Importance

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Abstract

A sensor package for proximity detectors adapted for use with materials having a significant angle of repose. The sensor package includes a hollow housing defining a cylindrical main body adapted to house proximity detection circuitry and a non-planar tip disposed on one end of the housing adjacent the main body. The tip portion is preferably tapered in its diameter from a dimension generally equal to the diameter of the main body to a dimension less than the diameter of the main body. The tip is adapted to house a sensing element electrically coupled to the proximity detection circuitry and disposed on an inner bottom surface of the tip portion. Preferably, the taper of the tip is selected to substantially match the angle of repose of the materials to be sensed, and may take on a wide variety of shapes including cone, frustum, pyramid, round and hemispherical. One particularly preferred tip is frustum-shaped and comprises a flat end surface having a diameter less than the diameter of the main body and a tapered side portion that extends from the outer edge of the flat end surface outwardly to the main body along a predetermined angle. In this embodiment the sensing element is substantially frustum-shaped and comprises a flat end and a side portion tapered along an angle substantially equivalent to the predetermined angle of the tapered side portion of the tip.

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First Claim