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US 4,904,894 AGranted
Hail sensor
AssigneePennwalt Corporation
InventorsJohn C. Henry, Kyung Tae Park, Edward Tom
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A hail sensor is disclosed which contains a piezoelectric transducer positioned to produce an output signal when it is vibrated by a hailstone. In one embodiment, the transducer is mounted on a perforated member which is exposed to falling precipitation. In an alternative embodiment, the hailstone impacts a rebound surface and is deflected toward the transducer where an electrical output is produced.
Claims22
A hail sensor, comprising:
- a support member;
- a perforated member suspended from said support member;
- and
- at least one piezoelectric transducer mechanically coupled to said perforated member for detecting vibrations generated in said perforated member when it is contacted by a hailstone.
1 more element
A hail sensor, comprising:
- a passageway with an upwardly opening mouth adapted to receive a hailstone, said passageway comprising two mutually facing, spaced apart walls, the first of which forms a rebound surface and the second of which is a piezoelectric transducer.
A hail sensor, comprising:
- a housing having an open top;
- a rebound member disposed within said housing and having a rebound surface exposed to said open top;
- a piezoelectric transducer having a pair of opposed surfaces;
- and
- means for mounting said transducer within said housing with the first of the opposed transducer surfaces in a substantially opposed parallel relationship with said rebound surface and the second of the opposed transducer surfaces concealed from said open top whereby a hailstone entering said open top contacts said rebound surface and is diverted toward said piezoelectric transducer.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.