Clamp meter and clamp probe

• US 9,739,800 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2015
• Issued: 08/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fluke Corporation (Fortive Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fluke Corporation (Fortive Corp.)
• Inventors: Luo, Shounan
• Primary Examiner(s): LaBalle, Clayton E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sanghera, Jas
• Application Number:
  US14/861,902
• Publication Number:
  US 20160084879A1
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/0416 Connectors, terminals G01R1/0425 and G01R1/0433 take precedence; with measurement function for battery poles G01R31/364
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/06788 Hand-held or hand-manipulated probes, e.g. for oscilloscopes or for portable test instruments end pieces terminating in a probe H01R11/18
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/22 Tong testers acting as secondary windings of current transformers
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 15/08 Circuits for altering the measuring range
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 15/18 using inductive devices, e.g. transformers
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 15/186 using current transformers with a core consisting of two or more parts, e.g. clamp-on type G01R15/142 - G01R15/16 take precedence; tong testers G01R1/22

Abstract

The present application relates to a clamp meter and a clamp probe that can be matched for use with the clamp meter. The clamp meter comprises a main meter body having an interfacing connector and one or more clamp probes, wherein each of the clamp probes is detachably connectable to the interfacing connector of the main meter body. Each of the clamp probes has a converting unit that converts a signal measured by the clamp probe to an output measurement signal within a predetermined measurement range of the main meter body, and each of the clamp probes has an identity indicator readable by the main meter body. As the clamp meter according to the present application can be matched with a plurality of clamp probes having different measurement ranges, a user only needs to purchase one main meter body and one or more clamp probes of different models to meet various measuring needs. This can enhance the flexibility and extendibility of the usage of a clamp meter, as well as reduce the user'"'"'s financial burden.

Claims

1. A clamp meter comprising:

a main meter body having an interfacing connector; and

a plurality of clamp probes, wherein each of the clamp probes is separately detachably connectable to the interfacing connector of the main meter body,

wherein each of the clamp probes has a converting unit that converts a signal measured by the clamp probe to an output measurement signal within a predetermined measurement range of the main meter body, wherein of the clamp probes has an identity indicator readable by the main meter body, and wherein the clamp probes have different measurements ranges for measuring different current ranges.

2. The clamp meter of claim 1, wherein each of the clamp probes has a memory readable by the main meter body.

3. The clamp meter of claim 2, wherein the memory of each clamp probe stores the identity indicator of said clamp probe.

4. The clamp meter of claim 2, wherein the memory of each clamp probe stores a conversion function or diagram of said clamp probe.

5. The clamp meter of claim 1, wherein the identity indicator is in the form of a series number, a tag having a specific bar code thereon, a radio frequency identification tag, or a near field communication tag.

6. The clamp meter of claim 1, wherein the main meter body further comprises a wireless communication unit for transmitting measurement data according to the output measurement signal to a receiving system.

7. The clamp meter of claim 1, wherein the main meter body supplies power to a clamp probe connected to the main meter body.

8. The clamp meter of claim 1, wherein each clamp probe has a clamp and an adapting connector.

9. The clamp meter of claim 8, wherein each clamp probe further comprises a cable electrically connecting the clamp and the adapting connector.

10. The clamp meter of claim 8, wherein the adapting connector is capable of electrically connecting to the interfacing connector of the main meter body.

11. The clamp meter of claim 8, wherein one of the adapting connector and the interfacing connector is configured as a socket, and the other is configured as a plug.

12. The clamp meter of claim 8, wherein the converting unit of the clamp probe is placed in the adapting connector.

13. The clamp meter of claim 1, wherein the identity indicator of each clamp probe contains information regarding a conversion function or diagram of said clamp probe.

14. The clamp meter of claim 1, wherein the identity indicator of each clamp probe contains information regarding the measurement range of said clamp probe.

15. The clamp meter of claim 14, wherein the main meter body is configured to display the measurement range of a clamp probe connected to the main meter body.

16. The clamp meter of claim 1, wherein the main meter body carries a battery.

17. A clamp meter comprising:

a main meter body having an interfacing connector,

a plurality of clamp probes, wherein;

each clamp probe is separately detachably connectable to the interfacing connector of the main meter body,

each clamp probe has a converting unit that converts a signal measured by the clamp probe to an output measurement signal within a predetermined measurement range of the main meter body, and

each clamp probes has an identity indicator indicating information of said clamp probe,

and wherein;

the identity indicator of each clamp probe contains information regarding a measurement range of said clamp probe, and

the main meter body is configured to display the measurement range of a clamp probe connected to the main meter body.

18. The clamp meter of claim 17, wherein each clamp probe further comprises a readable memory.

19. The clamp meter of claim 18, wherein the memory stores the identity indicator of said clamp probe.

20. The clamp meter of claim 18, wherein the memory stores a conversion function or diagram of said clamp probe.

21. The clamp meter of claim 17, wherein the identity indicator is in the form of a series number, a tag having a specific bar code thereon, a radio frequency identification tag, or a near field communication tag.

22. The clamp meter of claim 17, wherein each clamp probe has a clamp and an adapting connector.

23. The clamp meter of claim 22, wherein the clamp probe further comprises a cable electrically connecting the clamp and the adapting connector.

24. The clamp meter of claim 22, wherein the adapting connector is configured as a socket or a plug.

25. The clamp meter of claim 22, wherein the converting unit is placed in the adapting connector.

26. The clamp meter of claim 17, wherein the identity indicator contains information regarding a conversion function or diagram of said clamp probe.

27. The clamp meter of claim 17, wherein the identity indicator contains information regarding the measurement range of said clamp probe.

28. The clamp meter of claim 17, wherein the clamp probe is connectable to a current meter configured to receive and process the output measurement signal from the clamp probe.