US 5,970,436 A · Equipment utilization detector

Abstract

A utilization detector detects when equipment undergoes at least one of a sudden motion or a slowly changing motion. In response to detecting sudden or slowly changing motion of the equipment, the utilization detector causes a production hour meter to accumulate time over which such motion is occurring. In response to detecting an absence of sudden or slowly changing motion of the equipment, the utilization detector causes an idle hour meter to accumulate time over which motion is not occurring. The utilization detector includes an off delay timer for maintaining the production hour meter accumulating time for a predetermined interval after the utilization detector detects the termination of sudden or slowly changing motion. When the production hour meter is accumulating time, the idle hour meter is not accumulating time and vice versa.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A utilization detector attachable to equipment for determining the utilization of the equipment, the utilization detector comprising:

a motion detector which generates an output signal upon a change of its position relative to a plane;
a motion analysis circuit responsive to the output signal from the motion detector and generating at least one of (i) a sudden motion output signal in response to a sudden motion detected by the motion detector, and (ii) a slow motion output signal in response to a slow motion detected by the motion detector;
and
a time accumulator responsive to at least one of the slow motion output signal and the sudden motion output signal, wherein:
the time accumulator records at least one of a production interval and a idling interval;
the production interval corresponds to a duration that the motion analysis circuit generates the at least one of the slow motion output signal and the sudden motion output signal;
and
the idling interval corresponds to a duration that the motion analysis circuit withholds the slow motion output signal and the sudden motion output signal.

5 more elements

An equipment utilization detector which detects the utilization of equipment, the utilization detector comprising:

(a) a motion detector which detects motion in at least one of an X-axis and a Y-axis with respect to the equipment and which generates an output signal corresponding to the detected motion;
(b) a signal conditioner which receives the output signal from the motion detector and removes electronic noise therefrom and which generates an output signal;
(c) at least one of:
(i) a sudden motion detector which receives the output signal from the signal conditioner and detects therefrom when the equipment undergoes sudden motion and which generates an output signal which is a function of the sudden motion;
and
(ii) a slow motion detector which receives the output signal from the signal conditioner and detects therefrom when the equipment undergoes gradual motion and which generates an output signal which is a function of the gradual motion;
(d) an OR gate connected to receive at least one of the sudden motion detector output signal and the slow motion detector output signal and generate an output signal in response to receiving the at least one of the sudden motion detector output signal and the slow motion detector output signal;
and
(e) a time accumulator which accumulates production time in response to the output signal from the OR gate and which accumulates idling time in response to the absence of the output signal from the OR gate.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Equipment utilization detector

Life of this patent

Equipment utilization detector

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20