Assembly for transferring data

• US 5,729,211 A
• Filed: 03/19/1996
• Issued: 03/17/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GOSSEN METRAWATT GmbH (METRAWATT International GmbH)
• Original Assignee: GOSSEN METRAWATT GmbH (METRAWATT International GmbH)
• Inventors: Lang, Erhard, Reichler, Edmund, Spiess, Uwe, Hochreuther, Karl, Staudte, Reinhard
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): HILL, ANDREW M
• Application Number:
  US08/618,112
• Time in Patent Office: 728 Days
• Field of Search: 340/870.28, 340/870.29, 340/870.3, 340/310.08, 359/143, 359/159, 364/705.01, 364/705.05, 364/708.1, 364/709.01, 364/709.09, 364/709.1, 73/431, 73/866.5, 324/156, 250/239, 250/491.1, 361/679, 361/686, 361/727, 361/728, 361/807, 174/52.1, 174/58, 174/59, 174/61, 174/62
• US Class Current: 340/870.28
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 15/12 Circuits for multi-testers , i.e. multimeters, e.g. for measuring voltage, current, or impedance at will
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 15/125 for digital multimeters
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/0225 User interface arrangements, e.g. keyboard, display; Interfaces to other computer systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/0275 for measuring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0227 Cooperation and interconnection of the input arrangement with other functional units of a computer G06F3/023 - G06F3/037 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/801 using optical interconnects, e.g. light coupled isolators, circuit board interconnections

Abstract

An assembly for transferring data comprises a measurement data acquisition unit in the form of a portable measuring device, a measurement data processing unit, and an auxiliary unit for transferring data between the acquisition unit and the processing unit. Contact-less coupling elements are operatively associated with the acquisition and auxiliary units respectively for transferring measurement data between the acquisition unit and the auxiliary unit by contact-less coupling. Data are transferred between the auxiliary unit and the processing unit. The auxiliary unit includes a connecting member for mechanically detachably connecting the auxiliary unit with the acquisition unit such that the contact-less coupling elements face one another at a predetermined spacing and such that the connected acquisition and auxiliary units together form a portable measuring device.

Claims

1. An assembly for transferring data, comprising a portable hand-held multimeter, a measurement data processing unit, and an auxiliary unit for transferring data between said multimeter and said processing unit, contact-less coupling elements operatively associated with said multimeter and said auxiliary unit respectively for transferring data between said multimeter and said auxiliary unit by contact-less coupling, and means for transferring data between said auxiliary unit and said processing unit, said auxiliary unit including a connecting member for mechanically detachably connecting said auxiliary unit with said multimeter such that said contact-less coupling elements face one another at a predetermined spacing and such that said connected multimeter and said auxiliary unit together form a portable unit, wherein said auxiliary unit includes a housing, said connecting member is in the form of an adapter base formed onto said housing, guide and notch elements formed in said adapter base, and wherein said multimeter includes deformations in a surface thereof proportionally corresponding to said guide and notch elements for retaining said multimeter in said adapter base, wherein said coupling elements are opto-electric coupling elements said opto-electric coupling elements operate in an infrared wavelength range and include at least one phototransmitter and at least one photoreceiver, one of said phototransmitter and photoreceiver being associated with said multimeter and said other one with said auxiliary unit, wherein said contact-less coupling elements allow for bidirectional data flow between said multimeter and said auxiliary unit, and wherein said multimeter has a multimeter housing with a contour and a groove formed therein extending parallel to a bottom of said housing, and said adapter base including said walls and a bottom wall forming a clamp-like U-shell, said adapter base further including mutually facing guide rails formed onto free ends of said side walls for slidably engaging in said groove formed in said multimeter housing, and wherein said multimeter housing is formed of infrared translucent material for enabling optical transmission between said coupling elements through a wall of said multimeter housing.

2. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein said measurement data processing unit is a printer.

3. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein said measurement data processing unit is a computer.

4. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein said deformations on said multimeter are in the form of indentations and protrusions for engaging in said guide and notch elements of said auxiliary unit, such that an operating surface of said multimeter remains freely accessible when said auxiliary unit and said multimeter are connected.

5. The assembly according to claim 4, wherein said multimeter unit has a lateral end surface, said housing of said auxiliary unit connecting adjacent said lateral end surface.

6. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein said multimeter housing has a bottom and said deformations are cam-like feet integrally formed on said bottom, and wherein said guide and notch elements are indentations in the form of glide grooves and notch troughs formed in said adapter base for receiving said cam-like feet and for mechanically retaining said multimeter and said auxiliary unit in a locked position.

7. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein said auxiliary unit includes a housing, said housing being formed of upper and lower shell-shaped housing parts, said connecting member being in the form of an adapter base integrally formed on said lower housing part for allowing said multimeter to be slidably inserted in said auxiliary unit such that a side wall of said multimeter located forward in a direction of insertion is positioned immediately adjacent and parallel to a side wall of said housing of said auxiliary unit.

8. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein said multimeter and said auxiliary unit each includes a housing with respective side walls which, upon connection of said units, abut one another, and wherein said coupling elements are respectively disposed immediately behind said abutting side walls.

9. The assembly according to claim 1, including a ledge formed on said upper housing part of said auxiliary unit for engaging into said groove of said multimeter when said multimeter and said auxiliary unit are connected.

10. The assembly according to claim 9, wherein said housing of said multimeter is formed of upper and lower housing parts and said groove for engagement with said guide rails and said ledge is defined by a parting line between said housing parts.

11. The assembly according to claim 1, including connecting means for electrically connecting said auxiliary unit to said processing unit.