Patent ID: 7963164

Claim:
A capacitive sensor assembly for measuring a level of fluent material in a container, the capacitive sensor assembly comprising: electrical circuitry for receiving and processing signals; and an antenna probe having: an electrical conductor connected to the electrical circuitry; an enlarged measurement portion comprising a coiled portion connected to the electrical conductor for detecting the presence or absence of the fluent material, the enlarged measurement portion having a surface area that is larger than a surface area of the electrical conductor over an equivalent height to thereby function as a first plate of the capacitive sensor assembly, with the fluent material to be measured functioning as a second capacitive plate; and an insulating layer covering at least a portion of the electrical conductor and the enlarged measurement portion to thereby electrically isolate the electrical conductor and the enlarged measurement portion from the fluent material to be measured; wherein a change in detected capacitance of the antenna probe is reflective of a level condition of the fluent material.