DE102017128234A1 - Cable clip and system for monitoring a connector - Google Patents

Abstract

Cable clip, - with a housing which is adapted to enclose a cable or more cables circumferentially at least partially, - at least one fastening means for releasably securing the housing to at least one cable, - with a power supply unit which is adapted to a in the sensor integrated in the cable clip and / or a sensor or the like separate from the cable clip, with a communication unit which is set up to transmit sensor data to an evaluation and / or display device, wherein the energy supply unit and the communication unit are at least partially are integrated in the housing.

Description

The present invention relates to a cable clip and a system for monitoring a connector with such a cable clip.

When monitoring connectors should be the measurement of electrical characteristics as possible in the connector itself or close to the consumer or controller, with which the connector is connected. Due to the low installation space available inside the connector, the possibilities of integrating sensors, energy supply units for the sensors and interfaces for activating the sensors in a connector are limited. Further, temperature sources within a connector should be avoided as much as possible, since the heat input may affect solder joints or the structural integrity of the connector housing or other plastic components.

Furthermore, metallic housing parts of the connector can distort measurement signals or make wireless communication with the sensors more difficult. Another disadvantage is that permanently installed in the connector sensor technology remains largely unused, since measurements for diagnosis or maintenance often have to be made only selectively.

Before mounting a connector, it is also not always clear which measurements actually need to be recorded during operation to monitor the connector.

Against this background, the technical problem underlying the invention to provide a cable clip and a system for monitoring a connector, which do not have the disadvantages described above, or at least to a lesser extent, and in particular allow reliable, flexible and cost-effective monitoring of a connector.

The above-described technical problem is solved in each case by a cable clip according to claim 1 and a system for monitoring a connector according to claim 11. Further embodiments of the invention will become apparent from the dependent claims and the description below.

According to a first aspect, the invention relates to a cable clip having a housing adapted to at least partially enclose a cable or cables circumferentially, with at least one fastening device for releasably securing the housing to at least one cable, having a power supply unit adapted thereto is to supply a sensor integrated in the cable clip and / or a separate cable clip of the sensor or the like, with a communication unit which is adapted to transmit sensor data to an evaluation and / or display device, wherein the power supply unit and the communication unit are at least partially integrated in the housing.

The power supply unit can serve to supply power to the housing, at least partially integrated functional elements, such as sensors, microcontrollers, memory units, interfaces or display elements with energy. Alternatively or additionally, the power supply unit can be used to supply external, separate from the cable clip, for example, in a connector integrated sensors, microcontroller, memory units, interfaces or display elements with energy. For example, the power supply unit for this purpose provide a supply voltage of 2-8 volts, in particular 3-6 volts available.

The housing may in particular by a clamping connection positively and / or non-positively attached to a cable or to a plurality of cables. This can be provided in a simple manner, a detachable connection between the cable clip and a cable or more cables, so that the cable clip is reusable and in particular selectively used for maintenance and / or diagnostic tasks.

The cable clip may have one or more cylindrical openings formed on the housing, which are set up to enclose one or more cables circumferentially in each case and, in particular, to lie flush against an outer jacket surface of a respective cable.

The power supply unit and the communication unit can be completely enclosed by the housing so that only, for example, cable ends or plugs for communication or power supply protrude out of the housing.

The housing may be at least partially formed of a plastic or completely made of a plastic. The power supply unit and the communication unit can be arranged on a circuit board and potted in the plastic housing.

The evaluation and / or display device may be, for example, a notebook, a desktop computer, a tablet, a smartphone or an analog or digital measuring device.

According to a further embodiment of the cable clip is provided that the housing has two half-shells, which are hinged together by means of a hinge, wherein the fastening means is arranged on the hinge side facing away from the half-shells. Thus, a releasable cable clip can be specified in a simple and cost-effective manner, which can be non-positively and / or positively held by means of a clamping connection to one or more cables or can be fastened.

It can be provided that the half shells are detachably connected to each other by means of the hinge or interchangeable. In this case, a first half shell can have the communication unit and the energy supply unit as an integral component, while sensor and / or measuring devices are provided in the second half shell. Thus, the cable clip can be equipped as needed with the respectively required for the corresponding application sensor / measuring device by the interchangeable, second half shells combined with sensors for measuring environmental variables and / or electrical variables with the first half-shell, which holds the communication and power supply becomes. The hinge can serve at the same time an interface for energy transmission and communication between the power supply unit and the communication unit and the sensor or the sensors of the second half-shell.

A further embodiment of the cable clip is characterized by a sensor interface for connecting the cable clip to a sensor integrated into a plug connector or attached to a plug connector, wherein the interface enables a power supply of the sensor and / or a signal transmission between the sensor and the communication unit. The cable clip can thus serve to relocate the means for operating a sensor from a connector in an external unit, namely in the cable clip, and in this way on the one hand to save space within the connector and on the other hand to allow a cheaper connector. As far as the cable clip is not connected to the sensor of the connector, the sensor of the connector is therefore without function. To activate the sensor and acquire measurement data, the cable clip may be attached to the connector associated cable end and coupled to the sensor to activate the sensor.

The interface can be, for example, cable ends protruding from the housing, which are connected to the power supply unit and / or the communication unit. Alternatively or additionally, the sensor interface may be formed in the manner of a socket or a plug, which is connectable to a complementarily shaped plug or a complementarily shaped socket with the sensor of the connector.

The outsourced from a connector means for operating a sensor have the advantage that the measurement signals detected by the sensor can be transmitted substantially smoothly, with no additional temperature sources are disposed within the connector.

Alternatively or additionally, the cable clip may have an interface for connecting the cable clip to a power supply unit integrated in a plug connector and / or a communication unit integrated in a plug connector. A power supply unit and / or communication unit in the connector can be connected in this way with all the sensors contained in the connector.

It can be provided that the communication unit has a module for wireless signal and / or data transmission to the evaluation and / or display device. By way of example, the communication unit may have a WLAN module, a Bluetooth module, an NFC interface, an infrared interface or the like in order to transmit signal or data wirelessly to the evaluation and / or display device.

Alternatively or additionally, the communication unit may have a module for wired signal and / or data transmission to the evaluation and / or display device. This may, for example, be a conventional network socket, a USB interface (USB (1.0, 2.0, 3.0), mini-USB, micro-USB, USB-C) or the like.

The communication unit can be completely integrated into the housing, in particular be cast in the housing.

It can be placed in a plastic of the housing on one or more circuit boards arranged microcontroller, capacitors, antennas or the like, and thus circumferentially substantially completely surrounded by a plastic of the housing. This applies equally to the power supply unit and or any sensors arranged in the housing.

The cable clip may have one or more sensors for detecting environmental quantities and / or electrical characteristics. For example, the cable clip one or more sensors for detecting the ambient temperature or the Have humidity. Alternatively or additionally, the cable clip sensors for detecting characteristics of the cable clip partially or completely circumferentially enclosed, have one or more current-carrying cable. In particular, one or more sensors of the cable clip may be configured to detect currents or voltages of one or more enclosed conductor cross sections.

Such a sensor may be partially or completely integrated into the housing, in particular be cast in a plastic of the housing, so that the sensor is protected by the housing from environmental influences.

It can be provided that the cable clip has a cooling device for the active and / or passive cooling of one or more cables, which are at least partially enclosed. It is understood that function units accommodated in or on the cable clip, such as the communication unit, the power supply unit and any sensors, can also be actively and / or passively cooled by means of the cooling device.

The cooling device may comprise a thermocouple, phase change material, phase spreader, cooling fins or an otherwise enlarged surface and in particular a high mass.

The cable clip may have a memory device for storing measurement data.

The cable clip may comprise a control and / or data processing device for controlling sensors integrated in the cable clip or separate from the cable clip.

Alternatively or additionally, the cable clip may have one or more RFID tags for identifying and identifying the cable clip.

Furthermore, alternatively or additionally, RFID technology can be provided for the wireless power supply of one or more external sensors integrated into the cable clip or separate from the cable clip.

Alternatively or additionally, the cable clip may have a device for status display.

The power supply unit may have a rechargeable battery or a battery for self-sufficient power supply of communication, control and / or data processing devices and / or sensors. Alternatively or additionally, the energy supply unit has one or more voltage transformers, such as a step-down converter or the like. In particular, the power supply unit can have an output voltage of 2-8 volts, in particular 3-6 volts, for the power supply of sensors, microcontrollers or the like.

The cable clip is constructed modularly according to a further embodiment and has two or more interconnected individual segments, wherein at least one of the individual segments encloses one or more cables in each case.

The cable clip may be of modular design and be formed of a plurality of interconnected individual segments, each individual segment enclosing one or more cables in each case. In this way, the cable clip can be adapted for use with one or more cables.

According to a second aspect, the invention relates to a system for monitoring a connector, with a cable clip according to the invention, wherein the cable clip is attached to at least one cable, and wherein the cable is accommodated end in a connection opening of a connector.

The connector can be monitored using the cable clip. In this case, sensors integrated into the connector can be coupled to the cable clip, controlled and / or sensor data can be evaluated. Alternatively or additionally, integrated sensors may be used in the cable clip to monitor the connector and / or measure environmental quantities. The connector can therefore be provided inexpensively by subsequently installed in the connector or already installed, one or more sensors do not have to be equipped with the corresponding as power supply and communication interface.

• 1A einen erfindungsgemäßen Kabelclip in einer perspektivischen Ansicht von oben;
• 1B den Kabelclip aus 1A in einer Draufsicht;
• 1C den Kabelclip aus 1A in einem Querschnitt IC-IC;
• 2 ein erfindungsgemäßes System mit dem Kabelclip aus 1A in einer perspektivischen Ansicht von oben;
• 3 ein weiteres erfindungsgemäßes System mit einem erfindungsgemäßen Kabelclip in einer perspektivischen Ansicht von oben;
• 4 ein weiteres erfindungsgemäßes System mit einem erfindungsgemäßen Kabelclip in einer perspektivischen Ansicht von oben;
• 5 ein weiteres erfindungsgemäßes System mit einem erfindungsgemäßen Kabelclip in einer perspektivischen Ansicht von oben;
• 6 ein weiteres erfindungsgemäßes System mit zwei erfindungsgemäßen Kabelclips in einer perspektivischen Ansicht von oben.

The invention will be described in detail with reference to an exemplary embodiments illustrative drawing. Each show schematically:

• 1A a cable clip according to the invention in a perspective view from above;
• 1B the cable clip off 1A in a plan view;
• 1C the cable clip off 1A in a cross section IC IC ;
• 2 an inventive system with the cable clip 1A in a perspective view from above;
• 3 a further inventive system with a cable clip according to the invention in a perspective view from above;
• 4 a further inventive system with a cable clip according to the invention in a perspective view from above;
• 5 a further inventive system with a cable clip according to the invention in a perspective view from above;
• 6 another inventive system with two cable clips according to the invention in a perspective view from above.

1A shows a cable clip 2 , with a housing 4 , which is adapted to circumferentially at least partially enclose one or more cables. The cable clip 2 is in 1A shown in an open state. The cable clip 2 has a fastening device 6 for releasably securing the housing 4 on at least one cable.

The housing 4 has two half-shells 8th . 10 on that by means of a hinge 12 are hinged together. The fastening device 6 is on the hinge 12 opposite sides of the half-shells 8th . 10 arranged.

1B shows the cable clip 2 out 1A in a top view. 1C shows the cable clip 2 out 1A in a cross section along the section line IC IC , The cable clip 2 is in the 1B and 1C shown in a closed state.

The cable clip 2 has a power supply unit 14 that is set up in the cable clip 2 integrated sensor 16 and / or one of the cable clip 2 to supply separate sensor or the like with energy.

The cable clip 2 has a communication unit 18 , Which in the present case has a microcontroller with Bluetooth interface, which is set up for the wireless transmission of sensor data to an evaluation and / or display device.

Next has the cable clip 2 a fixed voltage regulator 20 ,

The power supply unit 14 , the communication unit 18 , the sensor 16 and the fixed voltage regulator 20 are completely in the case 4 integrated - in this case in a plastic half shells 8th . 10 shed.

The sensor 20 serves to capture environmental variables and electrical parameters.

2 shows a system according to the invention 22 for monitoring a connector 24 , The system 22 has a cable clip according to the invention 2 , The cable clip 2 is on cables 26 . 28 . 30 attached. The cables 26 . 28 . 30 are end in connection openings 32 . 34 . 36 of the connector 24 added.

3 shows another system according to the invention 38 with a cable clip according to the invention 40 in a perspective view from above. The cable clip 40 is for enclosing only a cable, in this case the cable 26 , set up.

4 shows another system according to the invention 42 with a cable clip according to the invention 2 in a perspective view from above. The cable clip 2 is just about the cable 26 placed. The cable clip 2 Therefore, depending on the respective measurement task, can be mounted as needed.

5 shows another system according to the invention 44 with a cable clip according to the invention 2 in a perspective view from above. The cable clip 2 is about the cables 28 . 30 placed. The cable clip 2 Therefore, depending on the respective measurement task, can be mounted as needed.

6 shows another system according to the invention 46 with two cable clips according to the invention 48 . 50 in a perspective view from above. The cable clip 48 is about the cables 26 . 28 . 30 placed. The cable clip 50 is about the cables 26 . 28 placed. It is therefore, depending on the particular measurement task, two or more cable clips 48 . 50 in a system 46 can be used and assembled as needed.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

2

cable clip

4

casing

6

fastening device

8th

Half shell of the housing 4

10

Half shell of the housing 4

12

hinge

14

Power supply unit

16

sensor

18

communication unit

20

Voltage regulators

22

System for monitoring a connector 24

24

Connectors

26

electric wire

28

electric wire

30

electric wire

32

port opening

34

port opening

36

port opening

38

System for monitoring a connector 24

40

cable clip

42

System for monitoring a connector 24

44

System for monitoring a connector 24

46

System for monitoring a connector 24

48

cable clip

50

cable clip

Claims (11)

Cable clip, - With a housing (4) which is adapted to a cable (26, 28, 30) or more cables (26, 28, 30) circumferentially at least partially enclose, - With at least one fastening device (6) for releasably securing the housing (4) to at least one cable (26, 28, 30), - With a power supply unit (14) which is adapted to a in the cable clip (2, 40, 48, 50) integrated sensor (16) and / or a separate from the cable clip (2, 40, 48, 50) sensor or to provide such energy with a communication unit (18) which is set up for the transmission of sensor data to an evaluation and / or display device, - Wherein the power supply unit (14) and the communication unit (18) are at least partially integrated in the housing (4). Cable clip after Claim 1 , characterized in that - the housing (4) has two half-shells (8, 10), which are hinged together by means of a hinge (12), - wherein the fastening means (6) on the hinge (12) facing away from the half-shells ( 8, 10) is arranged. Cable clip after Claim 1 or Claim 2 characterized by - a sensor interface for connecting the cable clip (2, 40, 48, 50) to a sensor integrated in a connector (24), the interface comprising a power supply to the sensor and / or a signal transmission between the sensor and the communication unit (18 ) and / or - a sensor interface for connecting the cable clip (2, 40, 48, 50) to a power supply unit integrated in a plug connector (24) and / or a communication unit integrated into a plug connector (24). Cable clip according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that - the communication unit (18) has a module for wireless data transmission to the evaluation and / or display device, and / or - the communication unit is a module for wired data transmission to the evaluation and / or Display device has. Cable clip according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by - a sensor (16) for detecting environmental variables and / or electrical parameters. Cable clip after Claim 5 , characterized in that - the sensor (16) is partially or completely integrated in the housing (4). Cable clip according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by - a cooling device for active and / or passive cooling of one or more at least partially enclosed cable (26, 28, 30). Cable clip according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by - a memory device for storing measurement data and / or - a control and / or data processing device and / or - an RFID tag for identification and / or - a device for status display. Cable clip according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that - the power supply unit (14) has a rechargeable battery or a battery and / or - the power supply unit (14) has a voltage converter, such as a buck converter or the like. Cable clip according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cable clip (2, 40, 48, 50) is modular and has two or more interconnected individual segments, wherein at least one of the individual segments each have a cable (26, 28, 30) or several cables (26, 28, 30) encloses. System for monitoring a connector, - with a cable clip (2, 40, 48, 50) according to one of the Claims 1 to 10 in which the cable clip (2, 40, 48, 50) is fastened to at least one cable (26, 28, 30), and wherein the cable (26, 28, 30) end in a connection opening (32, 34, 36) of a connector (24) is accommodated.

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