System and method for loop detector installation

• US 7,952,021 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2008
• Issued: 05/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Transcore LP (Roper Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United Toll Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Allen, Jim
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, DHIRUBHAI R
• Application Number:
  US12/115,212
• Publication Number:
  US 20080271907A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,121 Days
• Field of Search: 174/50, 174/58, 174 95- 98, 174/100, 248/906, 439/535, 220/4.02
• US Class Current: 174/50
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/02 using treadles built into the road pads or other sensitive devices responsive to passage of vehicles E01F11/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 248/906 Electrical outlet box support

Abstract

A pre-fabricated ferromagnetic loop having a footprint characterized by a continuous wire shaped according to a predetermined planar pattern. In some embodiments, the predetermined planar pattern can be multiple contiguous polygons within a larger footprint used for establishing a sensor for the detection of moving vehicles. The footprint may include one of a triangle, a square, a rectangle, a rhombus, a parallelogram, an ellipse, or a circle, and/or other shapes or configurations. Similarly, each of the multiple contiguous polygons may include one of a triangle, a square, a rectangle, a rhombus, a parallelogram, and/or other shapes or configurations. A loop sensor housing is arranged to enclose a continuous loop sensor wire configured in the predetermined planar pattern. The prefabricated loop sensor is inserted in a groove web pre-cut in a receiving medium to match the predetermined planar pattern.

Claims

1. A housing for installation of a loop sensor in a receiving medium under a top surface of the receiving medium, wherein the loop sensor includes a wire, the housing comprising:

a hollow portion of the housing formed at least in part by separable portions, the separable portions being configured such that in a default position the separable portions contact each other at or near a first end of the housing, wherein the separable portions are further configured to resiliently flex out of the default position to permit the wire of the loop sensor to be installed in the hollow portion, the hollow portion being formed such that, responsive to installation of the housing in the receiving medium, the hollow portion of the housing provides a sensor path for the wire of the loop sensor through the receiving medium, the sensor path having a sensor shape in the plane of the top surface of the receiving medium;

one or more protrusions, extending outward from the housing, configured to secure the housing within the receiving medium; and

a retaining lip disposed at or near a second end of the housing, the second end of the housing being opposite the first end of the housing, wherein the retaining lip is configured such that responsive to installation of the housing in the receiving medium, the retaining lip engages the top surface of the receiving medium to maintain the wire of the loop sensor in the hollow portion of the housing at a predetermined depth below the top surface in the receiving medium.

2. The housing of claim 1, further comprising a deformable side portion configured to contact the receiving medium when the housing is installed in the receiving medium.

3. The housing of claim 1, wherein the sensor shape in the plane of the top surface comprises two or more contiguous polygons.

4. The housing of claim 1, wherein the one or more protrusions comprise a deformable material.

5. The housing of claim 1, wherein the one or more protrusions comprise polyvinyl chloride.

6. The housing of claim 1, wherein the partially separable portions are configured to fasten to each other.

7. The housing of claim 6, wherein the partially separable portions are fastened to each other by a fastener.

8. The housing of claim 1, wherein the retaining lip runs the entire length of the sensor path.

9. The housing of claim 1, wherein the hollow portion of the housing is configured to house a continuous wire having one or more loops.

10. The housing of claim 9, wherein the hollow portion of the housing comprises a width of about one-quarter of an inch and a depth of about one inch.

11. The housing of claim 9, wherein the hollow portion of the housing comprises a set of wire guides.

12. The housing of claim 11, wherein the set of wire guides comprises one of a plurality of vertically stacked wire guides, and a plurality of side-by-side wire guides arranged in substantially the same plane as the top surface of the receiving medium.

13. The housing of claim 11, wherein the continuous wire comprises multiple wire turns, each wire turn arranged within a separate wire guide of the set of wire guides.

14. A method for installing a loop sensor in a receiving medium under a top surface of the receiving medium, wherein the loop sensor includes a wire, the method comprising:

configuring a housing having a shape in the plane of the top surface of the receiving medium that matches with the shape of the wire of the loop sensor upon installation of the housing in the receiving medium, wherein the housing includes;

a retaining lip disposed at or near a first end of the housing, and

a hollow portion formed at least in part by separable portions, the separable portions being configured such that in a default position the separable portions contact each other at or near a second end of the housing that is opposite from the first end of the housing, wherein the hollow portion is further configured to provide a sensor path for the wire of the loop sensor through the receiving medium;

arranging the loop sensor within the hollow portion of the housing by moving the separable portions out of the default position and apart from each other, and inserting the wire of the loop sensor into the hollow portion of the housing between the spaced apart separable portions;

enclosing the loop sensor within the hollow portion of the housing as the separable portions move bask into contact in the default position; and

placing the housing with the loop sensor therein in the receiving medium such that the retaining lip contacts a top surface of the receiving medium to maintain the wire of the loop sensor in the hollow portion of the housing at a predetermined depth below the top surface in the receiving medium.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising

providing a deformable side portion to the housing;

and

deforming a distal end of the deformable side portion upward and inward with respect to a main portion of the housing during the placing step.

16. A housing configured to house a continuous wire in a receiving medium under a top surface of the receiving medium, the housing comprising:

one or more deformable protrusions, extending outward from the housing and being, configured to secure the housing in the receiving medium responsive to the housing with the continuous wire inside being installed therein;

a hollow portion formed at least in part by separable portions, the separable portions being configured such that in a default position the separable portions contact each other at or near a first end of the housing to enclose the hollow portion of the housing, wherein the separable portions are configured to resiliently flex away from each other to permit insertion of the continuous wire therebetween and into the hollow portion of the housing; and

a retaining lip configured to maintain the continuous wire at a predetermined depth relative to the top surface of the receiving medium, wherein the retaining lip is disposed at or near a second end of the housing opposite from the first end of the housing such that upon installation of the housing with the continuous wire inside into the receiving medium, the retaining lip engages the top surface of the receiving medium to maintain the continuous wire at the predetermined depth.

17. The housing of claim 16, wherein the continuous wire has a planar shape in the plane of the top surface, wherein the planar shape comprises two or more contiguous polygons.

18. The housing of claim 16, wherein the retaining lip runs the entire length of the continuous wire.

19. The housing of claim 16, wherein the housing is configured to receive the continuous wire in a hollow region comprising a width of about one-quarter of an inch and a depth of about one inch.

20. The housing of claim 16, wherein the hollow region comprises a set of wire guides.

21. The housing of claim 20, wherein the set of wire guides comprises one of a plurality of vertically stacked wire guides, and a plurality of side-by-side wire guides arranged in substantially the same plane as the top surface of the receiving medium.

22. The housing of claim 20, wherein the continuous wire comprises multiple wire turns, each wire turn arranged within a separate wire guide of the set of wire guides.

23. The housing of claim 20, further comprises a plurality of separate housing segments.

24. The housing of claim 23, wherein the plurality of separate housing segments comprise:

a linear segment containing a plurality of wire guides;

a corner segment configured to guide the continuous wire in a corner region of a groove web; and

a T segment configured to guide the continuous wire in a T region of a groove web.

25. The housing of claim 16, wherein the continuous wire has a planar shape in the plane of the top surface, wherein the planar shape is one of a triangle, a rectangle, a square, a circle, an ellipse, a rhombus, and a parallelogram.

26. A method for installing a continuous loop sensor wire in a receiving medium under a top surface of the receiving medium, the method comprising:

providing a housing with a planar shape in the plane of the top surface of the receiving medium, wherein the planar shape comprises at least one of a triangle, rectangle, square, circle, ellipse, rhombus, or parallelogram;

arranging a continuous loop sensor wire within a hollow portion of the housing formed at least in part by separable portions, wherein the separable portions are configured to contact each other at or near a first end of the housing in a default position, and to resiliently flex away from each other to receive the continuous loop sensor wire therebetween during insertion of the continuous loop sensor wire into the hollow portion of the housing such that the hollow portion of the housing provides a sensor path in the planar shape of the housing under the top surface of the receiving medium for the continuous loop sensor wire upon installation, wherein arranging the continuous loop sensor wire within the hollow portion comprises;

(i) inserting the continuous loop sensor wire into the hollow portion of the housing by resiliently flexing the separable portions away from each other to receive the continuous loop sensor wire therebetween; and

(ii) enclosing the continuous loop sensor wire within the hollow portion of the housing with the separable portions as the separable portions move back into the default position;

preparing a cavity in the receiving medium, wherein the cavity has a planar shape in the plane of the top surface that is substantially the same as the planar shape of the housing; and

placing the housing with the continuous loop sensor wire in the cavity such that the first end of the housing is the deepest section of the housing within the cavity.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising placing the continuous loop sensor wire using a wire guide region of the housing.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein placing the continuous loop sensor wire using a wire guide region of the housing comprises arranging the continuous loop sensor wire in multiple wire turns, each wire turn arranged within a separate wire guide of the wired guide region of the housing.

29. The method of claim 26, further comprising

providing a deformable side portion to the housing, wherein the deformable side portion is substantially wider than the cavity;

and

deforming a distal end of the deformable side portion inward with respect to the housing while pressing the housing in the cavity, whereby the deformable side portion contacts a sidewall of the cavity.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

providing a retaining lip disposed at a second end of the housing; and

sliding the housing into the cavity until the retaining lip engages the top surface of the receiving medium.