Ultrasonic sensor for the detection of gas bubbles
First Claim
1. An ultrasonic sensor for non-invasive detection of gas bubbles in a liquid flowing through a tube comprising two housing portions, each substantially U-shaped in cross section, capable of being assembled together and adapted to receive said tube when so assembled:
- an ultrasonic transducer installed at the base of each of said housing portions facing each other, with one acting as a transmitter and the other as a receiver; and
a transmission link disposed in front of each transducer for acoustic coupling to the interposed tube carrying said liquid, with each of said transmission links comprising a chamber closed off by a flexible membrane and filled with a fluid highly transmissive of sound with said fluid-filled chambers bounded by the side walls of the housing portions and arched along said side walls.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An ultrasonic sensor for non-invasive detection of air bubbles in a liquid flowing through a tube comprises two half-housings capable of being assembled together and two mutually opposed ultrasonic transducers, one installed in each of the half-housings. For acoustic coupling of the tube to the two mutually opposed ultrasonic transducers, each half-housing contains a chamber closed off by a flexible membrane and filled with a fluid highly transmissive of sound. The fluid displaced by the tube inserted between the two half-housings forces the membrane up in the form of a bulge on either side of the tube. In this way, an excellent contact is obtained between the chamber filled with sound-transmissive fluid and the tube. The membrane may be embedded into the side walls of the half-housings and cylindrically arched along the same.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. An ultrasonic sensor for non-invasive detection of gas bubbles in a liquid flowing through a tube comprising two housing portions, each substantially U-shaped in cross section, capable of being assembled together and adapted to receive said tube when so assembled:
- an ultrasonic transducer installed at the base of each of said housing portions facing each other, with one acting as a transmitter and the other as a receiver; and
a transmission link disposed in front of each transducer for acoustic coupling to the interposed tube carrying said liquid, with each of said transmission links comprising a chamber closed off by a flexible membrane and filled with a fluid highly transmissive of sound with said fluid-filled chambers bounded by the side walls of the housing portions and arched along said side walls. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
- an ultrasonic transducer installed at the base of each of said housing portions facing each other, with one acting as a transmitter and the other as a receiver; and
Specification