Vibration sensing device
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsSudhir Dattatraya Savkar, Walter Whipple
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A vibration sensing device including a strip bearing a pattern of markings. The strip is caused to slide back and forth in front of a sensor as the result of vibration or displacement of an object to which either the strip or the sensor is attached. By varying the spacing between the markings on strip, the direction and approximate speed of the motion can be sensed by the frequency of the signal generated by movement of the pattern past the sensor and its rate of change. The vibration sensing device can be made to sense out of balance (OOB) or vibratory motion of a piece of equipment such as a washing machine, motor engine or other device during use or transport.
Claims17
A vibration sensing device, said device comprising:
- a first element configured to be mechanically coupled to an object subject to vibration, to move therewith;
- a second element disposed adjacent to said first element, said second element being positioned to interact with said first element so that displacement of said first element with respect to said second element provides an indication of vibration of said object;
- and
- wherein one of said first element and said second element is a strip having a pattern of markings thereon, and the other of said first element and said second element is a sensor adapted to read said pattern of markings on said strip.
A method of sensing vibration of an object subject to vibration comprising:
- attaching at least one first element to an object subject to vibration, to move therewith;
- disposing at least one second element, adjacent to and in position to interact with one corresponding first element, wherein displacement of a respective first element with respect to a respective second element provides an indication of vibration of said object, wherein one of said first element and said second element is a strip having a pattern of markings thereon, and the other of said first element and said second element is a sensor adapted to read said pattern of markings on said strip.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.