Induction heating extension cables including control conductors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11399415-B2
Application number	US-201815928272-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 22, 2018
Priority date	Jan 17, 2017
Publication date	Jul 26, 2022
Grant date	Jul 26, 2022

Abstract

Induction heating extension cables including control conductors are disclosed. An example cable assembly includes: a first plurality of conductors in a Litz cable arrangement; an outer protective layer configured to protect the plurality of conductors from physical damage; and a second plurality of conductors that are electrically isolated from the first plurality of conductors and are protected by the outer protective layer from physical damage.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An induction heating monitoring apparatus configured to:
collect sensor data from a sensor associated with an induction heating operation being performed using an induction heating cable;
digitize the collected sensor data; and
communicate the digitized data to an induction heating power supply via a plurality of first conductors of the induction heating cable, the one or more first conductors being electrically isolated from one or more second conductors configured to carry induction heating power, the one or more first conductors and the one or more second conductors contained within an outer jacket of the induction heating cable, the induction heating monitoring apparatus comprising first terminations or connectors configured to be coupled to the second one or more conductors and second terminations or connectors coupled to the first terminations or connectors to be coupled to at least one of an induction heating extension cable or an induction heating blanket, wherein the first terminations or connectors and the second terminations or connectors are configured to pass through the induction heating power from the second one or more conductors to the at least one of the induction heating extension cable or the induction heating blanket.

2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the induction heating cable comprises an extension cable configured to conduct current between the induction heating power supply and an induction heating coil.

3. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , comprising:
a data collection circuit configured to collect induction heating data associated with an induction heating operation performed using the induction heating power supply; and
a communication circuit configured to communicate via the first one or more conductors.

4. The apparatus as defined in claim 3 , wherein the communication circuit comprises at least one of:
a transmitter circuit configured to transmit the induction heating data to the induction heating power supply; or
a receiver circuit configured to receive configuration data from the induction heating power supply.

5. The apparatus as defined in claim 3 , further comprising a power circuit configured to receive power via the one or more first conductors and to provide power to the data collection circuit.

6. The apparatus as defined in claim 3 , further comprising a sensor interface configured to receive the sensor data from the sensor.

7. The apparatus as defined in claim 6 , wherein the data collection circuit further comprises a sensor digitizer configured to digitize the data received from the sensor.

8. The apparatus as defined in claim 6 , wherein the sensor interface is configured to receive data from at least one of a thermocouple, a thermistor, a resistance temperature detector, an infrared sensor, or a semiconductor-based temperature sensor.

9. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the second one or more conductors comprise Litz wire.

10. An induction heating system, comprising:
an induction heating power supply; and
a cable assembly, comprising:
a first plurality of conductors in a Litz cable arrangement;
an outer protective layer configured to protect the first plurality of conductors from physical damage; and
a second plurality of conductors that are electrically isolated from the first plurality of conductors and are protected by the outer protective layer from physical damage;

a monitoring device coupled to the induction heating power supply via the second plurality of conductors and configured to:
collect data associated with an induction heating operation being performed by the induction heating power supply using the induction heating cable;
digitize the collected data; and
communicate the digitized data to the induction heating power supply via the second plurality of conductors, the monitoring device comprising first terminations or connectors configured to be coupled to the first one or more conductors and second terminations or connectors coupled to the first terminations or connectors to be coupled to at least one of an induction heating extension cable or an induction heating blanket, wherein the first terminations or connectors and the second terminations or connectors are configured to pass through the induction heating power from the second one or more conductors to the at least one of the induction heating extension cable or the induction heating blanket.

11. The induction heating system as defined in claim 10 , wherein the monitoring device is configured to terminate the first plurality of conductors and to couple the first plurality of conductors to an induction heating cable.

12. The induction heating system as defined in claim 10 , wherein the monitoring device comprises:
a data collection circuit configured to collect induction heating data associated with an induction heating operation performed using the induction heating power supply; and
a communication circuit configured to communicate via the second plurality of conductors.

13. The induction heating system as defined in claim 12 , further comprising a power circuit configured to receive power via the second plurality of conductors and to provide power to the data collection circuit.

14. The induction heating system as defined in claim 12 , further comprising a sensor, the data collection circuit comprising a sensor interface configured to receive the sensor data from the sensor.

15. The induction heating system as defined in claim 14 , wherein the sensor interface is configured to receive the data from at least one of a thermocouple, a thermistor, a resistance temperature detector, a semiconductor-based temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, a flow sensor, or a location sensor.

16. The induction heating system as defined in claim 12 , wherein the induction heating power supply is configured to modify an induction heating output based on the induction heating data.

17. The induction heating system as defined in claim 10 , wherein the first plurality of conductors is configured to conduct induction heating current.

18. The induction heating system as defined in claim 10 , wherein the second plurality of conductors comprises at least one of a twisted pair of wires or a coaxial cable.

19. The induction heating system as defined in claim 10 , wherein the collected data comprises at least one of an ambient temperature at a workpiece, a temperature of the cable assembly, a temperature of a blanket in contact with the cable assembly, a temperature of the workpiece, a measurement of current flowing through the first plurality of conductors, a voltage measurement of a voltage at the first plurality of conductors, an error signal, a temperature of coolant flowing through the cable assembly, a coolant pressure, a coolant flow rate, a workpiece identifier, a cable assembly identifier, an operator identifier, date information, time information, geographic information, a cable fixture identifier, or user input entered at the monitoring device.

20. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the sensor data comprises at least one of an ambient temperature at a workpiece, a temperature of the induction heating cable, a temperature of induction heating blanket, a temperature of the workpiece, a measurement of current flowing through the first plurality of conductors, a voltage measurement of a voltage at the first plurality of conductors, an error signal, a temperature of coolant flowing through the cable assembly, a coolant pressure, a coolant flow

Assignees

• Illinois Tool Works

Inventors

• Salsich Anthony V
• Verhagen Paul

Classifications

• H05B6/101

  for local heating of metal pieces · CPC title

• H04B3/546

  Combination of signalling, telemetering, protection (circuits for remote indication of supply or distribution network condition H02J13/00) · CPC title

• H01B7/303

  Conductors comprising interwire insulation · CPC title

• H01B9/003

  including electrical control or communication wires · CPC title

• H04B2203/5487

  cables · CPC title