ENERGY-HARVESTING CONVEYOR BELTS AND METHODS

• US 20170113875A1
• Filed: 01/06/2017
• Published: 04/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Laitram LLC
• Original Assignee: Laitram LLC
• Inventors: DePaso, Joseph M.
• Granted Patent: US 10,399,780 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/0001 characterised by the choice of material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/0005 using fibre reinforcements
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/1679 applying surface layers onto injection-moulded substrates inside the mould cavity, e.g. in-mould coating [IMC] applying suface layers after ejection B29C45/0053
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/73 of the mould B29C45/2642 and B29C45/2737 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 29/06 Conveyor belts
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/06 containing reinforcements, fillers or inserts
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/0003 having particular electrical or magnetic properties, e.g. piezoelectric
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/0005 Conductive
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/0007 Insulating
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/7092 Conveyor belts
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 15/32 made of rubber or plastics
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 17/08 the surface being formed by the traction element
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2203/042 Sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 23/00 Driving gear for endless conveyors; Belt- or chain-tensioning arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 43/00 Control devices, e.g. for safety, warning or fault-correcting
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/245 Housings for sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 11/002 Generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/181 Circuits; Control arrangements or methods
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/186 Vibration harvesters
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/188 adapted for resonant operation
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/22 : Methods relating to manufacturing, e.g. assembling, calibration

Abstract

Energy-harvesting and -storage devices in conveyor belts and methods for molding those devices integrally into modular plastic belt links. Electroactive polymers or piezoelectric fibers co-injected with a base polymer to form belt modules harvest energy from strain or vibrations in the conveyor belt to power belt on-board devices.

Claims

1. A conveyor belt comprising:

a belt body molded of a base polymer;

an energy-harvesting device disposed in or on the belt body;

an energy-storage device disposed in or on the belt body and coupled to the energy-harvesting device to store energy harvested by the energy-harvesting device;

an electrical device disposed in or on the belt body and powered by energy stored in the energy-storage device;

wherein the energy-harvesting device includes piezoelectric fibers co-injected with the base polymer during molding of the belt body.

2. A conveyor belt as in claim 1 wherein the electrical device includes a sensor making sensor measurements and a transmitter, the transmitter transmitting the sensor measurements remotely.

3. A conveyor belt as in claim 1 wherein the energy-harvesting device harvests energy from belt vibration.

4. A conveyor belt as in claim 1 wherein the energy-harvesting device harvests energy from belt strain.

5. A conveyor belt as in claim 1 further comprising a voltage regulator electrically coupled to the energy-storage device and the sensor to regulate the voltage to the sensor.

6. A method for making an injection-molded conveyor belt module, comprising:

co-injecting piezoelectric fibers with a base polymer into a cavity in a mold for a conveyor belt module with the piezoelectric fibers aligned;

applying heat and pressure to the mold to form a conveyor belt module embedded with the piezoelectric fibers;

attaching electrodes in electrical connection with the piezoelectric fibers.

7. A conveyor belt comprising:

a belt body molded of a base electroactive polymer that generates a voltage when mechanically strained;

an energy-storage device disposed in or on the belt body and electrically connected to the electroactive polymer to store energy harvested by the electroactive polymer;

an electrical device disposed in or on the belt body and powered by energy stored in the energy-storage device.