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US 4,833,912 AGranted
Flow measuring apparatus
AssigneeNippon Soken, Inc.
InventorsMinoru Ohta, Michitoshi Onoda, Kazuhiko Miura, Tadashi Hattori
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A flow measuring apparatus includes a resistance layer for detecting a flow rate within a passage and an additional resistance layer for burning off deposits formed by suspended particles the like, and both of the resistance layers are formed on only one substrate. When suspended particles are deposited on the substrate to form deposits thereon, the deposits are burned off and removed from the substrate by supplying power to the additional resistance layer.
Claims17
A flow measuring apparatus comprising:
- a planar plate-type substrate provided within a stream path through which a fluid flows;
- means for supporting said substrate within said stream path so that said substrate is in parallel with said stream path of said fluid;
- first resistance layer means, provided on said substrate, for measuring a flow rate of said fluid;
- second resistance layer means, provided on a portion of said substrate upstream of said first layer means with respect to said stream path of said fluid, for burning away deposits adhered to said substrate;
- and
- burn-off current supply means for supplying current to said second resistance layer means to burn away the deposits.
3 more elements
A flow measuring apparatus for use in an internal combustion engine, comprising:
- a substrate;
- first resistance layer means, formed on said substrate, for detecting a flow rate;
- second resistance layer means, formed on said substrate, for burning off deposits thereon;
- a passivation layer, formed on said first and second resistance layer means, for protecting said first and second resistance layer means;
- means for determining whether a traveled distance is larger than a predetermined value;
- means for determining whether or not a battery voltage is within a predetermined voltage range;
- means for determining whether or not an engine coolant temperature is within a predetermined temperature range;
- means for generating a burn-off indication signal when said traveled distance is larger than said predetermined value, said battery voltage is within said predetermined voltage range, and said engine coolant temperature is within said predetermined temperature range;
- and
- means for supplying current to said second resistance layer means when receiving said burn-off indication signal, the operation of said current supplying means being stopped when a resistance value of said second resistance layer means reaches a definite value.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.