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:
Jan. 12, 1993
Filed:
Jul. 22, 1991
Kenneth A Beckman, San Diego, CA (US);
James E Dikeman, San Diego, CA (US);
Simon E Finburgh, San Diego, CA (US);
IVAC Corporation, San Diego, CA (US);
Abstract
An air-in-line sensor is provided comprising an adapter for insertion in the fluid line and a sensor housing. The adapter is semi-compliant and includes convex-shaped acoustic coupling surfaces for engaging the straight and rigid transducer sensing walls of the housing. The convex surfaces of the adapter have a larger diameter than the distance between the housing sensing walls and an interference fit results. Due to this interference fit, the shape of the coupling surfaces, the varying thicknesses of the adapter walls and the difference in compliance of the materials of the adapter and the housing, a more uniform contact pressure profile is provided. The upper part of each sensing channel wall in the housing includes a ledge which wipes contaminants from the coupling surfaces of the adapter as it is inserted into the sensor channel of the housing. The inner passage of the adapter in the sensing section is tapered and this shape resists bubbles which may otherwise tend to adhere to the interior surface of the adapter and be detected by the transducers.