Impact indicator

• US 9,103,849 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2012
• Issued: 08/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shockwatch Incorporated (Media Recovery, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Shockwatch Incorporated (Media Recovery, Inc.)
• Inventors: Branch, Clinton A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Noori, Max
• Application Number:
  US13/483,817
• Publication Number:
  US 20120312071A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,168 Days
• Field of Search: 73/120.1, 73/120.4, 73 1206- 1207, 737/62
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/04 for indicating maximum value
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/06 using members subjected to a permanent deformation

Abstract

A device and technique for impact detection includes a tube having a first fluid and a second fluid disposed therein, wherein a viscosity of the second fluid is greater than a viscosity of the first fluid, and wherein, responsive to a predetermined level of impact received by the impact indicator, at least a portion of the first fluid mixes into the second fluid to create a change in color of the second fluid to provide a visual indication of the received impact.

Claims

1. An impact indicator, comprising:

a tube having a first fluid and a second fluid disposed therein, wherein a viscosity of the second fluid is greater than a viscosity of the first fluid, and wherein, responsive to a predetermined level of an acceleration event received by the impact indicator, at least a portion of the first fluid mixes into the second fluid to create a change in color of the second fluid to provide a visual indication of the received acceleration event.

2. The impact indicator of claim 1, wherein the first fluid comprises a color different than a color of the second fluid in a non-activated state of the impact indicator, and wherein the second fluid is soluble with the first fluid.

3. The impact indicator of claim 1, further comprising a third fluid disposed between and separating the first fluid from the second fluid in a non-activated state of the impact indicator.

4. The impact indicator of claim 3, wherein the third fluid comprises a gas, and wherein the first and second fluids comprise liquids.

5. The impact indicator of claim 3, wherein an internal bore size of the tube and an amount of separation between the first and second fluids by the third fluid are selected to obtain a desired activation sensitivity for the predetermined level of the acceleration event.

6. The impact indicator of claim 3, wherein an internal bore size of the tube, an amount of separation between the first and second fluids by the third fluid, and the viscosity of the first fluid are selected to obtain a desired activation sensitivity for the predetermined level of the acceleration event.

7. The impact indicator of claim 1, wherein an internal bore size of the tube and the viscosity of the first fluid are selected to obtain a desired activation sensitivity for the predetermined level of the acceleration event.

8. The impact indicator of claim 1, wherein the first fluid comprises a synthetic hydraulic fluid.

9. The impact indicator of claim 1, wherein the first fluid comprises a silicone oil fluid.

10. The impact indicator of claim 1, wherein the first fluid comprises a propylene glycol fluid.

11. The impact indicator of claim 7, wherein the viscosity of the first fluid is between 20 and 80 centistokes.

12. The impact indicator of claim 11, wherein the internal bore size of the tube is between 0.025 and 0.085 inches.

13. The impact indicator of claim 7, wherein the internal bore size of the tube and the viscosity of the first fluid are selected to obtain a desired activation sensitivity of at least a 400 g-force value for a 2 millisecond time period.

14. The impact indicator of claim 7, wherein the internal bore size of the tube and the viscosity of the first fluid are selected to obtain a desired activation sensitivity of at least a 300 g-force value received for a time period between 1.6 milliseconds and 5 milliseconds.

15. An impact indicator, comprising:

a tube;

a first fluid disposed within the tube;

a second fluid disposed within the tube, and

a third fluid disposed within the tube, wherein the third fluid is disposed between and separates the first fluid from the second fluid in a non-activated state of the impact indicator, and wherein, responsive to a predetermined level of impact received by the impact indicator, at least a portion of the first fluid contacts the second fluid to create a change in color of the second fluid to provide a visual indication of the received impact.

16. The impact indicator of claim 15, wherein the first fluid comprises a color different than a color of the second fluid in a non-activated state of the impact indicator, and wherein the second fluid is soluble with the first fluid.

17. The impact indicator of claim 15, wherein an internal bore size of the tube and an amount of separation between the first and second fluids by the third fluid are selected to obtain a desired activation sensitivity for the predetermined level of impact.

18. The impact indicator of claim 15, wherein an internal bore size of the tube, an amount of separation between the first and second fluids by the third fluid, and a viscosity of the first fluid are selected to obtain a desired activation sensitivity for the predetermined level of impact.

19. The impact indicator of claim 15, wherein the first fluid comprises at least one of a synthetic hydraulic fluid, a silicone oil fluid and a propylene glycol fluid.

20. The impact indicator of claim 15, wherein the first and second fluids comprise a liquid, and wherein the third fluid comprises a gas.

21. The impact indicator of claim 15, wherein an internal bore size of the tube and a viscosity of the first fluid are selected to obtain a desired activation sensitivity for the predetermined level of impact.

22. A method for manufacturing an impact indicator, comprising:

disposing, within a tube, a first fluid;

disposing, within the tube, a second fluid spaced apart from the first fluid by a third fluid, the second fluid selected having a viscosity greater than a viscosity of the first fluid, and wherein, responsive to a predetermined level of impact received by the impact indicator, at least a portion of the first fluid contacts the second fluid to create a change in color of the second fluid to provide a visual indication of the received impact.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising providing an internal bore size of the tube to obtain a desired impact sensitivity for the predetermined level of impact.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising providing the first fluid comprising at least one of a synthetic hydraulic fluid, a silicone oil fluid and a propylene glycol fluid.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising providing an internal bore size of the tube, an amount of separation between the first and second fluids by the third fluid, and the viscosity of the first fluid to obtain a desired activation sensitivity for the predetermined level of impact.

26. The method of claim 22, further comprising providing the first fluid having a color different than a color of the second fluid in a non-activated state of the impact indicator, and providing the first and second fluids where the second fluid is soluble with the first fluid.

27. The method of claim 22, further comprising selecting the first and second fluids as a liquid, and selecting the third fluid as a gas.