公开(公告)号：US12203796B2

公开(公告)日：2025-01-21

申请号：US17746397

申请日：2022-05-17

Applicant: Textron Innovations Inc.

Inventor： Nathaniel Ross Bernklau

IPC: G01F23/292

Abstract: A fluid level sensing system includes a mounting strip and fluid sensing nodes coupled to the mounting strip. Each fluid sensing node is switchable between a fluid present state and a fluid absent state. Each fluid sensing node includes a prism, a photoemitter and a photoreceptor. The photoemitter and photoreceptor are interposed between the prism and the mounting strip. In the absence of fluid around the prism, the photoreceptor receives greater than a threshold amount of light from the photoemitter internally reflected by the prism to switch the fluid sensing node to the fluid absent state. When the prism is covered in fluid, the photoreceptor receives less than the threshold amount of light from the photoemitter to switch the fluid sensing node to the fluid present state. A processor determines a fluid level based on the fluid detection states of the fluid sensing nodes.

公开(公告)号：US20240376976A1

公开(公告)日：2024-11-14

申请号：US18316073

申请日：2023-05-11

Applicant: Textron Innovations Inc.

Inventor： Nathaniel Ross Bernklau ,  Charles Eric Covington

IPC: F16H57/04 ,  F16N29/00 ,  G01F23/292

Abstract: An aircraft is described and includes an aircraft body, a gearbox housing containing a lubricant, and a remote gearbox lubricant level gauging (RGLLG) system including a light source that when activated illuminates an interior of the gearbox housing; at least one light tube for transmitting light from inside the gearbox housing to an observer end of the RGLLG system, and at least one indicator at the observer end of for indicating a level of the lubricant contained within the gearbox based on the light transmitted via the at least one light tube.

公开(公告)号：US20230375391A1

公开(公告)日：2023-11-23

申请号：US17746397

申请日：2022-05-17

Applicant: Textron Innovations Inc.

Inventor： Nathaniel Ross Bernklau

IPC: G01F23/292

CPC classification number: G01F23/2924

Abstract: A fluid level sensing system includes a mounting strip and fluid sensing nodes coupled to the mounting strip. Each fluid sensing node is switchable between a fluid present state and a fluid absent state. Each fluid sensing node includes a prism, a photoemitter and a photoreceptor. The photoemitter and photoreceptor are interposed between the prism and the mounting strip. In the absence of fluid around the prism, the photoreceptor receives greater than a threshold amount of light from the photoemitter internally reflected by the prism to switch the fluid sensing node to the fluid absent state. When the prism is covered in fluid, the photoreceptor receives less than the threshold amount of light from the photoemitter to switch the fluid sensing node to the fluid present state. A processor determines a fluid level based on the fluid detection states of the fluid sensing nodes.