Abstract:
The invention concerns a method and a device for measuring the ability of a material to absorb a liquid, whereby a liquid is brought into contact with a surface of a test specimen (P) of the material, and wherein the amount of liquid that has been absorbed in the test specimen is calculated. A certain amount of liquid is supplied to a liquid chamber unit, which on one side is limited by said surface, such that an amount of liquid which is absorbed by the test specimen leaves the liquid chamber unit and a representation comprising an indication of the reduction of the amount of liquid in the liquid chamber unit is produced.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention concerns a method and a device according to the preambles of the respective independent claims. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The ability of paper or cardboard absorb water is an important property in order to determine the suitability of the paper or cardboard for different fields of use. The “Cobb value” of a paper is a measure of this ability to absorb water. 
     From a general point of view the Cobb method is carried out such that an area of 100 cm 2  of a paper specimen during 60 seconds is subjected to influence from water, whereafter excess water is removed in a prescribed manner. Starting out from the weight of the paper before and after the exposure, the weight of the absorbed water is determined, which gives the Cobb value. A high Cobb value thus means that the water absorption ability is high and a low Cobb value that the water absorption ability is low. 
     The Cobb method (ISO 535) is a manual method which is slow, uncertain and labour-intensive and therefore costly. Because of the manual elements in the method, high accuracy on the side of the operator carrying out the method is required in order to avoid important erroneous measurements and thereby basically wrongful determinations of the ability of the paper to absorb water. 
     The Aim and most Important Features of the Invention 
     It is an aim of the present invention to provide a method and a device as mentioned above that eliminates the problem of the previously known manual method. In particular the invention aims to provide a secure, fast and economic method and a device which overcomes these problems. 
     These aims are obtained in respect of a method and a device as mentioned initially through the characterizing features of the independent claims. 
     Hereby is achieved that the change in the amount of liquid in the liquid chamber unit is used for calculating the amount of liquid that is absorbed in the material specimen. Manual sources of errors such as erroneously supplied amount of liquid, erroneously executed blotting etc. can be directly eliminated through the invention. In addition it is possible to automate the method. The time period thereof is then essentially only controlled by the time when the liquid is in contact with the surface of the specimen. 
     The invention is firstly intended for different types of measurements of the ability of paper to absorb not only water but also other liquids such as oils, solvents, impregnating agents etc. 
     The invention is also applicable for measurements on other surfaces, besides papers, such as plastics, textiles, wooden materials, surface coverings etc. for determining the ability of these materials to absorb different liquids. 
     In particular, and which is preferred, the liquid-contacting surface of the test specimen is brought to lie against one side of a rigid and water permeable wall of a main chamber of the liquid chamber unit. Hereby is avoided that possible wrinkling and other undesired movements of the test specimen affect the measuring results. in an erroneous direction. In particular it is preferred that the test specimen is pressed against said wall, for example by means of a flexible membrane or any other elastic means in order to further ensure the flatness of the test specimen and avoid movements of the test specimen during the measurement, inducing sources of errors. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the liquid chamber unit is connected to a sensor chamber wherein the liquid level is sensed. By forming the sensor chamber with an essentially smaller surface area than the surface area, with which the liquid contacts the material specimen, an amplified level change in the sensor chamber is achieved during the process of the measurement, also in case of relatively low liquid absorption, which increases the precision in the measurement. 
     By the test specimen being sealingly clamped against a housing portion including the liquid chamber unit, leakage as a source of errors is prevented. 
     Corresponding advantages are obtained with the corresponding features of a device for measuring according to the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       The invention will now be described in greater detail by way of embodiments and with reference to the enclosed drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  shows a device for measuring liquid absorption ability of a material, 
         FIGS. 2   a  and  2   b  show a section through a control chamber unit with adjacent components according to a first embodiment of the invention in two different positions, 
         FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b  show a section through a control chamber unit with adjacent components according to a second embodiment of the invention in two different positions, and 
         FIG. 4  shows a block diagram over a method according to the invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     The device indicated with  1  in  FIG. 1  for measuring the liquid absorption ability of a material includes a housing, a slot  2  for the insertion of a test specimen in the form of e.g. a paper sheet  3  to be.tested, and a display  4  for displaying a measured Cobb value. Manoeuvring means and lamps for indication of the status of the device are arranged on the front side of the housing. The device has further (not shown) means for supplying liquid to be used for the measurement. 
       FIG. 2   a  shows diagrammatically in an enlarged section, with some elements left out for clarity, a measuring unit of a device for measuring the ability of a material to absorb a liquid. The measuring housing, generally indicated with  6 , includes a first housing portion  7  and a second housing portion  8  which are mutually displaceable with respect to each other from the position shown in  FIG. 2   a.  In this position there exists a distance between the first and the second housing portions in order to admit the introduction of a test specimen P, for example a sheet of paper to be tested, between the housing portions. 
     From said position, the housing portions are moveable relative to each other into a position shown in  FIG. 2   b , wherein the housing portions, with the aid of sealings  14 ,  15 , sealingly clamp around a test area of a predetermined size of the test specimen P. 
     The first housing portion  7  contains a liquid chamber unit, which includes a main chamber  10  for contacting said area of the test specimen P during the measuring process. The main chamber  10  is connected to a sensor chamber  11  which includes a floater  12  being connected to a sensor  20 . The sensor chamber  11  is constructed such that liquid is supplied to a certain pre-determined level when the main chamber  10  is filled by means of a connected pump  29  and cavities in the liquid-permeable wall  16  (see below) are filled. The sensor chamber  11  can be part of or be connected to the liquid chamber unit. Reference  16  indicates a rigid liquid-permeable wall, which is (essentially) flat and the purpose of which being to prevent the test specimen from assuming a shape during wetting, which could result in an erroneous measurement. 
     The second housing portion  8  includes a pressing means  17  in the form of a flexible wall, for example such as a rubber membrane, which during the measuring process exerts a certain pressure onto the back side of the test specimen P such that this is gently pressed against the rigid liquid-permeable wall.  16  in order to further ensure that erroneous measurements, because of deformation of the test speciment P during wetting, does not occur. 
     An air chamber  18  can be pressurized with a gentle pressure for ensuring that the pressing means  17  in a prescribed manner is pressed against the liquid-permeable wall  16  through a pressure regulator  5 . 
     The sensor chamber  11  has a surface area “a”, as seen transversally, which is preferably essentially smaller than the testing area “A” of the main chamber  10 , whereby also a relatively small liquid absorption by a test specimen P during the measuring process results in a relatively great level change in the sensor chamber  11  depending on the relationship A/a. This level change is sensed by a. sensor  20  which transmits signals to a computing unit (CPU)  19 , which transforms the signal to a visually readable value, for example a Cobb value, which is shown on the display  4 . 
     A method sequence will now be described with reference to  FIG. 4 , wherein: 
     Position  21  indicates the start of the sequence with preparing for operation with supply of liquid into the liquid chamber unit, such that liquid is filled into the main chamber and the sensor chamber and also cavities, pores or the like in the liquid-permeable wall in order to ensure that the liquid will securely come into contact with the test specimen P over the entire test surface A. Liquid is supplied with a certain volume to the desired level, whereupon filling is terminated. 
     Position  22  indicates loading of a test specimen in the form of for example a sheet of paper to be tested. 
     Position  23  indicates the start of the measuring process as soon as the housing portions have been brought together such that a sealed contact with the test specimen between them is obtained and wetting is allowed to occur during a certain determined time period, as for example is prescribed for the particular measuring method to be applied. 
     Position  24  indicates that the measuring period is terminated and the final liquid level in the sensor chamber is read. 
     Position  25  indicates transmission of a read signal from the sensor to the computing unit, which transforms the sensor signal into a value for the amount of liquid that has been absorbed by the test specimen, to be displayed on a display. 
     Position  26  indicates elimination of free liquid on the test surface by for example suction, blowing, blotting or a combination thereof, so that the test specimen is easier to handle for the operator after finalized measuring. 
     Position  27  indicates opening of the housing portions and removing of the test specimen. 
     Position  28  indicates flushing of the liquid chamber unit and the liquid-permeable wall with clean liquid, resetting the system and termination of the method sequence. 
     The invention can be varied within the scope of the following claims and be modified in different ways. 
     For example it is within the scope of the invention to read the liquid level change in a liquid chamber unit in any other way as for example optically with the aid of light (such as laser), by acoustic means, by electromagnetic means, a combination of at least two of these methods or by any other per se known method. The floater could also be directly connected over per se known linkage arms to a mechanical indicator which can relate to an adjustable or changeable scale over a value/a final value. 
     It is fully possible to envisage that in some situations, for example where no change of form of the test specimen in the direction towards or from the main chamber occurs or is expected to occur, to leave out the rigid liquid-permeable wall such that instead the test surface of the test specimen directly limits the main chamber. It is also possible, in certain situations, to eliminate the pressing means for similar reasons. These modifications are however normally not preferred. 
     The insertion of the test specimen can be made automatically through the operation of a motor or entirely manually. The movements of the housing portions can be controlled automatically or even be effected manually. Also a solution with stationary housing portions and influencing the test specimen with particular pressing means in order to achieve sealing contact, is within the scope of the invention. 
     In order to ensure improved repeatability and minimize the risk of erroneous measurements, the measurement of the embodiment according to  FIG. 2   a  must be initiated as soon as possible after the test surface has come into contact with the test liquid. 
     In another embodiment according to  FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b  the liquid chamber is positioned above the test specimen and filled after bringing the housing portions together. In this embodiment, filling of liquid should be fast and automatic, for greater repeatability and greater security against erroneous measurements. This figure includes the reference numerals used in  FIGS. 2   a  and  2   b  with a (′)-sign. 
     From the position in  FIG. 3   a , the housing portions are moveable relative to each other into a position shown in  FIG. 3   b , wherein the housing portions with the aid of the seals  14 , 15  sealingly clamp around a test area of a predetermined size of the test specimen P. This procedure is analogous to what is stated for  FIGS. 2   a  and  2   b.    
     Emptying of the liquid chamber unit of the embodiment according to  FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b  can be made in many ways. For example, emptying can be made in combination with perforating the test specimen for feeding out/sucking out through the resulting hole. Alternatively, the liquid could be sucked back through the liquid-permeable wall. 
     As is stated above, different measurement methods can be used for the measuring of the liquid absorption in test specimens of different kinds, even if the background of the description in general has been the Cobb method, which is an established method for measuring water absorption in different types of paper. Thus, also other materials according to the above can be applied for measuring, also in connection with other liquids than water. 
     In order to ensure that the liquid is not prevented by the liquid-permeable wall from coming into full contact with the test specimen, it is suggested in a modified variant of the embodiment in  FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b  that, in connection with filling liquid, a certain amount is brought in between the liquid-permeable wall and test specimen. This can be achieved for example by introducing a spraying device, which in connection with the test specimen being somewhat separated from the liquid-permeable wall, for example starting out from a central position of the wall, sprays the liquid sideward for total wetting of the entire specimen surface. 
     The liquid-permeable wall can be of different kinds, for example a fine-meshed metal net, a porous sintered material or a perforated metal foil which is stretched in the liquid chamber unit. 
     The specimen test surface can be oriented in other ways, for example vertically or with the main chamber positioned above the test specimen ( FIG. 3   a ). It is not excluded that a test surface can be an edge-portion, for example the edge of a cut-out hole in a test specimen. 
     The invention enables accurate calibration in order to take different parameters into consideration such as for example unevenness in the liquid-permeable wall such as mesh unevenness in the case of a metal net. Also calibration at the background of prevailing temperatures. can be within the scope of the invention. 
     Filling of water into the liquid chamber unit can be controlled through overflow or be controlled by the sensor  20 , which cuts off the water supply at a certain reference level. Also other per se known procedures can be adapted. 
     As an alternative to the above discussed systems it is also possible to envisage a solution wherein a liquid chamber unit has constant volume, and wherein a very accurate pump supplies a second amount of liquid in order to replace the reduction of the first amount of liquid in the liquid chamber unit corresponding to the amount of liquid being absorbed by a test specimen. A signal describing in such a way supplied liquid amount or pump action can then be used in order to obtain a measurement of absorbed liquid in a test specimen. This modification is however not preferred. 
     Through the invention it has become possible to calculate a prediction of the final value already after a short time of liquid influence on the test specimen since the invention allows measurements continuously, or at short intervals, of the water absorption in principle from the start of the test period. This gives the possibility to obtain a large number of measuring points already after a short time in order to, with the aid of known mathematic functions, calculate a theoretical value with for example an exponential function. This has the advantage that a reliable result can be obtained long before the end of an established test period, which means faster response, higher productivity and lower costs. In the case of a Cobb value, such a reliable result could be obtained already after for example 10-30 seconds as a contrast to the established testing time of 60 seconds.