Work vehicle component
The present invention describes a work vehicle component comprising a cavity obtained in the component, having an extension axis and delimited by a side wall, an opening for the cavity placed at an outer surface of the component, a wear sensor housed in the cavity and comprising a first axial end placed at the opening for the cavity, a support body inserted into the cavity with a first axial end aligned with the first axial end of the wear sensor. The support body is connected to the side wall of the cavity and constrained to the side wall of the cavity, and the wear sensor is physically connected to the support body and is constrained, at least in an axial direction, to the support body.
1 . A work vehicle component comprising:
a cavity obtained in the work vehicle component, having an extension axis and delimited radially by at least one side wall; an opening for the cavity placed at an outer surface of the work vehicle component, wherein said outer surface is a surface of which a state of wear is to be monitored;
a wear sensor housed in the cavity and comprising a first axial end placed at the opening for the cavity, wherein the first axial end of the wear sensor gets worn as said outer surface of the work vehicle component gets worn;
a support body inserted in the cavity with a first axial end aligned with the first axial end of the wear sensor, wherein the support body is physically connected to the at least one side wall of the cavity and constrained, at least in an axial direction, to the at least one side wall of the cavity, wherein the wear sensor is physically connected to the support body and is constrained, at least in an axial direction, to the support body, wherein a second axial end of the support body opposite the first axial end of the support body terminates inside of the work vehicle component and wherein the support body comprises a housing seat having a bottom wall; and
wherein the housing seat is open at a radially external side surface of the support body, and wherein the bottom wall of the housing seat is placed more radially internal with respect to the radially external side surface.
2 . The work vehicle component according to claim 1 , wherein the wear sensor comprises a substrate and at least one electric circuit supported by the substrate, wherein the wear sensor comprises a measurement portion that can be worn down and configured to modify measurable electrical properties of the at least one electric circuit according to a degree of wear.
3 . The work vehicle component according to claim 2 , wherein the support body extends in the axial direction for a length at least equal to the length in the axial direction of the measurement portion of the wear sensor.
4 . The work vehicle component according to claim 2 , wherein the substrate and the at least one electric circuit of the wear sensor are not in direct contact with the at least one side wall of the cavity.
5 . The work vehicle component according to claim 1 , wherein the support body has a section, obtained along a predetermined radial plane, having an area of at least 30% of a cross-sectional area of the cavity on a section obtained along the predetermined radial plane.
6 . The work vehicle component according to claim 1 , wherein a volume of the support body is equal to at least 15% of a volume of the cavity.
7 . The work vehicle component according to claim 1 , wherein the support body is constrained to the at least one side wall of the cavity with an adhesive.
8 . The work vehicle component according claim 1 , wherein the support body is made of a metal material.
9 . The work vehicle component according to claim 1 , wherein the support body is made of a plastic material.
10 . The work vehicle component according to claim 1 , wherein the support body and the work vehicle component are made of the same material.
11 . The work vehicle component according claim 1 , wherein a ratio of a resistance to localised plastic deformations of material constituting the support body and a resistance to localised plastic deformation of material of the work vehicle component surrounding the cavity is equal to or greater than 0.15, where the resistance to localised plastic deformation of material constituting the support body and the resistance to localized plastic deformation of material of the work vehicle component surrounding the cavity are measured with a Brinell scale with identical test conditions and in accordance with ISO 6506-1:2015.
12 . The work vehicle component according to claim 1 , wherein the wear sensor is a flexible printed circuit (FPC).
13 . The work vehicle component according to claim 1 , wherein the wear sensor is embedded in the support body.
14 . The work vehicle component according claim 1 , wherein an ultimate tensile strength of material that constitutes the support body is equal to or greater than 15% of an ultimate tensile strength of the material of the work vehicle component surrounding the cavity, where ultimate tensile strengths of metallic materials of the support body and metallic materials of the work vehicle component surrounding the cavity are measured in accordance with ISO 6892-1:2016 and ultimate tensile strength of plastic or polymeric materials of the support body and plastic or polymeric materials of the work vehicle component surrounding the cavity are measured in accordance with ISO 527-1:2019.
15 . The work vehicle component according to claim 1 , wherein the support body further comprises an open radially external side.
16 . The work vehicle component according to claim 1 , wherein the housing further comprises two side walls extending radially away from the bottom wall and are joined to the radially external side surface of the support body.
17 . The work vehicle component according to claim 1 , wherein a portion of the bottom wall of the housing seat adjacent the second axial end of the support body is located radially more internally within the support body than a remaining portion of the bottom wall of the housing seat.