Patent ID: 7409873

Claim:
A Coriolis flowmeter comprising: a measurement flow tube including a first curved tube portion and a second curved tube portion, the first curved tube portion having a first inlet portion through which a measurement fluid flows in and a first outlet portion through which the measurement fluid flows out, the second curved tube portion having a second inlet portion through which the measurement fluid flows in and a second outlet portion through which the measurement fluid flows out; and a fixing member which is situated in a middle position of the flow tube when looking down at the flow tube, and to which the first inlet portion, the second inlet portion, the first outlet portion, and the second outlet portion are fixed, the Coriolis flowmeter being operable to obtain at least one of a mass flow rate and a density of the measurement fluid through detection of at least one of a phase difference and a vibration frequency proportional to Coriolis forces acting on the first curved tube portion and the second curved tube portion by vibrating the first curved tube portion and the second curved tube portion with the first curved tube portion and the second curved tube portion being opposed to each other, wherein, the first inlet portion, the second inlet portion, the first outlet portion, and the second outlet portion are fixed to the fixing member such that their tube axes are arranged in the same plane, the first inlet portion and the second inlet portion being arranged in a non-parallel state such that a distance therebetween increases with increasing distance from the fixing member; and the first outlet portion and the second outlet portion being arranged in a non-parallel state such that a distance therebetween increases with increasing distance from the fixing member, the first inlet portion and the second inlet portion, and the first outlet portion and the second outlet portion being fixed so as to be arranged symmetrically, and wherein a distance between respective driven portions of the first curved tube portion and the second curved tube portion is smaller than a distance between respective portions thereof continuous with the driven portions.