Device for monitoring the fatigue life of a structural member and a method of making same
First Claim
1. A device for monitoring the fatigue life of a structural member composed of a predetermined material, the device comprising:
- a substantially flat fuse blank composed of material similar to said predetermined material and mounted on the structural member during use of the device, said blank having means defining at least two fuse legs, a cut out portion on at least one side of each leg to define a fuse element therein and adhesive means applied to one surface of said blank to define variable unbonded areas around each of the fuse elements, whereby a configuration of the cut out portion and the unbonded areas for each fuse element effect a failure of the fuse elements at different percentages of the fatigue life of the structural member due to fatigue, prior to failure of the monitored structural member when the blank and the monitored structural member are subjected to a substantially similar stress history.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A device for monitoring the fatigue life of a structural member composed of a predetermined material, and a method of making same. The device is a substantially flat fuse composed of a material similar to the predetermined material and mountable on a structural member by adhesive during use. The fuse has cut out portions which define fuse elements and variable unbonded areas are formed about the fuse elements to effect failure at different times in sequence because of fatigue and prior to the failure of the monitored structural member when the fuse and the monitored structural member are subjected to substantially the same stress history.
13 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A device for monitoring the fatigue life of a structural member composed of a predetermined material, the device comprising:
- a substantially flat fuse blank composed of material similar to said predetermined material and mounted on the structural member during use of the device, said blank having means defining at least two fuse legs, a cut out portion on at least one side of each leg to define a fuse element therein and adhesive means applied to one surface of said blank to define variable unbonded areas around each of the fuse elements, whereby a configuration of the cut out portion and the unbonded areas for each fuse element effect a failure of the fuse elements at different percentages of the fatigue life of the structural member due to fatigue, prior to failure of the monitored structural member when the blank and the monitored structural member are subjected to a substantially similar stress history.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of making a device for monitoring the fatigue life of a structural member composed of a predetermined material, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a substantially flat fuse blank composed of a material similar to said predetermined material, forming at least two fuse legs in the blank forming cut out portions in the fuse legs to define at least two fuse elements and applying adhesive to one surface of the blank to form variable unbonded areas around each of the fuse elements to effect a failure of each of the fuse elements at different percentages of the fatigue life of the structural member prior to a failure of the monitored structural member when the blank and the monitored structural member are subjected to a substantially similar stress history.
- View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
Specification