Mounting device for acoustic leak detection sensors

• US 10,107,710 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2016
• Issued: 10/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Itron, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Itron, Inc.
• Inventors: Showcatally, Shawn, Breitenfeldt, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Son
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sinha, Tarun
• Application Number:
  US15/273,460
• Publication Number:
  US 20180080849A1
• Time in Patent Office: 761 Days
• Field of Search: 73 40, 73 405
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 2/12 using sliding jaws
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 21/04 with bayonet catch
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 2201/30 Detecting leaks
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 55/07 Arrangement or mounting of devices, e.g. valves, for venting or aerating or draining apparatus for draining F16T
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/24 using infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/243 for pipes

Abstract

A sensor unit to detect fluid movement and/or leakage from a pipe may be attached to a mounting device that is attached to a pipe by a clamp. The mounting device may be configured to transmit vibrations from the pipe and clamp to the sensor. The sensor unit may be attached to the mount in a manner that may be performed rapidly and without tools, and which results in a connection that is not so tight as to damage the sensor, or so loose as to provide inadequate support. The sensor may be attached by connecting at least a portion of the sensor to at least a portion of the mount, using rotation of a key in a track and a latch to securely hold the sensor in the mounting device.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a clamp to attach to a pipe;

a mount, wherein the mount has one of a track or a key;

a fastener to connect the mount to the clamp and to transmit vibration from the pipe to an acoustic sensor;

a sensor housing, having the other of the track or the key, wherein the key is sized to be received by and travel within the track, and wherein rotation of the sensor housing with respect to the mount moves the key within the track; and

an acoustic sensor located within the sensor housing;

wherein movement of the key within the track contacts the sensor housing against the fastener.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the mount additionally comprises one of a latch or a recess;

the sensor housing additionally comprises the other of the latch or the recess; and

the latch snaps into the recess upon a prescribed degree of rotation of the sensor housing with respect to the mount.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein:

the recess is the track; and

the latch is configured to snap into the track; and

contact between the latch and the track is made after rotation of the sensor housing with respect to the mount is of the prescribed degree of rotation.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the latch comprises a flexible tab that is biased toward engagement with the track.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the track is defined in an exterior of the sensor housing; and

the key is configured as a dimple defined in the mount.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the track is defined on an exterior surface of the mount and partially spirals about the exterior surface of the mount.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the mount comprises an inside diameter greater than an outside diameter of a lower portion of the sensor housing;

the track is defined in an outside surface of a lower portion of the sensor housing; and

the key is defined in an inside surface of the mount.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the fastener is a bolt.

8. A system, comprising:

a mount having one of a latch or a recess;

a bolt to connect the mount to a clamp and to vibrate an acoustic leak detection sensor responsive to vibration of a pipe; and

a sensor housing, having the other of the latch or the recess, wherein the sensor housing contains the acoustic leak detection sensor, and wherein rotation of the sensor housing with respect to the mount advances the sensor housing into the mount and advances the sensor housing into contact with the bolt connecting the mount to the clamp;

wherein the latch snaps into the recess upon a prescribed positioning of the sensor housing with respect to the mount.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the mount additionally comprises one of a track or a key;

the sensor housing additionally comprises the other of the track or the key; and

the latch snaps into the recess upon a prescribed degree of rotation of the sensor housing with respect to the mount.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein:

the recess is the track;

the latch is configured to snap into the track; and

a connection between the latch and the track is made after movement of the sensor housing to a prescribed location with respect to the mount.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein:

the track is defined in an exterior of the sensor housing; and

the key is configured as a dimple defined in the mount.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein:

the mount comprises an inside diameter greater than an outside diameter of a lower portion of the sensor;

the track is defined in an outside surface of a lower portion of the sensor housing; and

the key is defined on an inside surface of the mount.

13. The system of claim 9, additionally comprising a clamp to attach to the pipe and to couple to the mount.

14. A method of attaching a sensor device to a pipe, comprising:

attaching a clamp to a pipe;

attaching a mount to the clamp with a fastener;

attaching a sensor housing to the mount by engaging a key within a track, wherein the sensor housing has at least one of the key and the track, and the mount has the other of the key and the track;

rotating the sensor housing with respect to the mount by moving the key within the track, wherein rotating the sensor housing advances the sensor housing into the mount and into contact with the fastener connecting the mount to the clamp; and

stopping the rotating when a latch snaps into a recess, wherein one of the latch or the recess is defined on the mount and the other of the latch or the recess is defined on the sensor housing.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the recess comprises a portion of the track, and wherein the track is defined on the sensor housing.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein attaching the clamp to the pipe comprises connecting the clamp to the pipe with an upper clamp and a lower clamp.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein:

rotating the sensor housing comprises rotating the sensor housing with respect to the mount to advance the sensor housing into the mount and into contact with the fastener;

attaching the mount to the clamp comprises installing a threaded bolt sized to fit within a cavity defined by the mount; and

advancing the threaded bolt to form a secure connection between the threaded bolt and the clamp that transfers vibrations of the pipe to a sensor device within the sensor housing.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein rotating the sensor housing with respect to the mount additionally comprises:

rotating the sensor housing with respect to the mount until the key is adjacent to the track; and

advancing the key into the track.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the stopping the rotating comprises rotating the sensor housing until a sound is made by the latch snapping into the recess.