Mine hole sensor probe assembly

Abstract

The present invention relates to a mine hole sensor probe assembly. The assembly includes a mine hole sensor probe for sensing a mine hole. A holder is provided for holding the sensor probe. The assembly also includes a vehicle for carrying the holder to the mine hole. Advantageously, the holder may be carried by the vehicle to facilitate the safe and efficient transport and deployment of the sensor probe.

Description

MINE HOLE SENSOR PROBE ASSEMBLYTECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a mine hole sensor probe assembly.BACKGROUND

[0002] The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that the prior art forms part of the common general knowledge.

[0003] When logging a mine blast hole, a sensor probe is lowered down the blasthole.

[0004] The sensor probe is sensitive equipment which must be handled with care to avoid damage or the need for recalibration.

[0005] The preferred embodiment provides for the safe and / or efficient transportation and deployment of the sensor probe.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a mine hole sensor probe assembly including: a mine hole sensor probe for sensing a mine hole; a holder for holding the sensor probe; and a vehicle for carrying the holder to the mine hole.

[0007] Advantageously, the holder may be carried by the vehicle to facilitate the safe and efficient transport and deployment of the sensor probe.

[0008] The holder may be releasable. The holder may be used to adjust the position of the probe relative to the mine hole. The adjustment may be made with two degrees of freedom (2 DOF). The adjustment may involve translation along two axes. The systemmay include one or more actuators for actuating to adjust the position of the probe. The holder may include a chassis, and a carrier for moving relative to the chassis.

[0009] The holder may include a gripper for gripping the sensor probe. The gripper may include one or more pairs of gripper arms. The holder may hold the probe in compression.

[0010] The assembly may further include a pulley system for guiding one or more lines extending from the probe. Advantageously, the pulley system may be mounted to the holder to facilitate easy and efficient loading of the lines, and to manage the lines during probe deployment. The lines may suspend the probe. The lines may include cable and / or optic fibre. The pulley system may be pivotally coupled to the holder. The base of the pulley system may be pivotally coupled to the holder.

[0011] The pulley system may include more than one pulley. The more than one pulley may include a series of pulleys. The series of pulleys may be arranged in an arc. The arc may be about 90°. The series of pulleys may bend a line about 90°. Each of the pulleys may include one or more grooves for receiving respective lines. The more than one pulley may include adjacent pulleys for guiding respective lines. The pulley system may include an open top for receiving a line from above.

[0012] The assembly may further include one or more winches upon which respective lines extending from the probe are wound.

[0013] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a holder for holding a mine hole sensor probe, the holder including: a gripper for gripping the sensor probe; and an adjuster for adjusting the position of the gripper relative to a mine hole.

[0014] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a mine hole sensor probe assembly including: a mine hole sensor probe for sensing a mine hole; a pulley system for guiding one or more lines extending from the probe; and a vehicle for carrying the pulley system to the mine hole.

[0015] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a pulley system for guiding one or more lines extending from a mine hole sensor probe, the pulley system including more than one pulley.

[0016] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for logging a mine hole, the method involving: holding a sensor probe for sensing a mine hole; carrying the holder to the mine hole; and releasing the sensor probe to log sensory data from the hole

[0017] The method may involve adjusting the position of the sensor probe. The method may involve guiding one or more lines suspending the probe using pulleys.

[0018] Any of the features described herein can be combined in any combination with any one or more of the other features described herein within the scope of the invention.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Preferred features, embodiments and variations of the invention may be discerned from the following Detailed Description which provides sufficient information for those skilled in the art to perform the invention. The Detailed Description is not to be regarded as limiting the scope of the preceding Summary of the Invention in any way. The Detailed Description will make reference to a number of drawings as follows:

[0020] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a mine blasthole sensor probe assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and

[0021] Figure 2 is a perspective view of a pulley system deployed in the assembly of Figure 1.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0022] According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a mine blasthole sensor probe assembly 100 as shown in Figure 1. The assembly 100 includes an elongate mine hole sensor probe 102 for sensing characteristics andlogging inside a mine blasthole. The assembly 100 also includes a catch-and-release system 104 (i.e. holder) for releasably holding the sensor probe 102. A four-wheel-drive vehicle (not shown) is provided for carrying the catch-and-release system 104 to the mine hole. Advantageously, the catch-and-release system 104 is carried by the vehicle to facilitate the safe and efficient transport and deployment of the sensor probe 102.

[0023] The assembly 100 further includes a pulley system 106 for guiding two lines extending from the probe 102. Advantageously, the pulley system 106 is mounted to the catch-and-release system 104 to facilitate easy and efficient loading of the lines, and to manage the lines during deployment of the probe 102. The assembly 100 is now described in detail below.

[0024] The catch-and-release system 104 includes a chassis 108 mounted to the vehicle, and a carrier 110 for moving relative to the chassis 108. The catch-and-release system 104 also includes a gripper 112 for gripping the sensor probe 102 in compression. The gripper 112 includes an upper and a lower pair of gripper arms 114 or claws.

[0025] The chassis 108 includes a pair of arms and rectangular frame extending from the vehicle, and which can be adjusted in the X-axis relative to the vehicle using an actuator (e.g. ram, screw drive, etc.). The carrier 110 includes a rectangular frame which can be adjusted in the Y-axis relative to the chassis 108 using another actuator (e.g. ram, screw drive, etc.). The gripper arms 114 are pivotally mounted to the carrier 110 to catch and release the probe 102 using another actuator (e.g. motor).

[0026] Accordingly, the catch-and-release system 104 is used to accurately adjust the position of the probe 102 relative to the mine hole. The adjustment is made with two degrees of freedom (2 DOF) and involves translation along the two axes.

[0027] Turning to Figure 2, the pulley system 106 includes two adjacent tracks 200A, 200B for receiving respective lines suspending the probe 102. The adjacent tracks 200A, 200B ensure that both lines maintain proximity and are adjusted to match probe and hole position. The assembly 100 further includes powered winches mounted to the logging vehicle and upon which respective lines extending from the probe 102 are wound to control movement of the probe 102 along the blasthole.

[0028] The loadbearing wire track 200A includes a larger pulley 202 rotationally mounted between a pair of mounting brackets 204. The probe support line guided by the pulley 202 is a wire cable.

[0029] In contrast, the optic fibre track 200B includes a series of smaller pulleys 206 rotationally mounted between a pair of mounting brackets 208. The probe support line guided by the pulleys 206 is optic fibre. The series of pulleys 206 is arranged in an arc so that the arc and fed optic fibre travel through about 90° to redirect the fibre from vertical to horizontal. In this manner, the series of smaller pulleys 206 effectively form one large diameter pulley which prevents the fibre being damaged from being too tightly bent. The series of pulleys 206 has the advantage of making the fibre pulley assembly smaller and lighter, and therefore easier and safer to handle. It also has the advantage that it can be mounted closer to the winch, thereby maximising the depth of hole that can be logged, since the fibre has a limited length.

[0030] Each of the pulleys 202, 206 include grooves for receiving respective lines. The bracket pairs 204, 208 of the pulley system 106 include an open top for receiving the lines from above. The base 210 of the pulley system 106 is pivotally coupled to the carrier 110 of the catch-and-release system 104. Each track 200A, 200B pivots to allow the cable or fibre to track across its winch as it is paid out. The pivot mechanism for the pulley system 106 is located underneath, allowing the cable and fibre to be installed and removed in a single operation, rather than having to detach and reattach the pulleys 202, 206 each time these operations are performed.

[0031] A method for logging the mine hole is briefly described.

[0032] The method involves initially holding the sensor probe 102 with the gripper 112 of the catch-and-release system 104.

[0033] The vehicle safely carries the catch-and-release system 104 to the mine hole.

[0034] The method involves accurately adjusting the position of the sensor probe 102 above the hole using the actuators of the assembly 100. When the logging vehicle parks at a blast hole it is difficult to position the probe directly over the blast hole. The catch and release system 104 moves the probe 102 in two degrees of freedom(forwards / backwards [X] and side to side [Y]) to finely tune the probe 102 to be directly over the blasthole. This motion can be controlled automatically or using remote manual operation. Remote and automated control have the advantages of reducing the risk of an operator tripping in the blast hole or on the detritus mound and reducing the risk of accidentally knocking detritus down the blast hole.

[0035] The method involves feeding and guiding the wire and optic fibre lines suspending the probe 102 over the pulleys 202, 206.

[0036] The gripper 112 of the catch-and-release system 104 releases the sensor probe 102 into the hole to log sensory data from the sensor probe 102. The winches move the dangling sensor probe 102 upwards and downwards along the hole.

[0037] Once logging is complete, the gripper 112 of the catch-and-release system 104 catches the probe 102 once more and constrains the probe 102 against movement to protect it from damage during transport. The probe 102 is then transported by the vehicle to log another hole.

[0038] Accordingly, the catch and release system 104 allows for the safe, secure, and efficient transport and deployment of the probe 102 at multiple blast holes on a mine site. The pulley system 106 facilitates easy and efficient loading of the cable and fibre and is suited to manage the loadbearing cable and optic fibre during probe deployment.

[0039] A person skilled in the art will appreciate that many embodiments and variations can be made without departing from the ambit of the present invention.

[0040] The system 104 includes actuators which are actuated to adjust the position of the probe 104. In other embodiments, the position of the probe 104 may be adjusted manually without the use of actuators.

[0041] In one embodiment, the cable and optic fibre lines are attached to a common winch on which both the fibre and cable are wrapped. If both are wrapped on a single winch, then a single pulley assembly can be used. This pulley assembly would have a series of mini pulleys 206 as previously described, but each mini pulley 206 would have two grooves to receive both the cable and fibre.

[0042] In compliance with the statute, the invention has been described in language more or less specific to structural or methodical features. It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to specific features shown or described since the means herein described comprises preferred forms of putting the invention into effect.

[0043] Reference throughout this specification to ‘one embodiment’ or ‘an embodiment’ means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the appearance of the phrases ‘in one embodiment’ or ‘in an embodiment’ in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more combinations.

Claims

The claims defining the invention are as follows:1 . A mine hole sensor probe assembly including: a mine hole sensor probe for sensing a mine hole; a holder for holding the sensor probe; and a vehicle for carrying the holder to the mine hole.

2. A mine hole sensor probe assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the holder is carried by the vehicle to facilitate the safe and efficient transport and deployment of the sensor probe.

3. A mine hole sensor probe assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the holder is releasable.

4. A mine hole sensor probe assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the holder can be used to adjust the position of the probe relative to the mine hole.

5. A mine hole sensor probe assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein the adjustment is made with two degrees of freedom (2 DOF).

6. A mine hole sensor probe assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein the adjustment involves translation along two axes.

7. A mine hole sensor probe assembly as claimed in claim 4, further including one or more actuators for actuating to adjust the position of the probe.

8. A mine hole sensor probe assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the holder includes a chassis, and a carrier for moving relative to the chassis.

9. A mine hole sensor probe assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the holder includes a gripper for gripping the sensor probe.

10. A mine hole sensor probe assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein the gripper includes one or more pairs of gripper arms.

11. A mine hole sensor probe assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the holder holds the probe in compression.

12. A mine hole sensor probe assembly as claimed in claim 1 , further including a pulley system for guiding one or more lines extending from the probe.

13. A mine hole sensor probe assembly as claimed in claim 12, wherein the pulley system is mounted to the holder to facilitate easy and efficient loading of the lines, and to manage the lines during probe deployment.

14. A mine hole sensor probe assembly as claimed in claim 12, wherein the lines suspend the probe, the lines including cable and / or optic fibre.

15. A mine hole sensor probe assembly as claimed in claim 12, wherein the pulley system is pivotally coupled to the holder, preferably at a base of the pulley system.

16. A mine hole sensor probe assembly as claimed in claim 12, wherein the pulley system includes more than one pulley.

17. A mine hole sensor probe assembly as claimed in claim 16, wherein the more than one pulley includes a series of pulleys arranged in an arc, the series of pulleys preferably bending a line about 90°.

18. A mine hole sensor probe assembly as claimed in claim 16, wherein the more than one pulley includes adjacent pulleys for guiding respective lines.

19. A mine hole sensor probe assembly as claimed in claim 12, wherein the pulley system includes an open top for receiving a line from above.

20. A mine hole sensor probe assembly as claimed in claim 1 , further including one or more winches upon which lines extending from the probe are wound.21 . A method for logging a mine hole, the method involving: holding a sensor probe for sensing a mine hole; carrying the holder to the mine hole; and releasing the sensor probe to log sensory data from the hole22. A holder for holding a mine hole sensor probe, the holder including: a gripper for gripping the sensor probe; and an adjuster for adjusting the position of the gripper relative to a mine hole.

23. A mine hole sensor probe assembly including: a mine hole sensor probe for sensing a mine hole; a pulley system for guiding one or more lines extending from the probe; and a vehicle for carrying the pulley system to the mine hole.

24. A pulley system for guiding one or more lines extending from a mine hole sensor probe, the pulley system including more than one pulley.

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