Hydrometer for determining coolant fluid antifreeze concentration

• US 5,284,056 A
• Filed: 05/07/1993
• Issued: 02/08/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Delbert D. Randolph, Gerald E. Wagnon
• Original Assignee: Delbert D. Randolph, Gerald E. Wagnon
• Inventors: Randolph, Delbert D., Wagnon, Gerald E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Raevis, Robert R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROCK, MICHAEL J
• Application Number:
  US08/059,512
• Time in Patent Office: 277 Days
• Field of Search: 73/440, 73/863.41, 73/444, 73/445, 73/446
• US Class Current: 73/440
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 9/12 by observing the depth of immersion of the bodies, e.g. hydrometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 9/14 the body being built into a container

Abstract

A hydrometer for determining coolant fluid antifreeze concentration includes a housing having a pair of spaced openings for inflow and outflow of coolant fluid into and from the housing, a transparent view dome mounted in flow communication with the housing, a pair of identical sets of float balls of different specific gravities, a pair of longitudinal channels defined along opposite portions of the view dome in flow communication with the interior thereof and containing the sets of float balls for longitudinal movement relative to the view dome and for visual observation from the exterior of the view dome, and a dam defined in the housing between and spaced from the flow openings thereof and capable of obstructing the path of coolant fluid flow directly between the openings of the housing so as to cause deflection of coolant fluid flow into the transparent view dome and the channels therein.

Claims

1. A hydrometer for determining coolant fluid antifreeze concentration, comprising:

(a) a hollow housing having a pair of spaced openings for inflow and outflow of coolant fluid to and from said housing;

(b) a transparent hollow view dome having an interior and an exterior and being mounted upon and extending above said housing with said interior in flow communication with said housing;

(c) a plurality of float elements of different specific gravities;

(d) a pair of spaced longitudinal rails disposed above said housing and connected to and extending vertically along a portion of a sidewall of said transparent view dome on said interior of said view dome to define a longitudinal channel, said spaced longitudinal rails defining a narrow slot therebetween along the extent of said channel for establishing flow communication with said interior of said view dome, said longitudinal rails having predetermined cross-sectional shapes providing said longitudinal channel with a predetermined cross-sectional shape for movably containing said float elements and for restricting said float elements to only substantially vertical longitudinal movement relative to said transparent view dome and for visual observation from said exterior thereof; and

(e) means for defining a dam in the housing between and spaced from said openings of said housing and below said view dome and being capable of obstructing the path of coolant fluid flow directly between said openings so as to cause deflection of coolant fluid flow into and from said transparent view dome and said longitudinal channel.

2. The hydrometer of claim 1 wherein said view dome includes:

a continuous sidewall connected at a lower edge to said housing so as to extend above said housing; and

a top wall connected to a top of said sidewall, said top wall and sidewall of said view dome together defining a chamber in flow communication with said housing for receiving coolant fluid therefrom.

3. The hydrometer of claim 2 wherein said pair of spaced longitudinal rails extend from said lower edge of said sidewall to said top wall of said view dome.

4. The hydrometer of claim 3 wherein said float elements are disposed in said longitudinal channel in a predetermined arrangement such that the specific gravities of individual float elements decreases incrementally from a lowermost one to an uppermost one of said float elements in said channel.

5. The hydrometer of claim 1 wherein said housing includes:

a hollow base having a pair of spaced apertures and defining a cavity in flow communication with said apertures and said interior of said transparent view dome; and

a pair of hollow connector members connected to and extending from said hollow base and being adapted for attaching to coolant fluid-carrying hoses, said hollow connectors being connected to said hollow base at the locations of said spaced apertures and together therewith defining said flow openings of said housing.

6. The hydrometer of claim 5 wherein said view dome includes:

a continuous sidewall connected at a lower edge to said housing base so as to extend above said housing base; and

a top wall connected to a top of said sidewall, said top wall and sidewall together defining a chamber in flow communication with said cavity of said base of said housing for receiving coolant fluid therefrom.

7. The hydrometer of claim 5 wherein said hollow base includes:

a continuous sidewall open at an upper edge with said spaced apertures defined in said sidewall; and

a bottom wall connected to a bottom of said sidewall, said bottom wall and sidewall of said base together defining said cavity therein.

8. The hydrometer of claim 7 wherein said view dome includes:

a continuous sidewall being open at a lower edge and connected to said upper edge of said sidewall of said housing base so as to extend above said housing base; and

a top wall connected to a top of said sidewall, said top wall and sidewall together defining a chamber in flow communication with said cavity of said base of said housing for receiving coolant fluid therefrom.

9. The hydrometer of claim 7 wherein said dam is a wall extending across said cavity of said hollow base and connected to said bottom wall and opposite portions of said sidewall thereof, said dam having a height that is less than the height of said sidewall of said base.

10. A hydrometer for determining coolant fluid antifreeze concentration, comprising:

(a) a hollow housing having a pair of spaced openings for inflow and outflow of coolant fluid to and from said housing;

(b) a transparent hollow view dome having an interior and an exterior and being mounted upon and extending above said housing with said interior in flow communication with said housing;

(c) a pair of identical sets of float balls of different specific gravities;

(d) first and second pairs of spaced longitudinal rails disposed above said housing and connected to and extending vertically along opposite portions of a sidewall of said transparent view dome to define respective longitudinal channels, each of said pairs of spaced longitudinal rails defining a narrow slot therebetween along the extent of said respective channel for establishing flow communication with said interior of said view dome, said longitudinal rails of each pair thereof having predetermined cross-sectional shapes providing each of said longitudinal channels with a predetermined cross-sectional shape for movably containing one of said pair of sets of said float balls and for restricting said float balls to only substantially vertical longitudinal movement relative to said transparent view dome and for visual observation from said exterior thereof; and

(e) means for defining a dam in the housing between and spaced from said openings of said housing and below said view dome and being capable of obstructing the path of coolant fluid flow directly between said openings so as to cause deflection of coolant fluid flow into and from said transparent view dome and said longitudinal channels.

11. The hydrometer of claim 10 wherein said housing includes:

a hollow base having a pair of spaced apertures and defining a cavity in flow communication with said apertures and said interior of said transparent view dome; and

a pair of hollow connector members connected to and extending from said hollow base and being adapted for attaching to coolant fluid-carrying hoses, said hollow connectors being connected to said hollow base at the locations of said spaced apertures and together therewith defining said flow openings of said housing.

12. The hydrometer of claim 11 wherein said view dome includes:

a continuous sidewall connected at a lower edge to said housing base so as to extend above said housing base; and

a top wall connected to a top of said sidewall, said top wall and sidewall together defining a chamber in flow communication with said cavity of said base of said housing for receiving coolant fluid therefrom.

13. The hydrometer of claim 12 wherein each of said pair of spaced longitudinal rails extend from said lower edge of said sidewall to said top wall of said view dome.

14. The hydrometer of claim 13 wherein each of said sets of float balls is disposed in one of said longitudinal channels in a predetermined arrangement such that the specific gravities of individual float balls decreases incrementally from a lowermost one to an uppermost one of said float balls in said channel.

15. The hydrometer of claim 11 wherein said hollow base includes:

a continuous sidewall open at an upper edge with said spaced apertures defined in said sidewall; and

a bottom wall connected to a bottom of said sidewall, said bottom wall and sidewall of said base together defining said cavity therein.

16. The hydrometer of claim 15 wherein said view dome includes:

a continuous sidewall being open at a lower edge and connected to said upper edge of said sidewall of said housing base so as to extend above said housing base; and

a top wall connected to a top of said sidewall, said top wall and sidewall together defining a chamber in flow communication with said cavity of said base of said housing for receiving coolant fluid therefrom.

17. The hydrometer of claim 15 wherein said dam is a wall extending across said cavity of said hollow base and connected to said bottom wall and opposite portions of said sidewall thereof, said dam having a height that is less than the height of said sidewall.

18. A hydrometer for determining coolant fluid antifreeze concentration, comprising:

(a) a housing including a hollow base and a pair of hollow connector members connected to and extending from opposite sides of said base and each adapted for attaching to a coolant fluid-carrying hose, said hollow base having a continuous sidewall with a pair of spaced apertures defined therein and a bottom wall and connected to the bottom of said sidewall, said bottom wall and sidewall of said base together defining a cavity therein, said hollow connector members being connected to said sidewall of said hollow base at the locations of said apertures for defining a pair of spaced openings for inflow and outflow of coolant fluid to and from said housing;

(b) a transparent view dome having an exterior and an interior and including a continuous sidewall and a top wall connected to a top of said sidewall, said view dome being open at a lower edge of said sidewall and connected to an upper edge of said sidewall of said hollow base so as to extend above said base, said sidewall and top wall of said view dome together defining a chamber in flow communication with said cavity of said hollow base for receiving coolant fluid therefrom;

(c) a plurality of float balls of different specific gravities;

(d) a pair of spaced longitudinal rails disposed above said housing and connected to and extending vertically along an interior portion of said sidewall of said view dome from said lower edge thereof to said top wall thereof to define a longitudinal channel, said spaced longitudinal rails defining a narrow slot therebetween along the extend of said channel for establishing flow communication with said chamber of said view dome, said longitudinal rails having predetermined cross-sectional shapes providing said longitudinal channel with a predetermined cross-sectional shape for movably containing float balls and for restricting said float balls to only substantially vertical longitudinal movement relative to said transparent view dome and for visual observation from said exterior thereof, said float balls being contained in said longitudinal channel in a predetermined arrangement such that the specific gravities of individual float balls decrease incrementally from a lowermost one to an uppermost one of said float balls in said channel; and

(e) means connected to the interior of said hollow base for defining a dam in the housing between and spaced from said openings of said housing and below said view dome and being capable of obstructing the path of coolant fluid flow directly between said openings so as to cause deflection of coolant fluid flow into and from said transparent view dome and said longitudinal channel.

19. The hydrometer of claim 18 wherein said dam is a wall extending across said cavity of said hollow base and connected to said bottom wall and opposite portions of said sidewall thereof, said dam having a height that is less than the height of said sidewall.