Title: Float-type liquid level switch assembly with light emitting elements
Abstract: A float-type liquid level switch includes a main body, a float, a magnetic reed switch, and a light emitting element; the float has a magnet joined thereto, and is displaceable along a length of the main body; the magnetic reed switch and the light emitting element are held in the main body; both the magnetic reed switch and the light emitting element are connected to a control circuit to form a circuit; when the float is moved to such a position by buoyancy of liquid in a container that the magnet is near to, and activates the magnetic reed switch, the light emitting element will be powered to produce light, which will travel out of the main body to indicate that liquid level reaches a certain point.
Patent Number: 6,998,552 Issued on 02/14/2006 to Li
| Inventors:
|
Li; Jui-Yang (Yung Kang, TW)
|
| Assignee:
|
Young-G Enterprise Corporation (Tainan Hsien, TW)
|
| Appl. No.:
|
189730 |
| Filed:
|
July 27, 2005 |
| Current U.S. Class: |
200/84C; 200/310; 335/207; 73/319 |
| Current Intern'l Class: |
H01H 35/18 (20060101) |
| Field of Search: |
73/305-308,313,314,317-319,321,322,322.5
116/110
137/558
200/84R-84C,310
335/205-207
|
References Cited [Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Friedhofer; Michael A.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Rosenberg, Klein & Lee
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A float-type liquid level switch assembly with light emitting elements, comprising
a liquid level switch; the liquid level switch including:
(a) a main body;
(b) a float having a magnet joined thereto; the float being displaceable along
a length of the main body;
(c) a magnetic reed switch held in the main body; and
(d) a light emitting element held in the main body; both the magnetic reed switch
and the light emitting element being connected to a control circuit to form a circuit;
whereby when the float is moved to such a position by buoyancy of liquid that
the magnet is near to, and activates the magnetic reed switch, the light emitting
element will be powered to produce light, which will travel out of the main body.
2. The float-type liquid level switch assembly with light emitting elements as
claimed in claim 1, wherein the main body is made of a material pervious to light,
and can guide light.
3. The float-type liquid level switch assembly with light emitting elements as
claimed in claim 1, wherein the main body is divided into upper and lower sections,
each of which contains both a magnetic reed switch and a light emitting element
therein, and has a float, to which a magnet is joined, displaceable along a length thereof.
4. The float-type liquid level switch assembly with light emitting elements as
claimed in claim 3, wherein the magnetic reed switch and the light emitting element
held in the upper section of the main body and those in the lower section of the
main body are connected in parallel.
5. The float-type liquid level switch assembly with light emitting elements as
claimed in claim 1, wherein the main body is divided into a plurality of sections,
each of which contains both a magnetic reed switch and a light emitting element
therein, and has a float, to which a magnet is joined, displaceable along a length thereof.
6. The float-type liquid level switch assembly with light emitting elements as
claimed in claim 5, wherein the magnetic reed switch and the light emitting element
held in each of the sections of the main body are connected in parallel with those
held in other ones of the sections of the main body.
7. The float-type liquid level switch assembly with light emitting elements as
claimed in claim 1, wherein the main body contains a light emitting element and
two magnetic reed switches therein instead.
8. The float-type liquid level switch assembly with light emitting elements as
claimed in claim 7, wherein the magnetic reed switches are connected in parallel
before they are connected to the light emitting element.
9. The float-type liquid level switch assembly with light emitting elements as
claimed in claim 1, wherein the main body has a supporting post projecting from
it, and the float is displaceable along a length of the supporting post instead.
10. The float-type liquid level switch assembly with light emitting elements
as claimed in claim 1 being secured to a lateral wall portion of a container.
11. The float-type liquid level switch assembly with light emitting elements
as claimed in claim 1 including upper and lower liquid level switches, which are
secured to upper and lower ends of a container respectively.
12. The float-type liquid level switch assembly with light emitting elements
as claimed in claim 11, wherein the upper liquid level switch is joined to a fixing
board, and the lower liquid level switch is secured on a middle of a bottom portion
of the container; the fixing board being secured to an inner side of a container
such that the upper liquid level switch is in a middle portion of the container.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a float-type liquid level switch assembly, more
particularly one, which is positioned in a container, and will start refilling
action, and stop refilling action respectively when liquid level is low, and when
liquid level is high, and which is equipped with light emitting elements so as
to produce light when liquid level reaches certain points.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, water dispensers are equipped with float-type liquid
level switches, which are electrically connected to control circuits of the water
dispensers. Therefore, refilling and heating action will be started when liquid
level is low. And, refilling action will be stopped when liquid level reaches the
highest point.
A conventional float-type liquid level switch of a water dispenser includes two
magnetic reed switches, and a float having a magnet secured thereto, and it is
electrically connected to a control circuit; one of the magnetic reed switches
is positioned as high as a high liquid level, and the other as high as a low liquid
level. Thus, the magnet will be near to the lower magnetic reed switch, and the
lower magnetic reed switch will be activated, and the control circuit will start
refilling action when liquid level reaches the high point. And, the upper magnetic
reed switch will be activated, and the control circuit will stop refilling action
when liquid level reaches the high point.
However, the above water dispenser has to be further equipped with an indicating
lamp circuit for showing which action the water dispenser is carrying out. Moreover,
the indicating lamp circuit has relatively mini lamps. Consequently, people can't
easily tell whether the lamps are on or not if they are a certain distance from
the lamps.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a main object of the invention to provide an improvement on a liquid level
switch to overcome the above-mentioned problem. The liquid level switch of the
invention includes a main body, a float, a magnetic reed switch, and a light emitting
element. The float has a magnet joined thereto, and is displaceable along a length
of the main body. Both the magnetic reed switch and the light emitting element
are held in the main body, and connected to a control circuit to form a circuit.
Therefore, when the float is moved to such a position by buoyancy of liquid in
a container that the magnet is near to, and activates the magnetic reed switch,
the light emitting element will produce light, which will travel out of the main
body to indicate that liquid level reaches a certain point.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention will be better understood by referring to the accompanying
drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a view of the first preferred embodiment of a float-type liquid level
switch in the invention, when the container is full,
FIG. 2 is a view of the second preferred embodiment when the container needs
to be refilled,
FIG. 3 is a view of the second preferred embodiment when the container is full,
FIG. 4 is a view of the third preferred embodiment when the container needs
to be refilled,
FIG. 5 is a view of the third embodiment when the container is full,
FIG. 6 is a view of the fourth preferred embodiment when the container needs
to be refilled,
FIG. 7 is a view of the fourth preferred embodiment when the container is full,
FIG. 8 is a view of the fifth preferred embodiment when the container is full, and
FIG. 9 is a view of the sixth embodiment as the container is full.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to FIG. 1, a first preferred embodiment of a float-type liquid
level switch assembly includes two liquid level switches
1, which are positioned
inside a container
10, and respectively joined to an upper end and a lower
end of the container
10. Each of the liquid level switches
1 includes
a main body
11, and a float
13 having a magnet
12 secured
thereto; the main body
11 is made of a material pervious to light, and can
guide light; the float
13 is positioned around, and displaceable along the
length of the main body
11; the main body
11 contains both a magnetic
reed switch
14 and a light emitting element
15. The magnetic reed
switches
14 and the light emitting elements
15 are electrically connected
to a control circuit such that an electronic circuit is formed.
When liquid level in the container
10 drops to such a low point that
the float
13 of a lower one of the liquid level switches
1 isn't
subjected to buoyancy, the corresponding magnet
12 will be near to, and
activate the magnetic reed switch
14 held in the lower main body
11,
and the corresponding light emitting element
15 will be powered to produce
light, which will travel out of the main body
11. And, the control circuit
will make the container
10 refilled. When liquid level in the container
10 rises to a high point as shown in FIG. 1, the float
13 of an upper
one of the liquid level switches
1 will be near to the corresponding magnetic
reed switch
14; thus, the magnetic reed switch
14 is activated, but
the lower magnetic reed switch
14 isn't. And, the upper light emitting element
15 starts producing light, which will travel out of the main body
11,
and the control circuit stops the refilling action, and starts heating of water
in the container
10.
Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, a second preferred embodiment of a float-type
liquid level switch assembly includes two liquid level switches
2, which
are positioned inside a container
10, and respectively joined to an upper
end and a lower end of the container
10. Each of the liquid level switches
2 includes a main body
21, and two floats
23, each of which
has a magnet
22 secured therein; the main body
21 is divided into
upper and lower sections while the floats
23 are respectively positioned
around, and displaceable along the length of the upper and the lower sections of
the main body
21; each of the upper and the lower sections of the main body
21 contains both a magnetic reed switch
24 and a light emitting element
25; both the magnetic reed switch
24 and the light emitting element
25 in a same section of the main body
21 are connected in series;
the magnetic reed switch
24 and the light emitting element
25 in
the upper section of the main body
21 are connected in parallel with those
in the lower section of the main body
21. The magnetic reed switches
24
and the light emitting elements
25 are electrically connected to a control
circuit such that an electronic circuit is formed. Therefore, the liquid level
switch assembly can detect four different liquid levels in the container
10,
which are full container level (highest point), high liquid level, low liquid level,
and refilling level (lowest point) respectively.
Referring to FIG. 2, when liquid level in the container
10 drops
to the lowest point, those of the floats
23 that are positioned around the
lower sections of both the upper and the lower liquid level switches
2 won't
be subjected to buoyancy, and the corresponding magnets
22 will be near
to, and activate the magnetic reed switches
24 held in the lower sections
of the upper and the lower liquid level switches
2, and the light emitting
elements
25 held in the lower sections of the main bodies
21 will
start shining. And, the control circuit will make the container
10 refilled.
Referring FIG. 3, when liquid level in the container
10 rises to the highest
point, all of the four floats
23 will be subjected to buoyancy, and the
floats
23 around the lower sections of both the upper and the lower liquid
level switches
2 will be apart from the corresponding magnetic reed switches
24, and the floats
23 around the upper sections of both the upper
and the lower liquid level switches
2 will be near to, and activate the
magnetic reed switches
24 held in the upper sections of the upper and the
lower liquid level switches
2; thus, the corresponding light emitting elements
25, which are held in the upper sections of the main bodies
21, starts
shining, and the control circuit stops the refilling action, and starts heating
of water in the container
10.
Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, a third preferred embodiment of a float-type
liquid level switch assembly
3 includes a main body
31, and several
floats
33, each of which has a magnet
32 joined thereto. The main
body
31 is divided into several sections
311 while the floats
33
are positioned around, and displaceable along the length of respective ones of
the sections
311 of the main body
31. Each of the sections
311
of the main body
31 contains both a magnetic reed switch
34 and a
light emitting element
35; both the magnetic reed switch
34 and the
light emitting element
35 in a same section
311 of the main body
31 are connected in series; the magnetic reed switch
34 and the light
emitting element
35 in the upper section of the main body
31 are
connected in parallel with those held in the lower section of the main body
31.
The magnetic reed switches
34 and the light emitting elements
35
are electrically connected to a control circuit such that an electronic circuit
is formed.
Therefore, the liquid level switch assembly
3 can detect various
liquid levels in the container
10, e.g. full liquid level as shown in FIG.
5, and low liquid level as shown in FIG. 4. And, those of the floats
33
that are risen to upper ends of the corresponding sections
311 by buoyancy
will be near to the corresponding magnetic reed switches
34, and the magnetic
reed switches
34 will be activated owing to the magnets
32; thus,
the corresponding light emitting elements
35 start shining. And, the control
circuit will start an appropriate action, e.g. water refilling, according to the
present liquid level. Furthermore, the light emitting elements
35 are made
in different colors for representing respective ones of the various actions, which
are to be started by the control circuit.
Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, a fourth preferred embodiment of a float-type
liquid level switch assembly includes two liquid level switches
4, which
are securely held in upper and lower portions of a containing room of a container
10. Each of the liquid level switches
4 includes a main body
41,
and a float
43, each of which has a magnet
42 joined thereto; the
main body
41 has a supporting post
411 projecting from it while the
float
23 is positioned around, and displaceable along the length of the
supporting post
411. Each of the main bodies
41 of the liquid level
switches
4 contains both a magnetic reed switch
44 and a light emitting
element
45, which are connected in series. The magnetic reed switches
44
and the light emitting elements
45 are electrically connected to a control
circuit such that an electronic circuit is formed.
Therefore, when liquid level in the container
10 drops to the lowest
point (refilling level) as shown in FIG. 6, the magnetic reed switch
44
in the main body
41 of the lower liquid level switch
4 will be activated;
thus, the control circuit makes the container
10 refilled, and the corresponding
light emitting element
45 starts shining. When liquid level in the container
10 rises to the highest point (full container level) as shown in FIG. 7,
the magnetic reed switch
44 in the main body
41 of the upper liquid
level switch
4 will be activated; thus, the control circuit stops the refilling
action, and starts heating of water in the container
10, and the corresponding
light emitting element
45 starts producing light, which will travel out
of the upper one of the main bodies
41.
Referring to FIG. 8, a fifth preferred embodiment of a float-type liquid
level switch assembly includes two liquid level switches
5, which are secured
in a container
10. Each of the liquid level switches
5 includes a
main body
51, and a float
53 having a magnet
52 secured thereto;
the float
53 is positioned around, and displaceable along the length of
the main body
51; the main body
51 contains both two magnetic reed
switches
54,
54′ and a light emitting element
55; the
magnetic reed switches
54 and
54′ are connected in parallel
while the light emitting element
55 is connected in series with the magnetic
reed switches
54 and
54′. The magnetic reed switches
54,
54′ and the light emitting elements
55 are electrically connected
to a control circuit such that an electronic circuit is formed.
Therefore, when liquid level in the container
10 rises to a high
point, water refilling action will be stopped even if one of the magnetic reed
switches
54,
54′ of the upper liquid level switch
5
is damaged. And, when liquid level in the container
10 drops to a low point,
water refilling and heating action will be started even if one of the magnetic
reed switches
54,
54′ of the lower liquid level switch
5
is damaged. In other words, double protection is provided, and refilling action
will be certainly started and stopped if necessary. And, people can easily tell
the present liquid level by light produced by the light emitting elements
55.
The above preferred embodiments of liquid level switch assembly
1,
2,
3, and
4 are secured on lateral wall portions of the containers
10.
Referring to FIG. 9, a sixth preferred embodiment of a float-type liquid level
switch assembly is secured in a different way; an upper liquid level switch
6
of the liquid level switch assembly is joined to a fixing board
61, which
is secured to a lateral inner side of a container
10, such that the upper
liquid level switch
6 is in a middle portion of the container
10;
a lower liquid level switch
7 of the liquid level switch assembly is secured
on a middle of a bottom portion of the container
10.
From the above description, it can be seen that the liquid level switch assemblies
of the present invention has the following advantages: When a container is full,
the liquid level switch assemblies can detect the water level, and in turns the
control circuits stop the refilling action. When liquid level in a container is
low, they can detect the water level, and in turns the control circuits start the
refilling action. And, the liquid level switch assemblies will produce light, of
which the color depends on the present liquid level, and in turns people can easily
tell the present liquid level by the color of the light produced by the present invention.
*
