Monitoring ground engaging products for earth working equipment

Abstract

A monitoring device and system located in a hole in a base of a ground engaging product for monitoring a characteristic of the ground engaging product. The characteristic can pertain to presence, part ID, condition, usage and/or performance of ground-engaging product secured to the earth working equipment. The monitoring system may detect the presence and/or absence of one or more of the components of the ground engaging product.

1 - 11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . A wear assembly for earth working equipment, the wear assembly comprising:
 a base securable to the earth working equipment and including a nose having an exterior surface, a first hole and a second hole, wherein each of the first and second holes open in the exterior surface of the nose;   a wear part including a cavity receiving the nose of the base, and an opening passing through the wear part and communicating with the cavity;   a lock received within the opening in the wear part and the first hole in the nose to secure the wear part to the base;   and   a monitoring device in the second hole proximate the wear part to detect the presence and/or absence of the wear part, and to transmit a wireless signal when the wear part is absent.   
     
     
         13 - 16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . The wear assembly of  claim 12  wherein the wear part includes a proximity device that is detected by the monitoring device to determine the presence and/or absence of the wear part. 
     
     
         18 . The wear assembly of  claim 17  wherein the proximity device is a magnet. 
     
     
         19 . The wear assembly of  claim 17  wherein the proximity device is an RFID tag and the monitoring device includes an RFID receiver. 
     
     
         20 . The wear assembly of  claim 12  wherein the base is an adapter. 
     
     
         21 . The wear assembly of  claim 20  wherein the wear part is a point. 
     
     
         22 . The wear assembly of  claim 12  wherein the wear part is an adapter. 
     
     
         23 . The wear assembly of  claim 12  wherein the wear part is a shroud. 
     
     
         24 - 52 . (canceled) 
     
     
         53 . The wear assembly of  claim 12  wherein the monitoring device includes a Hall effect sensor. 
     
     
         54 . The wear assembly of  claim 17  wherein the proximity device is a magnet and the monitoring device includes a Hall effect sensor. 
     
     
         55 . A wear assembly for earth working equipment, the wear assembly comprising:
 a base securable to the earth working equipment and including a nose having a front surface, opposite side surfaces, a first hole opening in one of the side surfaces, and a second hole opening in one of the side surfaces separate from the first hole;   a wear part including an exterior surface, a cavity for receiving the nose, and an opening extending from the exterior surface to the cavity, wherein the first and second holes are within the cavity and the opening at least partially aligns with the first hole when the nose is received into the cavity of the wear part;   a lock receivable in the opening and the first hole to secure the wear part to the base; and   a monitoring device in the second hole proximate the wear part to detect the presence and/or absence of the wear part, and to transmit a wireless signal when the wear part is detected as absent.   
     
     
         56 . The wear assembly of  claim 55  wherein the wear part includes a proximity device that is detected by the monitoring device to determine the presence and/or absence of the wear part. 
     
     
         57 . The wear assembly of  claim 56  wherein the proximity device is a magnet and the monitoring device includes a Hall effect sensor. 
     
     
         58 . The wear assembly of  claim 56  wherein the proximity device is a RFID tag and the monitoring device includes an RFID receiver. 
     
     
         59 . The wear assembly of  claim 55  wherein the monitoring device includes a Hall effect sensor. 
     
     
         60 . A monitoring system for earth working equipment, the monitoring system comprising:
 a base securable to the earth working equipment and including a nose having an exterior surface, a first hole and a second hole, wherein each of the first and second holes open in the exterior surface of the nose;   a wear part including a cavity receiving the nose of the base, and an opening passing through the wear part and communicating with the cavity;   a lock received within the opening in the wear part and the first hole in the nose to secure the wear part to the base;   a monitoring device in the second hole proximate the wear part to detect the presence and/or absence of the wear part, and to transmit a wireless signal when the wear part is absent; and   a remote device to receive the wireless signal from the monitoring device.   
     
     
         61 . The monitoring system of  claim 60  wherein the wear part includes a proximity device that is detected by the monitoring device to determine the presence and/or absence of the wear part. 
     
     
         62 . The monitoring system of  claim 60  wherein the proximity device is a RFID tag and the monitoring device includes an RFID receiver. 
     
     
         63 . The monitoring system of  claim 60  wherein the proximity device is a magnet and the monitoring device includes a Hall effect sensor. 
     
     
         64 . The monitoring system of  claim 60  including a processor for process information received from the monitoring device and a human-machine interface to receive information from the processor and communicate the presence and/or absence of the wear part.