Pressure sensor for appliance products
US5577399A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 3, 1995 |
| Grant date | Nov 26, 1996 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 3, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T137/729
- WIPO fieldFurniture, games
- WIPO sectorOther fields
Abstract
A household appliance for washing articles with a cleansing liquid includes a cleansing chamber to receive the articles to be washed; a working fluid distribution system coupled to the cleansing chamber to transfer the cleansing liquid to and from the chamber; a pressure signature sensor disposed in the appliance so as to detect output pressure oscillation of a pump in the working fluid distribution system; and an appliance controller coupled to the working fluid distribution system and responsive to the pressure signature sensor so as to control operation of the pump in correspondence with a pressure oscillation signature generated by the pressure signature sensor. The pressure signature sensor includes a resistive elastomer that is disposed to form a diaphragm with electrodes attached on substantially opposite sides of the diaphragm and which is subject to discharge pressure of the pump. The resistive elastomer material typically comprises a material having a non-specific deflection-resistance relationship such that the signature sensor is a non-calibrated pressure sensor.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.