Patents Examined by Paul D. Amrozowicz
  • Patent number: 5646344
    Abstract: The device determines the pulsating air mass flow in an internal combustion engine. The device includes a sensor producing an output signal to be evaluated to determine a pulsating air mass flow and a filter device for filtering the output signal to produce a filtered signal in which the signal components characteristic of the air mass flow pulsations and dynamic changes are not attenuated but noise and other spurious signals are attenuated. The filter has a bandpass characteristic with an adjustable center frequency which can be varied as a function of rotation speed as well as a low-pass characteristic. A controller of the internal combustion engine is used to adjust the center frequency of the bandpass characteristic according to engine rotation speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 8, 1997
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Uwe Konzelmann
  • Patent number: 5645352
    Abstract: A circuit configuration and method for ascertaining the temperature of a current-regulated electric coil, in particular the coil of an electromagnetic proportional valve of a hydraulic regulating device, by measurement of an ohmic resistance of a winding of the coil, includes a coil current circuit in which the coil and other resistances are connected. A control and evaluation circuit is connected to the coil current circuit and has a pulse-width modulated regulating signal for regulating a mean current through the coil. A temperature sensor is connected to the control and evaluation circuit. The control and evaluation circuit ascertains a correction value once the temperature of the coil has been aligned with the temperature of the temperature sensor, taking into account an influence of interference of the other resistances in the coil current circuit upon the temperature thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 8, 1997
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Frank Menten
  • Patent number: 5641915
    Abstract: A system for measuring fluid flow in a conduit. The system utilizes pressure transducers disposed generally in line upstream and downstream of the flow of fluid in a bend in the conduit. Data from the pressure transducers is transmitted to a microprocessor or computer. The pressure differential measured by the pressure transducers is then used to calculate the fluid flow rate in the conduit. Control signals may then be generated by the microprocessor or computer to control flow, total fluid dispersed, (in, for example, an irrigation system), area of dispersal or other desired effect based on the fluid flow in the conduit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 24, 1997
    Assignee: Lockheed Idaho Technologies Company
    Inventors: Marcos G. Ortiz, Timothy J. Boucher
  • Patent number: 5641903
    Abstract: A gas rate sensor comprising a sensor body, a pump control device and a resistive bridge circuit. Semiconductor substrates are accurately photoengraved by semiconductor fabrication techniques to integrally form a pair of heat-generating and heat-sensitive resistive elements, a gas passageway, a pump casing, and other components in the sensor body. The pump control device controls a piezoelectric pump for creating a gas flow. The resistive bridge circuit is composed of the aforementioned resistive elements and a pair of reference resistors. The pump control device sets the gas flow rate to a given value to detect only the angular velocity acting in the direction of yaw. The angular velocity can be detected accurately with high sensitivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 24, 1997
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Sukeyuki Shinotuka, Takashi Hosoi, Hiroshi Yamakawa
  • Patent number: 5639962
    Abstract: A method for analyzing tire uniformity including a force machine, the method including the steps of measuring radial and lateral forces of a tire, generating radial and lateral waveforms from measurements of the radial and lateral forces of the tire, and calculating the first and second derivatives of the waveforms, preferably using a point-to-point slope calculation. The derivatives may be represented in terms of peak-to-peak pounds force per square seconds, in terms of frequency spectrum, in terms of maximum rate of change, or in terms of root mean squares. The derivatives are then compared to predetermined uniformity specifications, and tires not falling with the specifications are removed. Tangential forces may also be analyzed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 17, 1997
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventor: John Michael Maloney
  • Patent number: 5635650
    Abstract: A measuring unit 12 comprises a vibrator 13 which is disposed in a fluid flowing into the measuring unit 12 and is able to reciprocally vibrate in a direction of width of the flow passage when there occurs a differential pressure due to a flow velocity, a flow separator 15 which is disposed downstream of the vibrator 13 to abut with the vibrator 13 for holding the vibrator 13 in the measuring unit 12 and also separating the fluid, and forms a frequency converter 14 capable of supplying the differential pressure to the vibrator 13 from the upstream side so that the vibrator 13 can reciprocally vibrate, a vibrator abutting portion 16 disposed upstream of the vibrator 13 and coming into abutment with the vibrator 13 when the vibrator 13 is vibrated, and a frequency detector 17 capable of detecting reciprocal frequency of the vibrator 13.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 3, 1997
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Ito
  • Patent number: 5629486
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 13, 1997
    Assignee: Delco Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Andres D. Viduya, Lewis H. Little
  • Patent number: 5629479
    Abstract: The present volume monitoring device (40) includes a cylindrical portion (66) having a piston assembly (100) therein. The cylindrical portion (66) having a measuring device (48) attached thereto at one end (46) and a readout gage (44) attached thereto at an other end (50). The measuring device (48) including a plurality of plungers (181) which when the volume displacement monitoring device (40) is positioned within an opening activates a flow of fluid to move the piston assembly (100) and establishes a readout on the readout gage (44). The volume displacement monitoring device (40) provides an economical way of monitoring the size of an opening. Furthermore, the volume displacement monitoring device (40) can be used in the field and does not require additional environmental protection to remain within safety standards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 13, 1997
    Assignee: Solar Turbines Incorporated
    Inventor: Mark S. Paulson
  • Patent number: 5627304
    Abstract: A system including a method and means for trimming capacitive-type remotely-located fuel probes that eliminates the previously-used variable trim capacitor and substitutes a rugged, inexpensive, standard-value signature resistor connected between the AC input and ground to provide "calibration offset" data needed by the fuel measurement electronics to make a determination of actual probe capacitance. The system may be applied to any such probe having a blocking capacitor in series with the probe capacitor, which blocking capacitor insures accurate measurement of the signature resistor when the leakage resistance is significant. When applied to DC or AC FHC probes, the C.sub.fhc capacitor is replaced with a non-critical DC-blocking capacitor, that is typically at least 100 times greater in capacitance value than the C.sub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 6, 1997
    Assignee: Smiths Industries
    Inventors: Neil R. Jacob, Joe K. Winner, Douglas C. Smythe
  • Patent number: 5627313
    Abstract: The system has been innovated by means of ellipses that mesh tangentially with each other, given the importance of mixing accurate amounts of liquids, or merely controlling quantities entering or leaving a reservoir. The shape of the ellipses is noteworthy in that they comprise two round parts and two flat parts, a round part of one of the ellipses meshing with a flat part of the other ellipse. The ellipses move due to a free-falling liquid passing through them, their movement or speed defining the volume of the liquid, the quantity of which is accurately measured. In order to achieve a constant accuracy, the ellipses move the drive pulley, which transmits impulses to a driven pulley through a trapezoidal belt, the driven pulley having a variable diameter to tighten the belt and maintain an accurate reading at all times. This is the innovation proposed by the POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT VOLUMETER.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 6, 1997
    Inventors: Tremino J. A. Gomez, Redondo S. R. Valbuena
  • Patent number: 5616859
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for reducing the magnitude of a uniformity characteristic in a cured tire and the tire produced thereby. A signal is generated which is indicative of the magnitude of the uniformity characteristic. The signal is also indicative of the location on the tire to be corrected. At least a portion of one carcass reinforcing member of the tire is permanently deformed a predetermined amount at the location indicated by the signal to correct the uniformity characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 1, 1997
    Assignee: Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventor: Timothy B. Rhyne
  • Patent number: 5611239
    Abstract: A microwave point level instrument is adapted to detect level or change of products in a storage vessel. The instrument includes a microwave transducer periodically developing a pulse of microwave energy. A microwave bridge is driven by the transducer for receiving pulses of microwave energy. The bridge includes a reference arm receiving a portion of each pulse of microwave energy to be altered by a variable impedance tuning circuit. A measurement arm receives another portion of each pulse of microwave energy to be altered by dielectric properties of a product at a process seal installed in a storage vessel, in use. A detector arm develops a microwave signal responsive to imbalance in the bridge between the microwave energy altered by the tuning circuit and the microwave energy altered by the dielectric properties of the product. A sensing circuit is coupled to the bridge detector arm for developing an electrical signal responsive to the microwave signal representing the imbalance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 18, 1997
    Assignee: Magnetrol International Inc.
    Inventor: Leonid Klinshteyn
  • Patent number: 5612492
    Abstract: A pressure sensitive paint is coated onto the surface over which a pressure distribution is to be measured, such as in a wind-tunnel test of an aerodynamic body. A pressure sensitive paint is a mixture of a photoluminescent-compatible, oxygen-permeable binder that is a mixture of silanol-terminated polydimethylsiloxane and methyltriacetoxysilane, and a photoluminescent active agent such as tris(4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline) ruthenium(II) chloride pentahydrate. The binder and active agent are placed into an appropriate amount of a solvent for the binder and the active agent, such as dichloromethane, and applied to a surface. In testing of the surface such as wind tunnel testing, the active agent quantitatively luminesces responsive to the local external pressure at the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 18, 1997
    Assignee: McDonnell Douglas Corporation
    Inventors: Scott D. Schwab, Ram L. Levy
  • Patent number: 5608168
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for operating a regulated heat conduction vacuum gauge with a Wheatstone bridge (1) powered by a controllable supply voltage and a gauge filament (6) and a resistance (9) as two of its components among others, designed to be temperature-dependant to compensate for interference effects of the ambient temperature on the gauge filament (6) and to a suitable circuit for implementing this process; it is proposed, in order to improve and simplify the temperature compensation, that, by linking various electrical measurements of the bridge (1) or by equivalent approximation systems, the value or the temperature of the temperature-dependant resistance (9) be found and taken into account in determining the pressure measurements (drawing FIG. 2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 4, 1997
    Assignee: Leybold Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Anno Schoroth
  • Patent number: 5603570
    Abstract: The temperature control of a device incorporated in a module is performed using a device temperature and a surroundings temperature of the device. The device temperature is detected by a device temperature sensor disposed near the device and the surroundings temperature is detected by a surroundings temperature sensor disposed on the module. Using the surroundings temperature when the device is operated, an actual temperature difference between the device temperature and a predetermined control target temperature is estimated based on a predetermined relation between the surroundings temperature and the device temperature detected when desired characteristics of the device are obtained. The device temperature detected when the device is operated is compensated with the estimated temperature difference to adjust the temperature of the device on the predetermined control target temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 18, 1997
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Haruhito Shimizu
  • Patent number: 5602333
    Abstract: A fuel gauging system for use in determining the level of fuel in a tank. The system incorporates a resonant circuit for measuring the resonant frequency of at least one probe immersed in the fuel located in the tank. From measurements of variations of the frequency of resonance, the level of liquid in the tank is determined, and the fuel quantity is then calculated and displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 11, 1997
    Assignee: Smiths Industries
    Inventors: David A. Larrabee, John S. Wyler, Farid Ahmad
  • Patent number: 5596152
    Abstract: Flow straightener for eliminating vortices in a gas stream through a flow tube. The flow straightener consists of a plate with a circular symmetric hole pattern, wherein the diameter of the holes is smaller than 0.1 times the diameter of the flow tube. The passage area of the holes is between 0.4 and 0.8 times the passage area of the flow tube. The diameter of the largest hole is bigger than 1.3 times the diameter of the smallest hole. The thickness of the plate is between 0.8 and 1 times the square root of the average passage area of the holes. The plate is disposed upstream in front of a turbine-wheel gas meter, which is mounted, so as to run on bearings, on a cylindrical body. In the annular gap between the cylindrical body and the flow tube, a second flow straightener is arranged consisting of a number of vanes, the ratio of the height of the vanes and the spacing between the vanes being between 0.8 and 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 1995
    Date of Patent: January 21, 1997
    Assignee: Instromet B.V.
    Inventors: Josephus T. M. Bergervoet, Franciscus J. G. M. Oostendoys
  • Patent number: 5596141
    Abstract: Tire vibration frequency components of left-hand and right-hand tires are derived from wheel speed signals while a vehicle is traveling. A noise frequency component is detected based on a correlation between the vibration frequency components of the left-hand and right-hand tires, and the noise frequency component is reduced relative to the vibration frequency component. Thereafter, resonance frequencies of each tire are detected using the vibration frequency component from which the noise frequency component is reduced, and tire air pressures are detected on the basis of the resonance frequencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 1995
    Date of Patent: January 21, 1997
    Assignee: Nippondenso Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Nishikawa, Ikuo Hayashi, Takeyasu Taguti
  • Patent number: 5596149
    Abstract: A pressure measurement tap for use in a pressurized fluidized bed for preventing a flow of particulate matter into the measurement tap opening. The pressure measurement tap has an inner pipe for providing purge air through the pressure measurement tap which carries the purge air past a pressure gauge conduit and provides for greater accuracy in measurements. A second embodiment has a constant source of purge air provided to the inner pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 1995
    Date of Patent: January 21, 1997
    Assignee: The Babcock & Wilcox Company
    Inventor: Douglas J. DeVault
  • Patent number: 5596133
    Abstract: A U-shaped bracket has bearings holding a rotatable shaft. The shaft supps a pair of conical disks with their apexes facing each other along the shaft. Nuts are positioned along the shaft outside of the cones to position the cones. A cylindrical strength piece and a cylindrical test piece are inserted over the shaft with the test piece being outermost. The nuts tighten the disks against the test piece with the strength piece being of such a size to inhibit the disks from damaging the test piece. The bracket has an extension affixed to it that is attached to a testing machine. The cylindrical test piece is suitable for rotation and has a coating bonded to it. The testing machine peels the coating at a constant 90.degree. angle from the test piece and measures the peel strength upon the test piece being rotated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 1995
    Date of Patent: January 21, 1997
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Wendell C. Maciejewski