Apparatus and method for measuring length of pipe

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9389059-B2
Application number	US-201213667667-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 2, 2012
Priority date	Sep 5, 2008
Publication date	Jul 12, 2016
Grant date	Jul 12, 2016

Abstract

An apparatus for detecting a pipe length in an air conditioning system includes a detector to detect a signal traveled through a pipe; and a processor to determine a pipe length based on the detected signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A pipe length detecting apparatus comprising:
a detector to detect an alternating current (AC) signal traveled through a pipe; and
a processor to determine a length of the pipe,
the apparatus further comprising:
a signal generator to generate the alternating current (AC) signal to be sent through the pipe,
wherein the alternating current (AC) signal is sent from one end of the pipe to another end of the pipe, and
wherein the processor determines the length of the pipe based on the detected signal, which is a non-reflected signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a first impedance coupler that couples to one end of the pipe, wherein the detector detects the alternating current (AC) signal traveled through the pipe at the first impedance coupler.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising a second impedance coupler that couples to another end of the pipe, wherein the signal generator sends the alternating current (AC) signal to the pipe through the second impedance coupler.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein at least one of the first and second impedance couplers is impedance-matched with the pipe.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein at least one of the first and second impedance couplers is made of a magnetic substance.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein at least one of the first and second impedance couplers is matched to the pipe corresponding to one-fourth or one-half of a wavelength of the alternating current (AC) signal.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a display to visually display information related to the length of the pipe.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a look-up table stored in a memory, wherein the processor determines the length of the pipe using the look-up table.

9. A pipe length detecting apparatus comprising:
a first impedance coupler to couple to one end of a pipe;
a signal generator to generate a signal to be sent to the pipe through the first impedance coupler;
a second impedance coupler to couple to the pipe;
a detector coupled to the second impedance coupler to detect the signal traveled through the pipe from the first impedance coupler to the second impedance coupler; and
a processor that determines a length of the pipe based on a difference in amplitude of the sent signal and the detected signal, and impedances of the first and second impedance couplers,
wherein the signal generator generates an alternating current (AC) signal,
wherein the alternating current (AC) signal is sent from one end of the pipe to opposite end of the pipe,
wherein the detected signal is a non-reflected signal.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the first and second impedance couplers is impedance-matched with the pipe.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the first and second impedance couplers is made of a magnetic substance.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the first and second impedance couplers is matched to the pipe at portions corresponding to one-fourth or one-half of a wavelength of the signal.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising a display to visually display information related to the pipe length.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising a look-up table stored in a memory, wherein the processor determines the pipe length using the look-up table.

15. A pipe length detecting apparatus, comprising:
a detector to detect an alternating current (AC) signal traveled through a pipe;
a first impedance coupler that couples to one end of the pipe, wherein the detector detects the alternating current (AC) signal traveled through the pipe at the first impedance coupler;
a signal generator to generate the alternating current (AC) signal to be sent through the pipe; and
a second impedance coupler that couples to another end of the pipe, wherein the signal generator sends the alternating current (AC) signal to the pipe through the second impedance coupler; and
a processor to determine a length of the pipe by comparing an amplitude of the detected signal with that of the sent signal,
wherein the alternating current (AC) signal is sent from one end of the pipe to opposite end of the pipe,
wherein the detected signal is a non-reflected signal.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein at least one of the first and second impedance couplers is impedance-matched with the pipe.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein at least one of the first and second impedance couplers is made of a magnetic substance.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein at least one of the first and second impedance couplers is matched to the pipe corresponding to one-fourth or one-half of a wavelength of the alternating current (AC) signal.

Assignees

• Kim Jun-Tae
• Ahn Chi-Sun
• Jung Seung-Hwan
• Youn Sang-Chul
• Jeon Duck-Gu
• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kim Jun-Tae
• Ahn Chi-Sun
• Jung Seung-Hwan
• Youn Sang-Chul
• Jeon Duck-Gu

Classifications

• H10P74/277

  Circuits for electrically characterising or monitoring manufacturing processes, e.g. circuits in tested chips or circuits in testing wafers · CPC title

• G01B7/02 Primary

  for measuring length, width or thickness (G01B7/004, G01B7/12 take precedence) · CPC title

• G01N27/041

  of a solid body · CPC title

• F24F1/26

  Refrigerant piping · CPC title

• G01D5/165

  by relative movement of a point of contact {or actuation} and a resistive track · CPC title