IP Library Granted Patent US 12680934
Granted Patent B2
US 12680934 · App. 18/451,049 · Granted Jul 14, 2026

Viscometer device

Inventors: Takahisa Ishikawa (Tokyo, JP); Naoto Yamada (Tokyo, JP); Masahiro Kimura (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: Toki Sangyo Co., Ltd
G01N11/14
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12680934
App. No.
18/451,049
Granted
Jul 14, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A rotary viscometer device including a rotor and a sample cup includes: a viscometer including the rotor and a closure portion having a larger diameter than the rotor; and a temperature control portion separate from the viscometer, wherein the sample cup is provided at the temperature control portion, and the sample cup is positioned with respect to the closure portion by inserting a vertically movable guide pin of the viscometer into a positioning portion of the temperature control portion that is capable of in-plane movement while lowering the guide pin.

Claims (48)

1 . A rotary viscometer device including a rotor and a sample cup, the rotary viscometer device comprising:

a viscometer that includes the rotor, a closure portion having a larger diameter than the rotor, and a guide pin extending in a vertical direction wherein a distance between the closure portion and the guide pin is fixed, and the closure portion and the guide pin are configured to move together only in the vertical direction; and

a temperature control portion that is separate from the viscometer and has

an in-plane movement portion to regulate an in-plane movement of the temperature control portion so that the temperature control portion is allowed to move only in a width direction and a depth direction both of which are perpendicular to the vertical direction, not moving in the vertical direction,

a positioning portion that is in a hollow shape with an inner periphery matching an outer periphery of the guide pin, and

a guide surface that is provided above the positioning portion in the vertical direction, and is an inclined surface of which an inner periphery expands toward the temperature control portion so that the guide surface has an opening at an upper edge that is larger than the inner periphery of the positioning portion, wherein

the sample cup is provided at the temperature control portion wherein a distance between the sample cup and the positioning portion is fixed, and the sample cup and the positioning portion are configured to move together only in the width direction and the depth direction,

the sample cup is positioned with respect to the closure portion by inserting the guide pin of the viscometer into the positioning portion of the temperature control portion through the opening of the guide surface while lowering the guide pin, and

the viscometer includes an in-plane restriction portion that has an inner periphery within which the in-plane movement of the temperature control portion is allowed to move, wherein the inner periphery is wider than the in-plane movement portion in both the width direction and the depth direction, and a width and a depth of the inner periphery of the in-plane restriction portion are configured such that a tip of the guide pin is always placed within the opening of the guide surface in a view from the vertical direction.

2 . The rotary viscometer device according to claim 1 , wherein

the rotary viscometer device includes

another guide pin that is identical to the guide pin, wherein two of the guide pins are arranged separately in the width direction, and

another positioning portion that is identical to the positioning portion, wherein two of the positioning portion are arranged corresponding to the guide pins.

3 . The rotary viscometer device according to claim 1 , wherein

an in-plane position of the positioning portion is adjustable.

4 . The rotary viscometer device according to claim 1 , wherein

the viscometer includes a vertical movement portion for moving a main body up and down, and a lowering restriction portion for restricting a lowering width of the main body.

5 . The rotary viscometer device according to claim 1 , wherein

the temperature control portion includes an urging portion for coming into close contact with a main body of the viscometer.

6 . The rotary viscometer device according to claim 1 , wherein

the guide pin has a tip in a conical shape, and the tip being positioned on an axis of the conical shape,

the opening of the guide surface has a circular shape with an inner diameter,

the inner periphery of the in-plane restriction portion is wider than the in-plane movement portion by width Q in both the width direction and the depth direction, and

width Q is smaller than the inner diameter of the opening of the guide surface.

7 . A rotary viscometer device including a rotor and a sample cup, the rotary viscometer device comprising:

a viscometer that includes the rotor, a closure portion having a larger diameter than the rotor; and a guide pin extending in a vertical direction wherein a distance between the closure portion and the guide pin is fixed, and the closure portion and the guide pin are configured to move together only in the vertical direction; and

a temperature control portion that is separate from the viscometer and has

an in-plane movement portion to regulate an in-plane movement of the temperature control portion so that the temperature control portion is allowed to move only in a width direction and a depth direction both of which are perpendicular to the vertical direction, not moving in the vertical direction,

a positioning portion that is in a hollow shape with an inner periphery matching an outer periphery of the guide pin, and

a guide surface that is provided above the positioning portion in the vertical direction, and is an inclined surface of which an inner periphery expands toward the temperature control portion so that the guide surface has an opening at an upper edge that is larger than the inner periphery of the positioning portion, wherein

the sample cup is provided at the temperature control portion wherein a distance between the sample cup and the positioning portion is fixed, and the sample cup and the positioning portion are configured to move together only in the width direction and the depth direction,

the sample cup is positioned with respect to the closure portion by inserting the guide pin of the viscometer into the positioning portion of the temperature control portion through the opening of the guide surface while lowering the guide pin, and

the viscometer includes an in-plane restriction portion that has an inner periphery within which the in-plane movement of the temperature control portion is allowed to move, wherein the in-plane restriction portion on the viscometer has a height that the temperature control portion cannot pass over during the in-plane movement and has no openings to the outside except at the top such that a tip of the guide pin is always placed within the opening of the guide surface in a view from the vertical direction.

8 . The rotary viscometer device according to claim 7 , wherein

the rotary viscometer device includes

another guide pin that is identical to the guide pin, wherein two of the guide pins are arranged separately in the width direction, and

another positioning portion that is identical to the positioning portion, wherein two of the positioning portion are arranged corresponding to the guide pins.

9 . The rotary viscometer device according to claim 7 , wherein

an in-plane position of the positioning portion is adjustable.

10 . The rotary viscometer device according to claim 7 , wherein

the viscometer includes a vertical movement portion for moving a main body up and down, and a lowering restriction portion for restricting a lowering width of the main body.

11 . The rotary viscometer device according to claim 7 , wherein

the temperature control portion includes an urging portion for coming into close contact with a main body of the viscometer.

12 . The rotary viscometer device according to claim 7 , wherein

the guide pin has a tip in a conical shape, and the tip being positioned on an axis of the conical shape,

the opening of the guide surface has a circular shape with an inner diameter,

the inner periphery of the in-plane restriction portion is wider than the in-plane movement portion by width Q in both the width direction and the depth direction, and

width Q is smaller than the inner diameter of the opening of the guide surface.