OIL PERMITTIVITY SENSOR

• US 3,746,974 A
• Filed: 03/25/1971
• Issued: 07/17/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Donald S. Stoakes, Kenneth D. Brock
• Original Assignee: Donald S. Stoakes, Kenneth D. Brock
• Inventors: Stoakes, Donald S., Brock, Kenneth D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Alfred E.
• Application Number:
  US05/127,879
• Time in Patent Office: 845 Days
• Field of Search: 324/61,61P 73/54,61.1,64
• US Class Current: 324/686
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/223 for determining moisture content, e.g. humidity rain detectors on vehicle windows B60S1/0825

Abstract

A sensor for determining permittivity of oil and the lubricating ability thereof including capacitor electrodes spaced from each other with the oil sample therebetween, the electrodes respectively having surfaces obliquely confronting each other and lying transverse to each other; the electrodes being respectively formed into the peripheral wall and bottom of an oil cup.

Claims

1. A sensor for determining the permittivity and the relative lubricating ability of oil, comprising:

a cup for an oil sample and having a peripheral wall and a bottom, and a pair of spaced oil-engaging capacitor electrodes, one forming a portion of the wall oF the cup and the other electrode forming the bottom of the cup and spaced from said one electrode, the bottom of the cup being separate from and movable along the peripheral wall for varying the capacitance of the sensor.

2. The sensor according to claim 1 and a threaded stem mounting the bottom of the cup relative to the peripheral wall for movement therealong.

3. A sensor for determining the dielectric constant and the relative lubricating ability of oil, comprising:

container means for an oil sample and having a peripheral wall and a bottom, the peripheral wall including an annular oil-engaging electrode having a peripheral surface lying flush with the inner surface of the wall, the bottom defining a base oil-engaging electrode having a peripheral surface cooperating with the annular electrode and oil sample to define a capacitor, the peripheral surfaces of the annular and base electrodes being substantially perpendicular to each other and in closely spaced and insulated relation, said bottom being formed by the top surface of a base wall entirely filling the peripheral wall and being movable therealong for varying the capacitance between the electrodes.