Coaxial Cable Tap Unit for Power Metering and Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for accessing power from coaxial cables in remote or high-traffic areas without traditional power sources are inefficient, as they often require cutting the cable, leading to service interruptions and high costs, and do not accommodate diverse power requirements of electronic devices.
Innovation Solution
A tap unit with a clamp and probe that engages a coaxial cable without damaging it, equipped with a power consumption meter and transformer, allowing for secure and controlled power supply and monitoring, enabling billing and power management for devices connected to the cable.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a tap unit is installed in mid-span of a coaxial cable to access power, then power can be accessed without cutting the cable and service interruptions are avoided, but the cable structure becomes more complex and installation difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The tap unit is designed with a nested structure where the probe is inserted into the coaxial cable's center conductor through a slit in the outer jacket, allowing the tap unit to be embedded within the cable structure without cutting or disconnecting the cable, thus maintaining service continuity while enabling power access
Solution Approach 2:
The probe acts as an intermediary element that bridges the external tap unit and the internal center conductor of the coaxial cable, allowing electrical contact to be made without cutting the cable or interrupting the signal path, thereby resolving the contradiction between maintaining service continuity and enabling power access
2Ease of manufacture
If power is tapped from the coaxial cable without monitoring, then power access is simple and cost-effective, but power consumption cannot be controlled and downstream amplifiers may cease to function
Solution Approach 1:
The power consumption meter provides real-time feedback on the amount of power being consumed from the coaxial cable, allowing the system to monitor and control power usage to ensure that downstream amplifiers receive sufficient power to continue functioning properly
Solution Approach 2:
The tap unit automatically measures and reports power consumption through the modem to the service provider, enabling self-monitoring and self-regulation of power usage without requiring manual intervention or complex external monitoring systems
3Ease of operation
If the coaxial cable is cut to install power access devices, then power can be accessed directly, but service interruptions occur and installation costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of cutting the coaxial cable, the invention extracts only the necessary center conductor through a slit in the outer jacket using a probe, allowing power to be accessed directly while leaving the rest of the cable structure intact and operational, thus avoiding service interruptions
4Adaptability or versatility
If a power inserter is located at the distribution point, then power can be supplied to amplifiers, but power cannot be accessed in remote areas without additional infrastructure
Solution Approach 1:
The tap unit enables remote power access by allowing any location along the coaxial cable to extract power locally without requiring a power inserter at every distribution point or additional infrastructure, as the cable itself serves as the power delivery mechanism
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables secure, efficient, and cost-effective power access to remote areas without interrupting existing services, accommodating diverse power needs, and ensuring reliable operation of downstream amplifiers by measuring and managing power consumption.
Implementation Method 1
a transformer, so as to measure and/or convert a characteristic of power tapped from the coaxial cable
Data Source
AI summary
A power metering device includes a tap unit including a clamp for engaging a coaxial cable and a probe for electrically coupling to a center conductor of the coaxial cable without damaging the center conductor. A power consumption meter and a power port are electrically connected to the probe. A power transformer is optionally connected between the probe and the power port. A housing surrounds the meter and transformer. The power port supplies power to a customer device, and the meter measures an amount of power passing through the power port. The power consumed by the customer device is reported by the meter to a modem within the housing. The modem may utilize the probe and the center conductor of the coaxial cable to send power consumption data to a service provider, so that an operator of the customer device may be billed and/or the customer device may be controlled to limit its power consumption. Further, the modem may transfer data between the customer device and the service provider.