Electrical/optical interface coupler

• US 5,578,834 A
• Filed: 06/21/1994
• Issued: 11/26/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Q Capital Corporation
• Original Assignee: Tracker Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Trobridge, Rex
• Primary Examiner(s): WESTIN, EDWARD P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Steady, Jacqueline M.
• Application Number:
  US08/263,380
• Time in Patent Office: 889 Days
• Field of Search: 250/551, 359/143, 359/144, 359/163
• US Class Current: 250/551
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/3504 for analysing gases, e.g. multi-gas analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4201 Packages, e.g. shape, construction, internal or external details
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4246 Bidirectionally operating package structures
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4274 Electrical aspects G02B6/4263 and G02B6/4265 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4416 Heterogeneous cables

Abstract

A removable coupler including first and second ends, the first end connected to an electrical connector and the second end attached to an optical connector. The optical connector includes a housing containing electronics therein to convert electrical signals to signals which are transmitted optically. The housing may also or alternatively include electronics therein to convert signals received optically to electrical signals.

Claims

1. A removable coupler inter-connectable between an electrical interface of an analog signal generating device and an optical interface of an optical signal receiving device and comprising:

an elongated flexible cable having electrical and optical ends and including an electrical conductor housed therein and leading from said electrical end;

an electrical connector attached to said cable at said electrical end for being releasably connected to said analog signal generating device;

an optical interface housing attached to said cable at said optical end, said housing including a releasable connector for releasably connecting said housing to said optical signal receiving device, and a circuit for receiving an analog signal generated from said analog signal generating device and converting said analog signal to a digital signal; and

an optical emitter mounted in said optical interface housing and electrically connected to said circuit and responsive to said digital signal from said circuit to generate a corresponding optical signal for transmission to said optical signal receiving device.

2. A removable coupler as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said lead includes an intermedially disposed separable fuse housing for carrying a fuse therein.

3. A removable coupler as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said connector of said optical interface housing includes at least one releasable fastener to securely engage said optical signal receiving device.

4. A removable coupler as set forth in claim 3 wherein:

said optical signal receiving device includes a housing formed with at least one elongated slot for engagement to at least one respective said fastener.

5. A removable coupler as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said optical interface housing includes a transparent optical signal transmission window and said optical signal receiving device includes a transparent optical signal receiving window.

6. A removable coupler as set forth in claim 5 wherein:

said optical signal receiving device includes a housing formed with at least one alignment hole, said optical interface connector includes a confronting surface including at least one alignment pin for respective receipt in said hole, said hole and said alignment pin operable to align said optical signal transmission window with said optical signal receiving window.

7. A removable coupler as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said optical interface housing includes an optical detector for receiving optical prompt signals from said optical signal receiving device to prompt said optical transmitter to transmit said digital signal.

8. Electrical/optical converter cable apparatus for removably coupling between an electrical outlet of an electrical analyzer device generating an electrical signal and a portable data collector housed in an intrinsically safe housing formed with an optical interface having a predetermined configuration and including an optical sensor behind an optical window, said apparatus comprising:

an elongated, intrinsically safe flexible cable having first and second ends and including an electrical conductor housed therein and leading from said first end;

an electrical connector attached to said first end for connection to said electrical outlet;

a converter device carried from said second end and including a housing formed with an optical connector having an optically transparent window configured to complementarily mate with said optical interface and including an optical emitter electrically connected to said electrical connector and positioned to, when said converter device is mated with said optical interface, align in signal transmitting relation with said optical sensor; and

a releasable mechanical coupler for releasably coupling said converter device to said data collector with said transparent window complementarily mated with said optical interface whereby said electrical connector may be connected with said electrical outlet and said converter device coupled to said data collector without invading said intrinsically safe housing to thereby establish an intrinsically safe coupling between said analyzer device and data collector to provide for communication therebetween.

9. Electrical/optical converter cable apparatus as set forth in claim 8 for use with said data collector device that is portable and wherein:

said cable is elongated and flexible to allow for said data collector, while said electrical connector is connected to said outlet and said converter device coupled to said data collector, to be manipulated about relative to said first end.

10. Electrical/optical converter cable apparatus as set forth in claim 8 wherein:

said data collector device is portable and includes a bar code scanner to identify identification codes from different locations and a memory for storing said identification codes;

said cable includes a portable sensor for sensing predetermined conditions at the respective said locations and a communication line leading from said sensor to said analyzer device, said sensor being responsive to the sensing of said predetermined conditions at said locations to conduct said conditions to said analyzer device; and

said analyzer device is responsive to said conditions received from said communication line to generate a corresponding electrical signal transmitted along said conductor to said optical emitter.

11. Electrical/optical converter cable as set forth in claim 8 wherein:

said converter device includes an analog to digital converter electrically connected to said electrical conductor and optical emitter and responsive to an analog signal from said electrical conductor to generate a corresponding digital signal for transmission to said optical emitter.

12. A removable coupler inter-connectable between an electrical interface of an electrical signal transmitting device and an optical interface of an optical signal receiving and transmitting device including a first optical emitter and receiver, said apparatus comprising:

an elongated flexible cable having electrical and optical ends and including an electrical conductor housed therein and electrically connected to said electrical and optical ends;

an electrical connector attached to said cable at said electrical end for releasable connection to said electrical signal transmitting device for transmission of electrical signals generated by said electrical transmitting device along said conductor;

an optical interface housing attached to said cable at said optical end, said housing including a releasable connector for releasably connecting said housing to said optical signal receiving and transmitting device;

a second optical emitter mounted in said optical interface housing and disposed at a predetermined position therein to, when said optical interface housing is connected to said optical signal receiving and transmitting device, align with said first optical receiver;

a second optical receiver mounted in said optical interface housing and disposed at a predetermined position therein to, when said optical interface housing is connected to said optical signal receiving and transmitting device, align with said first optical emitter for receipt of an optical signal from said first optical emitter to generate a corresponding electrical prompt signal; and

an electrical circuit electrically connected to said second optical receiver, said second optical emitter, and to said conductor and responsive to said electrical prompt signal to transmit said electrical signals generated by said electrical signal generating device to said second optical emitter.

13. The coupler of claim 12 wherein:

said cable includes an intermedially disposed separable fuse housing for carrying a fuse therein.

14. The coupler of claim 12 wherein:

said connector of said optical interface housing includes at least one releasable fastener to securely connect said optical interface housing with said optical signal receiving and transmitting device.

15. The coupler of claim 12 wherein:

said optical interface housing includes an optically transparent signal transmission window and said optical signal receiving and transmitting device includes an optically transparent signal receiving window.

16. The coupler of claim 12 wherein:

said electrical signal transmitting device includes a signal generator for generating analog signals;

said circuit includes an analog to digital converter responsive to said analog signals to generate corresponding digital signals for transmission to said second optical emitter; and

said second optical emitter is responsive to said digital signals to generate corresponding optical signals for receipt by said first optical receiver.

17. The coupler of claim 16 wherein:

said electrical signal generating device includes a portable emissions sensor to sense the concentration of a gaseous emission and generate a corresponding analog sense signal representative thereof; and

said optical signal receiving and transmitting device includes a portable data collector including a memory tier receipt and storage of said optical signals.

18. A removable coupler and sensor assembly inter-connectable between an electrical interface and a sensor interface of an electrical signal transmitting device and an optical interface of an optical signal receiving device including an optical receiver, said apparatus comprising:

an elongated flexible cable having electrical and optical ends and including an electrical conductor housed therein and electrically connected to said electrical end;

an elongated sensor conduit connected to said cable and including a first end for releasable connection to said sensor interface and a free second end including a sensor for sensing a predetermined condition adjacent said sensor and for transmitting said condition through said conduit to said sensor interface of said electrical signal transmitting device;

an electrical connector attached to said cable at said electrical end for releasable connection to said electrical interface of said electrical signal transmitting device;

an optical interface housing attached to said cable at said optical end, said housing including a releasable connector for releasably connecting said housing to said optical interface; and

an optical emitter mounted in said optical interface housing, electrically connected to said electrical conductor and disposed at a predetermined position therein to, when said optical interface housing is connected to said optical signal receiving device, align with said optical receiver, said emitter being responsive to electrical signals conducted along said electrical conductor to generate corresponding optical signals for transmission to said optical receiver.

19. The coupler of claim 18 wherein:

said cable includes a medially disposed separable fuse housing for carrying a fuse therein.

20. The coupler of claim 18 wherein:

said connector of said optical interface housing includes at least one releasable fastener to securely connect said optical interface housing with said optical signal receiving and transmitting device.

21. The coupler of claim 18 wherein:

said optical interface housing includes an optically transparent signal transmission window and said optical signal receiving device includes an optically transparent signal receiving window.

22. The coupler of claim 18 wherein:

said electrical signal transmitting device includes a signal generator for generating analog signals and further including;

a converter circuit mounted in said optical interface housing and electrically connected to said conductor and responsive to said analog signals to generate a corresponding digital signal for transmission to said optical emitter and wherein;

said optical emitter is responsive to said digital signal to generate a corresponding optical signal for receipt by said optical receiver.

23. The coupler of claim 22 wherein:

said converter circuit includes an analog to digital converter responsive to said analog signal to generate said corresponding digital signal for transmission to said optical emitter.

24. The coupler of claim 18 wherein:

said electrical signal transmitting device includes a portable emissions sensor for sensing a gaseous emission and responsive to a condition thereof to generate a corresponding sense signal representative thereof; and

said optical signal receiving device includes a portable data collector including a memory for receipt and storage of said optical signals.