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. 28, 2001
Filed:
Dec. 06, 1999
Mark Henry Svoboda, Swartz Creek, MI (US);
Gregory Paul Gee, Waterford, MI (US);
Delphi Technologies, Inc., Troy, MI (US);
Abstract
A mass flow sensor for measuring flow of a medium comprises a body, a membrane fixed on the body, a pair of thin film heating elements arranged on the membrane, and a sensing element arranged on the membrane adjacent the pair of heating elements and connected between the pair of heating elements. The heating elements are further arranged in a spaced relationship, transverse to the direction of medium flow such that one heating element is upstream of the other heating element in the medium flow. The sensing element provides an electrical signal for determining the voltage across the total series resistance of the heating elements which is indicative of the medium flow magnitude, and for determining the relative resistance of the upstream heating element compared to the downstream heating element which is indicative of medium flow direction. In another aspect of the invention a system for measuring flow of a medium is disclosed. The system includes the mass flow sensor of the present invention and associated circuitry for determining the magnitude and direction of a medium flow.