Patent ID: 6795598
Filing Date: 2004-09-21
Classification: G01F

Abstract:
A liquid-level sensor operable with a volume in which a liquid may be present to different heights above a bottom of the volume, the sensor comprising;at lead two solid optical conductors, each solid optical conductor including an outer surface having at least one reflective surface discontinuity of sufficient size to interfere with a total internal reflection of the solid optical conductor when the reflective surface discontinuity does not contact the liquid; a support that positions the reflective surface discontinuity of each of the at least two solid optical conductors at a location corresponding to a different height above the bottom of the volume; a light source which introduces light into a first end of each of the solid optical conductors; and a light detector structure which receives light that has been introduced into each of the solid optical conductors and has traveled through the respective solid optical conductor at least as far as at least one of the reflective surface discontinuities of the respective solid optical conductor.