Abstract:
A method of measuring temperature of a fluid using a direct fluid contact temperature sensor by capturing a cooling line between a radius of a clip portion, the clip portion extending longitudinally in parallel with a corresponding portion of the cooling line, and a tip end of the sensor; directly contacting said tip end of said sensor with said cooling line; and measuring temperature of with the sensor. A device is provided for rapidly installing a fluid temperature sensor onto a fluid line for measuring the temperature of the fluid without requiring cutting or disconnection of the fluid line.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONSS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/553,973, filed Nov. 1, 2011. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This disclosure relates generally to fluid line temperature sensing and attachments therefor, and, more particularly, to methods and devices for rapidly installing a fluid temperature sensor onto a fluid line, such as an automotive transmission oil cooling line, for measuring the temperature of the fluid without requiring cutting or disconnection of the fluid line. 
     With automotive vehicles modified for high performance or used for towing, it is common and desirable to measure transmission oil temperature. Some models of automatic transmission include a test port where an automotive fluid temperature sensor may be installed, but the sensor restricts the flow of fluid possibly leading to transmission problems. Further, the sensor may be a possible leak point, and many new transmission models do not have any test ports. Alternatives include placing the sensor in the transmission oil pan, but this requires removal of the pan and drilling, and, again, leaves a possible leak point. Some kits are available to add a “tee” fitting to the transmission cooler line, but these are expensive and require significant effort to install. An alternative was released in approximately 2009, known as the “Transcender” and is described at the website http://www.dieselmanor.com/dm_products/DM-TRS.asp and illustrated as assembly  100  in  FIG. 1 . This unit  112  simply clamps onto the metallic portion of the transmission cooler line  102 . 
     As described at the aforementioned website, the DieselManor Transcender™ Temperature Adapter  112  was developed to allow for accurate reading of automotive transmission fluid temperature without the hassle of tapping into the cooler line  102 . DieselManor claims it takes merely a few minutes to install, simply attaching to the cooler line  102  with a supplied hose clamp  104 ,  106 ,  108 , with the sender (automotive fluid temperature sensor)  118  installable without Teflon tape or other thread sealants. 
     The assembly  100  illustrated in  FIG. 1  includes an adapter body  112  having a cutout  110  shaped to receive the cooling line  102 . The hose clamp strap  106  is then placed around the adapter body  112  and cooling line  102 , fed through the hose clamp screw tightener  104 , and tightened with the excess strap  108  extending as illustrated. A cylindrical cavity substantially in parallel alignment with the tubular cutout  110  then receives the sender end (which is typically shaped like the sender probe/shaft  216  shown in  FIG. 2 ). The sender is threaded into the adapter using the hex nut  116 . The electrical wires  120  are then routed and secured appropriately. 
     The Transcender™ assembly  100  works by monitoring the radiated heat in the cooler line  102 . DieselManor claims tests have shown that the Transcender™ assembly  100  reads approximately 5 degrees cooler at 200° F., compared to monitoring the fluid temperature with the sender  118  in the cooler line  102 . 
     DieselManor advertises that because the Transcender™ merely attaches to the OEM cooler line  102 , it will not void the OEM factory warranty. DieselManor recommends using anti-seize lube inside the threaded portion of the Transcender™ (i.e. where the sender sensor end (not shown) and sender threads  114  are inserted into the adapter body  112 ) to help conduct the heat from the metallic exterior of the cooler line  102  through the adapter body material  112  to the sender. DieselManor recommends an adapter for ½″ cooler lines with ⅛″NPT sender port for most Dodge Cummins automatics, including the 6.7L—Part #: DM-TRS50, Price $29.85—and an adapter for ⅝″ cooler lines with ⅛″NPT sender port for most Chevy/GM Duramax automatics—Part #: DM-TRS625 Price $29.85. 
     What is needed are additional alternative methods and devices for rapidly installing a fluid temperature sensor onto a fluid line for measuring the temperature of the fluid without requiring cutting or disconnection of the fluid line. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL DRAWINGS 
       For a more complete understanding of the present invention, the drawings herein illustrate examples of the invention. The drawings, however, do not limit the scope of the invention. Similar references in the drawings indicate similar elements. 
         FIG. 1  illustrates an existing temperature sender assembly  100  that includes an adapter  112  for attaching an automotive transmission oil temperature sensor/sender  118  to a portion of an automotive transmission cooling line  102 . 
         FIG. 2  is a partial sectional view of an automotive fluid temperature sensor/sender  212  in a split view  200 , one half showing a typical direct fluid contact installation  202  and the other half showing a direct cooling line contact installation  204  using a sensor clip  226 , according to various embodiments. 
         FIG. 3  is a direct cooling line contact temperature sensing arrangement using a sensor clip  314 , according to a preferred embodiment. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates direct cooling line contact temperature sensing arrangements using a sensor clip  226  configured for at least two different cooling line diameters, according to a preferred embodiment. 
         FIG. 5  is a direct cooling line contact temperature sensing arrangement  500  using a multiple cooling line diameter accommodating sensor clip and a large diameter cooling line  528 , according to a preferred embodiment. 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a second arrangement  600  using the sensor clip in  FIG. 5  and a medium diameter cooling line  604 , according to a preferred embodiment. 
         FIG. 7  illustrates a third arrangement  700  using the sensor clip in  FIG. 5  and a small diameter cooling line  716 , according to a preferred embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the preferred embodiments. However, those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details, that the present invention is not limited to the depicted embodiments, and that the present invention may be practiced in a variety of alternate embodiments. In other instances, well known methods, procedures, components, and systems have not been described in detail. 
     The present inventor discovered certain disadvantages of the temperature sensing assembly  100  shown in  FIG. 1 . Testing revealed that the assembly  100  produced measurements approximately 40° F. lower than direct oil contact measurements when exposed to typical operating conditions such as rapid airflow past the unit. The inventor observed that the adapter  112  contains significant thermal mass surrounding the sensor and positions the sensor tip such that the thermal energy must travel through several millimeters of aluminum and grease, with several alternate paths for heat to flow. The inventor further noticed that different adapters  112  are needed for each of the four most common sizes of cooling lines used in automotive applications. Cars and trucks typically use transmission cooling lines having 5/16″ or ⅜″ OD (outside diameter) dimensions. Larger vehicles, for example Dodge trucks with Cummins engines, may use ½″ or ⅝″ OD cooling lines. 
     Typical transmission sender ports (i.e. ports accepting automotive transmission oil temperature sensors) use ⅛″ NPT fittings.  FIG. 2  illustrates a typical sender (transmission temperature sensor)  212 . Centerline  218  divides  FIG. 2  into a split view  200  illustrating two different temperature measuring arrangements. The right side  202  is a typical direct fluid contact installation, and the other half  204  is a direct cooling line contact installation. The sender  212  is a typical automotive transmission oil temperature sensor having a sensor tip end  230 , a sensor probe/shaft  216 , threads  240 , hex nut  210 , and connector  214 . The sender  212  in  FIG. 2  may be substantially or identically the same as the sender  112  in assembly  100  in  FIG. 1 . 
     In typical direct fluid contact installation (i.e. side  202  in  FIG. 2 ) the sender  212  is threaded within a threaded or sleeved  208  sender port (either a test port in the transmission wall  206  (and symmetrically opposite (optional) sleeve  222  and transmission wall material  220 ) or a drilled hole in the pan). The shaft  216  then extends into the transmission for direct contact with the transmission oil therein (or extending into the pan for direct contact with the oil therein). 
     In preferred embodiments, the present inventor designed an extruded or formed clip  226  (shown on the left side  204 , illustrating a direct cooling line contact temperature measuring arrangement) adapted to grip a section of cooling line  234  between the sender&#39;s tip end  230  and a preferably correspondingly radiused end  238 , the radiused clip end  238  and an opposed portion of the clip  226  secured about the threaded portion  240  of the sender  212  being in compressive alignment along the centerline  218  running longitudinally along the length of the sender  212 . The broken lined portions on the right side  202  (for example the upper end  224  of the clip through which the threaded  240  portion of the sender  212  passes, the outer end  232  of the radiused end  238  of the clip, and cooling line right half cross section  236 ) are included for completeness of the particular (right  202  or left  204  side) temperature measuring arrangements for sender  212 . 
     In preferred embodiments, a conventional automotive temperature sensor such as sender  212  is usable in either a direct fluid contact measurement arrangement (as depicted in side  202  of  FIG. 2 ) or a direct cooling line contact measurement arrangement (as depicted in side  204  of  FIG. 2 ). In the former arrangement, the sender  212  is threadably installed in a test port or drilled hole in a conventional manner. In the latter arrangement, the sender  212  is held in perpendicular orientation to the cooling line  234  (as opposed to the substantially parallel orientation between sensor longitudinal centerline and the cooling line  102  in assembly  100  in  FIG. 1 ) with its tip end  230  in direct contact with the side of the cooling line  234 , where the cooling line  234  is shown in  FIG. 2  as a cross section of a cooling line  102  as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     The clip  226  is preferably made of a thermally conductive metal such as aluminum or copper, either formed or extruded, and approximately 1″ wide (i.e. 1″ along the direction into the page, or, expressed differently, 1″ along a direction perpendicular to the centerline of the sensor  302  and in a direction substantially parallel to the length of cooling line captured within the radiused portion of the clip). The present inventor&#39;s initial concept  300  is shown in  FIG. 3 . The sensor (or sender)  302  is used to capture the tubing  304  within the device (i.e. clip)  314 , with the very tip (tip end)  306  of the sensor  302  in direct contact with the (cooling line) tubing. As shown, the threaded portion  240  of the sensor  302  (just below the hex nut  210 ) extends through a (preferably threaded) hole shown between clip end  318  and right angle  316 . The shaft portion  216  of the sensor  302  extends away from the threaded portion  240  and contacts the cooling line  304  at its tip end  306 . The cooling line (tubing)  304  is captured between the sensor tip end  306  and a radiused portion  308  of the clip between an end  310  of the clip and a transition  312  where the clip transitions from a radius  308  corresponding to the exterior radius/OD of the cooling line  304  to a stretch of clip material connecting the radiused portion  308  to the right angle  316  and clip portion between the right angle  316  and end  318  secured about the threaded portion of the sensor  302 . 
     In preferred embodiments the sensor  302  is threadably engaged with the portion of the clip between end  318  and right angle  316  as shown in  FIG. 3 . The threadable engagement may be by way of the pipe threads  240  of the sensor frictionally engaged with an appropriately sized hole in the clip material between the end  318  and right angle  316 . The threadable engagement may be by way of one or more locking nuts threadably engaged with the sensor threads  240 . 
     With threadable adjustments, installing the sensor  302  and clip  314  can be accomplished in seconds. For example, the clip  314  may be positioned so as to cradle/capture the cooling line  304  within the radiused portion  308  of the clip, then the sensor  302  may be fed through the other end of the clip  314  having the appropriately sized hole for receiving the threaded portion  240  of the sensor  302 . With just a few turns of the sensor by hand, then with a wrench using the hex nut  210 , the tip end  306  of the sensor may be tightened against the cooling line  304 . 
     The present inventor constructed a prototype clip  314  made of copper and tested it for comparison with the assembly  100  shown in  FIG. 1 . The error for the clip  314  was at worst half that of the assembly  100 , and the error was further reduced by another 50% with the addition of a simple insulating blanket around it so as to shield at least the shaft  216  portion of the sensor. Although not shown in the figures, embodiments preferably include such blanket or wrapping with cloth, insulation, and/or tape so as to shield the sensor from air flow. Further improvement may be obtained by using thermally conductive grease on the tip end  306  of the sensor  302 . In one embodiment, the inventor determined fluid temperature measured by directly contacting the tip end of the sensor to the cooling line using clip  314  (or versions thereof) produced temperatures within 5 degrees F. of a sensor  302  in direct contact with the fluid (i.e. sensor  302  immersed in the fluid). However, the present inventor discovered sufficient performance without an insulator or thermally conductive grease. 
     Turning now to  FIG. 4 , a direct cooling line contact temperature sensing arrangement  400  is illustrated that uses a sensor clip  226  configured for at least two different cooling line diameters. Preferably one or the other of sensors  404  or  406  are installed to capture one or the other of cooling lines  424  or  426  using clip  226 . For a smaller diameter cooling line  426 , the radius  228  region of the clip  226  is used. For a larger diameter cooling line  424 , the radius  238  region of the clip  226  is used. Sensors  404  and  406  may be identical with one another or different, or either or both may be the same as any of the sensors  302 ,  212 , or  118 . Sensor  404  has hex nut  414  (or hex surface) that provides aid in tightening the sensor using threads  408  through a hole in the top flange of the clip  226  that extends between clip end  224  and right angle  402  where the clip bends downward into a direction in parallel with the longitudinal axis (i.e. centerline) of the sensor. Then, the clip bends about a first (smaller) radius  228 , and then about a second (larger) radius  238  before ending at clip end  232 . The cooling line having cross section  424  is captured between radius  238  and the sensor tip end  422  of shaft  416 . In similar fashion the cooling line having cross section  426  is captured between radius  228  and sensor tip end  420 , where the sensor tip end  420  is the farthest extending point of sensor shaft  418  held fast against the cooling line  426  via engagement of sensor threads  410  about a hole in the top clip portion extending between clip end  224  and right angle  402 , the hole being aligned along the centerline of sensor  406  and the correspondingly opposite radius  228 . Just as with the other sensor/sensor location, sensor  406  may be threadably tightened down upon the cooling line  426  using hex nut  412 . 
     Although the relative cooling line cross sectional sizes are as shown in  FIG. 4 , they may be switched in relation to one another, in less preferred embodiments. In more preferred embodiments, the smaller diameter cooling line may be captured within an inner most position, closest to the clip portion extending between radius  228  and right angle  402 . 
       FIGS. 5-7  are direct cooling line contact temperature sensing arrangements using a multiple cooling line diameter accommodating sensor clip. The clip design is the same in each figure, and each figure simply illustrates one of three different sensor and cooling line positions.  FIG. 5  illustrates a first arrangement  500  with sensor  502  capturing a large diameter cooling line  528 , according to a preferred embodiment.  FIG. 6  illustrates a second arrangement  600  using the sensor clip in  FIG. 5  and a medium diameter cooling line  604 , according to a preferred embodiment. Finally,  FIG. 7  illustrates a third arrangement  700  using the sensor clip in  FIG. 5  and a small diameter cooling line  716 , according to a preferred embodiment. 
     The clip may be defined by its sensor engaging portions, transitions, and radius portions that are in alignment with respective sensor engaging portions. In  FIG. 5 , for example, clip portion  506  is shown threadably engaging threads  522  of sensor  502 . The centerline  526  is shown in alignment with the clip portion  506  and opposing large radius  514 . The large radius  514  is sized to receive and capture cooling line  528  (or cross section  528 ). The tip end  518  is tightened down against the cross section  528  by using hex nut  520  (or hex surface) to extend shaft  524  toward the cooling line surface. As the tip end  518  contacts and increasingly presses against the surface of the cooling line and radius  514 , the clip bends so as to increase the compressive force/clamping force for capturing and holding the cooling line cross section  528 . 
     Clip portion  504  is aligned opposite radius  512 , and clip portion  508  is aligned opposite radius  516 . Tracing along the clip in a clockwise direction, clip portion  504  transitions (in an obtuse angle) to a differently angled portion  506 . Clip portion  506  transitions (in an obtuse angle) to a differently angled clip portion  508 . The clip then transitions at a right angle  510 , extending downward to incorporate a small radius  512 , then a large radius  514 , and finally a medium radius  516 . The specific angles and orientations may be different. However, the alignments between sensor engaging portions of the clip and correspondingly opposite radius portions are maintained in preferred embodiments. 
       FIG. 6  illustrates the sensor  502  positioned so as to capture a medium diameter cooling line  604  between tip end  602  and radius  516 .  FIG. 7  illustrates the sensor  502  positioned so as to capture a small diameter cooling line  716  (of which there are at least two differently sized “small” diameter cooling lines) between tip end  718  and radius  512 . 
     Tracing along this edge view (in a direction into the page, or in a direction parallel with the cooling line portion captured within the clip) in a counterclockwise direction, clip end  708  transitions from one radius to another at  710  and then again at  712  and then from a radius to an extension to right angle  510 . From the right angle  510 , the clip extends counterclockwise across portion  508 , transitioning at  702  to portion  506 , transitioning at  704  to portion  504 , and finally terminating at clip end  706 . Transitions  702  and  704  are each obtuse angles. 
     Material thickness of the clip in this edge view (in  FIGS. 5-7 ) is of less importance than the clip&#39;s sensor engaging capabilities (across the portions  504 ,  506 , and  508 ) and the clip&#39;s spring characteristics (for maintaining clamping forces between sensor tip end and the corresponding clip radius, within which a particular cooling line is captured). Also of less importance is the particular material used. The material need not be of any particular thermal quality, in preferred embodiments, since the clip functions to hold the sensor tip end in direct contact with the cooling line/tubing. The head radiated from the transmission oil within the cooling line and through the cooling line material is what the temperature sensor preferably accurately measures. 
     In one embodiment, radius  514  is adapted to capture ⅝″ OD cooling line; radius  516  is adapted to capture ½″ OD cooling line; and radius  512  is adapted to capture both ⅜″ and 5/16″ OD cooling lines. 
     The terms and expressions which have been employed in the forgoing specification are used therein as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding equivalence of the features shown and described or portions thereof, it being recognized that the scope of the invention is defined and limited only by the claims which follow.