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US 11,635,537 B2Granted
Seismic sensor assembly overvoltage protection circuitry
AssigneeWesternGeco L.L.C.
InventorOle Oeverland
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A seismic sensor assembly can include a housing that defines a longitudinal axis; a sensor; sensor circuitry operatively coupled to the sensor; and overvoltage protection circuitry electrically coupled to the housing.
Claims19
A seismic sensor assembly comprising:
- a housing that defines a longitudinal axis through the seismic sensor assembly;
- an insert comprising one or more electrical connectors and mechanically coupled to the housing, wherein the insert is configured to cover a chamber defined at least in part by an under side of the insert and an inner surface of the housing;
- a sensor;
- sensor circuitry mounted to the insert and electrically coupled to the sensor and the one or more electrical connectors configured to couple to one or more cables;
- overvoltage protection circuitry comprising one or more sockets configured to electrically couple to the one or more electrical connectors, thereby being electrically coupled to the sensor circuitry, and one or more protection circuitry components positioned within a recess defined by a ground shield and separated from the sensor circuitry via a substrate of the overvoltage protection circuitry, wherein the overvoltage protection circuitry is disposed inside the housing and is coupled to an underside of the insert and the sensor circuitry, wherein the sensor circuitry is disposed between the insert and the overvoltage protection circuitry forming a subassembly of the seismic sensor assembly, wherein the overvoltage protection circuitry is configured to arrest one or more voltage transients received by the one or more cables;
- and
- the ground shield disposed inside of and mechanically coupled to the housing, wherein the ground shield is coupled to the overvoltage protection circuitry via a wire, wherein the wire is coupled to the ground shield via a coupling mechanism comprising a bolt or screw, and wherein the ground shield is configured to route the one or more arrested voltage transients to earth ground via the housing.
4 more elements
A method comprising:
- mounting an overvoltage protection circuit board to an underside of a housing cover and a sensor circuit board to form a subassembly of a seismic sensor assembly, wherein the sensor circuit board is disposed between the housing cover and the overvoltage protection circuit board, wherein the housing cover is mechanically coupled to a housing and configured to cover a chamber defined at least in part by an inner surface of the housing, wherein the overvoltage protection circuit board comprises one or more sockets and one or more protection circuitry components positioned within a recess defined by a ground shield and separated from the sensor circuit board via a substrate of the overvoltage protection circuit board, wherein the overvoltage protection circuit board is disposed inside the housing and is configured to arrest one or more voltage transients received by one or more cables, wherein the housing cover comprises one or more electrical connectors configured to couple to the one or more cables;
- electrically coupling the one or more sockets to the one or more electrical connectors;
- electrically coupling the sensor circuit board to the one or more electrical connectors;
- electrically coupling a wire of the overvoltage protection circuit board to the ground shield via a coupling mechanism that mechanically couples the ground shield to the housing, wherein the ground shield is disposed inside of the housing and is configured to route the one or more arrested voltage transients to earth ground via the housing;
- and
- securing the housing cover to the housing.
3 more elements
An overvoltage protection circuitry unit kit for a seismic sensor assembly, the kit comprising:
- a board that comprises a first side, a second side and mounting features that correspond to features of a subassembly of the seismic sensor assembly, that comprises a housing cover comprising one or more electrical connectors configured to couple to one or more cables, a seismic sensor circuit board comprising sensor circuitry facing the first side toward the seismic sensor circuit board, and an overvoltage protection circuit board comprising overvoltage protection circuitry, wherein the sensor circuit board is disposed between the housing cover and the overvoltage protection circuit board, wherein the housing cover is mechanically coupled to a housing and configured to cover a chamber defined at least in part by an inner surface of the housing;
- and
- the overvoltage protection circuitry mounted to the second side of the board, wherein the overvoltage protection circuitry comprises one or more protection circuitry components positioned within a recess defined by a ground shield, separated from the sensor circuitry via a substrate of the overvoltage protection circuitry, and configured to arrest one or more voltage transients received by the one or more cables;
- wherein the board is disposed inside the chamber defined by the housing cover and the ground shield disposed inside a housing and mechanically coupled to the housing, and wherein the ground shield is configured to route the one or more arrested voltage transients to earth ground via the housing.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.