Level measurement device

1. Level measurement device for measuring a level (L) of a product, in particular a product contained in a container, comprising:

mounting means for mounting said measurement device at a measurement site,

an antenna comprising a dielectric antenna element consisting of a dielectric material for transmitting microwave signals (S) towards the product and/or for receiving echo signals (R) resulting from reflections of the transmitted microwave signals, and

measurement electronics for determining the level of the product based on a transit time needed for the microwave signals to travel to a surface of the product and of their echo signals to return to the device,

wherein the device further comprises a cap covering said dielectric antenna element, and a cleaning means causing said cap to vibrate when said cleaning means is activated for cleaning said cap,

wherein said cap is spaced apart from a front surface of said antenna element, through which said microwave signals are to be transmitted and/or received, which is small and at the same time large enough to allow for the cap to vibrate freely, in particular by a distance of the order of the size of an amplitude of the vibration of the cap.

2. The level measurement device according to claim 1 , wherein said dielectric antenna element is an essentially ban shaped element comprising a spherical front surface to be directed towards the product, through which microwave signals are to be transmitted and/or received.

3. The level measurement device according to claim 1 , wherein

said antenna is connected to said measurement electronics via a wave guide,

an extension is provided on said antenna element, and

said extension is secured inside an end section of said wave guide facing the product, when the device is mounted at the measurement site.

4. The level measurement device according to claim 1 , wherein that said cap is made out of a material transparent to the microwave signals to be transmitted and/or received by the antenna, in particular out of the same dielectric material as said antenna element, in particular out of polytetrafluorethylen (PTFE).

5. The level measurement device according to claim 1 , wherein

said antenna element is mounted on an end section of a wave guide facing the product, when the device is mounted at the measurement site, and

a mounting means, in particular clamping means, is provided for mounting a cylindrical end section of the cap onto an outer conductor of said end section of said wave guide.

6. The level measurement device according to claim 5 , wherein

a reinforcement is provided on the outer conductor, and

said end section of said cap is mounted on, in particular clamped onto, to said reinforcement.

7. The level measurement device according to claim 1 , wherein said measurement electronics is located in a position separated from the measurement site the antenna element is exposed to, when the device is mounted at the measurement site by a separating element, in particular a separating element connected to said mounting means or forming an integral part of said mounting means, in particular a separating element provided by a disc shaped central section of a flange,

said antenna is connected to said measurement electronics via a wave guide extending through said separating element, and

said cap is mounted onto an underside of said separating element facing the measurement site, when the device is mounted at the measurement site.

8. The level measurement device according to claim 7 , wherein an end section of the cap comprises an extension on its outer side, and

said extension extends parallel to a surface of said separating element and is pressed against this surface by a holder engaging said extension, which holder is mounted onto the underside of said separating element.

9. The level measurement device according to claim 1 , wherein said cleaning means comprises a drive interacting with a side wall section of the cap spaced apart from a signal transmission path along which said microwave signals are to be transmitted and/or received via a front surface of the antenna element facing the product, such that said drive causes said side wall section and in consequence said cap to vibrate, when it is activated.

10. The level measurement device according to claim 9 , wherein said drive is either an electromagnetic drive comprising:

a magnetic element, in particular a soft magnetic plate, integrated in or mounted on said side wall section of said cap,

a driving unit facing said magnetic element, which is provided on an outside of said side wall section of said cap and comprises a coil system comprising at least one coil, and

drive electronics connected to said driving unit for generating an alternating current to be send through said coil system when said drive is to be activated,

or a piezoelectric drive comprising:

a piezoelectric driving unit resting on an outside surface of said side wall section of said cap and comprising at least one piezoelectric element, and

drive electronics connected to said driving unit for generating an alternating voltage to be applied to said at least one piezoelectric element of the driving unit when said drive is to be activated.

11. The level measurement device according to claim 10 , wherein

a separating element, in particular a separating element connected to said mounting means or forming an integral part of said mounting means, in particular a separating element provided by a disc shaped central section of a flange, is provided for providing a separation between said measurement site and its surrounding, when said device is mounted at said measurement site, and

said driving unit is mounted on a mechanical support extending through said separating element in a position located opposite said side wall section such, that said driving unit is facing said magnetic element.

12. The level measurement device according to claim 1 , wherein

said cleaning means comprises a driving unit, in particular an electromagnetic driving unit or a piezoelectric driving unit and drive electronics connected to the said driving unit,

energy storing means, in particular storing means comprising a rechargeable battery or at least one rechargeable capacitor, connected to said measurement electronics and to said drive electronics is provided,

said energy storing means is to be charged by surplus energy provided to them by said measurement electronics during times, when more energy than required by the measurement electronics at the time is available to the measurement electronics, and

energy stored in the energy storing means provides a sole or additional energy source for powering the cleaning means.

13. The level measurement device according to claim 12 , wherein said measurement device is a two-wire measurement device to be powered by a two wire control loop connected to an external power supply, and

an input/output unit (I/O) is provided for transmitting measurement results obtained by said measurement device during measurement operation by controlling a current flowing through the control loop to be proportional to said measurement results.

14. The level measurement device according to claim 1 , wherein said cleaning means is powered by an external power supply to be connected thereto, or

a service port connected to said measurement electronics is provided, allowing for a service tool (ST) to be connected to said measurement device and to be powered by the measurement device during service time intervals, and said cleaning means is connected to said service port and powered by said measurement electronics during operation of said device, when no service tool (ST) is connected to said service port.