Apparatus for monitoring cumulative flow of fluid through a filter medium

Claim 1

Apparatus for monitoring a flow of fluid through a conduit, comprising: an outer housing having an input port and an output port, connectable with said conduit; a gear housing within said outer housing, having a centrally disposed longitudinal axis, a top portion, and a bottom portion with a gear train output opening; a reduction gear train positioned within said gear housing and including: a first gear array extending along a first gear axis, a second gear array extending along a second gear axis, each said first and second gear axes being parallel with and spaced from said centrally disposed longitudinal axis, said first and second gear arrays being mounted for rotation about said first and second axes, respectively, and operatively meshed to define first to last gear reduction stages exhibiting a predetermined reduction ratio, an offset gear component rotatable about said first gear axis and meshed in driving relationship with said second gear array, and an output gear in driven relationship with said last gear reduction stage, extending from said gear train output opening, and having an axis of rotation spaced from said longitudinal axis; a drive gear mounted for rotation adjacent said gear housing bottom portion having an engaging portion, engaged in driven relationship with said output gear, and having an oppositely disposed valve drive portion; a turbine mounted adjacent to said gear housing top portion, rotatably drivable about said longitudinal axis by fluid incident thereon from said input port, and having an outwardly depending turbine gear meshed in driving relationship with said offset gear; a valve seat within said outer housing adjacent said output port and including an open valve portion and a valve close portion; a valve member mounted within said outer housing adjacent said drive gear, having an upwardly disposed engaging component engageable in driven relationship with said drive gear valve drive portion, and having a valve actuating portion extending from said upwardly disposed engaging component and movable with respect to said open valve portion to provide an open valve orientation to permit fluid flow through said output port and movable with respect to said valve close portion to provide a closed valve orientation to effect blockage of fluid flow through said output port; and a reset assembly actuable to effect positioning said valve member actuating portion to provide said open valve orientation for permitting the flow therethrough of a predetermined quantity of fluid.

Claim 11

A system for treating fluid flowing along a fluid path, comprising: a filter base assembly having a receiving and supporting region and an oppositely disposed service region; a filter cover removably mounted upon said base assembly receiving and supporting region; a filter located within said filter cover, having a support portion removably receivable and supportable upon said filter base assembly at said receiving and supporting region; a flow monitor for determining the flow of a predetermined quantity of said fluid along said path, including: a housing mounted at said filter base assembly service region, having an input port for receiving fluid from said fluid path and an output port for returning said received fluid to said path, a reduction gear train positioned within said housing and having first to last gear reduction stages exhibiting a predetermined reduction ratio, a turbine mounted within said housing adjacent said input port, rotatably drivable by fluid incident thereon from said input port and coupled in driving relationship with said first gear reduction stage, a valve seat within said housing and including an open valve portion and a valve close portion, and a valve assembly mounted within said housing, having a drive component engaged in driven relationship with said last gear reduction stage, a valve member coupled in driven relationship with said drive component to move from a reset orientation on said valve seat open portion to a closed valve orientation at said valve close portion, said drive component including a ratchet assembly coupled to provide a rotatable driven relationship within said valve member first rotational sense and rotatable in an opposite sense by an applied reset force, said valve member being resiliently biased toward said valve seat, being movable under said bias from said reset orientation to said closed valve orientation to block fluid along said fluid path, and being rotatable between said reset orientation and said closed valve orientation, and said valve assembly having a reset component engageable to reposition said valve member to said reset orientation by moving it against said bias and applying said reset force thereon; and an access channel extending through said filter base assembly at said receiving and supporting region adjacent said reset component for providing access from said receiving and supporting region to engage said reset component only when said filter is removed from said filter base assembly.

Claim 12

A system for treating fluid flowing along a fluid path, comprising: a filter base assembly having a receiving and supporting region and an oppositely disposed service region; a filter cover removably mounted upon said base assembly receiving and supporting region; a filter located within said filter cover, having a support portion removably receivable and supportable upon said filter base assembly at said receiving and supporting region; a flow monitor for determining the flow of a predetermined quantity of said fluid along said path, including: a housing mounted at said filter base assembly service region, having an input port for receiving fluid from said fluid path and an output port for returning said received fluid to said path, a reduction gear train positioned within said housing and having first to last gear reduction stages exhibiting a predetermined reduction ratio, a turbine mounted within said housing adjacent said input port, rotatably drivable by fluid incident thereon from said input port and coupled in driving relationship with said first gear reduction stage, a valve seat within said housing and including an open valve portion and a valve close portion, and a valve assembly mounted within said housing, having a drive component engaged in driven relationship with said last gear reduction stage, a valve member coupled in driven relationship with said drive component to move from a reset orientation on said valve seat open portion to a closed valve orientation at said valve close portion, said drive component including a ratchet assembly coupled to provide a rotatable driven relationship within said valve member first rotational sense and rotatable in an opposite sense by an applied reset force, said valve member being resiliently biased toward said valve seat, being movable under said bias from said reset orientation to said closed valve orientation to block fluid along said fluid path, and being rotatable between said reset orientation and said closed valve orientation, and said valve assembly having a reset component engageable to reposition said valve member to said reset orientation by moving it against said bias and applying said reset force thereon; and an access channel extending through said filter base assembly at said receiving and supporting region adjacent said reset component for providing access from said receiving and supporting region to engage said reset component only when said filter is removed from said filter base assembly.