Mechanical pressure gauge having digital output

Details Mechanical pressure gauge having digital output Mechanical pressure gauge having digital output

2001-03-21

2003-03-11

Noori, Max (Department: 2855)

Measuring and testing

Fluid pressure gauge

Bourdon

C073S705000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06530281

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pressure gauge, and more particularly to a mechanical pressure gauge having a digital output displayed by a digital diaplayer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As shown in
FIG. 1
, a typical mechanical pressure gauge is illustrated and comprises a Bourdon tube
11
coupled to a pressurized fluid reservoir with a port
19
of a housing or a support
10
, a pinion
14
and a pointer
16
rotatably supported on support
10
with a spindle
17
, and a sector gear
13
rotatably secured on the support
10
and coupled to the Bourdon tube
11
with a link
12
and engaged with the pinion
14
. The sector gear
13
may rotate the pinion
14
and thus the pointer
16
to indicate the pressure value when the sector gear
13
is rotated by the Bourdon tube
11
via the link
12
and when the Bourdon tube
11
is deformed by the pressurized fluid that flows into the Bourdon tube
11
. A spring
15
is engaged on the spindle
17
and engaged with the support
10
for recovering the spindle
17
after the pressure is released from the support
10
. However, the pointer
16
may be used to display or to point an analog output only and may not be used to exactly tell the value of the pressure.
As shown in
FIG. 2
, illustrated is a typical electric pressure gauge including a pressure sensor
21
engaged in a tube
20
and coupled to an electric circuit
23
for sensing or detecting the pressure in the tube
20
. One or more batteries
22
are received in a housing
27
and coupled to the electric circuit
23
for energizing the electric circuit
23
and/or the pressure sensor
21
. The electric circuit
23
may convert the pressure in the tube
20
into a digital output which may be displayed in the displayer
24
. However, the pressure sensor
21
is rather expensive, and the pressure sensor
21
includes a highly precision configuration that may not be easily manufactured.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional pressure gauges.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a pressure gauge including a mechanical configuration and including a digital output for precisely showing and displaying the value of the pressure.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a pressure gauge comprising a housing, a Bourdon tube coupled to a pressure reservoir for receiving a pressurized fluid, a spindle supported on the housing, a link device for coupling the Bourdon tube to the spindle and to rotate the spindle in correspondence with a pressure in the Bourdon tube, a displayer, and a device for converting a rotational movement of the spindle to a digital output and to be displayed in the displayer. The rotational movement of the spindle and the deformation or the movement of the Bourdon tube may thus be converted into the digital output and may be precisely shown in the displayer.
The link device includes a pinion secured on the spindle and rotated in concert with the spindle, a sector gear rotatably secured in the housing and engaged with the pinion, and a link coupled between the Bourdon tube and the sector gear for rotating the pinion via the sector gear.
A spring-biasing device is further provided for recovering the spindle when the pressure in the Bourdon tube is released.
The rotational movement converting device includes a disc secured to the spindle and rotated in concert with the spindle, the disc includes a peripheral portion having a plurality of openings formed therein, and a photo detecting device for detecting a rotational movement of the disc.
The photo detecting device includes a gap formed therein for receiving the peripheral portion of the disc, a light emitting device disposed on a first side of the disc, and a detector disposed on a second side of the disc for detecting a light generated by the light emitting device and transmitted through the openings of the disc.
The rotational movement converting device further includes an electric circuit coupled between the displayer and the photo detecting device for receiving a detected signal from the photo detecting device.
One or more batteries may further be provided for energizing the electric circuit.
Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of a detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to accompanying drawings.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4571995 (1986-02-01), Timme
patent: 5138155 (1992-08-01), Gray
patent: 5311014 (1994-05-01), Liucci

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