Patent Application
20080156801
The present invention relates to a vessel having liquid metering apparatus, more particularly a metering apparatus assembled in a simple package that can be used to measure fluid level.
Conventional fluid level measuring devices measure the fluid quantity. Fluid measuring devices are generally sizable and complex in structure and hence more costly. However there is increasingly market demand for small-size and low-cost products. Take the example of fuel cell system, its applications in portable electronic devices are picking up. In a fuel cell system that uses hydrogen-rich fuel (e.g. methanol) and oxygen fuel to undergo electrochemical reaction and output power, it is necessary for users to know when to replenish the fuel when fluid concentration or level becomes low. Thus it is necessary to detect the liquid fuel level, volume or concentration in the fuel container. Such detection work is typically achieved through expensive metering sensor, which is rather uneconomical when used extensively in portable electrical products.
In addition, the electrochemical reaction in the fuel cell would produce many intermediate products or other products in the process, which might change the fuel temperature as the electrochemical reaction processes and result in measurement error.
In light of the drawbacks of conventional metering devices, the inventor with many years of experience in the industry aims to develop an improved liquid metering device that effectively achieves the objects.
The primary object of the invention is to provide a vessel having liquid metering apparatus with a simple and convenient construction for measuring the fluid level or other physical characteristics of liquid in a liquid storage vessel.
Another object of the invention is to provide a vessel having liquid metering apparatus that uses its sensing member to measure capacitance, inductance, impedance or any electric signal in the combination of such signals to obtain corresponding physical characteristics of the liquid stored therein, particularly the level height or volume of the liquid.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a vessel having liquid metering apparatus that can be used in the fuel storage vessel of a fuel cell system for measuring the fuel level height or fuel volume in the fuel storage vessel.
The vessel having liquid metering apparatus according to the invention comprises a liquid vessel and a sensor device. The liquid vessel has a shell body with a hollow storage member. The sensor device contains a sensing member and is disposed in the shell body of the liquid vessel. The sensing member is a planar stripline capacitor and corresponds to the storage member of the liquid vessel.
In an implementation of the invention in a fuel cell, a first stripline member and a second stripline member have respectively in horizontal direction a plurality of sidewardly extended parallel strip lines that can produce capacitance effect and hence allows the measurement of liquid level of fuel in the vessel.
The objects, features and effects of the invention are described in detail below with embodiments in reference to the accompanying drawings.
In the vessel having liquid metering apparatus, the liquid vessel (1) is made of a shell body (11) having a hollow storage member (12) therein; the sensor device (2) is disposed in a portion of the shell body (11) of the liquid vessel (1) and the sensor device (2) consists of a sensing member (21) and an electric connecting member (23). The sensing member (21) feeds back an electric signal corresponding to the liquid state in the liquid vessel (1), the electric signal being an equivalent capacitance signal, an equivalent inductance signal, an impedance signal or a combination of such signals. The electric connecting member (23) is the input/output port for the transmission of electric signals by the sensor device (2). As such, signals corresponding to the physical characteristics of liquid in the liquid vessel (1) as measured by the sensor device (2) can be output via the electric connecting member (23).
The electric connecting member (23) can further be a connector structure.
The shell body (11) is made by injection molding, and the sensor device (2) is preset in the mold for casting the shell body (11) such that the sensor device (2) is embedded in the shell body (11) in the injection molding process.
The first stripline member (21a) and the second stripline member (21b) are metal ribbon leads parallel to each other to form a stripline structure with capacitance effect.
The vessel having liquid metering apparatus further comprises a metering device (3), the metering device (3) being a device for measuring the physical characteristics of fuel and comprising an electric metering means and a data processing means. The electric metering means detects the electrical property corresponding to the physical state of the liquid in the liquid vessel (1), while the data processing means processes the electrical information detected by the electric metering means and converts the information into the physical characteristics of the liquid fuel.
The metering device (3) is arranged in the liquid vessel (1) and electrically connected to the sensor device (2) such that the metering device (3) capture the electrical signal from sensor device (2) and converts the signal into the liquid level or volume in the liquid vessel (1). Moreover, the metering device (3) is electrically connected to the sensor device (2) via the electric connecting member (23) of the sensor device (2).
The vessel having liquid metering apparatus just described can be used in the fuel storage vessel of a fuel cell system (not shown in the figure) for measuring the fuel level height or fuel volume in the fuel storage vessel.
In a second embodiment of the vessel having liquid metering apparatus according to the invention, more specifically the first stripline member (21a) and the second stripline member (21b) of the sensing member (21) are laid over the surface of the lid (14) facing the concavity (13), while the electric connecting member (23) is securely installed on the lid (14) and electrically connected to the sensing member (21).
The outer surfaces of the sensing member (21) can be coated with a protective layer (26). The material for the protective layer (26) may be selected from a group of non-polarized material consisting of FR4, FR5, epoxy resin, glass fiber laminate, ceramic laminate, polymer laminate, Teflon, and their mixtures thereof to protect the sensing member (21) and protect the sensing member (21) from corrosive fluid leaked out of the liquid vessel (1). In addition, the protective layer (26) can envelope the entire sensor device (2).
As such, the vessel having liquid metering apparatus provided by the invention can accurately measure the physical characteristics of fuel in a fuel cell with a simple assembly. The invention possesses inventive step and meets the essential criteria for patent.
The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed in the examples. However the examples should not be construed as a limitation on the actual applicable scope of the invention, and as such, all modifications and alterations without departing from the spirits of the invention and appended claims shall remain within the protected scope and claims of the invention.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 096200085 | Jan 2007 | TW | national |
