Flexible contact arrangement for hose assembly

• US 9,562,822 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2014
• Issued: 02/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Danfoss A/S
• Original Assignee: Eaton Corp. (Wisconsin) (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: Wells, Michael Paul, Betsinger, James Dean
• Primary Examiner(s): Martin, Laura
• Assistant Examiner(s): Devito, Alex
• Application Number:
  US14/186,501
• Publication Number:
  US 20140238109A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,082 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 25/01 specially adapted for realising electrical conduction between the two pipe ends of the joint or between parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/02 by using fluid or vacuum

Abstract

An integrated hose assembly, as well as a monitoring assembly and method of its use are disclosed. The integrated hose assembly includes a hose assembly with a hose having a first conductive layer electrically connected to a nipple and a second conductive layer electrically connected to a socket. The first and second conductive layers are separated by an insulating layer. The integrated hose assembly further includes a monitoring assembly that includes a housing rotatably mounted around at least a portion of the hose assembly, a first flexibly resilient conductive lead seated within the housing and electrically contacting a first outer surface of the hose assembly such that the first flexibly resilient conductive lead is electrically connected to a nipple, and a second flexibly resilient conductive lead seated within the housing and electrically contacting a second outer surface of the hose assembly such that the second flexibly resilient conductive lead is electrically connected to a socket. The monitoring assembly includes a monitoring circuit electrically connected to the first flexibly resilient conductive lead and the second flexibly resilient conductive lead.

Claims

1. An integrated hose assembly with monitoring comprising:

a hose assembly including a hose having a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer, the first conductive layer electrically connected to a nipple and the second conductive layer electrically connected to a socket, and wherein the first and second conductive layers are separated by an insulating layer;

a monitoring assembly comprising;

a housing rotatably mounted around at least a portion of the hose assembly;

a first flexibly resilient conductive lead seated within the housing

and electrically contacting a first outer surface of the hose assembly such that the first flexibly resilient conductive lead is electrically connected to a nipple;

a second flexibly resilient conductive lead seated within the housing and electrically contacting a second outer surface of the hose assembly such that that the second flexibly resilient conductive lead is electrically connected to a socket; and

a monitoring circuit electrically connected to the first flexibly resilient conductive lead and the second flexibly resilient conductive lead;

wherein the first and second flexibly resilient conductive leads each include a first and second surface with a bend point between the first and second surfaces.

2. The integrated hose assembly of claim 1, wherein the first surface of the first flexibly resilient conductive lead is biased to maintain contact with the first outer surface of the hose assembly and the second surface of the first flexibly resilient conductive lead is biased to maintain contact with a first inner surface of the housing.

3. The integrated hose assembly of claim 2, wherein the first surface of the second flexibly resilient conductive leads is biased to maintain contact with the second outer surface of the hose assembly and the second surface of the second flexibly resilient conductive lead is biased to maintain contact with a second inner surface of the housing.

4. The integrated hose assembly of claim 3, wherein the first and second inner surfaces of the housing are spaced apart along a length of the hose assembly.

5. The integrated hose assembly of claim 1, wherein the first and second surfaces and the bend point form a radially overlapping u-shaped section of each of the first and second flexibly resilient conductive leads.

6. The integrated hose assembly of claim 1, wherein the first outer surface and the second outer surface of the hose assembly are electrically separated by the insulating layer.

7. The integrated hose assembly of claim 1, wherein the first flexibly resilient conductive lead and the second flexibly resilient conductive lead are axially and radially offset from one another.

8. The hose assembly of claim 1, wherein the first and second flexibly resilient conductive leads have a fixed position relative to the monitoring circuit and are rotatable relative to the hose assembly.

9. A monitoring assembly comprising:

a housing rotatably mountable around at least a portion of a hose assembly having first and second electrically conductive outer surfaces forming contact points for an electrical circuit including the hose assembly;

a first flexibly resilient conductive lead seated within the housing and electrically contacting a first outer surface of the hose assembly such that the first flexibly resilient conductive lead is electrically connected to a nipple;

a second flexibly resilient conductive lead seated within the housing electrically contacting a second outer surface of the hose assembly such that that the second flexibly resilient conductive lead is electrically connected to a socket; and

a monitoring circuit electrically connected to the first flexibly resilient conductive lead and the second flexibly resilient conductive lead;

wherein the first and second flexibly resilient conductive leads each include a first and second surface with a bend point between the first and second surfaces.

10. The monitoring assembly of claim 9, wherein the first surface of the first flexibly resilient conductive lead is biased to maintain contact with the first outer surface of the hose assembly and the second surface of the first flexibly resilient conductive lead is biased to maintain contact with a first inner surface of the housing.

11. The monitoring assembly of claim 10, wherein the first surface of the second flexibly resilient conductive leads is biased to maintain contact with the second outer surface of the hose assembly and the second surface of the second flexibly resilient conductive lead is biased to maintain contact with a second inner surface of the housing.

12. The monitoring assembly of claim 9, wherein the housing includes a first channel configured to retain the first flexibly resilient conductive lead and a second channel configured to retain the second flexibly resilient conductive lead.

13. The monitoring assembly of claim 9, further comprising third and fourth flexibly resilient conductive leads, the third flexibly resilient conductive lead electrically contacting the first outer surface of the hose assembly and the fourth flexibly resilient conductive lead contacting the second outer surface of the hose assembly.

14. The monitoring assembly of claim 9, wherein the monitoring circuit is configured to apply a voltage across the first and second conductive outer surfaces, there applying a voltage across first and second conductive layers of a hose assembly.

15. The monitoring assembly of claim 9, wherein the first and second flexibly resilient conductive leads have a fixed position relative to the monitoring circuit and are rotatable relative to the hose assembly.

16. The monitoring assembly of claim 9, wherein the first and second flexibly resilient conductive leads are constructed of an electrically conductive material.

17. A method of contacting a monitoring assembly to a hose assembly, the method comprising:

rotatably mounting a housing of a monitoring assembly around at least a portion of a hose assembly, thereby electrically contacting a first electrically conductive outer surface of the hose assembly with a first flexibly resilient conductive lead and electrically contacting a second electrically conductive outer surface of the hose assembly with a second flexibly resilient conductive lead, the first and second flexibly resilient conductive lead each electrically connected to a monitoring circuit within the housing, wherein the first and second flexibly resilient conductive leads each include a first and second surface with a bend point between the first and second surfaces.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising rotating the monitoring assembly around the hose assembly, thereby scraping the first and second flexibly resilient conductive leads across the first and second outer surfaces.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein scraping the flexibly resilient conductive leads removes debris positioned between the first and second flexibly resilient conductive leads and the respective first and second electrically conductive outer surfaces of the hose assembly.