Brush holder assembly monitoring apparatus, assembly, system and method
First Claim
1. A method of monitoring a brush holder assembly, the method comprising:
- providing a monitoring system including an imaging device in proximity to a brush holder assembly, the imaging device configured to capture an image of the brush holder assembly;
capturing an image of the brush holder assembly with the imaging device;
generating a signal based on the image;
inputting the signal to a processing unit; and
analyzing the signal to determine a condition of the brush holder assembly.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and systems for monitoring a brush holder assembly and/or detecting wear of a brush in a brush holder assembly are disclosed. One method includes sending data from a plurality of remote monitoring locations to a central control unit, where the data may be evaluated in order to monitor states of brushes at a plurality of remote electrical facilities. For example, multiple images of a marker tracking longitudinal movement of the brush may be acquired. A comparison of the images, for example, a comparative imaging technique, such as pixel-by-pixel comparison, may then be performed in order to evaluate a condition of the brush, such as the wear rate, wear state, or life expectancy of the brush.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. A method of monitoring a brush holder assembly, the method comprising:
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providing a monitoring system including an imaging device in proximity to a brush holder assembly, the imaging device configured to capture an image of the brush holder assembly; capturing an image of the brush holder assembly with the imaging device; generating a signal based on the image; inputting the signal to a processing unit; and analyzing the signal to determine a condition of the brush holder assembly. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for determining the wear of a brush of a brush holder assembly, the method comprising:
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providing a brush and a marker for tracking longitudinal movement of the brush; providing an imaging device in proximity to the brush holder assembly; acquiring a first image of the marker with the imaging device; acquiring a second image of the marker with the imaging device; comparing the first image to the second image using an image analysis technique; and evaluating a condition of the brush, comprising one or more of the wear rate of the brush, the wear state of the brush, or the life expectancy of the brush. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A system for monitoring the wear of a brush of a brush holder assembly, the system comprising:
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a brush holder assembly including a brush; a marker tracking longitudinal movement of the brush; an imaging device in line of sight of the marker for acquiring images of the marker; and a processing unit for evaluating data generated from the images. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26)
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27. A system for monitoring the wear of brushes of brush holder assemblies, the system comprising:
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a plurality of remote monitoring locations, wherein each remote monitoring location generates data regarding the position of one or more brushes of a brush holder assembly; and a central control unit for receiving data from the plurality of remote monitoring locations. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29)
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30. An assembly for monitoring the wear of a brush of a brush holder assembly, the assembly comprising:
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a brush; a brush holder for guiding movement of the brush; and a marker for tracking movement of the brush, the marker including one or more markings positioned on a portion of the marker. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification