Sensor for detecting damage to an object

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9372209-B2
Application number	US-201213641242-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 24, 2012
Priority date	Apr 24, 2012
Publication date	Jun 21, 2016
Grant date	Jun 21, 2016

Abstract

A sensor for detecting damage to an object may include a housing, a first coating provided on a surface of a first end of the housing, and a second coating provided on a surface of a second end of the housing opposing the first end. The first coating may be configured to be exposed to an environment in which the object is placed, while the second coating may be configured to be hermitically sealed. The sensor may further include a plurality of electrodes placed in the housing connected to the first end and the second end so as to measure an electrical signal generated therebetween.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A sensor for detecting damage to an object, the sensor comprising:
a housing;
a first coating provided on a surface of a first end of the housing and configured to be exposed to an environment in which the object is placed;
a second coating hermetically sealed and provided on a surface of a second end of the housing opposing the first end; and
a plurality of electrodes placed in the housing and electrically connected to the first coating and the second coating, the plurality of electrodes configured to measure an electrical signal generated between the first coating and the second coating, wherein the electrical signal is indicative of a change in an electrical characteristic of the first coating as compared to the second coating.

2. The sensor of claim 1 , wherein the first coating is made of an ionic-conductive material, and the second coating is made of an ionic-conductive material.

3. The sensor of claim 2 , wherein the first coating and the second coating are made of the same material.

4. The sensor of claim 2 , wherein the ionic-conductive material used to make each of the first coating and the second coating comprises an electrolyte comprising a lithium salt and polyethylene oxide.

5. The sensor of claim 1 , wherein the first coating and the second coating comprise a polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) resin containing carbon nanotubes therein.

6. The sensor of claim 1 , further comprising a cover arranged at the second end and configured to hermetically seal the second coating.

7. The sensor of claim 1 , further comprising a Wheatstone bridge circuit electrically connected to the plurality of electrodes.

8. The sensor of claim 1 , further comprising a transmitter configured to transmit the electrical signal for analysis.

9. The sensor of claim 8 , wherein the transmitter is a passive RFID transmitter.

10. A system for detecting damage to an object, the system comprising:
one or more sensors having a first coating on a first end of each housing of the sensors, a second coating hermetically sealed on a second end of the housing opposing the first end, and a plurality of electrodes placed in the housing and electrically connected to the first coating and the second coating, the plurality of electrodes configured to measure an electrical signal generated between the first coating and the second coating, wherein the electrical signal is indicative of a change in an electrical characteristic of the first coating as compared to the second coating,
wherein the one or more sensors are placed in a part of a wall of the object and the first coating is configured to be exposed to an environment in which the object is placed,
wherein at least one transmitter is operatively connected to the plurality of electrodes to transmit the electrical signals for analysis, and
wherein a computer is operatively connected to the transmitter to receive the electrical signals and configured to analyze the electrical signals with reference data to detect the damage to the object.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first coating is made of an ionic-conductive material, and the second coating is made of an ionic-conductive material.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first coating and the second coating are made of the same material.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the ionic-conductive material used to make each of the first coating and the second coating comprises an electrolyte comprising a lithium salt and polyethylene oxide.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first coating and the second coating of each of the one or more sensors comprise a polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) resin containing carbon nanotubes therein.

15. The system of claim 10 , wherein each of the one or more sensors includes a Wheatstone bridge circuit electrically connected to the plurality of electrodes.

16. The system of claim 10 , wherein the one or more sensors are placed in a grid.

17. The system of claim 10 , wherein each of the one or more sensors includes a memory to store an identifier, wherein the computer manages placement information assigned to each of the identifiers, the placement information indicating where each sensor is placed in the wall.

18. The system of claim 10 , wherein the at least one transmitter is a passive RFID transmitter.

19. The system of claim 10 , wherein the object is at least one selected from the group consisting of a construction, a container, and a package.

20. A method for manufacturing a sensor, the method comprising:
providing a housing;
placing a plurality of electrodes on a surface of the housing;
applying a first coating on a first end of the housing such that at least a first portion of the plurality of electrodes are electrically connected to the first coating;
applying a second coating on a second end of the housing opposing the first end such that at least a second portion of the plurality of electrodes are electrically connected to the second coating; and
sealing the second coating hermetically,
wherein the plurality of electrodes are configured to measure an electrical signal generated between the first coating and the second coating, and
wherein the electrical signal is indicative of a change to an electrical characteristic of the first coating as compared to the second coating.

21. The method of claim 20 , further comprising connecting a transmitter to the plurality of electrodes, the transmitter being configured to transmit the electrical signal generated therebetween.

22. The method of claim 20 , wherein the sealing of the second coating includes attaching a cover to the second end of the housing.

23. A method for detecting damage to an object, the method comprising:
providing one or more sensors having a first coating on a first end of each housing of the one or more sensors configured to be exposed to an environment in which the object is exposed, a second coating hermetically sealed on a second end of the housing opposing the first end, and a plurality of electrodes placed in the housing and electrically connected to the first coating and the second coating to measure an electrical signal generated between the first coating and the second coating, wherein the electrical signal is indicative of a change to an electrical characteristic of the first coating as compared to the second coating;
placing the one or more sensors in a part of a wall of the object;
measuring the electrical signals; and
comparing the electrical signals to reference data.

24. The method of claim 23 , further comprising transmitting the measured electrical signals to a computer, wherein the computer performs the comparison for analysis.

25. The method of claim 23 , further comprising identifying a position at which the object is damaged based on results of the comparison.

26. The method of claim 23 , wherein the object is at least one selected from the group consisting of a construction, a container, and a package.

Assignees

• Iwamoto Takashi
• Empire Technology Dev Llc

Inventors

• Iwamoto Takashi

Classifications

• G01N17/04 Primary

  Corrosion probes · CPC title

• Y10T29/49117

  Conductor or circuit manufacturing · CPC title

• G01R19/00 Primary

  Arrangements for measuring currents or voltages or for indicating presence or sign thereof (G01R5/00 takes precedence; for measuring bioelectric currents or voltages A61B5/24) · CPC title

• G01R3/00

  Apparatus or processes specially adapted for the manufacture {or maintenance} of measuring instruments {, e.g. of probe tips} · CPC title