Patents Examined by Jewel V Dowtin
  • Patent number: 10413382
    Abstract: A sanitary monitoring system, the system including: one or more conduits configured to be connected to a medical device; one or more measurement devices configured to assist in determining one or more flow rates associated with the medical device from a fluid flow provided through the one or more conduits; and a status device configured to determine a sanitary condition of the medical device from the one or more flow rates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: Smartline Holdings Pty Ltd
    Inventor: William Hugh Dawkins Smart
  • Patent number: 10416017
    Abstract: A method for reducing flowmeter braze joint stress is provided. The method comprises the step of bending a flow tube (20) to create at least one thermal expansion bend (300, 302) thereon. The method comprises the step of aligning a flow tube (20) with at least one anchor block (30a, 30b). Additionally, the flow tube (20) is brazed to the at least one anchor block (30a, 30b) in another step, after which the flow tube (20) and the at least one anchor block (30a, 30b) are allowed to cool and contract a predetermined degree after brazing. The method additionally comprises the step of attaching the at least one anchor block (30a, 30b) to a support block (100) after the flow tube (20) has been attached to the at least one anchor block (30a, 30b) and attaching a manifold (90, 92) to each end of the flow tube (20).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: Micro Motion, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey D. Nielson, Gregory Treat Lanham, Christopher A Werbach, Nikhil Bhargava, Anand Vidhate, David Fleming, Lyle Dee Ashby
  • Patent number: 10408650
    Abstract: A system, method, and apparatus for attenuating acoustic back-coupling in a ultrasonic meter transducer that includes a gasket band comprising a loop of a material, a first gasket ring integrated in the gasket band configured to match a diameter of a first bracket hole, and a second gasket ring integrated in the gasket band configured to match a diameter of a second bracket hole wherein the loop of material comprises a material that provides both environmental sealing and acoustic attenuation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Bin Sai, Fabian Weber
  • Patent number: 10408646
    Abstract: A method for defect detection for a signal line between an electrode and a measuring- and/or evaluation unit of a magneto-inductive flow measuring device having at least one measuring- and/or evaluation unit, as well as a measuring tube with at least two measuring electrodes and a third electrode, comprising steps as follows: A) ascertaining a ratio of at least two measured electrical impedances between the measuring electrodes and/or between at least one of the two measuring electrodes and the third electrode; B) comparing the impedance ratio with a desired value range and C) outputting a defect report, when the impedance ratio exceeds or subceeds the desired value range, and a magneto-inductive flow measuring device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: ENDRESS + HAUSER FLOWTEC AG
    Inventors: Andre Spahlinger, Markus Rufenacht, Christophe Boeglin
  • Patent number: 10401272
    Abstract: Apparatus for the measurement of a fluid property is shown generally at (10). The apparatus is typically suitable for the measurement of a property of a fluid (not shown) such as its viscosity, and comprises a tube (12) for the through-flow of fluid to be measured, a torsion bar (14), a magnetic drive coil (16) and a magnetic pick-up coil (18). The tube (12) is mounted within a casing (20), shown in cutaway. An inertial frame (22) is secured to the casing via isolators (not shown). The tube (12) has a web portion (24) supporting inertial masses (26) connected to, and radially spaced from, the tube (12). The tube is connected at each end to pipe fittings (28) via end flanges (30) and seals (32). The single tube (12) has been selectively machined to produce areas (12a) of low compliance which effectively form springs. The torsion bar (14) is of relatively low inertia and is fixed at the midpoint of the length of the tube (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: Hydramotion Limited
    Inventor: John Gallagher
  • Patent number: 10390484
    Abstract: A grain mass flow sensor assembly of an agricultural harvester has a continuously curved sensor plate positioned to receive a grain flow from an exit of the grain elevator. The continuously curved sensor plate is configured to change the direction of the grain flow in order to generate a reaction force for measuring the grain mass flow rate of the grain flow. The continuously curved sensor plate is attached to a sensor plate to load cell mounting bracket. The sensor plate to load cell mounting bracket is attached to a single point load cell torque or moment compensated force transducer at a single mounting point. The single point load cell torque or moment compensated force transducer produces a mass flow sensor signal that is proportionate to the grain mass flow rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Matthias Baert, Dré W. J. Jongmans, Bart M. A. Missotten, Frederik Tallir, Pieter Vandevelde
  • Patent number: 10378993
    Abstract: An improved sensor system is provided that monitors and controls a dendritic fluid system. A dendritic fluid system can include artificial components and/or natural components that carry fluid from a source to a destination through a series of paths. The sensor system can include magnetic field sensors, acoustic sensors, encapsulated sensor systems, pressure regulators, and valve controllers to monitor and control the dendritic fluid system. For example, magnetic field sensors, acoustic sensors, and/or pressure regulators can be used to measure the flow of fluid within a dendritic fluid subsystem and/or to detect potential leaks. The encapsulated sensor systems and/or valve controllers can be used to detect fluid levels in a contained system and control valves to adjust the fluid levels in the contained system to a desired level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Inventor: Richard Andrew DeVerse
  • Patent number: 10371551
    Abstract: A system and method for calculation of flow rate comprising at least two ultrasonic sensors, ultrasonic transmit receive device, and signal processing device. At least two ultrasonic sensors are installed on the pipe where the fluid is flowing through, and at least two ultrasonic sensors contain different ultrasonic beam paths, further, the ultrasonic beam paths of at least two ultrasonic sensors contain the overlap area. The ultrasonic transmit and receive device is used to actuate at least two ultrasonic sensors, and is used to transmit one or multiple ultrasonic signals to pipes via one or multiple of at least two ultrasonic sensors, further, to receive ultrasonic signal via at least two ultrasonic sensors. The signal processing device is used to process the ultrasonic signal received, further, to calculate the flow rate of the fluid precisely.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Yan Mei, Ran Nui, Weihua Shang, Gang Cheng, Jing Ye, Longtao Yuan
  • Patent number: 10371000
    Abstract: A pressure and temperature probe includes a probe head, a probe tip extending from the probe head and ending with a sensor face, a pressure channel extending into the probe tip through the sensor face, and a temperature channel extending into the probe tip through the sensor face. A pressure sensor is in fluid communication with a pressure channel and a temperature sensor in fluid communication with the temperature channel. The temperature channel extends parallel to the pressure channel, and the temperature channel is fluidly separate from the pressure channel. The sensor face can be configured to minimally intrude the flowpath of a working fluid, thereby minimizing disruption of the flowpath. The probe can be configured on a gas turbine engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: Rosemount Aerospace Inc.
    Inventor: Lisa Graham
  • Patent number: 10371554
    Abstract: A Coriolis mass flowmeter with a flange connection for connection to an external pipeline, with at least one oscillation generator, with at least two oscillation sensors, with at least two measuring tubes, with at least one flow divider, wherein the flow divider is arranged upstream of the at least two measuring tubes in the direction of flow, and with at least one flow collector, wherein the flow collector is arranged downstream of the at least two measuring tubes. The Coriolis mass flowmeter has at least an active measuring tube and at least a passive measuring tube being provided, the at least one active measuring tube and the at least one passive measuring tube are designed and arranged separately from one another and the at least one oscillation generator and the at least two oscillation sensors are arranged on the at least one active measuring tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: KROHNE AG
    Inventors: Christopher Rolph, Trevor Fawcett
  • Patent number: 10365135
    Abstract: A flexible magnetic assembly based flow rate measurement device or flow meter, and method of sensing flow rate of a fluid using a flow rate measurement device are disclosed. The device comprises three separable chambers such as, a basal chamber, a mid-chamber and a top chamber. The basal chamber with an inlet and an outlet, is incorporated with a main sensitive component i.e. flexible magnetic assembly along flow path of a fluid that enter from the inlet and exit from the outlet of the basal chamber. The mid-chamber comprises a magnetic sensor, placed over the flexible magnetic assembly is configured to sense the changes in magnetization value. The top chamber comprises a processor and a display unit, is configured to process, convert and display the magnetization value. Further, a method of fabricating flexible magnetic assembly for a flow rate measurement device is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Inventors: Abdurahman Hosseinifar, Mojtaba Shariati-Niasar, Seyyed-Ali Seyyed-Ebrahimin
  • Patent number: 10365666
    Abstract: A control means configured to perform flow rate control in which the control means outputs a control signal to a flow control valve to control a valve opening such that a measured flow rate of gas measured by a flow meter matches a set flow rate adjusts intensity of the control signal such that an absolute value of a change amount of the valve opening becomes larger as measured temperature of the gas measured by a thermometer becomes further higher than reference temperature, while the absolute value of the change amount of the valve opening becomes smaller as the measured temperature becomes further lower than the reference temperature. Thereby, change of response time on changing the valve opening of the flow control valve due to the difference between the measured temperature of the gas and the reference temperature can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: HITACHI METALS, LTD.
    Inventors: Masashi Sonoda, Yuji Kishine
  • Patent number: 10365293
    Abstract: Apparatus for monitoring the structural health of a column or a stock of columns or a column or columns within that stock is disclosed in the application. The apparatus comprises a microcontroller located on the or each column which includes an integrated MEMS device programmed to measure and record accelerations, angular velocities and magnetic field strengths in X, Y and Z axes. The apparatus includes means for connecting said microcontroller to a source of power, and means operable to transmit said measured data to a central data hub and from there to a remote server for analysis using bespoke software.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: THE ALUMINIUM LIGHTING COMPANY LTD
    Inventor: Craig Thomas Williams
  • Patent number: 10365297
    Abstract: A system and method for generating a tachometer signal from a vibration sensor is disclosed in which an approximately idealized band pass filter is used along with a fast Fourier transform (FFT) to create a sufficient analytic signal to derive the tachometer signal for a shaft or other rotating component. In addition, jitter in the generated tachometer signal, or any tachometer signal, can be reduced by using an approximately idealized low pass filter and then transforming the filtered signal using a real FFT. These processes can be performed using a smart vibration sensor, which facilitates improved vibration analysis on rotating equipment where in the past the addition of a tachometer would be prohibitive due to cost, weight, certification requirements, or physical impracticality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: Green Power Monitoring Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Eric Robert Bechhoefer
  • Patent number: 10345127
    Abstract: A cassette module for a differential flowmeter has a first channel and a second channel which carry fluid during operation of the differential flowmeter and are permeated by a magnetic field during operation of the differential flowmeter, each having an electrode pair arranged on the first channel and on the second channel. A flow difference between the first fluid-carrying channel and the second fluid-carrying channel can be determined by comparing the signals on the first electrode pair and on the second electrode pair. The first channel has an additional section that is permeated by the magnetic field during operation. Another electrode pair is arranged in the additional section, so that a change in the measurement conditions can be detected by comparing the signal on the first electrode pair and on the additional electrode pair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: FRESENIUS MEDICAL CARE DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
    Inventors: Alexander Heide, Dejan Nikolic
  • Patent number: 10337895
    Abstract: An assembly for the control of the flow of a fluid stream is provided, the assembly comprising a fluid flow conduit having a longitudinal axis; an inlet in the conduit for the fluid stream being processed; an outlet in the conduit for the fluid stream being processed; a control fluid feed assembly having an inlet for a control fluid; wherein the conduit comprises a control portion having one or more apertures therein, the control portion being disposed between the inlet and the outlet of the conduit, the one or more apertures being in flow communication with the inlet for the control fluid in the flow control assembly and extending in a direction at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the fluid flow conduit; whereby in use the control fluid supplied to the inlet of the control fluid assembly is caused to flow into the conduit through the one or more apertures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Cameron International Corporation
    Inventor: Hans Paul Hopper
  • Patent number: 10337896
    Abstract: An ultrasonic meter detects a flow rate of a fluid. The ultrasonic meter has a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet and a flow passage connecting the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet. The flow passage has a measuring tube, which extends in a straight line in a flow direction. An inner wall of a side wall delimiting a flow cross section of the measuring tube has at least one groove, extending in the flow direction, which enlarges the flow cross section. The side wall has an aperture and/or a step exclusively within the groove, between a normal region and a recessed region in the flow direction. A groove depth of the groove is greater in the recessed region than in the normal region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Diehl Metering GmbH
    Inventor: Hans-Michael Sonnenberg
  • Patent number: 10337897
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing an ultrasound flow rate measurement apparatus is provided, wherein at least one pocket for an ultrasonic transducer is manufactured from the outside in a line wall of a line section in which a fluid flows in operation and an ultrasonic transducer is arranged in the pocket, wherein the ultrasonic transducer has an oscillating body that couples to a part region of the line wall and that acts as a membrane of the ultrasonic transducer capable of vibration. In this respect, a manufacturing step of the pocket has a drilling procedure and a coupling piece is manufactured with the pocket and is arranged between the membrane and the oscillating body after the insertion of the ultrasonic transducer and its cross-section is smaller than the cross-section of the oscillating body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: SICK ENGINEERING GMBH
    Inventors: Christian Schulz, Jörg Schneider, Torsten Schmidt
  • Patent number: 10330509
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and an arrangement for an ultrasound clamp-on flow measurement according to the transit-time method. The problem addressed by the invention is to provide a measurement arrangement for clamp-on flow measurement, which enables measurement using only two pairs of acoustic transducers in both reflection configuration and in X configuration, without requiring the acoustic transducer position to be changed when switching between configurations. For the method according to the invention, at least four acoustic transducers are arranged on a measurement pipe, which are controlled in such a way that the flow measurement is performed consecutively in an alternating manner in the X configuration and in the reflection configuration. For this purpose, two acoustic transducers are connected for each transmission-receiving pair for a flow measurement in X configuration, and/or two acoustic transducers are connected for each transmission-receiving pair for two reflection configurations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: Flexim Flexible Industriemesstechnik GmbH
    Inventor: Bernhard Funck
  • Patent number: 10330511
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and systems for flow measurements by alternating magnetic fields are provided. An example alternating magnetic field flowmeter includes a magnetic token movable within a conduit for guiding a fluid flow (conductive or non-conductive) along a flow path, a magnetic field generator configured to generate alternating magnetic fields within the conduit to move the magnetic token along the flow path with a first flow velocity and opposite to the flow path with a second flow velocity, a detector configured to measure respective first and second electrical signals responsive to the alternating magnetic fields, the first and second electrical signals associated with the first and second flow velocities, and a processor configured to determine a flow rate of the fluid based on the first and second electrical signals. The alternating magnetic field flowmeter can include a calibrator configured to manually or automatically calibrate the flow rate with a correction factor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Fouad M. Alkhabbaz, Maatoug Al-Maatoug, Luay H. Al-Awami