Sensor head component

• US 6,798,347 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2002
• Issued: 09/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: In-Situ Incorporated
• Original Assignee: In-Situ Incorporated
• Inventors: McKee, Christopher J., Henry, Kent D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lieu, Julie
• Application Number:
  US10/136,032
• Publication Number:
  US 20030148637A1
• Time in Patent Office: 883 Days
• Field of Search: 340/680, 340/852.2, 340/853.3, 340/686.3, 340/686.5
• US Class Current: 340/680
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/24 Housings ; Casings for instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 21/02 Measuring two or more variables by means not covered by a single other subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 11/002 Details, e.g. power supply systems for logging instruments, transmitting or recording data, specially adapted for well logging, also if the prospecting method is irrelevant means for transmitting well survey signals E21B47/12; signal transmission systems in general G08C; transmission in general H04B

Abstract

A sensor head component is configurable as an accessory for performing various functions on other sensor head components interconnected in a sensor head of a monitoring tool assembly. Certain sensor head components may benefit from the performance of such functions as removable of debris from particular surfaces as well as calibration processes. To perform these functions, an accessory is configurable to include a body portion with a motor positioned therein. Connectable to the motor may be an accessory arm which includes at least one element connected thereto for performing the particular function. When activated, the motor manipulates the accessory arm such that the element moves within a target area and performs the particular function upon at least one of the sensor head components.

Claims

1. An interchangeable sensor head apparatus employable in a monitoring tool assembly, comprising:

an electronic connector portion configured to establish an electrical connection to the monitoring tool assembly;

a body portion extending from the connector portion wherein the body portion is further configurable to enclose at least one motor; and

an accessory arm connectable to the motor, where the accessory arm is of a predetermined length and positionable at a selected height so as to be moveable by the motor in a target area; and

said accessory arm being further configured to fixably attach to a functional device on an end opposite the motor, wherein the functional device is movable by the motor in the target area.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the body portion further encloses a memory device configured to store and provide access to operational information for the interchangeable sensor head component.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the functional device comprises at least one of:

a cleaning device configured to remove debris from another device interconnected in the monitoring tool assembly in the target area and a calibration device positionable in the target area in order to perform calibration processes.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the motor is configured to rotate the accessory arm in a radius about the body portion.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the motor further includes positional sensors configured to generate signals which indicate a rotational position of the accessory arm.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the functional device comprises the calibration device and the calibration device comprises a surface which reflects light at a known wavelength.

7. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the functional device comprises the cleaning device and the cleaning device includes at least one layer of compressively flexible material which exerts an expansive force when compressed between the accessory arm the other device interconnected in the monitoring tool assembly.