IP Library Granted Patent US 11,333,559
Granted Patent B2
US 11,333,559 · App. 16/816,318 · Granted May 17, 2022

Ring sensor arrangement

Inventor: Dean Carnell Sanders (Clements, CA)
Assignee: Inertia Engineering and Machine Works, Inc.
G01K1/14G01K1/024G01K7/02G01K13/00H01F27/02
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,333,559
App. No.
16/816,318
Granted
May 17, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

Described is an electrical grid sensor comprising: a housing having a bottom surface and a top surface and a ring extending from and integrated with the top surface, the ring sized to accommodate a universal hook end of a standard utility hot-stick tool by way of an aperture defined by the ring. The sensor further comprising a temperature sensor inside of the housing and in communication with the bottom surface and adapted to measure a temperature at the bottom surface when energized. A magnetized element at the bottom surface is adapted to magnetically fix the bottom surface to an iron-based transformer housing. The sensor further providing a wireline extending from the temperature sensor, the wireline adapted to connect to a data consumer transmitter. The sensor is configured and arranged to be manipulated and deployed by a hot stick tool when used with a hot stick at a safe distance from high-voltage electrical grid component.

Claims (34)

1. An electrical grid sensor comprising:

a housing having a bottom surface and a top surface;

a temperature sensor inside of the housing and in thermal communication with the bottom surface, the temperature sensor being adapted to measure a temperature at the bottom surface;

a magnetized element, at the bottom surface, being adapted to magnetically fix the bottom surface to an iron-based transformer housing;

a ring extending from and integrated with the top surface, the ring sized to accommodate a universal hook end of a standard utility hot-stick tool by way of an aperture defined by the ring; and

a wireline extending from the temperature sensor, the wireline being adapted to connect to a data consumer transmitter.

2. The electrical grid sensor of claim 1 , wherein the aperture is between 0.75 inches and 1.5 inches in diameter.

3. The electrical grid sensor of claim 1 , wherein the aperture is essentially 1 inch in diameter.

4. The electrical grid sensor of claim 1 , wherein the housing and ring are essentially a unitary element.

5. The electrical grid sensor of claim 1 , wherein the magnetized element is a circular metal disk with a circular magnet in a channel in the circular metal disk, the circular magnet being essentially flush with the disk.

6. The electrical grid sensor of claim 1 , wherein the ring is formed from an electrically insulating material.

7. The electrical grid sensor of claim 1 , wherein the ring further defines a width that is approximately 0.25 inches wide+/−0.15 inches.

8. The electrical grid sensor of claim 1 , wherein the temperature sensor is adapted to sense temperature to 400 degrees F.

9. The electrical grid sensor of claim 1 , wherein the temperature sensor is adapted to be deployed and removed from the iron-based transformer housing via the universal hook end of the standard utility hot-stick tool that is engaged with the aperture, the standard utility hot-stick tool being attached to a standard utility hot-stick.

10. The electrical grid sensor of claim 1 , wherein the ring has a circular aperture with an outer edge that is not circular.

11. The electrical grid sensor of claim 10 , wherein the outer edge is essentially rectangular with two radiused edges.

12. A method of deploying a utility measuring temperature sensor, the method comprising:

providing the utility measuring temperature sensor comprising a temperature sensor housing having a bottom surface and a top surface, a temperature sensor inside of the housing, the temperature sensor in communication with the bottom surface, a magnetized element at the bottom surface, a ring extending from and integrated with the top surface, and a wireline connected to and extending from the temperature sensor;

engaging a universal hook end of a standard utility hot-stick tool through an aperture defined by the ring, the standard utility hot-stick tool being attached to a standard utility hot-stick;

via the standard utility hot-stick tool attached to a standard utility hot-stick when engaged with the utility measuring temperature sensor, positioning the bottom surface on an iron-based metal surface and adhering the bottom surface to the iron-based metal surface via the magnetized element; and

obtaining a temperature measurement of the iron-based metal surface via the temperature sensor and transmitting the temperature measurement to data handling hardware that can consume the temperature measurement, the data handling hardware being connected to the temperature sensor by the wireline.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising transmitting the temperature measurement to an end user.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the aperture is between 0.75 inches and 1.5 inches in diameter.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising removing the utility measuring sensor from the iron-based metal surface via the universal hook end of the standard utility hot-stick tool after engaging the universal hook end with the aperture, the standard utility hot-stick tool being attached to a standard utility hot-stick.

16. A ring sensor comprising:

an electrically insulated housing having a bottom surface and a top surface;

a temperature sensor inside of the housing and in thermal communication with the bottom surface, the temperature sensor being adapted to measure a temperature at the bottom surface;

a magnetized ring, at the bottom surface, adapted to magnetically fix the bottom surface to an iron-based transformer housing;

a ring extending from and integrated with the top surface, the ring sized to accommodate a universal hook end of a standard utility hot-stick tool by way of an aperture being defined by the ring, the aperture being between 0.75 inches and 1.5 inches in diameter; and

a wireline extending from the temperature sensor, the wireline being adapted to connect to a data consumer transmitter, the ring sensor being adapted to be deployed and removed from the iron-based transformer housing via the universal hook end of the standard utility hot-stick tool that is engaged with the aperture and, the standard utility hot-stick tool being attached to a standard utility hot-stick.

17. The electrical grid sensor of claim 16 , wherein the magnetized ring is comprised of a circular metal disk with a circular magnet in a channel in the circular metal disk and, the circular magnet is essentially flush with the disk.

18. The electrical grid sensor of claim 16 , wherein the ring further defines a width that is approximately 0.25 inches wide+/−0.15 inches.

19. The ring sensor of claim 16 , wherein the ring has a circular aperture with an outer edge that has three non-circular sides and two radiuses between the three non-circular sides, the radiuses being at least 25% the length of the three non-circular sides.

20. The ring sensor of claim 19 , wherein the outer edge is essentially rectangular with two radiused edges.

Assignments (13)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 5, 2026
From: INERTIA ENGINEERING AND MACHINE WORKS, LLC., A DELAWARE LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY
To: MACLEAN POWER, LLC
Reel/Frame 073981/0099 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 3, 2026
From: ARES CAPITAL CORPORATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MACLEAN POWER, L.L.C.; MACLEAN SENIOR INDUSTRIES, L.L.C.; INERTIA ENGINEERING AND MACHINE WORKS, LLC
Reel/Frame 073953/0922 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 2, 2026
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: INERTIA ENGINEERING AND MACHINE WORKS, LLC
Reel/Frame 073942/0971 →
NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT Recorded Mar 2, 2026
From: INERTIA ENGINEERING AND MACHINE WORKS, LLC., A CALIFORNIA LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY
To: INERTIA ENGINEERING AND MACHINE WORKS, LLC, A DELAWARE LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY
Reel/Frame 073940/0213 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 27, 2026
From: MACLEAN POWER, L.L.C.; MACLEAN SENIOR INDUSTRIES, L.L.C.; INERTIA ENGINEERING AND MACHINE WORKS, LLC; ALLIED BOLT, LLC; ALLIED BOLT PRODUCTS, LLC; ROYAL SWITCHGEAR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LLC
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 074988/0484 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 27, 2026
From: MACLEAN POWER, L.L.C.; MACLEAN SENIOR INDUSTRIES, L.L.C.; INERTIA ENGINEERING AND MACHINE WORKS, LLC; ALLIED BOLT, LLC; ALLIED BOLT PRODUCTS, LLC; ROYAL SWITCHGEAR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LLC
To: BARCLAYS BANK PLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 074988/0661 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 27, 2026
From: MACLEAN POWER, L.L.C.; MACLEAN SENIOR INDUSTRIES, L.L.C.; INERTIA ENGINEERING AND MACHINE WORKS, LLC; ALLIED BOLT, LLC; ALLIED BOLT PRODUCTS, LLC; ROYAL SWITCHGEAR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LLC
To: UBS AG, STAMFORD BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 074988/0544 →
NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT Recorded Feb 18, 2026
From: INERTIA ENGINEERING AND MACHINE WORKS, INC.
To: INERTIA ENGINEERING AND MACHINE WORKS, LLC, A CALIFORNIA LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY
Reel/Frame 073822/0681 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 8, 2024
From: INERTIA ENGINEERING AND MACHINE WORKS, LLC
To: ARES CAPITAL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 066047/0945 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 5, 2024
From: INERTIA ENGINEERING AND MACHINE WORKS, LLC
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 066035/0446 →
CONVERSION OF ENTITY TO DELAWARE LLC Recorded Dec 1, 2023
From: INERTIA ENGINEERING AND MACHINE WORKS, LLC
To: INERTIA ENGINEERING AND MACHINE WORKS, LLC
Reel/Frame 065743/0765 →
CONVERSION OF ENTITY Recorded Dec 1, 2023
From: INERTIA ENGINEERING AND MACHINE WORKS, INC.
To: INERTIA ENGINEERING AND MACHINE WORKS, LLC
Reel/Frame 065743/0629 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 24, 2020
From: SANDERS, DEAN CARNELL
To: INERTIA ENGINEERING AND MACHINE WORKS, INC.
Reel/Frame 053311/0083 →
Continuity (1)
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