the reception of a multiple-reflected sound pulse and the reception of a directly received sound pulse.

Claim 24

A device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the reception-detecting means comprise a first comparator having a first input at which a reference signal is received, a second input which is connected to the receiver, and an output which is connected to the zero-crossing-detecting means.

Claim 25

In a measuring instrument of sing-around type comprising a transmitter, which is adapted to repeatedly transmit sound pulses comprising at least two sound periods in a fluid, and a receiver, which is adapted to acoustically be disposed opposite to the transmitter and to receive the sound pulses transmitted by the transmitter, said device comprising reception-detecting means for detecting the reception of a sound pulse by the receiver, and exciting means which are adapted, in response to the detection by the reception-detecting means of the reception of a sound pulse, to excite the transmitter to transmit a sound pulse, a device comprising delay means which are adapted to produce a delay with the aid of the frequency of the received sound pulse, so as to cause the excitation of the transmitter by the exciting means to be delayed with this delay, the delay avoiding interference between a directly received sound pulse and a multiple-reflected sound pulse and the delay equaling at least half the length of the multiple-reflected sound pulse, wherein the delay means comprises a counter, wherein zero-crossing-detecting means have one input from the reciever and one output to the counter and are adapted to detect zero crossings in the sound pulses received by the receiver, wherein the reception-detecting means comprises a first comparator having a first input at which a reference signal is received, a secon dinput which is connected to the receiver, and an output which is connected to the zero-crossing-detecting means.

Claim 26

In a measuring instrument of sing-around type comprising a transmitter, which is adapted to repeatedly transmit sound pulses comprising at least two sound periods in a fluid, and a receiver, which is adapted to acoustically be disposed opposite to the transmitter and to receive the sound pulses transmitted by the transmitter, said device comprising reception-detecting means for detecting the reception of a sound pulse by the receiver, and exciting means which are adapted, in response to the detection by the reception-detecting means of the reception of a sound pulse, to excite the transmitter to transmit a sound pulse, a device comprising delay means which are adapted to produce a delay with the aid of the frequency of the received sound pulse, so as to cause the excitation of the transmitter by the exciting means to be delayed with this delay, the delay avoiding interference between a directly received sound pulse and a multiple-reflected sound pulse and the delay equaling at least half the length of the multiple-reflected sound pulse, wherein the delay means comprises a counter, wherein zero-crossing-detecting means have one input from the reciever and one output to the counter and are adapted to detect zero crossings in the sound pulses received by the receiver, wherein the reception-detecting means comprises a first comparator having a first input at which a reference signal is received, a secon dinput which is connected to the receiver, and an output which is connected to the zero-crossing-detecting means.

Claim 27

A device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the delay means comprises an oscillator circuit.

Claim 28

In a measuring instrument of sing-around type comprising a transmitter, which is adapted to repeatedly transmit sound pulses comprising at least two sound periods in a fluid, and a receiver, which is adapted to acoustically be disposed opposite to the transmitter and to receive the sound pulses transmitted by the transmitter, said device comprising reception-detecting means for detecting the reception of a sound pulse by the receiver, and exciting means which are adapted, in response to the detection by the reception-detecting means of the reception of a sound pulse, to excite the transmitter to transmit a sound pulse, a device comprising delay means which are adapted to produce a delay with the aid of the frequency of the received sound pulse, so as to cause the excitation of the transmitter by the exciting means to be delayed with this delay, the delay avoiding interference between a directly received sound pulse and a multiple-reflected sound pulse and the delay equaling at least half the length of the multiple-reflected sound pulse, wherein the delay means comprises a phase detector.

Claim 29

In a measuring instrument of sing-around type comprising a transmitter, which is adapted to repeatedly transmit sound pulses comprising at least two sound periods in a fluid, and a receiver, which is adapted to acoustically be disposed opposite to the transmitter and to receive the sound pulses transmitted by the transmitter, said device comprising reception-detecting means for detecting the reception of a sound pulse by the receiver, and exciting means which are adapted, in response to the detection by the reception-detecting means of the reception of a sound pulse, to excite the transmitter to transmit a sound pulse, a device comprising delay means which are adapted to produce a delay with the aid of the frequency of the received sound pulse, so as to cause the excitation of the transmitter by the exciting means to be delayed with this delay, the delay avoiding interference between a directly received sound pulse and a multiple-reflected sound pulse and the delay equaling at least half the length of the multiple-reflected sound pulse, wherein the delay means comprises a phase detector.

Claim 30

A measuring instrument of a sing-around type comprising a transmitter, which is adapted to repeatedly transmit sound pulses comprising at least two sound periods in a fluid, and a receiver, which is adapted to acoustically be disposed opposite to the transmitter and to receive the sound pulses transmitted by the transmitter, wherein the measuring instrument comprises delay means which are adapted to produce a delay, so as to cause the excitation of the transmitter by the exciting means to be delayed with this delay, the delay avoiding interference between a directly received sound pulse and a multiple-reflected sound pulse and the delay equaling at least half the length of the multiple-reflected sound pulse, wherein the delay between reception of the sound pulse and transmission of the subsequent sound pulse is established as a function of the frequency of the received sound pulse.

Claim 31

A measuring instrument of a sing-around type comprising a transmitter, which is adapted to repeatedly transmit sound pulses comprising at least two sound periods in a fluid, and a receiver, which is adapted to acoustically be disposed opposite to the transmitter and to receive the sound pulses transmitted by the transmitter, wherein the measuring instrument comprises delay means which are adapted to produce a delay, so as to cause the excitation of the transmitter by the exciting means to be delayed with this delay, the delay avoiding interference between a directly received sound pulse and a multiple-reflected sound pulse and the delay equaling at least half the length of the multiple-reflected sound pulse, wherein the delay between reception of the sound pulse and transmission of the subsequent sound pulse is established as a function of the frequency of the received sound pulse.

Claim 32

A measuring instrument as claimed in claim 22, wherein the delay means comprises a counter.

Claim 35

In a measuring instrument of sing-around type comprising a transmitter, which is adapted to repeatedly transmit sound pulses in a fluid, and a receiver, which is adapted to acoustically be disposed opposite to the transmitter and to receive the sound pulses transmitted by the transmitter, said device comprising reception-detecting means for detecting the reception of a sound pulse by the receiver, and exciting means which are adapted, in response to the detection by the reception-detecting means of the reception of a sound pulse, to excite the transmitter to transmit a sound pulse, a device comprising delay means which are adapted to produce a delay with the aid of the frequency of the received sound pulse, so as to cause the excitation of the transmitter by the exciting means to be delayed with this delay, wherein time meters are adapted to measure the time elapsing between the reception of a multiple-reflected sound pulse and the reception of a directly received sound pulse, the directly received sound pulse being part of a sound pulse transmitted by the transmitter and directly received by the receiver, and the multiple-reflected sound pulse being part of a sound pulse transmitted by the transmitter and reflected first at the receiver and then at the transmitter and thereafter received by the receiver.

Claim 36

In a measuring instrument of sing-around type comprising a transmitter, which is adapted to repeatedly transmit sound pulses in a fluid, and a receiver, which is adapted to acoustically be disposed opposite to the transmitter and to receive the sound pulses transmitted by the transmitter, said device comprising reception-detecting means for detecting the reception of a sound pulse by the receiver, and exciting means which are adapted, in response to the detection by the reception-detecting means of the reception of a sound pulse, to excite the transmitter to transmit a sound pulse, a device comprising delay means which are adapted to produce a delay with the aid of the frequency of the received sound pulse, so as to cause the excitation of the transmitter by the exciting means to be delayed with this delay, wherein time meters are adapted to measure the time elapsing between the reception of a multiple-reflected sound pulse and the reception of a directly received sound pulse, the directly received sound pulse being part of a sound pulse transmitted by the transmitter and directly received by the receiver, and the multiple-reflected sound pulse being part of a sound pulse transmitted by the transmitter and reflected first at the receiver and then at the transmitter and thereafter received by the receiver.