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:
Sep. 16, 1986
Filed:
May. 03, 1984
Mark R Koosmann, Corcoran, MN (US);
Rosemount Inc., Eden Prairie, MN (US);
Abstract
An ice detector of the vibrating element type comprises a tube that vibrates along its longitudinal axis, and is driven by an excitation coil at the natural frequency of the tube is sealed by a diaphragm which has a surface exposed to an air stream in which icing is to be sensed. The exposed diaphragm surface is deflectable during vibration of the tube at a flexible support portion of the diaphragm. As ice accumulates on the exposed surface of the flexible support the spring rate or flexibility of the flexible support changes, thereby changing the natural frequency of the vibration of the tube section. The changes in the natural frequency are sensed to determine that ice is accumulating. The diaphragm is of low mass, and small so that stiffness of small amounts of ice significantly changes the spring constant of the flexible support and the diaphragm is shaped to conform to adjacent aerodynamic surfaces.