Oil-less pressure sensor with overpressure limit
AssigneeWeed Instrument Company, Inc.
InventorsTaylor Michael Campbell, Mark Alan McCray
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pressure sensor includes a housing having an internal cavity, a pressure port, and a hole through which pressure is communicated between the pressure port and the internal cavity. A bellows within the cavity is configured to expand and contract responsive to changes in pressure at the pressure port. The pressure sensor additionally includes a load cell configured to generate signal indicating a magnitude of a pressure applied to the bellows, a moveable stop engagement member mechanically coupled to the bellows, and a mechanical overpressure stop that limits expansion of the bellows by mechanically engaging the moveable stop engagement member.
Claims20
A pressure sensor, comprising:
- a housing having a pressure port, an internal cavity, and a hole through which pressure is communicated between the pressure port and the internal cavity;
- a bellows, within the cavity, that is configured to expand and contract responsive to changes in pressure at the pressure port;
- a load cell configured to generate a signal indicating a magnitude of a pressure applied to the bellows;
- a moveable stop engagement member mechanically coupled to the bellows;
- and
- a mechanical overpressure stop that limits expansion of the bellows by mechanically engaging the moveable stop engagement member.
A pressure-sensing method, comprising:
- providing a pressure sensor, including:
- a housing having a pressure port, an internal cavity, and a hole through which pressure is communicated between the pressure port and the internal cavity;
- a bellows, within the cavity, that is configured to expand and contract responsive to changes in pressure at the pressure port;
- a load cell configured to generate a signal indicating a magnitude of a pressure applied to the bellows;
- a moveable stop engagement member mechanically coupled to the bellows;
- and
- a mechanical overpressure stop that limits expansion of the bellows by mechanically engaging the moveable stop engagement member;
- and
- outputting, by the load cell, the signal.
A differential pressure sensor, comprising:
- a housing having first and second pressure ports, first and second internal cavities, a first hole through which pressure is communicated between the first pressure port and the first internal cavity, and a second hole through which pressure is communicated between the second pressure port and the second internal cavity;
- a first bellows, within the first cavity, that is configured to expand and contract responsive to changes in pressure at the first pressure port;
- a second bellows, within the second cavity, that is configured to expand and contract responsive to changes in pressure at the second pressure port;
- a load cell interposed between the first and second bellows, wherein the load cell is configured to generate a signal indicating a magnitude of a differential pressure applied to the first and second bellows;
- a moveable stop engagement member mechanically coupled to at least one bellows among the first and second bellows;
- and
- a mechanical overpressure stop that limits expansion of the at least one bellows by mechanically engaging the moveable stop engagement member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.