Patent ID: 8933810
Filing Date: 2015-01-13
Classification: G01F

Abstract:
1. A liquid level indicator comprising a first elongated frame having a channel-shaped cross-section and formed from a nonmagnetic material and a bottom wall; a plurality of closely-spaced parallel magnetic slats pivotally mounted in the frame and extending across the channel, each of said slats having a first face of a first color and an oppositely-facing second face of a second color; a second longitudinally elongated channel shaped frame formed of a nonmagnetic material, the second frame comprising a first sidewall, a second sidewall parallel to the first sidewall, and a bottom wall connecting a bottom end of the first sidewall with a bottom end of the second sidewall, the second frame having a longitudinal axis and further comprising a mounting wall positioned parallel to the bottom wall which mounts the second frame to the first frame; an elongated generally rectangular circuit board mounted inside of the channel of the second frame, said circuit board carrying a plurality of bi-color LED assemblies and a like plurality of hall effect switches operably associated with the plurality of bi-color LED assemblies, said plurality of hall effect switches being spaced apart from each other by a distance equal to the center-to-center spacing between the parallel magnetic slats and said plurality of bi-color LED assemblies being spaced apart from each other by a distance equal to the center-to-center spacing between the parallel magnetic slats, said bicolor LED assemblies being positioned and oriented to directly light the slats, one LED assembly per slat, said hall effect switches being positioned and oriented to sense a magnetic field passing close to each slat at a location behind the bottom wall of the first frame and operably associated with a bi-color LED assembly to change the emitted LED color lighting the slat when the magnetic field is sensed.