CONVEYOR BELT RIP PANELS AND BELT RIP MONITORING

• US 20120217132A1
• Filed: 09/16/2009
• Published: 08/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fenner Dunlop Americas, Inc. (Compagnie Generale DES Etablissements Michelin SCA)
• Original Assignee: Fenner Dunlop Americas, Inc. (Compagnie Generale DES Etablissements Michelin SCA)
• Inventors: Twigger, Mick, Myers, George Mark
• Application Number:
  US13/119,858
• Publication Number:
  US 20120217132A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 198/502.1
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 43/02 detecting dangerous physical condition of load carriers, e.g. for interrupting the drive in the event of overheating
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 43/06 interrupting the drive in case of driving element breakage; Braking or stopping loose load-carriers

Abstract

A conveyor belt rip monitoring system is disclosed. The system includes at least one rip panel having a conductive loop positioned in or on a conveyor belt so that the loop extends substantially across the width of the belt. The conductive loops may be formed from metallic or non-metallic materials. An RFDD chip is electrically coupled to the loop and provides a signal to an RFID interrogation unit positioned on the conveyor structure indicative of the health of the conductive loop. If a break is sensed in the loop, the RFID chip sends an appropriate signal to the interrogation unit which passes the information to a processing system. A unique resistor or diode may be included in the circuit between the chip(s) and the legs of the loop so that the interrogation unit can distinguish one leg or loop from another. If the break in the loop is determined to be due to a rip in the conveyor belt, the processing system alerts a user of the rip condition via an attached display device. For large scale rips the system may automatically stop the conveyor belt. Various embodiments of rip detection panels are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A conveyor belt rip monitoring system, comprising:

a conductive loop;

an RFID chip electrically connected to said conductive loop;

an RFID interrogator positioned to receive information about said conductive loop from said RFID chip;

a processing system associated with said RFID interrogator for receiving a signal from the interrogator and processing said signal to obtain a measure of the integrity of said conductive loop; and

a user interface for providing an indication of said integrity of said conductive loop to a user.

2. A conveyor belt rip monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the RFID interrogation unit can read and write to one RFID chip or a plurality of chips located on or in the belt.

3. A conveyor belt rip monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein said conductive loop and said RFID chip are connected to a rip detection panel, said panel positioned between layers of a conveyor belt.

4. A conveyor belt rip monitoring system according to claim 3, wherein said belt comprises a plurality of rip panels, said panels being positioned at approximately 200 foot intervals along said belt.

5. A conveyor belt rip monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein a resistor or diode is electrically connected to said conductive loop and said RFID chip.

6. A conveyor belt rip monitoring system according to claim 3, wherein a resistor or diode is electrically connected to said conductive loop and said RFID chip.

7. A conveyor belt rip monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein said RFID chip further comprises at least one bore formed there through, material forming said belt or said panel extending through the bore such that the chip is firmly held, respectfully, to the belt or the panel.

8. A conveyor belt rip monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein said processing system is a programmable logic controller (PLC) rack system, the interrogation unit being connected to said processing system via an Ethernet switch.

9. A conveyor belt rip monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the processing system further comprises a processor for executing instructions for analyzing signals received from said RFID interrogator and for assessing a condition of at least one rip panel or said conductive loop.

10. A conveyor belt rip monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein said conductive loop is formed from a non-metallic conductive material.

11. A conveyor belt rip monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the RFID chip also provides to the interrogator information relating to a rip panel associated with said belt, the rip panel information comprising one or more of the members of the group consisting of:

panel model information, panel brand/OEM information, panel age information, and panel repair history.

12. A conveyor belt rip monitoring system according to claim 6, wherein the RFID chip also provides to the interrogator information relating to a rip panel associated with said belt, the rip panel information comprising one or more of the members of the group consisting of:

panel model information, panel brand/OEM information, panel age information, and panel repair history.

13. A rip monitoring system according to claim 6, wherein a user display is connected to the system for providing information about the status of the rip panel.

14. A rip monitoring system according to claim 10, wherein said non-metallic conductive loop comprises a plurality of legs electrically coupled with the RFID chip.

15. A rip monitoring system according to claim 14, further comprising a plurality of loops formed from a plurality of legs.

16. A rip monitoring system according to claim 15, wherein one leg of each loop is electrically connected to the RFID chip by a resistor or diode having a different resistance so that the interrogator may distinguish each of the loops from another.

17. A rip monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein said system further comprises at least one camera for transmitting visual information regarding the conveyor belt to a user.

18. A rip monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein a belt control system is operably connected to said monitoring system for directly or indirectly changing the operation of the conveyor belt in response to said signal.

19. A rip monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein said system is operably connected to a data communications network, said network comprising one or more members of the group consisting of a facility-wide monitoring system, an Intranet, a virtual private network and the Internet.

20. A conveyor belt rip detection panel comprising:

at least one panel;

a conductive loop; and

an RFID chip electrically connected to said conductive loop, wherein said loop and said chip are connected to said at least one panel.

21. A rip detection panel according to claim 20, wherein said conductive loop is integrally formed with said panel.

22. A rip detection panel according to claim 20, wherein a resistor or diode is electrically connected to said conductive loop and said RFID chip.

23. A rip detection panel according to claim 20, wherein said RFID chip further comprises at least one bore formed there through, material forming said panel extending through the bore such that the chip is firmly held to the panel.

24. A rip detection panel according to claim 20, wherein said conductive loop is formed from a non-metallic conductive material.

25. A rip detection panel according to claim 21, wherein said conductive loop is formed from a non-metallic conductive material.

26. A rip detection panel according to claim 24, wherein said non-metallic conductive loop comprises a plurality of legs electrically coupled with the RFID chip.

27. A rip detection panel according to claim 26, further comprising a plurality of loops formed from a plurality of legs.

28. A rip detection panel according to claim 27, wherein one leg of each loop is electrically connected to the RFID chip by a resistor or diode, each of the resistors or diodes having a different resistance so that the interrogator may distinguish each loop from another.