Patents Examined by George M. Dombroske
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Patent number: 5811674Abstract: In an automated welding machine, where a flow of liquid coolant is supplied to welding components on the machine from a source of coolant and then returned to the source of coolant, a safety system is provided that shuts down the flow of coolant in the event of a fault. Faults are detected by a supply sensor and a return sensor for measuring the flow rates of coolant in the supply and return lines. A microprocessor is adapted to compare the supply flow rate and return flow rate and detect differences between the two rates. The difference between the detected rates as compared to a leak threshold value, and the microprocessor is adapted to generate a valve shutoff signal in the event the detected difference in flow rates exceeds the leak threshold value. A valve in the supply coolant line is responsive to the valve shutoff signal to shutoff flow of coolant in response thereto.Type: GrantFiled: July 2, 1997Date of Patent: September 22, 1998Assignee: EOA Systems, Inc.Inventor: Peter McCormick
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Patent number: 5811670Abstract: The quality of a fuel-air mixture shall be evaluated by a process and a device during a phase of combustion, especially in a spark ignition engine, in order to make possible a low-emission, fuel-saving and knock-free operation. An electrical testing pulse P is sent for this purpose to the spark plug during the phase of combustion V following the ignition pulse Z. The effect of the actual fuel-air mixture of the combustion chamber on the testing pulse is detected and evaluated as an electrical variable.Type: GrantFiled: April 4, 1997Date of Patent: September 22, 1998Assignee: Stiebel Eltron GmbH & CO. KGInventors: Hubert Nolte, Martin Herrs
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Patent number: 5811690Abstract: A remote seal differential pressure transmitter, when installed with its remote seal separated by a vertical distance, has an accurate output signal which is compensated for all temperature effects, including compensation of the sensors' temperature characteristics and compensation of the remote seals' temperature characteristics. Compensation for the remote seals' temperature characteristics must include compensation for the expansion and contraction of the translation fluid used in the remote seals and compensation for changes in density of the translation fluid. The changes in density and the installed height of remote seals specifically create a height/temperature error which must be compensated for when the temperature changes.Type: GrantFiled: March 20, 1997Date of Patent: September 22, 1998Inventor: George E. Hershey
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Patent number: 5811669Abstract: A computational sequence that allows a stand-alone instrument or a central data processing unit to calculate flow of compressed ideal gases based on measurements of pressure and time only, in systems where compressors start and stop at regular intervals and based on the system's pressure.Type: GrantFiled: February 20, 1997Date of Patent: September 22, 1998Assignee: Rodolfo Esteban PolonyiInventor: Michael J. G. Polonyi
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Patent number: 5811667Abstract: To ensure both responsiveness and stability of a knock determination in which a knock sensor signal is compared with a knock determining reference computed from a background value, a difference between the knock sensor signal and the background value is determined through averaging by the use of the averaging coefficient. Based on the difference, the averaging coefficient n is varied so that the more latest sensor output signals are used in the background value determination as the difference becomes larger.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 1996Date of Patent: September 22, 1998Assignee: Nippondenso Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hirohiko Yamada, Hideki Yukumoto
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Patent number: 5811668Abstract: Electric current supplied to a DC motor and a rotational speed thereof are measured. An inductive voltage is calculated based on a relationship that the elapse of time after the application of a voltage to the DC motor is stopped is proportional to the voltage across the terminals of the DC motor. The electric current supplied to the DC motor when the rotation of the DC motor is locked is measured by applying the voltage to the DC motor when a magnetic pole of a stator of the DC motor is not magnetized. The torque of the DC motor when the rotation of the DC motor is locked is measured based on the electric current supplied to the DC motor and the rotational speed thereof when it rotates, the electric current supplied to the DC motor when the rotation of the DC motor is locked, and the inductive voltage. The torque of the DC motor when the rotation of the DC motor is locked is used to determine the torque characteristics thereof.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 1996Date of Patent: September 22, 1998Assignees: ASMO Co., Ltd., Denso CorporationInventors: Mikihiro Kondoh, Kaneyoshi Nagatani
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Patent number: 5811660Abstract: An air-fuel ratio sensing element comprises a pump cell having at least one pair of pump electrodes thereon, a sensor cell having at least one pair of sensor electrodes thereon, and a gas chamber having two surfaces defined by the pump cell and the sensor cell. Two to five gas holes, each having approximately the same diameter and communicating with the gas chamber, are provided for introducing sensed gas into the gas chamber. The gas holes form their projection images on the surface of the sensor cell which has a sensor electrode thereon and faces the gas chamber. The sensor electrode is shaped such that it is dividable into a plurality of similar subsections defined by virtual lines connecting the geometric centroid of the sensor electrode and the center of the projection image of each gas hole.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 1996Date of Patent: September 22, 1998Assignee: Denso CorporationInventors: Syuichi Nakano, Tomio Sugiyama, Shinichiro Imamura, Hiromi Sano
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Patent number: 5808203Abstract: The present invention provides pressure measuring devices comprising a sensor to detect the force upon at least a portion of a contact surface of a syringe plunger during pressurization of a fluid medium within the syringe. A determination of the pressure of the fluid medium within the syringe is thereby enabled.Type: GrantFiled: May 12, 1997Date of Patent: September 15, 1998Assignee: Medrad, Inc.Inventors: William J. Nolan, Jr., Kevin P. Cowan, Alan D. Hirschman, David M. Reilly, Frederick W. Trombley, III, David M. Griffiths
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Patent number: 5808189Abstract: A failure diagnosis controller of a pressure sensor whereby abnormalities of the pressure sensor can precisely be diagnosed, wrong abnormality diagnoses can be avoided, users' perplexity and confusion on maintenance avoided, users' distrust removed, and unnecessary maintenance eliminated. The invention provides a control means which diagnoses the pressure sensor to be in a failure mode when the intake air temperature is in a state of being measured and the integrated load of the internal combustion engine from its starting time exceeds the criterion of the integrated load.Type: GrantFiled: March 19, 1997Date of Patent: September 15, 1998Assignee: Suzuki Motor CorporationInventor: Katsuhiko Toyoda
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Patent number: 5808185Abstract: In an angle-of-rotation measuring device, which can be attached to a motor, is a rotor shaft which can be coupled in a force-locked manner to the motor shaft. The stator can be coupled to a fixed motor casing by means of a diaphragm which is fixed in a shape-locked manner to the motor-side end face of the stator by means of its inner region. The diaphragm encloses the stator in a sheath-like manner and has, at its outer rim remote from the motor, a bead which is clamped between the casing and a lid which seals the casing at the end face remote from the motor.Type: GrantFiled: March 28, 1997Date of Patent: September 15, 1998Assignee: Max Stegmann GmbH Antriebstechnik-ElektronikInventor: Josef Siraky
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Patent number: 5808206Abstract: The disclosed pressure transducer assembly includes an external enclosure, a thermal shell disposed within the external enclosure, and a pressure sensor disposed within the thermal shell. The pressure sensor senses the gas or vapor pressure present in a tube coupling the sensor to a source of pressurized gas or vapor. The assembly includes a device for heating the thermal shell, and thermal insulation is disposed between the thermal shell and the external enclosure. The thermal insulation includes a plurality of metalized high temperature films stacked one on top of another and a plurality of spacer layers, each of the spacer layers being disposed between adjacent ones of the metalized high temperature films.Type: GrantFiled: July 15, 1996Date of Patent: September 15, 1998Assignee: MKS Instruments, Inc.Inventors: Robert C. Pandorf, Paul W. Navarro
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Patent number: 5808209Abstract: A vortex fluid meter (1) includes a pipe (2) having a maximum inside diameter D in which the fluid flows and having an internal profile comprising from the upstream end to the downstream end: a first pipe portion (4) progressively reducing the inside diameter of said pipe to a value D1 and having an inside wall (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d) at a continuously varying angle to the general direction of flow of the fluid; a second pipe portion (6) of constant diameter D1 in which is disposed at least one obstacle (8) adapted to generate oscillating fluid vortices; and a third pipe portion (20) returning the inside diameter of the pipe (2) to its original value D and adapted to separate the boundary layer of the fluid flow at a downstream end (6a) of said second pipe portion (6), and means (10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 200-221) for detecting the signal corresponding to the oscillations of the vortices and deducing the volume of fluid therefrom.Type: GrantFiled: September 19, 1996Date of Patent: September 15, 1998Assignee: Schlumberger Industries, S.A.Inventors: Barbara Zielinska, Souad Zikikout
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Patent number: 5802912Abstract: A pressure sensor comprises a diaphragm mounted on a housing and subject to pressure. Stress sensitive resistors are connected to circuit traces on the diaphragm which in turn are wirebonded to a compensation IC. The IC is directly mounted on the diaphragm principally or wholly in an area which is not subject to flexing. A connector has a dome partially covering the diaphragm and holds terminal blades having ends extending away from the diaphragm and opposite ends carrying bond pads located adjacent the diaphragm. An opening in the dome permits wirebonder access to connect bond pads on the traces with terminal bond pads. A cover is installed over the connector and sensor.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 1996Date of Patent: September 8, 1998Assignee: Delco Electronics CorporationInventors: Paul Joseph Pitzer, Andres Deogracias Viduya
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Patent number: 5804712Abstract: An oil flow sensor and circuit to indicate the presence of oil flow in a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine. The oil sensor includes a heating element positioned within the oil line directly in the oil flow path. Positioned upstream and downstream from the heating element are an upstream heat sensor and a downstream heat sensor. Each of the heat sensors is a negative temperature coefficient resistive device, such that the resistance of the heat sensor varies depending upon oil temperature at the sensor. The output of both the upstream and downstream sensor is coupled to a comparator. The comparator compares the value of the signals from the heat sensors and triggers a switching circuit when the temperature at the sensors approach one another, thus detecting that there is not adequate oil flow to the engine. The switching circuit is connected to a signaling device that indicates whether oil flow to the engine is adequate.Type: GrantFiled: September 27, 1996Date of Patent: September 8, 1998Assignee: Brunswick CorporationInventor: Richard E. Staerzl
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Patent number: 5804741Abstract: A Coriolis-type fluid flow rate measuring system uses phase locked loop-based signal processing to estimate a tube vibration signal and maintain optimum tube vibrations. Analog sinusoidal sensor signals from the flow meter are digitized and processed through heterodyne mixing as part of phase locked loop tracking of the fundamental vibration or oscillation frequency. Digital signal processing is used to implement filtering and signal manipulation so as to respectively determine phase and frequency estimates for both of the two digitized signals. Frequency estimate data is used to adjust the tracker frequency mixed with the respective sensor signals. Digitally obtained phase and frequency estimate data are used to determine an optimized drive signal for continuing tube vibration. Phase estimate information for the two respective sensor signals is used to determine phase shift data, used in turn to determine a fluid flow rate through the flow meter.Type: GrantFiled: November 8, 1996Date of Patent: September 8, 1998Assignees: Schlumberger Industries, Inc., Continuum Technology Corp.Inventor: Belvin S. Freeman
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Patent number: 5804740Abstract: A vortex mass flowmeter includes a body for placement in a flow path of a fluid and four capacitive sensors. The body has a sleeve and a rod positioned within a chamber in the sleeve. Two of the capacitive sensors are mounted to sense lateral deflection of the sleeve relative to the rod and two of the capacitive sensors are mounted to sense axial deflection of the sleeve relative to the rod, thereby providing frequency signals related to shedding and drag, respectively. The shedding signal is dependent on the flow velocity, and the drag signal is dependent on the flow velocity and the fluid density.Type: GrantFiled: January 17, 1997Date of Patent: September 8, 1998Assignee: The Foxboro CompanyInventors: Richard W. Kalinoski, Warren E. Cook
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Patent number: 5804719Abstract: Laminated plate glass including at least one rigid sheet of glass (1, 2), at least one layer of plastic material (3), and a sensor (4) for the presence of foreign bodies on the outside of the plate glass. Its sensing side is held in close contact with the internal side of the external plate of glass (1). The sensor (4) is located in a space formed within the sheets (2) or layers (3) of the window other than the said external plate of glass (1). The said space is closed in a detachable manner by means of a cover (5) and/or lid (6) which exerts the desired force on the sensor (4); process for fabrication of this plate glass; convex laminated plate glass equipped with a sensor; sensor that can be used for making this plate glass.Type: GrantFiled: July 26, 1996Date of Patent: September 8, 1998Assignee: Saint-Gobain VitrageInventors: Claude Didelot, Denis Mathivat, Martial de Paoli, Anne Lamicq
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Patent number: 5804718Abstract: An airflow amount measuring body is formed such that two pipes are arranged in parallel and a bypass passage having an inverted U-shape is provided. The passage sectional areas A1, A2 and A3 of an upstream side passage, a turning section and a downstream passage of the bypass passage are set as A1<A2 and A1<A3, more preferably A2/A1.gtoreq.1.14 and A3/A1.gtoreq.1.20 to suppress contraction flow. A venturi tube section is provided at the lower end of the flow amount measuring body at the peripheral wall of the venturi tube section at the downstream side. A passage enlarging section is provided at the part of the peripheral walls of the venturi tube section at the downstream side where the bypass flow joins, and a guide section for guiding the bypass flow is provided at an outflow port of the bypass passage.Type: GrantFiled: April 22, 1997Date of Patent: September 8, 1998Assignee: Denso CorporationInventors: Ryo Nagasaka, Yasushi Kohno, Masaaki Konishi, Minoru Kondo, Katsumi Nakashima
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Patent number: 5804742Abstract: The invention concerns a mass flow meter for flowing media that works on the Coriolis Principle, with at least one Coriolis line carrying the flowing medium, at least one oscillator exciting the Coriolis line, at least two transducers detecting Coriolis vibrations based on Coriolis forces and a control unit controlling the oscillator and evaluating the measurement signals from the transducers, wherein the oscillator excites the Coriolis line with an excitation power and wherein a generator is provided that supplies the excitation power to the oscillator. The mass flow meter is characterized by the fact that the excitation power of the generator can be adjusted during operation, so that the amplitudes of the excitation oscillation of the Coriolis line can be adjusted to the most optimal value possible.Type: GrantFiled: March 4, 1997Date of Patent: September 8, 1998Assignee: Krohne AGInventor: Kristian Rademacher-Dubbick
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Patent number: 5804699Abstract: An air-fuel ratio sensor unit including a plate shaped pumping cell 11 with a pin hole 110, a sensing cell 12 including a reference gas chamber 160, a first and a second heating plates 13 and 14 which are arranged to contact with the top and bottom surfaces, respectively, of the pumping cell 11, and a spacer 15 arranged between the first heater 13 and the sensing cell 12. The spacer 15, and the first and the second heater plates 13 and 14 form a passageway for a gas to be detected.Type: GrantFiled: June 6, 1996Date of Patent: September 8, 1998Assignee: Nippondenso Co., Ltd.Inventors: Tomio Sugiyama, Makoto Nakae