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US 4,920,794 AGranted
Fluid flow meter
AssigneeSelect Corporation
InventorDov Ingman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fluid flow meter comprising a housing having a pair of fluid ports and defining therebetween a fluid flow path; a flexible membrane defining a pair of opposing faces and being mounted in the fluid flow path such that the pair of faces simultaneously define with the housing fluid impermeable seals at at least two different locations along the flow path, the membrane being operative to flex so as to permit passage therepast of discrete quanta of fluid, each having a known volume; apparatus for generating electrical signals corresponding to flexure of the membrane; and monitoring apparatus for receiving the electrical signals and thereby determining a fluid flow rate along the flow path.
Claims34
A fluid flow meter comprising:
- a housing having a pair of fluid ports and defining therebetween a fluid flow path:
- a flexible membrane defining a pair of opposing faces and being mounted in said fluid flow path such that said pair of faces simultaneously define with said housing fluid impermeable seals at at least two different locations along said flow path, said membrane being operative to flex so as to permit passage therepast of discrete quanta of fluid, each having a known volume varying as a function of flow rate;
- means for generating electrical signals corresponding to flexure of said membrane;
- and
- monitoring means for receiving the electrical signals over a measured period of time, determining the rate of said electrical signals, determining the volume of said quanta based upon said electrical signal rate, and thereby determining a fluid flow rate along said flow path.
2 more elements
A fluid flow meter according to claim 42, wherein each of said guide blocks further comprise a fluid permeable extension mounted to said guide block inner face.
A fluid flow meter according to claim 31, wherein said remote data collection means comprises automatic dialing means operatively connected to a telephone communications systems.
A fluid flow meter comprising:
- a housing having a pair of fluid ports and defining therebetween a fluid flow path;
- a flexible membrane having varying thicknesses along at least part of its length defining a pair of opposing faces and being mounted in said fluid flow path such that said pair of faces simultaneously define with said housing fluid impermeable seals at at least two different locations along said flow path, said membrane being operative to flex so as to permit passage therepast of discrete quanta of fluid, each having a known volume;
- means for generating electrical signals corresponding to flexure of said membrane;
- and
- monitoring means for receiving the electrical signals and thereby determining a fluid flow rate along said flow path.
2 more elements
A fluid flow meter comprising:
- a housing having a pair of fluid ports and defining therebetween a fluid flow path;
- a flexible membrane defining a pair of opposing faces and being mounted in said fluid flow path such that said pair of faces simultaneously define with said housing fluid impermeable seals at at least three different locations along said flow path, said membrane being operative to flex so as to permit passage therepast of discrete quanta of fluid, each having a known volume;
- said membrane further defining a pair of edges lying in respective planes substantially parallel to the direction of fluid flow and said fluid flow path having a uniform cross-sectional configuration along at least part of its length, said fluid impermeable seals being defined therealong;
- said part of said flow path length having a uniform cross-sectional configuration having a rectangular cross-sectional configuration defined by first and second pairs of parallel walls, said membrane being disposed therebetween such that said respective planes in which said membrane edges lie are aligned substantially parallel to said first pair of walls;
- said membrane edges being spaced from said first pair of walls by substantially a fluid boundary layer thickness;
- and
- said first pair of walls being made from a flexible material;
- means for generating electrical signals corresponding to flexure of said membrane;
- and
- monitoring means for receiving the electrical signals and thereby determining a fluid flow rate along said flow path.
7 more elements
A fluid flow meter comprising:
- a housing having a pair of fluid ports and defining therebetween a fluid flow path;
- a flexible membrane defining a pair of opposing faces and being mounted in said fluid flow path such that said pair of faces simultaneously define with said housing fluid impermeable seals at at least three different locations along said flow path, said membrane being operative to flex so as to permit passage therepast of discrete quanta of fluid, each having a known volume;
- said membrane further defining a pair of edges lying in respective planes substantially parallel to the direction of fluid flow and said fluid flow path has a uniform cross-sectional configuration along at least part of its length, said fluid impermeable seals being defined therealong;
- said part of said flow path length having a uniform cross-sectional configuration having a rectangular cross-sectional configuration and being defined by first and second pairs of parallel walls, said membrane being disposed therebetween such that said respective planes in which said membrane edges lie are aligned substantially parallel to said first pair of walls;
- said membrane edges being spaced from said first pair of walls by substantially a fluid boundary layer thickness;
- each of said first pair of walls comprising a roughened surface;
- means for generating electrical signals corresponding to flexure of said membrane;
- and
- monitoring means for receiving the electrical signals and thereby determining a fluid flow rate along said flow path.
6 more elements
A fluid flow meter comprising:
- a housing having a pair of fluid ports and defining therebetween a fluid flow path;
- a flexible membrane defining a pair of opposing faces and being mounted in said fluid flow path such that said pair of faces simultaneously define with said housing fluid impermeable seals at at least two different locations along said flow path, said membrane being operative to flex so as to permit passage therepast of discrete quanta of fluid, each having a known volume;
- means for generating electrical signals corresponding to flexure of said membrane;
- and
- monitoring means for receiving the electrical signals and thereby determining a fluid flow rate along said flow path;
- said monitoring means including means for identifying electrical signals generated by flexure of said membrane upon release therefrom of a single quantum of fluid;
- said monitoring means also including means for determining the rate of fluid flow based upon electrical signals received over a measured period of time;
- and
- said monitoring means also comprising means for storing a predetermined value of volume for a single quantum of fluid flow, means for calculating a fluid flow rate corresponding to a number of electrical signals received over a measured period of time, means for comparing said predetermined value for said single quantum with a reference value of volume based upon the flow delivery characteristics of said meter at said first rate of flow, means for adjusting said predetermined value to said reference value of volume based upon the flow delivery characteristics of said matter, and means for repeatedly adjusting the predetermined value of volume of a single quantum of fluid so as to obtain an increasingly more accurate value of flow.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.