CA2220865A1 - Illuminated fluid level indicator - Google Patents

Illuminated fluid level indicator

Info

Publication number
CA2220865A1
CA2220865A1 CA002220865A CA2220865A CA2220865A1 CA 2220865 A1 CA2220865 A1 CA 2220865A1 CA 002220865 A CA002220865 A CA 002220865A CA 2220865 A CA2220865 A CA 2220865A CA 2220865 A1 CA2220865 A1 CA 2220865A1
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
fiber optic
fluid
level
optic panel
substantially flat
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
CA002220865A
Other languages
French (fr)
Other versions
CA2220865C (en
Inventor
Michael J. Kett
Mark A. Colman
David E. Brown
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Clark Reliance LLC
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Publication of CA2220865A1 publication Critical patent/CA2220865A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA2220865C publication Critical patent/CA2220865C/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Fee Related legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
    • G02B6/0001—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings specially adapted for lighting devices or systems
    • G02B6/0005—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings specially adapted for lighting devices or systems the light guides being of the fibre type
    • G02B6/0006—Coupling light into the fibre
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01F—MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL; METERING BY VOLUME
    • G01F23/00—Indicating or measuring liquid level or level of fluent solid material, e.g. indicating in terms of volume or indicating by means of an alarm
    • G01F23/02—Indicating or measuring liquid level or level of fluent solid material, e.g. indicating in terms of volume or indicating by means of an alarm by gauge glasses or other apparatus involving a window or transparent tube for directly observing the level to be measured or the level of a liquid column in free communication with the main body of the liquid
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01F—MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL; METERING BY VOLUME
    • G01F23/00—Indicating or measuring liquid level or level of fluent solid material, e.g. indicating in terms of volume or indicating by means of an alarm
    • G01F23/30—Indicating or measuring liquid level or level of fluent solid material, e.g. indicating in terms of volume or indicating by means of an alarm by floats
    • G01F23/64—Indicating or measuring liquid level or level of fluent solid material, e.g. indicating in terms of volume or indicating by means of an alarm by floats of the free float type without mechanical transmission elements
    • G01F23/72—Indicating or measuring liquid level or level of fluent solid material, e.g. indicating in terms of volume or indicating by means of an alarm by floats of the free float type without mechanical transmission elements using magnetically actuated indicating means
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01F—MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL; METERING BY VOLUME
    • G01F23/00—Indicating or measuring liquid level or level of fluent solid material, e.g. indicating in terms of volume or indicating by means of an alarm
    • G01F23/30—Indicating or measuring liquid level or level of fluent solid material, e.g. indicating in terms of volume or indicating by means of an alarm by floats
    • G01F23/64—Indicating or measuring liquid level or level of fluent solid material, e.g. indicating in terms of volume or indicating by means of an alarm by floats of the free float type without mechanical transmission elements
    • G01F23/72—Indicating or measuring liquid level or level of fluent solid material, e.g. indicating in terms of volume or indicating by means of an alarm by floats of the free float type without mechanical transmission elements using magnetically actuated indicating means
    • G01F23/74—Indicating or measuring liquid level or level of fluent solid material, e.g. indicating in terms of volume or indicating by means of an alarm by floats of the free float type without mechanical transmission elements using magnetically actuated indicating means for sensing changes in level only at discrete points
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
    • G02B6/0001—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings specially adapted for lighting devices or systems
    • G02B6/0011—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings specially adapted for lighting devices or systems the light guides being planar or of plate-like form
    • G02B6/0081—Mechanical or electrical aspects of the light guide and light source in the lighting device peculiar to the adaptation to planar light guides, e.g. concerning packaging
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
    • G02B6/0001—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings specially adapted for lighting devices or systems
    • G02B6/0011—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings specially adapted for lighting devices or systems the light guides being planar or of plate-like form
    • G02B6/0013—Means for improving the coupling-in of light from the light source into the light guide
    • G02B6/0015—Means for improving the coupling-in of light from the light source into the light guide provided on the surface of the light guide or in the bulk of it
    • G02B6/002—Means for improving the coupling-in of light from the light source into the light guide provided on the surface of the light guide or in the bulk of it by shaping at least a portion of the light guide, e.g. with collimating, focussing or diverging surfaces
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
    • G02B6/0001—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings specially adapted for lighting devices or systems
    • G02B6/0011—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings specially adapted for lighting devices or systems the light guides being planar or of plate-like form
    • G02B6/0013—Means for improving the coupling-in of light from the light source into the light guide
    • G02B6/0023—Means for improving the coupling-in of light from the light source into the light guide provided by one optical element, or plurality thereof, placed between the light guide and the light source, or around the light source
    • G02B6/0028—Light guide, e.g. taper
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10S73/00—Measuring and testing
    • Y10S73/05—Liquid levels with magnetic transmission

Abstract

Lighting assemblies are provided for visual indicators which indicate the level of fluid in a container. One such assembly comprises a backlighting assembly (14) for a visual fluid level indicator (12) having front and rear transparent viewing windows (18) for viewing the level of a fluid contained therein, comprising: (i) a substantially flat fiber optic panel (34) located proximate the rear transparent viewing window; (ii) an attachment mechanism (36) for attaching the substantially flat fiber optic panel to the visual fluid indicator proximate the rear transparent viewing window; and (iii) an illumination source (31) optically coupled to the substantially flat fiber optic panel. The illumination source is a gas filled light source operating at less than 25 volts A.C. which is enclosed in a waterproof and explosion proof enclosure (30), and which is optically coupled to the fiber optic panel by a fiber optic light cable (74). The lighting assembly may also be used for directly illuminating a magnetic fluid level indicator which indicates the level of fluid in a container (96) to which it is attached.
CA002220865A 1995-05-12 1996-05-08 Illuminated fluid level indicator Expired - Fee Related CA2220865C (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US440,014 1995-05-12
US08/440,014 US5647656A (en) 1995-05-12 1995-05-12 Illuminated fluid level indicator
PCT/US1996/006434 WO1996035928A1 (en) 1995-05-12 1996-05-08 Illuminated fluid level indicator

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA2220865A1 true CA2220865A1 (en) 1996-11-04
CA2220865C CA2220865C (en) 2002-07-16

Family

ID=23747077

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA002220865A Expired - Fee Related CA2220865C (en) 1995-05-12 1996-05-08 Illuminated fluid level indicator

Country Status (7)

Country Link
US (2) US5647656A (en)
EP (1) EP0824670A4 (en)
JP (1) JPH11505022A (en)
KR (1) KR100315146B1 (en)
AU (1) AU5731196A (en)
CA (1) CA2220865C (en)
WO (1) WO1996035928A1 (en)

Families Citing this family (15)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE19535011A1 (en) * 1995-09-21 1997-03-27 Kuebler Heinrich Level measuring device for measuring the fill level of containers
US6591694B2 (en) * 2001-06-14 2003-07-15 Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. Flow meter with a self-illuminating floater
US6782184B2 (en) * 2001-12-04 2004-08-24 J.M. Canty, Inc. Modular insertion device for process illumination and viewing
US6676271B2 (en) 2002-03-08 2004-01-13 Sunbeam Products, Inc. Humidifier with lighted tank
US20050056092A1 (en) * 2003-09-12 2005-03-17 Kowalski Kenneth H. Liquid level indicator using lights
US20070025099A1 (en) * 2005-07-29 2007-02-01 Urban Garet K Collection bowl illuminator
KR100748179B1 (en) * 2006-11-09 2007-08-09 손규태 Throttle valve having structure of magnetic fluid seal
US7753545B2 (en) * 2007-04-04 2010-07-13 Philip Guy Groover Illuminated plastic fuel tank
WO2009086288A1 (en) * 2007-12-21 2009-07-09 Gayston Corporation Pressure vessel with co2 liquid level indicator for a paintball marker
US8475083B2 (en) 2010-03-31 2013-07-02 University Court Of The University Of St. Andrews Umbilical for underwater diving
CA2794327C (en) 2010-03-31 2018-01-23 University Court Of The University Of St Andrews Integrated illuminator
BR112012033120B1 (en) * 2010-06-23 2019-09-17 Gea Process Engineering A/S CLOSING ELEMENT UNDERSTANDING A SOURCE OF LIGHT
US11260749B2 (en) 2016-09-26 2022-03-01 Transportation Ip Holdings, Llc Cooling control systems
US10732019B2 (en) 2017-12-21 2020-08-04 Oil-Rite Corporation Fluid level gauge or reservoir with built-in light source
US11002436B2 (en) * 2018-04-30 2021-05-11 L.J. Star, Incorporated Winged light

Family Cites Families (24)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2484329A (en) * 1949-10-11 Water gauge
US1040127A (en) * 1911-09-26 1912-10-01 Horace S Bonesteel Water-gage.
US2289374A (en) * 1940-03-01 1942-07-14 Victor H Martin Illuminating means for water gauges
US2369798A (en) * 1944-07-31 1945-02-20 Diamond Power Speciality Water gauge
US2533490A (en) * 1948-04-15 1950-12-12 Lloyd N Mcgrath Fuel gauge for tractors
US2596897A (en) * 1948-10-09 1952-05-13 Visugage Inc Liquid level gauge
US3328570A (en) * 1965-04-09 1967-06-27 Gen Electric Illuminated panel member
DE7412308U (en) * 1974-04-08 1974-07-11 Phoenix Armaturen Werke Bregel Gmbh Solenoid operated liquid level indicator
US4287427A (en) * 1977-10-17 1981-09-01 Scifres Donald R Liquid-level monitor
JPS54139757A (en) * 1978-04-21 1979-10-30 Mieji Yasuda Liquid level indicator
US4234907A (en) * 1979-01-29 1980-11-18 Maurice Daniel Light emitting fabric
US4392184A (en) * 1981-02-20 1983-07-05 Hearold Owen E Illuminating method and apparatus for carpenter's or mechanic's levels
IT1140214B (en) * 1981-10-02 1986-09-24 Bonetti Cesare Spa MAGNETIC SENSOR LEVEL INDICATOR FOR BOILERS, CONTAINERS, TANKS AND SIMILAR
US4440022A (en) * 1981-10-14 1984-04-03 Smiths Industries Public Limited Company Liquid-level detection
US4519017A (en) * 1982-09-29 1985-05-21 Maurice Daniel Light emitting optical fiber assemblies and method for forming the same
US4746178A (en) * 1987-03-26 1988-05-24 Canty Thomas M Light pipe for illuminating the interior of a pressure vessel
US4952511A (en) * 1987-06-11 1990-08-28 Martek Corporation Photobioreactor
NL8701794A (en) * 1987-07-29 1989-02-16 Du Pont Nederland SURFACE LIGHTING DEVICE USING LIGHT GUIDES.
US4897771A (en) * 1987-11-24 1990-01-30 Lumitex, Inc. Reflector and light system
US4885663A (en) * 1988-03-22 1989-12-05 Lumitex, Inc. Fiber optic light emitting panel and method of making same
US4907132A (en) * 1988-03-22 1990-03-06 Lumitex, Inc. Light emitting panel assemblies and method of making same
JP2595067B2 (en) * 1988-08-18 1997-03-26 東ソー株式会社 Backlight for LCD panel
US5042900A (en) * 1988-09-12 1991-08-27 Lumitex, Inc. Connector assemblies for optical fiber light cables
US5187765A (en) * 1991-07-23 1993-02-16 Fostec, Inc. Backlighted panel

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0824670A4 (en) 1999-10-27
KR100315146B1 (en) 2002-04-24
WO1996035928A1 (en) 1996-11-14
EP0824670A1 (en) 1998-02-25
US5647656A (en) 1997-07-15
CA2220865C (en) 2002-07-16
AU5731196A (en) 1996-11-29
KR19990014744A (en) 1999-02-25
JPH11505022A (en) 1999-05-11
US5645336A (en) 1997-07-08

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