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US 7,685,887 B2Granted
Air flow meter for an automobile
AssigneeT&P Endres, LLC
InventorThomas Endres
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An air flow meter includes a tube having an exterior surface and an interior surface, which defines an interior space. A collector is disposed within the interior space of the tube and a plurality of transmission pins protrude from the interior surface of the tube. The plurality of transmission pins are configured to create ions when a voltage from a high voltage power supply is applied to the plurality of transmission pins. The collector is configured to collect the ions created by the plurality of transmission pins and output a collector signal.
Claims35
An air flow meter, the air flow meter comprising:
- a tube having an exterior surface and an interior surface, the interior surface defining an interior space;
- a first collector disposed within the interior space of the tube;
- a second collector disposed within the interior space of the tube;
- a plurality of transmission pins protruding from the interior surface of the tube between the first and second collectors, each of the plurality of transmission pins having a tip;
- and
- wherein the plurality of transmission pins are configured to create ions when a voltage from a high voltage power supply is applied to the plurality of transmission pins, wherein the first and second collectors are configured to collect the ions created by the plurality of transmission pins and output first and second collector signals;
- a first amplifier in communication with the first collector signal, wherein the first amplifier is configured to amplify the first collector signal to create an amplified first collector signal;
- an amplifier-inverter in communication with the second collector signal, wherein the amplifier-inverter is configured to amplify and invert the second collector signal to create an amplified-inverted second collector signal;
- and
- a comparator in communication with the first amplified collector signal and the amplified-inverted second collector signal, wherein the comparator outputs a first feedback signal wherein the air meter output signal reflects the imbalance in magnitude of the first amplified collector signal and the amplified-inverted second collector signal.
7 more elements
An air flow meter, the air flow meter comprising:
- a tube having an exterior surface and an interior surface, the interior surface defining an interior space;
- a first collector disposed within the interior space of the tube;
- a second collector disposed within the interior space of the tube;
- a plurality of transmission pins protruding from the interior surface of the tube between the first and second collectors, each of the plurality of transmission pins having a tip;
- and
- wherein the plurality of transmission pins are configured to create ions when a voltage from a high voltage power supply is applied to the plurality of transmission pins, wherein the first and second collectors are configured to collect the ions created by the plurality of transmission pins and output first and second collector signals;
- a first amplifier in communication with the first collector signal, wherein the first amplifier is configured to amplify the first collector signal to create an amplified first collector signal;
- an amplifier-inverter in communication with the second collector signal, wherein the amplifier-inverter is configured to amplify and invert the second collector signal to create an amplified-inverted second collector signal;
- and
- a plurality of resistors having a common resistor, the plurality of resistors for biasing the first and second collector signals, wherein the common resistor is common to both the first and second collector signals, wherein current from both the first and second collectors flow through the common resistor;
- and
- a second amplifier in communication with the common resistor, wherein second amplifier outputs a common amplified voltage, wherein the common amplified voltage can be used as a means to control the output of the high voltage power supply.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.