Patent Application
20240294107
The invention relates to an apparatus and a method for detecting a tear on a strap, and more particularly, for electronically detecting a tear on a load securing strap.
Straps such as load securing straps are used routinely to tie down and secure loads such as on flatbed trucks, rail car, ships, other modes of transportation and such as on other surfaces like pallets, shelves and the like. The straps have a useful lifespan. When they tear or wear out, they become less effective, are unsafe and necessitate replacement. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) outlines that if a load securing strap has a cut that extends in on the strap more than 24% from the edge, it should be replaced.
Load securing straps should be inspected upon the beginning of each use to ensure that they are functioning properly and that loads are secure. This inspection, if done, is done visually and may not include all of the load securing straps or all surfaces of each load securing strap. This inspection time represents a significant time commitment for a user such as a driver who likely gets paid for miles driven and not for other necessary tasks like performing inspections and checking equipment.
To save time, many users often choose not to inspect the load securing straps as frequently or as thoroughly as necessary, which is a safety concern, or users may elect to replace the straps before their useful life has elapsed, causing undue cost to the companies who must purchase these straps. Accordingly, there is a need to make it easier and quicker for a user to determine when load securing straps have exceeded their useful life which will avoid load securement hazards from overworn straps and will avoid the unnecessary cost and waste from straps discarded before they are sufficiently worn.
In one construction, the disclosure provides strap detection system comprising an electric device positionable on a strap and a detection module in communication with the electric device, the detection module including an indicator operatable when the strap is torn.
In another construction, the disclosure provides a strap detection system comprising a conductive pathway fastenable to a strap and a detection module in communication with the electric circuit for determining when the strap is in need of replacement by detecting when the electric pathway has been interrupted.
In another construction, the disclosure provides a load securing strap detection assembly comprising a load securing strap having two edges and having a conductive pathway running adjacent each edge and a detection module in communication with the conductive pathway and supplying the conductive pathway with current, the detection module having a first indicator operable when current is flowing throughout the entire pathway and a second indicator operable when current is interrupted in the conductive pathway.
In another construction, the disclosure provides a method for detecting if a load securing strap needs to be replaced comprising the steps of providing a load securing strap to be tested, supplying a detection module, electrically connecting the detection module to a load securing strap and activating an indicator if the strap is in need of replacing.
Other aspects of the disclosure will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings.
Before any constructions of the disclosure are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The disclosure is capable of other constructions and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways.
As shown in
The electric device 24 preferably includes a conductive pathway 28 positionable or fastened on the strap 12. The electric device 24 can be incorporated or embedded into the strap 12 when the strap 12 is manufactured or the electric device 24 can be positioned on the strap 12 after fabrication such as using a fastener, adhesive or the like. It should be noted that other electric devices 24 such as sensors and wireless transmitters can also be utilized.
Preferably, the conductive pathway 28 is an open loop having a first end 30 and a second end 32. The conductive pathway 28 preferably starts at the first end 30, runs along the second edge 16, arcs and changes direction to run adjacent the fourth edge 20 terminating at the second end 32. The conductive pathway 28 can be positioned approximately 24% from each edge for FMCSA compliance testing, however, other locations and percentages can also be utilized. It should be noted that the conductive pathway 28 can have other configurations and there could be positioned more than one conductive pathway 28 such as from side edge to side edge as well as up the middle of the strap, for example.
Preferably, the conductive pathway 28 is composed of conductive thread such as stainless steel type, available from e-textile suppliers, however, other components to form the conductive pathway 28 can also be utilized such as copper or silver thread and the like. For example, the conductive thread can be 2 ply having a resistivity of 16 ohm/ft or 3 ply having a resistivity of 10 ohm/ft. The conductive pathway 28 when uninterrupted can conduct a current from the first end 30 to the second end 32 and when interrupted cannot conduct current from the first end 30 to the second end 32. The detection module 26 is electrically in communication with the conductive pathway 28 and together they form a circuit 34.
In a first embodiment shown in
As shown with all three embodiments in
Turning to
When a user needs to test a strap 12, the detection module 26 is placed in electric communication with the electric device 24 on the strap 12. The detection module 26 supplies a current to the conductive pathway 28. The indicator 44 will be activated if the conductive pathway 28 is interrupted such as if the strap 12 is torn from an edge 14, 16, 18 and 20, is torn internally of an edge 14, 16, 18 and 20 such as in a hole in the middle of the strap 12, is stretched, or is otherwise in need or replacement. It should be noted that the invention can be utilized if the strap 12 is stretched, but not torn, to the point of interrupting the conductive path 28. If stretched beyond a given tolerance or range, the strap 12 may need to be replaced even though it is not torn. If there is a second indicator 46, it will be activated if the strap 12 is operating normally and is not torn, stretched or otherwise in need of replacement.
Various features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following claims.
