Electric conductivity water probe

• US 7,019,541 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2004
• Issued: 03/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Crown Products Company Incorporated (Crown Products)
• Original Assignee: Crown Products Company Incorporated (Crown Products)
• Inventors: Kittrell, Michael E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Deb, Anjan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zhu, John
• Application Number:
  US10/846,910
• Publication Number:
  US 20050253601A1
• Time in Patent Office: 683 Days
• Field of Search: 324/696, 324/694, 738/637.1, 738/637.2, 738/637.3, 137/172
• US Class Current: 324/696
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/06 of a liquid involving electrolysis G01N27/26
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/1886 using probes, e.g. submersible probes, buoys
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/3006 Liquids separated from liquid
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86871 Plug

Abstract

An electric conductivity water probe consisting of a test chamber having a wall, a fluids input/output port, and a water input port, the wall having a first and at least a second wall section, the first and at least second wall sections being electrically isolated from each other by an electrical insulator; and a valve connected operatively to the fluids input/output port, the valve being adapted for alternately and permitting and resisting flows of fluids through the fluids port.

Claims

1. An electric conductivity water probe comprising:

(a) a water presence testing chamber having a wall, the wall having a fluids input/output port and a water input port, the wall further having a first and at least a second wall section;

(b) electrical insulating means interposed between the first and at least second wall sections; and

(c) first valve means connected operatively to the fluids input/output port, the first valve means being adapted for alternately permitting and resisting flows of fluids through the fluids input/output port.

2. The electric conductivity water probe of claim 1 wherein the at least second wall section comprises an electrode.

3. The electric conductivity water probe of claim 2 wherein the water presence testing chamber further has a fluids output port.

4. The electric conductivity water probe of claim 3 wherein the first valve means is further adapted for, upon permitting flows of fluids through the fluids input/output port, resisting flows of fluids through the water input port.

5. The electric conductivity water probe of claim 4 further comprising second valve means connected operatively to the fluids output port, the second valve means being adapted for alternately permitting and resisting flows of fluids through the fluids output port.

6. The electric conductivity water probe of claim 5 wherein the first valve means comprises a three port rotary valve spool or a three port rotary valve ball, and wherein the water presence testing chamber comprises a valve casing, said spool or ball being rotatably mounted within the valve casing.

7. The electric conductivity water probe of claim 6 wherein the second valve means comprises a valve selected from the group consisting of Shrader valves, gate valves, ball valves, rotary spool valves, globe valves, angle valves, removable caps, removable plugs, and pinch valves.

8. The electric conductivity water probe of claim 7 further comprising third valve means connected operatively to the water input port, the third valve means being adapted for alternately permitting and further resisting flows of fluids through the water input port.

9. The electric conductivity water probe of claim 8 wherein the third valve means comprises a valve selected from the group consisting of Shrader valves, gate valves, ball valves, rotary spool valves, globe valves, angle valves, removable caps, removable plugs, and pinch valves.

10. The electric conductivity water probe of claim 2 wherein the first wall section comprises metal, and wherein the electrical insulating means comprises a sleeve insulator, the electrode being received nestingly by the sleeve insulator.

11. The electric conductivity water probe of claim 10 wherein the electrode has inner and outer ends and further comprising an electric lead wire connected electrically to the outer end of the electrode.

12. The electric conductivity water probe of claim 11 wherein the fluids input/output port has an outer end, and further comprising tank port mounting means fixedly attached to or formed wholly with the outer end of the fluids input/output port.