Digital Manifold Gauge with Rotatable Display and Pressure-Temperature Conversion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional HVAC gauges face challenges in displaying saturation temperatures for various refrigerants, making them difficult to read and limiting their usability, especially when dealing with multiple refrigerants, and existing digital gauges often neglect temperature display, making them inconvenient and less useful for service technicians.
Innovation Solution
A digital manifold gauge with a rotatable display and a circuit board that converts pressure data into temperature data using software algorithms, allowing real-time display of pressure and temperature, along with graphing capabilities, and compatibility with multiple refrigerants, featuring a sensor port for pressure transducers and navigation selectors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple refrigerant scales are provided on a single mechanical gauge, then the gauge can support multiple refrigerants, but the scales become difficult to read and the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical analog gauge system with a digital electronic system. Instead of using multiple physical scales on a gauge face, the invention uses a digital display controlled by a microprocessor that can show readings for multiple refrigerants electronically. This substitution eliminates the visual clutter of multiple scales while maintaining multi-refrigerant compatibility through software selection.
Solution Approach 2:
The digital manifold gauge is designed to perform multiple functions within a single device. It can measure and display pressure and temperature for various refrigerants (R-12, R-134a, R-22, etc.), provide saturation temperature readings, calculate superheat and subcooling, and display information in multiple formats (digital readouts, bar graphs, etc.). This multi-functionality consolidates what would traditionally require multiple specialized gauges into one universal device.
2Measurement precision
If digital techniques are used to display pressure accurately, then pressure measurement precision is improved, but temperature display is neglected and ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines pressure measurement and temperature display functions into a single integrated digital system. The microprocessor-based controller simultaneously processes pressure sensor data and temperature sensor data, then presents both readings on the same digital display. This merging ensures that accurate pressure measurements and useful temperature information are both available together, eliminating the deficiency of earlier digital gauges that showed only pressure.
Solution Approach 2:
The microprocessor acts as an intermediary that receives raw data from pressure and temperature sensors, processes this information through algorithms, and converts it into meaningful displayed values. It calculates saturation temperatures from pressure readings using refrigerant-specific algorithms, then presents both the measured temperature and the calculated saturation temperature to the user, making temperature information readily available and easy to interpret.
3Ease of operation
If a handheld device with multiple wires is provided, then portability is improved, but the device becomes unwieldy and inconvenient in tight spaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple sensing functions into a single integrated probe assembly. Rather than having separate wires for pressure sensing, temperature sensing, and other measurements, the invention integrates these sensors into one unified connection that attaches to the HVAC system. This consolidation reduces the number of separate wires and connections the technician must manage while maintaining full measurement capabilities.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The digital manifold gauge provides easy operation and real-time pressure and temperature readings, enhancing usability and convenience for HVAC system servicing by accurately converting pressure to temperature, supporting multiple refrigerants, and offering graphical representations for precise superheat and sub-cooling analysis.
Implementation Method 1
The circuit board is in electrical communication with a sensor port and the sensor port is adapted to receive a sensor transducer, such as a pressure transducer
Implementation Method 2
The circuit board includes a software algorithm adapted to convert pressure data transmitted to the circuit board from the pressure transducer into temperature data
Data Source
AI summary
A digital manifold gauge having a gauge assembly with a display, one or more selectors, and a circuit board wherein the gauge assembly is rotatably disposed within a gauge housing and adapted to rotate to provide a plurality of viewing positions for the user. The circuit board is in electrical communication with a sensor port and the sensor port is adapted to receive a sensor transducer, such as a pressure transducer. The gauge includes internal software and logic for data processing and manipulation. The gauge includes a software algorithm adapted to convert pressure data transmitted to the circuit board from the pressure transducer into temperature data. The temperature and pressure data can be displayed on the display in real time and the gauge can also provide graphing and charting of the pressure-temperature relationship. The gauge is compatible with a variety of refrigerants and other fluids flowing through HVAC systems.