Choked condition detector for an air-purifying device

• US 3,963,891 A
• Filed: 10/02/1974
• Issued: 06/15/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sofiltra Societe Industrielle de Filtration
• Original Assignee: Sofiltra Societe Industrielle de Filtration
• Inventors: de Magondeaux, Maurice
• Primary Examiner(s): Caldwell, John W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Myer, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US05/511,106
• Time in Patent Office: 622 Days
• Field of Search: 340/239 F, 55/274, 55/DIG. 34, 292/19, 116/114 PV, 200/308
• US Class Current: 200/308
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 13/025 using diaphragms
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 19/12 Alarms or signals
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 55/34 Indicator and controllers

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for detecting the choked condition of an air purifier in which the device comprises a casing having a first compartment in pressure relation with said purifier and a second compartment in relation to atmospheric pressure, an indicator connected to a diaphragm between said compartments and a switch inserted in the supply circuit of an electric indicator device and actuated by said diaphragm, locking and unlocking means being provided so as to maintain said switch in the closed position and to liberate said switch from said closed position. The invention permits the remote indication of internal pressure of an air purifier of an internal combustion engine, so as to indicate the degree of fouling or choking of this purifier, even when the engine is stopped.

Claims

1. A device for detecting the choked condition of an air purifier for an internal combustion engine, the device comprising, in combination:

a casing having a wall including a transparent portion;

means within the casing for defining an opening;

a flexible diaphragm supported within the casing, the diaphragm dividing the interior of the casing into first and second compartments;

means for supplying a variable pressure to the first compartment, the second compartment being exposed to an atmospheric reference pressure;

an indicator connected to the diaphragm within the casing, the indicator being normally located in a nonvisible position but being movable by said diaphragm to a visible position adjacent said transparent portion in response to a predetermined difference in pressure between the two compartments; and

locking means for releasably maintaining the indicator in its visible position, the locking means including a hairpin-shaped member having a central portion connected to the diaphragm and a pair of arms extending through said opening for axial movement therein in response to movement of said diaphragm.

2. A device for detecting the choked condition of an air purifier for a combustion engine, the device comprising, in combination:

a casing having a wall including a transparent portion and an opaque portion;

a transverse partition mounted within the casing and defining an opening;

a flexible diaphragm carried by the transverse partition, the diaphragm dividing the interior of the casing into first and second compartments;

means for supplying the pressure within said purifier to the first compartment, the second compartment being exposed to a reference pressure;

an indicator connected to the diaphragm within the casing, the indicator being normally located in a nonvisible position adjacent the opaque portion of said wall but being movable by said diaphragm to a visible position adjacent said transparent portion in response to a predetermined difference in pressure between the two compartments;

switch means located in the first compartment in position to be actuated by the diaphragm, the switch means being movable between an open position and a closed position; and

locking means for releasably maintaining the indicator in its visible position and the switch means in its closed position, the locking means including a control knob and a resilient member connected to the diaphragm, the control knob being movably mounted on the casing in position to engage the resilient member.

3. A device for detecting the choked condition of an air purifier for an internal combustion engine, the device comprising, in combination:

a casing having a wall including a transparent portion and an opaque portion;

a transverse partition mounted within the casing and defining an opening;

a flexible diaphragm carried by the transverse partition, the diaphragm dividing the interior of the casing into first and second compartments;

means for supplying the pressure within said purifier to the first compartment, the second compartment being exposed to atmospheric pressure;

an indicator connected to the diaphragm within the casing, the indicator being normally located in a nonvisible position adjacent the opaque portion of said wall but being movable by said diaphragm to a visible position adjacent said transparent portion in response to a predetermined difference in pressure between the two compartments;

switch means located in the first compartment in position to be actuated by the diaphragm, the switch means being movable between an open position and a closed, actuated position;

locking means for releasably maintaining the indicator in its visible position and the switch means in its closed position, the locking means including a control knob and a hairpin-shaped member having a central portion connected to the diaphragm and a pair of arms extending through said opening in resilient engagement with said transverse partition, the control knob being slidably mounted on the casing and defining a conical cavity in position to engage the arms to move said arms toward one another and thereby disengage the same from said transverse partition.

4. A device for detecting the choked condition of an air purifier for an internal combustion engine, the device comprising, in combination:

a casing having a cylindrical wall including a transparent portion and an opaque portion;

a transverse partition mounted within the casing and defining an axial opening;

a flexible diaphragm carried by the transverse partition, the diaphragm dividing the interior of the casing into first and second compartments;

means for supplying the pressure within the purifier to the first compartment, the second compartment being exposed to atmospheric pressure;

a cylindrical indicator connected to the diaphragm in coaxial relationship with the cylindrical wall of the casing, the indicator being normally located in a nonvisible position adjacent the opaque portion of said wall but being movable by said diaphragm to a visible position adjacent said transparent portion in response to a predetermined difference in pressure between the two compartments;

switch means located in the first compartment in position to be actuated by the diaphragm, the switch means being movable between an open position and a closed position;

locking means for releasably maintaining the indicator in its visible position and the switch means in its closed position, the locking means including a control knob and a hairpin-shaped member having a central portion connected to the diaphragm and a pair of arms extending through said axial opening in resilient engagement with said transverse partition, the control knob being slidably mounted on the casing and defining a conical cavity in position to engage the arms to move said arms toward one another and thereby disengage the same from said transverse partition.

5. A device according to claim 4, wherein said switch means comprises two contacts, a pair of spring blades respectively supporting said contacts and an abutment fixed on said flexible diaphragm in position to bring one of said contacts into contact with the other when said indicator appears in said transparent portion.

6. A device according to claim 4, said arms being axially movable within said opening in response to movement of said diaphragm.