Humidity meter with non-contact temperature measurement

• US 7,168,316 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2005
• Issued: 01/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FLIR Systems, Inc. (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Extech Instruments Corporation (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Blakeley, Gerald W. III
• Primary Examiner(s): LARKIN, DANIEL SEAN
• Application Number:
  US11/039,653
• Publication Number:
  US 20050178199A1
• Time in Patent Office: 741 Days
• Field of Search: 73/290.1, 733/350.1, 733/350.2, 73/290.4, 73/290.5, 374/120, 374/121, 374/124, 374/130, 374/141, 374/142, 374/208
• US Class Current: 73/335.02
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/02 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/025 Interfacing a pyrometer to an external device or network; User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/026 Control of working procedures of a pyrometer, other than calibration; Bandwidth calculation; Gain control
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/028 using a charging unit or battery
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/04 Casings
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/047 Mobile mounting; Scanning arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 25/56 by investigating moisture content

Abstract

A humidity meter with non-contact temperature measurement capability, including a humidity meter contained at least partially in a housing and having outputs relating to measured humidity parameters including humidity and ambient temperature, an output display contained in the housing, for displaying measurements to a user, a non-contact optically-based temperature sensing device coupled to the housing, having an output related to sensed temperature, and circuitry contained in the housing for processing both the humidity meter outputs and the temperature sensing device output, and transmitting the processed output to the output display.

Claims

1. A humidity meter with non-contact temperature measurement capability, comprising:

a humidity meter contained at least partially in a housing and having outputs relating to measured humidity parameters including humidity and ambient temperature;

an output display contained in the housing, for displaying measurements to a user;

a non-contact optically-based temperature sensing device comprising an optical aiming device coupled to the housing, to assist the user in aiming the non-contact optically-based temperature sensing device at an object whose temperature is to be measured, the optical aiming device comprising a laser that is adjustable relative to the housing, and the non-contact optically-based temperature sensing device having an output related to sensed temperature; and

circuitry contained in the housing for processing both the humidity meter outputs and the temperature sensing device output, and transmitting the processed output to the output display.

2. The humidity meter with non-contact temperature measurement capability of claim 1, in which the humidity meter comprises one or more humidity or temperature sensing devices that are mounted in an enclosure that is separate from the housing and can be located some distance from the humidity meter housing.

3. The humidity meter with non-contact temperature measurement capability of claim 1, in which the humidity meter is a digital humidity meter.

4. The humidity meter with non-contact temperature measurement capability of claim 1, in which the non-contact temperature sensing device comprises an infrared sensor.

5. The humidity meter with non-contact temperature measurement capability of claim 4, in which the non-contact temperature sensing device further comprises a lens, proximate the infrared sensor, for focusing entering radiation onto the infrared sensor.

6. The humidity meter with non-contact temperature measurement capability of claim 1, in which the non-contact temperature sensing device defines a sense axis that is fixed relative to the housing.

7. The humidity meter with non-contact temperature measurement capability of claim 1, in which the non-contact temperature sensing device defines a sense axis that is adjustable relative to the housing.

8. The humidity meter with non-contact temperature measurement capability of claim 7, in which the non-contact temperature sensing device is mounted in a mount that is coupled to and movable relative to the housing, to allow the user to aim the non-contact temperature sensing device.

9. The humidity meter with non-contact temperature measurement capability of claim 8, in which the non-contact temperature sensing device mount is rotatably coupled to the housing.

10. The humidity meter with non-contact temperature measurement capability of claim 1, in which the optical aiming device is mounted in a mount that is coupled to and movable relative to the housing, to allow the user to aim the optical aiming device.

11. The humidity meter with non-contact temperature measurement capability of claim 10, in which the optical aiming device mount is rotatably coupled to the housing.

12. The humidity meter with non-contact temperature measurement capability of claim 1, in which the optical aiming device comprises a diode laser device.

13. The humidity meter with non-contact temperature measurement capability of claim 1, further comprising a switch for switching at least some of the circuitry between the humidity meter outputs and the non-contact temperature sensing device output.

14. The humidity meter with non-contact temperature measurement capability of claim 1, further comprising a user-operable electrical device for selectively routing the temperature sensing device output to the circuitry.

15. The humidity meter with non-contact temperature measurement capability of claim 1, further comprising a user-operable electrical device for selectively holding the sensed non-contact temperature.

16. A digital humidity meter with non-contact temperature measurement capability, comprising:

a digital humidity meter contained at least partially in a housing and having outputs relating to measured humidity parameters including humidity and ambient temperature;

a digital output display contained in the housing, for displaying measurements to a user;

a non-contact infrared temperature sensing device comprising an optical aiming device coupled to the housing, to assist the user in aiming the non-contact infrared temperature sensing device at an object whose temperature is to be measured, the optical aiming device comprising a laser that is adjustable relative to the housing. and the non-contact infrared temperature sensing device having an output related to sensed temperature; and

circuitry contained in the housing for processing both the humidity meter outputs and the non-contact temperature sensing device output, and transmitting the processed output to the output display.

17. The humidity meter with non-contact temperature measurement capability of claim 16, in which the humidity meter comprises one or more humidity or temperature sensing devices that are mounted in an enclosure that is separate from the housing and can be located some distance from the humidity meter housing.

18. The humidity meter with non-contact temperature measurement capability of claim 16, in which the non-contact temperature sensing device defines a sense axis that is adjustable relative to the housing.

19. The humidity meter with non-contact temperature measurement capability of claim 18, in which the non-contact temperature sensing device is mounted in a mount that is coupled to and movable relative to the housing, to allow the user to aim the temperature sensing device.

20. The humidity meter with non-contact temperature measurement capability of claim 16, in which the optical aiming device is mounted in a mount that is coupled to and movable relative to the housing, to allow the user to aim the optical aiming device.