Encapsulated tubular conductor

• US 6,081,729 A
• Filed: 07/31/1998
• Issued: 06/27/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Bulst, Wolf-Eckhart, Sczesny, Oliver, Scholl, Gerd, Reindl, Leonhard, Ostertag, Thomas, Magori, Valentin, Bauerschmidt, Peter, Beierl, Ottmar, Lorenz, Dieter
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jama, Isaak R.
• Application Number:
  US09/127,528
• Time in Patent Office: 697 Days
• Field of Search: 340/870.03, 340/870.11, 340/635, 324/127, 324/522, 324/512, 324/531, 324/771, 702/57, 702/59, 702/62, 250/227.11, 361/96, 455/14, 455/41, 455/523
• US Class Current: 455/523
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/168 making use of an electromagnetic wave communication
• CPC Class Codes: H02B 13/065 Means for detecting or reacting to mechanical or electrical defects

Abstract

An encapsulated tubular conductor having at least two antenna elements disposed on the capsule thereof for maintaining therebetween wireless information transmission in a transmitting-receiving direction, and a transmitting-receiving device located outside the capsule and assigned to one of the antenna elements includes another transmitting/receiving device also disposed outside the capsule and assigned to the other of the antenna elements, the antenna elements being directed towards an interior space of the capsule, the interior space serving as a transfer path via which information is transferable between the transmitting-receiving devices.

Claims

1. An encapsulated tubular conductor having at least two antenna elements disposed on the capsule thereof for maintaining therebetween wireless information transmission in a transmitting-receiving direction, and a transmitting-receiving device located outside the capsule and assigned to one of the antenna elements, comprising another transmitting/receiving device also disposed outside the capsule and assigned to the other of the antenna elements, the antenna elements being directed towards an interior space of the capsule, said interior space serving as a transfer path via which information is transferable between said transmitting-receiving devices.

2. The encapsulated tubular conductor according to claim 1, wherein said transmitting/receiving devices are operative with waves selected from the group thereof consisting of acoustic, optical and electromagnetic waves.

3. The encapsulated tubular conductor according to claim 1, wherein said interior space of the capsule is subdivided into a plurality of subspaces, and the antenna elements are disposed in different subspaces of said interior space.

4. The encapsulated tubular conductor according to claim 1, wherein the antenna elements are disposed at respective openings formed in the capsule and assigned thereto.

5. The encapsulated tubular conductor according to claim 1, wherein the antenna elements are disposed within said interior space of the capsule.

6. The encapsulated tubular conductor according to claim 1, wherein the antenna elements are disposed outside said interior space of the capsule.

7. The encapsulated tubular conductor according to claim 1, including at least one sensor disposed in said interior space, said sensor being remotely interrogatable by at least one of the antenna elements.

8. The encapsulated tubular conductor according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said transmitting/receiving devices has an interface for coupling a monitoring device at least at an equivalent level thereto.

9. The encapsulated tubular conductor according to claim 1, wherein the capsule is metallic.

10. The encapsulated tubular conductor according to claim 1, including at least one switching device disposed inside the capsule.

11. The encapsulated tubular conductor according to claim 1, including a conductor for a voltage selected from the group thereof consisting of high and middle voltages disposed within the capsule.

12. The encapsulated tubular conductor according to claim 7, wherein said at least one sensor is constructed as a surface acoustic wave sensor.