IP Library Granted Patent US 11,815,563
Granted Patent B2
US 11,815,563 · App. 17/171,039 · Granted Nov 14, 2023

Multicore cable inspection method and multicore cable inspection device

Inventors: Yohei Shirakawa (Tokyo, JP); Yoshitake Ageishi (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: Proterial, Ltd.
G01R31/60G01R19/165H01B13/067H01B13/22H01R43/28
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,815,563
App. No.
17/171,039
Granted
Nov 14, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A multicore cable inspection method of specifying a correspondence relationship among ends of insulated electric wires exposed from both ends of a multicore cable, the method including: inputting, by capacitance coupling, an inspection signal to the end of the insulated wire to be inspected among the ends of the insulated wires exposed at the one end of the multicore cable; inputting, by the capacitive coupling, each of first and second signals, each of which has a phase different from the inspection signal, to the ends of the two insulated wires other than the insulated wire to be inspected; measuring a voltage of an output signal outputted from the capacitive coupling from each end of the insulated wires exposed at the other end of the multicore cable; and specifying the other-side end of the insulated wire to be inspected. At this time, an amplitude of a signal obtained by adding the inspection signal and the first and second signals is smaller than that of the inspection signal.

Claims (47)

1. A multicore cable inspection method of specifying a correspondence relationship among ends of insulated wires exposed at both ends of a multicore cable, the multicore cable being obtained by bundling n insulated wires where n is a natural number of 3 or more and m is a natural number of 2 or more and n−1 or less, the method comprising:

(a) a step of inputting, by capacitive coupling, an inspection signal to an end of a first insulated wire to be inspected among the ends of the plurality of insulated wires exposed at one end of the multicore cable, and inputting, by the capacitive coupling, each of 1st to m-th signals each having a phase different from that of the inspection signal, to the ends of the m insulated wires other than the first insulated wire among the ends of the insulated wires exposed at the one end of the multicore cable; and

(b) a step of measuring a voltage of an output signal outputted by the capacitive coupling from each end of the insulated wires exposed at the other end of the multicore cable, and specifying an other-side end of the first insulated wire based on the measured voltage,

wherein each of the inspection signal and the 1st to m-th signals has the same frequency mutually, and

an amplitude of a signal obtained by adding the inspection signal and all the signals of the 1st to m-th signals are smaller than an amplitude of the inspection signal.

2. The multicore cable inspection method according to claim 1 ,

wherein each of the 1st to m-th signals has a phase opposite to that of the inspection signal.

3. The multicore cable inspection method according to claim 2 ,

wherein the amplitude of each of the 1st to m-th signals is 1/m of that of the inspection signal.

4. The multicore cable inspection method according to claim 1 ,

wherein a phase difference between the k-th signal among the 1st to m-th signals and the inspection signal is k×2π/(m+1), and

wherein k is a natural number of 1 or more and m or less.

5. The multicore cable inspection method according to claim 1 ,

wherein each of the inspection signal and the 1st to m-th signals is inputted to the plurality of insulated wires by the capacitive coupling via a tubular conductor tube surrounding a radial circumference of each of the plurality of insulated wires.

6. The multicore cable inspection method according to claim 1 ,

wherein a voltage amplitude of a signal obtained by adding the inspection signal and all the signals of the 1st to m-th signals is zero.

7. The multicore cable inspection method according to claim 1 ,

wherein the other-side end of the first insulated wire is specified based on a DC component of a voltage of an inspection signal obtained by multiplying an output signal outputted from the ends of the plurality of insulated wires exposed at the other end of the multicore cable by a reference signal having the same phase as that of the output signal of the inspection signal.

8. The multicore cable inspection method according to claim 7 ,

wherein the end having the largest DC component of the voltage of the detection signal among the ends of the plurality of insulated wires exposed at the other end of the multicore cable is identified as the other-side end of the first insulated wire.

9. The multicore cable inspection method according to claim 1 ,

wherein it is determined whether or not the insulated wires on the other side corresponding to the ends of the plurality of insulated wires exposed at the one end of the multicore cable have an overlap, and

the insulated wire, which inputs a part or all of the 1st to m-th signals, among the plurality of insulated wires having the overlap is changed, and another correspondence relationship among the ends of the insulated wires is specified again.

10. A multicore cable inspection device that specifies a correspondence relationship among ends of insulated wires exposed at both ends of a multicore cable, the multicore cable being obtained by bundling n insulated wires where n is a natural integer of 3 or more and m is a natural number of 2 or more and n−1 or less, the device comprising:

a first inspection signal input means of inputting, by capacitive coupling, an inspection signal to an end of a first insulated wire to be inspected among the ends of the insulated wires exposed at one end of the multicore cable;

a second inspection signal input means of inputting, by the capacitive coupling, each of 1st to m-th signals, each of which has a phase different from that of the inspection signal, to the ends of the m insulated wires other than the first insulated wire among the ends of the insulated wires exposed at the one end of the multicore cable; and

an arithmetic unit of measuring a voltage of an output signal outputted by the capacitive coupling from each end of the insulated wires exposed at the other end of the multicore cable, and specifying an other-side end of the first insulated wire based on the measured voltage,

wherein each of the inspection signal and the 1st to m-th signals has the same frequency mutually, and

an amplitude of a signal obtained by adding the inspection signal and all the signals of the 1st to m-th signals are smaller than an amplitude of the inspection signal.

11. The multicore cable inspection device according to claim 10 ,

wherein each of the 1st to m-th signals has a phase opposite to that of the inspection signal.

12. The multicore cable inspection device according to claim 10 ,

wherein the amplitude of each of the 1st to m-th signals is 1/m of that of the inspection signal.

13. The multicore cable inspection device according to claim 10 ,

wherein a phase difference between the k-th signal among the 1st to m-th signals and the inspection signal is k×2π/(m+1), and

wherein k is a natural number of 1 or more and m or less.

14. The multicore cable inspection device according to claim 10 ,

wherein the first and second inspection signal input means input each of the inspection signal and the 1st to m-th signals to the plurality of insulated wires by the capacitive coupling via a tubular conductor tube surrounding a radial circumference of each of the plurality of insulated wires.

15. The multicore cable inspection device according to claim 10 ,

wherein a voltage amplitude of a signal obtained by adding the inspection signal and all the signals of the 1st to m-th signals is zero.

16. The multicore cable inspection device according to claim 10 ,

wherein it is determined whether or not the insulated wires on the other side corresponding to the ends of the plurality of insulated wires exposed at the one end of the multicore cable have an overlap, and

the insulated wire, which inputs a part or all of the 1st to m-th signals, among the plurality of insulated wires having the overlap is changed, and another correspondence relationship among the ends of the insulated wires is specified again.

17. The multicore cable inspection method according to claim 1 ,

wherein each frequency of the inspection signal and the 1st to m-th signals is smaller than a resonance frequency of the multicore cable.

18. The multicore cable inspection device according to claim 10 ,

wherein each frequency of the inspection signal and the 1st to m-th signals is smaller than a resonance frequency of the multicore cable.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Apr 28, 2023
From: HITACHI METALS, LTD.
To: PROTERIAL, LTD.
Reel/Frame 063490/0336 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 22, 2021
From: SHIRAKAWA, YOHEI; AGEISHI, YOSHITAKE
To: HITACHI METALS, LTD.
Reel/Frame 055674/0689 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2020-027315 · Feb 20, 2020 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210263112A1 · Aug 26, 2021