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US 4,398,428 AGranted
Fluid flow sensor
AssigneeNissan Motor Co., Ltd.
InventorYoshiaki Kato
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fluid flow sensor, according to the present invention, comprises a straight fluid passage having ports on both ends thereon. A ball member is disposed with in the straight fluid passage to move therealong. Detectors are provided in the fluid passage adjacent both ends thereof for detecting ball member reaching at the detector. A switching device for switching flow direction of the fluid in the straight fluid passage is responsive to detection of the ball member position of the detectors. A counter counts up the occurrence of switching of fluid flow directions.
Claims7
A fluid flow sensor to measuring fluid velocity and/or amount flowing therethrough, comprising:
- a sensor housing;
- a fluid passage formed in said housing with a substantially straight passage portion for containing a fluid operable to flow alternately in first and second directions therethrough;
- a ball member movably disposed within said fluid passage;
- pairs of photo sensitive sensors respectively provided in said housing, and sealing means to prevent liquid contact of fluid in the passage with the sensors but allowing a light path to project into the passage to sense the ball position, each pair of said photo sensitive sensors being located adjacent opposite ends of said fluid passage, and each sensor pair being responsive to and interrupted by said ball member flowing towards a corresponding end of said fluid passage to produce a sensor signal;
- a fluid flow direction switching means for switching flow directions of the fluid between said first and second directions, said fluid flow direction switching means including an actuator variable between a first position causing the fluid to flow in said first direction and a second position in which the fluid flow in said second direction, and a flip-flop associated with said actuator for varying the position thereof between said first and second positions, said flip-flop being responsive to said sensor signal to vary its position between a set position and a reset position which correspond to first and second positions of said actuator respectively;
- and
- a counter means responsive to occurrence of said sensor signal generated by one of said sensor pairs and thereby to set/reset switching in said flip-flop, velocity and/or amount.
4 more elements
A fluid flow sensor for measuring fluid velocity and/or amount flowing therethrough, comprising:
- a sensor housing
- a fluid passage formed in the housing with a substantially straight fluid passage portion therein for containing a fluid operable to flow alternately in first and second directions therethrough;
- a ball member movably disposed within said fluid passage;
- pairs of photo sensitive sensors respectfully provided adjacent opposite ends of said fluid passage, each sensor pair being responsive to and interrupted by said ball member flowing towards a corresponding end of said fluid passage to produce a sensor signal;
- a fluid flow direction switching means for switching flow directions of the fluid between said first and second directions, said fluid flow direction switching means including an actuator variable between a first position causing the fluid to flow in said first direction and a second position in which the fluid flows in said second direction, and a flip-flop associated with said actuator for varying the position thereof between said first and second positions, said flip-flop being responsive to said sensor signal to vary its position between a set position and a reset position which correspond to first and second positions of said actuator respectively;
- a counter means responsive to occurrence of set/reset switching in said flip-flop, for counting said occurrences to measure fluid velocity and/or amount;
- said housing further including a pair of openings located at each end of the straight passage portion and being axially aligned in a lateral direction with respect to the longitudinal axis of the straight passage portion, said sensors being respectively mounted in each opening, a plurality of ports respectively extending between each opening and the straight passage portion to enable a beam emitted from the sensor to scan a preselected area in the straight passage portion to detect the ball, a substantially transparent member positioned between one sensor in each pair and the passage, and sealing means for sealing and insulating each sensor in its respective opening, thereby isolating the sensor from fluid contact while enabling said sensors to detect ball position through the transparent member.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.