Patent ID: 7614309
Filing Date: 2009-11-10
Classification: G01F

Abstract:
1. A device for determining and/or monitoring volume, and/or mass, flow of a medium to be measured, flowing through a pipeline in a stream direction (S), comprising: at least one ultrasonic sensor, for radiating ultrasonic measuring signals into, and receiving ultrasonic measuring signals from, the pipeline; a control/evaluation unit, which determines volume, and/or mass, flow of a medium being measured in the pipeline on the basis of the travel time difference of the ultrasonic measuring signals in, and counter to, the stream direction (S) or on the basis of the Doppler shift of the ultrasonic measuring signals, said at least one ultrasonic sensor has a cup-shape and includes a housing and an oscillatable unit for producing the ultrasonic signals; and a ring-shaped membrane, or diaphragm, provided in the region of a node plane or a plane of symmetry of said oscillatable unit, via which membrane, or diaphragm, said oscillatable unit is connected with said housing, wherein: said oscillatable unit is composed of a plurality of components and is so embodied that the node plane is arranged essentially perpendicularly to the radiating or receiving direction of the ultrasonic measuring signals; at least a portion of an outer surface of said oscillatable unit is connected with said housing in the region of the node plane of said oscillatable unit, and the node plane is the plane of symmetry of said oscillatable unit.