Conveyor Belt Cleaner Blade Wear Monitoring System

Abstract

Systems and devices are provided for monitoring one or more characteristics of a scraper blade of a belt cleaner system. The systems and devices may be configured to monitor the amount of wear on the scraper blade. The systems and devices may include a self-contained wear monitoring unit including one or more sensors for detecting wear on the scraper blade. The sensor may be a wear sensor including one or more conductive wear indicators on a circuit board. The circuit board is positioned and adapted to wear along with the scraper blade due to rubbing against the conveyor belt, such that as the scraper blade wears, portions of the conductive wear indicators located on the circuit board also wear. The wear monitoring unit may be configured to be retrofitted to an existing scraper blade without modifying the scraper blade.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] (CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS)

[0001] This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 400,224, filed August 23, 2022, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 452,616, filed March 16, 2023, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0002]

[0002] The present disclosure relates to devices and systems for monitoring components of conveyor systems, and more particularly to conveyor belt cleaner blade wear monitoring devices and systems. [Background technology]

[0003]

[0003] Conveyor systems are utilized to transport materials or objects from one location to another. Depending on the material being transported and the ambient conditions around the conveyor belt, material may undesirably adhere to the belt. Material can be removed from the belt in a number of ways, including, but not limited to, the use of belt cleaners.

[0004]

[0004] During operation, a belt cleaner device cleans the belt in place by a scraping action against the belt. Belt cleaner devices typically include one or more cleaner blades. The cleaner blades may have scrapers or tips that are biased into engagement with the belt surface, typically on the belt's return path (in the case of a secondary belt cleaner) or at the head pulley (in the case of a primary belt cleaner). In either type of belt cleaner, the scraper blades are typically mounted on and operably supported by elongated poles that extend laterally below the belt to the frame structure of the conveyor system on each side of the belt. In this regard, each end of the pole may be mounted to a biasing unit fixed to the frame structure to provide an upward and / or rotational biasing force for engaging the scraper blade with the belt surface.

[0005]

[0005] Scraper blades are typically biased into engagement with the belt and can resiliently move away from the belt when they encounter a surface irregularity on the belt, for example, due to a metal joint extending on the belt passing over the scraper blade during conveyor belt operation. Over time, the scraper blades wear from friction and collision with the belt and are no longer able to efficiently or effectively scrape material from the conveyor belt.

[0006] Due to the location of the scraper blades where they contact the belt, and for secondary belt cleaners positioned directly below the conveyor belt where they contact the return pass of the conveyor belt, it can be difficult to visually monitor the amount of wear on the scraper blades. Furthermore, it is not always possible or feasible to stop belt operation to safely view the condition of the scraper blades. Therefore, it is desirable to be able to monitor the condition of one or more scraper blades in a belt cleaner device without having to rely solely on visual inspection. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1]

[0007] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary belt cleaner system showing multiple cleaning blades mounted on a support pole assembly for urging them into engagement with a conveyor belt. [Figure 2]

[0008] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a modular cleaning unit used in the belt cleaner system of FIG. 1, including a scraper blade, a wear monitoring unit mounted downstream of the scraper blade, and a scraper blade mount, the scraper blade mount including an inclined spring plate member for biasing the scraper blade into engagement with the conveyor belt. [Figure 3]

[0009] 3 is a perspective view of the modular cleaning unit of FIG. 2 showing the downstream side of the ribbed housing of the wear monitoring unit. [Figure 4]

[0010] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the scraper blade and wear monitoring unit taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 2, showing the wear monitoring control circuit board located in a protective pocket between the wear monitoring unit housing, the scraper blade, and the tilting spring plate member. [Figure 5]

[0011] 5 is a perspective view of the upstream side of the wear monitoring unit shown in FIGS. 2-4, including a wear sensor assembly including a wear sensor circuit board and a wear monitoring control circuit board. FIG. [Figure 6]

[0012] FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the wear monitoring unit shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, showing components including a wear monitoring unit housing, a wear sensor circuit board, adhesive tape for mounting the wear sensor circuit board to the housing, a wear monitoring control circuit board, and a ribbon connector for connecting the wear sensor circuit board and the wear monitoring control circuit board. [Figure 7]

[0013] FIG. 7 is a front view of the conductive layer of the wear monitoring sensor of the wear monitoring unit shown in FIGS. 2 through 6, showing multiple conductive wear indicator loop circuits formed with conductive lines extending from the wear sensor circuit board to the wear monitoring control circuit board via a ribbon connector. [Figure 8]

[0014] FIG. 1 is a front view of the control circuit board, showing components including the processor, communication module, battery, and LEDs. [Figure 9]

[0015] 20 is a perspective view of a conveyor belt system showing primary and secondary conveyor belt cleaners each having associated sensor modules configured to transmit signals related to characteristics of auxiliary devices of the conveyor belt system, the characteristics including wear of scraper blades of the conveyor belt cleaner system sent to the associated sensor modules by the wear monitoring unit of FIGS. 2 to 8, 13 to 14, or 15 to 21; [Figure 10]

[0016] FIG. 22 is a front view of a sensor module mounted on a support pole of a belt cleaner of a conveyor belt cleaner system for monitoring one or more auxiliary devices, including scraper blades of the conveyor belt cleaner system, via communication with the wear monitoring unit of FIGS. 2 to 8, 13 to 14, or 15 to 21. [Figure 11]

[0017] FIG. 11 is a block diagram of the sensor and control circuit of the sensor module of FIG. [Figure 12]

[0018] FIG. 10 is a network diagram illustrating wireless communication of sensor modules including a scraper blade wear monitoring system and a conveyor monitoring system via a wireless gateway and cloud storage, and further via a second cloud computing system for providing additional parameters to the control system. [Figure 13]

[0019] 1. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another modular cleaning unit including a scraper blade, a wear monitoring unit mounted downstream of the scraper blade, and a scraper blade mount for use in the belt cleaner system of FIG. [Figure 14]

[0020] 14 is a perspective view of the modular cleaning unit of FIG. 13 showing the downstream side of the ribbed housing of the wear monitoring unit. [Figure 15]

[0021] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of another exemplary belt cleaner system showing multiple cleaning blade assemblies operably mounted on a support pole for urging into engagement with a conveyor belt traveling around a head pulley, with wear monitoring units mounted on the two central cleaning blades. [Figure 16]

[0022] FIG. 16 is a perspective view of another modular cleaning unit for use in the belt cleaner system of FIG. 15, including a scraper blade, a wear monitoring unit mounted downstream of the scraper blade, and a scraper blade mount, the scraper blade mount including a suspension arm member for resiliently maintaining the scraper blade in engagement with the conveyor belt. [Figure 17]

[0023] FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the modular cleaning unit of FIG. 16, showing a wear monitoring unit mounting bracket attached to the outward-facing side of the upper blade mounting portion of the suspension arm member for mounting the wear monitoring unit, and a scraper blade attached to the inner, belt-facing side of the upper blade mounting portion. [Figure 18]

[0024] FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view of the scraper blade and wear monitoring unit taken along line 18-18 in FIG. 16, showing a protective pocket within the wear monitoring unit housing for the wear monitoring control circuit board, formed by the wear monitoring unit housing, the scraper blade, and the protective sleeve member. [Figure 19]

[0025] FIG. 19 is an exploded perspective view of the wear monitoring unit shown in FIGS. 16 to 18, showing components including the wear monitoring unit housing, the wear sensor circuit board, the protective sleeve member, the wear monitoring unit mounting bracket, the scraper blade including a carbide tip, and the suspension arm member. [Figure 20]

[0026] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the wear monitoring unit housing and wear sensor circuit board, showing multiple extensions extending laterally from the long sides of the wear sensor circuit and corresponding openings in the wear sensor mounting portion of the wear monitoring housing for receiving each of the wear sensor circuit board extensions. [Figure 21]

[0027] 1 shows a perspective view of a wear monitoring unit housing and a wear sensor circuit board, showing the wear sensor circuit board mounted to the wear monitoring unit housing with a plurality of extensions passing through corresponding openings in the wear monitoring housing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008]

[0028] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a system and apparatus are provided for monitoring one or more characteristics of a scraper blade of a belt cleaner system. In one preferred form, the system and apparatus are configured to monitor the amount of wear on the scraper blade. The system and apparatus may include a self-contained wear monitoring unit including one or more sensors for detecting wear on the scraper blade. In one form, the sensor may be a wear sensor including one or more conductive wear indicators on a circuit board. The circuit board is positioned and adapted to rub against the conveyor belt and wear along with the scraper blade, such that as the scraper blade wears, portions of the conductive wear indicators located on the circuit board also wear. Advantageously, the wear monitoring unit may be configured to be a retrofit to an existing scraper blade without any modification to the scraper blade.

[0009]

[0029] The wear monitoring unit associated with the conveyor belt scraper blade can be in operative communication with and monitored by a multipurpose conveyor monitoring system, such as the various systems disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 10,836,585, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety as if reproduced herein. The multipurpose conveyor monitoring system monitors other sensors associated with the auxiliary devices of the conveyor system, such as the belt cleaner system and associated scraper blades, splices and splice fasteners, idler rollers, trackers, and / or impact beds, and the conveyor belt and its operation. One or more sensors can be associated with the auxiliary device in numerous ways, such as being integrated with the auxiliary device, mounted on or adjacent to the auxiliary device, attached to a support structure for the auxiliary device, and / or mounted to a frame member of a structure supporting the conveyor belt proximate the auxiliary device.

[0010]

[0030] An auxiliary device may include parts with a relatively short expected lifespan, such as target wear or replaceable parts, and parts with a relatively long expected lifespan, or permanent parts. Permanent parts, referred to herein as "permanent," may deteriorate over time and can be replaced. Permanent parts have a long expected lifespan and are designed to outlast "replaceable parts." For example, replaceable parts of a belt cleaner would be wear parts such as the scraping blades and scraper tips of the belt cleaner, while permanent parts of the belt cleaner would be elongated, rigid mounting structures such as the elongated base members or support poles of the belt cleaner. As another example, a permanent part could be part of the frame of a conveyor system to which the auxiliary device is mounted.

[0011]

[0031] An exemplary belt cleaner apparatus or system 10 is shown in Figure 1. The belt cleaner system 10 uses multiple scraper blades 22 arranged in a side-by-side orientation to extend across the width of the conveyor belt 20 to be cleaned and aligned in a transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal downstream direction of travel 24 of the belt 20. As used herein, and as understood by those skilled in the art, the terms "downstream" or "downstream side" generally refer to a surface of a component that at least partially faces generally in the same direction as the downstream direction of travel 24 (or the radial direction of travel 624 in the belt cleaner system 610 shown in Figure 15), or to the location of a component that is located farther along the downstream direction of travel 24 (or the radial direction of travel 624) than another component, such as the scraping edge of a scraper blade. Conversely, the terms "upstream" or "upstream side" generally refer to a surface of a component that faces at least partially in a direction generally opposite the downstream direction of travel 24 (or radial direction of travel 624), or a location of a component that is located further along a direction generally opposite the downstream direction of travel 24 (or radial direction of travel 624) than another component, such as the scraping edge of a scraper blade 22. Each scraper blade 22 is attached to a blade mount member 18 that resiliently maintains the blade 22 in engagement with the belt 20. Each scraper blade 22 and blade mount member 18 is part of a modular cleaning unit 26. Each modular cleaning unit 26 is mounted to the elongated support assembly 16 to support the modular cleaning unit 26 with the scraper blade 22 in contact with the belt 20. Each cleaning unit 26 is modular in that it is substantially identical to and interchangeable with other modular cleaning units 26 and is configured to be used together when mounted on the elongated support assembly 16. An elongated support or support assembly 16 is mounted laterally below the return path of the belt 20 and is attached to a support frame 220 of the conveyor system 200 via resilient mounts on either side, such as spring tensioners 14 (see FIG. 9).The elongated support or support assembly 16 in the illustrated embodiment includes opposed pole members 28 between which is mounted an elongated right-angle bracket 30. The modular cleaning unit 26 is secured to the upper, horizontally extending leg of the right-angle bracket 30 by bolting a U-shaped base bracket 32 ​​of the cleaning unit 26.

[0012]

[0032] 2 and 3, a modular cleaning unit 26 is shown including a scraper blade 22 and a sensor module in the form of a wear monitoring unit 100 mounted downstream of the blade mount member 18. The scraper blade 22 includes a main blade body 38 and a plurality of blade tips 40 made of a material harder than the blade body 38, such as tungsten carbide. The blade tips 40 are mounted within transverse elongated grooves 42 formed in the top portion of the main blade body 38 such that thin upstream and downstream extensions of the main blade body 38 are positioned to engage with the respective elongated sides of the blade tips 40.

[0013]

[0033] The scraper blade 22 is secured to the upstream side of the blade mount member 18 by a bolt 34. The blade mount member 18 is resilient, has a curved configuration, and is mounted to a torsional biasing mechanism 44 such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,093,706, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. The torsional biasing mechanism 44 includes a generally U-shaped base bracket 32 ​​adapted to be fastened to the elongated support assembly 16 via a bolt 46. Thus, the cleaner blade 22 is secured directly to a first resilient mount in the form of the blade mount member 18, and a second resilient mount in the form of the torsional biasing mechanism 44 is secured to the elongated support assembly 16.

[0014]

[0034] The wear monitoring unit 100 includes a housing 102. The housing 102 is adapted to be connected to the exterior of the scraper blade 22, more specifically, to the downstream side of the scraper blade 22, preferably by fastening it to the downstream side of the blade mount 18 with the same bolts 34 used to fasten the scraper blade to the blade mount member, so that the existing modular cleaning unit 26 does not need to be reconfigured to mount the wear monitoring unit 100. Thus, when nuts 36 are tightened onto the protruding ends 35 of the threaded shafts of the bolts 34, the upwardly facing portion 19 of the blade mount member 18 is clamped between the main blade body 38 of the scraper blade 22 and the housing 102 of the wear monitoring unit 100. Due to the downstream mounting location of the wear monitoring unit 100, the wear monitoring unit 100 is substantially protected from material scraped off the belt 20 by the scraper blade 22. The housing 102 has a lateral width perpendicular to the downstream travel direction 24 approximately equal to the width of the scraper blade 22 and includes an upper wear portion 106 having an upper edge 107. The upper edge 107 is vertically aligned so as to be flush with the uppermost portion of the scraper blade tip 40 and is configured to wear along with the scraper blade tip 40 by rubbing against contact with the conveyor belt 20. The housing 102 is made of a molded plastic or other material that is resistant to rubbing but softer than the scraper blade 22 and blade tip 40, thereby allowing the upper wear portion 106 and associated wear sensor circuit board 108 attached thereto to wear along with the scraper blade 22 and tip 40. As shown in FIG. 3 , the downstream side of the housing 102 has a ribbed structure including a plurality of spaced-apart laterally extending ribs, a plurality of spaced-apart vertically extending ribs, and a plurality of diagonal ribs extending diagonally relative to the horizontal and vertical ribs. Such a ribbed structure provides increased rigidity to the housing 102. The material of the housing 102, or at least a portion thereof, may be transparent or translucent to allow a user to view an internal light source through the housing 102 when illuminated, such as an LED 144 mounted on the control circuit board 110 configured to indicate the operational status of the wear monitoring unit 100.A pair of spaced-apart through-holes 104 are positioned in the housing 102 below the upper wear portion 106 for receiving blade-mounted fasteners, such as the shanks of the bolts 34. The upstream side of the housing 102 engages the downstream side of the scraper blade 22, and the housing 102 is mounted to the downstream side of the blade mount 18 with corresponding nuts 36 tightened onto the bolt shanks.

[0015]

[0035] 5 and 6, the wear monitoring unit 100 includes a wear sensor 132 positioned on a wear sensor circuit board 108. A control circuit board 110 for processing signals from the wear sensor circuit board 108 and communicating with remote devices is electrically interconnected with the wear sensor circuit board 108 via a ribbon connector 112. The wear sensor circuit board 108 is attached, for example, via adhesive tape 109, to an internal wear sensor mounting surface 114 formed on the upstream side of the upper wear portion 106 of the housing 102. The internal wear sensor mounting surface 114 is sized and configured to have the same or substantially the same shape as the wear sensor circuit board 108. As shown, the wear sensor circuit board 108 has an "L" shape with an elongated leg 111 extending laterally from the top of the housing 102 adjacent the upper wear portion 106. At one end of the leg 111, a small foot 113 of the wear sensor circuit board 108 extends downwardly along one side of the housing 102.

[0016]

[0036] The wear sensor mounting surface 114 may also have an "L" shape and is recessed relative to vertically extending sides 116 and 118 of the housing 102 that engage the downstream-facing side of the blade body 38 oppositely at the upstream side so that the wear sensor circuit board 108 fits between the wear sensor mounting surface 114 and the downstream side of the scraper blade 22, with the upstream and vertically extending sides 116 and 118 of the wear sensor circuit board 108 engaging the downstream side of the scraper blade 22 and being attached, preferably by adhesive. Between the vertically extending sides 116, 118, the housing 102 includes laterally opposed mounting surfaces 120 and 122 on either side of a recessed control circuit mounting cavity 124 for mounting the wear monitoring unit 100 to the blade mount member 18. The mounting surfaces 120, 122 are recessed relative to the vertically extending sides 116, 118 to form a downwardly facing slotted opening 117 between the scraper blade 22 and the housing 102, as shown in FIGURE 4, into which the upwardly facing end 19 of the blade mount 18 is received. With the upwardly facing end 19 of the blade mount inserted into the slotted opening 117, the vertically extending sides 116, 118 are aligned along the outer edge of the blade mount 18. A pair of bearing or sleeve inserts 126 are positioned in the through holes 104 of the mounting surfaces 120, 122 to receive the bolts 34 for mounting the wear monitor unit 100 to the blade mount 18. The control circuit mounting cavity 124 is further recessed in the downstream direction 24 from the mounting surfaces 120, 122 and the wear sensor mounting surface 114 to form a protective pocket in which the control circuit board 110 is mounted to the housing 102 downstream from the blade mount 18 and the wear sensor circuit board 108, as shown in Figures 4 and 5. The control circuit board 110 is mounted to the housing 102 by four threaded fasteners 128 received in corresponding bosses 130 formed in the control circuit mounting cavity 124 of the housing 102. The control circuit board 110 is mounted such that its protruding circuit components face downstream and are protected from contact with the blade mount 18. Preferably, an insulating covering material is provided surrounding the control circuit board 110 within the control circuit mounting cavity 124 to protect the electrical components from liquids, dust, and debris.

[0017]

[0037] The wear monitoring unit 100 is advantageously provided as a self-contained, retrofit unit that can be field-connected to an existing scraper blade 22 and / or scraper blade mount member 18 without modifying the scraper blade 22 or scraper blade mount member 18. Additionally, an adhesive can be used to firmly attach at least the upper wear portion 106 of the wear monitoring unit 100 downstream of the scraper blade 22 to prevent dust, debris, or liquid from entering or exiting the electrical components or circuitry of the wear monitoring unit 100. Alternatively, the wear monitoring unit 100 can be pre-attached to the scraper blade 22 and / or blade mount 18 prior to use. A single wear monitoring unit 100 can be mounted on a single scraper blade 22 of the belt cleaner system 10 to monitor wear on that scraper blade 22, which may or may not be indicative of wear on each scraper blade 22 of the belt cleaner system 10. If known, a user can install a wear monitoring unit 100 on the scraper blade 22 that wears the fastest. Alternatively, multiple wear monitoring units 100 may be used to track wear on multiple scraper blades 22 in a single belt cleaner system 10, such as each outer and / or centrally located scraper blade 22 of the belt cleaner system 10. Thus, if a scraper blade 22 on one side of the belt cleaner system 10 wears faster than the other side, the wear monitoring unit 100 on the faster-wearing side will accordingly notify the operator, allowing for more timely replacement of such worn blade 22.

[0018]

[0038] 7 shows the wear sensor circuit board 108, control circuit board 110, and conductive layer 133 of ribbon connector 112 of wear monitoring unit 100. Wear sensor circuit board 108 includes wear sensors 132. The wear sensors 132 are formed by a series of vertically spaced conductive lines 134, each connected by a vertical portion of a common connector line 136, which together form a series of conductive wear indicator loops 135. In the illustrated embodiment, ten conductive lines 134 are provided, evenly spaced 0.5 mm apart, although other spacings and numbers of conductive lines 134 are contemplated. The vertical spacing between each conductive line 134 corresponds to approximately 10% of the height of the scraper blade carbide tip 40. Each of the conductive lines 134 extends laterally along the length of the leg 111 of the L-shaped wear sensor circuit board 108 from the vertically extending portion of the common connector line 136 to the opposite side of the wear sensor circuit board 108, then continues to the bottom of the foot 113 of the wear sensor circuit board 108, returns laterally along the ribbon connector 112 and onto the control circuit board 110, where each conductive line 134 is connected to processing circuitry such as a processor 138.

[0019]

[0039] The wear sensor circuit board 108, ribbon connector 112, and control circuit board 110 may include a common flexible circuit including a conductive layer 133 and additional conductive and non-conductive layers. The flexible circuit may be formed of a flexible material such as polyimide or polyester film. The wear sensor circuit board 108 and control circuit board 110 may also include one or more rigid layers 115, such as FR-4 or epoxy-impregnated fiberglass laminate, to provide stiffness. As shown in FIG. 4 , the wear sensor circuit board 108 preferably includes rigid layers 115 on both the upstream and downstream sides to provide additional stiffness to the wear sensor 132. The conductive lines 134 may be deposited by known methods, such as conductive ink printing. Various other materials may also be used to construct the wear sensor 132, including the wear sensor circuit board 108, as long as they are configured to wear as easily as or more easily than the scraper blade tip 40, which may be a metallic material such as tungsten carbide. Such materials may include polyimide, Teflon, liquid crystal polymer, polyester, polyethylene naphthalate, ceramic, copper, nickel, gold, tin, lead, and silver.

[0020]

[0040] The processor 138 is configured to check the continuity of each conductive wear indicator loop 135 formed by the conductive lines 134 and the connector lines 136. When the scraper blade 22 (or 522 or 622) begins to wear down from the top, the wear sensor circuit board 108, whose top edge is aligned with the tip of the scraper blade 22, also wears down to the same extent. The top conductive lines 134 wear down first, corresponding to approximately 10% of the scraper blade tip 40 being worn down. Therefore, when the processor 138 starts checking the conductivity of the conductive loops 135, only 9 of the 10 conductive loops 135 formed by the conductive lines 134 are detected, corresponding to 90% of the remaining amount of the scraper blade tip 40. The remaining conductive lines 134 wear down continuously from top to bottom. The processor 138 is configured to transmit a status signal via a communication module, such as a Bluetooth® communication module 140. The status signal indicates an identifier or serial number for the wear monitoring unit 100, such as a unique 12-bit alphanumeric name, and further indicates the number of remaining conductive lines 134, e.g., 9 out of 10, by appending a byte indicating how many conductive lines 134 remain to the identification data transmitted by the communications module 140. Other information, such as a received signal strength indication (RSSI), a sensed temperature, and the number of fast wake-ups experienced by the processor 138, may also be appended to the identification data. The processor 138 may also configure the Bluetooth® communications module 140 to enter a pairing mode for pairing and / or a broadcast mode for communicating with a corresponding communications module of another device, such as the mobile device 302 or sensor module 400 of the conveyor monitoring system 300, as described in more detail below.

[0021]

[0041] To conserve the life of the power source, i.e., battery 142, processor 138 may be configured to alternate between a "sleep" state, in which it consumes very little power, and an active state, in which it may consume more power from the power source and in which it is operable to perform various functions. In processor 138's sleep state, processor 138 includes a low-power clock that continues to run. While in the sleep state, processor 138 is operable to receive a signal from the clock to awaken the processor and initiate an active state. This may occur at regular, predetermined intervals, such as once every 30 minutes, once an hour, once every 2-12 hours, once a day, or once a week. Processor 138 may illuminate or flash LED 144 to indicate to a user that wear sensor 132 is active. Processor 138 may be configured to remain in the active state for a predetermined period of time, such as 1 minute, 2 minutes, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 45 minutes, or 1 hour, before returning to the sleep state. For example, the processor 138 may be configured to periodically wake up from a sleep state to perform a wear sensor 132 status check, perform a pairing operation via the Bluetooth® communication module 140 to connect to any in-range devices, and broadcast the wear monitoring unit 100, 500, 700's identification information and / or the wear sensor 132's status to the paired devices. In other embodiments, performing a pairing operation may not be necessary, and the communication module 140 may simply broadcast the identification information. Such identification information may be broadcast regularly, for example, once per second, once per 10 seconds, once per 30 seconds, once per minute, etc. The processor 138 may also be configured to calculate and transmit a wear rate for the wear sensor 132 based on the amount of runtime of the associated conveyor belt 20 between disappearances of the conductive line 134. Once the last conductive line 134 is worn down, the processor no longer detects the presence of the conductive line 134, indicating that the scraper blade tip 40 has been completely worn out and that the scraper blade 22, including the tip 40, needs to be replaced.

[0022]

[0042] 8 , the processor 138 may be configured to provide an indication of the status of the wear monitoring unit 100, 500, 700. For example, the processor 138 may send signals via the Bluetooth® communication module 140 indicating that the scraper blade 22 needs or is imminent for replacement, as well as other status indications of the wear monitoring unit 100, such as a low battery condition or a malfunction of the wear sensor 132. The processor 138 may also provide visual status indications via the LED 144, such as by illuminating at predetermined intervals and / or by using multiple LEDs 144 or multicolored LEDs to indicate various statuses. The Bluetooth® communication module 140 may be configured to remain constantly active or to periodically wake up as described above with respect to the processor 138 to communicate the status of the wear monitoring unit 100 to another device, such as a smartphone 302 or a sensor module 400 mounted near the wear monitoring unit 100, as described in more detail below.

[0023]

[0043] In other configurations, more or fewer conductive lines 134 may be used as desired. For example, four conductive lines 134 may be used to indicate when the scraper blade tip 40 is 25%, 50%, 75%, or 100% worn. Alternatively, as implemented in the wear sensor disclosed in the embodiments of Figures 13-21, nine conductive lines 134 may be used to indicate when the scraper blade tip 40 is 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, or 100% worn. A single conductive line 134 may be used to form a single conductive loop 135 positioned on the wear sensor circuit board 108 to indicate a desired amount of wear, e.g., 75%, when the scraper blade soon needs replacement. Furthermore, the wear monitoring unit 100 may include other wireless communication modules such as BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy), WiFi, cellular, and ultra-wideband (UWB) instead of the Bluetooth communication module 140.

[0024]

[0044] The wear monitoring unit 100 can be provided without externally accessible buttons or switches to eliminate points of entry for dust, debris, or liquids into the housing 102 of the wear monitoring unit 100. In one form, the processor 138 of the wear monitoring unit 100 can be activated from a sleep state by a remotely operated switch, such as a magnetically operated switch. Such a switch may be implemented by a Hall Effect Sensor (HES) 141. The HES 141 is operatively connected to the processor 138 such that, when the HES 141 is activated, for example, by an operator manually placing one pole of an actuator magnet near the HES 141 on the control circuit board 110 adjacent the center of the downstream side of the housing 102, the HES 141 sends a signal to the processor 138 to awaken it from its low-power sleep state and initiate an active state. In this manner, the wear monitoring unit 100 can be advantageously activated (or deactivated) by an operator as desired without compromising the integrity of the enclosed control circuit board 110. Additionally, processor 138 may be configured to return to a sleep state after a predetermined period of time has elapsed after being activated by a signal sent from or via HES 141. In another form, HES 141 may be positioned in line with the contacts of battery 142 to activate or completely deactivate wear sensor processor 138 as desired.

[0025]

[0045] Referring to FIG. 9, a conveyor system 200 and conveyor monitoring system 300 are shown, including a conveyor belt 20 and multiple auxiliary devices, such as a secondary belt cleaner 10. The conveyor system 200 may include a wear monitoring unit 100 or 500, shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 and described in more detail below. The conveyor system 200 may also include a primary belt cleaner 610 having one or more wear monitoring units 700, shown in FIGS. 15-21 and described in more detail below. The conveyor system 200 also includes an idler roller 216, a drive roller 218, and a belt interface 222. The idler rollers 216 and drive roller 218 of the system 200 are rotatably coupled to a stationary frame 220. The conveyor belt 20 is a continuous belt, including one belt joint 222 or multiple joints 222, that extends around idler rollers 216 and drive rollers 218 to advance the conveyor belt 20 along a path relative to the frame 220.

[0026]

[0046] The wear monitoring units 100, 500, 700 are configured to wirelessly communicate their status via the communications module 140 to other devices, such as the sensor modules 400 of the conveyor monitoring system 300 shown in Figures 9-11. The sensor modules 400 may be the same as or similar to any of the sensor modules described in U.S. Patent No. 10,836,585. If multiple sensor modules 400 are within range, the wear monitoring unit 100 may be configured to communicate with the closest sensor module 400. For example, the sensor module 400 may take the form shown in Figure 10. The sensor module 400 is configured to detect one or more operating characteristics of the auxiliary devices of the conveyor system 200, which can be used to determine or predict a characteristic or condition of the conveyor system 200, such as the amount of scraper blade wear, and can be reported to the sensor module 400 by the wear monitoring unit 100, 500, 700, and can further transmit such information to a remote computer and / or user, as shown in Figures 9 and 12.

[0027]

[0047] The sensor module 400 has a housing 404 having separable clamping portions that allow the housing 404 to be securely mounted around the support pole 28 of the belt cleaner system 10, with the support pole 28 passing through an opening 407 formed in the housing 404. The separable portions of the housing 404 are joined by screws 409 to secure the separable portions together clamped onto the pole 28. The housing 404 includes a user interface 406 having a plurality of user inputs. The user inputs include, for example, a Bluetooth pairing button 408 for pairing the sensor module 400 with a Bluetooth enabled device such as the wear monitoring unit 100, 500, 700 or smartphone 302, or for otherwise configuring the sensor module 400 to receive information broadcast from such a Bluetooth enabled device, and a status input button 410 for illuminating status indicators such as a pairing indicator 412, a connection indicator 414, a WiFi indicator 416, a cellular indicator 418, a status indication 420, a battery life indicator 422, and / or a wired power indicator 424.

[0028]

[0048] The housing 404 of the sensor module 400 houses a sensor module circuit 430, shown schematically in FIG. 11 . The sensor module circuit 430 may include one or more sensors 432, such as an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and a magnetometer. The sensors 432 can be used to detect movement of an auxiliary device, such as the belt cleaner system 10, particularly vibrations of the pole 28 or the belt cleaner 10. The processing circuit 434 includes a processor communicatively coupled to the sensors 432, a memory module 436, and a communication module 438, such as one of the communication modules described in more detail below. The memory module 436 is a non-transitory computer-readable memory, such as random access memory (RAM), solid-state memory, or magnetic disk-based memory. Data from the sensors 432 is transmitted to the processing circuit 434, which writes the received data to the memory module 436. The processing circuit 434 can also operate the communication module 438 to wirelessly transmit data from the sensors 432 to an external computing device using one or more of the standards listed below. The communications module 438 can also receive data from other devices, such as the wear monitoring units 100, 500, 700, and transmit this data to other devices, such as the remote computing devices 302, 306, 314, 317, 318. A power source 440, such as a direct wired connection or an internal battery, provides power to the sensor module circuitry 430, including the processing circuitry 434, memory module 436, communications module 438, and sensor 432.

[0029]

[0049] The wear monitoring unit 100, 500, 700 may also be configured to communicate directly with a computing device such as a smartphone 302, computer 314, or tablet, such as via Bluetooth®. As shown in Figure 9, the wear monitoring unit 100, 500, 700 may also include wired or wireless communication capabilities for communicating with a gateway 304, such as a cellular base station 304A or router 304B, to communicate data to a cloud-based computing system, such as the control system 306, via a network 308. The network 308 may include one or more networks, such as a cellular network (e.g., 3G, 4G, 5G, etc.) and / or the Internet.

[0030]

[0050] Information obtained from the wear monitoring unit 100, 500, 700 can be stored in a database of the control system 306 to monitor the status of the belt cleaner system 10, 610, including one or more scraper blades 22, 522, 622. For example, a digital twin of the scraper blade 22, 522, 622 can be stored in the database of the control system 306. This database may include a variety of information, such as the serial number of the scraper blade 22, 522, 622, historical information such as installation date and age, or information from the wear monitoring unit 100, 500, 700 regarding the health or condition of the scraper blade 22, 522, 622, such as the most recent wear reading received, the wear rate experienced by the wear monitoring unit 100, the distance traveled by the belt 20 or the length of time the belt 20 traveled with the scraper blade 22, 522, 622 engaged with the belt 20, an image of the scraper blade 22 of the belt cleaner system 10, user-entered comments, fault indications, actual inspection, repair, or replacement dates, and predictive information such as recommended inspection, repair, or replacement dates.

[0031]

[0051] A user may use a mobile computing device, such as a smartphone 302 or tablet, to record images of the belt cleaner system 10, 610 and associated scraper blades 22, 522, 622, which are stored by application software in association with stored records of one or more scraper blades 22, 522, 622 in a cloud computing system, such as the control system 306, so that the status of the belt cleaner system 10, 610 can be monitored and accessed at any time by a computer 314, tablet, or smartphone 302 in communication with a conveyor monitoring system 300, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 10,836,585 (see also Figures 9 and 12). The conveyor monitoring system 300 can prompt the user via email, SMS message, or application notification to inspect and / or upload new images of the belt cleaner system 10, 610 and / or scraper blade 22, 522, 622 based on various factors, such as an indication of advanced wear by the wear monitoring unit 100, 610, a potential fault condition detected by the wear monitoring unit 100, 610, the number of hours the conveyor belt 20 has been in operation, or a predetermined time interval, such as one month, three months, six months, or twelve months. The application software can include fields for providing comments and observations made by the user regarding the belt cleaner system 10, 610 and / or scraper blade 22, 522, 622 to maintain accurate historical data regarding the condition of the belt cleaner system 10, 610 and one or more scraper blades 22, 522, 622.

[0032]

[0052] 12 , the conveyor system 200 includes a monitoring system 300 for monitoring one or more characteristics of one or more components of the conveyor system 200. The monitoring system 300 includes a sensor module 400 and wear monitoring units 100, 500, 700 (also referred to herein as sensor modules) positioned on one or more components of the conveyor system 200, as previously described. Each of the sensor modules 100, 400, 500, 700 includes one or more sensors and a communication module 438, such as a Bluetooth® communication module 140 or one of various communication modules described in more detail below. The sensor modules 100, 400, 500, 700 are configured to detect one or more conditions of the one or more components, for example, based on the amount of wear of a scraper blade in the case of the wear monitoring units 100, 500, 700, or based on the movement or position of the component or portions thereof in the case of the sensor module 400. In some embodiments, the sensor modules 100, 400, 500, 700 cooperate and communicate with each other to detect one or more conditions of one or more components of the conveyor system 200. The conveyor monitoring system 300 includes a remote resource, such as a cloud computing system 317, that processes data from the sensor modules 100, 400, 500, 700 to determine one or more characteristics or conditions of the corresponding auxiliary devices and / or conveyor belt 20, such as wear on the scraper blades 22, 522, 622, and / or predict the remaining lifespan. For example, the sensor module 400 can transmit scraper blade wear data received from the wear monitoring units 100, 500, 700 to the cloud computing system 317, which can use the data to report the current amount of wear on the scraper blades 22, 522, 622 to an operator, determine the wear rate of the scraper blades, and predict when one or more scraper blades 22, 522, 622 will need to be replaced. The cloud computing system 317 is operable to detect other statuses of the conveyor system 200.Other statuses include, for example, whether the belt 20 is progressing, how far the belt 20 has progressed, how many times the splice 222 has passed around the conveyor system, whether the belt is misaligned, whether an auxiliary device, such as the belt cleaner system 10, 610, is properly engaging the belt 20, the amount of carryback, and the presence or absence of material on the belt 20. As is known, the cloud computing system 317 may include one or more remote servers that provide cloud computing functionality.

[0033]

[0053] The sensor module 100, 400, 500, 700 can communicate with the cloud computing system 317 via the gateway 304. In some forms, the wear monitoring unit 100, 500, 700 can communicate with another sensor module 400, which can then communicate with a third sensor module 400, or a smartphone 302, or a computer 314, which then communicates with the gateway 304. Alternatively, the sensor module 100, 400, 500, 700 can be configured to communicate directly with the smartphone 302. The gateway 304 can be an Internet router 304B or a cellular base station 304A that connects the sensor module 100, 400, 500, 700 to the Internet. Information from the cloud computing system 317 can be viewed by a user via a computing device, such as the computer 314 or smartphone 302. Computer 314 is part of control system 306, e.g., a computer configured to provide operator information for an operator to monitor, operate, adjust, or control conveyor system 200. While a desktop computer 314 and smartphone 302 are shown in Figure 12, other computing devices may be utilized, such as laptop computers, tablet computers, smartwatches, and augmented reality glasses.

[0034]

[0054] 9, the gateway or communication hub 304 of the conveyor system 200 may be a wireless router 304B that wirelessly communicates with the plurality of sensor modules 400 and / or wear monitoring units 100, 500, 700. The wireless communication between the sensor modules 100, 400, 500, 700 and the gateway 304 may utilize any of a variety of communication protocols. For example, the sensor modules 100, 400, 500, 700 may support infrastructure protocols such as 6LowPAN, IPv4 / IPv6, RPL, QUIC, Aeron, uIP, DTLS, ROLL / RPL, NanoIP, CNN, and TSMP; identification protocols such as EPC, uCode, IPv6, and URI; communication / transport protocols such as Wifi, Bluetooth, DigiMesh, ANT, NFC, WirelessHart, IEEE802.15.4, Zigbee, EnOcean, WiMax, and LPWAN; discovery protocols such as Physical Web, mDNS, HyperCat, UpnP, and DNS-SD; data protocols such as MQTT, MQTT-SN, Mosquitto, IMB MessageSight, STOMP, XMPP, XMPP-IoT, CoAP, AMQP, Websocket, and Node; device management protocols such as TR-069 and OMA-DM; The Thing Model and / or multi-layer framework protocols such as Alljoyn, IoTivity, Weave, and Homekit can be used.

[0035]

[0055] The monitoring system 300 can include a processor. Measurement data corresponding to one or more detected characteristics from one or more of the sensor modules 100, 400, 500, 700 is received by the processor. This processor, or one or more other remote processors, for example, in the cloud 317, can determine and identify a fault condition, such as a misaligned belt, a worn scraper blade 22, 522, 622, or a failed auxiliary device, within the conveyor system 200 based on the measurement data. In one form, the processor receiving the measurement data is a local processor directly connected to the sensor module 100, 400, 500, 700, and the processor determining and identifying the fault condition or worn device is part of the remote computing device 302, 306, 314, 317, 318. The remote processor may be part of a remote computing device 302, 306, 314, 317, 318 that receives data from one or more sensor modules 100, 400, 500, 700 over a wired and / or wireless communication network.

[0036]

[0056] In some embodiments, each sensor module 100, 400, 500, 700 communicates directly with a communications hub or gateway 304, such as router 304B. In other embodiments, the sensor modules 100, 400, 500, 700 form a mesh network in which a first sensor module 100, 400, 500, 700 acts as a communications relay for a second sensor module 100, 400, 500, 700, which acts as a communications relay for a third sensor module 100, 400, 500, 700, and so on. The ability of a sensor module to act as a communications relay allows sensor modules that would otherwise have difficulty communicating directly with the system's communications hub to provide data to a processor. For example, a communications hub can be positioned at the beginning of an underground mine opening. The first sensor module is closest to the communications hub, with the second and third sensor modules progressively deeper within the mine. The second and third sensor modules may be unable to communicate directly with the communication hub due to obstruction by rocks in the mine. For example, data from the third sensor module may be relayed by the second sensor module to the first sensor module, which then relays this information to the communication hub. Similarly, data from the second sensor module may be relayed by the first sensor module to the communication hub. In another embodiment, one or more of the sensor modules may include a cellular communication card, such as a GSM card, and communicate over a cellular network.

[0037]

[0057] In some embodiments, the gateways 304A, 304B communicate with an external data processing system, such as a cloud-based computing system including the control system 306 shown in FIG. 9. The cloud-based computing system can store the communicated data and / or process the communicated data, for example, using algorithms used to analyze the data, and relay the data and information back to the gateways 304A, 304B or another computer system for further processing or storage. For example, the cloud-based computing system may include one or more data processing applications running on virtual machines within the cloud-based computing system and configured to process the data communicated by the gateway 304 to the cloud-based computing system. Alternatively or additionally, the gateway 304 may transmit data from the sensor modules 100, 400, 500, 700 to one or more on-site computers, such as a control room computer or a handheld computer, for example, a smartphone or tablet carried by a user of the conveyor system 200. The sensor modules 100, 400, 500, 700 may also transmit data directly to one or more on-site computers using one or more communication protocols, such as those listed above. Additionally, sensor modules 100, 400, 500, 700 may transmit data to and from each other or other sensors, which then communicate the data to one or more on-site computers, gateway 304, and / or a cloud-based computing system. Gateway 304 may use the same or different protocols when communicating with a cloud-based computing system, on-site computer, or another external device.

[0038]

[0058] In another embodiment, in the conveyor system 200 shown in FIG. 9, one or more of the sensor modules 100, 400, 500, 700 include a communication module 438, which may be a cellular communication module. The communication module is configured to communicate via a standard cellular communication protocol, such as GSM. One or more of the sensor modules 100, 400, 500, 700 can communicate with the control system 306 over the network 308 via a cellular base station 304A. In some embodiments, the communication module is configured to communicate over a low-power wideband network, such as LTE CAT-M1 or NB-IoT. The communication module includes a fallback communication protocol, such as 2G cellular communication.

[0039]

[0059] The sensor module 100, 400, 500, 700 may be configured to continuously sense data but transmit only a portion of the data to reduce the amount of data that needs to be processed. Alternatively, the wear monitoring unit 100, 500, 700 may be configured or programmed to determine the number of remaining conductive lines 134 and transmit the wear data to the sensor module 400 at predetermined intervals, such as once per minute, once per 30 minutes, once per hour, or once per day, which then transmits the wear data to a cloud-based computing system for processing. The sensor module 400 may be operable to wake up at fixed intervals, such as once per 10 minutes, once per 30 minutes, or once per hour, to receive data from the wear monitoring unit 100. The sensor module 400 may also be awakened in response to a specific event, such as a large impact to the belt cleaner system 10, to increase the frequency at which both the wear monitoring unit 100, 500, 700 and the sensor module 400 are operable to communicate with each other.

[0040]

[0060] In one embodiment, the wear monitoring unit 100, 500, 700 and the sensor module 400 are configured to synchronize with each other so that they can operate simultaneously, and wear data transmitted by the wear monitoring unit 100, 500, 700 is received by the sensor module 400 at regular intervals, such as at least once a day or at least once a week. Thus, the status of the scraper blade 22, 522, 622 can be uploaded to the cloud-based computing system 317 at regular intervals, or frequently enough to accurately track the status of the scraper blade 22, 522, 622. A scraper blade 22, 522, 622 can typically last from several months to a year or more, depending on various conditions. Sampling data at fixed intervals allows system users to control data costs. However, from time to time, additional samples may be used to identify a fault condition, such as a worn blade 22, 522, 622 or a misaligned belt. In this case, a cloud-based computing system, such as the control system 306, may temporarily increase the sampling or transmission rate of a particular sensor module 100, 400, 500, 700 to determine if a fault condition exists. In general, the sampling rate of a sensor module may be increased or decreased as needed for a particular situation.

[0041]

[0061] In another form, shown in Figures 13 and 14, an alternative modular cleaning unit 526 configured for use in the belt cleaner system 10 is shown. It is similar in structure and function to the modular cleaning unit 26 shown in Figures 2 and 3, but includes some structural modifications to the scraper blades 522 and wear monitoring unit 500. For example, the main blade body 538 omits the upstream extension (see Figure 4) so ​​that the upstream-facing side of the blade tips 40 is substantially flush with the upstream side of the main blade body 538, forming a generally flat, upstream-facing surface, and the downstream-facing side of the blade tips 40 is mounted, such as by brazing, to the upward extension 539 of the main blade body 538. The blade tips 40 are arranged in two vertical rows to increase the amount of abradable material and durability of the scraper blades 522. The top row of blade tips 40 protrude above the upward extension 539 of the main blade body 538, allowing the blade tips 40 to wear before the main blade body 538 and the wear monitoring unit 500. Scraper blade 522 is secured upstream to the blade mount member 18 with bolts 34 in the same manner as scraper blade 22. Blade mount member 18 is similarly mounted to the torsional biasing mechanism 44 described above.

[0042]

[0062] The wear monitor unit 500 is structurally and functionally similar to the wear monitor unit 100, with a few exceptions as described below. The wear monitor unit 500 similarly includes a housing 502 adapted to be connected to the downstream side of the scraper blade 522 by being secured to the downstream side of the blade mount 18 with a pair of bolts 534, so that the scraper blade 522 is held to the upstream side of the blade mount 18 and the housing 502 when a corresponding nut 536 is tightened on the protruding end 535 of the bolt 534. As with the modular cleaning unit 26, the wear monitor unit 500 can be secured to the blade mount 18 using the same bolts 534 used to secure the scraper blade 522 to the blade mount member 18, eliminating the need to reconfigure an existing modular cleaning unit 526 to accommodate the wear monitor unit 500. In this manner, the wear monitor unit 500 is adapted to be retrofitted to an existing modular cleaning unit 526. Housing 502 includes an upper wear portion 506 having an upper edge 507 that is vertically aligned or flush with the upper end of main blade body 538 of scraper blade 522 .

[0043]

[0063] Because at least the protruding portion of the blade tip 40 initially extends above the top end of the main blade body 538 and the upper edge 507 of the upper wear portion 506, the upper wear portion 506 and the wear sensor circuit board 508 do not immediately wear out when the scraper blade 522 newly engages the moving conveyor belt 20. Unlike the embodiment of FIGS. 2 through 8, the wear sensor circuit board may not begin to wear and break the first conductive line 134 until the blade tip 40 has worn down approximately 20% of its vertical height due to rubbing against the conveyor belt 20. Of course, by adjusting the positioning of the wear sensor circuit board 508 and / or the positioning of the conductive line 134 relative to the upper portion of the blade tip 40, the wear monitoring unit 500 can be configured to initially indicate various amounts of corresponding wear on the blade tip 40, such as, for example, 5%, 10%, 25%, 30%, 40%, 50%, or 75%.

[0044]

[0064] Another exemplary belt cleaner apparatus or system 610 including multiple modular cleaning units 626 is shown in FIG. 15. Generally, the belt cleaner system 610 is designed for use as a primary belt cleaner positioned to scrape a belt (not shown) as it travels around a head pulley or drive roller 218. In FIG. 15, the drive roller 218 is represented as a single circle, but in reality, it has a cylindrical configuration similar to the drive roller 218 shown in FIG. 9. The preferred orientation of the scraper blade 622 relative to the drive roller 218 for scraping the belt 20 is below where material transported on the belt 20 exits the belt, e.g., approximately 15-25 degrees below horizontal. As seen in FIG. 15, the belt 20 travels clockwise around the drive roller 218 in a radial travel direction 624, thus traveling both vertically downward and in a return direction 24. As a result, as described in more detail below, modular cleaning unit 626 is configured differently from modular cleaning units 26 and 526. Modular cleaning units 26 and 526 are generally intended to engage belt 20 along its return path, with belt 20 extending between rollers, such as between a head or trail roller and an idler roller, or between idler rollers, and may travel in a generally horizontal direction as shown in FIG. 1. Given the different positioning of modular cleaning unit 626, with belt 20 traveling around head pulley 218, assemblies and components described as "inner" generally mean they are relatively closer to or facing belt 20, and "outer" generally means they are relatively further from or facing the opposite side of belt 20.

[0045]

[0065] The belt cleaner system 610 similarly employs a plurality of scraper blades 622 arranged in a side-by-side orientation to extend across the width of the conveyor belt 20 to be cleaned and aligned in a lateral direction 656 perpendicular to the radial direction of travel 624 of the belt 20. Each of the scraper blades 622 is attached to a suspension arm member 618 that resiliently maintains the blade 622 in engagement with the belt 20. Each of the scraper blades 622 and suspension arm members 618 is part of a modular cleaning unit 626. Each of the modular cleaning units 626 is mounted to an elongated support or support assembly 616 via a resilient cushion member or assembly 644 to support the modular cleaning unit 626 with the scraper blades 622 in contact with the belt 20. An elongated support or support assembly 616 is mounted laterally to extend across the width of the belt 20 adjacent the drive roller 218 via opposing mounts, and may further extend to or through the opposing chute wall 224 or support frame 220 of the conveyor system 200 (see FIG. 9 ). One or both of the mounts may be resilient mounts, such as a spring tensioner 614. The elongated support or support assembly 616 in the illustrated embodiment includes a pole member 628 to which an elongated cushion mounting bracket 630 is attached. The modular cleaning unit 626 is secured to the cushion mounting bracket 630 by bolting a resilient cushion member or assembly 644.

[0046]

[0066] 16 and 17, one of the modular cleaning units 626 is shown (without the cushion member or assembly 644) including a sensor module in the form of a wear monitor unit 700. The wear monitor unit 700 can be retrofitted to an existing modular cleaning unit 626 by removably attaching it to the downstream side of the scraper blade 622 via a wear monitor unit mounting bracket 648, preferably mounted or secured to the exterior of the suspension arm member 618. The suspension arm member 618 has an inverted U-shape when mounted as shown in FIG. 15, and includes an upper blade mounting portion 619 and two opposing legs 621 extending from opposing ends of the upper blade mounting portion 619. The upper blade mounting portion 619 includes spaced apart openings 627 for receiving fasteners 634 to attach the scraper blade 622. These same fasteners 634 can be used to attach the wear monitor unit mounting bracket 648 to the upper blade mount 619 via corresponding openings 654 in the bracket 648, eliminating the need to reconfigure the existing modular cleaning unit 626 to mount the wear monitor unit 700. Thus, tightening a nut 636 onto the protruding end 635 of the threaded shaft 637 of the fastener 634 clamps the upper blade mount 619 of the suspension arm member 618 between the bracket 648 and the scraper blade 622. The leg 621 includes a bend between an upper portion 623 connected to the upper blade mount 619 and a lower mount 625 configured to be mounted to the cushion member or assembly 644 by the fasteners. Thus, as the bent leg 621 extends upwardly from the lower support pole member 628, it generally follows the contour of the belt 20 traveling around the pulley 218. This allows the suspension arm member 618 to allow the mounted scraper blade 622 to contact the belt 20 in a desired orientation.

[0047]

[0067] The scraper blade 622 includes a main blade body 638 formed from a metal angle section, such as steel, having right-angled legs 639, 641 extending at 90-degree angles to one another as shown. The upper leg 641 is configured for mounting a blade tip 40, and the lower depending leg 639 is configured for mounting to an upper blade mounting portion 619 of a suspension arm member 618. A plurality of blade tips 40 of a material harder than the blade body 638, such as tungsten carbide, are fixedly mounted, such as by brazing, to a recessed mounting surface 643 of the upper leg 641 (see FIG. 19 ). The blade tips 40 are mounted to the recessed mounting surface 643 in an array having two rows such that the innermost ends of the innermost row of blade tips 40 (i.e., closest to the belt 20) project inwardly toward the belt 20 beyond the inner free ends of the legs 641. As described above and shown in Figures 17-19, the other leg 639 includes spaced apart openings for mounting the wear monitor unit 700 to the inward-facing surface of the upper blade mounting portion 619 using the same fasteners 634 that mount the wear monitor unit 700 to the scraper blade 622.

[0048]

[0068] As shown in FIGS. 16-19 , the wear monitor unit 700 includes a housing 702 adapted to be positioned downstream of the scraper blade 622 via a wear monitor unit mounting bracket 648. The wear monitor unit mounting bracket 648, as described above, is secured to the exterior of the suspension arm member 618 so as to clamp the upper blade mounting portion 619 between the bracket 648 and the leg 639 of the scraper blade 622. Due to the downstream mounting location of the wear monitor unit 700, the wear monitor unit 700 is substantially protected from material scraped from the belt 20 by the scraper blade 622. The housing 702 has an upper wear portion 706, the width of which in the lateral direction 656 of an upper portion of the upper wear portion 706 is approximately equal to the width of the scraper blade 622. As described below, the upper wear portion 706 is generally sized and configured to be complementary to the downstream side of the main blade body 638 at its upper portion so as to fit closely thereto. The upper wear portion 706 tapers laterally 656 from an upper portion to a narrow lower portion 750 and has a ridged structure for strength and rigidity while minimizing the material used and associated costs.

[0049]

[0069] The upper wear portion 706 is configured to rub against the conveyor belt 20 and therefore wear with the scraper blade tip 40, in the same manner as described above with respect to the embodiment of Figures 2-8. As shown in Figures 19 and 20, the upper wear portion 706 includes a generally flat wear sensor mounting surface 714 to which a wear sensor circuit board 708 is attached, such as by adhesive. The wear sensor circuit board 708 therefore abuts the generally flat downstream-facing surface 645, and they are in contact with each other as shown in Figure 18. As shown in Figures 18, 20, and 21, a ridge 707 extends upwardly from the inner edge of the wear sensor mounting surface 714. The ridge 707 extends along the length of the wear mounting surface 714 and is sized and configured to abut against the downstream side of the innermost blade tip 40 and the free end of the leg 641 of the main blade body 638, initially providing some protection from contaminants to the wear sensor circuit board 708 until the ridge 707 wears. The inner ridge 707 includes a plurality of evenly spaced, elongated openings 719 formed in part by the wear sensor mounting surface 714, into which a plurality of corresponding extensions or tabs 709 of the wear sensor circuit board 708 can extend. The extensions 709 are disposed within the elongated openings 719 for the purpose of enabling the wear sensor circuit board 708 to detect early wear on the blade tip 40 by positioning the conductive line 734 of the wear indicator loop 735 near the inner edge of the blade tip member 40 that is in contact with the belt 20. Additionally, the configuration of the inner ridge 707, elongated opening 719, and extension 709 improves ease of manufacture. In particular, the inner ridge 707 and the elongated opening 719 formed therein provide a locator for the wear sensor circuit board 708 by receiving the extension 709 within the elongated opening 719 to positively define the proper location of the wear sensor circuit board 708 relative to the sensor mounting surface 714.

[0050]

[0070] 20 and 21, the wear monitor unit housing 702 includes a lower portion 750. The lower portion 750 is sized to be narrower than the upper portion of the upper wear portion 706 and narrower than the distance between the two opposing legs 621 of the suspension arm member 618. As shown in FIGS. 19 and 21, the lower portion 750 of the housing 702 includes a control circuit mounting cavity 724 formed by a generally rectangular wall 725 extending therearound. The rectangular wall 725 includes an opening or gap at the top so that a ribbon connector 712, configured similarly to the ribbon connector 112 and connected to the wear sensor circuit board 708, extends downward along a central mounting surface 752 through the opening and connects to a control circuit board 710, configured similarly to the control circuit board 110. A channel member 727 is formed on each side of the opening in wall 725 to allow a gate or guillotine-like wall member 728 to be inserted into the channel member 727 and positioned over the ribbon connector 712 to allow the ribbon connector to extend therebelow, while surrounding the control circuit mounting cavity 724 to form a protective pocket for mounting the control circuit board 710 to the housing 702 downstream of the scraper blade 622, as well as the wear sensor circuit board 708. This can be seen in FIGS. 18 and 21 . The control circuit board 710 is mounted to the housing 702 by four threaded fasteners received in corresponding bosses 730 formed in the control circuit mounting cavity 724 of the housing 702. Preferably, an insulating covering material, such as a glass-filled nylon material, optionally including an antistatic and fire-resistant material, is provided to surround and cover the control circuit board 110 within the control circuit mounting cavity 724 to protect the electrical components from liquids, dust, and debris.

[0051]

[0071] The housing 702 includes laterally opposed mounting surfaces 720 and 722 on either side of the control circuit mounting cavity 724 for mounting the wear monitor unit 700 to the wear monitor unit mounting bracket 648. The housing 702 further includes outwardly extending channel portions 716, 718 extending along the outer lateral edges of the laterally opposed mounting surfaces 720, 722, which have a right-angled or L-shaped cross-section and include overhanging portions, such that each of the channel portions 716, 718 forms a channel 721, 723 opening toward the central control circuit mounting cavity 724 for receiving the outer lateral edge of one of the pair of depending spacer legs 650 of the wear monitor unit mounting bracket 648, as shown in Figures 19 and 21. As best seen in Figures 17 and 19, openings are formed in mounting surfaces 720, 722 to receive fasteners for mounting or securing legs 650 while they are positioned between outwardly extending channel portions 716, 718 and the vertically extending portion of wall 725.

[0052]

[0072] The wear monitor unit mounting bracket 648 includes a laterally extending mounting portion 652 that is similar in lateral size to the upper blade mounting portion 619 of the suspension arm member 618 to which the bracket 648 is connected. The legs 650 are shaped to initially extend downwardly from the lower edge of the mounting portion 652 and include a pair of bends such that the legs 650 extend inward toward the belt 20 and then downwardly, with the housing 702 connected thereto positioned downstream of the scraper blade 622 and inboard of the suspension arm member 618. The downwardly extending portions of the legs 650 include openings for mounting the housing 702 by fasteners.

[0053]

[0073] The wear monitor unit 700 is further protected from rubbing by a protective sleeve member 703. The protective sleeve member 703 is configured to cover a narrow lower portion 750 of the wear monitor unit housing 702, on which the control circuit board 710 is mounted. The protective sleeve member 703 extends around the entire lower portion 750 of the wear monitor unit housing 702, which is received through an upper opening 704 formed by the annular sleeve member wall 711. As shown in FIGS. 17-19 , an upper extension 705 extends above the upper opening 704 and abuts against the underside 620 of the upper blade mounting portion 619 of the suspension arm member 618 and the inwardly facing surfaces 651, 653 of the legs 650 of the wear monitor unit mounting bracket 648, preventing liquid, dust, and debris from entering between the sleeve member 703 and the wear monitor unit housing 702. The protective sleeve member 703 is attached to the legs 650 of the wear monitor unit mounting bracket 648 using the same fasteners 634 used to attach the wear monitor unit 700 .

[0054]

[0074] 20 and 21 , the wear monitoring unit 700 includes a wear sensor 732. The wear sensor 732 is formed on a wear sensor circuit board 708. A control circuit board 710 for processing signals from the wear sensor circuit board 708 and communicating with remote devices is electrically interconnected to the wear sensor circuit board 708 via a ribbon connector 712. The wear sensor circuit board 708 is attached, for example, via adhesive tape, to a wear sensor mounting surface 714 formed on the upper side of the upper wear portion 706 of the housing 702, and therefore faces upward. The wear sensor mounting surface 714 is sized and configured to substantially match the corresponding dimensions of the mating lower mounting surface 713 of the wear sensor circuit board 708. As shown, the wear sensor circuit board 708 has a generally elongated rectangular shape with a plurality of regularly or evenly spaced, generally rectangular extensions or tabs 709 extending outwardly along an inner elongated side 717 thereof. Thus, the outer elongated side 715 of the wear sensor circuit board 708 farthest from the belt 20 has a straight configuration, while the inner opposite side 717 closest to the belt has a notched configuration and follows a path similar to a square wave. In particular, each extension or tab 709 has an inner edge 754 parallel to the opposite outer elongated side 715 and an opposing edge 756 perpendicular to the inner edge 754. The spaces between the tabs 709 have recessed edges 758 rearward from the inner edge 754 that extend between adjacent tabs 709 and parallel to the inner edge 754. As shown in FIG. 18, the wear sensor circuit board 108 is positioned between the wear sensor mounting surface 714 and the downstream downward side or surface 645 of the leg 641 of the main blade body 638, and the upstream upward side or surface 760 of the wear sensor circuit board 708 engages with the downstream side 645 of the leg 641 and is attached, preferably by adhesive.

[0055]

[0075] 20 and 21 show a wear sensor circuit board 708, which is constructed and operates similarly to the wear sensor circuit board 108 described with respect to FIGS. 4 through 8, except as explained below. The wear sensor circuit board includes a wear sensor 732 formed by a series of spaced-apart conductive wear lines 134 printed on the wear sensor circuit board 108, which form a series of conductive wear indicator loops 135. As described above, the continuity status of each wear indicator loop 135 is periodically evaluated by the processor 138. A closed electrical circuit condition of a wear indicator loop 135 indicates structural integrity of the wear sensor circuit board 108 at the particular location of the corresponding wear indicator loop portion 135, while an open electrical circuit condition indicates corrosion or damage to the wear sensor circuit board 108 at the location of that particular wear indicator loop portion 135. In the illustrated embodiment, nine conductive lines 134 are provided extending along the length of the elongated wear sensor circuit board 708. However, the four innermost conductive lines 134 follow a square wave-like path to follow the contours of the extensions or tabs 709. The conductive lines 134 are evenly spaced from the inner side 717 of the wear sensor circuit board 708 to the outer elongated side 715, except where such spacing is not possible due to space constraints caused by gaps between the extensions 709. The spacing between each conductive line 134 perpendicular to the length of the line 134 corresponds to approximately 10% of the height of the scraper blade carbide tip 40.

[0056]

[0076] 13 and 14, because the blade tip 40 extends inwardly toward the belt 20 beyond the upper wear portion 706, the upper wear portion 706 and the wear sensor circuit board 708 do not wear out immediately. Unlike the embodiment of FIGS. 2 through 8, the wear sensor circuit board 708 may not begin to wear and break the innermost conductive line 134 extending along each extension 709 until the blade tip 40 has worn down approximately 20% due to rubbing against the conveyor belt 20. In other forms, by adjusting the positioning of the wear sensor circuit board 708 and / or the positioning of the conductive line 134 relative to the inner scraping edge of the blade tip 40, the wear monitoring unit 700 can be configured to initially indicate a corresponding amount of wear on the blade tip 40 at various intervals, such as, for example, 5%, 10%, 25%, 30%, 40%, 50%, or 75%. Although not shown, similar to the embodiment of Figures 7 and 8, each of the conductive lines 134 extends along a ribbon connector 712 onto the control circuit board 710, where each conductive line 134 connects with processing circuitry on the control circuit board 110, such as a processor 138.

[0057]

[0077] As previously mentioned, the wear monitor unit 700 may be provided as a self-contained, retrofit unit that can be field-attached to an existing scraper blade 622 and / or suspension arm member 618 without modifying the scraper blade 622 or suspension arm member 618. Additionally, an adhesive may be used to firmly attach at least the upper wear portion 706 of the wear monitor unit 700 to the downstream or downstream-facing surface 645 of the scraper blade 622 to prevent dust, debris, or liquid from entering or exiting the electrical components or circuitry of the wear monitor unit 700. Alternatively, rather than being retrofitted onto an already-in-use modular cleaning unit 626, the wear monitor unit 700 may be pre-attached to the scraper blade 622 and / or suspension arm member 618 prior to use of the modular cleaning unit 626.

[0058]

[0078] While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated that numerous modifications and changes will occur to those skilled in the art, and it is intended in the appended claims to cover all such modifications and changes which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A wear monitoring unit for monitoring the amount of wear of a scraper blade in contact with a conveyor belt, comprising: a housing configured to be mounted on the exterior of the scraper blade; a wear sensor operably connected to the housing and configured to indicate the amount of wear on the scraper blade; A wear monitoring unit comprising:

2. The wear monitoring unit of claim 1 , wherein the housing is configured to be retrofitted to the scraper blade without modifying the scraper blade.

3. 2. The wear monitoring unit of claim 1, wherein the wear sensor is operatively connected to the housing such that, when the housing is mounted to the scraper blade, the wear sensor wears along with the scraper blade due to contact with the conveyor belt.

4. the housing includes a wear portion configured to wear together with the scraper blade due to contact with the conveyor belt; The wear monitoring unit of claim 1 , wherein the wear sensor is operatively connected to the wear portion of the housing so that the wear sensor also wears along with the scraper blade.

5. the scraper blade includes an upstream side configured to face at least partially against a direction of travel of the conveyor belt and a downstream side configured to face at least partially toward the direction of travel of the conveyor belt; The wear monitoring unit of claim 1 , wherein the wear sensor is configured to wear together with the scraper blade adjacent the downstream side of the scraper blade.

6. the wear sensor comprises a circuit board including at least one wear indicator; The wear monitoring unit of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the circuit board having the at least one wear indicator is configured to wear along with the scraper blade.

7. The wear monitoring unit of claim 6 , wherein the wear sensor includes a notched portion that includes the at least one wear indicator.

8. 8. The wear monitoring unit of claim 7, wherein the notched portion includes a plurality of extensions and recesses between adjacent ones of the plurality of extensions, the conductive lines of the at least one wear indicator extending over the plurality of extensions.

9. 10. The wear monitoring unit of claim 1, further comprising a control circuit operatively connected to the wear sensor and operable to wirelessly transmit a signal indicative of the amount of wear on the scraper blade detected by the wear sensor.

10. 10. The wear monitoring unit of claim 9, wherein the control circuit is sealed to prevent the ingress of liquid and includes a magnetically operated switch operable to activate a processor of the control circuit.

11. 10. The wear monitoring unit of claim 9, wherein the control circuit is configured to operate in a low power state and periodically enter an active operating state to transmit a signal indicative of the amount of wear on the scraper blade detected by the wear sensor.

12. the control circuit includes a light source configured to indicate an operational status of the control circuit; The wear monitoring unit of claim 10 , wherein the housing includes a transparent or translucent portion such that the light source is visible to a user when illuminated.

13. the housing is configured to be mounted on a blade mount member, the scraper blade also being mounted on the blade mount member; 2. The wear monitoring unit of claim 1, wherein the blade mount member positions the scraper blade relative to a conveyor belt.

14. a scraper blade having a tip configured to scrape the surface of the conveyor belt to remove material adhering to the conveyor belt; a wear sensor mounted on an outer surface of the scraper blade prior to use, the wear sensor configured to indicate an amount of wear on the tip of the scraper blade; 1. A conveyor belt scraper blade assembly comprising:

15. the scraper blade includes an upstream side configured to face at least partially against a conveyor belt travel direction and a downstream side configured to face at least partially toward the conveyor belt travel direction; 15. The conveyor belt scraper blade assembly of claim 14, wherein the wear sensor is at or adjacent to the downstream side of the scraper blade.

16. a housing operatively connected to the scraper blade; the wear sensor is operably connected to the housing at a wear portion of the housing; 15. The conveyor belt scraper blade assembly of claim 14, wherein the wear portion is configured for wear with the tip of the scraper blade.

17. 17. The conveyor belt scraper blade assembly of claim 16, wherein the wear sensor is between the scraper blade and the wear portion of the housing.

18. a blade mount member configured to position the scraper blade in contact with a conveyor belt; the scraper blade is mounted to the blade mount member by at least one fastener; 17. The conveyor belt scraper blade assembly of claim 16, wherein the housing is connected to the blade mount member by the at least one fastener.

19. 15. The conveyor belt scraper blade assembly of claim 14, further comprising a control circuit operatively connected to the wear sensor and operable to wirelessly transmit a signal indicative of the amount of wear on the scraper blade detected by the wear sensor.

20. 20. The conveyor belt scraper blade assembly of claim 19, wherein the control circuit is sealed to prevent the ingress of liquid and includes a magnetically operated switch operable to activate a processor of the control circuit.

21. 20. The conveyor belt scraper blade assembly of claim 19, wherein the control circuit is configured to operate in a low power state and periodically enter an active operating state to transmit a signal indicative of the amount of wear on the scraper blade detected by the wear sensor.

22. a housing operatively connected to the scraper blade; the control circuit includes a light source configured to indicate an operational status of the control circuit; 21. The conveyor belt scraper blade assembly of claim 20, wherein the housing includes a transparent or translucent portion such that the light source is visible to a user when illuminated.

23. A monitoring system for monitoring wear of a scraper blade for scraping a conveyor belt, comprising: a self-contained wear monitoring unit operably connected to the exterior of the scraper blade; The self-contained wear monitoring unit comprises: a wear sensor configured to indicate the amount of wear on the scraper blade; a control circuit operatively connected to the wear sensor and operable to wirelessly transmit a signal indicative of the amount of wear on the scraper blade detected by the wear sensor; The monitoring system further comprises: a sensor module positioned and configured to receive the signal transmitted by the control circuit and detect the amount of wear on the scraper blade; a communication circuit operatively connected to the sensor module and configured to wirelessly transmit data related to the amount of wear on the scraper blade to a communication hub; A monitoring system comprising:

24. 24. The monitoring system of claim 23, wherein the control circuit and the sensor module of the self-contained wear monitoring unit are configured to be synchronized with each other and to operate simultaneously periodically, and the sensor module is operable to receive the signal transmitted by the control circuit when the signal is transmitted by the control circuit.

25. 24. The monitoring system of claim 23, wherein the communications circuitry is configured to communicate with the communications hub via a cellular communications protocol.

26. 24. The monitoring system of claim 23, further comprising a remote control system for the sensor module configured to receive and store data related to the amount of wear on the scraper blade via the communication hub.

27. 27. The monitoring system of claim 26, wherein the control system is configured to maintain a digital twin of the scraper blade associated with the self-contained wear monitoring unit.

28. 28. The monitoring system of claim 27, wherein the digital twin includes at least one of: a serial number associated with the self-contained wear monitoring unit; an installation date of the scraper blade or the self-contained wear monitoring unit; an age of the scraper blade or the self-contained wear monitoring unit; an amount of wear on the scraper blade; a wear rate experienced by the self-contained wear monitoring unit; a distance traveled by the conveyor belt or a length of time the conveyor belt traveled with the scraper blade engaged with the conveyor belt; an image of the scraper blade; an inspection, repair, or replacement date; and a recommended inspection, repair, or replacement date.

29. 28. The monitoring system of claim 27, wherein the control system is configured to associate an image of the scraper blade with a digital twin of the scraper blade.

30. 28. The monitoring system of claim 27, wherein the control system is configured to associate information sent from a mobile device to the control system with the digital twin.

31. 27. The monitoring system of claim 26, wherein the control system is configured to predict when the scraper blade will need replacement based at least in part on the amount of wear on the scraper blade detected by the wear sensor.

32. the sensor module includes a housing mounted to an elongated support of the conveyor belt cleaner; 24. The monitoring system of claim 23, wherein the elongated support supports the scraper blade for engagement with the conveyor belt.

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