US 7,839,133 B2Granted

Remote continuity and cable identifier and polarity checker system and method

AssigneeExtech Instruments Corporation

InventorJoseph Blanchard

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Abstract

An electrical continuity test system with a tester and a remote probe. The tester includes circuitry for creating a pulsed current, an output for connection to a local end of a first test conductive element, to inject the pulses into the first test conductive element, an input for connection to a local end of a second test conductive element, and a visual and/or aural indication when the injected pulses are present on the second test conductive element. The remote probe includes an input for connection to a remote end of a first unidentified conductive element, an output for connection to a remote end of a second unidentified conductive element, a first visual and/or aural indication when the first unidentified conductive element is the first test conductive element, and a different visual and/or aural indication when the first unidentified conductive element is the second test conductive element.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An electrical continuity test system, comprising:

a) a tester, comprising:
circuitry configured to provide a pulsed current made up of a plurality of current pulses;
an output terminal coupled to the circuitry and configured to couple to a local end of a first test conductive element to provide the pulsed current into the first test conductive element;
an input terminal coupled to the circuitry and configured to couple to a local end of a second test conductive element;
a visual and/or aural indicator coupled to the circuitry and configured to indicate if the pulsed current is present on the second test conductive element;
wherein the circuitry comprises a timer circuit having a first terminal coupled to a positive terminal, which is couplable to a battery, and to the output terminal of the tester, and having a second terminal coupled to the input terminal of the tester;
and
an opto-isolator having first and second input terminals coupled to the input terminal of the tester, and a first output terminal coupled to a terminal of the visual and/or aural indicator;
and
b) a remote probe, comprising:
a probe input terminal configured to couple to a remote end of a first unidentified conductive element;
a probe output terminal configured to couple to a remote end of a second unidentified conductive element;
a first visual and/or aural indicator coupled to the probe input terminal and the probe output terminal;
and
a second visual and/or aural indicator, different from the first visual and/or aural indicator, coupled to the probe input terminal and the probe output terminal, wherein the first and second visual and/or aural indicators are configured to indicate if the first unidentified conductive element is the first or second test conductive element when the first and second unidentified conductive elements are the first and second test conductive elements, the probe input and output terminals are coupled to the first and second unidentified conductive elements, and the input and output terminals are coupled to the first and second test conductive elements.

12 more elements

A method of accomplishing an electrical continuity test using a tester that creates a pulsed current having a plurality of current pulses and has a tester output terminal for connection to a local end of a first test conductive element to provide the pulsed current into the first test conductive element, a tester input terminal for connection to a local end of a second test conductive element, and a tester visual and/or aural indicator configured to indicate when the pulsed current is present on the second test conductive element, and further using a remote probe comprising a probe input terminal for connection to a remote end of a first unidentified conductive element, a probe output terminal for connection to a remote end of a second unidentified conductive element, and a probe visual and/or aural indicator, the method comprising:

connecting the tester output and input terminals to separate test conductive elements at one end of a group of conductive elements, wherein the tester includes:
a battery;
a timer circuit having a first terminal couplable to a positive terminal of the battery and coupled to the tester output terminal, and a second terminal coupled to the tester input terminal;
and
an opto-isolator having a first input terminal coupled to the tester input terminal and a first output terminal coupled to a terminal of the tester visual and/or aural indicator;
connecting the probe output and input terminals to separate unidentified conductive elements at another end of the group of conductive elements;
and
establishing whether the test conductive elements and the unidentified conductive elements to which the tester and the probe, respectively, are connected are the same based on a response by the probe visual and/or aural indicator.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/854,710Filed 13 Sep 2007 · us provisional application
Priority: 13 Sep 2006
Published: US 2008/0061762 A113 Mar 2008
Granted: 23 Nov 2010
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification3 codes

G01R 31/60
Testing of lines, cables or conductors: identification of wires in a multicore cable
G01R 31/54
Testing of electric apparatus, lines, cables or components for short-circuits, continuity, leakage current or incorrect line connections: testing…
G01R
Measuring electric variables