Energy-harvesting conveyor belts and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10399780-B2
Application number	US-201715400384-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 6, 2017
Priority date	Nov 22, 2010
Publication date	Sep 3, 2019
Grant date	Sep 3, 2019

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.

First claim

What is claimed is:

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 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.

Assignees

• Laitram Llc

Inventors

• Depaso Joseph M

Classifications

• H02N2/188

  adapted for resonant operation · CPC title

• B65G43/00

  Control devices, e.g. for safety, warning or fault-correcting · CPC title

• H02N2/181

  Circuits; Control arrangements or methods · CPC title

• G01D11/245

  Housings for sensors · CPC title

• B29D29/06 Primary

  Conveyor belts · CPC title