EP0165131A1 - Überwachungsanordnung des Zustands von elektrischen Kontakten - Google Patents

Überwachungsanordnung des Zustands von elektrischen Kontakten Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0165131A1
EP0165131A1 EP85400943A EP85400943A EP0165131A1 EP 0165131 A1 EP0165131 A1 EP 0165131A1 EP 85400943 A EP85400943 A EP 85400943A EP 85400943 A EP85400943 A EP 85400943A EP 0165131 A1 EP0165131 A1 EP 0165131A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
liquid crystal
crystal system
optical
photovoltaic generator
light source
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
EP85400943A
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English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0165131B1 (de
Inventor
Francis Dupouy
Claude Prevost
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Airbus Group SAS
Original Assignee
Airbus Group SAS
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Airbus Group SAS filed Critical Airbus Group SAS
Priority to AT85400943T priority Critical patent/ATE29618T1/de
Publication of EP0165131A1 publication Critical patent/EP0165131A1/de
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0165131B1 publication Critical patent/EP0165131B1/de
Expired legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H9/00—Details of switching devices, not covered by groups H01H1/00 - H01H7/00
    • H01H9/16—Indicators for switching condition, e.g. "on" or "off"
    • H01H9/167—Circuits for remote indication

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a device for controlling the open or closed state of at least one electrical contact comprising a movable part and a fixed part, by passage of an electric current between said fixed and movable parts of said contact.
  • the purpose of the device of the present invention is to remedy these drawbacks and to provide a device making it possible to check the state of a contact, of a contact chain, or of one of them, without an electrical connection between said device and the data acquisition system, the device operating under a low electric current (for example ⁇ 10 ⁇ A at 6 V) supplied by an internal source to itself other than a cell or battery.
  • a low electric current for example ⁇ 10 ⁇ A at 6 V
  • the device for controlling the open or closed state of at least one electrical contact comprising a mobile part and a fixed part, by passing an electric current between said fixed and mobile parts of said contact.
  • the device comprises a light source, a photovoltaic generator capable of being excited by said light source, a liquid crystal system mounted in series with the contact (s) at the terminals of said photovoltaic generator and having two different optical states depending on whether or not it is crossed by the current generated by said photovoltaic generator and means for detecting and exploiting the states of said liquid crystal system.
  • said means for detecting and operating the states of the liquid crystal system are electro-optical and the generator is photovoltaic, the liquid crystal system and part of said means for detecting and operating form a construction unit. tion connected to said light source and to the other part of said detection and operating means by optical links.
  • light energy can be supplied by an optical fiber which illuminates a mosaic of photovoltaic cells. This delivers a micro-current which crosses the contact chain and modulates a liquid crystal cell. The reading of the state of this cell can also be carried out by optical fiber.
  • said liquid crystal system is of the type rotating the plane of polarization of the light when it is at rest and said detection and operating means comprise polarization means associated with said liquid crystal system.
  • the device according to the invention can comprise a light source and a system of optical fibers for exciting said photovoltaic generator, a light source and a fiber optic system for lighting said liquid crystal system, a fiber optic system and a device. for exploiting the changes of optical states of said liquid crystal system, as well as an optical system for establishing the light communication between said optical fiber systems respectively associated with the light source of illumination of the liquid crystal system and with the device exploitation of the optical state changes of the liquid crystal system.
  • a single light source may be provided to excite the photovoltaic generator and to illuminate the liquid crystal system and optical means incorporated in said construction unit to share the light beam coming from this single source into two partial beams respectively addressed to said photovoltaic generator and said liquid crystal system.
  • the optical fiber system for illuminating the liquid crystal system and the optical fiber system for exploiting the changes of optical states of said liquid crystal system can form a single optical fiber system. It is even possible to have the fiber optic system for driving the photovoltaic generator, the fiber optic system for lighting the liquid crystal system and the fiber optic system for exploiting the changes of optical states of said crystal system. liquids form a single system of optical fibers.
  • the optical means for sharing the light beam send the photovoltaic generator the hot part and the liquid crystal system the cold part of the radiation emitted by the single light source.
  • the device according to the invention may include logic supplied by said photovoltaic generator and allowing the sequential examination of a plurality of contacts.
  • the device according to the invention shown in Figure 1, is intended to control the open or closed state of a plurality of electrical contacts 1, each consisting of a movable part 1a and a fixed part 1b, conductive of electricity.
  • This device comprises a photovoltaic generator 2 and an electrooptic system, constituted by a liquid crystal assembly 3, capable of causing the rotation of 90 ° of the plane of polarization of light, and by two polarizers 4 and 5, arranged on either side of the plane of said liquid crystal assembly 3.
  • the plurality of fixed parts 1b of the contacts 1 are mounted in series with one another and with said liquid crystal assembly 3, in a series circuit 6 connecting the terminals of the photovoltaic generator 2.
  • the device of FIG. 1 further comprises a first source of light energy 7 which, for example, may be an incandescent lamp provided with coupling optics and a heat filter to remove excess infrared radiation, a light-emitting diode in the red and near infrared, a laser diode in the near infrared, a red laser with coupling optics, etc.
  • This first light source 2 could also emit non-coherent light; however, to obtain the best efficiency from the photovoltaic generator 2, it is preferable that this light is monochromatic and that its wavelength is between 0.6 and 0.9 ⁇ m.
  • the light energy emitted by said first source 7 is sent to the photovoltaic generator 2 via a system of optical fibers 8.
  • the device of FIG. 1 further comprises a second light source 9, identical or different from said first source 7, capable of addressing its light to the liquid crystal assembly 3 and to the polarizers 4 and 5, via '' a fiber optic system 10.
  • a mirror 11 is provided behind the polarizer 5 to optionally reflect light towards a fiber optic system 12, arranged on the same side of the electro-optical system 3, 4 and 5.
  • the fiber optic system 12 is connected, at its end opposite to the electro-optical system 3, 4 and 5 with an operating and acquisition device 13, which may consist of PIN diodes, avalanche photo-diodes , etc ...
  • the light emitted by the first light energy source 7 and conveyed by the optical fiber system 8 is addressed to the photovoltaic generator 2, having for example an area of 1 mm 2.
  • Such a photovoltaic generator 2 can then deliver a current of approximately 10 ⁇ A, for a voltage less than 6 V (gradient 0.4 A / W light).
  • the voltage delivered by the photovoltaic generator 2 is optionally applied to said liquid crystal assembly 3 of nematic type, via the chain of contacts 1.
  • the liquid crystal assembly 3 When the chain of said contacts 1 is open, that is to say when at at least one of said contacts 1 is not closed, the liquid crystal assembly 3 does not receive said voltage emitted by the photovoltaic generator 2 and it therefore remains at rest thus making the plane of polarization of light rotate by 90 ° .
  • the chain of said contacts 1 is closed, that is to say when all the contacts 1 are closed, the liquid crystal assembly 3 is excited by the voltage of the photovoltaic generator 2 and it does not modify the plane of polarization of the light it receives.
  • the liquid crystal assembly 3 when the liquid crystal assembly 3 is excited (see FIG. 2), that is to say when all the contacts 1 are closed, the light beam 17 coming from the fiber optic system 10 passes through, after polarization by the polarizer 4, the liquid crystal arrangement 3 and the polarizer 5 to reflect on the mirror 11 and give rise to a reflected ray 18, which crosses over the polarizer 5, the liquid crystal assembly 3 and the polarizer 4 for reach the fiber optic system 12.
  • the mirror 11 has been eliminated and the optical fiber system 12 has been placed opposite the optical fiber system 10, on the side opposite to the electrooptical system 3,4,5.
  • a focusing lens 19 can be provided between the polarizer 5 and the optical fiber system 12.
  • FIG. 7 shows an alternative embodiment in which the first light energy source 7 and the optical fiber system 8 have been eliminated.
  • a mirror 20 is provided, arranged in the path of the light beam 17 leaving the system at optical fibers 10 and capable of addressing part 17 ′ of this beam 17 to the photovoltaic generator 2 and the other part 17 ′′ of said beam to the electrooptical system 3,4,5.
  • the mirror 20 can be a simple semi-mirror transparent.
  • the mirror 20 is of the dichroic type making it possible to address the infrared part 17 ′ of the beam 17 to the photovoltaic generator 2 and the cold part 17 ′′ of said beam 17 to the electrooptical system 3,4,5. part 17 "of the beam 17 allows an operation identical to that described above with respect to said beam 17.
  • the optical fiber system 12 has been eliminated, the optical fiber system 10 making it possible, at the same time, to convey light from the source 9 to the electrooptical system 3,4,5 ( beam 17) and the light from the electrooptical system 3,4,5 to the device 13 (beam 18).
  • This variant embodiment can use, in a known manner, a blade separator or an appropriate coupler.
  • FIG. 9 implements the fiber optic system 10 of FIG. 8 and the mirror 20 of FIG. 7, to eliminate the source 7 and the fiber optic systems 8 and 12.
  • FIG. 10 there is provided a logic 21, of low consumption, supplied by the photovoltaic unit 2 and making it possible to sequentially present the state of each contact 1.
  • the device of FIG. 10 presents the structure of the device of figure 1,
  • the device which has just been described and its variants all comprise a liquid crystal system 3 of the nematic type; said liquid crystal system could just as easily be of the dichroic type and would then be associated with one or more Herlmeier cells with polarizer, said liquid crystal system 3 of dichroic type operating by the "Guest-Host" effect.
  • a polychromatic type liquid crystal system (3) could also be used, operating by changing the wavelength of light waves under excitation, possibly associated with one or more polarizers, for improving the contrast during reading.
  • FIG. 11 shows an example of application of the device according to the invention to remote monitoring, from a station 22, of the maximum and minimum levels of a tank 23 containing flammable petroleum products 24.
  • Contacts 1M and 1m cooperate with a float 25 to determine said maximum and minimum levels.
  • the contact control device is similar to that illustrated in FIG. 7: it comprises a unit 26 fixed to the tank 23, associated with logic 21 included in the unit 26 which makes it possible to sequentially present the state of the two 1M contacts and lm.
  • the information is coded in the form of light width modulation.
  • the power The electrical output created by the sensor is ⁇ 60 ⁇ W.
  • the light generator 9 is a laser diode associated with a power supply 27.
  • the diode can be pulsed or permanent depending on whether the desired information is permanent or punctual reading.
  • the light information is detected by a PIN diode 28 placed between the device 13 and the fiber optic system 12. This information is processed by logic which displays the states using two LEDs 29.
  • the device in FIG. 11 could monitor a plurality of contacts, some of which would correspond, for example, to intermediate levels between the minimum level and the maximum level.
EP85400943A 1984-05-23 1985-05-14 Überwachungsanordnung des Zustands von elektrischen Kontakten Expired EP0165131B1 (de)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AT85400943T ATE29618T1 (de) 1984-05-23 1985-05-14 Ueberwachungsanordnung des zustands von elektrischen kontakten.

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FR8408057 1984-05-23
FR8408057A FR2565027B1 (fr) 1984-05-23 1984-05-23 Dispositif pour controler l'etat de contacts electriques

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0165131A1 true EP0165131A1 (de) 1985-12-18
EP0165131B1 EP0165131B1 (de) 1987-09-09

Family

ID=9304315

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP85400943A Expired EP0165131B1 (de) 1984-05-23 1985-05-14 Überwachungsanordnung des Zustands von elektrischen Kontakten

Country Status (5)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0165131B1 (de)
AT (1) ATE29618T1 (de)
DE (1) DE3560611D1 (de)
ES (1) ES8608223A1 (de)
FR (1) FR2565027B1 (de)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE3601941A1 (de) * 1986-01-23 1987-07-30 Norbert Just Anzeigevorrichtung fuer ein elektromagnetisches relais
US4704656A (en) * 1986-10-27 1987-11-03 Leviton Manufacturing Company, Inc. Fiber optic wiring device control system
AT387473B (de) * 1987-06-29 1989-01-25 Sprecher Energie Oesterreich Schaltstellungsmelder fuer hochspannungsschaltgeraete

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE2442998A1 (de) * 1974-09-07 1976-03-18 Josef Gail Sichtscheibe mit automatischer regelung der lichtdurchlaessigkeit
GB2049960A (en) * 1979-05-03 1980-12-31 Electronics Corp America Interface circuit for indicating the state of a set of switch contacts

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE2442998A1 (de) * 1974-09-07 1976-03-18 Josef Gail Sichtscheibe mit automatischer regelung der lichtdurchlaessigkeit
GB2049960A (en) * 1979-05-03 1980-12-31 Electronics Corp America Interface circuit for indicating the state of a set of switch contacts

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
IEEE SPECTRUM, vol. 6, no. 9, septembre 1979, page 81, New York, US; "Light-polarizing gates provide high linearity for direct-writing analog data recorder" *

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE3601941A1 (de) * 1986-01-23 1987-07-30 Norbert Just Anzeigevorrichtung fuer ein elektromagnetisches relais
US4704656A (en) * 1986-10-27 1987-11-03 Leviton Manufacturing Company, Inc. Fiber optic wiring device control system
AT387473B (de) * 1987-06-29 1989-01-25 Sprecher Energie Oesterreich Schaltstellungsmelder fuer hochspannungsschaltgeraete

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
ES544033A0 (es) 1986-06-16
DE3560611D1 (en) 1987-10-15
FR2565027A1 (fr) 1985-11-29
FR2565027B1 (fr) 1986-09-26
ATE29618T1 (de) 1987-09-15
EP0165131B1 (de) 1987-09-09
ES8608223A1 (es) 1986-06-16

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