Electrical measurement devices for a device under test

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10222399-B2
Application number	US-201615335546-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 27, 2016
Priority date	Oct 29, 2015
Publication date	Mar 5, 2019
Grant date	Mar 5, 2019

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for electrical measurement are disclosed. An example electrical measurement device includes a conductive cable that includes a plurality of conductive filaments on a first end and an electrical connector on a second end, a cable mount that includes a base and an adjustable support attached to the base and the conductive cable to hold the plurality of conductive filaments in contact with a rotating element of a device under test during a measurement operation, with the conductive cable forming a portion of a circuit when the plurality of conductive filaments are in contact with the rotating element of the device under test and the electrical connector is in contact with an output.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical measurement device comprising:
a conductive cable comprising a plurality of conductive filaments on a first end and an electrical connector on a second end;
a coupling to secure the plurality of conductive filaments to the cable, the coupling comprising a conductive coupling in contact with each of the plurality of conductive filaments and the conductive cable; and
a cable mount to hold the plurality of conductive filaments in contact with a rotating element of a device under test during a measurement operation, the cable mount comprising:
a base; and
an adjustable support attached to the base and the conductive cable, the conductive cable forming a portion of a circuit when the plurality of conductive filaments are in contact with the rotating element of the device under test and the electrical connector is in contact with an output.

2. The electrical measurement device of claim 1 , wherein the base comprises a lock to secure the cable mount to a fixed structure during the measurement operation, wherein the lock comprises at least one of an electromagnet, a clamp and a bolted support plate.

3. The electrical measurement device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of conductive filaments extends from the first end by a predetermined length to form a brush.

4. The electrical measurement device of claim 3 , wherein the brush is configured such that at least one filament of the plurality of conductive filaments maintains electrical contact with the rotating element of the device under test when the device under test is in motion.

5. The electrical measurement device of claim 1 , wherein the device under test comprises a motor, the rotating element comprising a shaft configured to rotate during operation of the motor.

6. The electrical measurement device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of conductive filaments is configured to maintain electrical contact with the rotating element as the rotating element rotates and the cable mount holds the conductive cable in a stationary position.

7. The electrical measurement device of claim 1 , wherein each of the coupling and the conductive cable are encased in one or more electrically insulating layers.

8. The electrical measurement device of claim 1 , wherein the electrical connector is a clamp.

9. The electrical measurement device of claim 1 , wherein the electrical connector is a probe configured to connect with an electrical sensor to measure an electrical property of the device under test during a measurement operation.

10. The electrical measurement device of claim 9 , wherein the electrical sensor comprises at least one of a voltmeter and an ammeter.

11. An electrical measurement system comprising:
a first electrical measurement device comprising:
a first conductive cable comprising a first plurality of conductive filaments on a first end and a first electrical connector on a second end; and
a first cable mount to hold the first plurality of conductive filaments in contact with a first portion of a rotating element of a device under test during a measurement operation, the first cable mount comprising:
a first base; and
a first adjustable support attached to the first base and the first conductive cable; and

a second electrical measurement device comprising:
a second conductive cable comprising a second plurality of conductive filaments on a first end and a second electrical connector on a second end; and
a second cable mount to hold the second plurality of conductive filaments in contact with a second portion of the rotating element of the device under test during a measurement operation, the second cable mount comprising:
a second base; and
a second adjustable support attached to the second base and the second conductive cable; and

an electrical sensor in electrical contact with at least one of the first and second electrical connectors to measure an electrical property of the device under test during a measurement operation.

12. The electrical measurement system of claim 11 , wherein the first electrical connector is in contact with the second electrical connector via a conductive element to create a closed circuit.

13. The electrical measurement system of claim 12 , wherein the electrical sensor is one of a voltmeter and an ammeter.

14. The electrical measurement system of claim 11 , wherein each of the first and second base comprises a lock to secure each respective cable mount to one or more fixed structures during the measurement operation, wherein each lock comprises at least one of an electromagnet, a clamp, and a bolted support plate.

15. The electrical measurement system of claim 11 , wherein the device under test is an electric motor and the rotating element is a rotatable shaft.

16. A method of measuring an electrical property of a device, the method comprising:
securing a conductive cable to a cable mount;
securing the cable mount in a fixed position;
arranging a first end of the conductive cable to make electrical contact with a movable device under test, the first end of the conductive cable including a plurality of conductive filaments; and providing a coupling to secure the plurality of conductive filaments to the cable, the coupling comprising a conductive coupling in contact with each of the plurality of conductive filaments and the conductive cable
arranging a second end of the conductive cable to make electrical contact with an electrical sensor to measure an electrical property of the device under test.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the cable mount further comprises an adjustable support, the method further comprising adjusting the adjustable support to position the plurality of conductive filaments to maintain electrical contact with the device under test.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein securing the cable mount further comprises:
energizing an electromagnetic lock to secure the cable mount to a fixed ferromagnetic surface in a fixed position during a measurement operation; and
de-energizing the electromagnetic lock after completion of the measurement operation to release the cable mount.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the device under test comprises a motor having a shaft, the method further comprising:
engaging the motor such that the shaft rotates while contact with the plurality of conductive filaments is maintained;
operating the electrical sensor to measure an electrical property of the motor; and
disengaging the motor such that the shaft ceases to rotate.

Assignees

• Illinois Tool Works

Inventors

• Richardson Jeffrey
• Willwerth Adam

Classifications

• H01R39/24

  Laminated contacts; Wire contacts, e.g. metallic brush, carbon fibres · CPC title

• G01R1/06705 Primary

  Apparatus for holding or moving single probes (for moving multiple probe heads or ICs under test G01R31/2886) · CPC title

• G01R1/06738

  related to tip portion · CPC title

• H01R2201/20

  for testing or measuring purposes · CPC title

• G01R31/343 Primary

  in operation · CPC title