Granted Patent B2

US 12,650,329 · App. 18/037,636 · Granted Jun 9, 2026

Inventors: Fabrizio Benatti (Cavezzo, IT); Giulio Gualtieri (Guiglia, IT); Maurizio Meschiari (Massa Finalese, IT)

Assignee: COROB S.P.A.

G01F23/38B01F27/112B01F27/17B01F35/2112G01F23/0007

Abstract

Claims (29)

1 . A tank for containing a fluid, the tank comprising:

one or more stirring blades rotatable on a first axis in order to stir the fluid contained in the tank; and

a device for measuring the level of fluid contained in the tank, wherein the device comprises at least one mobile level blade positioned, during use, inside the tank and configured to rotate with the one or more stirring blades on the first axis, and at least one sensor configured to detect at least one position of said level blade and positioned, during use, outside the tank;

wherein said level blade, in order to determine the level of the fluid in relation to a threshold level, is configured to assume a first operating configuration when the level of the fluid is greater than or equal to said threshold level, and a second configuration when the level of the fluid falls below said threshold level, wherein the level blade is mounted on a pin and is configured to pivot on the pin between the first operating configuration and the second operating configuration; and

wherein a position of the pin is adjustable along the first axis.

2 . The tank as in claim 1 , wherein said sensor is a magnetic sensor and said level blade is provided with at least one magnet positioned substantially at the same height as said sensor in at least one of said operating configurations.

3 . The tank as in claim 1 , wherein said level blade is made entirely or partly of metal material and said sensor is an inductive sensor.

4 . The tank as in claim 1 , wherein said sensor is a capacitive sensor configured to detect the change of capacitance of the level blade due to its movement.

5 . The tank as in claim 1 , wherein said level blade comprises at least one sensor configured to measure its position.

6 . The tank as in claim 1 , wherein said level blade is angularly pivoting around a pin and comprises an upper part and a lower part which are configured as fins that project from opposite parts, one with respect to the other, with respect to said pin so that the relative position of said blade with respect to said sensor varies in the passage from said first to said second operating configuration, which allows to detect a variation of interaction between said level blade and said sensor which is indicative of the lowering of the level of fluid below said threshold level.

7 . The tank as in claim 6 , wherein said level blade angularly pivots around said pin at least between a first substantially vertical position in which said level blade assumes said first operating configuration and said level is higher than said threshold level, to at least a second substantially horizontal or inclined position in which said level blade assumes said second operating configuration where said level is lower than said threshold level.

8 . The tank as in claim 6 , wherein said level blade is configured to angularly pivot freely around said pin, being mounted idle on said pin.

9 . The tank as in claim 1 , wherein said level blade is integral with said stirring blades.

10 . The tank as in any claim 1 , wherein said level blade is positioned between at least two stirring blades located in succession, so as to substantially occupy, at least partly, the empty space between said two stirring blades.

11 . The tank as in claim 10 , wherein an upper part of said level blade comprises at least one segment interfering with an upper stirring blade and/or a lower part of said level blade comprises at least one segment interfering with a lower stirring blade.

12 . A method to measure the level of fluid contained inside a tank comprising one or more stirring blades able to rotate around an axis of rotation thereof in order to stir said fluid, wherein at least one mobile level blade is positioned inside the tank and at least one sensor is positioned outside said tank configured to detect at least one position of said level blade, the method comprising:

rotating the one or more stirring blades about the axis of rotation and rotating the level blade with the one or more stirring blades about the axis of rotation;

pivoting the level blade on a pivot axis oriented transverse to the axis of rotation from a first position in which the level blade is oriented vertically to a second position in which the level blade is disposed one of horizontally and inclined between horizontal and vertical based on the level of the fluid falling below a threshold level; and

sensing, by the sensor, the fluid level being below the threshold level based on the level blade pivoting from the first position to the second position.

13 . The method as in claim 12 , further comprising: varying the relative position of said level blade with respect to said sensor in the passage from said first to said second operating configuration, in order to detect a variation of interaction between said level blade and said sensor which is indicative of the lowering of the level below said threshold level.

14 . The method as in claim 12 , further comprising carrying out at least one rotation of said stirring blades in order to determine the movement of said level blade between said first operating configuration, in which said level blade is disposed in a first substantially vertical position, and said second operating configuration, in which said level blade is disposed in a second substantially horizontal or inclined position.

15 . A tank for containing a fluid, the tank comprising:

one or more stirring blades rotatable on a first axis in order to stir the fluid contained in the tank; and

a device for measuring the level of fluid contained in the tank, wherein the device comprises at least one mobile level blade positioned, during use, inside the tank and at least one sensor configured to detect at least one position of said level blade and positioned, during use, outside the tank;

wherein the level blade, in order to determine the level of the fluid in relation to a threshold level, is configured to assume a first operating configuration when the level of the fluid is greater than or equal to said threshold level, and a second configuration when the level of the fluid falls below said threshold level; and

wherein the level blade overlaps with a first stirring blade of the one or more stirring blades about the first axis with the level blade in the first operating configuration.

16 . The tank of claim 15 , wherein the one or more stirring blades extend from a shaft rotatable on the first axis, the level blade is connected to the shaft at a first location along the shaft, and the first stirring blade is connected to the shaft at a location vertically above the first location.

17 . The tank of claim 16 , wherein the level blade overlaps with a second stirring blade of the one or more stirring blades about the first axis with the level blade in the first operating configuration, and wherein the second stirring blade is connected to the shaft at a location vertically below the first location.

18 . The tank of claim 15 , wherein the level blade overlaps with a second stirring blade of the one or more stirring blades about the first axis with the level blade in the first operating configuration.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (15)