Smart lug system

• US 9,704,373 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2015
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thomas & Betts International LLC (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: Thomas & Betts International LLC (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Dinh, Cong Thanh, Feudner, Andrew J., de la Borbolla, Ian Rubin, Burke, Brian, Drane, Mark R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tweel, Jr., John A
• Application Number:
  US14/718,209
• Publication Number:
  US 20150348394A1
• Time in Patent Office: 782 Days
• Field of Search: 3405391, 3405721, 439488, 439489
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/16 Elements for restraining, or preventing the movement of, parts, e.g. for zeroising caging of moving parts when not in use G01D11/20
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 3/10 with provision for switching-in of additional or auxiliary indicators or recorders
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3895 identification of connection, e.g. right plug to the right socket or full engagement of the mating parts keying element on the plug or adapter G02B6/3831; keying element on the ferrule G02B6/3851; keying element for electrical connection H01R13/64
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/182 Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/08 using communication transmission lines G08B13/19658, G08B21/0286, G08B25/016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 11/26 End pieces terminating in a screw clamp, screw or nut
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6683 with built-in sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/185 by embedding added-value information into content, e.g. geo-tagging
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A device includes a device body that further includes a first attachment mechanism for attaching to another object, structure, or item of equipment. The device also includes wireless communication circuitry affixed to the device body, and one or more sensor components affixed to the device body, coupled to the wireless communication circuitry, and configured to sense environmental parameters associated with the device or with the object, structure or item of equipment. The device may further include powering circuitry, affixed to the device body, and configured to provide electrical power to the wireless communication circuitry and/or the one or more sensor components. The device may include a lug, connector or terminal.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a device body comprising;

a recess formed in an outer surface of the body, the recess having a depth that extends to a bottom of the recess;

a first attachment mechanism disposed at a first location on the body for attaching to a first object, structure, or item of equipment; and

a second attachment mechanism disposed at a second location on the body for attaching to a second object, structure, or item of the equipment, wherein the second object, structure, or item of equipment is different than the first object, structure, or item of equipment;

an insulating layer affixed to the body in the bottom of the recess;

wireless communication circuitry affixed to the device body in the bottom of the recess via the insulating layer; and

one or more sensor components affixed to the device body in the bottom of the recess via the insulating layer, coupled to the wireless communication circuitry, and configured to sense environmental parameters associated with the device or with the second object, structure, or item of equipment.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a sealant layer formed over the wireless communication circuitry, and the one or more sensor components, within the recess.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the other object comprises a wire and wherein a color of the sealant layer is color-coded based on a gauge of the wire to which the device body is to be attached.

4. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

powering circuitry, affixed to the device body, and configured to provide electrical power to at least one of the wireless communication circuitry or the one or more sensor components.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the other object, structure, or item of equipment comprises a motor or a cable.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the device comprises a lug, and wherein the body includes a cut-out into which the first object, structure, or item of the equipment can be inserted,

wherein the first attachment mechanism comprises an attachment screw that can be tightened within the cut-out against the first object, structure, or item of the equipment to press the first object, structure, or item of the equipment against an opposite surface of the cut-out to affix the body of the lug to the inserted first object, structure, or item of the equipment, and

wherein the second attachment mechanism comprises an attachment hole through which a bolt or screw of other attaching means can be inserted to affix the body to the second object, structure, or item of the equipment.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication circuitry is configured to wirelessly communicate with an external wireless network access point connected to a network.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the device comprises a lug and wherein the first object, structure, or item of the equipment comprises a wire,

wherein the body comprises a barrel, a neck, and a pad and wherein the barrel comprises the first attachment mechanism,

wherein the barrel includes a hollow inner diameter for receiving the wire to be affixed to the lug and wherein the pad has a length and a with and an attachment hole through which a bolt or screw of another attaching means can be inserted to affix the body to the second object, structure, or item of the equipment, and wherein the attachment hole comprises the second attachment mechanism, and

wherein the recess is disposed within the neck of the body of the lug.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the environmental parameters sensed by the one or more sensor components comprise at least one of:

temperature, moisture, vibration, heat, impact force, compression force, velocity, or acceleration associated with the device or with the second object, structure or item of equipment.

10. The device of claim 4, wherein the powering circuitry is configured to harvest waste energy from the device body;

from the wireless communication circuitry, one or more sensor components, or the powering circuitry;

or from the first object, structure or item of equipment.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the powering circuitry is configured to use a thermoelectric effect to generate a voltage to provide electrical power to the wireless communication circuitry and the one or more sensor components based on a temperature difference across the device body, or between the device and the second object, structure, or item of equipment.

12. The device of claim 6, wherein the first object, structure, or item of the equipment comprises a cable, and

wherein the cut-out comprises a C-shaped cut-out into which the cable can be inserted and wherein the attachment screw can be tightened against the cable to affix the body of the lug to the inserted cable.

13. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

an odor emitting unit configured to emit one or more stored chemicals in a gaseous form.

14. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a processing unit configured to generate a sensor report using the sensed environmental parameters,

wherein the wireless communication circuitry is configured to transmit the sensor report via a wireless mechanism.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the wireless mechanism comprises Wi-Fi, BlueTooth, cellular or Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) communication circuitry.

16. The device of claim 14, further comprising:

a geo-location unit configured to obtain a geo-location of the device,

wherein the processing is further configured to generate the sensor report using the obtained geo-location of the device.

17. The device of claim 14, wherein the processing unit is further configured to:

obtain an identifier for the device,

generate a signature based on the identifier,

obtain a current date and time, and

generate the sensor report using the identifier, the signature, and the current date and time.

18. A lug, comprising:

a body, comprising;

a C-shaped cut-out formed in the body into which a first object can be inserted,

a recess formed in the body,

a first attachment mechanism disposed at a first location on the body adjacent the C-shaped cut-out for attaching to the first object, wherein the first attachment mechanism comprises an attachment screw that can be tightened within the C-shaped cut-out, against the first object to press the first object against an opposite surface of the C-shaped cut-out, to affix the body of the lug to the inserted first object, and

a second attachment mechanism disposed at a second location on the body for attaching to a second object, wherein the second attachment mechanism comprises an attachment hole through which a bolt, screw or other attaching means can be inserted to affix the body to the second object;

an insulating layer affixed to the body within a bottom of the recess;

wireless communication circuitry affixed to the body within the recess via the insulating layer;

one or more sensor components affixed to the body within the recess via the insulating layer, coupled to the wireless communication circuitry, and configured to sense environmental parameters associated with the lug, or with the second object; and

a sealing layer formed over the wireless communication circuitry, and the one or more sensor components, within the recess of the body of the lug.

19. The lug of claim 18, wherein the first object comprises a cable and wherein the second object comprises a motor.

20. The lug of claim 18, wherein the sealing layer comprises an acrylic, polyurethane, epoxy or silicon layer.

21. The lug of claim 18, wherein the environmental parameters sensed by the one or more sensor components comprise at least one of:

temperature, moisture, vibration, heat, impact force, compression force, velocity, or acceleration associated with the lug or with the second object.

22. The lug of claim 18, further comprising:

powering circuitry, affixed to the body, and configured to provide electrical power to at least one of the wireless communication circuitry or the one or more sensor components,

wherein the powering circuitry is configured to harvest waste energy from the body of the lug;

from the wireless communication circuitry, the one or more sensor components, or the powering circuitry;

or from the second object.

23. A wire connector lug, comprising:

a body, comprising;

a barrel that includes a hollow inner diameter for receiving a wire to be affixed to the wire connector lug,

a neck connected to the barrel, a pad connected to the neck, wherein the pad has a length and width and an attachment hole through which a bolt, screw or other attaching means can be inserted to affix the body to an object, structure, or item of equipment, and

a recess disposed within an outer surface of the neck of the body of the wire connector lug, the recess having a depth that extends to a bottom of the recess;

an insulating layer affixed to the body within the bottom of the recess;

wireless communication circuitry affixed to the body within the recess via the insulating layer;

one or more sensor components affixed to the body within the recess via the insulating layer, coupled to the wireless communication circuitry, and configured to sense environmental parameters associated with the wire connector lug, or with the object, structure, or item of equipment; and

a sealing layer formed over the wireless communication circuitry, and the one or more sensor components, within the recess of the body of the wire connector lug.

24. The wire connector lug of claim 23, wherein a color of the sealing layer is color-coded based on a gauge of the wire to which the body is to be attached.

25. The wire connector lug of claim 23, wherein the sealing layer comprises an acrylic, polyurethane, epoxy or silicon layer.

26. The wire connector lug of claim 23, wherein the barrel comprises a crimping barrel for crimping to the wire and wherein the object, structure, or item of equipment comprises a motor.