Symyx Technologies, Inc.

Visyx Technologies, Inc.

Dave Padowitz

Leonid Matsiev

John F Varni

James W Bennett

G Cameron Dales

Oleg Kolosov

Shenheng Guan

Daniel Meron Pinkas

Mikhail Spitkovsky

Vladimir Gammer

Mark Uhrich

Blake Walker

Eric Low

A sensor for sensing one or more properties of a vehicle fluid has a tuning fork resonator adapted to contact the fluid. The tuning fork resonator comprises two tines and is operable to oscillate so that the two tines move in opposite phase at a frequency of less than 1 MHz while contacting the fluid to generate a resonator response indicative of one or more properties of the fluid. In another aspect, a sensor includes a substrate and a flexural resonator on the substrate and adapted to contact the fluid. Circuitry for operation of the resonator is on the substrate. The resonator is adapted to receive an input signal and to oscillate while contacting the fluid to generate a resonator response indicative of one or more properties of the fluid. One suitable application for the invention is monitoring the condition of a vehicle engine oil.

Machine fluid sensor

A method for analyzing a fluid contained within a machine, comprising the steps of providing a machine including a passage for containing a fluid; placing a sensor including a mechanical resonator in the passage; operating the resonator to have a portion thereof translate through the fluid; and monitoring the response of the resonator to the fluid in the passage. A preferred sensor includes a tuning fork resonator.

Machine fluid sensor and method

Growing community of inventors

Mountain View, CA, United States of America

Dave Padowitz