公开(公告)号：US06223769B1

公开(公告)日：2001-05-01

申请号：US09406564

申请日：1999-09-27

申请人： John C. Bragg ,  Ruth H. Heckler

发明人： John C. Bragg ,  Ruth H. Heckler

IPC分类号： F16K3700

CPC分类号： F16K37/0058 ,  Y10T137/2569 ,  Y10T137/6881 ,  Y10T137/8326

摘要： A remote sensing and indicating apparatus for a conventional two-stage changeover gas regulator having a mechanical full/empty indicator and at least one inlet for receiving gas from at least one gas storage container. The apparatus includes a housing, retrofittable to the regulator, for accommodating a sensor. The sensor converts the mechanical movement of a pressure sensitive diaphragm and an indicating member biased thereagainst, of the full/empty indicator, into an electrical signal indicative of the “full/empty” status of the supply container. Within the housing, the sensing apparatus includes a plunger movably arranged therein, and biased against the indicating member such that the plunger is collectively movable with the indicating member and diaphragm in response to a change in gas pressure. At least a portion of the plunger is a magnetic material, while the switching element is responsive to the magnetic field generated by the plunger such that the movement of the plunger controls the conducting state of the switching element for generating an output signal indicative of the gas pressure sensed by the diaphragm. When the supply gas container is at or near empty (i.e., the sensed gas pressure is low), the sensor transmits an output signal to an indicator, such as a lighting element, to notify the user that a changeover to a reserve gas container has occurred and that the initially selected supply container requires refilling.

摘要翻译： 一种用于常规两级转换气体调节器的遥感和指示装置，其具有机械全/空指示器和用于接收来自至少一个气体存储容器的气体的至少一个入口。 该装置包括可调节到调节器的壳体，用于容纳传感器。 传感器将压力敏感隔膜和指示构件的机械运动转换成充分/空指示器的指示构件，使其成为指示供应容器“满/空”状态的电信号。 在壳体内，感测装置包括可移动地布置在其中并且抵靠指示构件偏压的柱塞，使得柱塞能够响应于气体压力的变化与指示构件和隔膜共同移动。 柱塞的至少一部分是磁性材料，而开关元件响应于由柱塞产生的磁场，使得柱塞的运动控制开关元件的导通状态，以产生指示气体的输出信号 压力由隔膜感测。 当供气容器处于或接近空时（即，感测到的气体压力低）时，传感器将输出信号发送到诸如照明元件的指示器，以通知用户切换到备用气体容器具有 并且最初选择的供应容器需要重新填充。