Flow rate detector

• US 5,809,827 A
• Filed: 09/19/1996
• Issued: 09/22/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SMC Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: SMC Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Takebayashi, Takashi, Kurisaki, Shogo, Endou, Tomonobu, Ge, Pinghou
• Primary Examiner(s): Biegel, Ronald L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, HARSHAD R
• Application Number:
  US08/716,524
• Time in Patent Office: 733 Days
• Field of Search: 73/204.15, 73/204.16, 73/204.17, 73/204.18, 73/204.19
• US Class Current: 73/204.17
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/684 Structural arrangements; Mounting of elements, e.g. in relation to fluid flow
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/69 of resistive type
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/696 Circuits therefor, e.g. constant-current flow meters
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/6965 comprising means to store calibration data for flow signal calculation or correction

Abstract

A threshold value is stored in a CPU using setting switches. When a fluid is introduced into a flow passage, it lowers the temperature of a first thermistor heated by a regulated constant-current source, increasing the output voltage of the first thermistor. A second thermistor outputs a voltage corresponding to the temperature of the fluid. A differential amplifier outputs a differential voltage between the output voltages of the first and second thermistors, and the differential voltage is converted by an A/D converter into a digital voltage that is applied to a CPU. The CPU refers to a data table stored in a memory to determine a flow rate of the fluid based on the digital differential voltage. When the determined flow rate is greater than the threshold value, the CPU turns on transistors to energize loads as external devices. When the determined flow rate is smaller than the threshold value, the CPU turns off transistors to de-energize loads.

Claims

1. A flow rate detector comprising:

a flow passage for passage of a fluid therethrough;

a first temperature sensor, comprising a first thermistor, disposed in said flow passage;

heating means for heating said first temperature sensor;

a second temperature sensor, comprising a second thermistor, disposed in said flow passage downstream of said first temperature sensor;

regulated constant-current sources connected respectively to the first and second thermistors, said regulated constant-current source connected to said first thermistor comprising said heating means for supplying a current to said first temperature sensor to heat said first temperature sensor;

a compensating circuit for compensating for a first output signal from said first temperature sensor with a second output signal from said second temperature sensor; and

outputting a compensated signal;

display means for displaying a flow rate;

setting means for establishing a reference flow rate;

signal output means for outputting a third output signal;

a processing circuit for calculating said flow rate of the fluid flowing in said flow passage from said compensated signal from said compensating circuit, displaying the calculated flow rate on said display means, comparing the calculated flow rate with the reference flow rate established by said setting means, and outputting said third output signal, wherein said third output signal being indicative of said comparison of said calculated flow rate with said reference flow rate; and

a pair of transistors connected between said processing circuit and said signal output means, whereby said transistors are selectively turned on and off by said processing circuit to selectively energize and de-energize external devices connected to said signal output means.

2. A flow rate detector according to claim 1, wherein said processing circuit has a data table representative of the relationship between an output voltage of said compensating circuit and the flow rate of the fluid flowing through said flow passage, and comprises means for determining the flow rate by referring to said data table in response to the compensated signal outputted from said compensating circuit.

3. A flow rate detector according to claim 2, wherein each of said first and second temperature sensors is of a rod shape and projects substantially centrally into said flow passage, said second temperature sensor being spaced downstream from said first temperature sensor.

4. A flow rate detector according to claim 1, wherein each of said first and second temperature sensors is of a rod shape and projects substantially centrally into said flow passage, said second temperature sensor being spaced downstream from said first temperature sensor.

5. A flow rate detector according to claim 1, wherein said compensating circuit comprises a differential amplifier.

6. A flow rate detector according to claim 1, further comprising regulated constant-current sources connected respectively to the first and second thermistors, said regulated constant-current source connected to said first thermistor comprising said heating means for supplying a current to said first temperature sensor to heat the first temperature sensor.