Field replaceable desiccant cartridge and device, method and system therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9506887-B2
Application number	US-201414562857-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 8, 2014
Priority date	Dec 8, 2014
Publication date	Nov 29, 2016
Grant date	Nov 29, 2016

Abstract

A field replaceable desiccant cartridge and device, method and system there for is provided. The cartridge comprises: a housing comprising an insertion end configured to removably mate with an aperture of a device, the insertion end configured to generally prevent moisture from entering the device when mated; a desiccant located in the housing; a circuit located within the housing, the circuit in contact with the desiccant, the circuit configured to change resistance as the desiccant changes in moisture content; one or more electrodes located at an exterior of the insertion end, the one or more electrodes in contact with the circuit; and, one or more holes through the insertion end, configured to expose the desiccant to an exterior of the housing so that the desiccant can absorb moisture there from. Devices configured with the cartridge can report moisture levels to a server, which can track problems associated with moisture in the devices.

First claim

We claim:

1. A field replaceable desiccant cartridge comprising:
a housing comprising an insertion end configured to removably mate with an aperture of a device, the insertion end configured to generally prevent moisture from entering the device when mated;
a desiccant located in the housing;
a circuit located within the housing, the circuit in contact with the desiccant, the circuit configured to change resistance as the desiccant changes in moisture content;
one or more electrodes located at an exterior of the insertion end, the one or more electrodes in contact with the circuit; and,
one or more holes through the insertion end, configured to expose the desiccant to an exterior of the housing so that the desiccant can absorb moisture there from.

2. The field replaceable desiccant cartridge of claim 1 , further comprising a seal on the one or more holes, the seal preventing moisture from entering the one or more holes.

3. The field replaceable desiccant cartridge of claim 2 , wherein the seal is one or more of removable and punctureable.

4. The field replaceable desiccant cartridge of claim 2 , wherein the one or more holes are adjacent the one or more electrodes and the seal further protects the one or more electrodes.

5. The field replaceable desiccant cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the circuit comprises a flex circuit.

6. The field replaceable desiccant cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the circuit comprises interdigitated electrodes in contact with the desiccant.

7. The field replaceable desiccant cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the housing is generally cylindrical.

8. The field replaceable desiccant cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the insertion end is generally cylindrical and of a smaller diameter than a remaining portion of the housing.

9. The field replaceable desiccant cartridge of claim 1 , further comprising at least one channel in the desiccant extending from each of the one or more holes into the desiccant.

10. The field replaceable desiccant cartridge of claim 1 , further comprising at least one notification device, the notification device configured to provide a notification when the resistance of the circuit reaches a threshold resistance.

11. A device comprising:
a chassis having an aperture;
a field replaceable desiccant cartridge comprising: a housing comprising an insertion end configured to removably mate with the aperture, the insertion end configured to generally prevent moisture from entering the device when mated; a desiccant located in the housing; a circuit located within the housing, the circuit in contact with the desiccant, the circuit configured to change resistance as the desiccant changes in moisture content; one or more electrodes located at an exterior of the insertion end, the one or more electrodes in contact with the circuit; and, one or more holes through the insertion end, configured to expose the desiccant to an exterior of the housing, and an interior of the chassis of the device when mated thereto, so that the desiccant can absorb moisture there from;
an ohmmeter circuit configured to measure a resistance of the circuit of the field replaceable desiccant cartridge, the ohmmeter circuit comprising one or more respective electrodes configured to contact the one or more electrodes of the field replaceable desiccant cartridge when mated thereto; and,
a processor in communication with the ohmmeter circuit, the processor configured to control the ohmmeter circuit to measure the resistance of the circuit of the field replaceable desiccant cartridge.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the processor is further configured to control the ohmmeter circuit to determine a rate of change of the resistance by measuring the resistance periodically.

13. The device of claim 11 , further comprising a communication interface, and wherein the processor is further configured to transmit, using the communication interface, one or more of the resistance and a rate of change of the resistance to a server.

14. The device of claim 11 , further comprising a communication interface and a temperature measurement device in communication with the processor, and wherein the processor is further configured to transmit, using the communication interface, one or more of a temperature of the device and a record of temperatures of the device, and an indication of a transition between a warm environment and a cold environment, along with one or more of a resistance and a rate of change of the resistance to a server.

15. The device of claim 11 , further comprising a notification device, and wherein the processor is further configured to provide, at the notification device, a notification to change the field replaceable desiccant cartridge when the resistance reaches a threshold resistance.

Assignees

• Symbol Technologies Inc
• Symbol Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Stagg Adrian Joseph
• Evans Gregory John

Classifications

• H04M1/02

  Constructional features of telephone sets · CPC title

• B01D2257/80

  Water · CPC title

• G01N27/121 Primary

  for determining moisture content, e.g. humidity, of the fluid (moisture content of the tested material G01N27/048) · CPC title

• H05K5/0213

  Venting apertures; Constructional details thereof · CPC title

• H05K5/0247

  Electrical details of casings, e.g. terminals, passages for cables or wiring · CPC title