Abstract:
A multipurpose weather measurement instrument sensor system in which a fan circulates air past temperature and other sensors to ensure their accurate operation, a basin collects rainwater and precisely directs the rainwater into a tipping receptacle to measure the amount of rainwater collected per unit time and a wind speed gauge is provided with a counter-balanced toggle beam to product wobble-free rotation.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS 
     This patent application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/531,472, filed Sep. 6, 2011. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     This invention pertains generally to weather measurement instruments and, more particularly, to unitary multipurpose weather measurement instrument sensor system embodiments which produce accurate and reliable data. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Various weather measurement sensors are known for determining wind speed, wind direction, rainfall, humidity, temperature and other weather parameters. A need exists, however, for a unitary weather measurement instrument sensor systems that can accurately and reliably sense multiple weather parameters so that the weather data obtained can be processed by an appropriate apparatus such as a remote weather station receiving the data either wirelessly or over a wired connection. 
     SUMMARY 
     Weather measurement instrument sensor embodiments include a temperature sensor, a solar cell to generate an electrical current, and a fan to circulate air in a path past the temperature sensor responsive to the electrical current and to direct the circulated air through openings in the weather measurement instrument. The fan may be configured to circulate the air to counteract solar heating of air within the weather measurement instrument to ensure accurate temperature and other readings. 
     The weather measurement instrument sensor system may also include humidity and other weather sensors, and the fan may be configured to circulate the air in a path past one or more of these sensors to improve their accuracy and longevity. 
     The weather measurement instrument sensor system may also include a basin to collect rainwater and direct it through an opening into a tipping receptacle which teeter-totters back and forth indicating the amount of water collected. A user-replaceable screen may be provided to prevent debris from passing through the opening. The device may also include spaced downwardly directed pins to ensure that the water collected in the basin is properly guided to the tipping receptacle in a precise repeatable manner. 
     The weather measurement instrument may also include a wind speed gauge employing a counterbalanced toggle beam which rotates with the cups of the wind speed gauge to both accurately indicate wind speed and ensure smooth, wobble-free rotation. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In order to aid in understanding the invention, it will now be described in connection with exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like numerical designations will be given to like features with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a weather measurement instrument sensor system according to one or more aspects of the disclosure; 
         FIGS. 2A, 2B and 2C  are respectively side, top view and bottom views of the weather measurement instrument sensor system of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a partial cut-away view of the weather measurement instrument sensor system of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIGS. 4 and 5  are cross-sectional views of the weather measurement instrument sensor system of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 6  is another cross-sectional view of the weather measurement instrument sensor system of  FIG. 1 , including an installed rain gauge screen; 
         FIG. 7  is another partial cut-away view of the weather measurement instrument sensor system of  FIG. 1 , including an installed rain gauge screen; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the example rain gauge screen of  FIGS. 6 and 7 ; 
         FIG. 9  is partial enlarged view of a pair of downwardly directed pins located below an opening in a rain collection basin of the weather measurement instrument sensor system, the view being taken from below the basin; 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of a tipping receptacle that may be used in weather instrument sensor system embodiments; and 
         FIG. 11  is a top plan view of the tipping receptacle of  FIG. 10 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring first to  FIGS. 1, 2A -C and  3 - 7 , a weather measurement instrument sensor system  100  is shown and includes, among other things, a rain collection basin  105 , an opening  110  in the bottom of the collection basin, a solar panel  115 , an air intake vent  120 , and a housing  125 . 
     Rain collection basin  105  captures and funnels rainwater through opening  110  into spoon members  202  of a tipping receptacle  130 . As the escaping water moves through opening  110 , it flows down a V-shaped area formed by bottom opposite leveled surfaces  109  of an upstanding wall  121  extending across the opening into the space  111  between a pair of downwardly directed pins  113  located below and across the lower beveled surfaces of wall  121 . The surface tension of the water causes it to adhere to and collect between the pins. When the quantity of water collected between the pins is sufficiently heavy to overcome the surface tension, the collected water will drop onto tipping receptacle  130  which is described below. The pins ensure that the quantity of water in each droplet falls from the pins in the same vertical path directly between the pins. 
     Tipping receptacle  130  thus comprises a central member  200  and equally sized and equal volume spoon members  202  and  204  projecting from the opposite sides of the central member. The spoon members may be angled downwardly from the central member as can be seen in  FIG. 10 . The spoon members have rounded bottoms  210  and curved sidewalls  212  and the distal tips  214  of the spoon portions preferably each have a rounded or radiused end  216 . 
     The tipping receptacle includes a support bracket  220  which is pivotally mounted about a pivot axis  222  so that the tipping receptacle can tip back and forth about the pivot axis. Arms  224  and  226  project laterally from the two spoon members and are centered across central member  200 . Upstanding magnetic pins  228  and  230  are mounted in and project upwardly from the lateral arms. These magnetic pins move back and forth across a magnetic sensor located above the tipping receptacle (not shown) as the tipping receptacle teeters back and forth about the centrally located pivot axis as each successive spoon member first collects the water received from opening  110 , then tips to discharge its collected water. The device thus counts the tips and thereby measures the quantity of water collected by the spoon members to determine the quantity of water passing through the rain collection basin per unit time. 
     For example, when the weather measurement instrument encounters rainfall of say 0.5 inches per hour, the rain collected at this rate in basin  105  passes through opening  110 , and drops from pins  113 . The water will drop into the spoon member which is positioned directly below the pins. As this spoon member fills up, it will cause the tipping receptacle to “teeter-totter” down when a predetermined quantity of water is collected. When this happens, magnetic pins  228  and  230  move past the magnetic sensor indicating the collection of the quantity of water necessary to cause the tipping action. As the filled spoon member of the tipping receptacle tips next, the water in that spoon member will readily spill from the radiused end of the spoon member, causing the other spoon member to move under pins  113  whereby the procedure will be repeated so long as water continues to be collected in the collection basin and pass through opening  110 . Therefore, in this example, the teeter rate taken with the known volume of the spoon members will indicate a rainfall rate of 0.5 inches/hour. 
     Opening  110  of basin  105  includes a stem  135  onto which an optional, user-replaceable and/or user-installable screen  800  can be installed. As shown in  FIG. 8 , screen  800  includes a catch  805  that selectively engages a lip or catch  140  of stem  135  (see  FIG. 7 ) to secure screen  800  to the weather measurement instrument  100 . Screen  800  includes a tab  810  to enable a person to securely grasp the screen  800  when installing and removing it from the weather measurement instrument. 
     A bottom surface  815  of screen  800  is contoured to substantially correspond to the contour of the bottom portion of rain collection basin  105  in the vicinity of the opening  110 . Screen  800  includes openings  820  through which liquid may pass from rain collection basin  105  into the opening  110 . While a catch  805  and catch  140  are depicted, other means for securing the screen  800  to the weather measurement instrument  100  may be used. Moreover, screens having other shapes or configurations may be used to prevent debris from passing through opening  110 . 
     Air inlet  120  as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4  allows air to be drawn into the weather measurement instrument sensor system  100  and past temperature, humidity, and other sensor(s)  150 . Air is drawn into the air inlet  120  and circulated or forced in a stream past the sensor(s)  150  by a fan  155 . Were the air not drawn into the air inlet  120  and circulated or forced past the sensor(s)  150  by fan  155 , the accuracy of temperature (or humidity and other weather parameters) measured by the sensor(s)  150  may be reduced due to solar heating. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 3-5 , air drawn into the air inlet  120  is channeled or directed in a stream past sensor(s)  150  by a duct  160 , and then directed, circulated or forced throughout the weather measurement instrument sensor system  100  and out through vents or openings  165  between the parts  125  of the housing. The parts  125  of the housing may be attached via any appropriate means such as screws, snap-together connectors, etc. 
     Fan  155  is powered by electrical current and/or electrical charge generated by a solar panel  115 . Because solar panel  115  can only generate electrical current and/or electrical charge when the sun is shining, fan  155  only operates when the sun is shining, thereby dissipating heated air contained within the weather measurement instrument  100 . Alternatively, electrical charge generated by the solar panel  115  could be stored in, for example, a battery or capacitor to provide extended running time for fan  155 . Further still, when the sun is shining, solar panel  115  could be used to power other parts of the weather measurement instrument  100  (e.g., the rain sensor  130 , the temperature and/or humidity sensors(s)  150 , etc.), thus reducing the rate at which user-replaceable batteries  170  are depleted. As best shown in  FIG. 4 , the solar panel  115  may be placed or installed behind a glass or plastic cover  175  to protect the solar panel  115  from weather, debris, insects and animals. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , weather measurement instrument sensor system  100  may include any number and/or type of additional or alternative sensors, gauges, etc. such as a wind direction vane  180 , a level indicator  185 , a wind speed gauge  190  and a mount  195 . However, weather measurement instruments embodied in this disclosure are not limited to or by the inclusion of such additional weather measurement means. 
     For example, a wind speed gauge  190  may be provided including equally spaced radially directed cups  250  mounted to the distal end of a post  252  that is freely rotatable about its longitudinal axis. A toggle beam  254  is attached to and disposed perpendicularly to the proximal end  256  of the post. Toggle beam  254  is as wide as space permits to produce a wide sweep and hence accurate and reliable wind speed data. The beam is counter-balanced by providing it with a downwardly directed magnet  258  adjacent end  260  of the beam and a downwardly directed metal rod  262  adjacent the opposite end  264  of the beam. The magnet and rod, which are fixed in cavities in the beam and equally spaced from the rod, are dimensioned and sized so that they have identical or near identical masses. 
     Wind speed is determined based on the rate of rotation of magnet  258  of the beam past a magnetic sensor  266  which is associated with appropriate means to determine the rate of rotation on, e.g., a miles per hour basis. Since magnet  258  and rod  262  are spaced an equal distance from the post and are of identical or near identical mass, the beam is counterbalanced to ensure smooth and accurate wobble-free rotation of the post, and hence minimal friction and long life in the wind measurement system. 
     For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of this disclosure, reference has been made to exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings, and specific language has been used to describe embodiments. However, no limitation of the scope of this disclosure is intended by this specific language, and this disclosure encompasses all embodiments that would normally occur to one of ordinary skill in the art. 
     The particular implementations shown and described herein are illustrative examples, and do not limit the scope of this disclosure in any way. Moreover, no item or component is essential to the disclosed embodiments unless the element is specifically described as “essential” or “critical”. 
     The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in the context of describing the disclosed embodiments are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural. Furthermore, any recitation of ranges of values herein is merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. Finally, the steps of any methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as” or “for example”) provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate the embodiments and does not pose a limitation on the scope of this disclosure. Numerous modifications and adaptations will be readily apparent to those skilled in this art without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. 
     Although certain example methods, apparatuses and articles of manufacture have been described and disclosed herein, the scope of coverage of any patent resulting from this disclosure is not limited thereto. On the contrary, this disclosure encompasses and covers all methods, apparatuses and articles of manufacture fairly falling within the scope of this disclosure.