Patent · US Expired

Piezoelectric moisture measuring device

US4491784A · kind A · utility

2Cited by
3References
12Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 31, 1982
Grant dateJan 1, 1985
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 31, 2002

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01N2291/02863
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A moisture-measuring device for measuring moisture of the ambient on one side of a solid wall comprises a piezoelectric crystal sonically coupled to the wall on a surface thereof facing the one side. A capacitor or other moisture sensitive impedance means is connected to the piezoelectric crystal over a network which is operable to provide a response indicative of the impedance of the capacitor upon excitation of the crystal at the resonant frequency of the circuit. The capacitor comprises at least two spaced plates which are exposed to the ambient. Change in moisture in the ambient thus causes change in capacitance of the capacitor. By sonically exciting the piezoelectric crystal from an opposite side of the wall, a measure of change in resonant frequency of the network can be made. This measurement is related to the moisture content of the ambient.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.