Thermal measuring and testing – Housing – support – or adjunct
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-30
2001-05-08
Gutierrez, Diego (Department: 2859)
Thermal measuring and testing
Housing, support, or adjunct
C073S866500
Reexamination Certificate
active
06227703
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF INVENTION
This invention relates to a variable length sensor probe system for connection to a sensor well.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
Sensor probe systems employing a housing and a sensor probe are commonly used by connecting them to a sensor well for sensing a predetermined parameter, e.g. temperature, pressure, vibration, heat. For example, when the parameter is heat or temperature, the housing and temperature sensor probe are connected to a heat transfer well or thermal well. The sensor probe is typically a hollow tube with one or more temperature sensors at the closed end and wires coming out the open end to connect to signal processing electronics. If multiple sensors are used in a probe they can be grouped for averaging their readings or spaced to obtain temperature gradients, for example. The sensor probe is disposed in the thermal well with the closed distal end of the sensor probe contacting the distal end of the well. The well physically protects the sensor probe and temperature sensors and provides good thermal transfer from the medium whose temperature is to be measured by the sensor probe. Good thermal contact between the distal ends of the well and sensor probe is important for accurate sensing. To ensure good contact, the distal end, or tip, of the sensor probe is pressed against the bottom, or distal end, of the well by a spring or other mechanical force. However, the wells vary in length depending upon the insertion depth required by the particular application. It is therefore necessary to have sensor probes of a number of different lengths: no one length of sensor probe can accommodate all applications and so a number of different sizes must be manufactured and inventoried.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved variable length sensor probe system for connection to a sensor well.
It is a further object of this invention to provide such a variable length sensor probe system which enables a wide range of sensor probe lengths to be used with a particular length well.
It is a further object of this invention to provide such a variable length sensor probe system which can accommodate a wide range of well lengths with a single length sensor probe.
It is a further object of this invention to provide such a variable length sensor probe system which accommodates combining of a wide range of different well lengths and sensor probe lengths while maintaining good contact between the distal ends of the well and sensor probe.
The invention results from the realization that a variable length sensor probe system which permits a single sensor probe to be used with a wide range of well lengths and a wide range of sensor probe lengths to be used with a single well while always urging the distal ends of the sensor probe and well into good intimate contact can be achieved using an indexing device which interconnects and discretely positions the sensor probe and the housing that receives the well to properly position the sensor probe in the well and continuously urges their distal ends into intimate contact throughout the range of positions.
This invention features a variable length sensor probe system for connection to a sensor well including a housing adapted for connection to the proximate end of a sensor well and a sensor probe having a distal end for contacting the distal end of the sensor well and a proximate end extending into the housing. There is an indexing device for interconnecting the housing and the proximate end of the sensor probe for setting the penetration of the sensor probe in the sensor well at one of a number of discrete positions and continuously urging the distal end of the sensor probe against the distal end of the sensor well.
In a preferred embodiment the indexing device may include a bias member. The bias member may engage both the sensor probe and the housing. The indexing device may include a bias member and a mounting element. The bias member may engage the sensor probe and the mounting element may engage the housing, or the bias member may engage the housing and the mounting element may engage the sensor probe. The bias member may be a leaf spring, an elastomer or a coil spring. The indexing device may include a number of aligned steps on the housing. It may also include a stop member for selectively engaging the steps. The sensor probe may include at least one temperature sensing device. The indexing device may include a threaded shaft and a threaded member engaged with the shaft. The threaded member may include a biasing device. The shaft may engage the housing and the threaded member the sensor probe. The biasing device may engage the sensor probe. The indexing device may include a plurality of stops on the sensor probe, a mounting element engaged with the housing, and means for selectively interconnecting one of the stops and the housing.
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DiMatteo Joseph R.
Lewis Clifford W.
Neilson Paul C.
Adaptive Instruments Corporation
Gutierrez Diego
Iandiorio & Teska
Pruchnic Jr. Stanley J.
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