Device for detecting a wear level of a wear plate
AssigneeDeere & Company
InventorsMichael L. Rhodes, Kevin P. Cowles
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A first conductor is embedded in the first dielectric layer to a first wear depth, where the first wear depth is associated with a first threshold wear level. A second dielectric layer overlies the first dielectric layer to a second wear depth. The second wear depth is associated with a second threshold wear level greater than the first threshold wear level. A second conductor is embedded in the second dielectric layer and separate from the first conductor. An indicator is adapted to indicate whether the wear plate is the first threshold wear level or the second threshold wear level.
Claims20
A device for detecting wear of a wear plate, the device comprising:
- a first dielectric layer;
- a first conductor embedded in the first dielectric layer to a first wear depth, the first wear depth associated with a first threshold wear level;
- a second dielectric layer overlying the first dielectric layer;
- a second conductor embedded in the second dielectric layer to a second wear depth and separate from the first conductor;
- the second wear depth associated with a second threshold wear level greater than the first threshold wear level;
- an indicator for indicating whether the wear plate is worn to the first threshold wear level or to the second threshold wear level, the indicator comprising a first continuity circuit that detects no continuity of the first conductor if the wear plate is worn to the first threshold wear level and a second continuity circuit that detects no continuity of the second conductor if the wear plate is worn to the second threshold wear level;
- wherein the first continuity circuit comprises a first amplifier that is configured to change a logic level in response to detection of no continuity of the first conductor and wherein the second continuity circuit comprises a second amplifier that is configured to change a logic level in response to detection of no continuity of the second conductor.
A device for detecting wear of a wear plate, the device comprising:
- a first dielectric layer;
- a first conductor embedded in the first dielectric layer to a first wear depth, the first wear depth associated with a first threshold wear level, the first conductor having a first input terminal and a first output terminal;
- a second dielectric layer overlying the first dielectric layer
- a second conductor embedded in the second dielectric layer to a second wear depth and separate from the first conductor, the second conductor having a second input terminal and a second output terminal;
- the second wear depth associated with a second threshold wear level greater than the first threshold wear level;
- a logic level source coupled to the first input terminal and the second input terminal;
- a multiplexer having mux inputs coupled to the first output terminal and the second output terminal;
- a controller for selecting multiplexer output data from among the mux inputs;
- a shift register for storing the multiplexer output data;
- a data port for communicating the multiplexer output data to user interface to indicate whether the wear plate is worn to the first threshold wear level or to the second threshold wear level.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.