US 12,152,924 B2
Sensor device and method for determining properties of a liquid
Daniel Schramm, Lunen (DE); Marco Rutkowski, Selm (DE); and Gregory Sapsford, Werne (DE)
Assigned to Kyocera AVX Components (Werne) GmbH, Werne (DE)
Filed by Kyocera AVX Components (Werne) GmbH, Werne (DE)
Filed on Jun. 2, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/830,820.
Claims priority of application No. DE 102021115223.2 (DE), filed on Jun. 11, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0397441 A1, Dec. 15, 2022
Int. Cl. G01F 23/26 (2022.01); G01F 23/263 (2022.01); G01N 27/22 (2006.01); G01N 33/18 (2006.01)
CPC G01F 23/266 (2013.01) [G01N 27/226 (2013.01); G01N 33/1833 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A sensor device having:
an inner chamber for accommodating a liquid,
a capacitor arrangement in the inner chamber, wherein the capacitor arrangement has spaced, opposing capacitor surfaces so that at least part of the liquid accommodated in the inner chamber is arranged between the capacitor surfaces,
an evaluation device for supplying an output signal that is at least dependent on a capacitance value of the capacitor arrangement, wherein the evaluation device comprises an excitation circuit and an evaluation circuit,
wherein the excitation circuit has at least one measuring resistor and AC voltage source configured to apply an AC voltage to a series circuit including the measuring resistor and the capacitor arrangement,
wherein the series circuit including the measuring resistor and the capacitor arrangement forms a low-pass filter, and the AC voltage is applied at a frequency in a region of a cutoff frequency of the low-pass filter; and
wherein the evaluation circuit has an output configured to supply the output signal by measuring a voltage across the capacitor arrangement.