Bin level control circuit and transducer mounting system for an ice making machine
First Claim
1. An apparatus for controlling the volume of a substance within a container comprising:
- (a) transmitter-receiver means having a transmitter portion for emitting a pulsed electromagnetic signal and a receiver portion for receiving a reflected pulsed electromagnetic signal;
(b) transducer means mounted at a fixed position above the bottom of the container for converting an emitted electromagnetic pulse into an acoustic energy pulse directed at the upper surface of the substance and for converting a reflected acoustic energy pulse into a reflected pulsed electromagnetic signal;
(c) switching means for starting and stopping changes in the level of the substance within the container;
(d) reference level means for generating a pulsed reference signal whose pulse width determines the desired level of the substance within the container;
(e) level detector means for producing control signals for controlling the switching means and for comparing the pulsed reference signal with the reflected pulsed electromagnetic signal, said substance reaching the desired level when the reflected pulsed electromagnetic signal overlaps the pulsed reference signal in time; and
(f) triggering means for producing triggering signals for establishing the phase relationships between the reflected pulsed electromagnetic signal and the emitted pulsed electromagnetic and pulsed reference level signals.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An ultrasonic bin level control circuit which employs a fail-safe circuit to shut off a compressor when echoes are late or absent, and a transducer mounting system which facilitates installation and removal of a transducer for servicing and cleaning. A level detector compares a reference signal with a reflected signal, the ice reaching a desired level when the reflected signal overlaps the reference signal. When the desired level is reached, the reference signal is modified through feedback to prevent short cycling of the compressor. The transducer is installed within a cylindrical housing which is easily installed and removed from a cylindrical socket within a compartment above the bin.
68 Citations
22 Claims
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1. An apparatus for controlling the volume of a substance within a container comprising:
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(a) transmitter-receiver means having a transmitter portion for emitting a pulsed electromagnetic signal and a receiver portion for receiving a reflected pulsed electromagnetic signal; (b) transducer means mounted at a fixed position above the bottom of the container for converting an emitted electromagnetic pulse into an acoustic energy pulse directed at the upper surface of the substance and for converting a reflected acoustic energy pulse into a reflected pulsed electromagnetic signal; (c) switching means for starting and stopping changes in the level of the substance within the container;
(d) reference level means for generating a pulsed reference signal whose pulse width determines the desired level of the substance within the container;(e) level detector means for producing control signals for controlling the switching means and for comparing the pulsed reference signal with the reflected pulsed electromagnetic signal, said substance reaching the desired level when the reflected pulsed electromagnetic signal overlaps the pulsed reference signal in time; and (f) triggering means for producing triggering signals for establishing the phase relationships between the reflected pulsed electromagnetic signal and the emitted pulsed electromagnetic and pulsed reference level signals. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An ultra-sonic bin level control circuit for controlling the volume of ice within a container comprising:
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(a) transmitter-receiver means having a transmitter portion for emitting a pulsed electromagnetic signal and a receiver portion for receiving a reflected pulsed electromagnetic signal; (b) transducer means mounted at a fixed position above the bottom of the container for converting an emitted electromagnetic pulse into an acoustic energy pulse directed at the upper surface of the ice and for converting a reflected acoustic energy pulse into a reflected pulsed electromagnetic signal; (c) switching means for starting and stopping increases in the level of the ice within the container; (d) reference level means for generating a pulsed reference signal whose pulse width determines the desired level of the ice within the container, said reference level means including a monostable multivibrator and a resistor-capacitor (RC) network, said resistor-capacitor (RC) network including a first set of resistors coupled to said monostable multivibrator and a second set of resistors coupled between said monostable multivibrator and said level detector means for preventing said switching means from starting an increase in the level of the ice after it has reached the desired level until a predetermined time has elapsed, said second set of resistors being in parallel with said first set of resistors until the ice reaches the desired level within the container; (e) level detector means for producing control signals for controlling the switching means and for comparing the pulsed reference signal with the reflected pulsed electromagnetic signal, said ice reaching the desired level when the reflected pulsed electromagnetic signal overlaps the pulsed reference signal in time, said level detector means including a D-type flip-flop clocked by said reflected pulsed electromagnetic signal; (f) receiver blanking means for generating a blanking signal for shutting off the receiver portion while said transmitter portion is emitting the pulsed electromagnetic signal and for generating a fail-safe signal, said receiver blanking means including a monostable multivibrator and a fixed resistor capacitor (RC) network coupled to said monostable multivibrator; (g) triggering means for producing triggering signals for establishing the phase relationships between the reflected pulsed electromagnetic signal and the emitted pulsed electromagnetic and pulsed reference level signals, said triggering means including a dual monostable oscillator for controlling said reference level means, said transmitter portion, and said receiver blanking means, and oscillator signal conditioning means coupled to said dual monostable oscillator for delaying triggering signals to said reference level means and said transmitter portion to ensure that said receiving portion is shut-off by said blanking signal while said transmitter portion is emitting the pulsed electromagnetic signal; (h) fail-safe means controlled by said fail-safe signal for causing said switching means to stop increases in the level of the ice in the container when the reflected pulsed electromagnetic signal is late or absent; and (i) control signal conditioning means coupled between said level detector means and said switching means for preventing a spurious reflected pulsed electromagnetic signal from causing said switching means to stop increases in the level of the ice before the ice has reached the desired level. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method for controlling the level of ice within a container comprising:
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(a) generating a trigger signal; (b) generating a reference signal in response to the trigger signal, said reference signal having information about the desired level of ice within the container; (c) emitting a pulsed electromagnetic signal in response to said trigger signal; (d) converting said pulsed electromagnetic signal to an acoustic signal directed at the ice; (e) converting said acoustic signal into a reflected pulsed electromagnetic signal after it has reflected from the ice; (f) receiving said reflected pulsed electromagnetic signal; (g) comparing the reflected pulsed electromagnetic signal with the pulsed reference signal; and (h) stopping increases in the level of the ice when the reflected pulsed electromagnetic signal overlaps the pulsed reference signal. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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Specification