Capacitive sensor for a flow control valve

• US 10,451,464 B1
• Filed: 03/15/2019
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Econtrols Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Econtrols Incorporated
• Inventors: Champaigne, Jack M., Ingram, Mark A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chaudry, Atif H
• Application Number:
  US16/354,370
• Time in Patent Office: 221 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 7/105 Seed sensors
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 1/123 with stationary valve member and moving sleeve
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 27/048 Electromagnetically actuated valves
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/0651 the fluid passing through the solenoid coil
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/0655 Lift valves
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/082 using a electromagnet and a permanent magnet
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/086 the magnet being movable and actuating a second magnet connected to the closing element
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/10 with additional mechanism between armature and closure member
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 37/005 for measuring fluid parameters F16K37/0033 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/64 by measuring electrical currents passing through the fluid flow; measuring electrical potential generated by the fluid flow, e.g. by electrochemical, contact or friction effects G01F1/58 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/708 Measuring the time taken to traverse a fixed distance
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/74 Devices for measuring flow of a fluid or flow of a fluent solid material in suspension in another fluid
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/785 using fluidic bridge circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/005 Valves valves in general F16K
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/0656 using electric, e.g. electrostatic methods or magnetic methods by investigating individual particles G01N15/1031, G01N15/12
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 15/1031 by measuring electrical or magnetic effects
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2015/0046 in gas, e.g. smoke

Abstract

A flow sensor for use downstream from a particulate media dispensing device is provided having an inlet to receive particulate media and an outlet to dispense the media. The flow sensor has an inlet portion with a funnel to direct particulate media towards a central axis. An axially mounted flow director is located downstream from the funnel to direct the media outwards towards a sensor portion. A capacitive sensor located in the sensor portion surrounds the flow director to create an annular flow path to measure the amount of media that passes through sensor rings in the sensor.

Claims

1. An inline device for sensing particulate, said device comprising:

a tube having an inlet and an outlet;

a funnel located within an inlet portion and fixed with respect to said tube adjacent said inlet, said funnel for receiving said particulate from said inlet and directing said particulate towards a central axis;

a fixed flow director located within an outlet portion and fixed with respect to said tube, said fixed flow director centered about said central axis and having an outer diameter, said outer diameter of said fixed flow director being larger than an inside diameter of said funnel;

a capacitive sensor located within said outlet portion and fixed with respect to said tube, said capacitive sensor having an inside diameter surrounding said fixed flow director, said capacitive sensor having a first sensor ring and a second sensor ring adjacent thereto, said first and second sensor rings for circumscribing said particulate flowing around said fixed flow director; and

said fixed flow director directing said particulate away from said central axis and towards said inside diameter of said capacitive sensor, said funnel and said fixed flow director cooperating to form an uninterrupted indirect flow path through said device from said inlet to said outlet, said capacitive sensor surrounding said indirect flow path and said flow director directing said particulate in said indirect flow path toward said capacitive sensor.

2. The device in claim 1, wherein said funnel having a cylindrical portion, said inside diameter of said funnel being located on said cylindrical portion.

3. The device in claim 1, wherein said indirect flow path creating a consistent velocity of said particulate when said particulate passes through said first and second sensor rings.

4. The device in claim 1, wherein said fixed flow director having a tapered cone portion.

5. The device in claim 4, wherein said flow director having a disrupting ring to induce turbulence in said particulate when said particulate flows around said flow director.

6. The device in claim 1, wherein said capacitive sensor has a sensor body affixed to said tube, said first and said second sensor rings affixed to said sensor body, said inside diameter located on said sensor body, said capacitive sensor having a channel to guide wires from said sensor rings to a wire egress in said tube.

7. The device in claim 1, wherein said fixed flow director supported by a mounting base having arcuate apertures, said mounting base affixed to said tube.

8. The device in claim 1, wherein said fixed flow director encouraging laminar flow of said particulate as said particulate passes said capacitive sensor.

9. A device for sensing particulate, said device comprising:

an inlet portion having an inlet chamber, said inlet chamber extending from an inlet to a terminal edge, said inlet chamber having a funnel to direct said particulate from said inlet towards a central axis;

an outlet portion having an outlet chamber extending from a lead-in surface on a sensor body to an outlet, said outlet portion including a cylindrical flow director fixed with respect to said sensor body for directing said particulate away from a central region of said outlet portion, said outlet portion including a capacitive sensor having said sensor body with a cylindrical inside surface surrounding said cylindrical flow director, said sensor body having a first sensor ring and a second sensor ring affixed thereto, said cylindrical flow director and said cylindrical inside surface forming an annular flow path, said particulate passing through said annular flow path; and

a tube surrounding said inlet chamber and said outlet chamber, said tube connecting said chambers.

10. The device in claim 9, wherein said capacitive sensor having a channel to guide wires from said first and second sensor rings to a wire egress in said tube.

11. The device in claim 9, wherein said cylindrical flow director is supported by a mounting base having arcuate apertures, said mounting base affixed to said tube.

12. The device in claim 9, wherein said cylindrical flow director having a cone portion.

13. The device in claim 12, said cylindrical flow director having a disrupting ring to induce turbulence in said particulate when said particulate flows around said cylindrical flow director.

14. A device for capacitively sensing the flow of particulate, said device comprising:

an inlet portion having an inlet chamber, said inlet chamber extending from an inlet to a terminal edge, said inlet chamber having a funnel to direct particulate from said inlet towards a central axis;

an outlet portion including a fixed flow director for directing said particulate away from a central region of said outlet portion, said outlet portion including a capacitive sensor having a first sensor ring and a second sensor ring adjacent thereto and fixed with respect to said fixed flow director, said fixed flow director being cylindrical, said capacitive sensor located in a sensor body having an inside surface facing said fixed flow director, said inside surface cooperating with said fixed flow director to define an annular flow path; and

a tube surrounding said inlet chamber and said outlet portion, said tube connecting said portions, said inlet chamber and said funnel having a larger diameter near a top edge and narrowing to a smaller diameter towards said fixed flow director.

15. The device in claim 14, wherein said capacitive sensor having a sensor body affixed to said tube and having said first sensor ring and said second sensor ring affixed to said sensor body, said sensor body having an inside diameter located thereon.

16. The device in claim 15, wherein said capacitive sensor having a channel to guide wires from said first and second sensor rings to a wire egress in said tube.

17. The device in claim 14, wherein said fixed flow director supported by a mounting base having arcuate apertures, said mounting base affixed to said tube.

18. The device in claim 17, wherein said fixed flow director having a cone portion and a disrupting ring to induce turbulence in said particulate when said particulate flows around said flow director.