The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 28, 2006
Filed:
May. 22, 2003
Ulrich Bast, München, DE;
Stefan Lampenscherf, Oberschleissheim, DE;
Uwe Rettig, München, DE;
Siemens Aktiengesellschaft, Munich, DE;
Abstract
An apparatus for monitoring the structural integrity of a component. A monitoring structure is applied to a component that is subject to structural degradation. The monitoring structure includes an electrical conductor that becomes cracked if the component becomes structurally degraded. When the component is a ductile metal component that may be degraded by bending, the electrical conductor is formed of a brittle material that cracks when the ductile metal component is bent. When the component is a brittle ceramic heat shield wherein a crack having a critical length is of concern, the electrical conductor is located at a predetermined location wherein a critical length crack in the component will propagate into the conductor. A crack in the electrical conductor is detected with a monitoring device to indicate a degraded structural condition in the component.