Ceramic smart impact panel
AssigneeCeramic Technology, Inc.
InventorsLee R. Osborne, William Farley, Stephane Guerchon
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An impact panel for protecting mining equipment may include a plurality of ceramic tiles affixed to a base plate. The impact panel may further include at least one fixing hole disposed within the plurality of ceramic tiles and the base plate with a metal frame disposed around an outer peripheral edge of the plurality of ceramic tiles that is also affixed to the base plate. The impact panel may have at least one plug disposed inside the at least one fixing hole to seamlessly cover the at least one fixing hole. The panels may also be wired with sensors that will communicate with process control circuits allowing data collection on remote process and remote mining equipment.
Claims12
An impact panel comprising:
- a plurality of ceramic tiles affixed to a base plate, the base plate including at least one base plate through hole;
- a sensor configured to measure a wear condition of the impact panel;
- at least one fixing hole disposed within a tile of the plurality of ceramic tiles;
- at least one ceramic plug configured to be inserted into the at least one fixing hole;
- and
- a fastener with a fastener through hole that extends therethrough;
- wherein
- the fastener fastens the impact panel to an attachment surface;
- the fastener is disposed inside the at least one base plate through hole such that a top of the fastener is not higher than a top of the base plate;
- and
- at least one cable connects the sensor to a controller through the fastener through hole;
- the at least one ceramic plug is disposed over the fastener member in the at least one fixing hole to seamlessly cover the at least one fixing hole;
- a diameter of the fixing hole is greater than a diameter of a head of the fastener member so that the fastener member can be inserted into the fixing hole;
- and
- the sensor is disposed in the at least one ceramic plug.
A method for installing a ceramic impact panel sensor and monitoring a wear condition of the ceramic impact panel, the method comprising:
- sealing a sensor and wiring inside a coupling using a pipe plug to protect the sensor and the wiring during transport;
- removing the pipe plug;
- attaching the wiring to a wireless transmitter;
- attaching the wireless transmitter to the coupling;
- and
- remotely monitoring a wear condition of the impact panel by a remote monitoring device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.