With Flow Direction Retained In A Plane Perpendicular To Turbine Axis Patents (Class 73/861.87)
  • Patent number: 11874156
    Abstract: A precision measurement device includes a housing and a rotor. A feed inlet is provided at an upper side of the housing. A discharge outlet is provided at a lower side of the housing. The rotor is connected to a motor. Three rings of measurement recesses are formed on the outer wall of the rotor in correspondence with the feed inlet and the discharge outlet. An upper end of the feed inlet has a trapezoid shape which is narrow at the top and wide at the bottom. The discharge outlet is disposed off-center at an ascending position of the rotation cylinder, achieving an accurate measurement effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Inventor: Jicai Xie
  • Patent number: 11614351
    Abstract: A cartridge-style flow sensor for sensing fluid flow. The flow sensor includes an exterior, interior, head, base, a circuit board, and first and second ports. The first and second ports permit fluid to flow into and out of the interior. A Hall Effect Sensor in the interior detects the number of revolutions of an impeller. An electric coupler interfaces with the sensor and a transmitter for communication of the revolutions of the impeller to a controller. The controller determines the rate of fluid flow in a conduit. The controller automatically issues a command signal to a component of a hydraulic system to alter the rate of fluid flow in the conduit. The cartridge-style hydraulic flow sensor is releasably engaged to a cavity of a hydraulic circuit manifold eliminating the need to cut and re-plumb a fluid conduit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Inventor: Dale Dietel
  • Patent number: 11460383
    Abstract: Automated cell staining systems and methods are disclosed herein. In particular, the staining systems disclosed herein provide low-volume, automated bench top staining systems for staining biological samples contained on a cytological slide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignees: NanoCytomics, LLC, Northwestern University
    Inventors: Sergey Rozhok, Justin R. Derbas, Jarema Czarnecki, Hariharan Subramanian
  • Patent number: 11384958
    Abstract: A tankless water heater with an impeller flowmeter having multiple K factors significantly improving the accuracy of flowmeter readings, particularly at low water flow rates, such as under 1 gallon per minute. Rather than use a single K factor impeller flowmeter in a tankless water heater that is particularly inaccurate at low flow rates, this disclosure provides an impeller flowmeter with multiple K factors to obtain precise flow rate readings to precisely control heating of the water at low flow rates. The flowmeter has an onboard memory with multiple K factors stored for a controller to access and read. These multiple K factors are established for flowrates across the entire dynamic range of the flowmeter at the time it is manufactured. Just enough K factors are determined to provide good curve fitting. The flowmeter onboard memory is programmed with the multiple K factors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: TANKLESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: David M. Daniel, David A. Daniel
  • Patent number: 9297574
    Abstract: A refrigerator and method of operating a refrigerator are provided in which an amount of water supplied to an ice maker may be accurately controlled. The refrigerator may include an ice maker, a dispenser for dispensing water, a flow passage control valve for selectively guiding water to the ice maker and the dispenser, a flow amount sensor, and a controller operably coupled to the flow amount sensor for controlling an amount of water supplied to the ice maker based on a water supply amount sensed by the flow amount sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Dong Hoon Lee, Tae Hee Lee, Donghoon Lee
  • Publication number: 20140326075
    Abstract: In a flow meter, a rotor support body carries a paddlewheel rotor in an operational position exposed to a through-flow bore of a flow meter housing. A sensor unit is operable to detect rotation of the rotor and provide output responsive to same for use by a monitoring system in determining a flow rate of fluid passing through the housing. The support body and the sensor unit are removable from the housing, for inspection, service, repair or replacement independently of the housing, with the sensor unit being removable independently of the support body for improved serviceability. The rotor is carried on a support shaft with a reduced diameter portion for contact-free rotation of the rotor around this reduced diameter portion, reducing an area of the shaft over which tight machining tolerances are required to prevent ingress of particulate matter that can lead to inaccurate flow measurements and increased wear rates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2013
    Publication date: November 6, 2014
    Inventor: Sur-Flo Meters & Controls Ltd.
  • Publication number: 20130312538
    Abstract: A water meter of the present invention may accurately measure a flow rate and reduce power consumption. The water meter includes a body including an inlet unit and an outlet unit, an impeller unit provided to rotate due to a fluid flowing in the body, a cover member that covers one side of the impeller unit and includes a guide groove formed therein, and sensors that are provided on one side and the other side of the cover member and are spaced apart from each other to face each other. The impeller unit includes blades interfering with the fluid, a shaft forming a rotational center of the blades, and a cut-off unit that extends from one side of the plurality of blades to be inserted into the guide groove, and selectively cuts off signal transmission between the plurality of sensors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2011
    Publication date: November 28, 2013
    Applicant: ONE-TL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jae Sam Park, Byeong Hak Kang, Hun Cha
  • Publication number: 20120090472
    Abstract: A flowmeter that includes a moulded housing delimiting a measuring chamber; a rotatable measuring body having a rotatable shaft extending across the measuring chamber; and point bearings for mounting and positioning opposite extremities of the rotatable shaft in the housing. Each point bearing is formed of a protruding part and a cooperating facing counter-part part, in particular a recessed part, associated, respectively, with the housing and an extremity of the rotatable shaft, or vice versa. This protruding part and its counter-part are integrally formed with their associated moulded housing and rotatable shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2010
    Publication date: April 19, 2012
    Inventors: Stefan Etter, Martin Ziegler
  • Publication number: 20090151473
    Abstract: A mechanical meter for measuring the quantity of liquid flowing through a pipe (2), comprising an impeller (1) supported by a saddle (3) positionable on the outer surface of the pipe (2), in which the inner surface of the saddle (3) is arranged to abut, at least by a part thereof, directly against the outer surface of the pipe (2) such as to ensure the same penetration of the impeller (1) into the pipe (2) for each installation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2005
    Publication date: June 18, 2009
    Inventor: Alberto Lodolo
  • Publication number: 20090035121
    Abstract: In fluid flow measurement applications, apparatus and associated systems, computer program products, and methods may include a positive displacement fluid flow meter having an actuator to control fluid flow through the meter, and further having two or more rotating members with substantially parallel axes that rotate in response to the actuator and to fluid flow through the meter. In various implementations, the actuator may promote and/or retard a fluid flow being measured through the meter. In some examples, the fluid flow meter may operate as a pump to controllably increase a line pressure, controllably regulate a fluid flow rate by opposing rotation of the rotating members, substantially stop a fluid flow, and/or reverse a base fluid flow direction. In an illustrative example, the meter may operate to accurately monitor and control fluid flow (e.g., fluid pressure, velocity, and/or volume) before, during, and/or after a line break.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2007
    Publication date: February 5, 2009
    Applicant: Dresser, Inc.
    Inventors: David B. Watson, Francisco M. Gutierrez
  • Patent number: 7257999
    Abstract: A liquid dispenser comprises a sprayer device and volume meter connected together to form an integral unit that prevents the sprayer device and volume meter from being disconnected without damaging the dispenser. The volume meter has an inlet end portion and a gauge member downstream of the inlet end portion that responds to liquid flowing through the dispenser to provide a visual readout indicating the volume of liquid flowing through the dispenser. A common passageway extends through the sprayer device and volume meter through which liquid flows from the inlet end portion of the volume meter, past the gauge member, and exits the sprayer device at a head end thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2007
    Assignee: H20 Watch, Inc.
    Inventor: Barry I. Goldfarb
  • Patent number: 6926821
    Abstract: A totalization meter system for a water treatment device, the device having an inlet aperture and an outlet aperture, and a channel for channeling water between the inlet and outlet apertures. A flow reactive device is positioned in the channel and is exposed to the flowing water, and a signal generating member is positioned on the flow reactive device. A switch is positioned proximately to the flow reactive device, and is sensitive to the proximity of the signal generating member. The switch is able to communicate electric signals indicative of the motion of the signal generating member. A resettable processor having a performance threshold programmed therein and an output device is included. The microcontroller is in electrical communication with the switch for receiving electrical signals from the switch. The switch is capable of sensing the characteristics of the flow reactive device and communicates electrical signals representative of the characteristics to the microcontroller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2005
    Assignee: Water Pik, Inc.
    Inventors: Edward C. Giordano, Thomas W. Graves, James M. Jennings, Mark Vander Berg, William James A. Storer, Douglas R. Gibbs, Douglas A. Lonsinger
  • Publication number: 20030173273
    Abstract: A totalization meter system for a water treatment device, the device having an inlet aperture and an outlet aperture, and a channel for channeling water between the inlet and outlet apertures. A flow reactive device is positioned in the channel and is exposed to the flowing water, and a signal generating member is positioned on the flow reactive device. A switch is positioned proximately to the flow reactive device, and is sensitive to the proximity of the signal generating member. The switch is able to communicate electric signals indicative of the motion of the signal generating member. A resettable processor having a performance threshold programmed therein and an output device is included. The microcontroller is in electrical communication with the switch for receiving electrical signals from the switch. The switch is capable of sensing the characteristics of the flow reactive device and communicates electrical signals representative of the characteristics to the microcontroller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2003
    Publication date: September 18, 2003
    Inventors: Edward C. Giordano, Thomas W. Graves, James M. Jennings, Mark Vander Berg, William James A. Storer, Douglas R. Gibbs, Douglas A. Lonsinger
  • Patent number: 6517707
    Abstract: A totalization meter system for a water treatment device, the device having an inlet aperture and an outlet aperture, and a channel for channeling water between the inlet and outlet apertures. A flow reactive device is positioned in the channel and is exposed to the flowing water, and a signal generating member is positioned on the flow reactive device. A switch is positioned proximately to the flow reactive device, and is sensitive to the proximity of the signal generating member. The switch is able to communicate electric signals indicative of the motion of the signal generating member. A resettable processor having a performance threshold programmed therein and an output device is included. The microcontroller is in electrical communication with the switch for receiving electrical signals from the switch. The switch is capable of sensing the characteristics of the flow reactive device and communicates electrical signals representative of the characteristics to the microcontroller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2003
    Assignee: Water Pik, Inc.
    Inventors: Edward C. Giordano, Thomas W. Graves, James M. Jennings, Mark Vander Berg, William James A. Storer, Douglas R. Gibbs, Douglas A. Lonsinger