Patents Assigned to Azbil Corporation
  • Publication number: 20220364942
    Abstract: A diaphragm vacuum gauge includes: a sensor chip that includes a first electrode provided on a base and a second electrode provided on a diaphragm so as to face the first electrode, the diaphragm and the base being disposed with a gap therebetween, and in which a distance between the first electrode and the second electrode changes in accordance with displacement of the diaphragm caused by pressure of a measurement target medium; an operational amplifier that converts a current output from the first electrode to a voltage and amplifies the voltage; and a coaxial cable that connects the first electrode and the operational amplifier with each other. The first electrode is connected to a virtual ground of the operational amplifier by a core wire of the coaxial cable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2022
    Publication date: November 17, 2022
    Applicant: AZBIL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasuhide YOSHIKAWA, Keisuke OBARA, Jun ICHIHARA, Kimihiro SATO
  • Patent number: 11499882
    Abstract: A pressure sensor includes a sensor chip. The sensor chip has two diaphragms, recessed portions that serve as first pressure inlet chambers disposed so as to respectively adjoin top surfaces of the diaphragms, and recessed portions that serve as second pressure inlet chambers disposed so as to respectively adjoin bottom surfaces of the diaphragms. A cavity is provided in the sensor chip such that, when a difference between pressures respectively applied to a top surface and bottom surface of the diaphragm is zero, an output voltage of a Wheatstone bridge circuit made up of strain gauges provided in the diaphragm is zero.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: AZBIL CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hirofumi Tojo
  • Publication number: 20220356962
    Abstract: A stick slip detection system includes: an operation data storage unit configured to store a stick slip index, the stick slip index being a ratio of a first state amount based on a displacement of a valve shaft of a valve to be diagnosed to a second state amount based on the displacement; an abnormality diagnosis unit configured to determine whether a stick slip phenomenon occurs in the diagnosis target based on the stick slip index; and a diagnosis operation control unit configured to, when a stepwise change in a control command value in an intermediate opening degree of the valve to be diagnosed is detected, stop a determination operation of the abnormality diagnosis unit. The present disclosure makes it possible to easily reflect knowledge of an expert with respect to a diagnosis target such as a valve in the stick slip detection system and method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2022
    Publication date: November 10, 2022
    Applicant: Azbil Corporation
    Inventors: Koichiro HIRAO, Fumiaki YAMASAKI
  • Publication number: 20220357227
    Abstract: A diaphragm vacuum gauge includes: a pressure receiving unit having an electrical property that changes in accordance with displacement of a diaphragm caused by pressure of a measurement target medium; a heater that heats the pressure receiving unit; a temperature sensor that measures a temperature of the pressure receiving unit; a pressure measurement unit that converts a change in the electrical property of the pressure receiving unit to a pressure measurement value; a storage unit that stores a plurality of heating temperature settings; a heating temperature setting unit that selects one heating temperature setting from among the plurality of heating temperature settings in accordance with a digital input signal that is externally input; and a control unit that controls power supply to the heater on the basis of the temperature measured by the temperature sensor and the heating temperature setting selected by the heating temperature setting unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2022
    Publication date: November 10, 2022
    Applicant: AZBIL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasuhide YOSHIKAWA, Keisuke OBARA, Jun ICHIHARA, Kimihiro SATO
  • Patent number: 11480485
    Abstract: Measurement with satisfactory sensitivity in a low-pressure range, and accurate measurement in a wider pressure range, are realized by a pressure sensor that includes a diaphragm layer and a pressure receiving region formed on the diaphragm layer. The pressure sensor includes a first piezostrictive element, a second piezostrictive element, a third piezostrictive element, and a fourth piezostrictive element. In addition, the pressure sensor includes a first magnetostrictive element, a second magnetostrictive element, a third magnetostrictive element, and a fourth magnetostrictive element. A switching function unit outputs a pressure value calculated by a second calculation function unit until a pressure value calculated by a first calculation function unit exceeds a set threshold value, and outputs the pressure value calculated by the first calculation function unit when the pressure value calculated by the first calculation function unit exceeds the threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: AZBIL CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tomohisa Tokuda
  • Patent number: 11476406
    Abstract: A displacement magnification device has a first link portion including a first rigid body and a first plate spring that couples the first rigid body to a supporting portion and a movable portion. A second link portion includes a second rigid body and a second plate spring that couples the second rigid body to the supporting portion and the movable portion. In this structure, the first rigid body and the second rigid body play roles to suppress the bending of the first plate spring and the second plate spring. In addition, a connection portion between the first plate spring and the supporting portion, a connection portion between the second plate spring and the supporting portion, a connection portion between the first plate spring and the movable portion, and a connection portion between the second plate spring and the movable portion play roles of elastic hinges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: AZBIL CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takao Mizuuchi
  • Patent number: 11428575
    Abstract: A flame detection system includes: an optical sensor that detects light generated from a light source; an applied voltage generating circuit that periodically applies a drive pulse voltage to the optical sensor, discharge determining portion that detects a discharge from the optical sensor, a discharge probability calculating portion that calculates a discharge probability based on a number of times of application of the drive pulse voltage and a number of times of discharge detected in the a first state in which the optical sensor is shielded from light and a second state in which the optical sensor can receive light, a sensitivity parameter storing portion storing known sensitivity parameters of the optical sensor; and a received light quantity calculating portion that calculates the received light quantity by the optical sensor in the second state based on the sensitivity parameters and the discharge probabilities calculated in the first and second states.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: AZBIL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shun Onuma, Raita Mori
  • Patent number: 11415966
    Abstract: A HART modem includes: a HART/Host communication conversion unit, which relays communication between a HART device and a diagnostic device or a host device; a communication waveform detection unit configured to record data sampled from HART communication signals transmitted and received to and from the HART device in a communication waveform temporary storage unit; a communication content monitoring unit configured to monitor contents of HART communication and instruct the communication waveform detection unit to start recording and stop the recording of data according to a signal acquisition timing specified by a user; and a waveform acquisition management unit configured to transmit data accumulated in the communication waveform temporary storage unit to the diagnostic device when the recording of the data is stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: AZBIL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naoki Furusawa, Mamoru Kagoura, Naoyuki Fukao, Hiroyuki Tsugane
  • Patent number: 11402261
    Abstract: To calculate a probability of an optical sensor's irregular discharge, a light detection system includes an optical sensor, an application voltage generating circuit that applies a drive pulse voltage to the optical sensor, a discharge determining portion that detects the optical sensor's discharge, a discharge probability calculating portion that calculates a discharge probability for each of first and second states in which the optical sensor is shielded from light and the drive pulse voltage's width in the second state is different from the first state, a sensitivity parameter storing portion storing the drive pulse voltage's reference pulse width as the optical sensor's sensitivity parameter, and another discharge probability calculating portion that calculates an irregular discharge's probability that occurs without depending on the optical sensor's received light quantity, based on the sensitivity parameter, and the discharge probabilities calculated and the drive pulse voltage's widths in the first and
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: AZBIL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shun Onuma, Raita Mori
  • Patent number: 11391630
    Abstract: A spectrum measuring device according to the present disclosure includes an accommodation part having a space for accommodating a culture solution containing a medium and cells, a light source device for irradiating a first surface of the space with excitation light, a light receiving device for receiving fluorescence occurring from the first surface, and an arithmetic device for spectral analysis of the fluorescence received by the light receiving device. In the space, the depth from the first surface of a fluorescence region where fluorescence is produced by incident excitation light is a value giving an internal shield of a prescribed level of less in the fluorescence region. The arithmetic device calculates the fluorescence spectrum of the cells by subtracting the fluorescence spectrum of the medium from the spectrum of the fluorescence of the culture solution obtained by the light receiving device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: AZBIL CORPORATION
    Inventor: Norio Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 11366032
    Abstract: A sensor element includes a sensor chip and a diaphragm base joined to a surface of the sensor chip. The sensor chip includes a first diaphragm for measuring differential pressure between a first pressure and a second pressure and a second diaphragm for measuring absolute pressure or gage pressure of the second pressure. The diaphragm base includes a third diaphragm to directly receive a fluid that is a measurement target and has the first pressure, and a fourth diaphragm to directly receive a fluid that is a measurement target and having the second pressure. The sensor element has a liquid amount adjustment chamber to make an amount of a first pressure transmission medium filled in a first pressure introduction path and an amount of a second pressure transmission medium filled in a second pressure introduction path to be equal to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: AZBIL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomohisa Tokuda, Masayuki Yoneda, Hirofumi Tojo, Ayumi Tsushima, Nozomi Kida
  • Patent number: 11359962
    Abstract: To calculate received light quantity even when part of noise component's discharge probability is unknown, a light detection system includes a discharge probability calculating portion that calculates discharge probabilities for a first state in which a source's light with known light quantity impinges on an optical sensor, a second state in which the source's turning-on/turning-off state is the same as the first state with a drive pulse width applied to the optical sensor different from the first state, a third state in which the source's turning-on/turning-off state is different from the first and second states with the same pulse width as the first state, and a fourth state in which the source's turning-on/turning-off state is the same as the third state with the same pulse width as the second state, another discharge probability calculating portion that calculates regular and irregular discharges' probabilities, and a received light quantity calculating portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: AZBIL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shun Onuma, Raita Mori
  • Patent number: 11346711
    Abstract: For calculating an optical sensor's regular-discharge probability, a light detection system includes the optical sensor, an application voltage generating circuit for applying a drive pulse voltage to the optical sensor, a discharge determining portion for detecting the optical sensor's discharge, a first discharge probability calculating portion, a sensitivity parameter storing portion for storing the optical sensor's sensitivity parameters, and a second discharge probability calculating portion for calculating a discharge probability of the optical sensor's regular discharge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: AZBIL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shun Onuma, Raita Mori
  • Patent number: 11340125
    Abstract: To provide a pressure sensor that has high pressure resistance performance, small measurement error by suppressing hysteresis with respect to pressure, and high sensitivity and high productivity, a pressure sensor includes a diaphragm unit with a first main surface that receives a measurement target fluid's pressure and a second main surface located on the opposite side of this first main surface, a housing, and a sensing unit that outputs the diaphragm unit's deformation as an electric signal, in which at least part of the diaphragm unit has a multi-layer structure in which a plurality of thin plate members are stacked, and the plurality of thin plate members are deformed independently of each other while at least part of the plurality of thin plate members is in press-contact to each other in a pressure receiving state in which the measurement target fluid's pressure is applied to the first main surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: AZBIL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuki Seto, Rina Ogasawara, Yusuke Niimura
  • Patent number: 11340128
    Abstract: A sensor chip of a sensor element includes a diaphragm for measuring a differential pressure between a first pressure and a second pressure, a diaphragm for measuring an absolute pressure or a gauge pressure of the second pressure, a first pressure introduction path that transmits the first pressure to the diaphragm for measuring a differential pressure, and a second pressure introduction path that transmits the second pressure to the diaphragms. When the transmission of the first pressure or the second pressure to the diaphragms is indicated by an equivalent circuit, a path for transmitting the first pressure and a path for transmitting the second pressure are symmetrically formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: AZBIL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomohisa Tokuda, Masayuki Yoneda, Hirofumi Tojo, Ayumi Tsushima, Nozomi Kida
  • Patent number: 11313746
    Abstract: A pressure sensor includes a movable electrode formed in a movable region of a diaphragm, and a fixed electrode formed opposite to the movable electrode. A pressure receiving surface of the diaphragm is held in an inactive state. The inactive pressure receiving surface of the diaphragm is in a state in which molecules of gas to be measured are hard to absorb onto the pressure receiving surface. The pressure receiving surface of the diaphragm can be made inactive by predetermined surface treatment. A layer for making the pressure receiving surface of the diaphragm inactive is formed by the surface treatment, and the pressure receiving surface of the diaphragm is held inactive with the presence of the layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: AZBIL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaru Soeda, Takuya Ishihara, Masashi Sekine
  • Patent number: 11307109
    Abstract: A differential pressure gauge of the invention contains: a diaphragm layer disposed between first and second parts; and a wall between a first region on a pressure-receiving portion side and a second region on a first through-hole side within a second pressure chamber. The diaphragm layer covers the pressure-receiving portion over a first pressure chamber and has the first through-hole with one end disposed in the second pressure chamber away from the pressure-receiving portion. The wall is disposed with gaps formed from inner walls of the second pressure chamber. The first pressure chamber is formed through the first part, the second pressure chamber has an opening facing the diaphragm layer, the first part has a second through-hole continuing to the first through-hole, and a base has a third through-hole with one end disposed in the first pressure chamber and a fourth through-hole continuing to the second through-hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: AZBIL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hirofumi Tojo, Tomohisa Tokuda, Nozomi Kida
  • Patent number: 11287341
    Abstract: A pressure sensor includes a sensor diaphragm, a pressure-chamber defining member joined to a sensor diaphragm, the pressure-chamber defining member including a recess and a through hole that is open in the recess, the recess having an opening closed by the sensor diaphragm, a connecting pipe having a first end portion inserted into the through hole while being exposed to the recess and bonded to the hole with an adhesive, and a pressure transmission medium filled in the recess and the connecting pipe. A space is disposed around the first end portion of the connecting pipe, and the adhesive is not disposed at the first end portion of the connecting pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: AZBIL CORPORATION
    Inventor: Ayumi Tsushima
  • Patent number: 11280672
    Abstract: A flame detection system includes: an optical sensor that detects light emitted from a light source; an applied voltage generating circuit that applies a drive pulse voltage to the optical sensor; a discharge determining portion that detects a discharge from the optical sensor; a discharge probability calculating portion calculates discharge probabilities in a first state and a second state in which the optical sensor is shielded from light and a pulse width of the drive pulse voltage is different; a storing portion storing a reference pulse width as a sensitivity parameter; and a discharge probability calculating portion that calculates a discharge probability of an irregular discharge occurring without depending on the received light quantity by the optical sensor based on the sensitivity parameter, the discharge probabilities calculated in the first and second states and the pulse widths of the drive pulse voltage in the first and second states.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: AZBIL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shun Onuma, Raita Mori
  • Publication number: 20220082415
    Abstract: A mass flow controller includes a pipe through which fluid flows, a laminar element generating differential pressure between the fluid at an upstream side and the fluid at a downstream side, a differential pressure sensor measuring differential pressure between first absolute pressure of the fluid at the upstream side of the laminar element and second absolute pressure of the fluid at the downstream side thereof, an absolute pressure sensor measuring the second absolute pressure, a pressure controller controlling a valve opening of a first valve so that the second absolute pressure has a constant value, a flow rate calculator calculating a flow rate of the fluid based on the differential pressure and the second absolute pressure, and a flow rate controller controlling a valve opening of a second valve so that the value of the flow rate is equal to a flow rate setting value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2021
    Publication date: March 17, 2022
    Applicant: AZBIL CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kouji YUUKI