Systems and methods for sensing wear of reducing elements of a material reducing machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10947678-B2
Application number	US-201916527672-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 31, 2019
Priority date	Dec 12, 2012
Publication date	Mar 16, 2021
Grant date	Mar 16, 2021

Abstract

The present disclosure relates generally to systems and methods for sensing wear in machines designed to reduce or break-down material. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to systems and methods for sensing wear of reducing elements used by excavation machines such as surface excavation machines. The present disclosure relates to a wear sensing system including a multi-level wear sensor protection system. The multi-level wear sensor protection system includes a first level of protection, a second level of protection, and a third level of protection.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wear sensing system comprising:
sensors;
a multi-level wear sensor protection system, the multi-level wear sensor protection system including a first level of protection, a second level of protection, and a third level of protection;
wherein the first level of protection includes an initial barrier layer, the initial barrier layer comprising a plurality of sheet segments;
wherein the second level of protection includes a side-by-side arrangement of trays positioned behind the initial barrier layer, the trays are configured to absorb impacts that are transmitted through the initial barrier layer to prevent the impacts from impacting upon the sensors; and
wherein the third level of protection includes a relief structure for accommodating impacts that are transmitted through both the initial barrier layer and the trays, the relief structure is positioned behind the trays for accommodating movement of the trays in response to an impact that passes through the initial barrier layer and the trays, the relief structure being an impact absorption structure that includes a base and legs configured to bend and flex while biasing the trays toward a sensing position.

2. The wear sensing system of claim 1 , wherein the relief structure includes a structure that in-elastically deforms in response to an impact.

3. The wear sensing system of claim 1 , wherein the relief structure includes an elastic structure that biases the trays towards a sensing position and allows the trays to move away from a reducing component in response to the impact.

4. The material reducing machine of claim 1 , wherein the trays hold inductive sensors and each tray has an open front face that does not cover a major face of its corresponding sensor.

Assignees

• Vermeer Mfg Co

Inventors

• Stock Joseph D
• Hartwick Ty
• Franz Robert D

Classifications

• E02F3/20 Primary

  with tools that only loosen the material {, i.e. mill-type wheels} · CPC title

• E02F5/145 Primary

  control and indicating devices · CPC title

• E02F9/264

  Sensors and their calibration for indicating the position of the work tool · CPC title

• E02F9/267

  Diagnosing or detecting failure of vehicles · CPC title

• E02F9/2866

  for rotating digging elements (for milling machines B28D1/186; for mining machines E21C35/18) · CPC title