Sensor with water ingress protection

• US 20070051185A1
• Filed: 08/24/2005
• Published: 03/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Philips RS North America LLC (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: RIC INVESTMENTS LLC (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: DiMatteo, Mark, Bobeck, Michael, Mort, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,340,966 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/861.610
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/42 Orifices or nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/001 Means for regulating or setting the meter for a predetermined quantity
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/005 Valves valves in general F16K
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0777 With second control

Abstract

A gas monitoring system that comprises a sensor, a first valve, and a second valve. The sensor is disposed within a sensor housing that has an inlet and an outlet. The sensor generates a signal based on a characteristic of a gas within the housing. The first valve is disposed at the inlet. The second valve is disposed at the outlet. The first valve and the second valve open and close based on an orientation of the sensor housing.

Claims

1. A gas monitoring system comprising:

a sensor disposed within a sensor housing, the sensor housing having an inlet and an outlet, the sensor generating a signal based on a characteristic of a gas within the housing;

a first valve disposed at the inlet; and

a second valve disposed at the outlet,

wherein the first valve and the second valve open and close based on an orientation of the sensor housing.

2. The gas monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the first valve and the second valve open and close independent from one another.

3. The gas monitoring system of claim 1, wherein when the first valve closes the inlet is substantially sealed, and when the second valve closes the outlet is substantially sealed.

4. The gas monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the first valve, the second valve, or both comprises a hinged flapper valve.

5. The gas monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the first valve comprises a chamber that contains the inlet and a sealing member that is movable within the chamber to substantially seal the inlet.

6. The gas monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the second valve comprises a chamber that contains the outlet and a sealing member that is movable within the chamber to substantially seal the outlet.

7. The gas monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a flow sensor and the characteristic of the gas is a rate of flow of gas within the housing from the inlet to the outlet.

8. A gas monitoring system comprising:

a conduit constructed and arranged to conduct a flow of gas therethrough;

a sensor disposed within a sensor housing, the housing having an inlet and an outlet, the sensor generating a signal based on a characteristic of the gas within the sensor housing;

a first passage that communicates the conduit with the inlet such that a portion of the gas flowing through the conduit is communicated to the sensor;

a second passage that communicates the conduit with the outlet such that the gas received by the sensor is returned to the conduit by the second passage;

a first valve disposed at the inlet; and

a second valve disposed at the outlet,

wherein the first valve selectively seals the inlet from the first passage and the second valve selectively seals the outlet valve from the second passage to inhibit liquid from reaching the sensor.

9. The gas monitoring system of claim 8, wherein the first valve, the second valve, or both include a hinged flapper valve.

10. The gas monitoring system of claim 8, wherein the first valve comprises a sealing member located within the first passage that selectively seals the inlet from the conduit.

11. The gas monitoring system of claim 8, wherein the second valve comprises a sealing member located within the second passage that selectively seals the outlet from the conduit.

12. The gas monitoring system of claim 8, wherein the first valve selectively seals the inlet and the second valve selectively seals the outlet based on the orientation of the gas monitoring system.

13. The gas monitoring system of claim 8, wherein the first valve selectively seals the inlet and the second valve selectively seals the outlet based on a detection of liquid.

14. The gas monitoring system of claim 13, wherein the detection of liquid includes a detection of liquid at the inlet and/or the outlet.

15. The gas monitoring system of claim 13, wherein the detection of liquid includes a detection of liquid within the conduit.

16. The gas monitoring system of claim 13, wherein the sensor includes a flow sensor and the characteristic of the gas includes a flow rate of the gas.

17. A device comprising:

a tank that holds a reservoir of liquid;

a sensor provided within a sensor housing, the sensor housing having an inlet, the sensor generating a signal based on a characteristic of a gas within the sensor housing; and

an inlet valve disposed at the inlet, wherein when the device is tilted such that liquid from the reservoir of the liquid held by the tank travels toward the inlet of the sensor housing, the inlet valve closes to substantially prevent the liquid from reaching the sensor.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the sensor housing further comprises an outlet, and the characteristic of the gas within the sensor housing is a flow rate from the inlet to the outlet.

19. The device of claim 18, further comprising an outlet valve that closes when liquid from the reservoir of liquid travels towards the outlet.

20. The device of claim 17, wherein the sensor includes a flow sensor that generates the signal based on a flow rate of the gas within the sensor housing.

21. The device of claim 17, wherein the sensor comprises a pressure sensor and the characteristic of the gas comprises a pressure of the gas.

22. A gas monitoring system, comprising:

a conduit constructed and arranged to conduct gas therethrough, the conduit adapted to be in communication with a liquid reservoir for adding humidity to the gas;

a chamber disposed exteriorly to the conduit, wherein a wall that separates the chamber from the conduit comprises an orifice that communicates a portion of the gas in the conduit to the chamber;

a sensor in communication with the chamber to determine at least one characteristic of the gas; and

a valve disposed between the orifice and the sensor to inhibit the liquid from reaching the sensor.

23. The gas monitoring system of claim 22, wherein the orifice is position towards an upper portion of the chamber.

24. The gas monitoring system of claim 22, wherein the sensor is a flow sensor that determines a flow rate or a pressure sensor that monitors a pressure.

25. The gas monitoring system of claim 22, wherein the chamber is disposed in communication with an inlet and an outlet to the sensor, and wherein the valve is disposed in the inlet.

26. The gas monitoring system of claim 25, further comprising a second valve that is disposed at the outlet.