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US 12,590,943 B2Granted
Liquid sensor and hydraulic unit
AssigneeDaikin Industries, Ltd.
InventorsHikaru Seike, Hirokazu Nakamura, Mineo Inoue, Kenji Ayado
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A liquid sensor includes a light receiver configured to receive light. The light receiver is attachable to an outside of an accommodation unit into which a liquid is introduced and which has translucency. The light receiver receives light that has passed through the liquid in the accommodation unit or light reflected by the liquid, and outputs a signal related to a physical quantity of the liquid.
Claims15
A hydraulic unit comprising:
- a liquid tank;
- a liquid level gauge having
- an accommodation unit attached to an exterior of the liquid tank, the accommodation unit having a translucent hollow body that defines an interior space of the accommodation unit, and
- a pair of bolts coupled to the accommodation unit to attach the accommodation unit to the exterior of the liquid tank, the bolts each having a communication path with a first end opening that opens at the interior space of the accommodation unit and a second end opening that opens at an interior space of the liquid tank such that a liquid is introduced into the interior space of the accommodation unit from the liquid tank;
- and
- a liquid sensor having
- a light receiver configured to receive light, the light receiver being attached to an outside of the accommodation unit, the light receiver being configured
- to receive light that has passed through the liquid in the accommodation unit or light reflected by the liquid, and
- to output a signal related to a physical quantity of the liquid,
- a power source that is rechargeable, the power source being configured to supply electric power to the light receiver, and
- a thermoelectric conversion element configured to generate electric power to charge the power source, the thermoelectric conversion element being in contact with a head portion of one of the bolts.
8 more elements
A liquid sensor comprising:
- a light receiver configured to receive light, the light receiver being configured to be attached to an outside of an accommodation unit into which a liquid is introduced and which has translucency;
- and
- a light emitter configured to emit light, the light emitter being configured to be attached to the outside of the accommodation unit,
- the light receiver being configured
- to receive light that is emitted by the light emitter and has passed through the liquid in the accommondation unit when the light emitter faces the light receiver of light that is emitted by the light emitter and is reflected by the liquid in the accommodation unit, and
- to output a signal related to a physical quantity of the liquid,
- the accommodation unit being located outside of a liquid tank from which the liquid is introduced into the accommodation unit,
- the signal related to the physical quantity of the liquid including a signal indicating whether the liquid is present or absent in the accommodation unit, and
- the light emitter being configured to change state from off to on or emission color according to the signal indicating that the liquid is absent in the accommodation unit.
6 more elements
A liquid sensor comprising:
- a light receiver configured to receive light, the light receiver being configured to be attached to an outside of an accommodation unit into which a liquid is introduced and which has translucency;
- and
- a light emitter configured to emit light, the light emitter being configured to be attached to the outside of the accommodation unit,
- the light receiver being configured
- to receive light that is emitted by the light emitter and has passed through the liquid in the accommodation unit when the light emitter faces the light receiver or light that is emitted by the light emitter and is reflected by the liquid in the accommodation unit, and
- to output a signal related to a physical quantity of the liquid,
- the accommodation unit being located outside of a liquid tank from which the liquid is introduced into the accommodation unit,
- the light emitter being configured to change state from off to blinking according to the signal related to the physical quantity of the liquid.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.