Voltage detecting probe and measuring device

• US 10,041,977 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2016
• Issued: 08/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hioki Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Hioki Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Kasai, Shin
• Primary Examiner(s): Astacio-Oquendo, Giovanni
• Application Number:
  US15/244,553
• Publication Number:
  US 20170067938A1
• Time in Patent Office: 714 Days
• Field of Search: 324 7611, 324 7661, 324 7669, 324 7674, 324103
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/06722 Spring-loaded
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/06738 related to tip portion
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/06766 Input circuits therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/06788 Hand-held or hand-manipulated probes, e.g. for oscilloscopes or for portable test instruments end pieces terminating in a probe H01R11/18
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/07 Non contact-making probes
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/18 Screening arrangements against electric or magnetic fields, e.g. against earth's field
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/30 Structural combination of electric measuring instruments with basic electronic circuits, e.g. with amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 15/06 having reactive components, e.g. capacitive transformer
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 15/12 Circuits for multi-testers , i.e. multimeters, e.g. for measuring voltage, current, or impedance at will
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 15/16 using capacitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/2421 using coil springs

Abstract

A voltage detecting probe includes a first shield with an insertion concave formed at a front end; a second shield that has a base end of the first shield inserted thereinto; and a detection electrode formed of a conductive cylindrical member, covered with an insulating covering, and housed inside the first shield. The first shield or detection electrode moves along an axis when an operation lever is moved. When the insulating covering on the front end contacts a measured wire inserted into the insertion concave, the detection electrode and wire become capacitively coupled. The operation lever includes a pillar portion inserted through a guide hole in the second shield and connected to the first shield or detection electrode. A third shield, which is attached to the pillar portion, moves with the operation lever, and shields the guide hole, is disposed inside and/or outside the second shield.

Claims

1. A voltage detecting probe comprising:

a first shield that is barrel-shaped, is electrically conductive and has an insertion concave, into which a measured wire is inserted, the insertion concave provided in a front end of the first shield and defined by a cutaway part of an outer circumferential wall of the first shield at the front end along a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the first shield;

a second shield that is barrel-shaped, is electrically conductive, and has a base end side of the first shield inserted thereinto; and

a detection electrode that comprises a cylindrical member that is electrically conductive, a front end surface and an outer circumferential surface of the detection electrode are covered with an insulating covering, and the detection electrode is received within the first shield,

wherein one of the first shield and the detection electrode is capable of moving along a direction of the axis of the first shield in association with a movement operation of an operation lever, and when the insulating covering on the front end surface of the detection electrode contacts the measured wire within the insertion concave, the measured wire is clamped by the insertion concave of the first shield and the front end surface of the detection electrode and the detection electrode is capable of capacitive coupling with the measured wire via the insulating covering,

the operation lever includes a knob and a pillar that extends through a guide hole in the second shield and is connected to the one of the first shield and the detection electrode, and

a third shield, which is attached to the pillar, is configured so as to be capable of moving in association with a movement operation of the operation lever, and shields the guide hole when the measured wire is clamped, and the third shield is disposed at least one of inside and outside the second shield.

2. The voltage detecting probe according to claim 1,

wherein the first shield is capable of moving along a direction of the axis.

3. The voltage detecting probe according to claim 1,

wherein the third shield is disposed inside the second shield.

4. The voltage detecting probe according to claim 1,

wherein the third shield has a circular barrel shape.

5. The voltage detecting probe according to claim 1,

wherein a front end-side cutaway surface provided on the front-end side of the cutaway part of the first shield that comprises the insertion concave is inclined toward the base end side of the first shield with respect to a reference plane that is perpendicular to the axis.

6. The voltage detecting probe according to claim 5,

wherein a base end-side cutaway surface provided on the base-end side of the cutaway part of the first shield that comprises the insertion concave is more inclined toward the base end side than the front end-side cutaway surface with respect to the reference plane.

7. The voltage detecting probe according to claim 1,

further comprising a biasing member that constantly biases the detection electrode toward the insertion concave,

wherein the detection electrode is caused to slide within the first shield toward the insertion concave by a biasing force of the biasing member so that the measured wire in the insertion concave is sandwiched between the front end surface and a front end-side cutaway surface positioned on a front-end side of the cutaway part of the first shield that comprises the insertion concave.

8. The voltage detecting probe according to claim 1,

wherein the front end surface is inclined toward a front end side with respect to a reference plane that is perpendicular to the axis.

9. The voltage detecting probe according to claim 1,

wherein the outer circumferential surface of the detection electrode, which is covered with the insulating covering and is exposed from the insertion concave to an outside of the first shield, when the detection electrode is capacitively coupled with the measured wire, is covered by a conductor layer that electrically contacts the first shield.

10. A measuring device comprising:

a voltage detecting probe comprising;

a first shield that is barrel-shaped, is electrically conductive and has an insertion concave, into which a measured wire is inserted, the insertion concave provided in a front end of the first shield and defined by a cutaway part of an outer circumferential wall of the first shield at the front end along a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the first shield;

a second shield that is barrel-shaped, is electrically conductive, and has a base end side of the first shield inserted thereinto; and

a detection electrode that comprises a cylindrical member that is electrically conductive, a front end surface and an outer circumferential surface of the detection electrode are covered with an insulating covering, and the detection electrode is received within the first shield,

wherein one of the first shield and the detection electrode is capable of moving along a direction of the axis of the first shield in association with a movement operation of an operation lever, and when the insulating covering on the front end surface of the detection electrode contacts the measured wire within the insertion concave, the measured wire is clamped by the insertion concave of the first shield and the front end surface of the detection electrode and the detection electrode is capable of capacitive coupling with the measured wire via the insulating covering,

the operation lever includes a knob and a pillar that extends through a guide hole in the second shield and is connected to the one of the first shield and the detection electrode, and

a third shield, which is attached to the pillar, is configured so as to be capable of moving in association with a movement operation of the operation lever, and shields the guide hole when the measured wire is clamped, and the third shield is disposed at least one of inside and outside the second shield,

a main body that is connected to the voltage detecting probe;

a voltage detector that is disposed inside the main body, detects a voltage of the measured wire via the detection electrode, and outputs a voltage signal that changes in accordance with the voltage;

a voltage generator that is disposed inside the main body and generates a voltage related to the voltage of the measured wire based, on the voltage signal; and

a processor that is disposed inside the main body and measures the voltage of the measured wire based on the voltage generated by the voltage generator,

wherein the voltage detector operates on a floating voltage that has a potential of the voltage generated by the voltage generator as a reference.

11. The measuring device according to claim 10,

wherein the first shield is capable of moving along a direction of the axis.

12. The measuring device according to claim 10,

wherein the third shield is disposed inside the second shield.

13. The measuring device according to claim 10,

wherein the third shield has a circular barrel shape.

14. The measuring device according to claim 10,

wherein a front end-side cutaway surface provided on the front-end side of the cutaway part of the first shield that comprises the insertion concave is inclined toward the base end side of the first shield with respect to a reference plane that is perpendicular to the axis.

15. The measuring device according to claim 14,

wherein a base end-side cutaway surface provided on the base-end side of the cutaway part of the first shield that comprises the insertion concave is more inclined toward the base end side than the front end-side cutaway surface with respect to the reference plane.

16. The measuring device according to claim 10,

further comprising a biasing member that constantly biases the detection electrode toward the insertion concave,

wherein the detection electrode is caused to slide within the first shield toward the insertion concave by a biasing force of the biasing member so that the measured wire in the insertion concave is sandwiched between the front end surface and a front end-side cutaway surface positioned on a front-end side of the cutaway part of the first shield that comprises the insertion concave.

17. The measuring device according to claim 10,

wherein the front end surface is inclined toward a front end side with respect to a reference plane that is perpendicular to the axis.

18. The measuring device according to claim 10,

wherein the outer circumferential surface of the detection electrode, which is covered with the insulating covering and is exposed from the insertion concave to an outside of the first shield, when the detection electrode is capacitively coupled with the measured wire, is covered by a conductor layer that electrically contacts the first shield.