Conductivity probe with toroid keeper

• US 7,126,343 B1
• Filed: 07/27/2005
• Issued: 10/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ecolab USA Incorporated (Ecolab, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ecolab, Inc.
• Inventors: Pankratz, Paul Joseph, Thomas, John Ellwood, Howes, Ronald Bruce Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Benson, Walter
• Application Number:
  US11/191,667
• Time in Patent Office: 454 Days
• Field of Search: 324/445, 324/446, 336/229
• US Class Current: 324/446
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/023 where the material is placed in the field of a coil

Abstract

An apparatus and associated process for constructing a conductivity probe are disclosed. The conductivity probe includes at least two magnetic circuits in toroidal shape. Each of these “toroids” includes a ferrite core around which is wrapped a conductive wire (i.e., coil winding). To construct the conductivity probe, a toroid keeper having an upper annulus and a lower annulus separated by a spacer is provided. One of the two toroids is set on the upper annulus and the other toroid is set on the lower annulus. Connection leads extending from the coil wrappings of the toroids are routed from the keeper through wiring channels build into an elongated neck coupled to the keeper. The connection leads terminate at the distal end of the elongated neck relative to the keeper for connection to a controller.

Claims

1. An apparatus for forming a conductivity probe having a first toroid and a second toroid, the apparatus comprising:

a toroid keeper having an upper annulus, a lower annulus, and a spacer separating the upper annulus from the lower annulus, wherein the upper annulus is sized to hold the first toroid on the keeper and wherein the lower annulus is sized to hold the second toroid on the keeper; and

an elongated neck having a proximal end coupled to the toroid keeper and a distal end extending from the toroid keeper, the elongated neck further including an upper surface that carries wiring from the first toroid from the proximal end to the distal end, and a lower surface that carries wiring from the second toroid from the proximal end to the distal end.

2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the elongated neck comprises:

at least two wiring guides on the upper surface forming a first wiring channel therebetween, the first wiring channel operable to route wiring from the first toroid to the distal end when the first toroid is set around the upper annulus; and

at least two wiring guides on the lower surface forming a second wiring channel therebetween, the second wiring channel operable to route wiring from the second toroid to the distal end when the second toroid is set around the lower annulus.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the elongated neck comprises:

a first wiring strap on the upper surface operable to route wiring from the first toroid to the distal end when the first toroid is set around the upper annulus; and

a second wiring strap on the lower surface operable to route wiring from the second toroid to the distal end when the second toroid is set around the lower annulus.

4. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the spacer comprises an inner circumference and an outer circumference and wherein the upper annulus and the lower annulus each have an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface of the upper annulus and the inner surface of the lower annulus each having a diameter greater than or substantially equal to a diameter of the inner circumference such that a fluid passageway is formed in the toroid keeper.

5. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the spacer comprises:

a notch operable to hold a thermo sensor between the first toroid and the second toroid.

6. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the first toroid and the second toroid each have an inner circumference and an outer circumference, and wherein the upper annulus and the lower annulus each have an inner surface and an outer surface, the upper annulus being sized such that the inner circumference of the first toroid contacts the outer surface of the upper annulus over at least 180 radial degrees and the lower annulus being sized such that the inner circumference of the second toroid contacts the outer surface of the lower annulus over at least 180 radial degrees.

7. A conductivity probe comprising:

a first magnetic circuit having an inner circumference and an outer circumference;

a second magnetic circuit having an inner circumference and an outer circumference;

a keeper having an upper portion with an inner surface and an outer surface, a lower portion with an inner surface and an outer surface, and a spacer separating the upper portion from the lower portion, wherein the first magnetic circuit is situated around the upper portion such that the inner circumference of the first magnetic circuit contacts the outer surface of the upper portion and wherein the second magnetic circuit is situated around the lower portion such that the inner circumference of the second magnetic circuit contacts the outer surface of the lower portion; and

an elongated neck having a proximal end coupled to the spacer, the elongated neck further including an upper surface that carries wiring from the first magnetic circuit from the proximal end to a distal end of the elongated neck, and a lower surface that carries wiring from the second magnetic circuit from the proximal end to the distal end of the elongated neck.

8. A conductivity probe as defined in claim 7, further including at least two wiring guides on the upper surface forming at least one wiring channel therebetween, wherein wiring from the first magnetic circuit is routed in the wiring channel to the distal end of the elongated neck.

9. A conductivity probe as defined in claim 7, wherein the elongated neck comprises a notch located on the distal end, the conductivity probe further comprising:

means for securing wiring from the first magnetic circuit and second magnetic circuit to the notch.

10. A conductivity probe as defined in claim 7, wherein the spacer comprises a notch, the conductivity probe further comprising:

a thermo sensor operable to measure temperature of a fluid environment in which the keeper is submerged, wherein the thermo sensor is located in the notch and is secured within the keeper between the first magnetic circuit and the second magnetic circuit.

11. A conductivity probe as defined in claim 7, wherein the magnetic circuits are toroidal in shape and wherein the upper portion and the lower portion are annuli, the spacer comprising an inner circumference and an outer circumference, the inner surface of the upper portion and the inner surface of the lower portion each having a diameter greater than or substantially equal to a diameter of the inner circumference of the spacer such that a fluid passageway is formed in the keeper.

12. A conductivity probe as defined in claim 7, further comprising:

an electrically transparent molding covering at least the first magnetic circuit, the second magnetic circuit and the keeper.

13. A conductivity probe as defined in claim 7, further comprising:

an electrically transparent housing covering at least the first magnetic circuit, the second magnetic circuit and the keeper.

14. A conductivity probe as defined in claim 7, wherein the magnetic circuits are toroidal in shape and wherein the upper and lower portions are annuli.

15. A conductivity probe as defined in claim 14, wherein the inner circumference of the first magnetic circuit contacts the outer surface of the upper portion over at least 180 radial degrees and wherein the second magnetic circuit is situated around the lower portion such that the inner circumference of the second magnetic circuit contacts the outer surface of the lower portion over at least 180 radial degrees.