US 9,071,092 B2Granted

Current diverter ring

AssigneeInpro/Seal LLC

InventorsNeil F. Hoehle, Dwight A. Vicars, Robert A. Tejano, David C. Orlowski

Life of this patent

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Abstract

The current diverter rings (CDRs), captured CDRs, bearing isolators, and explosion-proof CDRs serve to dissipate an electrical charge from a rotating piece of equipment to ground, such as from a motor shaft to a motor housing. One embodiment of the explosion-proof CDR includes a stator that may be mounted to the equipment housing and a rotor that may be mounted to a shaft. The rotor may rotate with the shaft may be encompassed by stator and a cap, which cap may be secured directly to the stator or the housing. A conductive assembly may be positioned in a radial channel formed in the stator such that the conductive assembly contacts the shaft to conduct electricity from the shaft to the housing. Another embodiment of an explosion-proof CDR does not require a rotor. The explosion-proof CDR may be configured to define a flame path to achieve various explosion-proof certifications.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A current diverter ring comprising:

a. a body that is substantially ring-shaped;
b. a main aperture positioned in the center of said main body;
c. a shaft positioned in said main aperture, wherein said shaft is rotatable with respect to said CDR;
d. a first radial channel, wherein said first radial channel extends from the radial exterior surface of said body to the radial interior surface of said body;
e. a first conductive assembly positioned in said first radial channel, wherein a contact portion of said first conductive assembly protrudes from said first radial channel radially inward past said radial interior surface;
f. a second radial channel, wherein said second radial channel extends from the radial exterior surface of said body to the radial interior surface of said body;
g. an indicator conductive assembly positioned in said second radial channel, wherein a contact portion of said indicator conductive assembly protrudes from said second radial channel radially inward past said radial interior surface;
h. an indicator in electrical communication with said indicator conductive assembly, wherein said indicator is configured to alert a user when an electrical resistance to electrical current flow reaches a predetermined threshold in a circuit comprised of said first conductive assembly, said indicator conductive assembly, and said shaft.

5 more elements

A method for determining electrical contact using a current diverter ring (CDR) comprising:

a. positioning a CDR adjacent a shaft, wherein said shaft is rotatable with respect to said CDR, and wherein said CDR comprises:
i. a body that is substantially ring-shaped;
ii. a main aperture positioned in the center of said main body;
iii. a shaft positioned in said main aperture, wherein said shaft is rotatable with respect to said CDR;
iv. a first radial channel, wherein said first radial channel extends from the radial exterior surface of said body to the radial interior surface of said body;
v. a first conductive assembly positioned in said first radial channel, wherein a contact portion of said first conductive assembly protrudes from said first radial channel radially inward past said radial interior surface;
vi. a second radial channel, wherein said second radial channel extends from the radial exterior surface of said body to the radial interior surface of said body;
vii. an indicator conductive assembly positioned in said second radial channel, wherein a contact portion of said indicator conductive assembly protrudes from said second radial channel radially inward past said radial interior surface;
viii. an indicator in electrical communication with said indicator conductive assembly;
b. alerting a user, via said indicator, when an electrical resistance to electrical current flow reaches a predetermined threshold in a circuit comprised of said first conductive assembly, said indicator conductive assembly, and said shaft.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/920,376Filed 18 Jun 2013 · continuation in part
Priority: 25 Jun 2005
Published: US 2014/0183998 A13 Jul 2014
Granted: 30 Jun 2015
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

H01R 39/10
Slip-rings: other than with external cylindrical contact surface, e.g. flat slip-rings
F16J 15/4478
With radial path: pre-assembled packings
H01R 39/12
Slip-rings: using bearing or shaft surface as contact surface
H01R 39/64
Rotary current collectors, distributors or interrupters: devices for uninterrupted current collection

Family

Application60/693,548Us provisional application · filed 25 Jun 2005
Application11/378,208Parent of this continuation · filed 17 Mar 2006
Application12/401,331Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 10 Mar 2009
Application61/167,928Us provisional application · filed 9 Apr 2009
Application61/218,912Us provisional application · filed 19 Jun 2009
Application12/757,040Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 9 Apr 2010
Application13/089,017Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 18 Apr 2011
Application61/568,265Us provisional application · filed 8 Dec 2011
Application61/661,084Us provisional application · filed 18 Jun 2012
Application13/710,231Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 10 Dec 2012
Application61/780,403Us provisional application · filed 13 Mar 2013
US 2014/0183998 A1Pre-grant publication · published 3 Jul 2014
US 8,664,812 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 8,604,653 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 7,521,827 B2Parent of this continuation
Application12/401,331Parent of this continuation
US 2007/0138748 A1Published application
US 2010/0187946 A1Published application
US 2011/0101618 A1Published application
US 2011/0193446 A1Published application
US 2013/0099624 A1Published application
US 9,071,092 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.