Back to results
US 12,734,575 B2Granted
Sensor-fitted metal net
AssigneeOfficine Maccaferri S.P.A.
InventorFrancesco Ferraiolo
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A metal net having entwined metal wires defining the meshes of the metal net comprises at least one elongate sensor element fixed integrally to the metal net, inserted into the net during the production thereof. The elongate sensor element may comprise a wire of a material having a low coefficient of variation of the resistivity and a high gauge factor, preferably formed from constantan, or else may be of the optical fibre or composite fibre type.
Claims26
A metal net having a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction oriented transversely to the longitudinal direction, the metal net comprising:
- a plurality of elongate metal wires oriented lengthwise along the longitudinal direction of the metal net;
- and
- at least one elongate sensor element oriented lengthwise along the longitudinal direction of the metal net;
- the at least one elongate sensor element being fixed to and integrated with one or more of the elongate metal wires at connection nodes;
- the connection nodes being spaced from one another along at least the longitudinal direction of the metal net;
- each connection node comprising one of:
- a three-component connection node including two entwined portions of two adjacent ones of the elongate metal wires and part of the at least one elongate sensor element inserted into and extending through the two entwined portions;
- or
- a two-component connection node including a portion of one of the elongate metal wires entwined with part of the at least one elongate sensor element;
- and
- wherein the at least one elongate sensor element is configured to detect one or more of the following parameters:
- temperature variations in an environment surrounding the metal net;
- permanent deformation of the metal net;
- vibration in an environment surrounding the metal net;
- humidity level in an environment surrounding the metal net;
- pressure in an environment surrounding the metal net;
- electrical field in an environment surrounding the metal net;
- and/or magnetic field in an environment surrounding the metal net.
15 more elements
A metal net having a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction oriented transversely to the longitudinal direction, said metal net comprising:
- a plurality of elongate metal wires;
- a plurality of first nodes disposed at spaced intervals from one another along said metal net, each said first node comprising entwined portions of adjacent ones of said elongate metal wires;
- at least one elongate sensor element fixed to said metal net;
- and
- a plurality of second nodes disposed in spaced-apart relation from one another along at least the longitudinal direction of said metal net, each said second node comprising one of:
- a three-component node including entwined portions of two adjacent ones of said elongate metal wires and a portion of said at least one elongate sensor element fixedly engaged therewith and extending through the entwined portions;
- or a two-component node including a portion of one of said elongate metal wires entwined with a portion of said at least one elongate sensor element, said first and second nodes being distributed along said metal net to provide said metal net with a mesh configuration, and said elongate metal wires and said at least one elongate sensor element are all oriented lengthwise along the longitudinal direction of said metal net;
- wherein the at least one elongate sensor element is configured to detect one or more of the following parameters:
- temperature variations in an environment surrounding the metal net;
- permanent deformation of the metal net;
- vibration in an environment surrounding the metal net;
- humidity level in an environment surrounding the metal net;
- pressure in an environment surrounding the metal net;
- electrical field in an environment surrounding the metal net;
- and/or magnetic field in an environment surrounding the metal net.
12 more elements
A metal net having a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction oriented transversely to the longitudinal direction, the metal net comprising:
- a plurality of elongate metal wires oriented lengthwise along the longitudinal direction of the metal net;
- and
- elongate sensor elements oriented lengthwise along the longitudinal direction of the metal net;
- the elongate sensor elements being fixed to and integrated with one or more of the elongate metal wires at connection nodes such that the elongate sensor elements cannot slide relative to the connection nodes in which each of the elongate sensor elements is fixed to and integrated with;
- the connection nodes being spaced from one another along at least the longitudinal direction of the metal net;
- each connection node comprising one of:
- a three-component connection node including two entwined portions of two adjacent ones of the elongate metal wires and part of the elongate sensor elements inserted into and extending through the two entwined portions;
- or
- a two-component connection node including a portion of one of the elongate metal wires entwined with part of the elongate sensor elements;
- wherein the elongate sensor elements are configured to detect one or more of the following parameters:
- temperature variations in an environment surrounding the metal net;
- permanent deformation of the metal net;
- vibration in an environment surrounding the metal net;
- humidity level in an environment surrounding the metal net;
- pressure in an environment surrounding the metal net;
- electrical field in an environment surrounding the metal net;
- and/or magnetic field in an environment surrounding the metal net.
14 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.