DEVICE FOR GAUGING THE STATUS OF A MATERIAL ESPECIALLY OF OILS OR FATS

• US 20110030486A1
• Filed: 07/29/2008
• Published: 02/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Testo AG
• Original Assignee: Testo AG
• Inventors: Hall, Jurgen, Muhl, Mike
• Application Number:
  US12/669,726
• Publication Number:
  US 20110030486A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/866
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/221 by investigating the dielectric properties using microwaves G01N22/00; measuring loss factors or dielectric constants per se G01R27/26
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/03 Edible oils or edible fats

Abstract

The invention is a device for gauging the status of a material such as a fat or an oil. The device comprises: a housing; a hollow connecting element; a substrate, attached at the opposite end of the hollow connecting element; a sensor, proximate the substrate, for measuring an electrical property of the material being tested; a protective coating, wherein the protective coating covers the sensor and can be applied using either a thin-film or a thick-film technology; and, an electronic evaluation unit connected via at least one electric line to the sensor; and, is arranged proximate the housing and/or proximate the end of the connecting element that faces the housing.

Claims

1-16. -16. (canceled)

17. A device for gauging the status of a material to be tested, especially an oil or a fat material, said device comprising:

(a) a housing;

(b) a hollow connecting element connected to said housing;

(c) a substrate, attached at an opposite end of said hollow connecting element;

(d) a sensor, proximate said substrate, said sensor for measuring an electrical property of said material being tested;

(e) a protective coating, wherein said protective coating is configured to cover said sensor; and

(f) an electronic evaluation unit, said electronic evaluation unit connected via at least one electric line to said sensor; and

said electronic evaluation unit arranged proximate the end of said connecting element facing said housing.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein:

said protective coating covers said substrate, including said sensor.

19. The device of claim 17, wherein:

said sensor is capable of measuring a dielectric constant of said material to be tested.

20. The device of claim 17, wherein:

said sensor is embodied as one of a capacitor and an interdigital capacitor.

21. The device of claim 17, wherein:

said protective coating has a thickness of less than 10 μ

m.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein:

said protective coating has a thickness of less than 1 μ

m.

23. The device of claim 17, wherein:

a hardness of said protective coating is greater than a hardness of gold.

24. The device of claim 17, wherein:

a surface resistivity of said protective coating is greater than 1 MΩ

.

25. The device of claim 24 wherein:

said surface resistivity of said protective coating is greater than 10 MΩ

26. The device of claim 17, wherein:

a permittivity of said protective coating is less than 10; and

said permittivity of said protective coating is lower than the permittivity of said material being tested.

27. The device of claim 26, wherein:

a temperature dependence of said permittivity of said protective coating is lower than a temperature dependence of said permittivity of said material to be tested.

28. The device of claim 17, wherein:

said protective coating has the same or a lower roughness than a roughness of said substrate, wherein said roughness of said protective coating is preferably less than 0.8 μ

m.

29. The device of claim 28, wherein:

said the roughness of said protective coating is preferably less than 0.2 μ

m.

30. The device of claim 17, wherein:

said protective coating is resistant to oxidation; and

said protective coating is substantively non-reactive with any one of the group comprising;

i. said material being tested;

ii. decomposition products of said material being tested; and

iii. cleaning agents.

31. The device of claim 17, wherein:

said protective coating comprises an oleophobic surface.

32. The device of claim 17, wherein:

said protective coating comprising;

a compound selected from the group comprising;

iv. a metal oxide;

v. a metal nitride;

vi. a metal carbide;

vii. an amorphous carbon layer; and

viii. a mixture of at least two of said compounds listed in (a) through (d).

33. The device of claim 17, wherein:

said protective coating is comprised of at least one of an oxide, a nitride, and a carbide, wherein said at least one is selected from;

oxides selected from the group comprising;

silicon;

aluminum;

titanium; and

zirconium;

nitrides selected from the group comprising;

nitrides of titanium and nitrides of silicon; and

carbides selected from the group comprising;

carbides of titanium and carbides of silicon.

34. (news) The device of claim 17, wherein:

said protective coating is comprised of carbides selected from the group comprising;

titanium and silicon.

35. The device of claim 17, wherein:

said protective coating is comprised of compounds selected from the group comprising mixtures of at least two compounds, said compounds selected from the group comprising;

silicon oxide, aluminum oxide, titanium oxide, titanium nitride, titanium carbide, zirconium oxide, silicon nitride; and

silicon carbide.

36. A device for gauging the status of a material, particularly an oil or a fat material, said device comprising:

(a) a housing;

(b) a hollow connecting element connected to said housing; and

(c) a substrate, attached at the opposite end of said hollow connecting element and configured to hold a sensor;

(d) said sensor being proximate said substrate, said sensor being operative for measuring an electrical property of said material being tested, and wherein said sensor is covered by a protective coating;

(e) said sensor is capable of measuring a dielectric constant of said material to be tested and being embodied as one of a capacitor and an interdigital capacitor;

(f) said coating for said sensor having a thickness of less than 10 μ

m;

a hardness that is greater than a hardness of gold, a surface resistivity of greater than 1 MΩ

; and

a permittivity of said protective coating is less than 10; and

(g) an electronic evaluation unit, said electronic evaluation unit connected via at least one electric line to said sensor; and

is arranged proximate said housing.

37. A device for gauging the status of a material, said device comprising:

(a) a housing;

(b) a hollow connecting element connected to said housing; and

(c) a substrate, attached at the opposite end of said hollow connecting element;

(d) a sensor, proximate said substrate, said sensor for measuring an electrical property of said material being tested;

(e) a protective coating, wherein said protective coating;

(i) covers said sensor;

(ii) is resistant to oxidation; and

(iii) has an oleophilic surface; and

(f) an electronic evaluation unit, said electronic evaluation unit connected via at least one electric line to said sensor; and

is arranged proximate the end of said connecting element that faces said housing.