SENSOR APPARATUS FOR DETECTING PROPERTIES OF LIQUID

• US 20130214797A1
• Filed: 01/16/2013
• Published: 08/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AST International Asset GmbH
• Original Assignee: Seuffer GmbH & Co. KG.
• Inventors: Gruden, Roman
• Granted Patent: US 9,347,906 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/663
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4297 Arrangements for detecting or measuring the condition of the washing water, e.g. turbidity
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/22 Content of detergent or additives
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/02 Water supply
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/10 Temperature of washing liquids; Heating means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/42 Detergent or additive supply
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/22 Condition of the washing liquid, e.g. turbidity
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/00 Sampling; Preparing specimens for investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/00 Features of devices classified in G01N21/00
• 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 27/30 Electrodes, e.g. test electrodes; Half-cells G01N27/414 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/18 Water
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/00 Details of instruments or arrangements of the types included in groups G01R5/00 - G01R13/00 and G01R31/00 constructional details particular to electromechanical arrangements for measuring the electric consumption G01R11/02

Abstract

The invention relates to a sensor device for detecting properties of fluid media in a container, comprising at least one base plate (42) made of an insulating material and having a first surface (42a) exposed to the medium (3), at least two sensor elements (41) having at least a first and a second electrode (41a, 41b) arranged insulated from one another on the first surface of the base plate and around which the medium flows, the at least two sensor elements being arranged in a predetermined spatial position relative to each other.

Claims

1. A sensor device for detecting properties of fluid media in a container, comprising

at least one base plate made of an insulating material and having a first surface exposed to the medium (3),

at least two sensor elements having at least one first and one second electrode arranged insulated from one another on the first surface of the base plate and around which the medium flows,

the at least two sensor elements being arranged in a predetermined spatial position relative to each other.

2. The sensor device of claim 1, wherein a plurality of similar sensor elements is arranged on the first surface and wherein each sensor element can be driven via individual connection lines.

3. The sensor device of claim 2, wherein the plurality of sensor elements are configured identically or differently, and wherein the dimensions of the differently configured sensor elements are in predetermined gradations.

4. The sensor device of claim 1, wherein at least two base plates arranged parallel to each other are provided and wherein at least one sensor element is arranged on the first opposite sides of each base plate and each sensor element and each electrode of the sensor element can be individually driven.

5. The sensor device of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor element of the first base plate is mirror-symmetrical to the at least one sensor element of the second base plate.

6. The sensor device of claim 5, wherein the at least one sensor element arranged on one of the base plates has an outer electrode and an inner electrode partially surrounded by said outer electrode, or has pairs of electrodes embodied as an interdigitated structure.

10. The sensor device of claim 6, wherein the individual sensor elements are made of the same conductive material or of different conductive materials.

13. The sensor device of claim 1, wherein the individual sensor elements are made of the same conductive material or of different conductive materials.

14. The sensor device of claim 6, wherein the separate electrode sections are made of the same conductive material or of different conductive materials, and wherein respectively matching electrode sections of the outer and inner electrodes are made of the same material.

7. A sensor device for detecting properties of fluid media in a container, comprising

a base plate made of an insulating material and having at least one first surface exposed to the medium,

at least one sensor element embodied as a cylindrical capacitor and comprising at least one outer electrode and one inner electrode partially surrounded by said outer electrode, wherein the at least one outer and the inner electrode extend from the first surface of the base plate, and

wherein the at least one outer electrode and the inner electrode are subdivided in the direction of extension (M) into a plurality of electrode sections insulated from one other and the outer and the inner electrode are subdivided in the same manner.

8. The sensor device of claim 7, wherein the electrode sections of the outer and inner electrodes are each connected to connection lines and can be driven individually and independently of each other.

9. The sensor device of claim 8, wherein the at least one outer and the inner electrode are subdivided into a plurality of identical or different electrode sections and the electrode sections formed by non-identical subdivision are subdivided in respect of their extension in the direction of extension (M) in predetermined ratios in relation to each other.

11. The sensor device of claim 9, wherein the separate electrode sections are made of the same conductive material or of different conductive materials, and wherein respectively matching electrode sections of the outer and inner electrodes are made of the same material.

12. The sensor device of claim 7, wherein the at least one outer and the inner electrode are subdivided into a plurality of identical or different electrode sections and the electrode sections formed by non-identical subdivision are subdivided in respect of their extension in the direction of extension (M) in predetermined ratios in relation to each other.