US 11,309,674 B2Granted

Brush holder assembly monitoring apparatus, assembly, system and method

AssigneeCutsforth, Inc.

InventorRobert S. Cutsforth

Life of this patent

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Abstract

Methods and systems for monitoring a brush holder assembly and/or detecting wear of a brush in a brush holder assembly are disclosed. One method includes sending data from a plurality of remote monitoring locations to a central control unit, where the data may be evaluated in order to monitor states of brushes at a plurality of remote electrical facilities. For example, multiple images of a marker tracking longitudinal movement of the brush may be acquired. A comparison of the images, for example, a comparative imaging technique, such as pixel-by-pixel comparison, may then be performed in order to evaluate a condition of the brush, such as the wear rate, wear state, or life expectancy of the brush.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A system for monitoring a brush holder assembly comprising:

a brush holder;
a carbon brush slidably disposed within the brush holder, the carbon brush configured to contact a rotating conductive surface of an electrical generator to conduct electrical current therefrom, the brush holder permitting linear movement of the carbon brush toward the rotating conductive surface as the carbon brush wears;
a brush wear indicator configured to provide data indicative of linear displacement of the carbon brush relative to the brush holder associated with wear of the carbon brush, the brush wear indicator including a base portion having a lower surface and an upper surface opposite the lower surface, the lower surface of the base portion attached to a top surface of the carbon brush;
a spring having a coiled portion engaging the upper surface of the base portion to advance the carbon brush towards the rotating conductive surface;
and
a processing unit configured to analyze data indicative of linear displacement of the carbon brush relative to the brush holder;
wherein the processing unit is configured to determine a wear rate of the carbon brush.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/002,975Filed 26 Aug 2020 · continuation
Priority: 24 May 2007
Published: US 2020/0388974 A110 Dec 2020
Granted: 19 Apr 2022
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification20 codes

H01R 39/58
Details for dynamo electric machines: means structurally associated with the current collector for indicating condition thereof, e.g. for…
G05B 19/4065
Characterised by monitoring or safety: monitoring tool breakage, life or condition
G05B 23/0208
By means of a monitoring system capable of detecting and responding to faults: characterized by the configuration of the monitoring system
G05B 23/0218
By means of a monitoring system capable of detecting and responding to faults: characterised by the fault detection method dealing with either…

Family

Application11/752,965Parent of this continuation · filed 24 May 2007
Application14/090,508Parent of this continuation · filed 26 Nov 2013
US 8,618,943 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 31 Dec 2013
Application14/450,481Parent of this continuation · filed 4 Aug 2014
US 8,825,800 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 2 Sep 2014
Application15/413,908Parent of this continuation · filed 24 Jan 2017
US 9,590,376 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 7 Mar 2017
Application16/273,411Parent of this continuation · filed 12 Feb 2019
US 10,249,999 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 2 Apr 2019
US 2020/0388974 A1Pre-grant publication · published 10 Dec 2020
US 10,790,629 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2008/0291273 A1Published application
US 2014/0077960 A1Published application
US 2014/0339965 A1Published application
US 2017/0133807 A1Published application
US 2019/0173250 A1Published application
US 11,309,674 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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