Encapsulated meter with optical programmer
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A meter, comprising:
- optically programmable means for accumulating totals of a measured quantity;
means for displaying totals accumulated by said programmable means; and
optically transparent housing means in the form of a transparent aliphatic resin or epoxy resin molded around and completely encapsulating said programmable means and said displaying means, said programmable and displaying means being embedded in said housing means.
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Abstract
A totalizer and rate meter is totally enclosed within a permanently sealed, fluid tight body formed of a low cost, transparent epoxy material. The meter can be programmed in the field by means of an optical transmitter communicating with an optical receiver enclosed within the transparent body of the meter.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A meter, comprising:
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optically programmable means for accumulating totals of a measured quantity; means for displaying totals accumulated by said programmable means; and optically transparent housing means in the form of a transparent aliphatic resin or epoxy resin molded around and completely encapsulating said programmable means and said displaying means, said programmable and displaying means being embedded in said housing means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. An encapsulated meter for use in a harsh environment, comprising:
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a programmable microprocessor for calculating rates of change of a measured quantity; an optical receiver for receiving programming signals from an optical transmitter and sending programming signals to said microprocessor; an electronic display for displaying rates calculated by said microprocessor; and a housing of optically transparent epoxy molded completely around and sealing said microprocessor, said optical receiver and said electronic display from the harsh environment, said microprocessor, optical receiver, and electronic display being embedded in and in contact with said epoxy to provide structural support therefor. - View Dependent Claims (6)
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7. A meter, comprising:
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programmable means for accumulating totals of a quantity and providing an output signal; means for displaying a quantity in response to said output signal from said programmable means; means for completely encapsulating said programmable and displaying means in a durable, transparent aliphatic resin or epoxy resin in a manner which allows the meter to be read, reprogrammed, and operated indefinitely without necessitating removing the encapsulation and which completely and directly seals the programmable and displaying means against all contact with substances exterior of the meter; and means for programming said programmable means optically through said encapsulating means.
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8. A totalizer/rate for processing information signals from an external transducer, comprising:
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an electronic processing system including a printed circuit board having a plurality of electrical wires, a display driver, a programmable microprocessor for processing the information signals and communicating electrical signals to said display driver, an electronic display powered by said display driver, and an optical receiver for sending data to said microprocessor, said display driver, microprocessor, electronic display and optical receiver electrically connected to said printed circuit board; an integral optically transparent housing in the form of a transparent aliphatic resin or epoxy resin molded around and completely encapsulating and sealing said electronic processing system with said wires extending externally of said housing; a connector strip electrically connected to said wires and thus to said printed circuit board, said connector strip being mounted externally to said housing and adapted to receive the information signals from the external transducer whereby the information signals are conducted via said wires to said circuit board and thence to said microprocessor; and said housing having an integral window with said optical receiver facing said window and adapted to receive optical signals to reprogram said microprocessor. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. An optically programmable totalizer/rate meter, comprising:
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an optically programmable meter, comprising; means for receiving metering signals from an external transducer; means for accumulating totals of a measured quantity based on said metering signals; a connector strip for connection of said accumulating means to said external transducer; a programmable microprocessor for processing totals accumulated by said accumulating means and generating information relating to rates and totals therefrom; means for receiving optical programming signals from an external optical transmitter for programming said microprocessor; and a liquid crystal display for displaying the information generated by said microprocessor; said optically programmable meter embedded in an integral transparent epoxy housing molded around the completely encapsulating said meter, said housing including a front face and a rear face having four tapered surfaces and being otherwise adapted for attachment into an instrument panel; and wires extending from said accumulating means through said housing to said connector strip, for electrical connection of said accumulating means to said connector strip. - View Dependent Claims (23)
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Specification