Flow meter with a self-illuminating floater

• US 6,591,694 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2001
• Issued: 07/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Lin, Chang-Hsin, Tsai, Yang-Jinn
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Hezron
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dickens, Charlene
• Application Number:
  US09/881,543
• Publication Number:
  US 20020189368A1
• Time in Patent Office: 761 Days
• Field of Search: 738/615.5, 738/615.6, 738/615.7, 732/93, 733/225, 733/05, 43/17, 43/175, 43/176, 340/691.5, 340/573, 340/555, 340/573.1, 340/573.2, 340/815.73, 340/815.74
• US Class Current: 73/861.57
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/24 with magnetic or electric coupling to the indicating device

Abstract

A flow meter comprises a housing with a tube, a floater inside the tube, and a permanent magnet embracing the housing. The volume of a fluid being passed through the tube defines the height of the floater position in the tube. The floater is equipped with a rotation coil and bulb connected thereto. Rotating the floater in the magnetic field of the permanent magnet under the influence of a fluid induces a voltage in the coil, and the bulb is turned on making reading volume values easier and more convenient.

Claims

1. A self-illuminating floater for a flow meter of the type comprising a housing including a tube, a hollow of said tube having a cross-section area increasing from minimal at a lower end of said tube to a maximal at an upper end of said tube, and a permanent magnet extending along said housing and having a U-shape profile, said housing being placed into said U-shape profile of said permanent magnet, said floater comprising an electromagnetically operated source of light, whereby said source of light is on upon rotating said floater in a magnetic field of said permanent magnet under an influence of a fluid being passed through said tube.

2. The self-illuminating floater as claimed in claim 1, wherein said source of light comprises a rotation coil and bulb, ends of said rotation coil being connected to said bulb.

3. The self-illuminating floater as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a head and a body, said body including said rotation coil, said head comprising said bulb.

4. The self-illuminating floater as claimed in claim 3, wherein said head is made with slits on its surface, to thereby impart a rotational force to said floater under the influence of said fluid being passed through said tube for the purpose of centering and stabilizing said floater.

5. The self-illuminating floater as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tube is made translucent and marked with a graduated scale such that the exact position of said floater heightwise within said tube correlated with flow rate of said fluid is visibly attributed to a respective reading in accordance with formula

6. A self-illuminating floater for a flow meter of the type comprising a housing including a tube and a permanent magnet extending along said housing and having a U-shape profile, said housing being placed into said U-shape profile of said permanent magnet, said floater comprising a body and a head, said body comprising a rotation coil, said head comprising a bulb, ends of said rotation coil being connected to said bulb, said head being made with slits on its surface, to thereby impart a rotational force to said floater for the purpose of centering and stabilizing said floater under the influence of said fluid being passed through said tube, whereby said bulb is on upon rotating said floater in a magnetic field of said permanent magnet under an influence of a fluid being passed through said tube.

7. The self-illuminating floater as claimed in claim 6, wherein a hollow of said tube has a cross-section area increasing from minimal at a lower end of said tube to a maximal at a upper end of said tube.

8. The self-illuminating floater as claimed in claim 6, wherein said tube is made translucent and marked with a graduated scale such that the exact position of said floater heightwise within said tube correlated with flow rate of said fluid is visibly attributed to a respective reading in accordance with formula

9. A flow meter comprising a housing including a tube with a floater located inside the tube and a permanent magnet extending along said housing and having a U-shape profile, said housing being placed into said U-shape profile of said permanent magnet, said floater comprising an electromagnetically operated source of light, whereby said source of light is on upon rotating said floater in a magnetic field of said permanent magnet under an influence of a fluid being passed through said tube.

10. The flow meter as claimed in claim 9, wherein a hollow of said tube has a cross-section area increasing from minimal at a lower end of said tube to a maximal at an upper end of said tube.

11. The flow meter as claimed in claim 9, wherein said tube is made translucent and marked with a graduated scale such that the exact position of said floater heightwise within said tube correlated with flow rate of said fluid is visibly attributed to a respective reading in accordance with formula

12. The flow meter as claimed in claim 9, wherein said source of light comprises a rotation coil and bulb, ends of said rotation coil being connected to said bulb.

13. The flow meter as claimed in claim 12, wherein said floater comprises a head and a body, said body including said rotation coil, said head comprising said bulb.

14. The flow meter as claimed in claim 9, wherein said head is made with slits on its surface, to thereby impart a rotational force to said floater under the influence of said fluid being passed through said tube for the purpose of centering and stabilizing said floater.

15. A flow meter comprising a housing including a tube with a floater located inside the tube and a permanent magnet extending along said housing and having a U-shape profile, said housing being placed into said U-shape profile of said permanent magnet, said floater comprising an electromagnetically operated source of light and being made with slits on its surface, to thereby impart a rotational force to said floater, whereby said source of light is on upon rotating said floater in a magnetic field of said permanent magnet under an influence of a fluid being passed through said tube.