Power device for fusing plastic pipe joints
AssigneeGeorge Fischer Sloane, Inc.
InventorKenneth Cooper
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A handheld power control device adapted to be connected to an external power supply for controlling the electric power applied to a heating coil positioned in a fusible area of a thermoplastic pipe joint for thermally fusing the joint. A housing having a cover with a front panel displays various parameters and operating options of the device, and has a plurality of manually operable membrane switches for selecting displayed options and activating the device, and indicating devices for displaying operating states of the device.
Claims18
A hand held power control device for controlling electric power applied to at least one heating coil for fusing a thermoplastic pipe joint, comprising
- a housing;
- an input terminal accessible through the housing for connection to an AC voltage source;
- at least one output terminal accessible through the housing for connection to the at least one heating coil;
- a control element mounted in the housing and connected between the input terminal and the at least one output terminal for controlling the duration and level of the electric fusion power applied to the at least one heating coil;
- a microprocessor mounted in the housing for processing input signals applied to the microprocessor including variances therein and having an output connected to the control element for applying control signals to the control element to control the duration and level of electric fusion power applied to the at least one heating coil;
- a sensor circuit mounted in the housing and having an input coupled between the at least one output terminal and the control element, and having an output coupled as a sensor input signal to the microprocessor, said sensor circuit sensing at least one of voltage and current applied to the at least one heating coil;
- a visual display mounted to the housing and connected to the microprocessor for displaying each of a plurality of pipe joint sizes;
- and
- a manually operable switch mounted to the housing for selecting parameters corresponding to the displayed pipe joint size, the parameters being applied as parameter input signals to the microprocessor.
A method of electrically fusing a joint of a thermoplastic pipe having a fusion coil surrounding a portion of the pipe joint to be fused, comprising the steps of
- removably coupling a source of AC power to the fusion coil for heating the fusion coil in response to the application of the coupled AC power;
- controlling by a microprocessor the voltage and current values and duration of the coupled AC power applied to the fusion coil by a control element, in accordance with a pipe diameter of the joint to be fused;
- indicating to an operator a proper coupling of the AC power source to the fusion coil;
- detecting by at least one sensor at least one of the voltage value, current value, and frequency of the AC power applied to the fusion coil for the duration of the fusion of the pipe joint;
- discontinuing the application of AC power to the fusion coil and displaying a fault message in a display in response to a pre-selected deviation from at least one of the detected controlled voltage value, current value, and frequency of the coupled AC power prior to completion of the controlled duration of the fusion;
- and
- discontinuing the application of AC power to the fusion coil and indicating in the display successful completion of the fusion in the absence of the pre-selected deviation during the controlled duration of the fusion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.