Apparatus and method for detecting the local state of a modular conveyor belt

摘要

Apparatus and method for sensing conditions local to a modular conveyor belt and Wirelessly transmitting signals representing those conditions to an off-belt belt monitoring system. A load cell pin (46) installed in a clevis formed at a hinge joint between adjacent rows of a modular conveyor belt serves as a clevis pin to interconnect the rows and as a sensor sensing belt tension transmitted through the clevis. A load-sensing belt module (28) forms the clevis and holds electronic circuitry (92) that takes the sensor measurements, logs them in a memory element, and transmits them wirelessly to the monitoring system. The measurements may be used as part of a closed-loop control system to control the speed or other operating characteristics of the conveyor system. A variety of sensors housed in sensor modules similar to standard conveyor belt modules may be installed in the belt as drop-in replacements for standard modules.