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:
Jun. 23, 1992
Filed:
Dec. 07, 1990
Adib G Daoud, San Diego, CA (US);
Fred W Bacher, San Diego, CA (US);
IVAC Corporation, San Diego, CA (US);
Abstract
A sensor system has a two-housing arrangement, each housing of which contains a transducer. One housing includes the transmitter transducer and a flat engaging surface for pressing against the fluid line and deforming it. The other housing includes the receiver transducer mounted so that it is coupled to the bottom of a rectangular U-shaped channel for receiving the fluid line. A spring biases the flat surface of the first housing into contact with the fluid line and deforms the fluid line into the shape of the channel so that the fluid line fills the channel. The channel is shaped to force the fluid line into a general rectangular shape as it is pressed into the channel by the flat surface. Two walls of the deformed fluid line are oriented in a direction perpendicular to the flat engaging surface of the first housing and provide an opposing force to the flat surface. The fluid line stiffness and pressure of the fluid within act as an opposing spring to limit the travel of the transmitter transducer housing to result in firm and continuous contact between the transducers and the fluid line. A stop mechanism prevents the two housings from contacting.