Patent ID: 11959790
Assignee: PROPANE HUNTER LLC
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 18:
19. A gas cylinder cage monitoring system, the gas cylinder cage monitoring system comprising:
a gas cylinder storage cage, the gas cylinder storage cage including:
a frame; and
a rack within the frame, the rack defining a plurality of sensing locations;

a gas cylinder positioned at at least one of the plurality of sensing locations, the gas cylinder including a base end and a top end, the top end having a collar extending a distance away from the top end, the gas cylinder being positioned at the at least one of the plurality of sensing locations in either a first orientation or a second orientation;
a plurality of sensors, one of the plurality of sensors being at each of the plurality of sensing locations, each of the plurality of sensors being mounted within the frame proximate a one of the plurality of sensing locations, each being configured to measure a first distance from the base end of the gas cylinder when the gas cylinder is in the first orientation and to measure a second distance from the top end of the gas cylinder when the gas cylinder is in the second orientation, the first distance being less than the second distance; and
a control system in communication with each of the plurality of sensors, each of the plurality of sensors being configured to transmit at least one of the first distance and the second distance to the control system, the control system being programmable to determine the gas cylinder at each of the plurality of sensing locations is full when the sensor transmits the first distance and to determine the gas cylinder at each of the plurality of sensing locations is empty when the sensor transmits the second distance, the control system being further programmable to:
calculate a first number of gas cylinders positioned at at least one of the plurality of sensing locations that are full;
calculate a second number of gas cylinders positioned at at least one of the plurality of sensing locations that are empty; and
display the calculated first and second numbers on a graphical user interface.