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US 4,605,268 AGranted
Transformer cable connector
AssigneeNL Industries, Inc.
InventorRichard A. Meador
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Connectors for electrically coupling conductors wherein the connection is effected by current coupling are disclosed. Each connector includes a toroidal coil and a housing member. The connection is accomplished by aligning the toroidal coils generally parallel and closing the housing members to provide a generally toroidal conductive path enclosing the paired coils. Cable segments extending along tubular members may end in electrical connectors at both ends of the tubular members so that a pipe string may be assembled to include a sequence of cable segments interconnected by current coupling transformers.
Claims24
An electrical connector means, comprising:
- a first connector portion including a first electrically conducting coil element partially enclosed by a first, electrical conducting means and defining a first axially open passageway;
- a second connector portion including a second electrically conducting coil element partially enclosed by a second, electrical conducting means and defining a second axially open passageway;
- and
- conductive coupling means for current coupling said first and second coil elements defined by connection of said first and second electrical conducting means for enclosing said first and second coil elements in an electrical conducting path and aligning said first and second passageways,
- wherein said first and second coil elements are mutually electrically isolated one from the other within said conductive coupling means.
2 more elements
An apparatus capable of providing electrical connection between electrical conductors, comprising:
- a first toroidal coil for connection to a first conductor, and a second toroidal coil for connection to a second conductor, said first and second toroidal coils mutually electrically isolated one from the other;
- a first electrically conducting housing member partially enclosing said first toroidal coil and defining a first axially open passageway, said first toroidal coil being electrically insulated from said first housing member;
- and
- a second electrically conducting housing member partially enclosing said second toroidal coil and defining a second axially open passageway, said second toroidal coil being electrically insulated from said second housing member,
- wherein cooperation of said first and second housing members aligns said first and second passageways, forms a toroidal conducting housing enclosing said first and second toroidal coils and maintains said mutual electrical isolation between said first and second toroidal coils.
2 more elements
A tubular assembly, comprising:
- an elongate, tubular shank including a longitudinal passage therethrough;
- electrical conductor means extending generally along at least a portion of the interior of said passage;
- first electrical terminal means positioned toward a first end of said shank and including
- a first toroidal coil electrically connected to said conductor means and generally axially aligned with the longitudinal axis of said shank and
- a first electrically conducting housing member generally partially enclosing said first coil;
- and
- second electrical terminal means positioned toward the opposite, second end of said shank and including
- a second toroidal coil electrically connected to said conductor means and generally axially aligned with the longitudinal axis of said shank and
- a second electrically conducting housing member generally partially enclosing said second coil,
- whereby each of said housing members may electrically contact a complementary housing member at least partially enclosing a coil as part of a second tubular assembly shank generally aligned with respect to an end of said first tubular assembly to provide an electrical conducting path enclosing said first toroidal coil of said first tubular assembly and said second toroidal coil of said second tubular assembly.
7 more elements
A tubular assembly comprising a plurality of tubular members arranged in sequence and generally aligned, with the ends of adjacent members joined, wherein:
- each of said tubular members includes electrical conducting means extending along said tubular member and connected to terminal means at each end of said tubular member;
- each of said terminal means comprises a toroidal coil with the cylindrical axis of said coil generally aligned with the longitudinal axis of the respective tubular member;
- each of said terminal means further comprises a generally annular housing member of electrically conducting material at least partially enclosing the corresponding toroidal coil;
- and
- at each junction between tubular members the toroidal coil at the corresponding end of one tubular member is generally parallel and axially displaced from the toroidal coil at the corresponding end of the other tubular member, and the corresponding housing member of one tubular member is electrically connected to the corresponding housing member of the other tubular member so that the paired toroidal coils are enclosed within conducting material providing a generally toroidal electric current conducting path.
2 more elements
A method of assembling a pipe string including electrical cable means extending along at least a portion of the length of said pipe string, comprising the following steps:
- providing a plurality of pipe segments with each pipe segment containing a cable means segment connected to toroidal coil terminals at each end of the pipe segment, and wherein the toroidal coils are at least partially confined by generally annular housing members of electrically conducting material;
- and
- mechanically connecting together complementary ends of said pipe segments to form said pipe string with a generally continuous internal longitudinal passage therethrough, positioning toroidal coils at adajcent ends of connected pipe segments mutually generally parallel, and electrically connecting the corresponding housing members about said paired toroidal coils to provide a generally toroidal electrically conducting path about said paired toroidal coils, whereby said cable means segments are interconnected by current coupling at each junction between pipe segments in said pipe string.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.