Patents Examined by Jewel V Dowtin
  • Patent number: 10641629
    Abstract: To provide a clamp-on type ultrasonic flow sensor capable of highly accurately measuring a flow rate. First and second head cables CA1 and CA2 are connected between a head section 10 and an intermediate section 20. A relay cable CA3 is connected between the intermediate section 20 and a main body section 30. Ultrasonic elements are housed in casings 11c and 12c of the head section 10. A driving circuit for driving the ultrasonic elements and a signal processing section configured to perform signal processing on ultrasonic signals output from the ultrasonic elements are housed in a casing 20c of the intermediate section 20. In the intermediate section 20, a switching circuit configured to switch a connection state of the two ultrasonic elements of the head section 10 and the signal processing section is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: Keyence Corporation
    Inventors: Shinichi Tsukigi, Jiro Baba
  • Patent number: 10641626
    Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, a MEMS sensor includes a membrane that is suspended from the substrate, a resonant frequency of said membrane being influenced by an ambient pressure that acts on the membrane; and an evaluation device configured to perform a first measurement based on the resonant frequency of the membrane to obtain a measurement result, where the evaluation device is configured to at least partly compensate an influence of the ambient pressure on the measurement result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AG
    Inventors: Christian Bretthauer, Alfons Dehe, Prashanth Makaram, Abidin Güçlü Onaran, Arnaud Walther
  • Patent number: 10632254
    Abstract: A method for readying a fluid sensor associated with a medical device includes attaching a flow restrictor to a fluid outlet of the fluid sensor. The fluid sensor includes a fluid channel, a fluid inlet at a first end of the fluid channel configured to couple to an outlet of an administrable fluid source, and the fluid outlet at a second end of the fluid channel. Fluid is delivered from the administrable fluid source to the fluid channel through the fluid inlet. A syringe actuation device including a force limiting device may be used to deliver the fluid. The fluid is pressurized in the fluid channel between the fluid inlet and the flow restrictor to wet an interior surface of the fluid channel with the fluid. The flow restrictor is removed from the fluid outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: Becton, Dickinson and Company
    Inventors: Kaushal Verma, Brandi Ford, Shawn Wayne DeKalb, Hong Zhu
  • Patent number: 10627273
    Abstract: A method for an ultrasonic time-of-flight flow meter (1) includes driving an ultrasonic transducer (2, 3) using a first waveform (V1(t)) for a first duration (?t1), the first waveform (V1(t)) configured to cause oscillation (21) of the ultrasonic transducer (2, 3). The method also includes driving the ultrasonic transducer (2, 3) using a second waveform (V2(t)) for a second duration (?t2). There is a discontinuity between the first waveform (V1(t)) and the second waveform (V2(t)). The second waveform (V2(t)) and the second duration (?t2) are configured to maintain a voltage (VT(t)) across the ultrasonic transducer (2, 3) within a predetermined range (VH, VL).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: Sentec Ltd.
    Inventors: Wenpeng Deng, Jan Bennett, David Healy, Andrew Nicholas Dames, James William Evett
  • Patent number: 10627276
    Abstract: A method for creating an asymmetric flowmeter manifold (202, 202?) is provided. The method comprises the steps of defining at least one flowmeter (5) application parameter. The method also comprises determining an area for at least a first flow path (402) and a second flow path (402?), and forming the asymmetric manifold with the determined flow path areas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: Micro Motion, Inc.
    Inventor: David Skinkle
  • Patent number: 10627271
    Abstract: A flow meter for determining the flow rate of a fluid through a conduit, including an upper body having an inlet chamber, an acoustic channel, an outlet chamber, a sound wave generator, and a sound wave receiver. The inlet chamber, acoustic channel, and outlet chamber are fluidly connected together. The acoustic channel is a non-linear pathway that is symmetrically dimensioned. The sound wave generator is configured to create a sound wave that moves along the liquid pathway formed by the acoustic channel. The receiver detects that sound wave that has moved through the acoustic channel and such information is used to determine the flow rate of the fluid through the flow meter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Johann Reinhold Zipperer, Peter Wongeun Chung, Hans Martin Hilbig
  • Patent number: 10627267
    Abstract: The invention relates to a variable-area flow meter with a measuring tube in which a float provided with at least one permanent magnet and movable by a fluid flowing through the measuring tube is arranged, and with an indicating device arranged outside the measuring tube, said indicating device comprising a magnet holder rotatably mounted about a rotation axis, said magnet holder holding at least one follower magnet that follows the movement of the permanent magnet, and having an indicating element which reflects the movement of the at least one follower magnet, wherein at least one follower magnet in the magnet holder is arranged in such a manner that its magnetic axis is inclined in relation to the rotation axis by an angle (?) not equal to 90°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: ROTA YOKOGAWA GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Klaus Bayer, Fabian Blum
  • Patent number: 10620026
    Abstract: The invention relates to an ultrasonic transducer with a housing, in which a transducer element for producing and detecting ultrasonic signals and an acoustic transformer are arranged, wherein the acoustic transformer is acoustically and mechanically coupled with the transducer element. The housing includes at least one housing body, which has at least one housing chamber with a housing wall, which housing wall at least partially surrounds the acoustic transformer, wherein the housing is acoustically and mechanically connected with a measuring tube wall or a container wall and wherein the acoustic transformer is connected or connectable mechanically with the housing via a lateral surface of the acoustic transformer by means of a first acoustic insulation, especially an annular first acoustic insulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: Endress+Hauser Flowtec AG
    Inventors: Pierre Ueberschlag, Andreas Berger, Michal Bezdek
  • Patent number: 10620022
    Abstract: A downhole flow meter includes a body including an inlet exposed to downhole fluids, an impeller rotatably supported in the body, the impeller including at least one vane, at least one magnet mounted to the at least one vane, and a switch responsive to the at least one magnet arranged in the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: BAKER HUGHES, A GE COMPANY, LLC
    Inventors: Paul Lowson, Daniel Cousin, Justin Brough
  • Patent number: 10620025
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a flow conduit insert (FCI) for a flow conduit (CON) of an ultrasonic flow meter (UFM), the ultrasonic flow meter (UFM) being arranged to measure a flow of a liquid passing through the flow conduit (CON) by means of an ultrasound signal, the flow conduit insert (FCI) being adapted for being inserted into the inner space of the flow conduit (CON), the flow conduit insert (FCI) being adapted for accommodating the entire path (PTH) in the flow conduit (CON) of the ultrasound signal, the flow conduit insert (FCI) having a first end (1EN) and a second opposite (2EN) end and an inner flow channel (CUN), said first and second ends (1EN, 2EN) being connected by the flow channel (CUN), the flow conduit insert (FCI) being adapted such that the flow of liquid passes through the flow channel (CUN), wherein the flow conduit insert (FCI) comprises a first and a second part (IPA, 2PA) forming the flow channel (CUN), said first and second parts (IPA, 2PA) each extending from said first end (1EN) to said s
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: APATOR MIITORS APS
    Inventors: Jens Drachmann, Pol Martinez Caldwell
  • Patent number: 10605635
    Abstract: An insertion-type flowmeter adapted for removable insertion into a fluid conduit includes an elongate body having a flow opening and a vortex-generating element disposed within the flow opening at distance from the opening entry that is correlated to the size of the flow opening to define a flow conditioning space in the flow opening between the opening entry and the vortex-generating element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: Badger Meter, Inc.
    Inventors: Ryan Nice, Gerald Nice
  • Patent number: 10605636
    Abstract: A flowmeter including a sensor passage disposed with a sensor chip for measuring a flow rate and an orifice passage as a bypass passage placed with respect to the sensor passage is provided. The orifice passage has a passage diameter which is smaller than a passage diameter of an inflow passage, a distribution orifice is placed on an inlet side of the sensor passage, and the orifice passage and the distribution orifice are configured such that changing trends in an effective sectional area becomes same in a graph including a vertical axis indicating the effective sectional area and a lateral axis indicating a fluid pressure of a fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: CKD CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ryo Eguchi, Naotsugu Seko, Kazutoshi Ito
  • Patent number: 10605634
    Abstract: A taper pipe-shaped area flow meter uses a magnetostrictive distance measurement method through which a flow rate may be accurately measured by measuring a height of a float through a magnetostrictive method. A taper pipe-shaped area flow meter using a magnetostrictive distance measurement method includes a taper pipe including an inlet at a lower portion thereof and an outlet at an upper portion thereof and formed in a taper shape having a diameter decreasing downward, a float in which a magnet is embedded and a height of the float is changed according to a flow rate in the taper pipe, a probe shaft in which a magnetrostrictive line is embedded and which is installed in the taper pipe and detects a position of the float through the magnetostrictive method, and a magnetostrictive distance measuring part, which is configured to apply a pulse to the probe shaft, receive a signal reflected by the magnet of the float, measure a position of the float, and calculate a flow rate from the position of the float.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: HiLevel Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yeong-Joo Baeg, Nam-Gyu Tak
  • Patent number: 10598527
    Abstract: In a drilling system for drilling a borehole with drilling fluid, a flow loop communicates the drilling fluid, and a differential pressure device in the flow loop at a measurement location produces a pressure drop in flow. The measurement location can be between the borehole and a drilling choke or between a mud pump and the borehole. Piping diverts a portion of the flow at the measurement location so a flowmeter can measure the diverted flow portion. A processing unit receives a measured parameter from the flowmeter and determines a diverted flow rate of the diverted portion therefrom to correlate it to a value of the main flow rate through the flow loop at the measurement location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: Weatherford Technology Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: Walter S. Dillard, Sang (Paul) Park, David J. Vieraitis
  • Patent number: 10591334
    Abstract: A method of limiting a drive signal is provided. The method includes providing a drive signal for a meter assembly, wherein the meter assembly has a resonance frequency. The method also includes interrupting the drive signal after a first drive time-period, wherein the first drive time-period is based on an expected time for the drive signal to reach the resonance frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: Micro Motion, Inc.
    Inventors: Fengchuan Gao, Kai Shen, Mei Zhang
  • Patent number: 10591336
    Abstract: A flowmeter (5) having a sensor assembly (10) connected to meter electronics (20) is provided. The sensor assembly (10) comprises at least one driver (104), at least one pickoff (105), and a conduit array (300). The conduit array (300) comprises a plurality of small conduits (302) therein that are configured to receive a process fluid, and further configured to selectably adjust the beta ratio of the flowmeter (5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: Micro Motion, Inc.
    Inventor: Asher James Clinger
  • Patent number: 10591329
    Abstract: A reflector clamping member (RCM) for fixating an ultrasound reflector (REF) to a flow conduit insert (FCI) of an ultrasonic flow meter (UFM) is disclosed, the reflector clamping member (RCM) comprising a fixation portion (FXN) for fixating the reflector clamping member (RCM) to the flow conduit insert (FCI) and a flexible portion (FLX) for contacting the ultrasound reflector (REF), wherein the flexible portion (FLX) is adapted for supporting at least one side of the ultrasound reflector (REF) so as to clamp the ultrasound reflector (REF) between the flexible portion (FLX) and the flow conduit insert (FCI) when the reflector clamping member (RCM), the ultrasound reflector (REF), and the flow conduit insert (FCI) are assembled. Also, a flow conduit insert assembly (ASY) comprising such reflector clamping member (RCM), an ultrasonic flow meter (UFM) comprising such reflector clamping member (RCM), and a method of fixating an ultrasound reflector (REF) to a flow conduit insert (FCI) are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: Apator Miitors ApS
    Inventor: James Edward Price
  • Patent number: 10591326
    Abstract: A sensor device includes a substrate having a front surface and an opposing back surface. The back surface defines an indented region having an indented surface. The substrate defines a bottom port extending between the front surface and the indented surface. The sensor further includes a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) transducer mounted on the front surface of the substrate over the bottom port. The sensor also includes a filtering material disposed on the indented surface and covering the bottom port. The filtering material provides resistance to ingression of solid particles or liquids into the sensor device. The filtering material is configured to provide high acoustic permittivity and have low impact on a signal-to-noise ratio of the sensor device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: Knowles Electronics, LLC
    Inventors: Tony K. Lim, Norman Dennis Talag
  • Patent number: 10591335
    Abstract: A Coriolis mass flow measuring device and/or density measuring device includes two bent measuring tubes, which extend mirror symmetrically to a first mirror plane between the measuring tubes, an actuator arrangement and at least one sensor arrangement. At the inlet end and at the outlet end, a collector, with which the measuring tubes are joined, wherein the collectors each fulfill the functionality of a node plate. A support body, which connects the collectors rigidly with one another; and inlet end and outlet end, in each case, at least one plate-shaped coupler, which connect the measuring tubes pairwise with one another, in order to form an oscillator. The couplers have tube openings for measuring tubes, wherein the measuring tubes are connected at least sectionally with the couplers, wherein inlet end and outlet end, in each case, at least one coupler has, between the measuring tubes, a tuning opening for influencing the oscillation characteristics of the oscillator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: ENDRESS + HAUSER FLOWTEC AG
    Inventors: Hao Zhu, Alfred Rieder, Ennio Bitto
  • Patent number: 10591330
    Abstract: Flow rate measurement is performed with a propagation time by using a pair of ultrasonic wave oscillators which is provided in flow path through which a fluid to be measured flows, and is disposed so as to transmit and receive an ultrasonic wave signal by causing the ultrasonic wave signal to be reflected on an inner wall of flow path at least once. In addition, adjustment of an amplification rate is periodically performed by amplifier, which amplifies the ultrasonic wave signal received by each of the ultrasonic wave oscillators to a predetermined amplitude, and a difference between a previous amplification rate and a current amplification rate is a predetermined value or more, and the instantaneous flow rate calculated by flow rate calculation unit is a predetermined flow rate or less, the reference voltage is adjusted by reference voltage setting unit. With the configuration, the propagation time can be stably measured and deterioration of the maximum amplitude is prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuki Shiota, Kenji Yasuda, Ryuji Iwamoto, Yuji Fujii, Yasuo Koba