Liquid monitoring apparatus
First Claim
1. A submersible sensor adapted to be immersed in a submerging liquid within a containing means for sensing electrically different conductive mediums in said liquid, said submerging liquid having a minimum selected level and a maximum selected level in said containing means, comprising first and second electrodes spaced from each other with opposed ends to define a sensing gap, means in said sensing gap between said electrodes to vary the conductivity of the gap with the conductivity of the mediums in said gap, a flow control enclosure secured defining a chamber about said opposed ends of said electrodes and said gap, said flow control enclosure having mounting means for attachment to said containing means and said flow control enclosure includes at least one first opening means located to establish flow of said submerging liquid into said chamber at a rapid inflow rate to immerse said opposed ends and at least one second opening means constructed and arranged to establish the flow of said submerging liquid from the chamber at an outflow rate less than said flow rate of said first opening in response to movement of submerging liquid about the enclosure, and said first opening means being located to introduce liquid into said chamber with said liquid level substantially at the minimum selected level and below the maximum level to maintain flow into said first opening means and said liquid in said chamber flowing from said chamber through said second opening means with said submerging liquid substantially at said minimum level and below said minimum level.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An electrically responsive oil level sensor is mounted within a vehicle oil sump. An enclosure encloses the ends of two spaced electrodes. The high voltage electrode has a pointed end and the other low voltage electrode has a blunt end opposed to the pointed end. The low voltage electrode is connected to ground in series with an indicator. The enclosure has three vertically spaced openings. An entrance opening is aligned with the electrode gap for in flow of oil. A second is located below the entrance opening and establishes a restricted oil outflow. The third opening is above the entrance opening for air and fume escapement. A baffle is interposed between the entrance opening and the electrode gap. The baffle prevents the motion of the oil in the sump from moving directly through the entrance opening and into the electrode gap. The enclosure has an integral tower for the high voltage electrode and the tower has annular radial projections to increase the surface creepage path.
14 Citations
47 Claims
- 1. A submersible sensor adapted to be immersed in a submerging liquid within a containing means for sensing electrically different conductive mediums in said liquid, said submerging liquid having a minimum selected level and a maximum selected level in said containing means, comprising first and second electrodes spaced from each other with opposed ends to define a sensing gap, means in said sensing gap between said electrodes to vary the conductivity of the gap with the conductivity of the mediums in said gap, a flow control enclosure secured defining a chamber about said opposed ends of said electrodes and said gap, said flow control enclosure having mounting means for attachment to said containing means and said flow control enclosure includes at least one first opening means located to establish flow of said submerging liquid into said chamber at a rapid inflow rate to immerse said opposed ends and at least one second opening means constructed and arranged to establish the flow of said submerging liquid from the chamber at an outflow rate less than said flow rate of said first opening in response to movement of submerging liquid about the enclosure, and said first opening means being located to introduce liquid into said chamber with said liquid level substantially at the minimum selected level and below the maximum level to maintain flow into said first opening means and said liquid in said chamber flowing from said chamber through said second opening means with said submerging liquid substantially at said minimum level and below said minimum level.
- 9. A submersible sensor adapted to be immersed in a liquid within a containing means for sensing electrically different conductive mediums in said liquid, said submerging liquid having a minimum selected level and a maximum selected level in said containing means, comprising an insulating support, a high-tension electrode secured in said support and having an L-shaped protion projecting from said support, said L-shaped portion terminating in a pointed end, a second reference rod-like electrode secured in said support and having a blunt end located in opposite spaced realtion to the outer most axial end of said pointed end to define a sensing gap responsive to the conductivity of the medium within said gap and establishing conduction from said pointed end to said blunt end, a flow control enclosure secured to said support and defining a chamber about said electrodes including said ends and said sensing gap, said flow control enclosure having mounting means for attachment to said containing means and said flow control enclosure including at least one first opening means located to establish flow of said submerging liquid into said chamber at a rapid inflow rate to immerse said ends of said electrodes and at least one second opening means constructed and arranged to establish the flow of said submerging liquid from the chamber at an outflow rate less than said inflow rate of said first opening means in response to movement of said submerging liquid about the enclosure, and said first opening means being located to introduce said submerging liquid into said chamber with said liquid level substantially at the minimum selected level and below the maximum level to maintain flow into said first opening means and said liquid in said chamber flowing from said second opening means with said submerging liquid substantially at said minimum level and below said minimum level.
- 20. A submersible sensor adapted to be immersed in a submerging liquid within a housing for sensing electrically different conductive mediums in said liquid, comprising an insulating support, a high tension electrode secured in said support, a second reference electrode secured in said support and located in opposed spaced relation to said first electrode to define a spark gap responsive to the conductivity of the medium within said gap, a flow control enclosure secured to said support and defining a chamber closely spaced about said electrodes including said gap, said flow control enclosure including at least a first opening to establish flow of a submerging liquid into said chamber to immerse said opposed ends and a second opening for restricted discharge of said liquid from said second opening, said first and second openings being constructed and arranged to delay the flow of liquid from the chamber in response to movement of submerging liquid about the flow control enclosure, and a baffle means interposed between said openings and said gap to prevent direct entrance of the liquid from the exterior of said flow control enclosure through said entrance opening into said gap.
- 32. In combination, an internal combustion engine, a high volatge source in an ignition system and having an oil sump and a splash lubrication means for moving oil from said sump to operating components, said oil having a minimum selected level and a maximum selected level in said sump, a sensor unit comprising a submersible sensor support secured to said sump and immersed in said oil for sensing said oil, a high tension electrode secured to said support and connected to the high voltage source of said ignition system, said high tension elelctrode having a pointed end, and a second reference electrode secured to said support having an outer end located in opposed spaced relation to said pointed end to define a sensing gap responsive to the conductivity of the oil, a flow control enclosure secured to said support and defining a chamber about said electrodes including said ends of said electrodes and said gap, said flow control enclosure including at least one first opening means located to establish flow of said oil into said chamber at a rapid inflow rate to immerse said ends of said electrodes and at least one second opening means constructed and arranged to establish the flow of said oil from the chamber at an outflow rate less than said inflow rate of said first opening means in response to movement of said oil about the enclosure, said first opening means being located to introduce oil into said chamber with said oil level substantially at the minimum selected level and below the maximum level to maintain flow through said chamber and from said second opening means with sadi submerging liquid substantially at said minimum level and below said minimum level, said support and said sump being constructed and arranged whereby said gap is located at the center of said oil in said sump.
- 45. An internal combustion engine having a high volatge ignition system and including a splash lubrication system and having an oil sump with a bottom cover having a sidewall, comprising an electrically responsive sensor means, including an enclosure for enclosing spaced rod-like electrodes defining a sensing gap within a sensing chamber, one of said electrodes being a high voltage electrode to be connected into the high voltage side of the ignition system, the other electrode being a return electrode, a molded plastic support adapted to be releasably secured within a side wall opening of said sump cover, said rod-like electrodes molded within and extending through said molded support in vertically spaced relation to each other, inner ends of said electrodes being bent to extend toward each other, said high voltage electrode having a sharp pointed end, said return electrode having a flat end, a bracket secured to said cover, said support and said bracket having cooperating interengaged members to ensure said vertical orientation of the electrodes with the high voltage electrode located above the return electrode, a housing secured to said support and forming an end wall of the enclosure, said housing having an outer end flat wall spaced slightly from the electrodes, three vertically spaced openings including an inlet opening substantially at the vertical height of the sensing gap for entrance of oil into the enclosure and a second discharge opening located at the lower end of said flat wall for restricted outflow of oil from the enclosure and a third release opening located at the upper end of said flat wall for discharge of air and other fumes within the enclosure, a baffle plate interposed between said flat wall and said sensing gap, said housing being generally rectangular in shape and having a width slightly greater than the thickness of the electrodes and a vertical height slightly greater than the spacing of the electrodes, said baffle plate including small notches on the side edges with the lower end of the notches generally in alignment with the sensor gap and the inlet opening, said baffle plate having upper and lower mounting arms extending to the opposite sides of the plate and frictionally engaging the top and bottom walls of said housing to locate the baffle plate in spaced relation to said flat wall and said electrodes, said baffle plate having a bottom opening of cross-section slightly smaller than the bottom opening in the flat wall and a top opening aligned with the top opening in the flat wall, said support having an intergral outwardly extending tower about the high voltage electrode, said tower including a plurality of adjacent annular radial projections, said high voltage electrode having an outer terminal spring end, a high volatge tension lead having a tubular contact adapted to telescope over said spring end and having an outer resilient boot telescoped over said tower and frictionally gripping said tower, said support locating said sensing gap at the center of the oil sump and at the selected minimum safe oil level, and a high voltage source connected to said high voltage tension lead, a high voltage spark plug lead connected to said source.
Specification