Pipe Fitting With Sensor

• US 20170089496A1
• Filed: 09/23/2016
• Published: 03/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenlok Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Lenlok Holdings, LLC
• Inventors: Lennon, William H.
• Granted Patent: US 10,663,093 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 13/146 by an axially moveable sleeve
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 2201/10 Indicators for correct coupling
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 5/0025 of elongated objects, e.g. pipes, masts, towers or railways G01M5/0058 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 5/0033 by determining damage, crack or wear
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 5/0083 by measuring variation of impedance, e.g. resistance, capacitance, induction
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49908 Joining by deforming

Abstract

A fluid fitting is provided that is mechanically attached to a pipe, including a coupling body having an inner surface defining a bore for receiving the pipe therein. A ring is positioned to fit over the at least one end of the coupling body for mechanically attaching the coupling body to the pipe, and a main seal formed on the inner surface of the coupling body to engage the pipe. When installed, the ring and coupling body apply a compressive force to the main seal sufficient to attach the pipe to the coupling body in a non-leaking manner. An electrically operated sensor device is fixed to a surface of one of the coupling body or ring that, when the ring is installed on the coupling body, produces an electrical parameter in response to physical movement of the coupling body or ring to which the sensor device is fixed.

Claims

1. A fluid fitting that is mechanically attached to a pipe, comprising:

a coupling body having an inner surface defining a bore for receiving the pipe therein at at least one end thereof;

a ring positioned to fit over the at least one end of the coupling body for mechanically attaching said coupling body to the pipe;

a main seal formed on the inner surface of the coupling body to engage the pipe, wherein when said ring is installed on the at least one end of the coupling body via force, the ring and coupling body apply a compressive force to the main seal sufficient to cause elastic deformation of the ring and permanent deformation of the coupling body and pipe to thereby attach the pipe to the coupling body in a non-leaking manner; and

an electrically operated sensor device fixed to a surface of one of the coupling body or ring that, when said ring is installed on said coupling body, produces an electrical parameter in response to physical movement of said coupling body or ring to which the sensor device is fixed.

2. The fluid fitting of claim 1, wherein the electrically operated sensor device comprises a strain gauge.

3. The fluid fitting of claim 2, wherein the strain gauge comprises a metal film resistance device.

4. The fluid fitting of claim 1, wherein the physical movement of said coupling body or ring occurs in response to the elastic deformation of the ring or the permanent deformation of the coupling body.

5. The fluid fitting of claim 1, wherein the electrically operated sensor device is a wireless RFID sensor that is passively powered by an electromagnetic field from an interrogator.

6. The fluid fitting of claim 5, wherein the electrically operated sensor device transmits the electrical parameter in response to a signal from said interrogator, and said interrogator thereafter transmits said electrical parameter to a remote central computer server database.

7. The fluid fitting of claim 1, wherein the electrically operated sensor device is applied to an exterior peripheral surface of the ring.

8. The fluid fitting of claim 1, wherein the electrically operated sensor device comprises a flexible substrate that conforms to a curved surface of said coupling body or ring to which the sensor device is fixed.

9. The fluid fitting of claim 1, further comprising a radio-transparent protective casing material applied over the electrically operated sensor device to encase and isolate the sensor device from an external environment.

10. The fluid fitting of claim 1, wherein the electrically operated sensor device comprises a microprocessor, a strain gauge sensor, a wireless communication transmitter and an antenna.

11. The fluid fitting of claim 10, wherein the electrically operated sensor device further comprises a temperature sensor.

12. The fluid fitting of claim 1, wherein the electrically operated sensor device comprises one of an accelerometer or vibration sensor to sense vibration of the pipe.

13. The fluid fitting of claim 1, wherein the inner surface of the coupling body has a main seal that engages with the pipe, and the electrically operated sensor device is located generally in vertical alignment with the main seal, relative to a longitudinal axis of the fluid fitting.

14. The fluid fitting of claim 1, further comprising a sensor carrier interposed between the electrically operated sensor device and one of the coupling body or ring,

wherein the sensor carrier comprises a fixation side having a geometry that corresponds to an exterior periphery of said coupling body or ring, and an opposite sensor side that the electrically operated sensor device is connected to.

15. A method of mechanically attaching a fluid fitting to a pipe, comprising the steps of:

inserting a pipe into one end of the fluid fitting, whereby a main seal formed on an interior of the fluid fitting is positioned adjacent an exterior surface of the pipe;

attaching a wireless electrically operated sensor device comprising a strain gauge to a surface of the fluid fitting, wherein the strain gauge produces an electrical parameter in response to physical movement of the fluid fitting;

applying a compressive force to the fluid fitting sufficient to cause permanent deformation of the main seal against the exterior surface of the pipe to thereby permanently attach the fluid fitting to the pipe in a non-leaking manner;

interrogating, using an RF interrogator, the wireless electrically operated sensor device; and

in response to said interrogating, transmitting, from the electrically operated sensor device, said electrical parameter that was produced in response to physical movement of fluid fitting after being permanently attached to the pipe.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the fluid fitting comprises a coupling body having an outer surface and an inner surface defining a bore for receiving the pipe, wherein the main seal is located on the inner surface, and the method further comprises the steps of:

positioning a ring to fit over the exterior surface of the coupling body; and

attaching the strain gauge to an outer surface of the ring; and

forcibly driving the ring onto the exterior surface of the coupling body so that the ring and coupling body apply a compressive force to the main seal sufficient to cause elastic deformation of the ring and permanent deformation of the coupling body and pipe to thereby attach the pipe to the coupling body in a non-leaking manner,

wherein said electrical parameter is indicative of strain caused by the elastic deformation of the ring.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of storing the produced electrical parameter in a non-transient memory of one of the sensor device, the interrogator, or a remote central computer server database.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

interrogating, using said RF interrogator, the wireless electrically operated sensor device immediately prior to the step of applying a compressive force to the fluid fitting to obtain a first electrical parameter;

interrogating, using said RF interrogator, the wireless electrically operated sensor device immediately after permanent deformation of the main seal against the exterior surface of the pipe to obtain a second electrical parameter; and

comparing the first electrical parameter to the second electrical parameter to obtain a final value indicative of a quality of the non-leaking attachment between the fluid fitting and the pipe.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of comparing the final value against one of a predetermined range, a tolerance band, or a threshold to determine said quality of the non-leaking attachment.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the sensor device comprises a unique identifier, further comprising the steps of:

storing a calibration data of the sensor device, associated with the unique identifier, in a remote central computer server database;

interrogating, using an RF interrogator, the sensor device immediately prior to the step of applying a compressive force to obtain the unique identifier;

obtaining, using the RF interrogator, the calibration data associated with the unique identifier from the remote central computer server database; and

correcting the transmitted electrical parameter from the electrically operated sensor device by applying the calibration data.