Patent ID: 6401548
Filing Date: 2002-06-11
Classification: G01F,G01N

Abstract:
A Coriolis mass flow sensor through which a fluid to be measured flows during operation, comprising:a housing having an inlet-end portion and an outlet-end portion axially spaced apart from said inlet-end portion of said housing, said inlet-end portion and said outlet-end portion each having a section with a cross-sectional dimension less than the remainder of the housing and an integral coupling section, said inlet-end portion and said outlet-end portion being connectable by their respective coupling sections directly to a pipe conducting said fluid; a single substantially straight measuring tube fixed in the housing, the measuring tube having an inlet-end portion, an outlet-end portion axially spaced apart from said inlet-end portion, and a middle portion between said inlet-end portion and said outlet-end portion; an excitation arrangement coupled to said measuring tube to vibrate said measuring tube; a counterbalance having an inlet end coupled to said inlet-end portion of said measuring tube and an outlet end coupled to said outlet-end portion of said measuring tube; a first substantially straight tube section extending from said inlet-end portion of the measuring tube into the coupling section of said inlet-end portion of said housing; and a second substantially straight tube section extending from said outlet-end portion of the measuring tube into the coupling section of said outlet-end portion of said housing; wherein said inlet-end portion and said outlet-end portion of said measuring tube are axially spaced apart from said inlet-end portion and said outlet-end portion of said housing, respectively, and wherein said counterbalance is isolated from external vibrations of the housing only by the first and second substantially straight tube sections.