BELT TEAR MONITORING SYSTEM

Abstract

A belt tear monitoring system for a conveyor belt includes an RFID tag embedded in the conveyor belt, and at least two conductor loops which are embedded in the conveyor belt and each closed. One of the at least two conductor loops is arranged within another one of the at least two conductor loops. The at least two conductor loops are short-circuited to one another at a short-circuit location, with the short-circuit location and the RFID tag being arranged in a region of belt edges of the conveyor belt which lie opposite one another in a longitudinal direction of the conveyor belt, and with the at least two conductor loops and the RFID tag being connected to one another in an electrically conductive manner.

Claims

1.-12. (canceled)

13. A belt tear monitoring system for a conveyor belt, said belt tear monitoring system comprising: an RFID tag embedded in the conveyor belt; and at least two conductor loops embedded in the conveyor belt and each being closed, with one of the at least two conductor loops being arranged within another one of the at least two conductor loops, said at least two conductor loops being short-circuited to one another at a short-circuit location, with the short-circuit location and the RFID tag being arranged in a region of belt edges of the conveyor belt which lie opposite one another in a longitudinal direction of the conveyor belt, and with the at least two conductor loops and the RFID tag being connected to one another in an electrically conductive manner.

14. The belt tear monitoring system of claim 13, further comprising a short-circuit element configured to short-circuit the at least two conductor loops.

15. The belt tear monitoring system of claim 13, wherein the at least two conductor loops lie within one another.

16. The belt tear monitoring system of claim 13, wherein the at least two conductor loops include each two transverse sections which extend transversely to the longitudinal direction of the conveyor belt over a substantial part of a width of the conveyor belt.

17. The belt tear monitoring system of claim 13, wherein the at least two conductor loops include each two length sections which extend in the longitudinal direction of the conveyor belt.

18. The belt tear monitoring system of claim 17, wherein the at least two conductor loops are short-circuited between two of the length sections arranged adjacent to one another.

19. The belt tear monitoring system of claim 17, wherein the RFID tag is connected between two of the length sections arranged adjacent to one another.

20. The belt tear monitoring system of claim 13, wherein the at least two conductor loops include each a conductor defined by a diameter of 1.0 mm to 3.0 mm+/−10%.

21. The belt tear monitoring system of claim 13, wherein the at least two conductor loops include each a conductor defined by a diameter of 1.5 mm to 2.5 mm+/−10%.

22. The belt tear monitoring system of claim 13, wherein the at least two conductor loops include each a conductor defined by a diameter of 2.0 mm+/−10%.

23. The belt tear monitoring system of claim 13, wherein the RFID tag is electrically conductively connected to the at least two conductor loops via connecting conductors, said connecting conductors each being defined by a diameter of 0.05 mm to 0.2 mm+/−10%.

24. The belt tear monitoring system of claim 13, wherein the RFID tag is electrically conductively connected to the at least two conductor loops via connecting conductors, said connecting conductors each being defined by a diameter of 0.1 mm+/−10%.

25. The belt tear monitoring system of claim 13, further comprising a transmitter and a receiver which are operably connected to the at least two conductor loops.

26. The belt tear monitoring system of claim 13, further comprising a transmitting and receiving unit operably connected to the RFID tag.

27. The belt tear monitoring system of claim 13, further comprising a display and control unit operably connected to the at least two conductor loops.

Description

[0038] The invention is explained below with reference to drawings. It is shown in:

[0039] FIG. 1 a technically schematic front view of a conveyor facility with a conveyor belt and a belt tear monitoring system;

[0040] FIG. 2 a plan view of a portion of the conveyor belt with the belt tear monitoring system;

[0041] FIG. 3 the conductor loops of the belt tear monitoring system in undamaged state:

[0042] FIGS. 4 to 7 four different fault states in the conductor loops of the belt tear monitoring system.

[0043] The basic structure of a belt tear monitoring system 1 according to the invention for a conveyor belt 2 is illustrated and explained with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

[0044] The belt tear monitoring system 1 includes two conductor loops 3, 4 which are embedded in the conveyor belt 2 and closed respectively, and an RFID tag 5 which is embedded in the conveyor belt 2.

[0045] The conductor loops 3, 4 lie within one another and are positioned at slight distance from one another. Both, the outer conductor loop 3 and the inner conductor loop 4 have two transverse sections 6, 7 or 8, 9, which extend transversely to the longitudinal direction L of the conveyor belt 2 over the substantial part of the width B of the conveyor belt 2. Furthermore, each conductor loop 3, 4 has two longitudinal sections 10, 11 or 12, 13 which extend in longitudinal direction L of the conveyor belt 2. The conductor loops 3, 4 are each formed from a conductor 14 or conductor wire, which has a diameter of 1 to 3 mm, in particular 2 mm.

[0046] The conductor loops 3, 4 are short-circuited to one another at a short-circuit location 15 and are directly electrically conductively connected. This is realized via a short-circuit element 16 in the form of an electrically conductive bridge. In FIGS. 2 to 6, the short-circuit locations 15 are additionally characterized by the zigzag arrow (flash )

[0047] The RFID tag 5 is also electrically connected to the conductor loops 3, 4, so that the conductor loops 3, 4 are connected to one another via the RFID tag 5 and form an electric circuit. For this purpose, the RFID tag 5 is connected to the conductor loops 3, 4 via an input 17 and an output 18 with a connecting line in each case.

[0048] The short-circuit location 15 lies in the border-side region of a first belt edge 19 of the conveyor belt 2. The RFID tag 5 is arranged in the region of the second belt edge 20 which is opposite in longitudinal direction L of the conveyor belt 2. The short-circuit location 15 and the RFID tag 5 consequently lie on different sides of the conveyor belt 2 and far apart from one another in relation to the width B of the conveyor belt 2.

[0049] The short-circuit location 15 is provided between the two longitudinal sections 10, 12 arranged adjacent to one another in the region of the first belt edge 19 and the conductor loops 3, 4 are short-circuited here. The RFID tag 5 is electrically conductively connected between the two length sections 11, 13 arranged adjacent to one another in the region of the second belt edge 20. The connecting lines, via which the RFID tag 5 is electrically conductively connected to the conductor loops 3, 4, have a diameter of 0.05 mm to 0.2 mm, in particular of approx. 0.1 mm.

[0050] A transmitter 21 and a receiver 22 are associated to the conductor loops 3, 4 and are positioned at a distance underneath the conveyor belt 2. An electromagnetic signal is transmitted via the transmitter 21 to the conveyor belt 2 and is received by the conductor loops 3, 4. When the conductor loop 3, 4 is intact, this induces a signal in the receiver 22, so that a proper state of the conductor loops 3, 4 and thus of the conveyor belt 2 is detected via a downstream or associated display and control unit 23. When the current flow in a conductor loop 3, 4 or a current path of the conductor loop 3, 4 is interrupted by a tear or damage, no signal is detected in the receiver 22 and the damage to the conductor loop 3, 4 is detected.

[0051] A transmitting and receiving unit 24 is associated to the RFID tag 5 and arranged in the illustrative exemplary embodiment illustrated here next to the transmitter 21 for the conductor loops 3, 4 in relation to the width B of the conveyor belt 2. It is to be understood that in practice the arrangement of transmitter 21 and transmitting and receiving unit 24 can also be realized behind one another in longitudinal direction L.

[0052] The RFID tag 5 does not have its own power supply and is passive outside the area of the antenna of the transmitting and receiving unit 24. When the RFID tag 5 enters the transmitting region of the antenna of the transmitting and receiving unit 24, it is activated by the radiated energy of the transmitter part and transmits the information located in its data memory to the receiver part, of the transmitting and receiving unit 24 is.

[0053] The downstream computer of the display and control unit 23 has a list of all transponder codings and recognizes the absence of a signal, so that the conveyor belt 2 can be stopped as a function of the error detection and evaluation.

[0054] The conductor loops 3, 4 which are short-circuited at the short-circuit location 15 and are connected via the RFID tag 5 provide alternative current paths for a signal. Depending on the damage detection and evaluation, the operation of the conveyor belt 2 can be maintained or the facility can be shut down.

[0055] Various damages to the conductor loops 3, 4 with an evaluation of the damage pattern and the reactions resulting therefrom are explained with reference to FIGS. 4 to 7.

[0056] In the illustration of FIG. 4, the transverse section 6 of the conductor loop 3 is interrupted. This can be caused by a breaking spot in the conductor wire. Otherwise, the conveyor belt 2 is not damaged.

[0057] The inner conductor loop 4 is intact. Also, a signal transmission from the output 18 of the RFID tag 5 to the input 17 of the RFID tag 5 is established via the conductor loop 3 or the lower path via the transverse section 9 and the transverse section 7 of the conductor loop 3. The current path or signal line is illustrated in FIG. 4 by the arrows P1.

[0058] The belt tear monitoring system 1 concludes that the conveyor belt 2 is in order and no longitudinal tear is present. The proper state is indicated in FIG. 4 by the abbreviation i.O. A shutdown of the conveyor facility is not necessary.

[0059] In the case of the damage pattern shown in FIG. 5, the transverse section 6 of the conductor loop 3 and the transverse section 9 of the conductor loop 4 are interrupted. The conductor-loop-induced signal is absent. Conventionally, this would result in stoppage of the conveyor belt 2. However, since a signal transmission is established via the RFID-tag 5-based loop system, this being realized via the length sections 13, 12 and the transverse sections 8 and 7 and the short-circuit location 15 as identified by the arrows P2, the belt-tear monitoring system 1 detects damage to the affected conductor loops 3 and 4, but still does not evaluate this state as a longitudinal tear, so that the facility can continue to be operated properly (i.O.).

[0060] In the illustration of FIG. 6, the two conductor loops 3 and 4 are severed in the region of their transverse sections 6, 8. Proper signal transmission is established via the transverse sections 7 and 9. The current path from the RFID tag 5 via the transverse section 9 and the short-circuit location 15 as well as the transverse section 7 back to the RFID tag 5 is illustrated by the arrows P3. This damage pattern is also classified as correct (i.O.) and is not being assessed as a longitudinal tear. The conveyor belt 2 can continue to be operated.

[0061] A serious damage to the conveyor belt 2 in which the two conductor loops 3, 4 are severed both in the transverse sections 6 and 8 and in the transverse sections 7 and 9 is shown in FIG. 7. A current flow or signal transmission via one of the conductor loops 3, 4 is not possible. Consequently, the detection signal via the conductor-loop-based slit detection as well as via the RFID tag 5-based slit detection is absent. This is classified as serious damage with a longitudinal tear and the facility is shut down.

[0062] A belt travel detection device 25 is provided to assess at which point a particular part of the conveyor belt 2 is located within the conveyor facility and includes a displacement sensor 26 for measuring the distance between pulse generators in the conveyor belt 2 and a reference point. In cooperation with the display and control unit 23 and evaluation or localization of the damaged conductor loops 3, 4, a position determination of damage to the conveyor belt 2 can be carried out.

REFERENCE SIGNS

[0063] 1—belt tear monitoring system [0064] 2—conveyor belt [0065] 3—conductor loop [0066] 4—conductor loop [0067] 5—RFID tag [0068] 6—transverse section [0069] 7—transverse section [0070] 8—transverse section [0071] 9—transverse section [0072] 10—length section [0073] 11—length section [0074] 12—length section [0075] 13—length section [0076] 14—conductor [0077] 15—short-circuit location [0078] 16—short-circuit element [0079] 17—input of 5 [0080] 18—output of 5 [0081] 19—first belt edge [0082] 20—second belt edge [0083] 21—transmitter [0084] 22—receiver [0085] 23—display and control unit [0086] 24—transmitting and receiving unit [0087] 25—belt travel detection device [0088] 26—displacement sensor [0089] B—width of 2 [0090] L—longitudinal direction of 2 [0091] P1—arrow [0092] P2—arrow [0093] P3—arrow