Electro-optic liquid level sensing system for aircraft beverage brewing
AssigneeBE Intellectual Property, Inc.
InventorsSebastien Ramus, Keith DeBald, Joseph Dettmer, Winston Fliess
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The electro-optic liquid level sensing system detects a level of liquid in a container having an upper opening, such as for a server container of a beverage maker for a transport system, such as for aircraft, trains, trucks, buses and the like. A support housing mates with the upper opening of the container, and a primary liquid level sensor is mounted in the support housing for non-intrusively measuring the liquid level. A secondary liquid level sensor may be mounted in the support housing to sense a predetermined liquid level to prevent accidental overflows. Protective lenses may be placed in front of the primary liquid level sensor.
Claims26
1-54. (canceled)
Apparatus for detecting a level of a surface of a liquid in a container having an upper opening, the apparatus comprising:
- a support housing moveable between an upward unlocked position and a downward locked position, said support housing being adapted to mate with the upper opening of the container in said downward locked position;
- primary liquid level sensing means mounted in said support housing for non-intrusively measuring the level of the surface of the liquid in the container;
- and
- secondary liquid level sensing means mounted in said support housing for intrusively sensing a predetermined level of the surface of the liquid in the container for preventing accidental overflows in the event of a malfunction of the primary liquid level sensing means.
Apparatus for detecting a level of a surface of a liquid in a container having an upper opening, the apparatus comprising:
- a support housing moveable between an upward unlocked position and a downward locked position, said support housing being adapted to mate with the upper opening of the container in said downward locked position;
- at least one primary liquid level sensing probe movably mounted in said support housing for measuring the level of the surface of the liquid in the container.
Apparatus for detecting a level of a surface of a liquid in a server container of a beverage maker for a transport system, said server container having an upper opening, the apparatus comprising:
- a support housing moveable between an upward unlocked position and a downward locked position, said support housing being adapted to mate with the upper opening of the container in said downward locked position;
- primary liquid level sensing means mounted in said support housing for non-intrusively measuring the level of the surface of the liquid in the server container;
- and
- secondary liquid level sensing means mounted in said support housing for intrusively sensing a predetermined level of the surface of the liquid in the server container for preventing accidental overflows in the event of a malfunction of the primary liquid level sensing means.
Apparatus for detecting a level of a surface of a liquid in a server container of a beverage maker for a transport system, said server container having an upper opening, the apparatus comprising:
- a support housing moveable between an upward unlocked position and a downward locked position, said support housing being adapted to mate with the upper opening of the container in said downward locked position;
- at least one primary liquid level sensing probe movably mounted in said support housing for measuring the level of the surface of the liquid in the server container.
A method for detecting a level of a surface of a liquid in a container having an upper opening, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a support housing moveable between an upward unlocked position and a downward locked position, said support housing being adapted to mate with the upper opening of the container in said downward locked position;
- providing a liquid level sensing means mounted in said support housing for non-intrusively measuring the level of the surface of the liquid in the container;
- intermittently providing power to at least a portion of the liquid level sensing means such that the liquid level sensing means operates periodically.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.