Measuring and testing – Liquid analysis or analysis of the suspension of solids in a...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-14
2001-02-13
Williams, Hezron (Department: 2856)
Measuring and testing
Liquid analysis or analysis of the suspension of solids in a...
C073S866500
Reexamination Certificate
active
06185988
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates, generally, to data-gathering devices that are used in marine environments. More particularly, it relates to means for protecting such devices from the effects of water exposure.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Untended monitoring devices for sensing, recording, and reporting various environmental conditions are well known. Recent advances include a fiber-optic sensor for the measurement of dissolved CO
2
in seawater currently under development by YSI, Inc., of Yellow Springs, Ohio. The YSI buoys used in marine environments are multi-parameter buoys; in addition to monitoring levels of dissolved CO
2
, they also monitor dissolved oxygen pH, pCO
2
, water temperature, conductivity, wind speed and direction, solar radiation, air temperature, and the like.
Nor are water quality monitoring devices restricted to seawater applications. They have utility in monitoring water quality parameters in wastewater, drinking water, aquaculture, surface water, groundwater, and estuaries as well.
Another company active in this industry is WET Labs, Inc., of Philonsth, Oreg. It provides underwater optical instrumentation for physical, biological, geological, and chemical characterization of the natural environment. The sensors made by WET Labs, Inc. perform the functions of spectrophotometry, and measure absorption, attenuation, scattering and fluorescence.
Unfortunately, monitoring devices dedicated to marine environments are subjected to the dilatory effects thereof, including corrosion, barnacles, algae, and the like. If a sensor dedicated to monitoring environmental conditions in the sea is exposed for sustained periods of time to the marine environment that it monitors, its useful life is short. Since marine sensors are often mounted in remote, not easily accessible locations, a long useful lifetime is desirable. Moreover, marine sensors may also be expensive, thereby providing another reason why a long service lifetime is preferred.
One way to extend the lifetime of a sensor in a marine environment is to perform a high level of maintenance on the sensor. Frequent removal of barnacles, for example, is mandatory if an ocean-based sensor is to have a commercially acceptable lifetime. Obviously, such frequent cleaning is labor intensive and accordingly quite expensive.
What is needed, then, is an inexpensive means for extending the operative lifetime of a water quality sensor.
However, in view of the prior art taken as a whole at the time the present invention was made, it was not obvious to those of ordinary skill in the pertinent art how these needs could be fulfilled.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The longstanding, but heretofore unfulfilled need for a low-maintenance sensor used in marine environments that has a long service lifetime is now met by a new, useful, and nonobvious invention. The antifouling apparatus of this invention includes a sensor means having a first, retracted position disposed above a water level of a body of water to be monitored. The sensor means has a second, extended position where it is disposed in immersed relation to the body of water. A retraction and extension means selectively extends and retracts the sensor means relative to a housing that is mounted above the water level. Significantly, the sensor means is extended and immersed in the body of water only during a predetermined amount of time required to make a measurement of a preselected water quality parameter, i.e., the sensor means is retracted and out of contact with the body of water when no measurement is being made. Thus, the sensor means undergoes the deleterious effects caused by the body of water to a much lesser extent than sensor means that are in continuous contact with a body of water.
The sensor means is disposed wholly within the housing means when in its first, retracted position and it is at least partially outside the housing means when in its second, extended position.
An imperforate door means is provided for opening and closing the housing means. The door means is open when the sensor means is in its second, extended position and the door means is closed when the sensor means is in its first, retracted position.
A bias means maintains the door means in a normally closed position when the bias means is in a position of repose.
The retraction and extension means may take many forms. In a preferred embodiment, it includes an elongate worm gear that is meshingly engaged by an output shaft of a preselected reversible motor means. The sensor means is mounted on a leading end of the worm gear. Rotation of the output shaft in a first direction displaces the worm gear into its first, retracted position and rotation of the output shaft in a second direction, opposite to the first direction, displaces the worm gear into its second, extended position.
A control means controls operation of the motor means. In the preferred embodiment, an antenna means receives signals from a remote location for activating and deactivating the motor means. The antenna means also forms part of a transmission means for reporting data gathered by the sensor means to a remote site for collecting said data.
Alternatively, a timer means at the site of the monitoring apparatus may be employed for activating and deactivating the motor means at predetermined times.
It is therefore clear that the primary object of this invention is to provide a water quality monitoring apparatus for use in marine environments that is substantially protected from the deleterious effects of the environment within which it is used.
More specific objects are to provide a means for mounting a sensor in spaced apart relation to a body of water, and to provide means for deploying the sensor into operable relation to the water for only as much time as is required to sense one or more preselected water qualities.
These and other important objects, advantages, and features of the invention will become clear as this description proceeds.
The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts that will be exemplified in the description set forth hereinafter and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2255369 (1941-09-01), Spaeth
patent: 4157657 (1979-06-01), Hinchman
patent: 4892445 (1990-01-01), Paige
patent: 5186050 (1993-02-01), Lagace et al.
patent: 5299141 (1994-03-01), Hungerford et al.
patent: 5816874 (1998-10-01), Juran et al.
Omni Controls, Inc., Water Quality Sensors, http://www.omnicontrols.com/lists/quality.html, Mar. 28, 2000.
Cygan Michael
Hopen Anton J.
Smith Ronald E.
Smith & Hopen , P.A.
Williams Hezron
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