Test block with input and output sockets of the RJ45 type

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10041972-B2
Application number	US-201715481839-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 7, 2017
Priority date	Apr 8, 2016
Publication date	Aug 7, 2018
Grant date	Aug 7, 2018

Abstract

The invention relates to a test block intended to be implanted in the circuit connecting an apparatus to be tested such as an electricity meter or a protective relay and a power source supplying the apparatus to be tested such as an intensity sensor and/or a voltage sensor. The test block comprises a base including a plurality of inner electric circuits capable of allowing the transmission of information from the power source to the apparatus to be tested and a protective cover intended to be assembled in a dismountable manner with the base in order to form a closed enclosure in which the inner electric circuits are housed. The base and the protective cover are configured such that the removal of the protective cover gives access to a receiving site delimited by the base and capable of receiving by plugging a test plug independent of the test block and electrically linked to a test equipment, in particular a voltmeter and/or an ammeter and/or a dummy current source. A test appliance is also described.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A test block intended to be implanted in the circuit connecting an apparatus to be tested such as an electricity meter or a protective relay and a power source supplying the apparatus to be tested such as an intensity sensor and/or a voltage sensor, the test block comprising:
a base including a plurality of inner electric circuits capable of allowing the transmission of information from the power source to the apparatus to be tested,
a protective cover intended to be assembled in a dismountable manner with the base in order to form a closed enclosure in which the inner electric circuits are housed,
the base and the protective cover being configured such that the removal of the protective cover gives access to a receiving site delimited by the base and capable of receiving by plugging a test plug independent of the test block and electrically linked to a test equipment, in particular a voltmeter and/or an ammeter and/or a dummy current source, the test block being characterized in that the base comprises:
at least one multi-contact type input socket accessible from the outside of the enclosure and whose contacts are respectively electrically linked to inner electric circuits so that the input socket is connected to all inner electric circuits at the same time, the input socket being configured so as to be able to be connected to a first multi-contact type connector independent of the test block and whose contacts are electrically connected to the power supply, in particular via a multicore cable,
and at least one multi-contact type output socket accessible from the outside of the enclosure and whose contacts are respectively electrically linked to the inner electric circuits so that the output socket is connected to all inner electric circuits at the same time, the output socket being configured so as to be able to be connected to a second multi-contact type connector independent of the test block and whose contacts are electrically linked to the apparatus to be tested, in particular via a multicore cable.

2. The test block according to claim 1 , characterized in that the base and the protective cover comprise electrically conductive elements linked to each other and configured so as to ensure a continuity and a magnetic shielding closure such as the enclosure delimited by the base and the protective cover is a Faraday cage protecting the inner electric circuits relative to the magnetic fields external to the enclosure delimited by the base and the protective cover.

3. The test block according to claim 1 , characterized in that the base comprises a removable lid whose removal relative to the rest of the base gives access to the inner electric circuits and whose nature and/or shape is adapted to the nature of the input and output sockets.

4. A test appliance comprising a test block according to claim 1 further comprising a test plug capable of being plugged into the receiving site delimited by the base after removal of the protective cover, the inner electric circuits of the test block and the test plug being configured such that the plugging of the test plug causes a temporary action on all or part of the inner electric circuits of the test block as long as the test plug is plugged, said temporary action being such as it allows carrying out measuring and/or calibrating operations in relation with the apparatus to be tested thanks to the test equipment.

5. The test appliance according to claim 4 , characterized in that it comprises a first multi-contact type connector independent of the test block and of the test plug, complementary to the input socket of the test block so as to be able to be connected to the input socket of the test block and whose contacts are electrically linked to the power source, in particular via a multicore cable, and in that the input socket of the test block and the first connector are configured such that the electric connection between the inner electric circuits of the test block and the power source results from the action of connecting the first connector with the input socket of the test block.

6. The test appliance according to claim 4 , characterized in that it comprises a second multi-contact type connector independent of the test block and of the test plug, complementary to the output socket of the test block so as to be able to be connected to the output socket of the test block and whose contacts are electrically linked to the apparatus to be tested, in particular via a multicore cable, and in that the output socket of the test block and the second connector are configured such that the electric connection between the inner electric circuits and the apparatus to be tested results from the action of connecting the second connector with the output socket of the test block.

7. The test appliance according to claim 4 , characterized in that the test plug comprises, on the one hand, a plurality of actuating elements and a plurality of electric conductors configured so as to act on the inner electric circuits of the base in a manner causing said temporary action as long as the test plug is plugged into the receiving site delimited by the base and, on the other hand, a multi-contact type output socket whose contacts are respectively connected to all or part of the electric conductors of the test plug, the output socket of the test plug being configured so as to be able to be connected to a third multi-contact type connector independent of the test block and of the test plug and whose contacts are electrically linked to the test equipment, in particular via a multicore cable.

8. The test appliance according to claim 7 , characterized in that when the test plug is plugged into the receiving site delimited by the base, the electric conductors which are connected to the contacts of the output socket of the test plug are electrically linked to all or part of the contacts of the output socket of the base of the test block via all or part of the inner electric circuits.

9. The test appliance according to claim 7 , characterized in that the output socket of the test plug is formed by a male or female connector of the RJ45 type comprising a pinning with 8 contact positions, each of the pins corresponding to a contact of the output socket of the test plug.

10. The test appliance according to claim 7 , characterized in that it comprises the third multi-contact type connector independent of the test block and of the test plug, complementary to the output socket of the test plug so as to be able to be connected to the output socket of the test plug and whose contacts are electrically linked to the test equipment, in particular via a multicore cable and in that the output socket of the test plug and the third connector are configured such that the electric connection of the electric conductors of the test plug to the test equipment results from the action of connecting the third connector in the output socket of the test plug.

11. The test block according to claim 2 , characterized in that the base comprises a removable lid whose removal relative to the rest of the base gives access to the inner electric circuits and whose nature and/or shape is adapted to the nature of the input and output sockets.

12. A test appliance comprising a test block according to claim 11 further comprising a test plug capable of being plugged into the receiving site delimited by the base after removal of the protective cover, the inner electric circuits of the test block and the test plug being configured such that the plugging of the test plug causes a temporary action on all or part of the inner electric circuits of the test block as long as the test plug is plugged, said tempo

Assignees

• Abb Schweiz Ag

Inventors

• France Philippe
• Chaillet Alexandre

Classifications

• G01R35/04

  of instruments for measuring time integral of power or current · CPC title

• G01R22/068

  Arrangements for indicating or signaling faults · CPC title

• H01R2201/20

  for testing or measuring purposes · CPC title

• H01R13/665

  with built-in electronic circuit (H01R13/70, H01R13/719 take precedence) · CPC title

• G01R1/18

  Screening arrangements against electric or magnetic fields, e.g. against earth's field · CPC title