Track assembly having a wear monitoring system

• US 9,592,866 B2
• Filed: 11/06/2014
• Issued: 03/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Hasselbusch, Michael, Steiner, Kevin L., Johannsen, Eric James
• Primary Examiner(s): VANAMAN, FRANK BENNETT
• Application Number:
  US14/534,649
• Publication Number:
  US 20160129954A1
• Time in Patent Office: 859 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/20 of articulated type, e.g. chains with lubrication means B62D55/092
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/03 Endless-tracks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0841 Registering performance data recording measured values G01D; information storage G11B

Abstract

A track assembly may have a chain assembly including a plurality of track links, a traction assembly including track shoes secured to the plurality of track links, a drive sprocket, an idler assembly including an idler and a mount, and a roller assembly including a plurality of rollers and a roller frame. A wear monitoring system may have a wear sensor configured to generate a signal indicative of a current position of a first component of the track assembly, and a controller in communication with the at least one wear sensor, the controller being configured to determine an amount of wear experienced by the track assembly based on the signal. The first component may be configured such that wear of at least a second component causes the first component to move to the current position from a previous position.

Claims

1. A track assembly for a mobile machine, comprising:

a chain assembly including a plurality of track links;

a traction assembly including a plurality of track shoes carried by the plurality of track links;

a drive sprocket;

an idler assembly including an idler and a mount;

a roller assembly including a plurality of rollers and a roller frame; and

a wear monitoring system, including;

a detection sensor configured to direct a beam at a location that does not change as a result of wear of components of the track assembly, the detection sensor being configured to generate a first signal indicative of a first position of a first component of the track assembly when a first feature of the first component interrupts the beam, and a second signal indicative of a second position of the first component when the first feature of the first component no longer interrupts the beam, wherein the first component is configured such that wear of at least a second component of the track assembly causes the first component to move to the second position from the first position; and

a controller in communication with the detection sensor, the controller being configured to determine an amount of wear experienced by the track assembly based on the first signal and the second signal.

2. The track assembly of claim 1, wherein the second component is the drive sprocket.

3. The track assembly of claim 1, wherein the second component is the idler.

4. The track assembly of claim 1, wherein the detection sensor is configured to generate the second signal indicative of the beam being directed through a link window in a first track link.

5. The track assembly of claim 4, wherein the detection sensor is configured such that the beam is directed through the link window when the first track link has moved by a threshold amount.

6. The track assembly of claim 1, wherein the wear monitoring system includes a plurality of detection sensors, each detection sensor configured to generate a signal indicating a threshold amount of wear has occurred, each detection sensor configured to generate the signal at a different threshold amount.

7. A method of monitoring wear of a track assembly including a track link, a track shoe, a drive sprocket, an idler, and a roller, the method comprising:

detecting a current position of a first component of the track assembly when a first feature of the first component no longer interrupts a detection sensor beam that does not change position as a result of wear of components of the track assembly, wherein the first component is configured such that the combined amount of wear causes the first component to move to the current position from a previous position, and further wherein the first feature did interrupt the detection sensor beam when an amount of wear of the track assembly was below a threshold; and

determining a combined amount of wear of the track link and at least one of the drive sprocket, the idler, and the roller, based on the current position of the first component.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein:

detecting the position of the first component includes directing the detection sensor beam at the track link, and

determining the combined amount of wear includes determining whether the beam was interrupted by the track link or directed through a link window in the track link.

9. A track assembly for a mobile machine, comprising:

a chain assembly including a plurality of track links;

a traction assembly including a plurality of track shoes carried by the plurality of track links;

a drive sprocket;

an idler assembly including an idler and a mount;

a roller assembly including a plurality of rollers and a roller frame; and

a wear monitoring system, including;

at least two detection sensors, each configured to direct a beam at a location that does not change as a result of wear of components of the track assembly, and each detection sensor being configured to generate a first signal indicative of a first position of a component of the track assembly when a first feature of the component interrupts the beam, and a second signal indicative of a second position of the component when the first feature of the component no longer interrupts the beam, wherein the component is configured such that wear of at least another component of the track assembly causes the component to move to the second position from the first position; and

a controller in communication with the at least two detection sensors, the controller being configured to determine an amount of wear experienced by the track assembly based on the first signal and the second signal,

and

wherein each of the at least two wear sensors is one of a camera sensor, a detection sensor, or a distance sensor.