US4909080A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Ultrasonic level gauge
Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Co Ltd
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Filing: 1988-08-29
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Granted: 1990-03-20
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Expires: 2008-08-29
Abstract
Abstract An ultrasonic level gauge that measures the level of a test surface inside a tank. A guiding pipe guides the ultrasonic wave transmitted by an ultrasonic transceiver to the test surface, and guides the ultrasonic wave reflected by the test surface back to the ultrasonic transceiver. An extended portion that extends the propagation distance of the ultrasonic wave guided by the guiding pipe may be provided on the basal portion of the guiding pipe. In this case, the ultrasonic transceiver is provided at the opening at the end of the extended portion. Also, a helical portion or a slanting portion may be provided in the guiding pipe to make the ultrasonic wave transmitted by the ultrasonic transceiver enter the test surface in a slanting direction.
Inventors
- 👤 Mitsuhiro Kikuta
- 👤 Toshinori Takahashi
- 👤 Tatsuya Terayama
- 👤 Kimiko Hasegawa
- 👤 Chikahisa Hayashi
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 18:44
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01F; G01F23/00; G01F23/22; G01F23/28; G01F23/296; G01F23/2962; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S367/00; Y10S367/908
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
168 words
An ultrasonic level gauge for immersion in a liquid in a tank and to measure a level of liquid surface thereof, comprising: an ultrasonic transceiver that transmits and receives an ultrasonic wave, a hollow guiding pipe having a basal portion, a tip portion extending from said basal portion to said liquid surface and adapted to be immersed in said liquid in said tank, and a hole formed in said tip portion to introduce said liquid into an interior of said guiding pipe therethrough, the ultrasonic wave transmitted by said ultrasonic transceiver to said liquid surface being guided along said interior of said guiding pipe, reflected by said liquid surface, and also guided along said interior of said guiding pipe to said ultrasonic transceiver, and an extended portion provided on said basal portion of said guiding pipe, positioned above said liquid surface, and formed in a curved shape having an end situated away from said tip portion, said ultrasonic transceiver being provided at said end of said extended portion.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
168 words
An ultrasonic level gauge for immersion in a liquid in a tank and to measure a level of liquid surface thereof, comprising: an ultrasonic transceiver that transmits and receives an ultrasonic wave, a hollow guiding pipe having a basal portion, a tip portion extending from said basal portion to said liquid surface and adapted to be immersed in said liquid in said tank, and a hole formed in said tip portion to introduce said liquid into an interior of said guiding pipe therethrough, the ultrasonic wave transmitted by said ultrasonic transceiver to said liquid surface being guided along said interior of said guiding pipe, reflected by said liquid surface, and also guided along said interior of said guiding pipe to said ultrasonic transceiver, and an extended portion provided on said basal portion of said guiding pipe, positioned above said liquid surface, and formed in a curved shape having an end situated away from said tip portion, said ultrasonic transceiver being provided at said end of said extended portion.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
23 words
An ultrasonic level gauge as set forth in claim 1, in which said extended portion is formed in the shape of a spiral.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
An ultrasonic level gauge as set forth in claim 1, in which said tip portion of said guiding pipe is formed in a straight line.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
132 words
An ultrasonic level gauge comprising an ultrasonic transceiver that transmits and receives an ultrasonic wave, a guiding pipe adapted to be immersed in a liquid and having a basal portion supporting said ultrasonic transceiver, and a tip portion extending from said basal portion to a test surface of which a level is to be gauged, said guiding pipe guiding the ultrasonic wave transmitted by said ultrasonic transceiver to said test surface, and also guiding the ultrasonic wave reflected by said test surface to said ultrasonic transceiver to gauge its level, and a wave incidence means provided on said tip portion of said guiding pipe such that it crosses said test surface in a slanting direction, making said ultrasonic wave transmitted from said ultrasonic transceiver enter said test surface in a slanting direction.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
132 words
An ultrasonic level gauge comprising an ultrasonic transceiver that transmits and receives an ultrasonic wave, a guiding pipe adapted to be immersed in a liquid and having a basal portion supporting said ultrasonic transceiver, and a tip portion extending from said basal portion to a test surface of which a level is to be gauged, said guiding pipe guiding the ultrasonic wave transmitted by said ultrasonic transceiver to said test surface, and also guiding the ultrasonic wave reflected by said test surface to said ultrasonic transceiver to gauge its level, and a wave incidence means provided on said tip portion of said guiding pipe such that it crosses said test surface in a slanting direction, making said ultrasonic wave transmitted from said ultrasonic transceiver enter said test surface in a slanting direction.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
38 words
An ultrasonic level gauge as set forth in claim 4, in which said wave incidence means comprises a helical portion formed by shaping said tip portion of said guiding pipe in a helical configuration with a fixed pitch.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
37 words
An ultrasonic level gauge as set forth in claim 4, in which said wave incidence means comprises a slanting portion intersecting and extending from the connection of said basal portion and tip portion of said guiding pipe.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
169 words
An ultrasonic level gauge comprising an ultrasonic transceiver that transmits and receives an ultrasonic wave, a guiding pipe having a basal portion and a tip portion extending from said basal portion to a test surface of which a level is to be gauged, said guiding pipe guiding the ultrasonic wave transmitted from said ultrasonic transceiver to said test surface, and also guiding the ultrasonic wave reflected by said test surface to said ultrasonic transceiver to gauge its level, an extended portion having a tip portion extending from said basal portion of said guiding pipe, said extended portion extending the propagation distance of the ultrasonic wave guided by said guiding pipe, said ultrasonic transceiver being provided on said tip portion of said extended portion, and a wave incidence means provided on said tip portion of said guiding pipe, crossing said test surface in a slanting direction with respect to said test surface, and making the ultrasonic wave transmitted from said ultrasonic transceiver enter said test surface in said slanting direction.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
169 words
An ultrasonic level gauge comprising an ultrasonic transceiver that transmits and receives an ultrasonic wave, a guiding pipe having a basal portion and a tip portion extending from said basal portion to a test surface of which a level is to be gauged, said guiding pipe guiding the ultrasonic wave transmitted from said ultrasonic transceiver to said test surface, and also guiding the ultrasonic wave reflected by said test surface to said ultrasonic transceiver to gauge its level, an extended portion having a tip portion extending from said basal portion of said guiding pipe, said extended portion extending the propagation distance of the ultrasonic wave guided by said guiding pipe, said ultrasonic transceiver being provided on said tip portion of said extended portion, and a wave incidence means provided on said tip portion of said guiding pipe, crossing said test surface in a slanting direction with respect to said test surface, and making the ultrasonic wave transmitted from said ultrasonic transceiver enter said test surface in said slanting direction.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1993-03-19 | 1993-09-18 | 1994-03-20 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1997-03-19 | 1997-09-18 | 1998-03-20 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2001-03-19 | 2001-09-18 | 2002-03-20 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |