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:
Oct. 05, 2004
Filed:
May. 04, 2001
Keith N. Ismail, El Paso, TX (US);
Oscar Alfonso Lecea, El Paso, TX (US);
Steven Douglas Thomson, El Paso, TX (US);
Delphi Technologies, Inc., Troy, MI (US);
Abstract
An oil level/condition sensor includes a first level sensing tube, a common tube, and a second level sensing tube. The tubes are concentric to each other around a central axis. Moreover, the tubes are separated by plastic spacers which insulate the level sensing tubes from the common tube and maintain the concentricity of the tubes. Installed in the end of the first level sensing tube is a coupling/plug and disposed around the coupling/plug is a first condition sensing tube. The coupling/plug insulates the first level sensing tube from the first condition sensing tube and prevents fluid communication therebetween. A second condition sensing tube is attached to the second level sensing tube around the common tube and the first condition sensing tube. A ring-shaped insulator electrically isolates the second condition sensing tube from the second level sensing tube. The multiple tube configuration provides increased sensing surface area without increasing the length of the sensor or dramatically increasing the overall diameter of the sensor package. As such, the increased sensing surface area increases the signal strength and the accuracy of the sensor. Thus, the sensor is used in relatively shallow oil pans where the length of the sensor is constrained by the depth of the oil pan.