Electronic environment sensing instrument having an analog indicator

• US 7,284,455 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2005
• Issued: 10/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matador International Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Matador International Incorporated
• Inventors: Wang, Li-Zhen, Lee, Ping-Han
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams; Hezron
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rogers; David A.
• Application Number:
  US11/108,675
• Publication Number:
  US 20060232401A1
• Time in Patent Office: 917 Days
• Field of Search: 738/661, 734/31, 732/72.R, 73273-281, 732/72.A, 23/94.A, 23/94.R, 231/03
• US Class Current: 73/866.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 13/22 Pointers, e.g. settable pointer
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 7/00 Indicating measured values

Abstract

An electronic environment sensing instrument having an analog indicator has a casing having a front panel with a scale, an electronic sensing and driving assembly mounted in the casing, a needle and a DC power supply. The electronic driving indicator assembly has a detecting and driving circuit to sense and measure an environmental parameter outside the casing and generates a control signal, a drive unit to receive the control signal and rotate a specific amount in a specific direction based on the control signal and a gear assembly connected to and driven by the drive unit. The needle is attached to and driven by the gear assembly and points to a specific value on the scale corresponding to the sensed environmental parameter.

Claims

1. An electronic environment sensing instrument having an analog indicator, comprising:

a casing having a front panel with

a front face having at least one scale with an associated indicating needle;

a rear face; and

a central through hole;

an electronic driving indicator assembly attached to the rear face of the front panel for imparting movement to the indicating needle and having

a sensor for sensing and measuring an environmental parameter outside the casing;

a detecting and driving circuit for converting a sensed environmental parameter to a voltage;

an electronic drive unit receiving the voltage; and

a gear assembly operated by the drive unit, wherein the drive unit is connected between the gear assembly and the detecting and driving circuit;

wherein the needle is connected to the gear assembly via the central hole; and

a first DC power supply attached to the rear face of the casing and connected to the drive unit and the detecting and driving circuit.

2. The electronic environment sensing instrument as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor is a temperature sensor.

3. The electronic environment sensing instrument as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor is a humidity sensor.

4. The electronic environment sensing instrument as claimed, in claim 1, wherein the first DC power supply is a battery set.

5. The electronic environment sensing instrument as claimed in claim 1, wherein the gear assembly comprises:

a main gear connected to the drive unit;

a decelerating gear set having multiple gear elements, each of which mainly has a smaller drive gear and a larger driven gear, wherein the gear elements sequentially engage each other, and a first gear element engages the main gear;

a linking gear engaging a last gear element of the decelerating gear set and having a center axis; and

a connector connected coaxially to the linking gear, passing through the central through hole in the front panel and holding the needle.

6. The electronic environment sensing instrument as claimed in claim 5, wherein the drive unit comprises:

a clockwise winding and a counterclockwise winding mounted on the rear face of the front panel perpendicular to each another, each winding having a U-shaped yoke with an opening and two opposite arms and a coil wound around one arm of the yoke, wherein the coils are connected to the detecting and driving circuit, and the two openings are perpendicular to each another; and

a ring magnet mounted in the two openings and connected to the main gear.

7. The electronic environment sensing instrument as claimed in claim 6, wherein the gear assembly further comprises

a board mounted on the rear face of the front panel, corresponding to the central through hole in the front panel and having

an upper face;

a magnet recess formed on the upper face of the board to hold the ring magnet;

a pin hole formed through the board and corresponding to the central through hole in the front panel, wherein one of the gear elements is mounted in the pin hole and rotates on the board; and

at least one drive gear hole defined on the board, through which a drive gear extends to drive an adjacent driven gear; and

multiple posts formed on the rear face of the front panel on which the board is mounted to form a gap between the rear face and the board.

8. The electronic environment sensing instrument as claimed in claim 7, wherein the smaller drive gear on the last gear element in the decelerating gear extends through a corresponding drive gear hole to engage a linking gear mounted under the board.

9. The electronic environment sensing instrument as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a case attached to the rear face of the front panel to hold the electronic sensing and driving assembly.

10. The electronic environment sensing instrument as claimed in claim 6, wherein the detecting and driving circuit comprises:

a signal converter for receiving a sensed parameter from the sensor and converting the sensed parameter to an electronic signal;

a microprocessor having at least one input and at least one output, one input being connected to the signal converter, wherein the microprocessor is adapted to calculate a value for a sensed environmental parameter from the converted signal and generate a control signal; and

a motor driver connected to an output of the microprocessor and adapted to receive the control signal from the microprocessor and send a corresponding voltage to the appropriate winding to rotate the needle to the correct value on the scale on the front panel.

11. The electronic environment sensing instrument as claimed in claim 10, wherein the sensor is a temperature sensor.

12. The electronic environment sensing instrument as claimed in claim 10, wherein the sensor is a humidity sensor.

13. The electronic environment sensing instrument as claimed in claim 10, wherein the signal converter is an analog to digital converter.

14. The electronic environment sensing instrument as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a status indicator connected to additional outputs of the microprocessor.

15. The electronic environment sensing instrument as claimed in claim 14, wherein the status indicator is an light emitting diode set.

16. The electronic environment sensing instrument as claimed in claim 6, wherein the sensor has a wireless transmitter and is coupled to an additional DC power supply and the detecting and driving circuit further comprises:

a wireless receiver for receiving a signal from the wireless transmitter;

a signal converter connected to the wireless receiver for converting the sensed parameter to an electronic signal;

a microprocessor having at least one input and at least one output, one input being connected to the signal converter, wherein the microprocessor is adapted to calculate a value for a sensed environmental parameter from the converted signal and generate a control signal; and

a motor driver connected to an output of the microprocessor and adapted to receive the control signal from the microprocessor and send a corresponding voltage to the appropriate winding to rotate the needle to the correct value on the scale on the front panel.

17. The electronic environment sensing instrument as claimed in claim 16, wherein the sensor is a temperature sensor.

18. The electronic environment sensing instrument as claimed in claim 16, wherein the sensor is a humidity sensor.

19. The electronic environment sensing instrument as claimed in claim 16, wherein the signal converter is an analog to digital converter.

20. The electronic environment sensing instrument as claimed in claim 16, wherein the first DC power supply is a battery set and the additional DC power supply is a battery set.

21. The electronic environment sensing instrument as claimed in claim 16, further comprising a status indicator connected to additional outputs of the microprocessor.

22. The electronic environment sensing instrument as claimed in claim 21, wherein the status indicator is an light emitting diode set.