Liquid level and temperature sensing device
First Claim
1. A liquid level sensing device for monitoring and measuring the level of liquid stored within a tank or reservoir comprising an upper control canister to house control circuitry to generate and transmit digital level interrogation pulses, a lower sensing probe including an outer tube to operatively house a solid inner conductor coupled to said control circuitry to receive said digital level interrogation pulses and a first level sensing means movable disposed relative to said outer tube to interact with the electromagnetic field generated in said solid inner conductor by said digital level interrogation pulses to generate a corresponding series of sonic pulses and a transducer disposed in operative relationship relative to said solid inner conductor including means to sense said series of sonic pulses and generate a corresponding series of electrical signals, said control circuitry coupled to said transducer to receive said corresponding series of electrical signals and including means to measure the time lapse between said digital level interrogation pulses and said corresponding electrical signals to indicate the relative position of said first level sensing means relative to the longitudinal axis of said inner conductor corresponding to the level of an upper liquid within the tank or reservoir and means to generate a liquid level output signal corresponding to the level of the upper liquid for transmission to a display monitor and a second level sensing means disposed beneath said first level sensing means, said second level sensing means movable disposed relative to said outer tube to interact with the electromagnetic field generated in said solid inner conductor by said digital level interrogation pulses to generate a corresponding second series of sonic pulses and said transducer is disposed in operative relationship relative to said solid inner conductor including means to sense said second series of sonic pulses and generate a corresponding second series of electrical signals, said control circuitry coupled to said transducer to receive said corresponding second series of electrical signals and including means to measure the time lapse between said digital level interrogation pulses and said corresponding second series of electrical signals to indicate the relative position of said second level sensing means relative to the longitudinal axis of said inner conductor corresponding to the level of a lower liquid within the tank or reservoir and means to generate a second liquid level output signal corresponding to the level of a lower liquid for transmission to the display monitor.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A liquid level and temperature sensing device for monitoring and measuring the level of liquid stored within a tank or reservoir comprising control circuitry to generate and transmit digital level interrogation pulses and a transducer to receive sonic level return signals corresponding to the digital level interrogation pulses and generate corresponding digital level signals and logic circuitry to measure the time lapse between corresponding digital level interrogation pulses and the corresponding digital level signals and a lower sensing probe including an inner conductor coupled to the control circuity to receive the digital level interrogation pulses and a float to float on the liquid within the tank or reservoir including a magnet movable tube to interact with the electromagnetic field generated in the inner conductor by the digital level interrogation pulses to generate the corresponding sonic level return pulses transmitted to the transducer to generate the corresponding digital level signal whereby the time lapse between the digital level interrogation pulse and corresponding digital level signal indicates the level of liquid within the tank or reservoir.
39 Citations
25 Claims
- 1. A liquid level sensing device for monitoring and measuring the level of liquid stored within a tank or reservoir comprising an upper control canister to house control circuitry to generate and transmit digital level interrogation pulses, a lower sensing probe including an outer tube to operatively house a solid inner conductor coupled to said control circuitry to receive said digital level interrogation pulses and a first level sensing means movable disposed relative to said outer tube to interact with the electromagnetic field generated in said solid inner conductor by said digital level interrogation pulses to generate a corresponding series of sonic pulses and a transducer disposed in operative relationship relative to said solid inner conductor including means to sense said series of sonic pulses and generate a corresponding series of electrical signals, said control circuitry coupled to said transducer to receive said corresponding series of electrical signals and including means to measure the time lapse between said digital level interrogation pulses and said corresponding electrical signals to indicate the relative position of said first level sensing means relative to the longitudinal axis of said inner conductor corresponding to the level of an upper liquid within the tank or reservoir and means to generate a liquid level output signal corresponding to the level of the upper liquid for transmission to a display monitor and a second level sensing means disposed beneath said first level sensing means, said second level sensing means movable disposed relative to said outer tube to interact with the electromagnetic field generated in said solid inner conductor by said digital level interrogation pulses to generate a corresponding second series of sonic pulses and said transducer is disposed in operative relationship relative to said solid inner conductor including means to sense said second series of sonic pulses and generate a corresponding second series of electrical signals, said control circuitry coupled to said transducer to receive said corresponding second series of electrical signals and including means to measure the time lapse between said digital level interrogation pulses and said corresponding second series of electrical signals to indicate the relative position of said second level sensing means relative to the longitudinal axis of said inner conductor corresponding to the level of a lower liquid within the tank or reservoir and means to generate a second liquid level output signal corresponding to the level of a lower liquid for transmission to the display monitor.
- 11. A liquid level sensing device for monitoring and measuring the level of liquid stored within a tank or reservoir comprising an upper control canister to house control circuitry to generate and transmit digital level interrogation pulses, a lower sensing probe including an outer tube to operatively house a solid inner conductor comprising a Ni-Span C conductor coupled to said control circuitry to receive said digital level interrogation pulses and a first level sensing means movable disposed relative to said outer tube to interact with the electromagnetic field generated in said solid inner conductor by said digital level interrogation pulses to generate a corresponding series of sonic pulses and a transducer comprising a bifolar wound coil sonic transducer disposed in spaced relationship relative to said inner conductor disposed in operative relationship relative to said solid inner conductor including means to sense said series of sonic pulses and generate a corresponding series of electrical signals, said control circuitry coupled to said transducer to receive said corresponding series of electrical signals and including means to measure the time lapse between said digital level interrogation pulses and said corresponding electrical signals to indicate the relative position of said first level sensing means relative to the longitudinal axis of said inner conductor corresponding to the level of liquid within the tank or reservoir and means to generate a liquid level output signal corresponding to the level of the liquid for transmission to a display monitor.
- 18. A liquid level sensing device for monitoring and measuring the level of liquid stored within a tank or reservoir comprising an upper control canister to house control circuitry to generate and transmit digital level interrogation pulses, a lower sensing probe including an outer tube to operatively house a second inner conductor coupled to said control circuitry to receive said digital level interrogation pulses and a first level sensing means movable disposed relative to said outer tube to interact with the electromagnetic field generated in said solid inner conductor by said digital level interrogation pulses to generate a corresponding series of sonic pulses and a transducer disposed in operative relationship relative to said solid inner conductor including means to sense said series of sonic pulses and generate a corresponding series of electrical signals, said control circuitry coupled to said transducer to receive said corresponding series of electrical signals and including means to measure the time lapse between said digital level interrogation pulses and said corresponding electrical signals to indicate the relative position of said first level sensing means relative to the longitudinal axis of said inner conductor corresponding to the level of liquid within the tank or reservoir and means to generate a liquid level output signal corresponding to the level of the liquid for transmission to a display monitor and a temperature sensor including logic circuitry to generate a temperature signal corresponding to the temperature of the liquid adjacent said temperature sensor disposed within said outer tube coupled to the control circuitry to transmit the temperature signal thereto, said control circuitry further including output signal circuitry to generate a temperature output signal corresponding to the sensed temperature for transmission to the display monitor.
Specification