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:
Mar. 22, 2011
Filed:
May. 14, 2008
Curtis L. Van Weelden, Waukesha, WI (US);
Dean S. Wardle, Waukesha, WI (US);
Curtis L. Van Weelden, Waukesha, WI (US);
Dean S. Wardle, Waukesha, WI (US);
HUSCO Automotive Holdings LLC, Waukesha, WI (US);
Abstract
A system for detecting a characteristic of oil in a reservoir includes a sensor at least partially located in the reservoir. The sensor has a chamber for receiving oil from the reservoir, a detector member in the chamber, and an electromagnetic coil. Application of voltage across the electromagnetic coil moves the detector member and the presence and viscosity of oil in the chamber affects the rate of that movement. The electric current through the electromagnetic coil is measured and analyzed to determine an amount of time that the detector member took to move between two positions in the chamber. That amount of time is used to determine whether there is at least a predefined amount of oil in the reservoir and, if so, the viscosity of the oil.