Fill level measurement system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9733116-B2
Application number	US-201414786862-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 23, 2014
Priority date	Apr 24, 2013
Publication date	Aug 15, 2017
Grant date	Aug 15, 2017

Abstract

A fill-level measurement apparatus for measuring a fill level of a fluid in a container includes a housing having a first end and a second end and first and second substantially identical thin capacitive sensors mounted on a carrier plate in the housing. The carrier plate includes a circuit board and a microcontroller is mounted on the circuit board. The first sensor is mounted in the housing at a first distance from the first end with a surface portion in contact with a first inner wall portion of the housing, and the second sensor is mounted in the housing between the first sensor and the second end of the housing with a clearance of 0.5 to 10 centimeters from a second inner wall portion of the housing, and the first sensor and the second sensor are configured to communicate with the microcontroller.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fill-level measurement arrangement for measuring a fill level of a fluid in a container, the fill-level measurement arrangement comprising:
a circuit board;
a plate-shaped carrier element;
first and second sensors configured to measure a capacitance and disposed on the plate-shaped carrier element including the circuit board, the first and second sensors comprising geometrically identical thin elements; and
a housing comprising a first width with respect to a first wall section and a second width with respect to a second wall section,
wherein the first width is not equal to the second width,
wherein the first sensor is disposed in a first height position on the plate-shaped carrier element,
wherein the second sensor is disposed in a second height position on the plate-shaped carrier element,
wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are connected to an evaluation electronics unit mounted on the circuit board for measuring a capacitance sensed by the first sensor and a capacitance sensed by the second sensor,
wherein the first sensor is disposed with at least a first surface portion with zero clearance from the first wall section of the housing, and
wherein the second sensor is disposed with at least a second surface portion at a clearance of 0.5 cm to 10 cm from the second wall section of the housing.

2. The fill-level measurement arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the housing is comprised of non-conductive material.

3. The fill-level measurement arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the evaluation electronics unit includes a single oscillator.

4. The fill-level measurement arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the evaluation electronics unit includes PIN diodes for the switching the capacitance detection of the sensors.

5. The fill-level measurement arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the plate-shaped carrier comprises a rectangular plate.

6. The fill-level measurement arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the second sensor is disposed with the second surface portion at a clearance of from 1 to 3 cm from the second wall section of the housing.

7. The fill-level measurement arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the housing is comprised of plastic.

8. The fill-level measurement arrangement according claim 1 , wherein the evaluation electronics unit includes a single LC oscillator.

9. The fill-level measurement arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises plastic, and wherein the evaluation electronics unit includes a single LC oscillator and PIN diodes for the switching the capacitance detection of the sensors.

10. A fill-level measurement apparatus for measuring a fill level of a fluid in a container, comprising:
a housing having a first end and a second end; and
first and second substantially identical thin capacitive sensors mounted on a carrier plate in the housing, the carrier plate including a circuit board and a microcontroller mounted on the circuit board,
wherein the housing comprises a first width with respect to a first inner wall portion and a second width with respect to a second inner wall portion,
wherein the first width is not equal to the second width,
wherein the first sensor is mounted in the housing at a first distance from the first end with a first surface portion in contact with the first inner wall portion of the housing and the second sensor is mounted in the housing between the first sensor and the second end of the housing, the second sensor being mounted with a clearance of 0.5 to 10 centimeters from the second inner wall portion of the housing, the first sensor and the second sensor being configured to communicate with the microcontroller.

Assignees

• Skf Lubrication Systems Germany
• Skf Lubrication Systems Germany

Inventors

• Hoppe Peter
• Kreutzkaemper Juergen
• Schmidt Holger

Classifications

• G01F23/268

  mounting arrangements of probes · CPC title

• G01F23/266

  measuring circuits therefor · CPC title

• G01F23/263 Primary

  by measuring variations in capacitance of capacitors · CPC title