Electronic environment sensing instrument having an analog indicator

• US 20060232401A1
• Filed: 04/19/2005
• Published: 10/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matador International Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Matador International Incorporated
• Inventors: Wang, Li-Zhen, Lee, Ping-Han
• Granted Patent: US 7,284,455 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.260
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 13/22 Pointers, e.g. settable pointer
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 7/00 Indicating measured values

Abstract

An electronic environment sensing instrument having an analog indicator has a casing having a front panel with a scale, an electronic sensing and driving assembly mounted in the casing, a needle and a DC power supply. The electronic driving indicator assembly has a detecting and driving circuit to sense and measure an environmental parameter outside the casing and generates a control signal, a drive unit to receive the control signal and rotate a specific amount in a specific direction based on the control signal and a gear assembly connected to and driven by the drive unit. The needle is attached to and driven by the gear assembly and points to a specific value on the scale corresponding to the sensed environmental parameter.

Claims

1. A electronic environment sensing instrument having an analog indicator, comprising:

a casing having a front panel with

a front face having at least one scale;

a rear face; and

a central through hole;

an electronic driving indicator assembly attached to the rear face of the front panel and having

a detecting and driving circuit;

a drive unit; and

a gear assembly, wherein the drive unit is connected between the gear assembly and the detecting and driving circuit;

a needle connected to the gear assembly of the electronic driving indicator assembly outside the front face of the front panel; and

a DC power supply attached to the rear face of the casing and connected to the drive unit and the detecting and driving circuit.

2. The electronic environment sensing instrument as claimed in claim 1, wherein the gear assembly comprises:

a main gear connected to the drive unit;

a decelerating gear set having multiple gear elements, each of which mainly has a small drive gear and a large driven gear, wherein the gear elements sequentially engage each other, and a first gear element engages the main gear;

a linking gear engaging a last gear element of the decelerating gear set and having a center axis; and

a connector connected coaxially to the linking gear, passing through the central through hole in the front panel and holding the needle.

3. The electronic environment sensing instrument as claimed in claim 1, wherein the drive unit comprises:

a clockwise winding and a counterclockwise winding mounted on the rear face of the front panel perpendicular to each another, each winding having a U-shaped yoke with an opening and two opposite arms and a coil wound around one arm of the yoke, wherein the coils are connected to the detecting and driving circuit, and the two openings are perpendicular to each another; and

a ring magnet mounted in the two openings and connected to the main gear.

4. The electronic environment sensing instrument as claimed in claim 3, wherein the gear assembly further comprises

a board mounted on the rear face of the front panel, corresponding to the central through hole in the front panel and having

an upper face;

a magnet recess formed on the upper face of the board to hold the ring magnet;

a pin hole formed through the board and corresponding to the central through hole in the front panel, wherein one of the gear elements is mounted in the pin hole and rotates on the board; and

at least one drive gear hole defined on the board, through which a drive gear extends to drive an adjacent driven gear; and

multiple posts formed on the rear face of the front panel on which the board is mounted to form a gap between the rear face and the board.

5. The electronic environment sensing instrument as claimed in claim 4, wherein the small drive gear on the last gear element in the decelerating gear extends through a corresponding drive gear hole to engage a linking gear mounted under the board.

6. The electronic environment sensing instrument as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a case attached to the rear face of the front panel to hold the electronic sensing and driving assembly.

7. The electronic environment sensing instrument as claimed in claim 1, wherein the detecting and driving circuit comprises:

a microprocessor calculating a value for a sensed environmental parameter, generating a control signal and having multiple inputs and outputs;

a sensor sensing and measuring an appropriate environmental parameter outside the casing;

a signal converter connected to an input of the microprocessor, receiving a sensed parameter from the sensor, converting the sensed parameter and sending the converted sensed parameter to the microprocessor; and

a motor driver connected to an output of the microprocessor, receives the control signal from the microprocessor and sending a corresponding voltage to the appropriate winding to rotate the needle to the correct value on the scale on the front panel.

8. The electronic environment sensing instrument as claimed in claim 7, further comprising a status indicator connected to the outputs of the microprocessor.

9. The electronic environment sensing instrument as claimed in claim 7, wherein the sensor is a temperature sensor.

10. The electronic environment sensing instrument as claimed in claim 7, wherein the sensor is a humidity sensor.

11. The electronic environment sensing instrument as claimed in claim 7, wherein the signal converter is an analog to digital converter.

12. The electronic environment sensing instrument as claimed in claim 7, wherein the status indicator is an LED set.

13. The electronic environment sensing instrument as claimed in claim 1, wherein the detecting and driving circuit comprises:

a wireless detector having

a sensor;

a wireless signal transmitter connected to the sensor; and

a DC power supply connected to the sensor and the wireless signal transmitter; and

a controller having;

a microprocessor having multiple inputs and outputs;

a wireless signal receiver connected to the inputs of the microprocessor; and

a motor driver connected between the outputs of the microprocessor and the windings.

14. The electronic environment sensing instrument as claimed in claim 13, further comprising a status indicator connected to the outputs of the microprocessor.

15. The electronic environment sensing instrument as claimed in claim 13, wherein the sensor is a temperature sensor.

16. The electronic environment sensing instrument as claimed in claim 14, wherein the sensor is a humidity sensor.

17. The electronic environment sensing instrument as claimed in claim 13, wherein the signal converter is an analog to digital converter.

18. The electronic environment sensing instrument as claimed in claim 14, wherein the status indicator is an LED set.

19. The electronic environment sensing instrument as claimed, in claim 1, wherein the DC power supply is a battery set.

20. The electronic environment sensing instrument as claimed in claim 13, wherein the DC power supply of the wireless detector is a battery set.