System and method for monitoring the condition of a protective fence

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system and method for monitoring the condition of a protective fence. Said system comprises: at least one fixed part (10) and at least one removable part (20) associated with each other, which define the protective fence; at least one first sensing device S1 and at least one respective second sensing device S2; at least one computer (60); at least one processing unit (40); the first sensing device S1 being associated with the respective fixed part (10) and the respective second sensing device S2 being associated with the respective removable part (20) or vice versa; the first and second sensing devices S1, S2 being capable of communicating with each other by means of a first signal; wherein a(n) (un)safe condition is determined by the processing unit (40) as a function of a feature of the first signal.

Description

[0001] SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MONITORING THE CONDITION OF A PROTECTIVE FENCE

[0002] Field of Invention

[0003] The present invention relates to a system and method for monitoring the safe condition of a protective fence, with a plurality of possible applications, including for monitoring the safe condition of protective fences surrounding industrial equipment, such as belt conveyors.

[0004] Fundamentals of the Invention

[0005] Belt conveyors are widely used in applications where there is a need to move materials over long distances and / or in large volumes. In the mining environment, for example, it is common to use long-distance belt conveyors to move ore between different stages of the process.

[0006] Figures 1.1 and 1.2 show a simplified configuration of a belt conveyor, consisting of a drive pulley T, a tensioning pulley 2', a conveyor belt 3' and load and return rollers 4'. The rollers 4', in turn, are supported on trestles and the assembly between these trestles and rollers 4' are called rollers 5'.

[0007] It is common for belt conveyors, as well as various other industrial equipment, to be associated with other types of equipment, including: protection systems or devices, for example, inspection windows or protective fences (or railings).

[0008] In particular, protective fences for industrial equipment play a crucial role in worker safety and equipment protection. They are designed to prevent unauthorized access to dangerous machinery and equipment, thus preventing accidents and injuries.

[0009] These fences are manufactured from resistant materials, such as steel, aluminum, or high-strength plastic, and are designed to withstand impacts and external forces. They are installed around machinery and equipment that present risks of cuts, crushing, burns, or other types of injuries. Generally, these protective fences are modular, meaning they comprise several modules (movable parts) mounted in a removable manner along with their respective fixed parts, such as posts, so that, together, they define a barrier or protective perimeter.

[0010] In addition to protecting workers, safety fences also help protect industrial equipment from damage caused by accidental impacts or unauthorized interference. They can be designed to allow access only to authorized operators, through doors with locks or access control systems.

[0011] In summary, these protective fences are an essential part of safety in industrial environments and must be carefully designed, installed, and maintained to ensure the safety and integrity of workers and equipment.

[0012] It is important that safety barriers are designed and installed in accordance with local safety standards and regulations, ensuring they provide the necessary protection and meet legal requirements. Furthermore, it is essential that they are regularly inspected and maintained to guarantee their effectiveness over time.

[0013] However, it happens that, in the field, it is common for industrial workers to sometimes dismantle one or more modules of the protective fences, removing them and not replacing them or not reassembling them properly, going completely against the purpose of providing these protective fences and therefore increasing the risk inherent in these industrial environments.

[0014] Some state-of-the-art solutions already provide for monitoring the safe condition of a component such as a protective fence, such as those in documents CN219864383, CN115142369, CN103669993, JP2006155426, W005015517, DE4318723 and CN112681876.

[0015] In this sense, and despite the fact that the solutions in these documents prove functional for the objectives for which they were developed, it is noted that the state of the art is lacking in terms of a solution that allows the retrofit of already installed protective fences in a non-invasive manner, through a sufficiently robust, efficient and reliable architecture that also allows the identification of the exact point (geolocation) where a potentially unsafe condition is detected.

[0016] It is based on this scenario that the present invention arises.

[0017] Objectives of the Invention

[0018] Thus, the fundamental objective of the invention in question is to disclose a system and a method for monitoring the condition of a protective fence that restricts access to at least one piece of industrial equipment, such as a conveyor belt;

[0019] More specifically, the objective of the present invention is to provide a method and system for monitoring the safe condition of a protective fence, applicable to belt conveyors, and optimized in relation to those of the prior art;

[0020] It is also an objective of the present invention to propose a solution that allows the retrofit of already installed protective fences;

[0021] Furthermore, another objective of the present invention is to describe a non-invasive solution that is sufficiently robust and efficient, and that also allows for the identification of the exact point at which a potentially unsafe condition is detected.

[0022] Summary of the Invention

[0023] The objectives summarized above are achieved by means of a system for monitoring the condition of a protective fence comprising: at least one fixed part and at least one removable part associated with each other, which define the protective fence; at least one first sensing device and at least one respective second sensing device; at least one calculator; at least one processing unit; said at least one first sensing device being associated with the respective fixed part and the respective at least one second sensing device being associated with the respective removable part or vice versa; said at least one first sensing device and the respective at least one second sensing device being able to communicate with each other by means of a first signal;whereby a safe or unsafe condition is determined by the processing unit, based on the characteristics of said first signal. The present invention also relates to the operating method of the system in question, that is, a method for monitoring the condition of a protective fence that includes the following steps: a first step consisting of transmitting a first signal from at least one first sensing device to at least one respective second sensing device, or vice versa; a second step consisting of estimating, by means of a calculator, the distance or the variation in distance between at least one first sensing device and at least one respective second sensing device, based on the characteristics of the first signal;A third step, which consists of determining, through the processing unit, an unsafe condition of the protective fence if said distance or variation in estimated distance is greater than a predetermined value; and, preferably, a fourth step which consists of, upon detecting the unsafe condition of the protective fence, emitting an alert signal, by means of an alert system, to indicate said unsafe condition.

[0024] Brief Description of the Drawings

[0025] The invention in question will now be described in detail, by way of example, based on the illustrative figures listed below:

[0026] Figures 1.1 and 1.2 illustrate a side view and a cross-sectional view, respectively, of a belt conveyor according to the state of the art;

[0027] Figure 2 schematically illustrates a protective fence equipped with instrumentation, according to the present invention.

[0028] Figure 3 schematically illustrates the communication architecture of a system for monitoring the condition of a protective fence, according to the present invention.

[0029] Detailed Description of the Invention

[0030] Thus, focusing on achieving the aforementioned objectives, and describing in an exemplary, but not limiting, manner, the present invention relates to a system for monitoring the condition of a protective fence comprising at least one fixed part 10 and at least one removable part 20 associated with each other, which define the protective fence, at least one first sensing device S1 and at least one respective second sensing device S2, at least one calculator 60, at least one processing unit 40, wherein said at least one first sensing device S1 is associated with the respective fixed part 10 and the respective at least one second sensing device S2 is associated with the respective removable part 20 or vice versa.

[0031] Furthermore, said first sensing device S1 and respective second sensing device S2 are capable of communicating with each other by means of a first signal. Particularly according to the present invention, a safe or unsafe condition is determined by the processing unit 40, depending on the characteristic of said first signal.

[0032] The system of the present invention can be applied to a wide range of protective fences, one of the preferred applications being that in which said protective fence delimits and restricts (i.e., protects) access to the area in which industrial equipment is installed, and more particularly, a belt conveyor.

[0033] Preferably, the system of the present invention comprises a plurality of fixed parts 10 and a plurality of removable parts 20, each removable part 20 of the protective fence being mounted in a removable manner together with two adjacent fixed parts 10.

[0034] Preferably, the aforementioned first signal is a radio frequency signal. It should be noted that said first signal may or may not be emitted continuously over time. By "first signal" is meant a signal transmitted between said at least one first sensing device S1 and its respective at least one second sensing device S2.

[0035] The calculator 60 may be an integral part of at least one of the following: at least one first sensing device S1, at least one second sensing device S2, at least one concentrator 30, said at least one processing unit 40, and at least one central server 50. Preferably, said calculator 60 is an integral part of said at least one second sensing device S2, specifically. Similarly, said processing unit 40 may be an integral part of at least one of the following: at least one first sensing device S1, at least one second sensing device S2, at least one concentrator 30, and at least one central server 50. Preferably, said processing unit 40 is an integral part of said at least one central server 50.

[0036] In parallel, said at least one first sensing device S1 comprises a respective transmitter module that emits the first signal continuously and, optionally, a respective receiver module, while said at least one second sensing device S2 comprises a respective receiver module and a respective transmitter module and, preferably, as stated above, the calculator 60.

[0037] In this same vein, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, said at least one second sensing device S2 is operationally associated with a timer and / or a motion detection means, such as an accelerometer, for example. Preferably, these components may be integrated into said at least one second sensing device S2.

[0038] In this way, the first sensing device S1 sends the signal continuously, while its respective S2 is either in a hibernation operating mode (low energy consumption mode) or in an active operating mode, with its switching occurring after a predetermined time interval (regular periods with intervals greater than the eventual transmission interval of S1) or when movement of the removable part 20 in which the respective S2 is installed is detected, for example.

[0039] The system of the present invention also preferably includes at least one concentrator 30 in bidirectional communication (preferably via radio frequency) with at least one of: at least one first sensing device S1 and at least one second sensing device S2. Additionally, also preferably, the system of the present invention further comprises at least one central server 50 in bidirectional communication (preferably via TCP / IP protocol) with said at least one concentrator 30.

[0040] Based on the architecture of this system, it is possible to conceive of an operation in which, through the first signal, it is possible to estimate, that is, calculate, determine, perceive, the distance or the variation of distance between at least one first sensing device S1 and the respective at least one second sensing device S2, as a function of at least one of: the intensity or amplitude or phase or time of flight or the variation thereof, relative to the first signal, perceived by said at least one second sensing device S2 or by said at least one first sensing device S1 through their respective receiver modules. This estimate, that is, this calculation, is performed on calculator 60.

[0041] With the information on the estimated distance or variation in distance, it is possible to determine, by a processing unit 40, the unsafe condition of the protective fence when said distance or variation in distance is greater than a predetermined value. That is, the system of the present invention serves to detect when a removable part 20 of the protective fence is distant from the fixed part 10, that is, when it is disassembled, thus allowing access to the restricted area.

[0042] Preferably, the system of the present invention also comprises a warning means to alert, or rather, inform, of said unsafe condition when it is determined.

[0043] Having described the system of the present invention, the description of the method governing its operating principle, which is also part of the scope of the present invention, follows below.

[0044] Essentially, this method for monitoring the condition of a protective fence includes the following steps:

[0045] A first step that consists of transmitting an initial signal from a respective transmitter module of at least one first sensing device S1 to the respective receiver module of at least one second sensing device S2, or vice versa.

[0046] A second step consists of estimating, using a calculator 60, the distance or the variation in distance between at least one first sensing device S1 and the respective at least one second sensing device S2, based on the characteristics of the first signal;

[0047] A third step involves determining, using processing unit 40, an unsafe condition of the protective fence if said distance or variation in estimated distance is greater than a predetermined value.

[0048] Preferably, this method also includes a fourth step which consists of, upon detecting the unsafe condition of the protective fence, emitting an alert signal, by means of an alert device, to indicate said unsafe condition to a user or maintenance professional, for example. Said alert device (not illustrated) may be a siren, a lamp, a display or any other analogous element or one that performs an equivalent function (of alerting, i.e., giving feedback).

[0049] Preferably, said method also includes a preceding step relating to switching the operational state of the respective at least one second sensing device S2 from a hibernation state to an active state, by means of one of: the lapse of a predetermined time interval, measured by a timer, or by the detection of movement of said at least one second sensing device S2, by a means of motion detection integrated into or operationally associated with it (the means of motion detection, for example an accelerometer, may be associated with the removable part to which the second sensing device is attached, for example).

[0050] Given that calculator 60 can be an integral part of different system components, as can processing unit 40, there are multiple ways (variants) to implement the invention method. For example, in one embodiment, the “raw” data, containing information about the characteristics (intensity, amplitude, phase, time of flight, or variations thereof) of the first signal, can reach at least one second sensing device S2, which includes calculator 60, and the distance or distance variation estimate can be performed there. Then, only the estimated distance or distance variation information can be transmitted to processing unit 40, preferably integrated with the central server 50.

[0051] In a second mode, the “raw” data containing information relating to the characteristics of the first signal can be transmitted to a concentrator 30 in which the calculator 60 may be integrated, and there the distance or distance variation can be estimated, and then only this information can be transmitted to a processing unit 40.

[0052] In a third mode, the “raw” data containing information relating to the characteristics of the first signal can be transmitted to a central server 50 in which the calculator 60 and the processing unit 40 may be integrated – which, incidentally, may be integrated with each other – so that, only then, the estimation of the distance or variation of the distance can be performed there.

[0053] In order to foresee a wide range of possibilities, depending on the multiple possible system architectures and, consequently, the logic of the method of the present invention, the following is foreseen:

[0054] According to the first method, prior to the third stage, an intermediate first stage is carried out which consists of sending, by means of a respective transmitter module of said at least one second sensing device S2, to a respective concentrator 30, a second radio frequency signal, including data relating to the estimated distance (calculated, determined, perceived), as well as data relating to the geolocation of the respective at least one first and / or respective at least second sensing device S1, S2 in question.Here, it is worth highlighting that at least one piece of geolocation data may be the identification code(s) of the respective at least one first and / or respective at least one second sensing device S1, S2 in question, and that said identification code(s) is / are previously associated with a geolocation at the time of installation of these devices and such correlation is stored, for example, in processing unit 40 and / or in central server 50.

[0055] According to this first method, after the first intermediate stage and prior to the third stage, a second intermediate stage is carried out, which consists of said concentrator 30, in turn, retransmitting a third signal containing the data from the second signal to at least one central server 50.

[0056] On the other hand, according to the second modality, prior to the second stage, an alternative first intermediate stage is carried out which consists of sending, by means of a respective transmitter module of said at least one second sensing device S2, to a respective concentrator 30, a second radio frequency signal, including data relating to the characteristic of the first signal perceived by the second sensing device S2, as well as data relating to the geolocation of the respective at least one first and / or respective at least second sensing device S1, S2 in question.Here, it is worth highlighting that at least one piece of geolocation data may be the identification code(s) of the respective at least one first and / or respective at least one second sensing device S1, S2 in question, and that said identification code(s) is / are previously associated with a geolocation at the time of installation of these devices and such correlation is stored, for example, in processing unit 40 and / or in central server 50.

[0057] Still according to this second modality, after the first alternative intermediate stage and prior to the third stage, the second stage is carried out, specifically in said concentrator 30, which consists of, by means of calculator 60, estimating (calculating, determining, perceiving) the distance or variation of the distance between the first and second sensing devices S1, S2, as a function of at least one of: the intensity or amplitude or phase or time of flight or the variation thereof, relative to the first signal, perceived by said at least one second sensing device S2 or by said at least one first sensing device S1 through their respective receiver modules.

[0058] On the other hand, in a third mode, prior to the second stage, an alternative first intermediate stage is carried out which consists of sending, by means of said at least one second sensing device S2, to a respective concentrator 30, a second signal, including data relating to the characteristic of the first signal perceived by the second sensing device S2, as well as data relating to the geolocation of the respective at least one first and / or respective at least second sensing device S1, S2 in question.

[0059] According to this third method, after the first alternative intermediate stage and prior to the second stage, a second alternative intermediate stage is carried out. This stage consists of sending, via a transmitter module of the respective concentrator 30 to a receiver module of a central server 50, a third signal (preferably according to a TCP / IP protocol), retransmitting the second signal. The central server 50 receives, processes, and stores the data contained in the third signal and, through the calculator 60, estimates (calculates, determines, perceives) the distance or variation in distance between the first and second sensing devices (S1, S2), based on at least one of the following: the intensity, amplitude, phase, time of flight, or the variation thereof, relative to the first signal.perceived by said at least one second sensing device S2 or by said at least one first sensing device S1 through their respective receiver modules.

[0060] Finally, it is worth mentioning that the method of the present invention can be applied to protective fences that enclose other types of equipment and / or systems, in addition to belt conveyors.

[0061] It is important to emphasize that the description above aims solely to exemplify a particular embodiment of the invention in question. Therefore, it is clear that modifications, variations, and constructive combinations of the elements that perform the same function, substantially in the same way, to achieve the same results, remain within the scope of protection delimited by the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. System for monitoring the condition of a protective fence CHARACTERIZED by the fact that it comprises: at least one fixed part (10) and at least one removable part (20) associated with each other, which define the protective fence; at least one first sensing device (S1) and at least one respective second sensing device (S2); at least one calculator (60); at least one processing unit (40); said at least one first sensing device (S1) being associated with the respective fixed part (10) and the respective at least one second sensing device (S2) being associated with the respective removable part (20) or vice versa; said at least one first sensing device (S1) and the respective at least one second sensing device (S2) being able to communicate with each other by means of a first signal;whereby a safe or unsafe condition is determined by the processing unit (40), depending on the characteristic of said first signal.; 2. System for monitoring the condition of a protective fence, according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that the protective fence delimits and restricts access to the area in which industrial equipment is installed, more specifically, a belt conveyor.

3. System for monitoring the condition of a protective fence, according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that each removable part (20) of the protective fence is mounted in a removable manner together with two fixed parts (10) adjacent to each other.

4. System for monitoring the condition of a protective fence, according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that said first signal is a radio frequency signal.

5. System for monitoring the condition of a protective fence, according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that the calculator (60) is an integral part of at least one of: at least one first sensing device (S1), at least one second sensing device (S2), at least one concentrator (30), said at least one processing unit (40), and at least one central server (50).

6. System for monitoring the condition of a protective fence, according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that said processing unit (40) is an integral part of at least one of: at least one first sensing device (S1), at least one second sensing device (S2), at least one concentrator (30), and at least one central server (50).

7. System for monitoring the condition of a protective fence, according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that at least one first sensing device (S1) comprises a respective transmitter module that emits the first signal continuously and, optionally, a respective receiver module, while the respective at least one second sensing device (S2) comprises a respective receiver module and respective transmitter module and, optionally, the calculator (60).

8. System for monitoring the condition of a protective fence, according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that said at least one second sensing device (S2) is operationally associated with a timer and / or a means of motion detection.

9. System for monitoring the condition of a protective fence, according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that it further comprises at least one concentrator (30) in bidirectional communication with at least one of: at least one first sensing device (S1) and at least one second sensing device (S2).

10. System for monitoring the condition of a protective fence, according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that it further comprises at least one central server (50) in bidirectional communication with said at least one concentrator (30).

11. System for monitoring the condition of a protective fence, according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that, by means of the first signal, it is possible to estimate the distance or the variation of distance between at least one first sensing device (S1) and the respective at least one second sensing device (S2), as a function of at least one of: the intensity or amplitude or phase or time of flight or the variation thereof, relative to the first signal, perceived by said at least one second sensing device (S2) or by said at least one first sensing device (S1) through respective receiver modules.

12. System for monitoring the condition of a protective fence, according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that an unsafe condition is determined when said distance or variation of estimated distance is greater than a predetermined value.

13. System for monitoring the condition of a protective fence, according to claim 1, CHARACTERIZED in that it further comprises an alert means to warn of said unsafe condition when it is determined.

14. Method for monitoring the condition of a protective fence, CHARACTERIZED by the fact that it includes the following steps: a first step consisting of transmitting a first signal from at least one first sensing device (S1) to the respective at least one second sensing device (S2), or vice versa; a second step consisting of estimating, by means of a calculator (60), the distance or the variation in distance between the at least one first sensing device (S1) and the respective at least one second sensing device (S2), as a function of the characteristic of the first signal; a third step which consists of determining, by means of the processing unit (40), an unsafe condition of the protection fence, if said distance or variation of estimated distance is greater than a predetermined value.

15. Method for monitoring the condition of a protective fence, according to claim 14, CHARACTERIZED in that it further comprises: a fourth step which consists of, upon detecting the unsafe condition of the protective fence, emitting an alert signal, by an alert means, to indicate said unsafe condition.

16. Method for monitoring the condition of a protective fence, according to claim 14, CHARACTERIZED in that, prior to the second stage, an intermediate first stage is carried out which consists of sending, by means of said at least one second sensing device (S2), to a respective concentrator (30), a second signal, including data relating to the estimated distance, as well as at least one piece of data relating to the geolocation of the respective at least one first and / or respective at least one second sensing device (S1, S2) in question.

17. Method for monitoring the condition of a protective fence, according to claim 16, CHARACTERIZED in that, after the first intermediate stage and prior to the third stage, a second intermediate stage is carried out which consists of said concentrator (30), in turn, retransmitting a third signal containing the data of the second signal to at least one central server (50).

18. Method for monitoring the condition of a protective fence, according to claim 14, CHARACTERIZED in that, prior to the second stage, an alternative first intermediate stage is carried out which consists of sending, by means of said at least one second sensing device (S2), to a respective concentrator (30), a second signal, including data relating to the characteristic of the first signal perceived by the second sensing device (S2), as well as at least one piece of data relating to the geolocation of the respective at least one first and / or respective at least one second sensing device (S1, S2) in question.

19. Method for monitoring the condition of a protective fence, according to claim 18, CHARACTERIZED in that, after the first intermediate alternative stage and prior to the third stage, the second stage is carried out, in said concentrator (30), which consists of, by means of the calculator (60), estimating the distance or variation of the distance between the first and second sensing devices (S1, S2), as a function of at least one of: the intensity or amplitude or phase or time of flight or the variation thereof, relative to the first signal, perceived by said at least one second sensing device (S2) or by said at least one first sensing device (S1) through their respective receiver modules.

20. Method for monitoring the condition of a protective fence, according to claims 14 and 18, CHARACTERIZED in that, after the first alternative intermediate step and prior to the second step, a second alternative intermediate step is performed which consists of sending, through a respective concentrator (30) to a central server (50), a third signal, retransmitting the second signal, wherein the central server (50) receives, processes and stores the data contained in the third signal and, through the calculator (60), estimates the distance or variation of distance between the first and second sensing devices (S1, S2), as a function of at least one of: the intensity or amplitude or phase or time of flight or the variation thereof, relative to the first signal, perceived by said at least one second sensing device (S2) or by said at least one first sensing device (S1) through respective receiver modules.

21. A method for monitoring the condition of a protective fence, according to claim 14, CHARACTERIZED in that it further comprises a preceding step relating to switching the operational state of the respective at least one second sensing device (S2) from a hibernation state to an active state, by means of one of: the lapse of a predetermined time interval, measured by a timer, or by the detection of movement of said at least one second sensing device (S2), by a motion detection means integrated into or operationally associated with it.

Images