Liquid level detection system
AssigneeVickers, Incorporated
InventorsSteve Showalter, George Birch
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A liquid retention system is disclosed which includes a tank for receiving and retaining a liquid, and including a filling port. A dispenser supplies liquid to the tank through a nozzle which engages the filling port. A pneumatic detection system is provided for fluidly measuring the liquid level state within the tank; i.e., determining whether or not the tank is full. An optical detection system is also provided, which cooperates with the pneumatic detection system, for optically measuring the liquid level state within the tank.
Claims13
A liquid retention system comprising:
- a tank for receiving and retaining a liquid;
- said tank including a filling port;
- a dispersing means for supplying liquid to the tank, said dispersing means including a nozzle which engages said filling port;
- a pneumatic detection system, for fluidly measuring a liquid level state within the tank, wherein the liquid level state is selected from the group consisting of full and not-full;
- an optical detection system, cooperating with the pneumatic detection system, for optically measuring the liquid level state within the tank, wherein the optical detection system comprises an electro-optic probe further comprising:
- a light source;
- a light detector;
- a prism for receiving light from said light source for alternately directing and not directing said light at the detector to indicate the presence of a desired liquid level state within the tank;
- and
- an optical cable for conducting light from the source to the prism and back to the detector, wherein the light traverses the length of the cable and the prism along the same optical path.
A liquid retention system comprising:
- a tank for receiving and retaining a liquid;
- said tank including a filling port;
- a dispersing means for supplying liquid to the tank, said dispersing means including a nozzle which engages said filling port;
- a pneumatic detection system, for fluidly measuring a liquid level state within the tank, wherein the liquid level state is selected from the group consisting of full and not-full;
- an optical detection system, cooperating with the pneumatic detection system, for optically measuring the liquid level state within the tank, wherein the optical detection system comprises an electro-optic probe further comprising:
- a light source;
- a light detector;
- and
- a prism for receiving light from said light source and or alternately directing and not directing said light at the detector to indicate the presence of a desired liquid level state within the tank, and
- wherein the optical detection system further comprises a beamsplitter for transmitting light from the source toward the prism and reflecting light received from the prism toward the light detector.
A liquid retention system comprising:
- a tank for receiving and retaining a liquid;
- said tank including a filling port;
- a dispersing means for supplying liquid to the tank, said dispersing means including a nozzle which engages said filling port;
- a pneumatic detection system, for fluidly measuring a liquid level state within the tank, wherein the liquid level state is selected from the group consisting of full and not-full;
- an optical detection system, cooperating with the pneumatic detection system, for optically measuring the liquid level state within the tank, wherein the optical detection system generates a signal which is received and processed by a signal processor unit so as to indicate a desired liquid level state within the tank, wherein the optical detection system includes a receptacle for removably engaging the signal processor unit to the optical detection system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.