TWM564244U - Intelligent cable - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention is a smart cable having at least one wire with an outer insulating layer, a filling layer, a braid layer and a protective layer. Inside or outside the braid, a plurality of sensing elements are mounted along the axis of the smart cable, each sensing element sensing the temperature, humidity, pressure, strain or current at the location, and sensing the result The wireless transmission component with a fixed tag is transmitted to the outside of the smart cable. The novel solves the directionality problem of the RFID tag in the prior art by experimenting to find the optimal orientation of the fixed tag. In addition, the present invention simultaneously proposes a feasible spacing of the fixed label, and the use of the Mylar sheet to cover the fixed label and its internal components, thereby solving the economic and safety problems faced by the prior art.

Description

Smart cable

The present invention relates to a smart cable, in particular to a smart cable in which an inductive sticker is embedded and the physical quantity of each section can be measured.

A cable is a combination of two or more wires that are twisted or braided together to connect two devices and transfer electrical energy. Cables are widely used in daily life. From transmitting electrical energy, transmitting electrical signals, and even converting electromagnetic energy, it is almost necessary to rely on cables as a medium. The large demand and use of cables is comparable to the wide blood vessels of the human body. Some important or high-power cables are equivalent to cardiovascular, requiring careful maintenance and regular monitoring of their status. However, many safety influence factors of these cables, such as temperature, humidity, and deformation, are difficult to detect during work; once maintenance is required, the cable system must be shut down. It can be said that the safety maintenance cost of the cable is not high, and the intelligent cable replacing the traditional cable has also emerged.

Please refer to FIG. 1, which is a cross-sectional view of an RFID-based cable disclosed in Chinese Patent Application Publication No. CN104599781A. The cable includes a conductor 1, an insulating layer 2, a metal mask layer 3, a plurality of RFID tags 4, an inner sheath layer 5, an armor layer 6, and an outer jacket layer 7 from the inside to the outside. The RFID tag 4 includes a sensor module, a microprocessor module and an antenna module, wherein the sensor module can measure physical quantities such as temperature and pressure of a specific part of the cable; meanwhile, the microprocessor module can transmit the antenna The module transmits the sensed physical quantity to an external reader for analyzing the current state of use of the cable. This RFID-based cable allows cable service personnel to detect and repair the cable without having to stop the system, and does not need to disassemble the cable to find the source of some problems. However, the RFID tag has directionality, and the way the cable is installed affects the readability of the RFID tag, which is not further studied. In addition, the spacing and placement of RFID tags can affect the cost of the cable. The patent does not find the most appropriate way to deploy RFID tags. Finally, the RFID tag may also be damaged inside the cable due to internal friction caused by external forces. How to protect the RFID tag is also a subject.

In view of the above problems, the present invention proposes a smart cable to solve the problem.

This paragraph of text extracts and compiles certain features of this new model. Other features will be revealed in subsequent paragraphs. The intention is to cover various modifications and similar arrangements in the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

In order to solve the foregoing problems, the present invention provides a smart cable having a cross section including at least one outer insulating layer, a filling layer, a braid layer and a protective layer, which are characterized in that the weaving Inside or outside the layer, a plurality of sensing elements are mounted along the axis of the smart cable, and each sensing element is used to sense the temperature, humidity, pressure, strain or current of the location, and the sensing result is wired. A transmission component or a wireless transmission component is transmitted to the outside of the smart cable.

The wired transmission component can include: a microprocessor electrically coupled to the sensing component for converting the sensing result into a 1-wire-compliant electrical signal; and a data transmission line electrically coupled to the microprocessor And transmitting the electrical signal from the microprocessor to one end of the smart cable for further transmission to the outside of the smart cable. The data transmission line can be shared by the wired transmission components of each sensing element.

The wireless transmission component includes: an antenna module for transmitting and receiving electromagnetic wave signals; and a radio frequency identification (RFID) processor coupled to the antenna module signal and electrically connected to the sensing component for passing The antenna module receives an inquiry from the outside, converts the sensing result into an electromagnetic wave signal, and transmits the electromagnetic wave signal through the antenna module to respond to the inquiry; and a fixed label for fixing the sensing element, The antenna module and the radio frequency identification processor.

According to the novel, the shape of the fixed label can be substantially close to a rectangle or a square, and evenly covers the outer edge of the antenna module. When the fixed label is fixed to the woven layer, either side of the longer side or the equal length of the fixed label is at an angle to the real value of the axis of the smart cable, and the angle may be between 0 and 45 degrees. .

When the fixing label is fixed to the woven layer, the centroid position connection line of each fixed label may be substantially parallel to the axis of the smart cable, and the distance between the centroid positions of adjacent fixed labels is fixed, and the spacing is between 10 Centimeters to 20 cm. On the other hand, when the fixing label is fixed to the braid, the centroid position of each of the fixed labels can also be spirally arranged on the braid along the axis of the smart cable.

Preferably, the distance between the centroid positions of the adjacent fixed tags may include at least two types, and the fixed tags are sequentially arranged in turn. The fixed tag, the sensing component, the antenna module and the exterior of the RFID processor may be further covered by a two-grain sheet.

The novel solves the directionality problem of the RFID tag in the prior art by experimenting to find the optimal orientation of the fixed tag. In addition, the present invention simultaneously proposes a feasible spacing of the fixed label, and the use of the Mylar sheet to cover the fixed label and its internal components, thereby solving other problems faced by the prior art.

The present invention will be more specifically described by reference to the following embodiments.

Please refer to FIG. 2, which is a cross-sectional view of a smart cable 10 in accordance with the present invention. In this embodiment, the smart cable 10 is a coaxial cable. However, in accordance with the spirit of the present invention, the smart cable 10 is not limited to a coaxial cable, and may be any type of cable, such as a single-core cable, a multi-core twisted-pair cable (having a plurality of wires), etc.; functionally, intelligently The cable 10 can be a television cable, an electronic cable, a radio frequency cable, a data cable, a magnet wire, a power communication cable, or other composite cable; in terms of transmitting power, the smart cable 10 can be a weak electrical cable, a constant voltage cable, or a high voltage cable. As long as the cable that needs to be regularly monitored for its physical condition is used, it is a range in which the present invention can be applied.

As shown in FIG. 2, the smart cable 10 of the present embodiment includes a wire 100, a first insulating layer 101, a copper mesh layer 102, a second insulating layer 103, and a first filling layer 104. A woven layer 105, a wireless transmission component 106 (containing a sensing component), a second filling layer 107, and a protective layer 108. The material of the wire 100 is generally made of various metals having excellent electrical conductivity, such as copper, silver, aluminum, gold, or the like, or an alloy thereof. The first insulating layer 101 and the second insulating layer 103 are members for electrically insulating the wire 100 from the copper mesh layer 102, respectively. In terms of materials, the two may be the same or different; generally commonly used materials such as polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, cross-linked polyethylene, ethylene propylene rubber or ruthenium rubber, etc., the present invention is not limited. The copper mesh layer 102 is another power conducting medium that functions the same as the wire 100 except for a copper mesh. The first filling layer 104 and the second filling layer 107 are substantially simultaneously formed of the same material, interspersed with a layer of the woven layer 105 and the wireless transmission component 106, or may be formed in layers. The material of the first filling layer 104 or the second filling layer 107 may be, but not limited to, polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene yarn, hemp yarn, and other waterproof filling materials. The woven layer 105 can be a conventional material such as a copper wire, a cotton thread or a composite wire. The wireless transmission component 106 is a feature of the present invention and will be described in detail below. The protective layer 108 is used to protect the internal components of the smart cable 10 from the damage of ambient temperature, humidity and pressure, and may be made of polyvinyl chloride or polyethylene. Of course, based on certain specific requirements, the smart cable 10 may have other functional layers, such as an armor layer, the type and number of which are not limited by the present invention.

One feature of the present invention is that there are several internal or external woven layers 105 (defined internally as being closer to one side of the conductor 100, and vice versa, externally in this embodiment), along the axis of the smart cable 10 Sensing element. Each sensing component can sense a physical quantity of the location, such as temperature, humidity, pressure, strain, or current, and transmit the sensing result to the outside of the smart cable 10 by a wired transmission component or the wireless transmission component 106. External devices read and record. The combination of the wireless transmission component 106 and the sensing component can accomplish the above tasks. Please refer to FIG. 3 , which illustrates the manner in which the wireless transmission component 106 is combined with a sensing component 109 . The wireless transmission component 106 includes an antenna module 1061, a radio frequency identification processor 1062, and a fixed tag 1063. The antenna module 1061 is for transmitting and receiving electromagnetic wave signals. According to different power, function and size requirements, the antenna module 1061 can have different layout modes, and the aspect illustrated in FIG. 3 is only one example, and other different layout modes are also applicable to the present invention. The radio frequency identification processor 1062 is connected to the antenna module 1061 and is electrically connected to the sensing component 109 for receiving an external query through the antenna module 1061 (for example, by a radio frequency identification reader, not shown). . In addition, the radio frequency identification processor 1062 can also convert the sensing result of the sensing component 109 into an electromagnetic wave signal, and transmit the electromagnetic wave signal through the antenna module 1061 to respond to the inquiry. The fixed tag 1063 is used to fix the sensing component 109, the antenna module 1061, and the radio frequency identification processor 1062. The fixed tag 1063 has two or more layers. The sensing component 109, the antenna module 1061 and the radio frequency identification processor 1062 are covered therein, and one side of the fixing tag 1063 may be adhered to adhere to the outside of the braid 105 or internal. In order to protect the fixed tag 1063 and its components from the external stress of the smart cable 10, the exterior of the fixed tag 1063 can be further covered by the two Mylar sheets.

In terms of appearance, the shape of the fixed tag 1063 is substantially close to a rectangle or a square, and uniformly covers the outer edge of the antenna module 1061. Since the appearance of the antenna module 1061 is different, the appearance of the fixed tag 1063 is difficult to be completely close to the design. After all, the shape and the convenience of the application (cutting) of the component to be protected must be considered, so the general appearance It is close to a rectangle or a square. The so-called "outer covering of the outer edge of the antenna module 1061" means that the sides of the fixed tag 1063 maintain an approximate distance from the portion closest to the outer edge of the antenna module 1061, so that the characteristics of the wireless transmission component 106 are better grasped. Please refer to FIG. 4 , which illustrates the placement position of the fixed tag 1063 inside the smart cable 10 . The axis 11 is indicated by a dashed dotted line and the fixed tag 1063 is indicated by a short dashed box. When the fixed label 1063 is fixed to the braid 105, either side of the longer side or the equal length of the fixed label 1063 is clamped by an angle α with the axis 11 of the smart cable 10. In practice, the angle α can be between 0 and 45 degrees, preferably 0 degrees, so that the longer direction of the antenna module 1061 is parallel to the axis 11. Of course, the angle α between each of the fixed tags 1063 and the axis 11 of the smart cable 10 may not be a fixed value and may be changed in an orderly manner. In addition, the connection of the centroid position (circle black dot in the figure) of each of the fixed tags 1063 is substantially parallel to the axis 11 of the smart cable 10 to facilitate the aforementioned radio frequency identification reader along a specific plane outside the smart cable 10. Data reading. In Fig. 4, the pitch of the 1063 centroid position of the adjacent fixed label is fixed. According to the test results, the spacing can be between 10 cm and 20 cm. In this way, the RFID reader does not have the fixed tag 1063 in the direction along the smart cable 10; the fixed tag 1063 is not too crowded. In order to read the quality considerations, the spacing can be set to 10 cm; for economic reasons, the spacing can be set to 20 cm; in a compromise, it can be 15 cm. After the fixed tag 1063 and its internal components are installed on the smart cable 10 according to the above rules, when the smart cable 10 is installed, the wireless RFID reader can be used to sequentially read the fixed tags 1063 along the smart cable 10. The sensed value (in this embodiment is the temperature value).

According to the present invention, in other embodiments, the aforementioned spacing may not necessarily be consistent, but may vary in an orderly manner. As shown in the upper part of FIG. 5, the spacing of the centroid positions of adjacent fixed tags 1063 in the figure includes at least two types for sequentially arranging the fixed tags 1063. That is, the distance between a fixed tag 1063 and an adjacent fixed tag 1063 is d1, and the distance from another adjacent fixed tag 1063 is d2. What is more, the fixed label 1063 can be arranged in more than two ways, such as d1-d2-d3-d1-d2-d3 (as shown in the lower part of FIG. 5). In still another case, the placement of the fixed label 1063 can be staggered on two parallel lines along the axis 11, such as shown in FIG. At this time, the aforementioned pitches may be maintained uniformly or may be changed in an orderly manner.

On the other hand, in other embodiments, when the fixed label 1063 is fixed to the braid 105, the placement of the centroid position of each of the fixed tabs 1063 may not necessarily be as described above, and the line is substantially parallel to the axis 11 of the smart cable 10. . Referring to FIG. 7, the centroid position of each of the fixed tags 1063 can be spirally laid on the braid 105 along the axis 11 of the smart cable 10.

According to the present invention, the sensing component 109 can be connected to the wireless transmission component 106 to transmit the sensing result to the outside of the smart cable 10. The sensing component 109 can also be connected to a wired transmission component to be wired. The sensing result is transmitted to the outside of the smart cable 10. Please refer to FIG. 8 for the structure of the wired transmission component and the arrangement of the sensing component on the smart cable 10. The wired transmission component includes a microprocessor 110 and a data transmission line 111 (shown in long dashed lines). Each sensing element 109 is coupled to a microprocessor 110 when the sensing element 109 is mounted in a predetermined monitoring position. The microprocessor 110 is electrically coupled to the sensing component 109 and can be used to convert the sensing results of the sensing component 109 into electrical signals conforming to the 1-wire specification. The data transmission line 111 is electrically coupled to the microprocessor 110 so that the electrical signal from the microprocessor 110 can be conducted to one end of the smart cable 10 for further transmission to the outside of the smart cable 10. Because the 1-wire specification is used, a single data transmission line 111 can be shared by the wired transmission components to which each sensing element 109 is connected.

Although the present invention has been disclosed in the above embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention, and any one of ordinary skill in the art can make some modifications and refinements without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The scope of protection of this new type is subject to the definition of the scope of the patent application.

1‧‧‧conductor
2‧‧‧Insulation
3‧‧‧Metal mask
4‧‧‧RFID tags
5‧‧‧ inner sheath
6‧‧‧铠装层
7‧‧‧ outer sheath
10‧‧‧Smart Cable
11‧‧‧ axis
100‧‧‧ wire
101‧‧‧First insulation
102‧‧‧ copper layer
103‧‧‧Second insulation
104‧‧‧First fill layer
105‧‧‧woven layer
106‧‧‧Wireless transmission components
1061‧‧‧Antenna Module
1062‧‧‧Radio Frequency Identification Processor
1063‧‧‧Fixed label
107‧‧‧Second filling layer
108‧‧‧Protective layer
109‧‧‧Sensor components
110‧‧‧Microprocessor
111‧‧‧Information transmission line α‧‧‧ angle
D1‧‧‧ spacing
D2‧‧‧ spacing

FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional smart cable structure. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a smart cable in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 3 illustrates the manner in which the wireless transmission component details are combined with the sensing elements. FIG. 4 illustrates a placement position of the fixed tag inside the smart cable. FIG. 5 illustrates another placement position of the fixed tag inside the smart cable. FIG. 6 illustrates another layout position of the fixed tag inside the smart cable. FIG. 7 illustrates another arrangement position of the fixed tag inside the smart cable. FIG. 8 illustrates the layout of the cable transmission component and the sensing component on the smart cable.

Claims (11)

A smart cable having a cross section including at least one outer insulating layer, a filling layer, a woven layer and a protective layer, wherein the inner or outer portion of the woven layer is along the axis of the smart cable The wire is provided with a plurality of sensing elements, each sensing element is configured to sense the temperature, humidity, pressure, strain or current of the location, and the sensing result is sent to the smart cable by a wired transmission component or a wireless transmission component. External transmission. The smart cable of claim 1, wherein the wired transmission component comprises: a microprocessor electrically connected to the sensing component for converting the sensing result into a 1-wire-compliant electrical signal; And a data transmission line electrically connected to the microprocessor for transmitting an electrical signal from the microprocessor to one end of the smart cable for further transmission to the outside of the smart cable; wherein the data transmission line is for each sensing The cable transmission component of the component is shared. The smart cable of claim 1, wherein the wireless transmission component comprises: an antenna module for transmitting and receiving electromagnetic wave signals; a radio frequency identification (RFID) processor, and the antenna module signal Connected to and electrically connected to the sensing component for receiving an inquiry from the outside through the antenna module, converting the sensing result into an electromagnetic wave signal, and transmitting the electromagnetic wave signal through the antenna module to respond to the inquiry; And a fixed tag for fixing the sensing component, the antenna module and the radio frequency identification processor. The smart cable of claim 3, wherein when the fixed label is fixed to the braid, either side of the longer side or the equal length of the fixed label is at an angle to the real value of the axis of the smart cable. The smart cable of claim 4, wherein the angle is between 0 and 45 degrees. The smart cable of claim 3, wherein when the fixed label is fixed to the braid, the centroid position of each of the fixed labels is substantially parallel to the axis of the smart cable. The smart cable of claim 6, wherein the distance between the centroid positions of adjacent fixed tags is fixed. The smart cable of claim 7, wherein the spacing is between 10 cm and 20 cm. The smart cable of claim 6, wherein the distance between the centroid positions of the adjacent fixed tags comprises at least two types, and the fixed tags are arranged in turn. The smart cable of claim 3, wherein when the fixed label is fixed to the braid, the centroid position of each of the fixed labels is spirally arranged on the braid along the axis of the smart cable. The smart cable of claim 3, wherein the fixed tag, the sensing component, the antenna module and the exterior of the RFID processor are further covered by a second mela.