Patent Description:
Earth moving machines such as excavators or loaders, for example, comprise digging implements, e.g. bucket, shovel, dredgehead, etc., in which the material is pushed, pulled and/or collected. The digging implements, e.g. the bucket, are subjected to high stresses and significant wear, mainly in the area referred to as blade. For this reason, blades usually have a plurality of protective elements installed thereto which protect the blade and the digging implements against wear. Protective elements also increase the penetration of the digging implements into the terrain and the scratching of the terrain by the digging implements.

All these elements are subjected to intense mechanical requirements, straining and heavy wear. For this reason, they usually must be replaced with certain frequency, when the wear experienced requires it. As a whole, these protective elements are usually referred to as wear elements or ground engaging tools, i.e. GETs.

In order to monitor the wear or any status of the wear elements, the status of other parts of the earth moving machine such as e.g. traction means, boom or stick, or other magnitudes that may influence the ground engaging operations or the machine itself, the different parts of the earth moving machine can include sensing devices that measure said magnitudes, e.g. the strain they are subjected to or any other parameter. However, the measurements and information resulting from processing the same (if any) remain within the location of the sensing devices, e.g. wear elements, traction means, a boom, a stick, a hydraulic cylinder, the digging implements, etc., since that is the location where the electronic devices for sensing are provided. To extract the data, wireless communications links are usually necessary to send the data to a remote device, for example a cabin of the earth moving machine, a control center, an Internet cloud, etc..

Therefore, in addition to the electronic devices for the measurements and as seen for instance in patent documents <CIT>, <CIT>, <CIT> and <CIT>, when devices of the machine like wear elements include sensing devices, they typically also include means for radiating and capturing electromagnetic waves such as RFID tags, antennas for near-field communications or antennas in the form of e.g. monopoles, in this way data of the sensing devices can be wirelessly communicated. Regarding the former two, the reach of the electromagnetic waves is usually limited. Regarding the latter, mechanical reliability of said antennas cannot be high enough so as to cope with the stresses that wear elements are subject to; also, the volume that said antennas require may preclude the integration thereof in certain devices like the wear elements, especially the lower the frequency of operation has to be.

Moreover, other documents describing electronic devices for the measurements, is the <CIT>, which pertains to a device and system for identifying and monitoring characteristics such as part identification, presence, condition, usage and/or performance of ground-engaging products such as ground engaging tools, wear plates, buckets, truck trays, and the like used on various kinds of earth working equipment. the system may include at least one monitoring device associated with a ground engaging product, at least one remote device to cooperate with the monitoring device, and programmable logic to process the information communicated between the devices.

Further, the maintenance and dismantlement of capsules for earth moving machines are also problematic. During operation of an earth moving machine the cavities where capsules are typically introduced get deformed as a result of the stresses they are subjected to. This, in turn, results in the narrowing of the cavity or the opening thereof through which the capsule was introduced in the first place. Further, soil and different solids or liquids tend to enter into the parts of the machine where the capsules are arranged. Especially the soil and other solid particles get compacted during operation of the machine and apply pressure on the capsules, which consequently deform. The solids and liquids reaching the capsules affect the mechanical properties of the capsules; the worsening of the mechanical properties can be such that the capsules eventually get damaged or even break, and as a result the device or devices they protect might get damaged and stop working. These problems hinder the extraction of capsules because it is difficult to perform the extraction whenever cavities and capsules have received dirt, fines and have been subject to high pressure.

Likewise, <CIT> discloses a capsule for protecting an electronic device inside a wear element of an earth moving machine. Specifically, the capsule comprises a container provided with an inner chamber for housing an electronic device, and has a front part provided with a flange, and a rear part. The capsule also comprises a cover that can be removably coupled to said container and configured for covering said rear part of said container.

Accordingly, it would be convenient that protective capsules could be extracted with ease whenever they are to be the target of maintenance tasks or are to be dismantled.

A first aspect of the disclosure relates to a capsule according to the subject-matter of claim <NUM>, for protecting an electronic device for an earth moving machine, the capsule comprising: one or more walls arranged so as to form both an inner chamber configured for housing an electronic device, and an opening through which the inner chamber is accessed, the opening being at least partially covered by a cover, and wherein the one or more walls provide the capsule in at least one portion thereof with a geometry that is convex and adapted for allowing extraction of the capsule from a cavity of the earth moving machine by rotating the capsule about a rotating axis, where a cross-section of the capsule where the at least one portion starts extends over a plane defined by both the longitudinal axis of the capsule and an axis transverse thereto, the plane of the cross-section being parallel to said opening and to said cover, where the rotating axis is parallel to the axis transverse to the longitudinal axis.

When capsules in an earth moving machine are to undergo maintenance tasks, for instance for replacement of the electronic device or components thereof, or are to be either dismantled or decommissioned, for instance for recycling the capsule, they first need to be extracted from the cavity they are introduced. The present capsule, which makes possible to protect an electronic device or one or more components thereof, can be extracted with more ease than other capsules owing to the geometry of the wall or walls thereof. In this sense, the wall or walls can feature a cuboid or prismed shape, for example, that forms a protruding geometry; since the inner chamber is delimited by the wall or walls, the inner chamber protrudes as well.

The rotation of the capsule is about a rotating axis such that, by applying a torque on the capsule to rotate it, the protruding geometry of the capsule does not collide or has reduced collisions with the geometry of the cavity. In this sense, the capsule rotates several degrees so that at least a portion of the capsule protrudes is not lying flat within the cavity and, preferably, protrudes from the cavity, at which point the capsule can be pulled out manually or by means of a pulling device, e.g. claws, pliers, etc..

The rotating axis is defined by way of axes of a cross-section of the capsule where the at least one portion starts. Said cross-section of the capsule extends over a plane defined by both the longitudinal axis of the capsule and an axis transverse thereto. The rotating axis is parallel to the axis transverse to the longitudinal axis.

In some embodiments, the cover comprises a slot antenna.

In this sense, the cover comprises or is of an electrically conductive material at least on a portion where the slot antenna is formed.

The capsule thus further makes it possible to wirelessly transmit data of the electronic device to an electronic apparatus remote from the capsule and/or wirelessly receive data from a remote electronic apparatus and provide it to the electronic device. By way of example, the electronic device and/or one or more components thereof are, for example but without limitation, one or more sensing devices, one or more batteries, one or more memory units, etc. By way of example, the electronic apparatus can be a controller for supervising and/or operating the earth moving machine, and can be located e.g. in a control center, or in the earth moving machine, for example in a cabin thereof.

The capsule does not require the provision of an antenna such as a monopole, dipole, patch antenna, microchip antenna, etc. that takes space within the inner chamber or has to be attached to the capsule or to another part of the earth moving machine remote from the capsule. Notwithstanding, it is possible to arrange one or more antennas in addition to the slot antenna for wireless transmission and/or reception at frequencies other than the frequencies of operation of the slot antenna, or for redundancy purposes.

The capsule advantageously uses one or more walls thereof for the radiation and/or capturing of electromagnetic waves in order to wirelessly transmit and/or receive data. This, in turn, can make the overall volume needed for both the protection and wireless transmission/reception smaller, the reliability of the communications greater owing to an antenna less prone to damages, and/or the integration of the antenna in the earth moving machine simpler and more reliable too, especially when the capsule is to be introduced in or attached to a wear element, e.g. a tooth, an adapter, a cast lip, or the digging implements, e.g. a bucket. To this end, the capsule is preferably adapted for introduction in a cavity of or attachment to the wear element, the digging implements, a boom, a stick, a hydraulic cylinder, e.g. bucket cylinder, traction means, e.g. continuous tracks, or an underside of a cabin of the earth moving machine.

In some embodiments, the capsule further comprises dielectric material filling the slot of the slot antenna.

The dielectric material can be part of the wall or walls where the slot antenna is formed, be part of one or more components adapted to fill the slot of the slot antenna in a removable manner, for example a removably couplable lid or cap, or be part of a filling material that fills both the slot and the inner chamber with the electronic device therein by way of e.g. a potting process. Concerning the latter, as the material also fills the inner chamber it likewise protects the electronic device within the inner chamber. The dielectric material preferably fills the slot as much as possible so as to hermetically seal the inner chamber, thereby reducing or completely preventing the ingress of particles of the soil, for instance, or other particles capable of short-circuiting or affecting the radioelectric performance of the slot antenna. The dielectric material can be, for instance, epoxy, silicone, plastic, etc..

In some embodiments, the slot antenna is adapted for operation at a frequency less than <NUM>. In some embodiments, the frequency is between <NUM> and <NUM>.

The slot antenna is capable or further capable of radiating and/or capturing electromagnetic waves in e.g. the ISM band of <NUM>,<NUM> to <NUM>,<NUM>.

In some embodiments, the slot antenna is adapted or further adapted for operation at a frequency less than <NUM>.

In some embodiments, the frequency is between <NUM> and <NUM>. In some embodiments, the frequency is between <NUM>,<NUM> and <NUM>,<NUM>.

In some embodiments, the frequency is between <NUM>,<NUM> and <NUM>,<NUM>. In some embodiments, the frequency is between <NUM> and <NUM>.

The slot antenna is capable or further capable of radiating and/or capturing electromagnetic waves at frequencies below <NUM>,<NUM> while being both compact in dimensions and mechanically more durable than antennas such as monopoles or patch antennas.

The slot antenna can radiate and/or capture electromagnetic waves in the ISM band in the frequency range of <NUM> and <NUM>, which features lower propagation losses than other bands at higher frequencies, and/or in one or more ISM bands within the frequency ranges of <NUM> and <NUM>, and <NUM> and <NUM>.

In some embodiments, at least one of the walls of the capsule has a maximum length, i.e. the greatest dimension of the at least one of the walls where the slot antenna is arranged, in a particular longitudinal direction, a maximum width in a particular first transversal direction and a thickness in a second transversal direction, the maximum length is greater than or equal to the maximum width and the slot antenna has a maximum length, i.e. the greatest dimension of the slot antenna on the at least one of the walls, in the longitudinal direction which is at least <NUM>% and is less than or equal to <NUM>% of the maximum length of the at least one of the walls.

The slot antenna can take most of or the entirety of the length of the at least one of the walls for establishing a path for the currents to follow when electromagnetic waves are to be radiated or captured, thereby making possible to lower the frequency of operation of the slot antenna.

In some embodiments, the slot antenna is not a straight slot.

The slot antenna can include a plurality of segments, each segment being connected to one or more other segments along the length thereof such that longitudinal directions of the respective segments forms an angle therebetween, that is to say, two directly adjacent segments are connected such that they are not parallel. In this way, the effective length of the slot antenna that will determine the frequency or frequencies of operation can be increased.

In some embodiments, one or more segments of the plurality of segments of the slot antenna is/are straight. In some embodiments, one or more segments of the plurality of segments of the slot antenna is/are curvilinear.

In some embodiments, the at least one of the walls in which the antenna is arranged is a cover, and the cover can be removably coupled to one or more of the walls of the capsule.

The cover enables personnel to inspect, retrieve and/or replace any devices within the inner chamber after decoupling or detaching the cover. The electronic device can, for example, have one or more memory units in which data generated by circuitry, sensing devices and/or processors of the electronic device, is stored for ulterior processing thereof.

When the capsule is arranged in a wear element, the aforesaid operation or operations can take place whenever the wear element is to be replaced by another wear element owing to the wear and damages suffered by the wear element, either as part of maintenance tasks or upon failure of the concerned wear element or another wear element coupled thereto. The personnel can also replace e.g. a battery of the electronic device when the same has run out of energy rather than altogether replacing the electronic device, even though typically the wear element has a useful life shorter than that of a battery.

When the capsule is arranged in e.g. the digging implements, the boom, the stick, the hydraulic cylinder, the underside of the cabin, or the traction means, the aforesaid operation or operations can take place from time to time when performing maintenance of the earth moving machine or parts thereof, or as part of preventive maintenance tasks, for instance.

In some embodiments, the slot antenna is arranged in one wall of the capsule arranged on a rear end of the capsule.

In some embodiments, the capsule is to be arranged in a wear element of the earth moving machine such that the front end is facing towards a front relative of the machine and, thus, towards a ground to be engaged by the earth moving machine during operation of the machine.

In some embodiments, the capsule comprises two walls, the slot antenna being arranged in a first wall thereof and a second wall thereof being shaped according to a container. In some embodiments, the capsule comprises three or more walls, and the second wall and the third and further walls are mechanically coupled to form a container.

The capsule features the inner chamber for protecting the electronic device with just two walls, even though more walls are possible too, that need to be mechanically coupled together. A reduction in the number of walls can be advantageous from a mechanical standpoint because the mechanical coupling of walls oftentimes is the weakest part of a capsule. During operation of the earth moving machine, the strains or stresses applied to the capsule can break the capsule at the weakest part. The portion between the walls where walls are coupled may, in some occasions, has some space after coupling each pair of walls through which soil, be it dry or wet, can be introduced into the inner chamber and damage the protected electronic device.

In some embodiments, the capsule further comprises the electronic device, the electronic device comprises an electric power source; the electronic device is at least configured for wireless data transmission and is electrically connected to the slot antenna; and the inner chamber partially or completely houses the electronic device. In some embodiments, the electronic device is further configured for wireless data reception.

The electronic device or components thereof, while being protected by the capsule, may transmit data it generates or processes to other devices that are remote from the capsule. The electronic device is configured to transmit and/or receive data at the frequency or frequencies that the slot antenna operates. To this end, the electronic device comprises a wireless communications module, e.g. a modem, for transmitting data by means of a communications protocol or standard operating at one or more frequency bandwidths; the capsule also protects the wireless communications module. The communications protocol or standard uses a bandwidth of operation having one or more frequencies that the slot antenna is adapted to radiate and capture electromagnetic waves.

Further, in some cases, the electronic device may also receive data from devices remote from the capsule, such as commands to change the way the electronic device operates, e.g. go into a dormant state, wake up from a dormant state, change the frequency with which the electronic device generates, processes and/or transmits data, change the type of processing applied to the data, etc..

The inner chamber partially houses the electronic device when only one or some components of the electronic device are within the inner chamber, and completely houses the electronic device when the entire device is within the inner chamber.

In some embodiments, the electronic device further comprises at least one sensor configured for sensing changes in a device of the earth moving machine where the capsule is intended to be installed. In some embodiments, the at least one sensor is configured to sense one or more of: strain, wear, pressure, temperature, acceleration, position (e.g. a GPS), material/terrain (for identification thereof), and falling off of a wear element.

The electronic device can process measurements of the at least one sensor and transmit them with the slot antenna to an electronic apparatus for informing about the ground engaging operations, and/or even the status and/or the operation of the concerned part of the machine; for example, when the capsule is within a wear element, the measurements can be indicative of how the wear element is penetrating and/or scratching ground, and/or how worn off the wear element is. Accordingly, the measurements of the at least one sensor can be used for estimating a wear degree of the part or component of the machine having the capsule arranged therein, characteristics of the ground being engaged, an angle of attack with which the wear element is engaging the ground when the wear element receives the capsule, etc. Therefore, the measurements and/or any estimations made therefrom can be used for supervision of the part or component of the machine, predicting maintenance therefor, informing an operator of the earth moving machine or within a control center of the ground engaging operations, controlling the earth moving machine (e.g. adjustments of the angle of attack, adjustments of the trajectory of digging implements when engaging the ground, adjustments of the force applied by the earth moving machine, etc.) by feeding the data to a controller that automatically adjusts operation of the earth moving machine, etc..

In some embodiments, the at least one sensor comprises one or more of: a strain gauge, a pressure gauge, a relative displacement gauge, an optical fiber strip, a piezoelectric strip, a pressure sensor, and an accelerometer.

In some embodiments, the electronic device comprises a PCB. In some embodiments, the PCB is within the inner chamber. In some other embodiments, the PCB is outside of the inner chamber.

The PCB can be within the inner chamber for protection thereof, but it may also be outside in order to reduce the size of the capsule or for making possible to protect other elements of the electronic device, e.g. battery or batteries, sensing devices, etc. When the PCB is outside and the PCB includes a modem, the connection of the modem with the slot antenna can be, for instance, by way of an SMA cable or the like.

In some embodiments, the PCB is flexible, namely is a flex film PCB.

In some embodiments, the capsule has a central axis defining an axial direction, a front end, and a rear end opposite said front end in the axial direction, and comprises a container formed by the one or more walls not having the slot antenna arranged therein, the container extending in the axial direction from the front end and having the inner chamber; and the cover can be removably coupled to the container and is adapted to cover the rear part of the container. In some embodiments, the cover is adapted to form a flange when the cover is coupled to the container.

The cover where the slot antenna is formed is dimensioned such that it provides the capsule with a flange. The cover in form of a flange can simplify the removal of the cover so as to have access to the inside of the inner chamber. The cover can be removably coupled to the container by way of attaching means such as one or more threaded through holes and respective screw(s) or the like to be inserted into said hole or holes. It is noted that attaching means in the form of corresponding one or more threaded holes or thread through holes are also provided on the rear end of the container; the screw(s) is/are inserted into the hole(s) of both the cover and the container in order to couple them both.

In some cases, the rear part of the container is shaped such that it also provides the capsule with a flange, namely, each of the rear part of the container and the cover is shaped to form a flange. The provision of the flange on the rear part of the container can further simplify the coupling and decoupling processes since the attaching means can be arranged in a simpler way owing to the matching shapes of both flanges.

In some embodiments, one or more walls of the capsule (including or not, or being or not the at least one wall with the slot antenna arranged thereon) comprise one or more holes adapted for receiving one or more cables. In some embodiments, the electronic device comprises the one or more cables.

The electronic device within the capsule can be electrically coupled with components thereof (e.g. one or more sensors, a battery, etc.) or another electronic device that are outside of the capsule via a wired physical link in the form of one or more cables. To this end, walls of the capsule may be provided with through holes through which the cable(s) extend, thereby making possible to have one end of the cable(s) within the inner chamber for connection to one or more components of the electronic device, and another end of the cable(s) outside the capsule for connection to the outside component(s) or the another electronic device.

In some embodiments, the walls not having the slot antenna arranged thereon provide the capsule with the geometry that is convex and adapted for allowing extraction of the capsule from a cavity of the earth moving machine by rotating the capsule.

In some embodiments, the at least one wall is on a first end of the capsule and the geometry protrudes towards a second end of the capsule, the second end being opposite the first end.

The electromagnetic waves radiated and captured by the slot antenna are subjected to less propagation losses because the first end is opposite the protruding geometry, which goes inside the cavity.

In some embodiments, the at least one wall comprises one or more protruding surfaces for allowing an extraction tool to apply torque on a respective protrusion for extraction of the capsule from the cavity, the one or more protruding surfaces extending parallel to a largest surface of the at least one wall.

In some embodiments, the capsule further comprises a cap couplable to the cover, the cap comprising one or more protrusions for contacting walls of the cavity. In some of these embodiments, the one or more protrusions comprise a plurality of protrusions, the protrusions being spaced apart and parallel one to each other. In some of these embodiments, the cap is of a material such as, e.g. ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber (EPDM rubber), Hypalon, Viton, polyurethane, etc.; the material preferably features some flexibility.

The cap, owing to its material, introduces negligible propagation losses, if it does introduce any propagation losses at all. Since the cap covers the slot antenna, it prevents the ingress of particles to the inner chamber through the slot antenna, and with the protrusions it increases the friction between the capsule and the cavity so that the capsule remains reliably attached to the cavity.

In some embodiments, the cap is removably couplable to the cover.

In some embodiments, the cap comprises a recess that fits within the one or more protruding surfaces of the cover.

In some embodiments, at least part of the geometry is rounded. In some embodiments, the capsule has a cuboid shape, and at least two opposite edges of the one or more walls are rounded.

In some embodiments, the geometry allows extraction of the capsule from the cavity by rotating the capsule only around one rotation axis.

In some embodiments, the geometry has one or two symmetry planes.

In some embodiments, the cover comprises one or more grooves each adapted to receive a sensor. In some of these embodiments, the capsule further comprises the sensor or sensors, the sensor being a Hall-effect sensor.

In some embodiments, the capsule further comprises a poka-yoke coupling member.

The poka-yoke coupling member can be integrally formed on a wall or the walls of the capsule, preferably on a wall or walls not comprising the slot antenna, or be a separate member mechanically coupled thereto. The poka-yoke coupling member can be a protruding member intended to cooperate with a poka-yoke coupling member of the cavity that receives the capsule, in which case the latter poka-yoke coupling member is a recess. The shapes of the two members match so that the capsule can only be introduced in the cavity with a certain orientation.

A second aspect of the disclosure relates to a device for an earth moving machine according to claim <NUM> comprising: a cavity; and a capsule for protecting an electronic device for an earth moving machine according to claim <NUM>, the capsule being introducible in the cavity, the geometry of the capsule fitting in at least a portion of a geometry of the cavity, and both the geometry and the portion of the geometry of the cavity are adapted for allowing extraction of the capsule from the cavity by rotating the capsule.

The geometries of both the cavity and the capsule are such that rotation of the capsule is possible by applying torque thereto thereby easing the extraction of the capsule. The rotation makes the capsule to change its angle relative to the cavity so that more surface of the capsule is available for pulling the capsule and extract it.

In some embodiments, the device is one of: a wear element (e.g. tooth, adapter, etc.), digging implements, a boom, a stick, a hydraulic cylinder, traction means, or a cabin.

In some embodiments according to claim <NUM> and/or the device according to claim <NUM>, the cover completely covers the opening.

In some embodiments according to claim <NUM> and/or the device according to claim <NUM>, the cover is removably couplable to the one or more walls to at least partially cover the opening.

The cover thus selectively permits or forbids access to the inner chamber depending on whether the cover is coupled to the one or more walls or not.

In some embodiments of the capsule according to claim <NUM>, and/or the device according to claim <NUM>, the cover is on a first end of the capsule and the protruding geometry protrudes towards a second end of the capsule, the second end being opposite the first end.

This arrangement enables both the rotation of the capsule and the access to the inner chamber while the capsule remains introduced in the cavity. Likewise, when a slot antenna is arranged on the cover like in some embodiments, this arrangement can improve the transmission and reception of wireless signals whilst making possible to rotate the capsule. To this end, the first end can face outwardly from the cavity and the second end can face inwardly.

In some embodiments of the capsule according to claim <NUM> and/or the device according to claim <NUM>, the cover comprises one or more protruding surfaces for allowing an extraction tool to apply torque on a respective protrusion for extraction of the capsule from the cavity, the one or more protruding surfaces extending parallel to a largest surface of the cover.

The cover also eases the extraction of the capsule by way of the protruding surface(s), which provide a support surface for the extraction tool to press against and apply a force that produces a torque for rotating the capsule.

In some embodiments of the capsule according to claim <NUM> and/or the device according to claim <NUM>, the capsule further comprises a cap couplable to the cover, the cap comprising one or more protrusions for contacting walls of the cavity. In some of these embodiments, the one or more protrusions comprise a plurality of protrusions, the protrusions being spaced apart and parallel one to each other. In some of these embodiments, the cap is of a material such as, e.g. ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber (EPDM rubber), Hypalon, Viton, polyurethane, etc.; the material preferably features some flexibility.

The protrusion(s) of the cap is/are intended to produce friction between the cap (and, thus, the capsule) and the cavity, thereby maintaining the capsule inside the cavity more reliably; the more protrusions the cap has, the greater the friction can be. Likewise, the cap also prevents the ingress of particles within the inner chamber whenever the cover has an opening formed therein, for instance a slot antenna.

In some embodiments of the capsule according to claim <NUM> and/or the device according to claim <NUM>, the cap is removably couplable to the cover.

In some embodiments of the capsule according to claim <NUM> and/or the device according to claim <NUM>, the cap comprises a recess that fits within the one or more protruding surfaces of the cover.

The provision of the recess improves the coupling between the cap and the cover so that the cap does not fall off.

In some embodiments of the capsule according to claim <NUM> and/or the device according to claim <NUM>, at least part of the geometry is rounded or chamfered. In some embodiments, the capsule has a cuboid shape, and at least two opposite edges of the one or more walls are rounded or chamfered, the opposite edges preferably being the shorter edges of the cuboid.

The rounded or chamfered geometry assists in distributing the loads that the capsule receives during operation of the earth moving machine more evenly throughout the surface of the capsule. In this manner, the useful life of both the capsule and the protected electronic device (when inserted in the inner chamber) is increased.

The geometry of the at least one portion of the capsule of claim <NUM> allows extraction of the capsule from the cavity by rotating the capsule only around one rotation axis. To this end, in some of these embodiments, one or more edges of the cover and/or part of the one or more walls are perpendicular to the cover. In some of these embodiments, the one or more edges comprise a plurality of edges, and all the edges are parallel (i.e. they extend along a direction).

By allowing the rotation of the capsule only about a single rotation axis, the capsule is maintained more reliably within the cavity of the device since only one rotation is possible. In this regard, the portion of the geometry of the cavity is preferably also adapted to allow the extraction of the capsule by rotating only around the one rotation axis. That is to say, only the tangential direction of the edges (preferably rounded or chamfered) let the capsule rotate to be extracted from the cavity.

In some embodiments of the capsule according to claim <NUM> and/or the device according to claim <NUM>, the geometry has one or two symmetry planes.

In some embodiments of the device according to claim <NUM>, the portion of the geometry of the cavity has one or two symmetry planes.

The existence of symmetry planes in the capsule and/or in the cavity potentially ease the extraction process and/or more evenly distribute loads exerted on the capsule.

In some embodiments of the capsule according to claim <NUM> and/or the device according to claim <NUM>, the cover comprises one or more grooves each adapted to receive a sensor. In some of these embodiments, the capsule further comprises the sensor or sensors, the sensor being a Hall-effect sensor.

The groove or grooves can be adjacent to the slot antenna, and is/are preferably arranged on an exterior face of the cover, i.e. the face of the cover not facing towards the inner chamber. The sensor, especially a Hall-effect sensor, better detects magnetic fields when arranged in such a groove since fewer alterations of the magnetic fields exist than in the inner face of the cover, in the one or more walls of the capsule, or within the inner chamber.

The sensor can be used for fall detection of the device of the earth moving machine from another device of the earth moving machine, e.g. a wear element like a tooth from another wear element like an intermediate adapter, a weld-on adapter or a mechanically-attached adapter. To this end, the sensor detects magnetic fields from one or more magnets arranged on the other device such that the magnetic fields thereof are measurable by the sensor when the capsule is within the groove.

In some embodiments of the capsule according to claim <NUM> and/or the device according to claim <NUM>, the capsule further comprises a poka-yoke coupling member, either integrally formed on a wall of the capsule or mechanically coupled thereto. In some of these embodiments, the poka-yoke coupling member is a protruding member.

In some embodiments of the capsule according to claim <NUM> and/or the device according to claim <NUM>, an external surface of the one or more walls of the capsule does not comprise a screw thread, i.e. a helical thread.

In some embodiments of the device according to claim <NUM>, the cavity comprises a poka-yoke coupling member adapted to cooperate with a poka-yoke coupling member of the capsule. In some of these embodiments, the poka-yoke coupling member of the cavity is a recess, i.e. a portion of the geometry of the cavity is such that it forms a recess for poka-yoke coupling.

A third aspect of the disclosure relates to a process according to claim <NUM> comprising: manufacturing a capsule for protecting an electronic device for an earth moving machine, the capsule comprising one or more walls arranged so as to form both an inner chamber configured for housing an electronic device, and an opening through which the inner chamber is accessible; forming a cover; coupling the cover with the one or more walls so as to at least partially cover the opening; forming the one or more walls such that the capsule comprises, in at least one portion thereof, a geometry that is convex and adapted for allowing extraction of the capsule from a cavity of the earth moving machine by rotating the capsule about a rotating axis, where a cross-section of the capsule where the at least one portions starts extends over a plane defined by both the longitudinal axis of the capsule and an axis transverse thereto, the plane of the cross-section being parallel to said opening and said cover, where the rotating axis is parallel to the axis transverse to the longitudinal axis.

A fourth aspect of the disclosure relates to the process according to claim <NUM> further comprising arranging a device for an earth moving machine; forming a cavity in the device wherein the capsule is introducible in the cavity; forming a cover; coupling the cover with the one or more walls so as to at least partially cover the opening; forming the one or more walls such that the capsule comprises in at least one portion thereof, a geometry that is convex and adapted for allowing extraction of the capsule from a cavity of the earth moving machine by rotating the capsule about a rotating axis, where a cross-section of the capsule where the at least one portion starts extends over a plane defined by both the longitudinal axis of the capsule and an axis transverse thereto, where the rotating axis is parallel to the axis transverse to the longitudinal axis.

In some embodiments, the device is one of: a wear element, digging implements, a boom, a stick, a hydraulic cylinder, traction means, or a cabin.

In some embodiments of the process according to claim <NUM>, the method further comprises rotating the capsule to extract it.

In some embodiments of the process according to claim <NUM>, the cover further comprises one or more protruding surfaces, the one or more protruding surfaces extending parallel to a largest surface of the cover; and the method further comprising: introducing the capsule in the cavity such that a first end of the capsule is facing outwards from the cavity; and, while the capsule is introduced in the cavity, arranging an extraction tool on one of the one or more protruding surfaces of the cover and apply torque thereto to extract the capsule from the cavity; the cover being on the first end of the capsule and the protruding geometry protruding towards a second end of the capsule, the second end being opposite the first end.

The extraction tool forces the rotation of the capsule so that the same can be extracted afterwards.

In some embodiments of the process according to claim <NUM>, the method further comprising: introducing the capsule in the cavity such that a first end of the capsule is facing outwards from the cavity; and, while the capsule is introduced in the cavity, applying a force at a point or area of the cover that is offer from a center of the largest surface thereof; the cover being on the first end of the capsule and the protruding geometry protruding towards a second end of the capsule, the second end being opposite the first end.

Owing to the protruding geometry that allows the rotation of the capsule, the application of a force or pressure on the cover but offset from the middle results in a torque that tends to rotate the capsule.

In some embodiments of the process according to claim <NUM>, at least part of the protruding geometry is rounded.

In some embodiments of the process according to claim <NUM>, the process further comprises arranging a sensor in a groove of the cover, said groove being adapted to receive a sensor. In some of these embodiments, the sensor is a Hall-effect sensor. In some of these embodiments, the device is a first device, and the process further comprises: attaching the first device to a second device; and arranging one or more magnets on the second device such that magnetic fields thereof are measurable by the sensor(s) at least while the first device remains attached to the second device (e.g. with a distance between a magnet and a sensor that is less than <NUM>, and/or less than <NUM>, and/or less than <NUM>).

The Hall-effect sensor(s) and the magnet(s) provide the devices (e.g. wear elements, a tooth and an adapter, etc.) with one or more of the following capabilities: monitoring an attachment condition of one device to the other, fall detection of one device with respect to the other, monitoring of wear of the devices, etc..

In some embodiments of the process according to claim <NUM>, the second device is a wear element. In some embodiments, the wear element is a tooth. In some embodiments, the wear element is an adapter.

In some embodiments of the process according to claim <NUM>, the process further comprises manufacturing the capsule with a potting process where the potting is carried out in a mold shaped according to the capsule. In some of these embodiments, the mold is the cavity of a device according to claim <NUM>.

A fifth aspect of the disclosure relates to an assembly comprising a first device according to claim <NUM>, and a second device for an earth moving machine attached or attachable to the first device, the capsule of the first device comprising at least one Hall-effect sensor each on one groove of the cover, and the second device comprising one or more magnets arranged such that each magnet is at a short distance from one Hall-effect sensor when the second device is attached to the first device. Preferably, the distance is short when it is less than <NUM>, and is preferably less than <NUM>, and/or <NUM>.

In some embodiments, the second device is a wear element. In some embodiments, the wear element is a tooth. In some embodiments, the wear element is an adapter.

To complete the description and in order to provide for a better understanding of the disclosure, a set of drawings is provided. Said drawings form an integral part of the description and illustrate embodiments of the disclosure, which should not be interpreted as restricting the scope of the disclosure, but just as examples of how the disclosure can be carried out.

<FIG> shows a perspective view of a capsule <NUM> according to embodiments.

The capsule <NUM> is adapted for introduction in a wear element of an earth moving machine, preferably in a cavity formed in a wear element. The capsule <NUM> has two or more walls 15a, 15b, at least one first wall 15a thereof has a slot antenna <NUM> formed therein. Either the totality of the at least one first wall 15a or at least a portion surrounding the slot of the slot antenna comprises or is made of an electrically conductive material such as metal like e.g. an alloy, thereby enabling the flow of current(s) for radiation and capturing of electromagnetic waves. The capsule <NUM>, when all the walls 15a, 15b thereof are mechanically coupled, has an inner chamber (illustrated in e.g. <FIG> as inner chamber <NUM>) adapted for housing and protecting an electronic device (illustrated in e.g. <FIG> as electronic device <NUM>). In this embodiment, the slot of the slot antenna <NUM> is filled with dielectric material <NUM> so that e.g. soil does not get into the inner chamber.

The first wall 15a (or first walls 15a) has a maximum length in a particular longitudinal direction, in this case along the Y axis illustrated, a maximum width in a particular first transversal direction, in this case along the X axis illustrated, and a thickness in a second transversal direction, in this case along the Z axis illustrated. The slot antenna <NUM> preferably has a maximum length, which is the length measured along one axis that results in the maximum dimension of the slot antenna <NUM>, in the longitudinal direction that is at least <NUM>% and is less than or equal to <NUM>% of the maximum length of the wall 15a (or walls 15a).

In this example, the first wall 15a is a cover removably couplable to a second wall or walls 15b, which in this case is a single second wall 15b shaped such that it forms a container, whereas, in some other embodiments, two or more second walls 15b are arranged and coupled so as to form the container with the inner chamber <NUM> therein. The first wall 15a mechanically couples to one or more of the second walls 15b by way of attaching means such as e.g. screws <NUM>. The attaching means of the first wall 15a also include respective threaded through holes, and the second wall(s) 15b include attaching means in the form of respective threaded holes or threaded through holes (not seen in <FIG>).

The first wall 15a preferably comprises one or more protruding surfaces <NUM> extending parallel to the largest surface of the first wall 15a; the one or more protruding surfaces <NUM> preferably comprise or are of a metallic material, e.g. steel. The protruding surface(s) <NUM> aids in the extraction process of the capsule <NUM> by supporting a torque applied thereto for rotating the capsule <NUM>.

For the sake of clarity, the X, Y and Z axes represented in <FIG> are also represented in the following Figures with the same orientation relative to the elements shown. It will be apparent that other X, Y and Z definitions are also possible without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

<FIG> shows a perspective view of a wall 15a of a capsule <NUM> according to embodiments, the wall 15a including a slot antenna <NUM> arranged therein. The side of the wall 15a shown corresponds to an innermost side of the wall 15a, that is to say, it is the side of the wall 15a facing towards an inner chamber of the capsule. In some examples, the wall 15a shown is provided as wall 15a in the capsule <NUM> of <FIG>.

In this exemplary embodiment, the wall 15a includes a projecting surface <NUM> that projects towards the inner chamber when the capsule is provided. The projecting surface <NUM> can be formed for improving the attachment of the wall 15a to other wall or walls of the capsule for closing the capsule; hence, the projecting surface <NUM> may result in a hermetic seal of the walls. The slot antenna <NUM> is also formed in this projecting surface <NUM>.

The wall 15a includes attaching means in the form of threaded through holes 18a for removable coupling with other wall or walls of the capsule, and threaded holes 18b for attachment of a printed circuit board <NUM>, i.e. PCB, of an electronic device. The electronic device includes attaching means as well by way of screws <NUM> that cooperate with the threaded holes 18b of the wall 15a. The PCB <NUM>, which is arranged parallel to the wall 15a and adjacent thereto, also includes holes for receiving the screws <NUM>. It will be apparent that other attaching means can be used instead of these threaded holes 18a, 18b and respective screws <NUM>.

In this exemplary embodiment, the electronic device connects to the slot antenna <NUM> by way of the PCB <NUM>, more particularly terminals <NUM>, <NUM> of the PCB or the wall 15a for feeding the slot antenna <NUM>. The terminals <NUM>, <NUM> can be, for instance, spring contacts with connectors, soldered terminals as shown in <FIG>, press-fit contact pads, etc. Likewise, in some embodiments, one or more cables connect the electronic device with the slot antenna <NUM>.

<FIG> shows a cross-section of a capsule <NUM> according to embodiments. The plane intersecting the capsule <NUM> for the cross-section view is an XZ plane.

As explained above and best seen in this Figure or in <FIG>, the second wall 15b has a shape such that it forms a container.

As shown in this Figure, the inner chamber <NUM> houses and protects the electronic device <NUM>, which includes the PCB <NUM> and a battery <NUM>. The battery <NUM> is electrically connected to the PCB <NUM> for powering the electronic components thereof and the slot antenna <NUM>. The battery <NUM> remains secured within the inner chamber <NUM> by way of securing means such as clamps (illustrated in e.g. <FIG> as clamps <NUM>), screws <NUM> and thread holes 18d formed in the second wall 15b.

Additionally, in other embodiments, the capsule <NUM> comprises a poka-yoke coupling member (for example as described with reference to the embodiments of <FIG>) intended to cooperate with a corresponding member of a cavity where the capsule <NUM> is to be introduced. Thanks to the poka-yoke couplings members it is ensured that the capsule <NUM> is introduced in the cavity with a particular orientation.

The attaching means of the wall 15b in the form of threaded holes receive screws <NUM> for coupling the first wall or cover 15a to the second wall or container 15b.

Although the battery <NUM> illustrated takes a significant amount of the volume within the inner chamber <NUM>, it will be noted that other types of battery or batteries are also possible within the scope of the present disclosure. By way of example only, one or several button cells can be used.

The second wall or walls 15b of the capsule <NUM> preferably provide the capsule <NUM> with a protruding geometry so as to allow a rotation motion whenever the capsule <NUM> is to be extracted from a cavity. Further, in some embodiments, at least part of the protruding geometry (and, hence, at least part of the second wall or walls 15b) is rounded or chamfered. In this example, two opposite edges <NUM>, <NUM> of the second wall or walls 15b are rounded (e.g. arched) so that they can slide along walls of the cavity.

<FIG> shows a perspective view of a capsule <NUM> not covered by the claims.

The capsule <NUM> includes first, second and third walls 15a-15c. The first wall 15a is removably coupled to the second wall 15b of the capsule <NUM>, and the second wall 15b is preferably permanently coupled to the third wall 15c, the latter being shaped like a container for housing an electronic device in a protected manner. The second wall 15b is shaped such that it provides the third wall 15c with a flange, and the first wall 15a has a similar shape for forming a flange as well.

When the capsule <NUM> is provided with a flange, the removal of the first wall 15a may become easier so as to inspect the interior of the capsule <NUM>, retrieve the contents or replace them, for maintenance purposes or for recycling, for example.

In comparison with the embodiments illustrated in <FIG>, the slot antenna <NUM> of the capsule <NUM> of <FIG> is a straight slot antenna with a single straight segment.

In comparison with the embodiment of <FIG>, the slot antenna <NUM> of the capsule <NUM> of <FIG> is not straight and comprises a plurality of segments. In this case, there are three straight segments arranged such that a longitudinal axis of each segment forms an angle different from <NUM>° with respect to the longitudinal axis of the segment or segments it is connected to.

Even though the slot antennas <NUM> of the embodiments of <FIG> are arranged in an exterior wall of the capsule <NUM>, it is noted that slot antennas <NUM> arranged in one or more interior walls of the capsule <NUM>, or between an interior wall and an exterior wall, are also within the scope of the present disclosure. When the slot antenna is arranged in an interior wall, wall(s) between said interior wall and an opening of the cavity where the capsule is arranged is/are of materials that are non-electrically conductive so as not to produce interference or block the propagation of electromagnetic waves.

<FIG> shows a cross-section of wear elements <NUM>, <NUM> illustrating positions 60a-60c and 61a-61e where cavities for receiving capsules are arrangeable according to embodiments; for the sake of the illustration only, cavity positions 60a-60c and 61a-61e are shown as rectangular polygons for representing possible placement of cavities in accordance with embodiments. The plane intersecting the wear elements <NUM> and <NUM> for the cross-section view is an XZ plane. For the sake of clarity only, said plane is illustrated both in <FIG> with arrowed line <NUM>, and in <FIG> with arrowed line <NUM>.

A first wear element <NUM> is a tooth <NUM>, and a second wear element <NUM> is an intermediate adapter <NUM>, but in other embodiments the second wear element is an adapter when a two-part system of wear elements is provided.

The tooth <NUM> comprises a female portion <NUM> adapted to receive a male portion <NUM> of the intermediate adapter <NUM> when an earth moving machine is to carry out ground engaging operations.

A first position 60a for a capsule receiving cavity (illustrated in <FIG> as cavity <NUM>) in the tooth <NUM> is inside the female portion <NUM>. Preferably, the cavity is formed on a wall <NUM> of the female portion <NUM> that is closest to a wear end intended for wearing off with use. The wear end is the front-most part of the tooth <NUM> and is the end intended to engage ground during operation of the earth moving machine. The wear end is opposite a rear end through which the male portion <NUM> of the intermediate adapter <NUM> is received. Both the wear end and the rear end are illustrated in <FIG> as wear end <NUM> and rear end <NUM>.

A second position 60b for a cavity (illustrated in <FIG> as cavity <NUM> with dashed lines for illustration purposes only) in the tooth <NUM> is an external surface (illustrated in <FIG> as external surface <NUM>) that is intended to come into contact with ground during operation of the earth moving machine; namely, the external surface is surface intended to wear off with use.

Another position 60c for a capsule receiving cavity (illustrated in <FIG> as cavities 125a, 125b, the latter with dashed lines for illustration purposes only) in the tooth <NUM> is a surface at the rear end of the tooth <NUM>; with reference to <FIG> and <FIG>, said surface is surface <NUM>. The cavity, which is shown in <FIG> as cavity 125a or cavity 125b, is on a side of the rear end that contacts the intermediate adapter <NUM> when mechanically coupled.

For mechanical coupling of both the tooth <NUM> and the intermediate adapter <NUM>, the male portion <NUM> of the intermediate adapter introduces in the female portion <NUM> of the tooth <NUM> for receiving the intermediate. While inserted, attaching means in the form of e.g. a pin are introduced in both a through hole (shown with reference sign <NUM> in <FIG>) of the tooth <NUM> and a through hole <NUM> of the intermediate adapter <NUM>.

First and second positions 61a, 61b for a cavity (illustrated in <FIG> as cavities <NUM>, <NUM>, the latter with dashed lines for illustration purposes only) in the intermediate adapter <NUM> are in the male portion <NUM>. The cavity can be adjacent to the through hole <NUM> for receiving the pin, and is preferably parallel thereto. The cavity can be arranged either in a portion of the male portion <NUM> closest to a front end thereof (i.e. the end to be introduced in the female portion <NUM> of the tooth <NUM>, shown as cavity <NUM> in <FIG>) or in a portion of the male portion <NUM> closest to a rear end thereof. It may be preferable to arrange the cavity according to the latter, i.e. as cavity <NUM> in the embodiment of <FIG>, in order to minimize reductions in the mechanical resistance of the male portion <NUM> on its front end, which generally undergoes higher stress during operation of earth moving machine.

A third position 61c for a cavity (illustrated in <FIG> as cavity <NUM> with dashed lines for illustration purposes only) in the intermediate adapter <NUM> is the surface <NUM> of the male portion <NUM> that is at the frontmost part.

Another position 61d for a cavity (illustrated in <FIG> as cavity <NUM> with dashed lines for illustration purposes only) in the intermediate adapter <NUM> is the surface <NUM> of the rear portion <NUM>. Typically said surface <NUM> is in contact with the rear surface of the tooth <NUM> thereby blocking the opening of the cavity, in this way the capsule cannot fall out from the cavity even if the attaching means securing the capsule within the cavity fail.

Yet another position 61e for a cavity (illustrated in <FIG> as cavity <NUM> with dashed lines for illustration purposes only) in the intermediate adapter <NUM> is an external surface (illustrated in <FIG> as external surface <NUM>) of the rear portion <NUM> and which may wear off with use since it comes into contact with ground.

It will be noted that even though <FIG> shows a system of wear elements in which the tooth <NUM> comprises a female portion <NUM> in its attachment end, and the intermediate adapter <NUM> comprises a male portion <NUM> in its first attachment end (namely, the end for attachment to the tooth <NUM>), in another embodiments the system of wear elements comprises same wear elements (or an adapter instead of the intermediate adapter <NUM>) in which the tooth <NUM> comprises a male portion in its attachment end, and the intermediate adapter <NUM> comprises a female portion in its first attachment end. In those cases, the positions 60a, 61a-61c for cavities described can be swapped such that they are in the female portion of the intermediate adapter <NUM> and the male portion of the tooth <NUM>, respectively.

<FIG> shows a cross-section view of a wear element <NUM>, particularly a tooth <NUM>, with a capsule <NUM> not covered by the claims. The plane intersecting the tooth <NUM> and <NUM> for the cross-section view is an XZ plane like the plane corresponding to arrowed line <NUM> in <FIG>.

A cavity <NUM> is formed inside a female portion <NUM>, in a front-most wall <NUM> of the female portion <NUM>, that is to say, in a wall <NUM> closest to the wear end <NUM>; it is noted that, in other embodiments, the cavity <NUM> is formed in other wall within the female portion <NUM>. As it can be observed, the female portion <NUM> is shaped and dimensioned for receiving a male portion of an intermediate, whereas the cavity <NUM> is shaped and dimensioned for receiving the capsule <NUM>. The through hole <NUM> of the tooth <NUM> is to be aligned with the through hole of the intermediate adapter when the latter is introduced in the tooth, thereby making possible to mechanically couple both wear elements with a pin.

Preferably, the cavity <NUM> is shaped such that a cover 15a of the capsule <NUM> is closest to the rear end <NUM>, particularly when said cover 15a provides the capsule <NUM> with a flange. Upon removing attaching means of the cover 15a, either while the capsule <NUM> is within the tooth <NUM> or once the capsule <NUM> has been extracted therefrom, personnel can inspect the device(s) and components thereof housed in the capsule <NUM>. It may also be preferable to dimension the cavity <NUM> and the capsule <NUM> such that, when the capsule <NUM> is within the cavity <NUM> and the slot antenna is formed on e.g. the cover 15a, the slot antenna is flush with the wall <NUM>. It is understood that the slot antenna is flush when an outermost face of the slot antenna is coplanar or almost coplanar with at least a portion of the wall where the opening of the capsule receiving cavity <NUM> is formed; the face and the wall are almost coplanar when there is a difference in depth smaller than <NUM>, and is preferably less than or equal to <NUM> and/or <NUM>. When not arranged flush with the wall <NUM>, the capsule and the slot antenna are preferably more inwards in the cavity for increasing the protection of both.

<FIG> shows a perspective view of a wear element <NUM>, particularly a tooth <NUM>.

In this embodiment, the tooth <NUM> does not include the capsule receiving cavity of the embodiment of <FIG>, but includes a cavity 125a formed in surface <NUM> that is on the rear end <NUM> of the tooth <NUM>. As seen in <FIG>, whenever the intermediate adapter <NUM> gets coupled to the tooth <NUM>, a surface thereof adjacent to the male portion <NUM> (or female portion when the first attachment end of the intermediate adapter or adapter includes it) becomes in contact with the surface <NUM> thereby securing the capsule aside from the securing of the attachment means thereof.

In <FIG> is also shown, with dashed lines, another possible cavity 125b formed in the surface <NUM> but such that the opening of the cavity is L-shaped. A first portion of the opening is on the surface <NUM>, whereas a second portion of the opening is on a surface within the female portion <NUM>. When the intermediate adapter attaches to the tooth, the two portions of the opening are blocked by the intermediate.

Also, another possible cavity <NUM> is shown with dashed formed in the external surface <NUM> of the tooth <NUM>.

<FIG> shows a perspective view of a wear element <NUM>, particularly an intermediate adapter <NUM>, but could equally be an adapter when the system of wear elements is a two-part system.

The intermediate adapter <NUM> has a front end <NUM> with the male portion <NUM> and a rear end <NUM> with a rear portion <NUM> that provides a second attachment end for attachment with a blade of the earth moving machine, through an adapter, a weld-on nose, or a cast nose.

A cavity <NUM> is arranged in the male portion <NUM> and next to the through hole <NUM> for the pin. In this case, the cavity <NUM> is, relative to the through hole <NUM>, closer to the rear end <NUM> than to the front end <NUM>. By contrast, in other embodiments, a cavity <NUM> is arranged closer to the front end <NUM> than to the rear end <NUM> in comparison with the position of the through hole <NUM>. This part of the male portion <NUM>, which is either proximate to or on the neutral plane, is subjected to less stress and deformation than other parts of the adapter <NUM>, and it also subjected to less lateral hits or of lower intensity than other parts of the adapter <NUM> too. Moreover, said part of the male portion <NUM> is less prone to material compaction, which under normal circumstances takes place in surfaces between the teeth and the adapters and where the egress of said material is more difficult, like in the front-most part of the adapter <NUM>. These characteristics make the cavities <NUM> and <NUM> next to the through hole <NUM> convenient for the arrangement of a capsule, not only for increasing the useful life thereof and of the electronic device it protects, but also for both reduced losses in the transmission and reception of wireless signals, and the provision of data about the terrain during operation of the machine resulting from the measurements of the electronic device.

Another possible cavities are shown in the same Figure for illustrative purposes only. By way of example, cavity <NUM> is shown formed in the surface <NUM> at the front end <NUM>, i.e. the tooth attaching end. By way of another example, cavity <NUM> is formed in the surface <NUM> of the rear portion <NUM> from which the male portion <NUM> protrudes. And like in a tooth, another possible cavity <NUM> is formed in an external surface <NUM> of the rear portion <NUM>; this surface <NUM> can contact ground during ground engaging operations.

<FIG> shows an earth moving machine <NUM> illustrating devices thereof with positions where capsules can be arranged according to embodiments.

The machine <NUM> comprises a stick <NUM>, a hydraulic cylinder <NUM>, a boom <NUM>, wear elements <NUM>, digging implements <NUM>, traction means <NUM> and a cabin <NUM>. A capsule according to the present disclosure is arrangeable in each of these devices <NUM>-<NUM> in different embodiments.

By way of example, capsules can be arranged in a position <NUM> of the stick <NUM> that is, for instance, not subject to regular contact with ground during ground-engaging operations, for example in an upper half of the stick <NUM>, and in a similar position <NUM> along the length of the hydraulic cylinder <NUM>. The capsules can be arranged in a position <NUM> of the boom <NUM> that is preferably closest to a joint with the stick <NUM>. The capsules can be arranged in different positions <NUM> of wear elements <NUM> as described, for instance, with reference to <FIG>, and in side faces or the inside <NUM> of the digging implements. The capsules can be arranged in tracks <NUM> of continuous tracks of traction means <NUM>, or below the cabin <NUM>.

When capsules are arranged in positions prone to wear, earth compaction or hits, preferably the capsules are arranged in cavities formed in the devices <NUM>-<NUM> in these locations. Otherwise, the capsules can also be arranged directly on the surface of the devices <NUM>-<NUM>, namely not in any cavities, in which case the capsules are attached to the devices <NUM>-<NUM> with attaching means like bolts, welding, etc..

<FIG> diagrammatically show cross-sections of capsules 10a-10c not covered by the claims.

In <FIG>, the slot antenna <NUM> of the capsule 10a is arranged at the middle in relation to the X axis illustrated. A PCB <NUM> of the electronic device <NUM> is arranged oriented along an axial direction (the Z axis illustrated) and is parallel to the slot antenna <NUM>. More particularly, a length of the PCB <NUM> (along the Z axis illustrated) is parallel to the slot antenna <NUM> (along the Z axis illustrated). Notwithstanding, the PCB <NUM> is offset from the position of the slot antenna <NUM> (along the X axis illustrated). The electronic device <NUM> preferably also includes at least one sensor <NUM> soldered on the PCB <NUM>. The at least one sensor <NUM> may also be remote from the PCB <NUM> like in <FIG> in which the at least one sensor <NUM> is attached to a wall of the inner chamber <NUM>, or even remote from the capsule; in these cases, the electronic device <NUM> comprises an electrical connection and/or a wireless communications link between the at least one sensor <NUM> and the PCB <NUM> for sending the measurements, and through the same electrical connection or another one, the battery <NUM> energizes the at least one sensor <NUM> if not provided with its own battery.

In <FIG>, the slot antenna <NUM> of the capsule 10b is arranged offset from the middle in relation to the X axis illustrated. The PCB is also oriented along the axial direction, and not only it is parallel to the slot antenna <NUM> but is also aligned with the slot antenna <NUM>.

In <FIG>, the slot antenna <NUM> is arranged like in the example of Figure 11B. The PCB <NUM> is perpendicular to the axial direction and is attached to the wall 15a such that at least a portion of the slot antenna <NUM> is covered by the PCB <NUM>. Such arrangement may ease the electrical connection of the PCB <NUM> to the slot antenna <NUM>.

The capsules <NUM> of <FIG> each include four walls 15a-15d, a first wall 15a where the slot antenna <NUM> is provided, and second, third and fourth walls 15b-15d mechanically coupled (preferably in a permanent manner, for example welded together) to form a container. The first wall 15a can be removably coupled to the second and fourth walls 15b, 15d. In these examples, the wall 15a containing the slot antenna <NUM> comprises, either in an area surrounding the slot or in an entirety of the wall, electrically conductive material so that the slot antenna <NUM> is capable of radiating and capturing electromagnetic waves. When not an entirety of the wall 15a comprises the electrically conductive material, one or more portions thereof may comprise other material like e.g. resin. The remaining walls, i.e. walls 15b-15d, may comprise electrically conductive or non-conductive material.

In this example, a couplable lid or cap of dielectric material <NUM> is arranged in the slot of the slot antenna <NUM>. The lid or cap can be attached to the walls delimiting the slot with e.g. adhesive or attaching means.

In <FIG>, the capsule 10c comprises at least one wall 15a where the slot antenna <NUM> is provided that is of electrically conductive material, and the at least one wall 15a is coupled with other walls 15b-15d of a different material, either electrically conductive or non-conductive. In this example, a couplable lid or cap of dielectric material <NUM> is provided on the at least one wall 15a where the slot antenna <NUM> is arranged. The lid or cap can be attached to the wall 15a of the capsule with e.g. adhesive or attaching means.

In <FIG>, the capsule 10c comprises the same walls 15a-15d and slot antenna, but instead of a couplable lid or cap, the dielectric material <NUM> fills the entirety of the inner chamber <NUM> in addition to the slot of the slot antenna <NUM>.

In similar examples, the dielectric material <NUM> forms the walls (e.g. the walls 15b-15d not including the slot antenna <NUM>, or all the walls 15a-15d) and also fills the inner chamber <NUM>, thus the walls and the inner chamber filled are made of a single piece; in this sense, the outer faces of the filling are walls of the capsule. Such capsules can be produced, for instance, with a potting process.

In other examples, the PCB <NUM>, a sensor attached or connected to the PCB <NUM> and/or the battery <NUM> may be outside the inner chamber <NUM>, for instance in another cavity formed to receive said component(s), or can be attached to one of the walls 15a-15d of the capsule <NUM> from the outside. In these embodiments, the electrical connection between component(s) outside the inner chamber <NUM> and component(s) within the inner chamber <NUM> can be made by way of e.g. one or more cables, flexible printed circuit boards, etc..

It is to be noted that the slot antenna <NUM> of embodiments such as those described with reference to <FIG> can be formed in the space existing between two or more adjacent walls. By way of example, the top and bottom walls 15a illustrated in <FIG> can each be a separate wall and arranged such that the slot is present between the two walls 15a, thereby forming a slot antenna <NUM> when at least the portion surrounding the slot is electrically conductive. This means the slot antenna <NUM> thanks to two or more walls 15a and the way they are coupled together.

<FIG> diagrammatically show geometries of slot antennas 20a-20e for capsules according to embodiments. The slot antennas 20a-20e can be formed in one or more walls of the capsules.

A first slot antenna 20a is a straight slot antenna owing to a single segment 21a thereof, which furthermore is straight in this example. The capsule of <FIG> includes a slot antenna like the first slot antenna 20a.

A second slot antenna 20b comprises three segments 21a-21c arranged such that a middle-most first segment 21a is connected, on a first end thereof, to a second segment 21b and, on a second end thereof, to a third segment 21c. With regards to the first and third segments 21a, 21c, longitudinal axes have been represented with dashed lines for illustrative purposes only. Likewise, an angle <NUM> formed between said longitudinal axes is represented. A similar representation could be made in respect of the first and second segments 21a, 21b. The smallest or the largest angle <NUM> could be measured too, but it is clear that whichever the angle <NUM> that is measured, the longitudinal axes form an angle different from <NUM>°.

A third slot antenna 20c comprises three segments 21a-21c arranged such that a middle-most first segment 21a is connected, on respective ends thereof, to second and third segments 21b, 21c such that angles of <NUM>° are formed. As shown in this example, the segments 21a-21c do not necessarily have to be connected at ends thereof, but they can be connected at some point along the length of the segments. The capsule of <FIG> includes a slot antenna like the third slot antenna 20c.

A fourth slot antenna 20d comprises five segments 21a-21e. A middle-most first segment 21a is connected, on a first end thereof, to a second segment 21b, in turn connected to a third segment 21c that is parallel to the first segment 21a. The middle-most first 21a is connected, on a second end thereof, to a fourth segment 21d, which in turn is connected to a fifth segment 21e that is parallel to the first segment 21a.

Another slot antenna 20e comprises a plurality of segments 21a-21e including five segments. The arrangement of the segments 21a-21e is somewhat similar to the arrangement of the fourth slot antenna 20d but, in this example, the third and fifth segments 21c, 21e extend inwardly. In this way, the length of the wall or walls where the slot antenna 20e is arranged is reused by the slot antenna 20e to lengthen the radioelectric length thereof, that is to say, to lengthen the path that currents will follow for radiating and/or capturing electromagnetic waves. In this case, said path is the concatenation of all segments 21a-21e, thus the length thereof is the sum of the lengths of the segments 21a-21e.

The different arrangements of the second, third, fourth and fifth slot antennas 20b-20e are intended to increase an effective length of the slot antenna <NUM> based on, for example, a size of the wall of the capsule in which they are formed. In this way, the frequency of operation of the slot antenna <NUM> can be reduced with a wall featuring a minor length.

Although the exemplary slot antennas 20a-20e of <FIG> have straight segments, in other embodiments similar or different slot antenna geometries can be arranged in which one, some or all segments thereof are curvilinear. Likewise, it is not necessary that the slot antennas 20a-20e feature symmetry and can even have an irregular geometry. The slot antennas may also feature a meander-like geometry intended to make use of a greater portion of the surface of the wall or walls where it is arranged to increase the radioelectric length.

In some embodiments, the maximum dimension of the slot antenna <NUM> (of embodiments such as, but without limitation, any one of those of <FIG>, <FIG> and <FIG>) is at least <NUM>. In some embodiments, the maximum dimension of the slot antenna <NUM> (of embodiments such as, but without limitation, any one of those of <FIG>, <FIG> and <FIG>) is equal to or less than <NUM>. By maximum dimension it is meant the greatest edge of a rectangle (like the rectangle <NUM> shown with dashed lines in <FIG>, but it is readily apparent that a similar rectangle <NUM> can be drawn for any other slot antenna) enclosing a shape of the slot <NUM> with sides of the rectangle being tangent to the slot <NUM>; with reference to the rectangle <NUM> of <FIG>, the maximum dimension corresponds to the length of the edge indicated with letter L, which is greater than the length of the edge indicated with letter W.

The maximum dimension of the slot antenna affects the radioelectric performance thereof for different frequencies, thereby increasing or reducing the gain at each frequency.

In some embodiments, the maximum width of the at least one of the walls where the slot antenna <NUM> (of embodiments such as, but without limitation, any one of those of <FIG>, <FIG> and <FIG>) is arranged has a width of at least <NUM>. In some embodiments, the width is at most <NUM>. A rectangle enclosing the at least one wall may be drawn like the rectangle <NUM> for a slot antenna, but with sides of the rectangle tangent to the at least one wall; the maximum width in these cases is the length of the edge that is shortest out of the edges of the rectangle, that is to say, that corresponding to the length W shown in <FIG> but with a rectangle for the at least one wall. The rectangle is thus drawn with respect to a particular longitudinal direction and a first transversal direction of the at least one wall.

The width of the wall or walls affect the gain of the slot antenna; the width is measured along the direction of the two perpendicular directions that closes the capsule and has a shortest length between said two perpendicular directions.

In some embodiments, the at least one of the walls where the slot antenna <NUM> (of embodiments such as, but without limitation, any one of those of <FIG>, <FIG> and <FIG>) has a thickness of at least <NUM> and, preferably, is less than or equal to <NUM>. In some embodiments, the thickness is between <NUM> and <NUM>, the endpoints being included in the range. The thickness is the third dimension of the wall that is not included in the rectangle enclosing the at least one wall, namely the thickness in in a second transversal direction.

The thickness of the wall or walls can be selected based upon the expected strains or wear that the capsule is to undergo during ground engaging operations based on the location of the capsule on the earth moving machine. The thickness is measured along the direction towards the inside of the inner chamber and, thus, is not any one of the two perpendicular directions that closes the capsule, i.e. those of the maximum length and maximum width. It has been found out that thicknesses within the aforesaid range has little or no influence on the gain of the slot antenna.

<FIG> shows a perspective view of a capsule <NUM> according to embodiments, and <FIG> show two different cross-sections of the capsule <NUM>. The capsule <NUM> comprises one or more walls 15b that enclose an inner chamber <NUM>. A cover 15a (for example, but without limitation, the first wall 15a of <FIG> and <FIG>) on a first end <NUM> of the capsule <NUM> is to be mechanically coupled with the one or more walls 15b so as to at least partially cover an opening through which the inner chamber <NUM> is accessible. In some embodiments, the cover 15a comprises a slot antenna, for example the slot antenna <NUM> as described with reference to previous Figures.

The one or more of the walls 15b on a second end <NUM> of the capsule <NUM> provide the capsule <NUM> with a protruding geometry, that is to say, a geometry that provides the inner chamber <NUM> with additional room. In this example, this geometry protrudes along a protruding direction D (shown with a dashed arrow for illustrative purposes only) going from the first end <NUM> to the second end <NUM>, which corresponds to the negative part of the Z axis illustrated. Within the context of the present disclosure, protruding geometries preferably refer to geometries in which a cross-section of the capsule progressively becomes smaller (the further away the taken transversal cross-section is along the protruding direction D, in this case the closer the taken transversal cross-section is to the arrow end), and which preferably have a shape of an arch or alike, as in the embodiment of <FIG>.

The protruding geometry, which is convex, is adapted to allow the extraction of the capsule <NUM> by rotating the capsule <NUM> while introduced in a cavity; the rotation being at least around a first rotation axis R<NUM> (shown in <FIG> together with a rotation arrow for the sake of clarity only). Said geometry furthermore provides the inner chamber <NUM> with a concave geometry, thereby having more volume for allocating the electronic device to be protected by the capsule. At least part of the protruding geometry (and, hence, at least part of one or more walls 15b) is rounded as it can be appreciated from the different views; two opposite edges <NUM>, <NUM> of the wall 15b that are to slide along walls of the cavity are rounded, for example arched or substantially arched. A rounded geometry further eases the extraction of the capsule <NUM> thanks to the reduced friction or collisions existing between the wall(s) 15b and the walls of the cavity where the capsule <NUM> is introduced.

The cover 15a preferably comprises one or more protruding surfaces <NUM> extending parallel to the largest surface (shown in <FIG> as surface <NUM>) of the cover 15a; the one or more protruding surfaces <NUM> preferably comprise or are of a metallic material, e.g. steel. As it will be seen in <FIG>, the protruding surface(s) <NUM> aids in the extraction process of the capsule <NUM> by supporting a torque applied thereto for rotating the capsule <NUM>.

The capsule <NUM> may further comprise a cap <NUM> that includes one or more protrusions <NUM> or fins. The protrusion(s) <NUM> or fin(s) produce additional friction between the capsule <NUM> and the cavity to maintain the capsule <NUM> more reliably therewithin. In addition, the cap <NUM> blocks the entry of particles within the inner chamber <NUM> in those embodiments in which cover 15a include an opening, for example a slot antenna, or includes one or more cavities <NUM> for receiving a sensor <NUM>, for example a Hall-effect sensor. In order to more reliably couple the cap <NUM> to the cover 15a and the latter includes the one or more protruding surfaces <NUM>, the cap <NUM> may include a recess in which the protruding surface(s) <NUM> fits.

Further, one or more edges 17a-17d of the cover 15a and/or one or more edges 17e-17f of the one or more walls 15b preferably extend perpendicular to the largest surface of the cover 15a, i.e. the surface at least partially covering the opening of the capsule <NUM>. As it can be seen in <FIG>, the edges 17a-17f extend along the (negative) Z axis illustrated, whereas the largest surface of the cover 15a extends along the X and Y axes illustrated, that is to say, it extends according to a plane defined by X and Y axes illustrated. These edges 17c-17f preclude the capsule <NUM> from rotating around a second rotation axis R<NUM> (shown in <FIG> together with a crossed rotation arrow for the sake of clarity only).

In this example, the one or more walls 15b is shaped such that it has two symmetry planes extending between the first and second ends <NUM>, <NUM>. According to the axes illustrated in <FIG>, a first symmetry plane is plane Y-Z, and a second symmetry plane is plane X-Z.

It can be appreciated from the representation of the capsule <NUM> of <FIG> that a longitudinal axis thereof is parallel to the Y axis illustrated, and width and depth axes of the capsule <NUM> are parallel to the X and Z axes illustrated. The width axis can be either the X or the Z axis, and the depth axis be the other one of the X or the Z axis; preferably, but not necessarily, the depth axis corresponds to the axis of the capsule <NUM> featuring a maximum length measured along said axis shorter than the maximum length measured along the longitudinal axis, and longer than the maximum length measured along the width axis, which in this example means that the depth axis is parallel to the Z axis, and the width axis is parallel to the X axis.

<FIG> show the extraction of a capsule <NUM> according to embodiments, for example the capsule <NUM> of <FIG>. In <FIG> shows how an extraction tool <NUM> can be used to force the rotation movement of the capsule <NUM> while being within a cavity <NUM> of a device <NUM> for an earth moving machine, and <FIG> shows the capsule <NUM> after being subjected to a rotation movement. The rotation of the extraction tool <NUM> and the rotation of the capsule <NUM> are shown with arrows for illustrative purposes only, which are counterclockwise and clockwise, respectively.

In <FIG> it can be observed that the protruding geometry of the one or more walls 15b of the capsule <NUM> fits in at least a portion of a geometry <NUM> of the cavity <NUM>, that is to say, the protruding geometry and the geometry <NUM> are complementary or have partially corresponding geometries, thereby enabling the capsule <NUM> to rotate within the cavity <NUM> as seen in <FIG>. Some free volume may exist between the one or more walls 15b and the walls <NUM> of the cavity <NUM> featuring the geometry <NUM>, even though this free volume can be reduced whenever the respective geometries have a greater matching correspondence.

While the capsule <NUM> is within the cavity <NUM>, in the embodiments in which the capsule <NUM> comprises a cap <NUM> arranged thereon, and the cap <NUM> comprises protrusions <NUM> or fins, these protrusions <NUM> or fins may contact walls <NUM> of the cavity <NUM> and produce additional friction to keep the cavity introduced therein. This can be advantageous during operation of the earth moving machine owing to the strong hits that it is subjected to and which could cause the falling off of the capsule <NUM>, and even while the machine is not operating, for example when the device is to be coupled to another part of the machine. In some cases, the device is manufactured with the capsule <NUM> inside the cavity, and then the device is to be coupled to the machine, or the capsule <NUM> is first introduced in the cavity before the device is coupled to the machine; in both cases, during the installation of the device in the machine the capsule <NUM> could fall off if not properly attached to the cavity. The additional friction likewise provides a stronger coupling of the capsule <NUM> within the cavity <NUM>, in turn enhancing the measurements of strains or stresses by sensors included in the capsule <NUM>.

The extraction tool <NUM> is partially introduced in the cavity <NUM> and brought about to contact a protruding surface <NUM> of the cover 15a, or the cap <NUM> if provided and is covering said protruding surface <NUM>. Then, the extraction tool <NUM> is rotated towards an opening <NUM> of the cavity <NUM>, or in other words, towards an extraction direction. The extraction tool <NUM> thus applies torque on the protruding surface <NUM> and, as a result, the capsule <NUM> tends to rotate within the cavity <NUM>. Following the rotation and as seen in <FIG>, the capsule <NUM> does not have the surface of the first end <NUM> thereof lying flat with respect to the opening <NUM> of the cavity <NUM>; and when the capsule <NUM> and the cavity <NUM> are dimensioned such that said surface of the capsule <NUM> is flush with the opening <NUM>, like in this example as seen in <FIG>, the rotation makes the capsule <NUM> not to remain flush anymore, something that facilitates grabbing part of the capsule <NUM> to pull it out from the cavity <NUM>.

When the cover 15a does not have the protruding surfaces <NUM>, the rotation of the capsule can be forced by applying a force on the surface (which is the largest surface of the cover 15a, or the cap <NUM> when provided and covering the cover 15a) at the first end <NUM> of the capsule <NUM> at a point or area offset from the middle, and preferably at a point or area that results in a greater torque, like point or area P illustrated for the sake of clarity only (if the force were to be applied at point or area P, the capsule <NUM> would rotate in the direction opposite to that illustrated in <FIG>, therefore it would rotate counterclockwise). When more free volume exists between the walls of the capsule <NUM> and the walls of the cavity <NUM>, the easier it is to force the rotation by applying said force.

In this example, the geometry <NUM> of the cavity <NUM> is such that it has two symmetry planes. According to the axes illustrated in <FIG>, a first symmetry plane is plane Y-Z, and although not seen in <FIG>, a second symmetry plane is plane X-Z.

<FIG> shows a perspective view of a cover 15a of a capsule <NUM> according to embodiments, the cover 15a including a slot antenna <NUM> and grooves <NUM> for installing a sensor <NUM>.

The sensor <NUM> is e.g. a Hall-effect sensor that is arranged on an external part of the capsule so that magnetic fields produced by magnets remote from the capsule can be measured more accurately. A plurality of grooves <NUM> can be formed on the largest surface <NUM> to allow selective arrangement of the sensor <NUM>, which provides flexibility in the positioning of the sensor <NUM> and, therefore, better adapt to the position of the magnet since that may be different in each case, or for receiving multiple sensors <NUM>.

Since the grooves <NUM> are outside of the projection of slot antenna <NUM>, the electromagnetic waves radiated by the slot antenna <NUM> produce little or no interference at all with the measurements of the sensor <NUM>. Likewise, any blocking that the slot antenna <NUM> may cause on the magnetic fields produced by the magnets does not affect the measurements because the grooves <NUM> are on the external face of the largest surface <NUM> of the wall 15a; the magnetic fields arrive from outside of the capsule <NUM>.

<FIG> shows a perspective view of an intermediate adapter <NUM> with capsules <NUM> arranged therein in accordance with embodiments.

Although in this embodiment three cavities <NUM>-<NUM> are shown with capsules <NUM> therein, in other embodiments only one or two such cavities <NUM>-<NUM> with a capsule <NUM> are provided, or one or more cavities as described with reference to <FIG> are provided for receiving respective one or more capsules <NUM>.

One of the cavities <NUM> is adjacent to the through hole <NUM> for receiving a pin for mechanically coupling the adapter <NUM> with a tooth, and is at a rear end of the through hole <NUM>, that is to say, it is between the through hole <NUM> and the rearmost end <NUM> of the adapter <NUM>.

Another cavity <NUM> is also adjacent to the through hole <NUM>, but is at a front end thereof, that is to say, it is between the through hole <NUM> and a tooth engaging end <NUM>.

The other one of the cavities <NUM> is arranged on the surface <NUM> of the male portion <NUM> at the tooth engaging end <NUM>.

<FIG> shows a perspective view of a tooth <NUM> with magnets <NUM> arranged therein for cooperating with sensors of capsules in accordance with embodiments.

A capsule receiving cavity <NUM> in the tooth <NUM> is inside the female portion <NUM>. A magnet <NUM> is attached to a side wall <NUM> of the capsule receiving cavity <NUM> where a through hole <NUM> is formed for receiving a pin that couples an adapter with the tooth <NUM>. The magnet <NUM> is preferably at a rear end of the through hole <NUM>, that is to say, it is between the through hole <NUM> and the rearmost end <NUM> of the tooth <NUM>.

Additionally or alternatively, a magnet <NUM> is attached to a wall <NUM> of the capsule receiving cavity <NUM> that is closest to a wear end intended for wearing off with use.

The position of the magnet(s) <NUM> is in correspondence with the position of the capsule(s), and preferably in correspondence with the position of Hall-effect sensor(s) of the capsule(s), thereby making possible to detect falling off of wear elements. In this example, the position of the two magnets <NUM> is in correspondence with the position of the capsules <NUM> arranged in the adapter <NUM> of <FIG>. When the cover of the capsule(s) <NUM> comprises several grooves for receiving sensors, a groove can be selected over another based on the position of the corresponding magnet <NUM>.

Assemblies that comprise two or more cooperating devices such as wear elements can be formed so that the assemblies include fall detecting capabilities. By way of example, the tooth <NUM> and adapter <NUM> of <FIG> form an assembly with one or more capsules <NUM> including one or more Hall-effect sensors in one of the devices, and respective one or more magnets <NUM> in the other one of the devices.

<FIG> shows a perspective view of a capsule <NUM> according to embodiments, and <FIG> shows a side view of the capsule <NUM>.

The capsule <NUM> comprises a poka-yoke coupling member <NUM> arranged on an edge <NUM> of a wall 15b of the capsule <NUM>. In this example, the poka-yoke coupling member <NUM> is integrally formed on the wall 15b, which means that the geometry of the wall 15b, in addition to being adapted for allowing extraction by way of a rotation movement, has the poka-yoke coupling member <NUM>.

The poka-yoke coupling member <NUM> is a protruding member that cooperates with a poka-yoke coupling member, in the form of a recess, in a cavity receiving the capsule <NUM>. The cavity including said poka-yoke coupling member can be any one of the cavities described with reference to previous Figures.

In this example, the poka-yoke coupling member <NUM> includes a flat surface <NUM> for casting feeding, and likewise has a radiated geometry <NUM> that makes possible to disassemble the capsule, even in presence of e.g. compacted fines. Therefore, the member <NUM> may also improve the operation of the capsule <NUM> beyond forbidding incorrect arrangement of the capsule <NUM> in a cavity.

<FIG> shows an imaginary box <NUM> enclosing a capsule <NUM> according to embodiments.

The imaginary box <NUM> is represented with dashed lines for illustrative purposes only. The box <NUM> is a cube or a square cuboid with each of its six faces thereof being tangent to at least one point on the outer surface of at least one wall of the capsule <NUM>. The imaginary box <NUM> is the box <NUM> having the minimum volume possible, i.e. the box <NUM> that simultaneously has faces tangent to at least one point on the outer surface of at least one wall of the capsule <NUM> and is minimally-sized. When the capsule <NUM> includes a cap <NUM> like in the embodiments of <FIG>, one or more faces of the box <NUM> may go through the cap <NUM> or not even touch it.

Longitudinal, transverse and vertical axes (the latter two being also referred to as width and depth axes, or depth and width axes) of the capsule <NUM>, and preferably of the geometry formed by the walls thereof, can be, for instance, defined by way of the imaginary box <NUM>. In that case, the longest edge of the box <NUM> corresponds to a longitudinal axis of the capsule <NUM> (in this example, the longest edge is parallel to axis Y and has length LA, said length LA is likewise the maximum length measured along the longitudinal axis); a width axis of the capsule <NUM> preferably corresponds to an edge perpendicular thereto, and it is preferably the edge defining a plane containing (or parallel to a plane containing) with the end of a convex portion of the geometry of the capsule <NUM> (in this example, it defines top face 500a) and/or containing (or parallel to a plane containing) the opening of the capsule <NUM> (in this example, it defines bottom face 500b), which, in this example, is parallel to axis X and has length WA, said length WA is likewise the maximum length measured along the width axis; and a depth axis of the capsule <NUM> preferably corresponds to an edge perpendicular to both edges corresponding to the longitudinal and width axes, in this example being parallel to axis Z and having length DA, said length DA is likewise the maximum length measured along the depth axis. The length of the edge corresponding to the longitudinal axis is greater than the length of the other two edges.

In some preferred embodiments, the length of the edge corresponding to the width axis is shorter than the length of the edge corresponding to the depth axis. In some embodiments, the length of the edges corresponding to the width and depth axes is equal. In some less preferred embodiments, the length of the edge corresponding to the width axis is longer than the length of the edge corresponding to the depth axis.

<FIG> shows a cross-section of walls 15b forming a capsule according to embodiments in a portion thereof providing the capsule with a geometry that is convex. Particularly, the cross-section is with respect to plane represented as A-A' in <FIG>, and the view of <FIG> is in the protruding direction D shown in <FIG>, i.e. towards the inside of the capsule.

The walls 15b enclose a two-dimensional area extending from the outermost side of the walls 15b and including the projection of the cavity <NUM>, thus said area covers the entirety of the surface shown with striped patterns. Said area extends in the cross-section plane that is defined by two axes: the longitudinal axis (corresponding to the Y axis illustrated) and the width axis (corresponding to the X axis illustrated) of the capsule <NUM> as described e.g. with reference to <FIG>. A length of the area along the longitudinal axis is shown as LC and the length of the area along the width axis is shown as WC.

It can be appreciated from <FIG>, <FIG> that the rotation axis R<NUM> is parallel to the width axis described.

In this text, the term "protruding geometry" has been used for the sake of the clarity only; the corresponding geometry of the wall or walls could as well have been named "geometry", "shape", or "form" without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

Claim 1:
A capsule (<NUM>) for protecting an electronic device (<NUM>) for an earth moving machine (<NUM>), the capsule (<NUM>) comprising one or more walls (15b-15d) arranged so as to form both an inner chamber (<NUM>) configured for housing an electronic device (<NUM>), and an opening through which the inner chamber (<NUM>) is accessed, the opening being at least partially covered by a cover (15a), characterized in that the one or more walls (15b-15d) provide the capsule (<NUM>) in at least one portion thereof with a geometry that is convex and adapted for allowing extraction of the capsule (<NUM>) from a cavity (<NUM>, <NUM>-<NUM>, <NUM>-<NUM>) of the earth moving machine (<NUM>) by rotating the capsule (<NUM>) about a rotating axis (R<NUM>), where a cross-section of the capsule (<NUM>) where the at least one portion starts extends over a plane defined by both the longitudinal axis (Y) of the capsule (<NUM>) and an axis (X) transverse thereto, the plane of the cross-section being parallel to said opening and to said cover (15a), where the rotating axis (R<NUM>) is parallel to the axis (X) transverse to the longitudinal axis (Y).