Mechanical and electronic temperature reading system with built-in failure and inaccuracy detection
AssigneeWeiss Instruments, Inc.
InventorJohn Weiss
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Temperature-indicting system including a mechanical temperature-indicating system including a bourdon tube for directly driving an indicating pointer, and an electrical temperature-indicating system including an electronic sensor, a transmitter and one or more electrical switches. The transmitter is modular and easily replaceable. Output of the pointer and the transmitter is synchronized relative to accuracy so that comparison of switch points of the switches that correlate temperature determined by the mechanical system and temperature determined by the electronic system enables detection of a failure or inaccuracy in one or both systems.
Claims20
A temperature indicating system, comprising:
- a mechanical temperature-responsive system comprising a bourdon tube and a temperature bulb connected to the bourdon tube, the mechanical system being constructed to have a low ambient temperature error and being filled with a thermometric filling material;
- and
- an electronic temperature system including at least one temperature sensor in thermal contact with the temperature bulb of the mechanical temperature-responsive system and which provides a temperature reading, and a replaceable electronic transmitter that transmit a signal derived from the temperature reading provided by the at least one temperature sensor,
- the mechanical temperature-responsive system and the electronic temperature-responsive system providing substantially the same temperature reading over a wide ambient temperature range.
A temperature indicating system with built-in failure or inaccuracy detection, the system comprising:
- a mechanical temperature indicating system including a temperature bulb and a bourdon tube coupled to the bulb and which assumes a rotary position based on the temperature of the bulb;
- an electronic temperature sensor in thermal contact with the bulb;
- a transmitter connected to the electronic sensor and generating an output signal corresponding to the temperature of the bulb;
- a switch arranged to be actuated based on the rotary position of the bourdon tube;
- a switch sensor arranged to detect actuation of the switch;
- and
- a processor that compares a plurality of points over time at which the switch sensor determines that the switch is being actuated to the output signal of the transmitter and determines when the switch point deviates from preset limits indicative of failure or inaccuracy in either the mechanical temperature indicating system or the electronic temperature sensor.
A method for ensuring reliability of a temperature indicating system, comprising:
- determining temperature using a mechanical temperature indicating system including a temperature bulb and a bourdon tube coupled to the bulb and which assumes a rotary position over a scale based on the temperature of the bulb;
- determining temperature using an electronic temperature sensor in thermal contact with the bulb;
- generating using a transmitter, an output signal corresponding to the temperature of the bulb determined using the electronic temperature sensor;
- arranging at least one switch in association with the scale such that actuation of the at least one switch corresponds to a specific temperature as determined by the mechanical temperature indicating system;
- comparing using a processor, a plurality of points over time at which the switch is actuated to the output signal of the transmitter in order to determine deviation of the switch actuation point from preset limits indicative of failure or inaccuracy in either the mechanical temperature indicating system or the electronic temperature sensor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.