VIBRATION-SENSING FIELD UNIT

• US 20150355216A1
• Filed: 08/05/2014
• Published: 12/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uptime Solutions, LLC
• Original Assignee: Uptime Solutions Inc.
• Inventors: Girardeau, James
• Granted Patent: US 9,791,310 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01H 1/00 Measuring characteristics of vibrations in solids by using direct conduction to the detector G01H9/00, G01H11/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01H 11/08 using piezoelectric devices

Abstract

A vibration-sensing field unit includes a base with at least one accelerometer, and a body mounted to the base. The base is composed essentially of a first material, while the body is composed essentially of a second material that is more flexible than the first material to reduce a vibration at the accelerometer caused by a mass supported by the body. In another embodiment, a vibration-sensing field unit includes at least one accelerometer and at least one ultrasonic transducer.

Claims

1. A vibration-sensing field unit comprising:

a base comprising at least one accelerometer, wherein the base is composed essentially of a first material; and

a body mounted to the base, the body supporting a mass, wherein the body is composed essentially of a second material that is more flexible than the first material to reduce a vibration at the at least one accelerometer caused by the supported mass.

2. The vibration-sensing field unit of claim 1, wherein the second material comprises at least one of:

polytetrafluoroethylene;

polypropylene;

rubber; and

acetal resin.

3. The vibration-sensing field unit of claim 1, further comprising an expansion port integrated with the body.

4. The vibration-sensing field unit of claim 3, further comprising:

at least one sensor component external to the base and body and coupled to the vibration-sensing field unit via the expansion port and a flexible cable.

5. The vibration-sensing field unit of claim 1, wherein the mass comprises a battery-based power supply for the vibration-sensing field unit.

6. The vibration-sensing field unit of claim 1, further comprising an ultrasonic transducer mounted at the base.

7. The vibration-sensing field unit of claim 1, further comprising at least one of:

a temperature sensor, a radio, and a memory store.

8. The vibration-sensing field unit of claim 1, further comprising a mount to mount the vibration-sensing field unit to a machine.

9. The vibration-sensing field unit of claim 1, further comprising a wireless transmitter to communicate with a base station.

10. The vibration-sensing field unit of claim 1, wherein the body comprises at least one shock-absorbing pillar coupled between the mass and the base.

11. The vibration-sensing field unit of claim 1, wherein a first resonance frequency of the accelerometer is higher than a second resonance frequency of the mass.

12. The vibration-sensing field unit of claim 1, further comprising:

a cooling system to cool the field unit.

13. A vibration-sensing field unit comprising:

at least one accelerometer; and

at least one ultrasonic transducer.

14. The vibration-sensing field unit of claim 13, further comprising:

a mass; and

a mass damping structure to reduce a vibration at the at least one accelerometer caused by the mass.

15. The vibration-sensing field unit of claim 14, wherein the mass comprises a battery-based power supply for the vibration-sensing field unit.

16. The vibration-sensing field unit of claim 13, further comprising:

a base comprising the at least one accelerometer and the at least one ultrasonic transducer, wherein the base is composed essentially of a first material; and

a body mounted to the base, the body supporting a mass, wherein the body is composed essentially of a second material that is more flexible than the first material to reduce a vibration at the at least one accelerometer caused by the imposed mass.

17. The vibration-sensing field unit of claim 16, wherein the second material comprises at least one of:

polytetrafluoroethylene;

polypropylene;

rubber; and

acetal resin.

18. The vibration-sensing field unit of claim 16, further comprising an expansion port integrated with the body.

19. The vibration-sensing field unit of claim 18, further comprising:

at least one sensor component external to the base and body and coupled to the vibration-sensing field unit via the expansion port and a flexible cable.

20. The vibration-sensing field unit of claim 16, further comprising a mount to mount the vibration-sensing field unit to a machine.

21. The vibration-sensing field unit of claim 16, further comprising at least one of:

a temperature sensor, a radio, and a memory store.

22. The vibration-sensing field unit of claim 16, further comprising a wireless transmitter to communicate with a base station.

23. The vibration-sensing field unit of claim 13, wherein a first resonance frequency of the accelerometer is higher than a second resonance frequency of the mass.