Portable liquid level detector

• US 7,091,868 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2003
• Issued: 08/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nanya Technology Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nanya Technology Corporation
• Inventors: Chen, Chih-Kun, Lin, Chien-hui, Ku, Chin Chung
• Primary Examiner(s): Lieu, Julie Bichngoc
• Application Number:
  US10/634,349
• Publication Number:
  US 20040036618A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,107 Days
• Field of Search: 340/603, 340/606, 340/607, 340/608, 340/612, 340/618, 733/40.C, 732/90.R
• US Class Current: 340/603
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/00 Indicating or measuring liquid level or level of fluent solid material, e.g. indicating in terms of volume or indicating by means of an alarm
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/263 by measuring variations in capacitance of capacitors

Abstract

A portable liquid level detector. The detector comprises a portable casing, a power supply unit disposed in the portable casing, a sensing device coupled to the power supply unit to sense a capacitance within a container and to output a enable signal when a difference in the capacitance is detected, a light emission device coupled to the sensing unit that illuminates after receiving the enable signal, and an alarm device coupled to the sensing unit that sounds after receiving the enable signal.

Claims

1. A method of detecting a clog jammed in a pipe, comprising:

moving a capacitive proximity switch along the length of a pipe wherein a pipe is jammed at an unknown location so as to sense whether a capacitance within a pipe is changed; and

outputting an alarm signal to inform the location of the clog in the pipe when the capacitance has changed.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a step of outputting an enable signal to enable an alarm device to output the alarm signal.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the alarm signal is output to turn on a light emission diode or a buzzer to inform the location of the clog in the pipe.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pipe is a nontransparent pipe.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the alarm signal is output to turn on a light emission diode or a buzzer to inform the location of the clog jammed in the nontransparent pipe.

4. A portable pipe clog detector, comprising:

a portable casing;

a power supply unit disposed in the casing;

a capacitive proximity switch coupled to the power supply unit and provided for being moved along the length of a pipe wherein a pipe is jammed at an unknown location so as to sense whether a capacitance within a pipe is changed and for outputting an enable signal when the capacitance has changed; and

an alarm device coupled to the capacitive proximity switch to output an alarm signal after receiving the enable signal, wherein the location of the clog in the pipe is identified by the alarm signal.

5. The portable pipe clog detector as claimed in claim 4, wherein the alarm signal device is a buzzer.

6. The portable pipe clog detector as claimed in claim 4, wherein the alarm signal device is a light emission device.

7. The portable pipe clog detector as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a resistor coupled to the light emission device to limit a current flowing through the light emission device.

8. The portable pipe clog detector as claimed in claim 7, wherein the light emission device is a light emission diode.

9. The portable pipe clog detector as claimed in claim 4, wherein the power supply unit is a battery set.

10. A portable pipe clog detector, comprise:

a portable casing;

a battery set deposed in the portable casing;

a capacitive proximity switch coupled to the battery set and provided for being moved along the length of a pipe wherein a pipe is jammed at an unknown location so as to sense whether a capacitance within a pipe is changed and for outputting an enable signal when the capacitance has changed;

a light emission diode coupled to the capacitive proximity switch to illuminate after receiving the enable signal;

a buzzer coupled to the capacitive proximity switch to sound after receiving the enable signal, wherein the location of the clog in the pipe is identified by illumination of the light emission diode and sound of the buzzer;

a resistor coupled to the light emission diode to limit a current flowing through the light emission diode; and

a switch coupled to the battery set to control an electrical conduction between the battery set and the capacitive proximity switch.