Capacitive sensing monitor and method therefore
First Claim
1. A monitor for monitoring presence or absence of a liquid product in a system for pumping said liquid product from a supply through a pump and associated tubing to a destination, comprising:
- a capacitive sensor coupled to the outside of said tubing at a sensing location between said pump and said destination, said capacitive sensor being responsive to the presence or absence of said liquid product in said tubing;
said tubing having an inside surface at said sensing location and having a volume within said tubing at said sensing location, said tubing being selected from a material and having an inside diameter at said sensing location selected such that;
said material of said inside surface of said tubing and said inside diameter of said tubing being large enough such that said liquid product is substantially evacuated from said tubing at said sensing location when said liquid product is substantially absent from said tubing preceding said sensing location, and said inside diameter of said tubing being small enough and said material of said inside surface being selected such that air remaining in said tubing is substantially absent from said tubing at said sensing location when said liquid product is substantially present in said supply;
said inside surface of said tubing and said liquid product being selected such that said liquid product forms a contact angle with said inside surface of said tubing at said sensing location of less than seventy degrees.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A monitor for monitoring presence or absence of a liquid product in a system for pumping the liquid product from a supply through tubing. A capacitive sensor is coupled to the outside of the tubing at a sensing location having an inlet and an outlet, the capacitive sensor being responsive to the presence or absence of the liquid product in the tubing. The tubing is selected from a material and having an inside diameter at the sensing location selected such that the tubing is substantially evacuated or substantially drains when the liquid product is substantially absent from the tubing preceding the sensing location but small enough so that the liquid product can be sensed by the capacitive sensor when the liquid product is substantially present in the supply.
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Citations
67 Claims
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1. A monitor for monitoring presence or absence of a liquid product in a system for pumping said liquid product from a supply through a pump and associated tubing to a destination, comprising:
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a capacitive sensor coupled to the outside of said tubing at a sensing location between said pump and said destination, said capacitive sensor being responsive to the presence or absence of said liquid product in said tubing;
said tubing having an inside surface at said sensing location and having a volume within said tubing at said sensing location, said tubing being selected from a material and having an inside diameter at said sensing location selected such that;
said material of said inside surface of said tubing and said inside diameter of said tubing being large enough such that said liquid product is substantially evacuated from said tubing at said sensing location when said liquid product is substantially absent from said tubing preceding said sensing location, and said inside diameter of said tubing being small enough and said material of said inside surface being selected such that air remaining in said tubing is substantially absent from said tubing at said sensing location when said liquid product is substantially present in said supply;
said inside surface of said tubing and said liquid product being selected such that said liquid product forms a contact angle with said inside surface of said tubing at said sensing location of less than seventy degrees. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A monitor for monitoring presence or absence of a liquid product in a system for pumping said liquid product from a supply to a destination, comprising:
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a pump;
associated tubing coupled between said supply and said pump and between said pump and said destination; and
a capacitive sensor coupled to the outside of said tubing at a sensing location between said pump and said destination, said capacitive sensor being responsive to the presence or absence of said liquid product in said tubing;
said tubing having an inside surface at said sensing location and having a volume within said tubing at said sensing location, said tubing being selected from a material and having an inside diameter at said sensing location selected such that;
said material of said inside surface of said tubing and said inside diameter of said tubing being large enough such that said liquid product is substantially evacuated from said tubing at said sensing location when said liquid product is substantially absent from said tubing preceding said sensing location, and said inside diameter of said tubing being small enough and said material of said inside surface being selected such that air remaining in said tubing is substantially absent from said tubing at said sensing location when said liquid product is substantially present in said supply;
said inside surface of said tubing and said liquid product being selected such that said liquid product forms a contact angle with said inside surface of said tubing at said sensing location of less than seventy degrees. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of monitoring presence or absence of a liquid product in a system for pumping said liquid product from a supply through a pump and associated tubing to a destination, said tubing having an inside surface at a sensing location and having a volume within said tubing at said sensing location, comprising:
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selecting said inside surface of said tubing from a material, selecting an inside diameter of said tubing and selecting said liquid product such that;
said liquid product forms a contact angle with said inside surface of said tubing at said sensing location of less than seventy degrees;
said material of said inside surface of said tubing and said inside diameter of said tubing being large enough such that said liquid product is substantially evacuated from said tubing at said sensing location when said liquid product is substantially absent from said tubing preceding said sensing location; and
said inside diameter of said tubing being small enough and said material of said inside surface being selected such that air remaining in said tubing is substantially absent from said tubing at said sensing location when said liquid product is substantially present in said supply; and
coupling a capacitive sensor to the outside of said tubing at said sensing location between said pump and said destination, said capacitive sensor being responsive to the presence or absence of said liquid product in said tubing. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A monitor for monitoring presence or absence of a liquid product in a system for pumping said liquid product from a supply through a pump and associated tubing to a destination, comprising:
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a capacitive sensor coupled to the outside of said tubing at a sensing location between said supply and said pump, said capacitive sensor being responsive to the presence or absence of said liquid product in said tubing;
said tubing having an inside surface and a volume within said tubing at said sensing location, said tubing being selected from a material and having an inside diameter at said sensing location selected such that;
said material of said inside surface of said tubing and said inside diameter of said tubing being large enough such that said liquid product substantially drains from said tubing at said sensing location when said liquid product is substantially absent from said tubing preceding said sensing location, and said inside diameter of said tubing being small enough and said material of said inside surface being selected such that said liquid product is substantially evacuated by pumping from said tubing at said sensing location when said liquid product is substantially absent from said tubing preceding said sensing location;
said inside surface of said tubing and said liquid product being selected such that said liquid product forms a contact angle with said inside surface of said tubing at said sensing location of less than seventy degrees. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A monitor for monitoring presence or absence of a liquid product in a system for pumping said liquid product from a supply to a destination, comprising:
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a pump;
associated tubing coupled between said supply and said pump and between said pump and said destination; and
a capacitive sensor coupled to the outside of said tubing at a sensing location between said pump and said destination, said capacitive sensor being responsive to the presence or absence of said liquid product in said tubing;
said tubing having an inside surface and a volume within said tubing at said sensing location, said tubing being selected from a material and having an inside diameter at said sensing location selected such that;
said material of said inside surface of said tubing and said inside diameter of said tubing being large enough such that said liquid product substantially drains from said tubing at said sensing location when said liquid product is substantially absent from said tubing preceding said sensing location, and said inside diameter of said tubing being small enough and said material of said inside surface being selected such that said liquid product is substantially evacuated by pumping from said tubing at said sensing location when said liquid product is substantially absent from said tubing preceding said sensing location;
said inside surface of said tubing and said liquid product being selected such that said liquid product forms a contact angle with said inside surface of said tubing at said sensing location of less than seventy degrees. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. A method of monitoring presence or absence of a liquid product in a system for pumping said liquid product from a supply through a pump and associated tubing to a destination, said tubing having an inside surface and a volume within said tubing at said sensing location, comprising:
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selecting an inside surface of said tubing from a material, selecting an inside diameter of said tubing and selecting said liquid product such that;
said liquid product forms a contact angle with an inside surface of said tubing at said sensing location of less than seventy degrees;
said material of said inside surface of said tubing and said inside diameter of said tubing being large enough such that said liquid product substantially drains from said tubing at said sensing location when said liquid product is substantially absent from said tubing preceding said sensing location; and
said inside diameter of said tubing being small enough and said material of said inside surface being selected such that said liquid product is substantially evacuated by pumping from said tubing at said sensing location when said liquid product is substantially absent from said tubing preceding said sensing location; and
coupling a capacitive sensor to the outside of said tubing between said pump and said destination, said capacitive sensor being responsive to the presence or absence of said liquid product in said tubing. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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49. A monitor for monitoring flow of a liquid product at a sensing location in a system for pumping said liquid product through tubing in a flow direction with said sensing location having an inlet and an outlet, said tubing having an outside and an inside surface, comprising:
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a capacitive sensor coupled to said outside surface of said tubing at said sensing location, said capacitive sensor being responsive to presence or absence of said liquid product in said tubing;
said tubing having a longitudinal direction along a flow path of said liquid product, said longitudinal direction of said tubing at said sensing location being other than horizontal with said outlet being vertically lower than said inlet;
said tubing being selected from a material and having an inside diameter at said sensing location selected such that;
said inside diameter of said tubing at said sensing location being small enough that said liquid product flowing through said tubing at said sensing location can be sensed by said capacitive sensor; and
said inside diameter of said tubing at said sensing location being large enough that said liquid product in said tubing substantially drains from said tubing at said sensing location when said liquid product is not flowing through said tubing at said sensing location; and
said material of said inside surface of said tubing and said inside diameter of said tubing being large enough so that air substantially remains in said tubing at said sensing location when said liquid product is flowing through said tubing at said sensing location. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55)
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56. A monitor for monitoring flow of a liquid product in a system for pumping said liquid product in a flow direction, comprising:
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a pump;
tubing operatively coupled to said pump; and
a capacitive sensor coupled to the outside of said tubing at a sensing location having an inlet and an outlet, said capacitive sensor being responsive to the presence or absence of said liquid product in said tubing;
said tubing having a longitudinal direction along a flow path of said liquid product, said longitudinal direction of said tubing at said sensing location being other than horizontal with said outlet being vertically lower than said inlet;
said tubing having an inside surface at said sensing location, having a volume within said tubing at said sensing location, said tubing being selected from a material and having an inside diameter at said sensing location selected such that;
said inside diameter of said tubing at said sensing location being small enough that said liquid product flowing through said tubing at said sensing location can be sensed by said capacitive sensor; and
said inside diameter of said tubing at said sensing location being large enough that said liquid product in said tubing substantially drains from said tubing at said sensing location when said liquid product is not flowing through said tubing at said sensing location; and
said material of said inside surface of said tubing and said inside diameter of said tubing being large enough so that air substantially remains in said tubing at said sensing location when said liquid product is flowing through said tubing at said sensing location. - View Dependent Claims (57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62)
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63. A method of monitoring flow of a liquid product at a sensing location having an inlet and an outlet in a system for pumping said liquid product through tubing with said tubing having a longitudinal direction along a flow path of said liquid product, said longitudinal direction of said tubing at said sensing location being other than horizontal with said outlet being vertically lower than said inlet, said tubing having an outside and an inside surface, comprising the steps of:
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selecting said inside surface of said tubing from a material and selecting an inside diameter of said tubing such that;
said inside diameter of said tubing at said sensing location being small enough that said liquid product flowing through said tubing at said sensing location can be sensed by said capacitive sensor; and
said inside diameter of said tubing at said sensing location being large enough that said liquid product in said tubing substantially drains from said tubing at said sensing location when said liquid product is not flowing through said tubing at said sensing location; and
said material of said inside surface of said tubing and said inside diameter of said tubing being large enough so that air substantially remains in said tubing at said sensing location when said liquid product is flowing through said tubing at said sensing location; and
coupling a capacitive sensor to said outside surface of said tubing at said sensing location, said capacitive sensor being responsive to said flow of said liquid product in said tubing. - View Dependent Claims (64, 65, 66, 67)
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Specification