Device for determining the elongation of a chain and associated conveyor chain and method
The method and apparatus for monitoring conveyor chain elongation using sensor-based passage time detection address the inefficiency of physical measurement by enabling continuous wear prediction, reducing failure risks and improving productivity.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- DE102024200675
- Authority / Receiving Office
- DE · DE
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-01-25
- Publication Date
- 2025-07-31
AI Technical Summary
Conventional methods for determining conveyor chain elongation require shutting down the conveyor to physically measure the distance between chain pins, leading to reduced productivity and inefficiency.
A method and apparatus for monitoring conveyor chain elongation by detecting the passage times of target elements using sensors, allowing continuous determination of chain wear without stopping the conveyor, using magnetic or reflective technology with Hall-effect sensors to calculate elongation based on passage durations.
Enables automated, continuous prediction of chain wear, reducing the risk of failure and breakage by scheduling maintenance without shutdowns, enhancing operational safety and efficiency.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Claims
[1] Method for determining the elongation of a chain (6) of a conveyor chain (1), comprising: • during an initialization step following the arrangement of the chain (6) in the conveyor (1), when the chain is driven by drive means (7) of the conveyor chain at a predetermined speed: - detecting a first time of passage of a first target element (9) arranged at a first end of a first chain pin (10) of the chain (6) in front of a sensor (13), - detecting a second time of passage of a second target element (11) arranged at a first end of a second chain pin (12) of the chain (6) in front of the sensor (13), - Determining the duration between the first passage time and the second passage time, wherein the duration is a reference duration, • during a carrying step following the initialization step, wherein the conveyor chain (1) carries material at the predetermined speed: - detecting a third time point of passage of the first target element (9) in front of the sensor (13), - detecting a fourth time point of passage of the second target element (11) in front of the sensor (13), - determining the duration between the third transit time and the fourth transit time, wherein the duration is a first duration, and • Determine the value of the elongation of the chain (6) from the first duration and the reference duration. [2] Method according to claim 1, wherein the conveyor chain (1) does not carry any material during the initialization step. [3] Method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first chain pin (9) and the second chain pin (12) are immediately adjacent. [4] Method according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the value VE of the elongation of the chain (6) is equal to: VE=D1−DrefDref where D1 is the first duration and Dref is the reference duration. [5] Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the method comprises, when the determined value of the elongation of the chain (6) is equal to at least a predetermined warning value of the elongation of the chain, providing a warning signal to warn of possible failures of the conveyor chain (1). [6] Method according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the first target element (9) comprises a first magnetic insert, the second target element (11) comprises a second magnetic insert and the sensor (13) is a Hall effect sensor. [7] Method according to claim 6, wherein the first magnetic insert (9) comprises a through-hole (200), wherein a screw (22) passes through the through-hole (200) of the first magnetic insert (9) and engages in a conical hole (210) of the first end of the first chain pin (10), and wherein the second magnetic insert comprises a through-hole, wherein a screw passes through the through-hole of the second magnetic insert and engages in a conical hole of the first end of the second chain pin. [8] Device (8) for determining the elongation of a chain (6) of a conveyor chain (1), the device comprising: - a first target element (9) which is designed to be arranged at a first end of a first chain pin (10) of the chain (6), - a second target element (11) which is designed to be arranged at a first end of a second chain pin (12) of the chain (6), - a sensor (13) designed to detect the passage of the first target element (9) and the second target element (11) when the chain (6) is driven by drive means (7) of the conveyor chain (1), - first determination means (15) designed to determine a reference duration between a first time of passage of the first target element (9) in front of the sensor (13) and a second time of passage of the second target element (11) in front of the sensor (13) and a first duration between a third time of passage of the first target element (9) in front of the sensor (13) and a fourth time of passage of the second target element (11) in front of the sensor (13), and - second determining means (16) designed to determine the value of the elongation of the chain (6) from the first duration and the reference duration determined by the first determining means (15). [9] Device according to claim 7, further comprising warning means (17) adapted to emit a warning signal to warn of possible failures of the conveyor chain (1) when the determined value of the elongation of the chain (6) is equal to at least one predetermined warning value of the elongation of the chain (6). [10] Conveyor chain (1) comprising a chain (6) with a plurality of chain pins (10, 12) and a device (8) according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the first target element (9) is arranged at a first end of a first chain pin (10) of the plurality of chain pins (10, 12) and the second target element is arranged at a first end of a second chain pin (12) of the plurality of chain pins (10, 12).