Housing Arrangement For Fault Determination Apparatus And Method For Installing The Same

• US 20100110618A1
• Filed: 10/31/2008
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Howard University
• Original Assignee: Howard University
• Inventors: Kim, Charles J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,050,002 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.10
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/08 Locating faults in cables, transmission lines, or networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A fault determination apparatus includes a housing. The housing includes a circuit board disposed there within. The housing is shaped and dimensioned for non-intrusive placement within an existing electrical system. The circuit board is configured to provide one of a transmitter or a receiver within a fault determination system. A first set of connectors is disposed at a first side of the housing and a second set of connectors disposed at the second end of the housing. The first set of connectors and the second set of connectors are directly connected through the wires provided inside the apparatus while at least one wires under fault monitoring are tapped to the circuit board and configured so as to be electrically coupled to the existing electrical system.

Claims

1. A fault determination apparatus for insertion into an existing electrical system comprising:

a housing including a circuit board disposed there within, the housing shaped and dimensioned for non-intrusive placement within an existing electrical system, the circuit board configured to operate as one of a transmitter or a receiver within the existing electrical system; and

a first set of connectors disposed at a first side of the housing and a second set of connectors disposed at the second end of the housing, the first set of connectors and the second set of connectors being coupled to the circuit board and configured so as to be electrically coupled to the existing electrical system.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the existing electrical system is selected from a group consisting of an aircraft electrical system, a vehicular electrical system, an electrical system of a building, and an electrical system of a ship.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the circuit board comprises a controller, a coupling network, and a modem.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the circuit board is coupled to an external power source via a connector in the housing.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a communication port disposed on and through the housing and in electrical connection to the circuit board.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the housing is generally cylindrical in shape.

6. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the communication port is coupled to an external device.

7. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the external device is selected from a group consisting of a personal computer, an indicator, and enunciator, and a display.

9. A method of installing a fault determination device is an existing electrical system comprising:

selecting a position within an existing electrical system in which to insert a fault determination apparatus, the apparatus shaped and dimensioned for non-intrusive operation within the existing electrical system; and

non-intrusively inserting the fault determination apparatus in the selected position such that the fault determination apparatus is readily accessible to a user.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the existing electrical system is selected from a group consisting of an aircraft electrical system, a vehicular electrical system, an electrical system of a building, and an electrical system of a ship.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein inserting comprises disconnecting a first plug from a second plug and inserting the fault determination apparatus between the first plug and the second plug.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein inserting comprises breaking two wired connections of the existing electrical system and connecting the wired connections of the existing electrical system to the fault determination apparatus.

13. The method of claim 9 further comprising attaching the fault determination apparatus to an external power supply.

14. The method of claim 9 further comprising coupling the fault determination apparatus to an external device.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the external device is selected from a group consisting of a personal computer, an indicator, an enunciator, and a display.