US 4,218,926 A · Isolating pressure sensor

Abstract

A narrow pressure sensor unit interposable between close spaced flanges on coaxially opposed pipes. The pressure sensor unit includes an annular body sandwiched coaxially between two flanking rings of lesser inside diameter by a circumferential array of axial fasteners. A resilient cylinder has an intermediate portion spaced radially inward of the annular body by an annular sensing fluid chamber. The cylinder is of generally U-shaped cross section and has sides extending radially outward along annular reliefs in the flanking disks. Axially widened lips on such sides lie in opposed annular grooves in the flanking rings, and are compressed between the axially opposed surfaces of the respective flanking ring groove and body to seal the fluid chamber. The lips are radially wider than the axial width of the reliefs to lock the lips in the grooves. A pressure gauge connects through the body to the sensing fluid chamber.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A self-contained device for disposition within a fluid line to sense the pressure of fluid in the passage of the fluid line, said device including an annular body and two flanking rings held in coaxially sandwiched relation, said body having an inside diameter greater than the inside diameter of the flanking rings, a resilient cylinder having an intermediate portion disposed within said annular body and defining an annular sensing fluid chamber therebetween, said resilient cylinder also having sides extending from said intermediate portion and gripped between said body and corresponding ones of said flanking rings, said annular body and each said flanking ring having a common interface defined by an axially opposed pair of walls, including the improvement comprising:

means defining an annular groove in one said wall of a said pair, said groove opposing the other wall of said pair across a first axial space, said walls radially inboard of said groove being spaced by a second axial space less than said first axial space;
said cylinder sides each extending radially outward from said intermediate portion through corresponding ones of said second spaces, each said side having an axially widened lip compressed axially in said groove between the end wall of said groove and the opposed said other wall to seal against loss of sensing fluid therepast from said fluid chamber.

A narrow pressure sensor unit interposable between close-spaced flanges of coaxially opposed pipes, said pressure sensor comprising:

three annular disks held in coaxially sandwiched relation, the center one of said disks having an inside diameter greater than the two flanking disks;
a U-cross section annular cylinder of compressible material having a cylindrical bight connecting substantially radially outwardly extending sides, said cylinder receiving the radially inner cross section of said center disk therein between said sides thereof and leaving an annular fluid chamber radially therebetween;
means defining an axially stepped space in each interface between the radially inner portions of each adjacent pair of disks, said sides of said U-section cylinder having axially widened lips spaced radially outboard of said bight, said bight and the radially inner portions of said sides of said cylinder being substantially thinner than said axially widened lips, each said widened lip being axially compressed between opposed surfaces of the corresponding disks to form a seal between said fluid chamber and the periphery of said pressure sensor unit.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Isolating pressure sensor

Life of this patent

Isolating pressure sensor

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20