Patent Application
20180175521
The present invention relates generally to terminations to power conductors and more specifically to a safety termination to a power conductor for a voltage detector.
The internet of things (IoT) movement, along with industry desire for increased safety, better energy efficiency, improved reliability, and predictive maintenance has led to an increase in discussion of industrial applications for sensing and monitoring devices. For some applications, it is often desirable to monitor electrical signals and conditions such as current or voltage. In these cases, it is necessary to be able to attach a sensing lead wire to a power conductor. The sensing lead is usually required to be connected in such a manner that allows the sensing lead to make galvanic contact with the conductor. Although the sensor lead is often connected to a conductor in the main power circuit, the sensor wire itself and the corresponding connection is not load-carrying.
For some applications, a single point of galvanic contact is sufficient. However, in some cases, it is desirable to have two leads galvanically connected to each phase of the conductor. The two leads are acting as a mechanism to a) test the device and b) verify that it is connected to a power source. In essence, the embodiment achieves the desired functionality by using the power conductor to complete the circuit. In order to achieve this desired functionality, the two sending leads must also be electrically isolated from each other. This presents several additional challenges with the connection methods established in prior art.
A safety termination apparatus for connecting to a power conductor has first and second galvanic connections, a sensor wire, and an insulating housing. The first and second galvanic connections are connected to an uninsulated portion of the power conductor and a sensor wire is electrically connected to each galvanic connection. The insulating housing encloses the galvanic connections and has first and second compartments for enclosing the first and second galvanic connections. The first and second compartments separate the first and second galvanic connections such that the first and second galvanic connections are not electrically connected to each other than through a mutual connection to the power conductor.
The new termination method consists of a method to tap two sensor leads onto a power conductor while keeping the leads isolated from each other (other than through a mutual connection to the power conductor) and without cutting, splicing, or damaging the power conductor.
The method consists of assembling several parts and is designed to slip on over one end of a power conductor where the cable insulation (jacket material) has been stripped away to provide a method by which to galvanically couple a sensing lead wire to a power conductor for the purpose of carrying an electronic signal between the sensing device and power conductor. It is not intended to be used as a load carrying power connection. A single connector can be designed to accept a variety of wire gauges (e.g., 14 AWG-2 AWG) and a family of connectors can be designed to accommodate various AWG, metric wire sizes (for example standard wire gages ranging from 14 AWG through 1000 MCM).
The insulating housing 20 contains first and second compartments 21, one for each of the galvanic connections 30. The separate compartments 21 prevent the galvanic connections 30 from being electrically connected to each other by means other than through a mutual connection to the power conductor 50. The insulating housing has a hinge 22 located on a side with an axis parallel to the power conductor. The insulating housing 20 may have power conductor extensions 23 and sensor wire extensions 24 in order to protect the power conductor 50 and sensor wires 40 as they exit the insulating housing 20. The power conductor extensions 23 are designed to fit snugly around the conductor insulating jacketing 51 on one side and the bare conductor 52 on the other. The power conductor extensions 23 may be tapered on either end to allow the connector to accommodate multiple sizes of power conductors (2-14 AWG and corresponding metric sizes). In one embodiment, the insulating housing 20 is made of an insulating material with high dielectric properties such as ABS or polycarbonate. All conductive surfaces involved in the connection of the safety termination apparatus can be encapsulated by the insulating housing 20 when closed. This provides a “finger safe” (IP20 per IEC 60529) apparatus reducing the risk for shock hazards. It also insulates the connection and prevents contamination or tracking across the joint. The housing may have a living hinge or a tether connecting the two halves which are held together by a molded latch(s) with snap closure features.
The galvanic connection 30 can include a clamp body 31 and a clamp screw 32. The power conductor 50 passes through both clamp bodies 31 and each clamp screw 32 is tightened to make the galvanic connection.
The sensor wires 40 can be attached to the galvanic connection 30 through a variety of methods easily understood by one of ordinary skill in the art.
While particular embodiments and applications of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction and compositions disclosed herein and that various modifications, changes, and variations may be apparent from the foregoing without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as described.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US2016/033438 | 5/20/2016 | WO | 00 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62165564 | May 2015 | US |
