Indicators for safe disconnection of electrical circuits

• US 10,641,800 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2015
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TE Connectivity Solutions GmbH (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Original Assignee: TE Connectivity Corporation (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Inventors: Galla, Matthew P., Yaworski, Harry G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Edouard, Patrick N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Giles, Eboni N
• Application Number:
  US14/794,047
• Publication Number:
  US 20170010311A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,763 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/155 Indicating the presence of voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/18 Status alarms G08B21/02 takes precedence

Abstract

Provided are devices for electrical connectors to provide indication that the electrical connectors are not energized. Devices include a first indicator that includes a first indication technology that is configured to provide a first visual indication corresponding to a voltage of a primary conductor and a second indicator that includes a second indication technology that is different from the first indication technology and that is configured to provide a second visual indication corresponding to the voltage of the primary conductor.

Claims

1. An electrical connector, comprising:

a connector housing that is configured to receive an electrical cable that includes at least one electrical conductor;

at least one termination conductor that is configured to be electrically conductively coupled to the at least one electrical conductor in the electrical cable and to be conductively engaged with another termination contact in another electrical connector;

an indicator device that is mounted to the connector housing, wherein the indicator device comprises;

a driving circuit that is capacitively coupled to the at least one electrical conductor;

a first indicator that is electrically coupled to the driving circuit, the first indicator comprising a solid state light emitter that receives an electrical current from the driving circuit when the at least one electrical conductor is energized to an operating voltage and that is configured to emit light responsive to receiving the electrical current;

a second indicator electrically coupled to the driving circuit, the second indicator comprising a high visibility surface and an occlusion device that is configured to selectively allow light reflected from the high visibility surface to travel through the occlusion device responsive to the voltage of the at least one electrical conductor at the operating voltage being absent from the at least one electrical conductor, wherein the high visibility surface is selectively visible through the occlusion device,

wherein the driving circuit comprises a capacitive voltage divider between the at least one electrical conductor and a ground conductor, wherein the capacitive voltage divider comprises two or more capacitors arranged in series between the at least one electrical conductor and the ground conductor, wherein the capacitive voltage divider is configured to provide a reduced voltage to the first and second indicators.

2. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the electrical cable comprises a terminated cable.

3. The electrical connector according to claim 1,

wherein the occlusion device is configured to prevent light from being transmitted through the occlusion device such that the high visibility surface is not visible through the occlusion device, responsive to the at least one electrical conductor being energized, and

wherein the occlusion device is configured to allow light to be transmitted through the occlusion device such that the high visibility surface is visible through the occlusion device, responsive to the voltage of the at least one electrical conductor being non-energized.

4. A device for an electrical connector, the device comprising:

a driving circuit that is capacitively coupled to a primary conductor in the electrical connector;

a first indicator that is electrically coupled to the driving circuit, the first indicator comprising a solid state light emitter that receives an electrical current from the driving circuit when the primary conductor is energized to an operating voltage and that is configured to emit light responsive to receiving the electrical current; and

a second indicator electrically coupled to the driving circuit, the second indicator comprising a high visibility surface and an occlusion device that is configured to selectively allow light reflected from the high visibility surface to travel through the occlusion device responsive to the voltage of the primary conductor at the operating voltage being absent from the primary conductor, wherein the high visibility surface is selectively visible through the occlusion device,

wherein the driving circuit comprises a capacitive voltage divider between the primary conductor and a ground conductor, wherein the capacitive voltage divider comprises two or more capacitors arranged in series between the primary conductor and the ground conductor, wherein the capacitive voltage divider is configured to provide a reduced voltage to the first and second indicators.

5. The device according to claim 4,

wherein the first indicator is configured to em it light at a wavelength corresponding to a red color, and wherein the high visibility surface is configured to reflect light at a wavelength corresponding to a green color.

6. The device according to claim 4, further comprising a housing that includes a sealing material that is configured to protectively seal components of the device from environmental elements.

7. The device according to claim 4, further comprising an inductive coupling device that provides a driving current corresponding to a current in a capacitive element.

8. The device according to claim 4,

wherein the occlusion device is configured to prevent light from being transmitted through the occlusion device such that the high visibility surface is not visible through the occlusion device, responsive to the primary conductor being energized, and

wherein the occlusion device is configured to allow light to be transmitted through the occlusion device such that the high visibility surface is visible through the occlusion device, responsive to the primary conductor being non-energized.

9. The device according to claim 4, wherein the first indicator comprises a solid state light emitting device (LED), and wherein the second indicator comprises a liquid crystal display (LCD), and wherein the high visibility surface is selectively occluded by the LCD responsive to the voltage of the primary conductor being at the operating voltage.

10. The device according to claim 4, wherein, responsive to the primary conductor being non-energized, electrical current received by the first indicator is substantially zero such that the first indicator does not emit light and the occlusion device allows the high visibility surface to reflect light at a wavelength corresponding to a green color.

11. The device according to claim 4, wherein the first indicator is configured to visually indicate an energized state of the primary conductor and the second indicator is configured to visually indicate a non-energized state of the primary conductor.

12. The device according to claim 4, the device further comprising a user input component that is configured to receive an input from a user,

wherein in the absence of the input from the user, the first indicator is configured to emit light responsive to the voltage of the primary conductor being at the operating voltage, and

wherein responsive to receipt of the input from the user, the occlusion device is configured to occlude the high visibility surface responsive to the voltage of the primary conductor being at the operating voltage.

13. The device according to claim 4, wherein the device is configured to be installed into the electrical connector.