Sealed housing and method of sealing for apparatus in meter pit enclosures
First Claim
1. A sealed housing for use in a pit enclosure to contain an antenna and associated electronics carried by a substrate, the pit enclosure having a pit lid with a hole therein and the sealed housing comprising:
- a tube having a closed upper end and an open lower end, the tube being extendable through the hole in the pit lid;
a cap for attachment to the upper end of the tube for suspending the tube from the pit lid;
a collar around the lower end of the stem for trapping a portion of the pit lid between said collar and the cap;
a guide structure within the tube for locating and supporting the substrate that carries the associated electronics; and
a body of sealant disposed in said tube so as to completely seal the associated electronics and the lower open end of the tube, the sealant forming at least a portion of a bottom end of the sealed housing without the need for additional parts or fasteners.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A sealed housing for a transponder unit (10) in a utility meter pit enclosure has a tube (28), approximately 33/4 inches long and 11/2 inches in diameter, in which transponder electronics carried by a circuit board and an antenna are inserted from the bottom and fitted into guide structures (42, 47) and then a body of epoxy sealant (50) is used to seal and form a recessed lower end of the tube (28) which, in use, may be immersed in water within a subsurface pit enclosure (11). The tube (28) is attached to a cap (22) and suspended through a hole (29) in the pit lid (15). A clamping member (38) is threaded onto the lower end of the tube (28) for trapping a portion of the pit lid (15) between said clamping member (38) and the cap (22). A method of assembling and sealing the unit (10) is also disclosed.
111 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A sealed housing for use in a pit enclosure to contain an antenna and associated electronics carried by a substrate, the pit enclosure having a pit lid with a hole therein and the sealed housing comprising:
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a tube having a closed upper end and an open lower end, the tube being extendable through the hole in the pit lid; a cap for attachment to the upper end of the tube for suspending the tube from the pit lid; a collar around the lower end of the stem for trapping a portion of the pit lid between said collar and the cap; a guide structure within the tube for locating and supporting the substrate that carries the associated electronics; and a body of sealant disposed in said tube so as to completely seal the associated electronics and the lower open end of the tube, the sealant forming at least a portion of a bottom end of the sealed housing without the need for additional parts or fasteners. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A sealed assembly for use in a pit enclosure having a pit lid with a hole therein, the sealed assembly comprising:
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a tube having a closed upper end and an open lower end, the tube being extendable through the hole in the pit lid; a cap for attachment to the upper end of the tube for suspending the tube from the pit lid; a collar member around the lower end of the stem for trapping a portion of the pit lid between said collar member and the cap; an antenna disposed within the tube and projecting above the pit lid for transmitting radio waves from the assembly; transponder electronics carried by a substrate for transmitting radio frequency signals through the antenna; a guide structure within the tube for locating and supporting the substrate that carries the associated electronics; and a body of sealant disposed in said tube so as to completely seal the associated electronics and the lower open end of the tube, the sealant forming a bottom end of the sealed housing without the need for additional parts or fasteners. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of assembly a transponder unit for a pit enclosure, the method comprising:
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inserting a coil and associated electronics through an open bottom end of a tube having a closed upper end, said coil and associated electronics being inserted in guide structures within said tube; injecting a body of encapsulating material into the open end of the tube to encapsulate and seal the coil and associated electronics within the tube, while allowing electrical leads to extend through the body of encapsulating material for electrical connection to a meter register unit; allowing said body of encapsulating material to cure. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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Specification