INDUSTRIAL CONSUMABLES STORAGE AND DETECTION STAND AND METHOD

Abstract

This invention relates generally to a stand for holding industrial consumables, and more specifically to a stand with sensors for detecting the presence or absence of industrial consumables fitted with identification tags and for wirelessly transmitting that information to a computer. Such a stand is used in such industries as construction and mining. In mining, the stand is for holding mining consumables, and more specifically is a stand comprising a wireless transmitter and one or more radio-frequency identification (RFID) readers capable of detecting mining consumables with RFID tags placed on the stand. The invention also relates to a method of monitoring industrial consumables using a stand with a wireless transmitter and at least one RFID reader wherein the industrial consumables have RFID tags, and the presence or absence of industrial consumables is relayed to a computer.

Claims

1. An industrial consumables storage and detection stand for storing industrial consumables and wirelessly detecting the presence of industrial consumables on the stand and conveying the information on the presence or absence of consumables to a computer or smart device.

2. The use of the stand of claim 1 at a mining site or construction site.

3. A stand for supporting and detecting the presence of one or more industrial consumables each affixed with a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, said stand comprising: a. a base frame; b. a storage rack; c. a wireless transmitter; and d. at least one RFID readers.

4. The use of the stand of claim 3 at a mining site or construction site.

5. The stand of claim 3 in which the at least one RFID readers is four RFID readers.

6. A method of determining when industrial consumables need to be replenished in which an Industrial Consumables Storage and Detection Stand stores consumables and wirelessly detects the presence of industrial consumables on the stand and conveys the information on the presence or absence of consumables to one or more computers or smart devices.

7. The method of claim 6 in which the one or more computers or smart devices are located at one or more of an industrial site, industrial company and industrial consumable manufacturer.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0018] These and other aspects of the present invention will be apparent from the brief description of the drawings and the following detailed description in which:

[0019] FIG. 1 is an upper front perspective view of an Industrial Consumables Storage and Detection Stand, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of the Industrial Consumables Storage and Detection Stand for detecting mining consumables.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] The present invention is an Industrial Consumables Storage and Detection Stand for holding, and a method for detecting, industrial consumables for use in industries, such as, mining and construction. The stand has a means for wirelessly detecting the presence of industrial consumables which are fitted with digital data tags, and a wireless transmitter on the stand conveys the presence or absence of the digital data, to a computer or smart device. In an embodiment of the present invention, the stand has an RFID reader to detect the presence (or lack) of individual industrial consumables fitted with RFID tags or smart labels, which consumables may be stored on the stand. In order to remotely monitor the consumables, a wireless transmitter on the stand conveys the digital data receivable at the stand to a computer or smart device in order to monitor the presence or absence of consumables efficiently and accurately. For example, this information can be used: to inform the on-site mining office that a stand needs to be restocked with consumables; to inform a mining company to send more consumables to a mining site; and to directly reorder consumables from their manufacturer.

[0022] An embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 1, in which an Industrial Consumables Storage and Detection Stand 10 for supporting and detecting mining consumables is illustrated. Stand 10 comprises a base and a storage rack. The base is comprised of two parallel long horizontal base beams 30 connected by two parallel short horizontal base beams 40, and this connection may be through welding or other means. Alternatively the base may be a single molded base unit which doesn't tip when industrial consumables are stored on it.

[0023] Stand 10 may also include protective vertical beams at the corners or spaced around the perimeter of the base to protect the Industrial Consumables Storage and Detection Stand if bumped by heavy equipment. The protective vertical beams 50 may also stabilize the Industrial Consumables Storage and Detection Stand.

[0024] In this embodiment, the storage rack is formed by vertical storage rack beams 70 welded or otherwise connected to the short horizontal base beams 40, and horizontal storage rack beams 80 form rails between the vertical storage rack beams 70. Storage prongs 90 jut out from the horizontal storage rack beams 80 and are capable of holding industrial consumables. In this embodiment storage prong tabs 100 help maintain the consumables on storage prongs 90.

[0025] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of the storage rack of FIG. 1, which shows more clearly a wireless transmitter 200 and one of the four RFID readers 300 provided in this embodiment. The wireless transmitter 200 and RFID readers 300 may be affixed to the horizontal storage rack beams 80 with a plurality of hexagonal cap screws.

[0026] In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, mining ripper tips 500 are stored on storage prongs 90. Each of the ripper tips 500 are affixed (by glue, wire or other means) with an RFID tag 600 which is an integrated circuit and antenna. The RFID tag 600 may be magnetically coupled, electrically coupled, multiple frequency. The tags 600 may also be a smart label or any other system for storing digital data capable of being read.

[0027] The RFID readers 300 detect the presence of a tag 600 and send the information wirelessly to the wireless transmitter 200 which sends signals to a computer system or smart device capable of viewing the data. The sensitivity of the RFID readers 300 is set so that they sense consumables on the stand but not consumables being used nearby. The RFID readers 300 have a limited range of a few meters so that when a consumable such as a ripper tip 500 is taken from the stand 10 and used in the field, it will not be sensed.

[0028] In a method for detecting industrial consumables on a stand, the absence of detection of a set number of industrial consumables on the stand sends an alert or prompt to the computer or smart device indicating that further consumables need to be sent to the Industrial Consumables Storage and Detection Stand or mining site, or re-ordered. This provides a real-time consumables count at the mining or construction office on site and/or to a remote location, such as the mining company and/or a manufacturer of the consumables.

[0029] The invention provides for relaying the information on the depletion of consumables to the manufacturer for automated re-ordering and delivery to the site or mining company. This invention allows for setting the parameters of depletion of consumables that triggers alerts to the various parties to ensure sufficient quantities of consumables are available from a Stand 10 at a mining or construction site.

[0030] While embodiments of the invention have been described in the detailed description, the scope of the claims should not be limited by the preferred embodiments set forth in the examples but should be given the broadest interpretation consistent with the description as a whole.