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. 22, 1995
Filed:
May. 20, 1994
Donald S Foreman, Fridley, MN (US);
David Kubisiak, Chanhassen, MN (US);
Honeywell Inc., Minneapolis, MN (US);
Abstract
A plurality of fluid condition sensors are combined together to provide a sensor cluster that senses turbidity, temperature, conductivity and the movement of a ferromagnetic object. The plurality of sensors are attached to a substrate and encapsulated, by an overmolding process, with a light transmissive and fluid impermeable material. The sensor cluster can be disposed at numerous different locations within a body of fluid and does not require a conduit to direct the fluid to a particular location proximate the sensor. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a circuit is provided which monitors the signal strength of first and second light sensitive components to determine turbidity and, in addition, those signal strengths are also used to advantageously determine the most efficient magnitude of current necessary to drive a light source, such as a light emitting diode. By controlling the current to a light emitting diode as a function of the strength of light signal received by first and second light sensitive components, the turbidity sensor can be operated at a more efficient and effect level.