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. 07, 2005
Filed:
Oct. 16, 2003
Hans-joerg Zobel, Lloyd Harbor, NY (US);
Karl-heinz Förster, Dresden, DE;
Josef Binder, Huntington, NY (US);
Hans-Joerg Zobel, Lloyd Harbor, NY (US);
Karl-Heinz Förster, Dresden, DE;
Josef Binder, Huntington, NY (US);
Festo Corporation, Hauppauge, NY (US);
Abstract
A flow sensor includes sensors connected to a flexible membrane. The sensors detect ambient temperature, pressure, and flow rate of a medium. A method of sensing flow rate includes providing the flexible membrane; coupling the plurality of sensors to the flexible membrane; and detecting ambient temperature, pressure, and flow rate of the medium by the sensors. A flow sensing system includes the flow sensor, an operational amplifier, and a closed loop controller. The sensors are connected in a Wheatstone bridge configuration. The operational amplifier is connected to the Wheatstone bridge and outputs a pressure signal representative of the pressure of the medium. The closed loop controller is connected to the operational amplifier and controls a current through a heating element for a resistor in the bridge such that a voltage across the operational amplifier is substantially zero. The output of the closed loop controller represents the flow rate.