Fluid control system

• US 5,228,469 A
• Filed: 07/10/1992
• Issued: 07/20/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bernard J. Otten, Gary W. Warth
• Original Assignee: Bernard J. Otten, Gary W. Warth
• Inventors: Otten, Bernard J., Warth, Gary W.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAMBERS, A MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US07/912,146
• Time in Patent Office: 375 Days
• Field of Search: 137/554, 137/557, 137/542, 137/538, 137/543, 137/80, 137/460, 73/861.58
• US Class Current: 137/80
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 25/16 Control of watering
• CPC Class Codes: E03B 7/071 Arrangement of safety devices in domestic pipe systems, e.g. devices for automatic shut-off
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 5/06 using electric or acoustic means
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/24 with magnetic or electric coupling to the indicating device
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/2807 for pipes G01M3/2892, G01M3/30 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 7/0635 by action on throttling means G05D7/0688, G05D7/0694 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 20/15 Leakage reduction or detection in water storage or distribution
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/1987 With additional diverse control
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7733 With fluid pressure seating of valve
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7933 Yoke or cage-type support for valve stem
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8242 Electrical
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8326 Fluid pressure responsive indicator, recorder or alarm

Abstract

The fluid control device of the present invention combines a flow sensing unit in series with a control valve. The flow sensing unit is of the displacement piston type and the flow rate is electronically sensed. A single action poppet valve assembly facilitates the use of a self contained power supply for use in remote locations. A microprocessor monitors parameters including pressure, flow rate, temperature and flow volume, and is enabled to activate the control valve to the open or shut positions based upon any combination of the monitored parameters.

Claims

1. A sensor device for sensing fluid flow comprising:

a hollow housing having a chamber in communication with an opposing inlet and outlet, and a guide track within the chamber between the outlet and inlet;

a baffle located within the chamber between the inlet and guide track, the baffle having an orifice for fluid flow;

a tapered piston having a longitudinal shank, the tapered piston adapted to move within the orifice in a sealed relationship preventing flow through the orifice and the piston adapted to move in and out of the orifice to close and open the orifice to fluid flow, the piston, when seated in the orifice, sealing off the orifice to prevent fluid flow through the chamber, the longitudinal shank adapted to be guided in the guide track and to move longitudinally within;

biasing means within the chamber biasing the piston into the orifice;

a first magnet within the longitudinal shank, the magnet arranged with its poles perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shank;

a means for sensing magnetic flux changes located on the housing outside the chamber, the means for sensing adapted to sense the change of position of the first magnet when the shank is longitudinally moved as the piston is moved in and out of the orifice to measure the fluid flow through the orifice;

a piston head magnet in the piston; and

a reed switch located within the baffle which is responsive to the movement of the piston head magnet as the piston moves within the orifice.

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein it includes a second magnet in the shank longitudinally spaced apart tandemly from the first magnet, the second magnet arranged with its poles perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shank and reversed to the poles of the first magnet.

3. The device according to claim 2 wherein the sensing means comprises two sensing elements for sensing magnetic flux changes, the sensing elements longitudinally spaced apart in tandem parallel to the longitudinal shank.

4. The device according to claim 3 wherein the distance between the first and second magnets is substantially equivalent to the distance between the first and second sensor elements.

5. The device according to claim 3 wherein each sensing element is a reed switch.

6. The device according to claim 1 wherein the tapered piston has a bullet shaped head portion and a cylindrical rear portion of constant diameter.

7. The device according to claim 6 wherein the piston has a circumferential groove on its outer surface about the cylindrical rear portion, and an O-ring adapted to be received within the circumferential groove, the O-ring adapted to form a movable seal between the wall of the orifice and the outer surface of the piston.

8. The device according to claim 1 wherein the bullet shaped head has at least three guide elements extending axially in front of the bullet shaped head portion of the piston to guide the piston in and out of the orifice.

9. The device according to claim 8 wherein the bullet shaped head has four fin shaped guide elements extending axially in front of the bullet shaped head portion.

10. The device according to claim 1 wherein the reed switch is opened by the piston head magnet when the piston is seated in the orifice preventing fluid flow through the orifice, the read switch closing when the piston commences withdrawing out of the orifice.

11. The device according to claim 1 wherein the reed switch produces a signal when the piston is moved within the orifice.

12. The device according to claim 11 wherein the sensing means is powered by an external electrical energy source from a control means including a power source and a microprocessor;

the signal from the reed switch being communicated to the microprocessor, when the reed switch indicates that there is no fluid flow, the microprocessor powering off the sensing means and the reed switch when indicating there is fluid flow through the orifice communicating the signal to the microprocessor which powers on the sensing means to measure the fluid flow through the orifice.

13. The device according to claim 12 wherein the sensing means comprises two sensing elements for sensing magnetic flux changes, the sensing elements longitudinally spaced apart in tandem fashion parallel to the longitudinal shank, two sensing elements having electrical leads connected with the control means.

14. The device according to claim 13 wherein the distance between the first and second magnets is substantially equivalent to the distance between the first and second sensor elements.

15. The device according to claim 13 wherein the sensor elements are Hall effect transducers.

16. The device according to claim 1 wherein the sensing means is a reed switch.

17. The device according to claim 1 wherein the sensing means is a tuned coil.

18. The device according to claim 1 wherein the biasing means is a spiral spring under compression mounted about the longitudinal shank with one end of the spring engaging the guide track and the other end of the spring engaging the tapered piston to bias the tapered piston into the orifice.

19. The device according to claim 1 wherein the longitudinal shank has a square cross-sectional area and the guide track has a square cross-sectional area to prevent the shank from rotating.

20. The device according to claim 1 including means for preventing rotation of the shank within the housing about its longitudinal axis.