APPARATUS, SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TRACKING A ROTATABLE OBJECT

• US 20100316316A1
• Filed: 12/28/2006
• Published: 12/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BCE Incorporated
• Original Assignee: BCE Incorporated
• Inventors: Kamel, John-Pierre
• Granted Patent: US 8,424,374 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 384/448
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/3473 Circular or rotary encoders

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, system and apparatus for tracking a rotatable object. A device for tracking a rotatable object comprises a body, the body comprising a tracking portion. A device for tracking a rotatable object further comprises an attachment section connected to the body, for attaching the device to the rotatable object. The body and the attachment section are configured for balanced rotation when the rotatable object rotates.

Claims

1. A device for tracking a rotatable object comprising:

a body comprising a tracking portion; and

an attachment section connected to said body for attaching said device to the rotatable object, said body and said attachment section being configured for balanced rotation when the rotatable object rotates.

2. The device of claim 1, said body having a rotational axis, said body being symmetric about said rotational axis, and said attachment section being symmetric about said rotational axis.

3. The device of claim 1, said body comprising an abutment end configured for abutment against the rotatable object, and a distal end, said attachment section projecting from said abutment end.

5. The device of claim 3, said tracking portion comprising an electronic tracking portion, and said electronic tracking portion being located sufficiently close to said distal end to allow readability by a tracking device reader, when said device is attached to the rotatable object.

7. The device of claim 3, the rotatable object comprising a face and a plate attachable to the face, said distal end being insertable through an opening in the plate, said abutment end configured for abutment against the face, and said attachment section configured to be clamped between the face and the plate, when said distal end is inserted through the opening.

8. The device of claim 7, said attachment section comprising at least two arms, a portion of each of said at least two arms being bendable around an edge of the plate, wherein the at least two arms secure said device to the plate when said distal end is inserted through the opening of the plate and said portion of each of said at least two arms is bent around the edge of the plate.

10. The device of claim 3, the rotatable object comprising a face and a plate attachable to the face, said abutment end configured for abutment against an outer surface of the plate, said attachment section comprising at least two arms, a portion of each of said at least two arms being bendable around an edge of the plate, said portion of each of said at least two arms being configured to be clamped between the face and an inner surface of the plate, opposite the outer surface, when said portion is bent around the edge of the plate.

14. The device of claim 1, said body having a rotational axis, said attachment section comprising at least two arms projecting radially from said body, and said at least two arms being symmetrically configured about said rotational axis.

17. The device of claim 14, wherein the rotatable object comprises a face and a plate attachable to the face, and at least a portion of each of said at least two arms is configured to bend around an edge of the plate.

18. The device of claim 14, said at least two arms extending from an abutment end of the body, said abutment end configured for abutment against the rotatable object, wherein said at least two arms are flush with said abutment end.

22. The device of claim 2, said attachment section comprising a lip projecting from said body, substantially perpendicular to said rotational axis and the rotatable object comprising a face and a plate attachable to the face, said body being insertable through an opening in the plate, and said lip being configured to be clamped between the face and the plate when said body is inserted through the opening.

24. The device of claim 2, said attachment section comprising a web portion projecting from said body, substantially perpendicular to said rotational axis, the rotatable object comprising a face and a plate attachable to the face, said body being insertable through an opening in the plate, and said web portion being configured to be clamped between the face and the plate when said body is inserted through the opening.

26. The device of claim 1, said body being detachably connected to said attachment section via a first attachment mechanism.

27. The device of claim 26, said first attachment mechanism comprising at least one threaded shaft extending from one of said body and said attachment section, and said first attachment mechanism further comprising at least one threaded bore for receiving said at least one threaded shaft, located in the other of said body and said attachment section.

28. The device of claim 26, the rotatable object comprising a face and a plate attachable to the face, said body being insertable through an opening in the plate, and said attachment section being configured to be clamped between the face and plate when said body is inserted through the opening.

29. The device of claim 28, further comprising a counterweight connected to said attachment section, said counterweight being configured to balance the weight of said body when the rotatable object rotates.

30. The device of claim 28, further comprising a counterweight detachably connectable to the plate via a second attachment mechanism, said counterweight being configured to balance the weight of said body when the rotatable object rotates.

31. The device of claim 28, further comprising a counterweight detachably connected to said attachment section via a second attachment mechanism, said counterweight being configured to balance the weight of said body when the rotatable object rotates.

34. The device of claim 1, said tracking portion being configured to store data associated with the rotatable object.

35. The device of claim 34, said data associated with the rotatable object comprising an identification number of the rotatable object.

36. The device of claim 35, said data associated with the rotatable object further comprising at least one of:

a configuration of the rotatable object, data associated with an environment of the rotatable object, and data conveying a history of the rotatable object.

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52. A system, comprising:

a rotatable object comprising;

a face; and

a plate releasably attached to said face; and

a tracking device attached to said rotatable object, said tracking device comprising;

a body comprising a tracking portion; and

an attachment section projecting from said body, wherein at least a portion of said attachment section is clamped between said face and said plate with sufficient force to prevent said tracking device from being released while said rotatable object is rotating.

53. The system of claim 52, said body being symmetric about a rotational axis of said rotatable object, and said attachment section being symmetric about said rotational axis.

54. The system of claim 52, said body comprising an abutment end abutting the rotatable object, and a distal end extending from said rotatable object, said attachment section projecting from said abutment end.

55. The system of claim 54, said body being elongate, and said tracking portion located closer to said distal end than said abutment end.

56. The system of claim 55, said tracking portion comprising an electronic tracking portion, and said electronic tracking portion being located sufficiently close to said distal end to allow readability by a tracking device reader.

57. The system of claim 53, said body comprising a cylinder having a cylindrical axis, and said rotational axis corresponding to the cylindrical axis of said cylinder.

58. The system of claim 54, said distal end extending through an opening in the plate, said abutment end abutting the face.

59. The system of claim 58, said attachment section comprising at least two arms

60. The system of claim 59, a portion of each of said at least two arms bent around an edge of the plate.

61. The system of claim 54, said abutment end configured for abutment against an outer surface of the plate, said attachment section comprising at least two arms, a portion of each of said at least two arms bent around an edge of the plate, said portion of each of said at least two arms clamped between the face and an inner surface of the plate, opposite the outer surface.

62. The system of claim 52, said body further comprising a shell, wherein said shell comprises plastic.

63. The system of claim 62, wherein said tracking portion is imbedded in said shell.

64. The system of claim 52, said body having a rotational axis, said attachment section comprising at least two arms projecting radially from said body, and said at least two arms being symmetrically configured about said rotational axis.

65. The system of claim 64, said attachment section comprising two arms, wherein an angle between adjacent arms is approximately 180°

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66. The system of claim 64, said attachment section comprising three arms, wherein an angle between adjacent arms is approximately 120°

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67. The system of claim 64, at least a portion of each of said at least two arms is configured to bend around an edge of the plate.

68. The system of claim 64, said at least two arms extending from an abutment end of the body, said abutment end abutting the rotatable object, wherein said at least two arms are flush with said abutment end.

69. The system of claim 68, each of said at least two arms having a given length, a given width, and a given thickness, said given thickness being substantially uniform.

70. The system of claim 68, said given thickness being substantially less than said given length wherein at least a portion of each of said at least two arms is bendable.

71. The system of claim 64, wherein each of said at least two arms comprise aluminum.

72. The system of claim 53, said attachment section comprising a lip projecting from said body, substantially perpendicular to said rotational axis.

73. The system of claim 72, said body extending through an opening in said plate, and said lip clamped between said face and said plate.

74. The system of claim 53, said attachment section comprising a web portion projecting from said body, substantially perpendicular to said rotational axis.

75. The system of claim 74, said body extending through an opening in said plate, and said web portion clamped between said face and said plate.

76. The system of claim 52, said body being detachably connected to said attachment section via a first attachment mechanism.

77. The system of claim 76, said first attachment mechanism comprising at least one threaded shaft extending from one of said body and said attachment section, and said first attachment mechanism further comprising at least one threaded bore for receiving said at least one threaded shaft, located in the other of said body and said attachment section.

78. The system of claim 76, further comprising a counterweight connected to said attachment section, said counter weight being configured to balance the weight of said body when the rotatable object rotates.

79. The system of claim 76, further comprising a counterweight connected to said plate via a second attachment mechanism, said counter weight being configured to balance the weight of said body when the rotatable object rotates.

80. The system of claim 79, wherein said counter weight is detachably connected to said plate.

81. The system of claim 76, further comprising a counterweight detachably connected to said attachment section via a second attachment mechanism, said counter weight being configured to balance the weight of said body when the rotatable object rotates.

82. The system of claim 81, wherein said second attachment mechanism is substantially similar to said first attachment mechanism.

83. The system of claim 52, said tracking portion being configured to store data associated with the rotatable object.

84. The system of claim 83, said data associated with the rotatable object comprising an identification number of the rotatable object.

85. The system of claim 84, said data associated with the rotatable object further comprising at least one of:

a configuration of the rotatable object, data associated with an environment of the rotatable object, and data conveying a history of the rotatable object.

100. The system of claim 52, said rotatable object comprising a wheel assembly component.

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102. A method of attaching a tracking device to a rotatable object, the rotatable object comprising a face and a plate attachable to the face, the tracking device comprising an attachment section, comprising:

positioning at least a portion of the attachment section between the face and the plate; and

attaching the plate to the face to clamp the at least a portion of the attachment section between the face and the plate.

103. The method of claim 102, wherein the at least a portion of the attachment section is clamped between the face and the plate with sufficient force to prevent the tracking device from being released while the rotatable object is rotating.

104. The method of claim 102, wherein said positioning at least a portion of the attachment section between the face and the plate comprises placing the at least a portion of the attachment section against a rotatable object side surface of the plate.

105. The method of claim 104, wherein said positioning the attachment section between the face and the plate further comprises affixing the tracking device to the plate by bending at least a portion of the attachment section around an edge of the plate.

106. The method of claim 105, wherein the tracking device further comprises a body comprising:

an abutment end configured for abutment against the face, the attachment section projecting from said abutment end; and

a distal end insertable through an opening in the plate,

said affixing the tracking device to the plate further comprising inserting the distal end through the opening, prior to bending the at least a portion of the attachment section around the edge of the plate.

107. The method of claim 105, wherein the tracking device further comprises a body comprising:

an abutment end configured for abutment against an outer surface of the plate, the outer surface of the plate being opposite a bearing assembly side surface of the plate, the attachment section projecting from the abutment end,

said affixing the tracking device to the plate further comprising placing the abutment end against the outer surface of the plate, prior to bending the at least a portion of the attachment section around the edge of the plate.

108. The method of claim 102, wherein the tracking device further comprises a body comprising:

an abutment end configured for abutment against the face, the attachment section projecting from the abutment end; and

a distal end insertable through an opening in the plate,

said positioning at least a portion of the attachment section between the face and the plate comprising placing the abutment end against the face, so as to align the body with the opening in the plate, when the plate is attached to the face.

109. The method of claim 108, wherein said placing the abutment end against the face further comprises aligning a rotational axis of the tracking device with a rotational axis of the rotatable object.

110. The method of claim 102, wherein said attaching the plate to the face comprises aligning a rotational axis of the plate with a rotational axis of the rotatable object.

111. The method of claim 110, wherein the rotatable object further comprises an attachment mechanism for attaching the plate to the face, the attachment mechanism comprising a plate portion and a face portion, and attaching the plate to the face comprises aligning the plate portion with the face portion.

112. The method of claim 111, wherein the attachment mechanism comprises at least one bolt, the plate portion comprising at least one hole in the plate for inserting therethrough a threaded shaft of the at least one bolt, the at least one hole having a diameter less than a head of the at least one bolt, the face portion comprising at least one threaded bore for receiving the threaded shaft, and attaching the plate to the face comprises:

inserting the threaded shaft through the at least one hole and into the at least one threaded bore; and

tightening the bolt to a given torque.

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