The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 31, 1982
Filed:
Mar. 10, 1980
Raymond E Cannon, San Diego, CA (US);
Jon A Jenkins, Rancho Santa Fe, CA (US);
Larry L Wilson, Poway, CA (US);
IMED Corporation, San Diego, CA (US);
Abstract
A rate meter senses successive drops of fluid flowing through a conduit and produces gating periods with time durations corresponding to the period of time between such successive drops. The rate meter then determines the number of incremental time periods in each gating period. The rate meter generates the reciprocal of this determination to obtain an indication of the rate of fluid flow. The rate meter may be self-contained. It includes a housing having a vertically disposed channel constructed to retain the conduit and a horizontally disposed channel communicating with the vertically disposed channel. The horizontally disposed channel is constructed to receive a cross bar made from a resilient material and fixedly disposed on the conduit. The cross bar supports the rate meter in a freestanding relationship. The cross bar may be provided with slots near its ends to enhance its resiliency. The cross bar may also be provided with detents at its ends to cooperate with detents at the ends of the horizontally disposed channel on the rate meter to retain the rate meter on the cross bar. The vertically disposed channel in the rate meter may be defined by first and second oppositely disposed walls in the housing. A light source may be disposed in the first wall and a light sensor may be disposed in the second wall. Visual indicating means may be disposed on a front wall of the housing to provide a numerical indication of the rate of fluid flow.