Apparatuses and methods for fuel level sensing

• US 9,488,515 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2014
• Issued: 11/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deringer-Ney, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Deringer-Ney, Inc.
• Inventors: Klein, Arthur S.
• Primary Examiner(s): West, Paul
• Application Number:
  US14/222,975
• Publication Number:
  US 20150268085A1
• Time in Patent Office: 960 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/36 using electrically actuated indicating means G01F23/38 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/363 using electromechanically actuated indicating means

Abstract

Apparatuses and methods for fuel level sensing are described herein. An example sensor may include a sealed housing and an electrically conductive coil. The sealed housing may comprise a pivot end, a float end opposite the pivot end, and an interior defined by walls extending therebetween. The pivot end may be adapted to join a pivot point and the float end may be adapted to join to a float at an exterior of the housing. The electrically conductive coil spring is disposed in the housing interior and comprises a first end and a second end opposite the first end. The coil spring is adapted to expand and retract in response to movement of the internal float within the housing and to electrically couple to a circuit configured to sense a change in resistance in the coil spring in response to expansion and retraction of windings of the coil spring.

Claims

1. A sensor, comprising:

a sealed housing comprising a pivot end, a float end opposite the pivot end and an interior defined by walls extending therebetween, wherein the pivot end is adapted to join to a pivot point and the float end is adapted to join to a float at an exterior of the housing; and

an electrically conductive coil spring disposed in the housing interior, wherein;

a first end of the coil spring is joined to the housing at one of the pivot end or the float end;

a second end of the coil spring opposite the first end is joined to an internal float within the housing;

the coil spring is adapted to expand and retract in response to movement of the internal float within the housing;

the coil spring is electrically coupled between the pivot end and the float end of the housing; and

the coil spring is adapted to electrically couple to a circuit configured to sense a change in resistance in the coil spring in response to expansion and retraction of windings of the coil spring.

2. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the sealed housing further comprises a non-conductive fluid disposed in the interior, and wherein the internal float is arranged in the non-conductive fluid and is adapted to change position in the housing in response to the sensor pivoting about the pivot end.

3. The sensor of claim 2, further comprising an external float joined to the exterior of the housing at the float end, the external float adapted to float within a fluid surrounding at least a portion of the exterior of the housing.

4. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the windings of the coil spring define a conical shape.

5. The sensor of claim 1, further comprising a balance spring joined between the internal float and the housing.

6. The sensor of claim 5, wherein the balance spring is electrically conductive and is electrically connected to the coil spring.

7. The sensor of claim 5, wherein the coil spring is coaxially arranged relative to the balance spring and the balance spring is joined to the housing at the same end as the coil spring.

8. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the sealed housing further comprises end caps defining the pivot end and the float end.

9. The sensor of claim 8, wherein at least one of the end caps comprises conductive material and is adapted to join to the sensor.

10. A fuel sensor, comprising:

a fuel sensor housing adapted to be arranged in a fuel tank, the housing comprising a pivot end, a float end opposite the pivot end and an interior defined by walls extending therebetween, wherein the pivot end is adapted to join to a pivot point in the fuel tank and the float end is adapted to join to an external float arranged in the fuel tank and at an exterior of the housing;

an electrically conductive coil spring disposed in the housing interior, the coil spring joined to an internal float within the housing and electrically coupled between the pivot and float ends of the housing; and

a resistance sensor electrically coupled to the coil spring,

wherein a pivot angle of the fuel sensor changes as a fuel level in the fuel tank changes, and in response, the resistance sensor senses a change in resistance in the coil spring as the coil spring expands or retracts.

11. The fuel sensor of claim 10, wherein the coil spring comprises a series of windings having a conical shape.

12. The fuel sensor of claim 10, further comprising a balance spring joined between the internal float and the housing.

13. The fuel sensor of claim 12, wherein the balance spring is electrically conductive and is electrically connected to the coil spring.

14. The fuel sensor of claim 12, wherein the electrically conductive coil spring is coaxially arranged relative to the balance spring.

15. A method of sensing fuel levels in a fuel tank, the method comprising:

sensing a resistance of a conductive path using a resistance sensor, the resistance sensor comprising;

a housing comprising a pivot end, a float end opposite the pivot end and an interior defined by walls extending therebetween, wherein the pivot end is adapted to join to a pivot point in the fuel tank and the float end is adapted to join to an external float arranged in the fuel tank at an exterior of the housing; and

an electrically conductive coil spring disposed in the interior of the housing, the coil spring joined to an internal float within the housing, wherein the internal float is configured to adjust a resistance of the electrically conductive coil spring, the resistance indicative of a fuel level of the fuel tank; and

translating the resistance into the fuel level.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the electrically conductive coil spring is coaxially arranged relative to a balance spring joined between the internal float and the housing.