Sensor device having a converter with a flexible electrically conductive converter element and a resetting device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11313706-B2
Application number	US-201816648903-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 14, 2018
Priority date	Sep 20, 2017
Publication date	Apr 26, 2022
Grant date	Apr 26, 2022

Abstract

A sensor device is provided for fitting to an object through which a medium flows, in particular to a pipeline. The sensor device comprises at least one converter device having at least one flexible converter element which comprises at least one electrically conductive conductor element and, for the sectional coverage of the object, is transposable to an operating position, in which it is at least partially arranged about a longitudinal axis. The converter device comprises a resetting device having at least one transmission element which is arranged on the converter element. The resetting device is provided for the setting and/or resetting of the converter element in the operating position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A sensor device for fitting to an object through which a medium flows, the sensor device comprising:
at least one converter device having at least one flexible converter element, the flexible converter element including at least one electrically conductive conductor element, the flexible converter element being for sectional coverage of the object and transposable to an operating position in which the flexible converter element is at least partially arranged about a longitudinal axis;
the converter device further including a resetting device and at least one transmission element, the at least one transmission element being arranged on the converter element, wherein the resetting device is provided for the setting and/or resetting of the converter element in the operating position;
wherein the resetting device comprises an energy storage device coupled to the at least one transmission element and that provides a first force that automatically sets and/or resets the converter element into the operating position in response to displacement of the resetting device.

2. The sensor device according to claim 1 , further including a carrier device detachably fitted to the converter device for bracing the sensor device on the object, and further including a housing which at least partially encloses the converter device.

3. The sensor device according to claim 2 , wherein the housing, which at least partially encloses the converter device and the longitudinal axis, is configured through at least 180° in the circumferential direction.

4. The sensor device according to claim 2 , wherein the housing assumes a greater extension in the direction of the longitudinal axis than the carrier device.

5. The sensor device according to claim 2 , wherein the carrier device comprises a receptacle which at least partially encloses the converter device.

6. The sensor device according to claim 5 , wherein the housing is configured in combination with the receptacle of the carrier device.

7. The sensor device according to claim 5 , wherein by means of the converter device and the carrier device, a converter guide assembly is configured such that the converter device and the carrier device can be displaced and fastened relative to one another, parallel to the longitudinal axis.

8. The sensor device according to claim 5 , wherein the carrier device comprises at least one clamping apparatus which is transposable to a clamping position, for the detachable attachment of the sensor device to the object, comprising at least two clamping elements.

9. The sensor device according to claim 8 , wherein the first clamping element is pivotably arranged relative to the second clamping element.

10. The sensor device according to claim 8 , wherein the clamping apparatus comprises a latching assembly which latches the clamping elements relative to one another, further to the transposition thereof to the clamping position, and comprises a pre-tensioning device which pre-tensions the clamping elements.

11. The sensor device according to claim 10 , wherein by means of the clamping apparatus and the receptacle, a receptacle guide assembly is configured such that the clamping apparatus and the receptacle can be displaced and fastened relative to one another, parallel to the longitudinal axis.

12. The sensor device according to claim 8 , wherein the clamping apparatus comprises at least two clamping webs for the bracing of the clamping apparatus on the object.

13. The sensor device according to claim 2 , wherein a thermally-insulating insulation material is arranged within the housing.

14. The sensor device according to claim 1 , further including at least one magnetization apparatus for the generation of a static or quasi-static magnetic field.

15. The sensor device according to claim 14 , wherein the magnetization apparatus is detachably fastened to the carrier device, by means of at least one clamping connection.

16. The sensor device according to claim 14 , wherein the magnetization apparatus comprises at least two magnets which are spaced from one another in a parallel direction to the longitudinal axis.

17. The sensor device according to claim 16 , wherein by means of the magnets and a magnet carrier of the magnetization apparatus, a magnet guide assembly is configured such that the magnets and the magnet carrier can be displaced and fastened relative to one another, parallel to the longitudinal axis.

18. The sensor device according to claim 14 , wherein at least two magnetization apparatuses are arranged on the clamping apparatus, and are spaced from one another in a circumferential direction relative to the longitudinal axis.

19. The sensor device according to claim 1 , wherein the converter device comprises a locating connection device for the clamping of the converter element.

20. The sensor device according to claim 1 , further comprising at least two converter devices which are mutually spaced in a parallel direction to the longitudinal axis.

21. The sensor device according to claim 1 , wherein the transmission element is arranged on the converter device to apply a second force to the converter element in an essentially tangential direction.

22. The sensor device according to claim 1 , wherein the transmission element is pivotably mounted about a pivoting axis which is arranged in parallel with the longitudinal axis.

23. The sensor device according to claim 1 , wherein the transmission element, in the operating position of the converter element; is arranged on at least two connection regions of the converter element, which are spaced from one another in a parallel direction to the longitudinal axis.

24. The sensor device according to claim 23 , wherein the converter element is configured to constitute drawbar eyes in the connection regions.

25. The sensor device according to claim 1 , wherein the converter element is configured as a flexible plastic plate, incorporating the conductor element.

26. The sensor device according to claim 1 , wherein the converter element, in the operating position, is oriented in the tangential direction through an angle of at least 45 about the longitudinal axis ( 10 ).

Assignees

• Rosen Swiss Ag

Inventors

• Bauermann Rainer
• Brücher Martin
• Rodriguez Natalia

Classifications

• G01F15/18

  Supports or connecting means for meters · CPC title

• G01F1/582 Primary

  without electrodes · CPC title

• G01F15/14

  Casings, e.g. of special material · CPC title

• G01N29/2412 Primary

  using the magnetostrictive properties of the material to be examined, e.g. electromagnetic acoustic transducers [EMAT]; (investigating the presence of flaws using eddy currents G01N27/90, magnetostrictive transducers B06B1/08, measuring magnetostrictive properties G01R33/18) · CPC title

• G01F1/662

  Constructional details · CPC title