Electrical cable coupler with power indicator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021281021-A1
Application number	US-201816623231-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 22, 2018
Priority date	Jun 29, 2017
Publication date	Sep 9, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

Devices, systems, and techniques are described for providing an indication of the presence of an electrical voltage potential at one or more electrical conductors and/or electrical terminals received in an electrical coupler. Examples of electrical couplers include an illumination coupling comprising a front flange, a rear flange, and an illumination channel extending between the front flange and the rear flange and configured to encircle a portion of the electrical coupler. A plurality of illumination devices positioned at least partially within the illumination channel are configured to provide visible light emissions when illuminated that are indicative of the presence of an electrical voltage potential on at least one of the one or more electrical conductors and/or electrical terminals received within the electrical coupler.

First claim

1 . A device comprising:
an illumination coupling comprising a front flange configured to be coupled to a front portion of an electrical coupler, a rear flange configured to be coupled to a main body of the electrical coupler, and an illumination channel extending between the front flange and the rear flange; a plurality of illumination devices positioned at least partially within the illumination channel and configured to illuminate to provide a visible light emission viewable outside the illumination channel; and one or more electrical circuits electrically coupled to the plurality of illumination devices, the one or more electrical circuits configured to sense the presence of a minimum level voltage potential on at least one of the one or more electrical conductors or terminals received within the electrical coupler, and to control the illumination of the plurality of illumination devices based on the detected presence of the minimum level voltage potential.

2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the front flange, the rear flange, and the illumination channel are formed from a single piece of cast aluminum.

3 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the illumination channel is configured to encircle a hallow passageway forming an interior space within the illumination coupling.

4 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of illumination devices comprise light-emitting-diodes.

5 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of illumination devices are positioned at least partially within the illumination channel to provide the visible light emission viewable outside the illumination channel from at least any angle of view of the illumination channel that is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the illumination coupling.

6 . The device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more electrical circuits comprises:
a sensing capacitor having a capacitor input and a capacitor output, the capacitor input electrically coupled to one of the one or more electrical conductors or terminals received within the electrical coupler, and a plurality of diodes coupled to the capacitor output and to a reference voltage, wherein the sensing capacitor forms a capacitive ballast circuit between the capacitor input and the plurality of diodes, the capacitive ballast circuit configured to provide a reduced voltage output when the minimum level voltage potential is present at the capacitor input, the reduced voltage output configure to control the illumination of the plurality of illumination devices based on the detected presence of the minimum level voltage potential at the one of the one or more electrical conductors or terminals.

7 - 9 . (canceled)

10 . The device of claim 6 , wherein the reduced voltage output comprises a voltage level that is directly coupled to one or more of the plurality of illumination devices to illuminate the one or more illumination devices in response to detection of the minimum level voltage potential at the capacitor input.

11 . The device of claim 6 , wherein the at least one of the one or more electrical circuits further comprises:
an opto-coupler configured to receive the reduced voltage output, and to provide a control voltage output based on a voltage level provided by the reduced voltage output, and a driver circuit including a control input coupled to the pair of opto-coupler outputs and a driver circuit output coupled to one or more of the plurality of illumination devices, the driver circuit configured to receive the control voltage output at the control input of the opto-coupler and to provide electrical power to the one or more illumination devices coupled to the driver circuit outputs to illuminate the one or more illumination devices in response to detection of that the voltage level at the reduced voltage output corresponds to the minimum level voltage potential is detected at the capacitor input.

12 . The device of claim 11 , wherein the driver circuit is configured to control the illumination of the one or more illumination devices to provide a first color of visible light when the minimum level voltage potential is detected, and to control the illumination of the one or more illumination devices to provide a second color of visible light that is different from the first color of visible light when the minimum level voltage potential is not detected.

13 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
an illumination insert located within the illumination channel and configured to cover the one or more illumination devices, the illumination insert further configured to perform a light mixing function by mixing wavelengths of different colors of light being emitted one or more illumination devices in order to provide a light emission from the illumination channel having a wavelength or wavelengths comprising the mixed wavelengths of different colors of light.

14 . The device of claim 1 ,
wherein the one or more electrical conductors or terminals include three power electrical conductors received within the electrical coupler, each of the three power electrical conductors configured to provide electrical power associated with one phase of a three-phase alternating current electrical configuration, and wherein the one or more electrical circuits comprise three electrical circuits, each of the three electrical circuits electrically coupled to one and only one of the three power electrical conductors and configured to control the illumination of one or more of the plurality of illumination devices based on the sensed presence of a minimum level voltage potential at the one and only one electrical conductor.

15 . A device comprising:
an electrical coupler comprising a main body and a front portion mechanically coupled to the main body, the electrical coupler configured to receive within the electrical couple one or more electrical conductors configured to carry electrical power; a first ring having an interior surface, side walls, and an outer surface, the interior surface of the first ring having a shape and having dimensions configure to allow the first ring to be encircle the main body at a first position along the main body; a second ring having an interior surface, side walls, and an outer surface, the interior surface of the second ring having a shape and having dimensions configured to allow the second ring to encircle the main body at a second position along the main body, the second position spaced apart from the first position relative to a longitudinal axis of the electrical coupler to provide an illumination channel encircling the portion of the main body between the first ring and the second ring; a plurality of illumination devices positioned at least partially within the illumination channel and configured to provide visible light emissions when illuminated; and one or more electrical circuits electrically coupled to the plurality of illumination devices, each of the one or more electrical circuits configured to detect the presence of a minimum level voltage potential on at least one of one or more electrical conductors received within the electrical coupler, and to control the illumination of the plurality of illumination devices based on the detected presence of the minimum level voltage potential on the one or more electrical conductors.

16 . (canceled)

17 . The device of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of illumination devices are positioned at least partially within the illumination channel to provide the visible light emission viewable outside the illumination channel from at least any angle of view of the illumination channel that is perpendicular to a

Assignees

• 3M Innovative Properties Co

Inventors

• Castro Claudio A
• Vos Martin J
• Castro Javier J
• Loyd Jaylon D
• Aho Erik A

Classifications

• H01R13/6691

  with built-in signalling means (H01R13/717 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01R13/7172

  Conduits for light transmission · CPC title

• H01R13/6683

  with built-in sensor · CPC title

• H01R13/7175 Primary

  Light emitting diodes (LEDs) · CPC title

• G01R19/155 Primary

  Indicating the presence of voltage · CPC title