Title:
FLOWMETER USING MOUSE, AND METHOD FOR CALIBRATING MASS FLOW CONTROLLER
Document Type and Number:
Japanese Patent JP3427183
Kind Code:
B
Abstract:
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To accurately measure flow rate at a low cost by using items existing close to an operator.
SOLUTION: A conventional mouse used for a personal computer has a ball 14 rotated by moving the mouse, a rotary plate 2 with a slit rotating in contact with the ball 14, and first and second detectors 6 and 9 for detecting whether the slit or the plate 2 is passed. The detector 6 has a first light-emitting element 4 and a second photodetector 5. The plate 2 is disposed between the element 4 and the photodetector 5, and the second detector has a similar constitution. A transparent tube 3 is disposed in a gap between the element and the photodetector, using such a conventional mouse. When a transparent fluid flows through the tube, many lights of the element are concentrated to the photodetector through the fluid due to changes in the refractive index. This is utilized to measure a time required that the fluid flows from an optical axis of the first detector 6 up to a second optical axis of the second detector, and the flow rate is obtained by a previously measured inside diameter of the tube and the distance between the optical axes.
Inventors:
Shin YO.
Maeda, Ryutaro
Maeda, Ryutaro
Application Number:
JP2000000368130
Publication Date:
May 16, 2003
Filing Date:
December 04, 2000
Export Citation:
Assignee:
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED INDUSTRIAL & TECHNOLOGY
International Classes:
G01F1/00; G01F1/708; G01F25/00; G01F1/00; G01F1/704; G01F25/00; (IPC1-7): G01F1/708; G01F1/00; G01F25/00