Sensor line, measuring arrangement and method for detecting an ambient variable

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10416528-B2
Application number	US-201815874190-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 18, 2018
Priority date	Jan 18, 2017
Publication date	Sep 17, 2019
Grant date	Sep 17, 2019

Abstract

A sensor line, a measuring arrangement and a method detect a change in an ambient variable. The sensor line serves for detecting a change in an ambient variable, in particular the temperature. The sensor line has a first optical waveguide, a second optical waveguide and also a material that changes its transparency depending on the value of the ambient variable. The material is positioned between the first optical waveguide and the second optical waveguide in such a way that light from the first optical waveguide is able to be coupled into the second optical waveguide in an event of a change in the transparency.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A sensor line for detecting a change in an ambient variable, the sensor line comprising:
a first optical waveguide;
a second optical waveguide; and
a material having a light transmissivity varying in dependence on a value of the ambient variable, said material being positioned between said first optical waveguide and said second optical waveguide such that light is able to be coupled radially from said first optical waveguide into said second optical waveguide depending on the value of the ambient variable, said material is a plastic with thermo chromatic pigments.

2. The sensor line according to claim 1 , wherein said material is configured in such a way that the light transmissivity changes abruptly.

3. The sensor line according to claim 1 , wherein said material is selected in such a way that the light transmissivity of said material changes in a temperature-dependent manner.

4. The sensor line according to claim 1 , wherein said material is selected in such a way that said material changes transparency at a transition temperature of between 40° C. and 90° C.

5. The sensor line according to claim 1 , wherein a proportion of said thermo chromatic pigments relative to a mass of said material has a value of between 1% by weight and 10% by weight.

6. The sensor line according to claim 1 , further comprising a common sheathing enclosing said first optical waveguide and said second optical waveguide and configured to be reflective.

7. The sensor line according to claim 6 , wherein said common sheathing is formed by a metal film.

8. The sensor line according to claim 1 , wherein at least said first optical waveguide has a sheath composed of said material.

9. The sensor line according to claim 1 , wherein said first optical waveguide and said second optical waveguide are twisted together.

10. The sensor line according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of said first and second optical waveguides has an optical fiber and a cladding, wherein a part of said optical fiber is free of said cladding, wherein said material adjoins said part which is free of said cladding.

11. The sensor line according to claim 10 , wherein said part of said optical fiber of said first optical waveguide and said part of said optical fiber of said second optical waveguide which are free of said cladding are directed toward one another.

12. The sensor line according to claim 1 , wherein said first optical waveguide and said second optical waveguide are embedded into said material.

13. The sensor line according to claim 1 , further comprising an outer protective sheath.

14. The sensor line according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor line is integrated into a cable to be monitored.

15. The sensor line according to claim 14 , wherein the cable is configured as a charging cable for charging a rechargeable battery of an electrically driven vehicle.

Assignees

• Leoni Kabel Gmbh

Inventors

• Goss Sebastian
• Intelman Sergey

Classifications

• G08C23/06

  through light guides, e.g. optical fibres · CPC title

• G02B6/4415

  Cables for special applications (G02B6/4429, G02B6/4439, G02B6/4479 take precedence) · CPC title

• G02B6/2848

  having refractive means, e.g. imaging elements between light guides as splitting, branching and/or combining devices, e.g. lenses, holograms · CPC title

• G02B6/2821

  using lateral coupling between contiguous fibres to split or combine optical signals · CPC title

• G01K2003/145

  Hotspot localization · CPC title