JP2013047879A - Roll neck bearing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To achieve component management with a non-contact communication type IC tag in a roll neck bearing device.SOLUTION: In a roll neck bearing device where a rolling bearing 10 is incorporated in a bearing case C removably fixed to a housing, so as to support a roll neck, a non-contact communication type IC tag 20 is attached to a bearing component comprising a metal body M constituting the rolling bearing 10. The IC tag 20 is capable of communicating information from the outside by forming a magnetic closed circuit between a tag-side antenna 24 provided in the IC tag 20 and a reader/writer-side antenna 44 provided in an external reader/writer device 40. The IC tag 20 is stored in a hole 11 opened in a surface of the metal body M and is configured so that a plurality of projections provided on the tag-side antenna 24 face the opening side of the hole 11 and a magnetic flux extending from respective projections passes inside an edge of the opening of the hole 11 to form the magnetic closed circuit between the tag-side antenna 24 and the reader/writer device 40.

Description

  The present invention relates to a roll neck bearing device used in a rolling mill or the like.

In order to support the roll neck portion of various rolls such as a work roll and an intermediate roll in a rolling mill or the like, a roll neck bearing device is used.
As the roll neck bearing device, for example, in a steel rolling mill or the like, a four-row tapered roller bearing or a double-row tapered roller bearing corresponding to a large load is used. In addition, these rolling bearings are, for example, sealed rolling bearings in which seals are provided at both ends of the bearing as shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 12, in the sealed rolling bearing, a rolling bearing 10 is incorporated in a bearing case C that is detachably fixed to a housing so as to support a roll neck (shaft) A of a horizontal roll R. Further, a lubricant such as grease is sealed in the bearing space between the inner and outer rings 2 and 1 in which the rolling elements 3 of the rolling bearing 10 are arranged. Both ends of the bearing space in the axial direction are sealed with seal members 7 to prevent leakage of the enclosed lubricant to the outside and intrusion of water or dust into the bearing space. In addition, the code | symbol 4 in a figure shows the holder | retainer which hold | maintains the rolling element 3, and the code | symbol 9 has shown the outer spacer in which the sealing member 7 is press-fit.

  In particular, roll neck bearing devices used in steel rolling mills, etc. are used in an environment where a large amount of water such as roll cooling water or emulsion in which rolling lubricating oil is dispersed, and the temperature inside and outside the bearing. Since the inside of the bearing may become negative pressure due to the occurrence of the difference, the seal member 7 has a structure having a seal lip 7b formed of an elastic body, a metal core 7a, and a spring member 7c. doing. In other words, a structure in which the pressure applied to the inner ring side sliding contact surface by the seal lip 7b is reinforced by the annular spring member 7c is employed to ensure an appropriate pressure force (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

As described above, the roll neck bearing device is often used under severe conditions, and its maintenance needs to be performed frequently. In the maintenance, for example, the roll neck A of the roll R is extracted from the housing, and then the rolling bearing 10 is inspected and repaired, and the inspection or repair is completed or another roll R or roll neck A is removed from the rolling bearing 10. Generally, it is carried out by a method of attaching to the housing via Further, when the rolling bearing 10 is removed from the housing, the removed rolling bearing 10 is disassembled as necessary, and inspection of bearing components such as the inner and outer rings 2, 1, the rolling element 3, the cage 4 and the like is performed. In some cases, after repair, assembly is performed again.
In addition, the lubricant is appropriately supplied to the seal member 7. This is because if such maintenance is neglected, the sealing member 7 may be hardened due to frictional heat, worn, and deteriorated in sealing performance. Further, if the lubricant in the vicinity of the seal member 7 is insufficient, the wear of the seal member 7 is promoted.

  Conventionally, product information and maintenance records for the roll neck bearing device are managed by a record book, a personal computer, or the like provided by the manufacturer or user. For example, when a malfunction occurs in the equipment or when maintenance is performed, the stamped on the bearing parts is confirmed, and based on the parts information, the parts identification information and past maintenance Check the history. The history includes, for example, information on the date and operating time of periodic inspections and overhauls, and maintenance of gears and seal members around the bearings.

By the way, in recent years, IC tags using RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology capable of exchanging information by non-contact communication have been reduced in size and cost, and are already widely used mainly in fields related to logistics.
This IC tag technology is being used especially in the field of machinery. For example, Patent Documents 2 and 3 disclose techniques in which an IC tag is attached to a component of a rolling bearing used for a wheel bearing device or the like. The IC tag can store various types of identification information such as the type of the part, the manufacturing time, the manufacturing lot, and the manufacturing history.

  According to these technologies, when the information stored in the IC tag is read at an appropriate time such as storage, distribution, before use, in use, after use, etc., the identification information of the part is immediately obtained. I can grasp it. Therefore, for example, at the time of maintenance or failure, the time stamped on the parts can be confirmed and the trouble of checking the identification information of the parts with a computer or book provided by the manufacturer can be avoided.

However, the bearing parts used in the roll neck bearing device are generally made of metal. For this reason, when an IC tag is attached to a metal body, the magnetic flux transmitted from the antenna provided in the IC tag is affected by the metal body, thereby greatly reducing the sensitivity of the tag. When the sensitivity of the tag is greatly reduced, there is a problem that proper communication with an external reader / writer device cannot be performed or the communication distance is significantly shortened.
In general, materials with high electrical conductivity (for example, metal materials) and materials with high magnetic permeability (for example, materials made of iron, nickel, cobalt, various compounds, sendust, carbonyl iron, ferrite (magnetic material), etc.) It is known that if the magnetic flux transmitted from the antenna of the IC tag is passed, the sensitivity of the tag is lowered. Hereinafter, materials that lower the sensitivity of these tags are collectively referred to as “metal bodies”.

  For this reason, when attaching an IC tag to a mechanical part made of a metal body, for example, the IC tag may be attached and fixed so that the entire antenna protrudes from the surface of the metal body, or a seal member, a sensor case, etc. Embedded in the attached resin member (for example, see Patent Documents 2 and 3).

In addition, there is a technique in which countersink holes 121 are provided as shown in FIG. 10 in order to embed and fix an IC tag in a metal body. The inside diameter of the counterbore hole 121 gradually increases from the bottom 121a side of the hole toward the opening 121b side to the surface of the metal body M.
For this reason, the magnetic flux transmitted from the antenna of the IC tag 101 easily passes through the metal body M at a relatively short distance as shown by the arrow in the figure and reaches the antenna (not shown) of the external reader / writer device. (For example, refer to Patent Document 4).

JP 2007-177863 A JP 2006-38189 A JP 2006-46558 A JP 2006-53603 A

  According to the IC tag 101 fixing structure shown in FIG. 10, since the counterbore hole 121 is provided in the metal body M, a space exists around the IC tag 101. For this reason, a certain degree of effect can be expected in maintaining the sensitivity between the IC tag 101 and the reader / writer device.

  However, even in this technique, the magnetic flux transmitted from the antenna of the IC tag 101 cannot completely avoid the metal body M. As shown in the figure, the magnetic flux extending from the antenna is transmitted from the antenna in a direction parallel to the surface of the metal body M (left and right direction in the figure), and then draws a curve to form an external reader / writer device. It is because it goes to the side (upper part in a figure). In this way, since a part of the magnetic flux hits the metal body M, a decrease in sensitivity between the IC tag 101 and the reader / writer device is inevitable.

  In order to reduce interference of the magnetic flux with the metal body M, means for further increasing the inner diameter of the counterbore hole 121 can be considered. However, increasing the inner diameter of the counterbore hole 121 destabilizes the fixed state of the IC tag 20. Further, it is not preferable to increase the space around the IC tag 101 because the IC tag 101 is easily damaged.

  The interference of the magnetic flux with the metal body M will be described in more detail. A conventional general RFID system has a configuration as shown in FIG. 11, for example.

As shown in the figure, in order to satisfy the requirement of simultaneously reading a large number of IC tags (RFID tags) 101 from a remote location and in a wide range, an antenna connected to the reader / writer of the reader / writer device 110 ( Hereinafter, the “reader / writer side antenna” 114) is made large to some extent. A 13.56 MHz magnetic field necessary for reading is emitted from a reader / writer side antenna 114 having this structure over a wide range in free space.
When the IC tag 101 exists in the readable range, the antenna of the IC tag 101 (hereinafter referred to as “tag antenna”) 104 receives the magnetic field from the reader / writer side antenna 114 to obtain driving power for the IC chip 103, Perform the necessary processing and return the resulting data by modulating the received magnetic field.
In order for this system to function effectively, circuits 113 and 115 for correctly tuning the antenna circuit of the reader / writer device 110 and the antenna circuit of the IC tag 101 to the operating frequency of 13.56 MHz and matching them at the same time are incorporated.

  When there is a metal body (the conductive material, the magnetic body, etc.) in the vicinity of this system, there are several causes for the performance of the IC tag 101 to deteriorate.

First, a nearby metal body forms a short circuit with respect to the reader / writer side antenna 114 and the tag side antenna 104, and acts to reduce the magnetic field of the reader / writer side antenna 114, thereby transmitting energy to the IC tag 101. Decreases and sensitivity decreases.
That is, an eddy current is generated when the magnetic flux loop emitted from the reader / writer side antenna 114 crosses the metal body, and this is consumed as heat in the short circuit of the metal body. As a result, the energy transmitted to the RFID tag is reduced. Also, the response from the RFID tag to the reader / writer side antenna 114 similarly reduces energy, so that the communication distance is shortened or communication cannot be performed at all.

  In order to prevent this phenomenon, it is effective to reduce the number of magnetic fluxes passing through this short circuit. This is the reason why the magnetic shield sheet is sandwiched between the IC tag 101 and the metal body.

  Secondly, when a metal body (conductor) exists in the vicinity of the resonance circuit, there is a problem that the resonance frequency is shifted.

From the electromagnetic law, when the magnetic flux passes through the conductive material, the inductance of the coil constituting the LC resonance circuit is substantially reduced and the resonance frequency is increased. On the other hand, if there is a magnetic substance in the vicinity of the coil, the magnetic flux passing through the coil increases in proportion to the magnetic permeability, so that the substantial inductance increases and the resonance frequency decreases.
Generally, in order to extend the communication distance of the IC tag 101, the Q (quality factor) at the resonance frequency is set to be reasonably large, so that when the frequencies match, the transmission efficiency is high. If the frequency is shifted, the efficiency becomes extremely low, and the sensitivity of the IC tag 101 is lowered.
As a countermeasure, it is effective to adjust the resonance frequency of the resonance circuit so as to correct the change in the resonance frequency in advance. There is also a method for reducing the influence of the metal body by sandwiching a magnetic sheet between the metal body. Since the inductance can be adjusted in the increasing direction by the method of sandwiching the magnetic material sheet that was effective in the countermeasure for the first problem, it is necessary to adjust the resonance frequency in consideration of all influences. .

  However, even if each of the above measures is taken, it is difficult for the conventional technique to completely eliminate the influence of the metal body, and the sensitivity generally decreases as long as the IC tag 101 is attached to the metal body. Moreover, even if measures are taken, it is impossible to make an RFID system that operates reliably if the size of the antenna is extremely small or if a sufficient distance from the metal or magnetic body cannot be obtained.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to realize component management by a non-contact communication type IC tag in a roll neck bearing device used in a rolling mill or the like.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides an inner and outer ring in which a rolling bearing is incorporated so as to support a roll neck in a bearing case that is detachably fixed to a housing, and rolling elements of the rolling bearing are arranged. In a bearing device for a roll neck in which a lubricant is sealed in a bearing space, a non-contact communication type IC tag is attached to a bearing part made of a metal body constituting the rolling bearing, and the IC tag Communication is possible by forming a closed magnetic circuit between the tag-side antenna provided in the device and the reader / writer-side antenna provided in the external reader / writer device. The tag-side antenna is housed in a hole opened on the surface, and the tag-side antenna has at least a plurality of protrusions, and each protrusion faces the opening side of the hole and extends from each protrusion. A configuration in which the magnetic closed circuit that enables communication of information between the IC tag and the reader / writer device can be formed by the bundle passing through the inside of the opening edge of the hole and reaching the outside of the hole. Adopted.

  Here, as a bearing part made of a metal body, for example, a bearing part constituting a rolling bearing, that is, an inner ring, an outer ring, an inner spacer arranged between outer rings adjacent in the axial direction, and an outer side in the axial direction of the bearing are arranged. The outer spacer, the metallic core bar provided in the seal member, and the like can be used. Also, a similar IC tag can be attached to the metal body constituting the housing.

  Examples of the information stored in the IC tag include product information (model, serial number, etc.) and maintenance information for the roll neck bearing device. The maintenance information includes, for example, identification information of various parts constituting the roll neck bearing device and past maintenance history for each part.

The history includes, for example, the date of periodic inspection and overhaul of the roller neck bearing device, the subsequent operation time, or the total operation time, repair / inspection / replacement history, etc. There are operating hours after periodic inspections and overhauls, or total operating hours, repair / inspection / replacement history, etc. Furthermore, information on the gears around the bearing, accessory parts, and maintenance of the seal member can be mentioned.
Regarding information on the maintenance of the seal member, in view of the special circumstances of being a roll neck bearing device, the supply timing and supply amount of the lubricant to the seal member can be handled as information to be input to the IC tag. This is convenient for the management of the seal member.

In this configuration, in order to communicate information with the IC tag included in the bearing device with an IC tag, it is necessary to use a (external) reader / writer device different from the bearing device with the IC tag.
This reader / writer device includes a reader / writer side antenna capable of transmitting / receiving information to / from the tag side antenna of the IC tag. That is, a magnetic closed circuit can be formed between the magnetic flux extending from the protruding portion of the tag side antenna and the reader / writer side antenna through the inner side of the opening edge of the hole provided in the metal body. The reader / writer device and the reader / writer side antenna can adopt various configurations as long as information can be communicated through the magnetic closed circuit.
For example, as a configuration of the reader / writer side antenna, similar to the tag side antenna, at least a plurality of projecting portions may be provided, and each projecting portion may be opposed to each projecting portion of the tag side antenna.

That is, said structure employ | adopts the method which does not let the magnetic flux for performing transmission / reception of information pass through a metal body.
If the magnetic flux connecting the reader / writer side antenna provided in the reader / writer device and the tag side antenna provided in the IC tag is confined in both antennas and does not leak to the surroundings, the magnetic closed circuit is It is possible to avoid the influence of the metal body.

  When the bearing part made of a metal body to which the IC tag is to be attached is used as an inner ring of a rolling bearing, the hole is provided to open on the inner diameter surface of the inner ring, and the hole is formed by removing the roll neck from the housing. In this case, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which the reader / writer side antenna of the reader / writer device inserted from the outside of the housing can be opposed.

As described above, the maintenance of the roll neck bearing device is performed, for example, by removing the roll roll neck from the housing, then inspecting and repairing the rolling bearing, and after completing the inspection or repair, or another roll or roll. In general, the neck is attached to the housing via a rolling bearing. In addition, when the rolling bearing is removed from the housing, if necessary, disassemble the removed rolling bearing and inspect and repair bearing parts such as inner and outer rings, rolling elements, and cages. In some cases, assembly is performed again.
At this time, in order to communicate information with the IC tag by the reader / writer device, usually, after disassembling the rolling bearing, reading the information by bringing the reader / writer device close to each component removed by the disassembly. Become. This is because the end face of the rolling bearing is usually closed by a seal case or the like, and the reader / writer device cannot be brought close to the IC tag unless the rolling bearing is disassembled.
However, as described above, by providing the hole for accommodating the IC tag so as to open on the inner diameter surface of the inner ring, at least when the roll neck is removed from the housing, the hole provided in the inner ring and the IC tag are It is exposed to the space after the roll neck is removed. For this reason, information can be communicated with the IC tag attached to the inner ring without disassembling the rolling bearing.

As described above, when the hole for accommodating the IC tag is provided to be opened on the inner diameter surface of the inner ring, the hole passes through one end in the axial direction of the rolling surface of the inner ring and is perpendicular to the axis of the rolling bearing; It is possible to adopt a configuration that is provided so as to avoid a range that is sandwiched between a surface that passes through the other axial end of the rolling surface and is orthogonal to the axis of the rolling bearing.
That is, by providing the hole for accommodating the IC tag while avoiding the back surface of the rolling surface where the load from the rolling element acts greatly, the action of external force on the IC tag in the hole can be kept low.

  In each of these configurations, the at least a plurality of protrusions are provided on a core made of a material having a high magnetic permeability, the plurality of protrusions are connected by a base, and the IC tag is connected to the base or the protrusion. A structure in which a wire made of a conductor is wound around the tag side antenna and an IC chip is connected to both ends of the wire can be adopted. Moreover, the structure which is the shape which divided | segmented the toroidal core into plurality along the circumferential direction as the core can be employ | adopted, for example.

  As another configuration, the at least a plurality of protrusions are provided on a core made of a material having a high magnetic permeability, the plurality of protrusions are connected by a base, and one protrusion is surrounded by another protrusion. The IC tag adopts a configuration in which a wire rod made of a conductor is wound around the one projecting portion to form the tag-side antenna, and an IC chip is connected to both ends of the wire rod. Can do.

When these configurations are described, generally, transformers and coils are widely known as highly efficient transmission means for electric power and signals. In order to efficiently guide the magnetic flux generated by the primary side coil to the secondary side coil, the magnetic flux is easy to pass through, that is, the magnetic flux is confined by using a silicon steel plate or a ferrite core that has a larger permeability than air. It is a mechanism to communicate.
The present invention applies these mechanisms and uses two coils for the reader / writer side antenna and the tag side antenna. That is, the two coils (wires made of conductors) are respectively connected to a magnetic closed circuit. A tag system having a structure wound around a core made of a material having a high magnetic permeability is configured.

The magnetic flux generated from the reader / writer side antenna has a higher magnetic flux density and a larger coupling coefficient than the antenna used in normal air by using a material with high permeability as the core material, that is, a ferromagnetic material. Become. Further, most of the magnetic flux is confined inside the core of the magnetic body having a larger magnetic permeability than air, so that the leakage magnetic flux to the outside is reduced.
This has the effect of almost completely eliminating the adverse effect of the leakage magnetic flux, which has already been explained, and is the reason why the performance of the IC tag is lowered when there is a metal body (such as the conductive material or the magnetic body) in the vicinity.

The same applies to the tag side antenna. Even if the reader / writer side antenna (core wound with a wire made of a conductor) and the tag side antenna (core wound with a wire made of a conductor) are made to face each other, of course, they may be in contact with each other. Even if there is a slight gap, the coupling coefficient is lowered and the resonance frequency is also shifted, but sufficient operation is possible.
Note that when a coil is wound around a pair of cores made of a magnetic material having a high magnetic permeability, the inductance of the coil increases. The increase rate is the highest when the core of the RFID tag and the core of the antenna are in close contact with each other. Larger and smaller as the gap between them increases. This coefficient is called an inductance coefficient (AL).
Thus, since the inductance of the coil changes depending on the size of the gap between the two cores, it is desirable to adjust the number of turns of the coil so that the optimum inductance can be obtained at the position where the communication distance is maximized.
Even in this state, the magnetic flux emitted from one end of the core is sucked into the end face of the material (the end face of the protruding portion) having a higher magnetic permeability than air, and the leakage magnetic flux is sufficiently small, affecting the influence of surrounding metal bodies. The RFID system will not receive.

Next, tag downsizing will be described.
In a passive type RFID tag that does not have a built-in power source such as a battery, as the energy for driving the IC chip of the tag, the induction power generated in the coil of the RFID tag by electromagnetic induction from the magnetic field radiated from the antenna of the reader is used as the power source. It is said.
When the magnetic flux density is determined, the generated voltage is determined by the number of turns n of the coil and the sectional area S of the coil.
Since the minimum terminal voltage required for operation is determined from the characteristics of the IC chip to be used, if the tag is made smaller, the sectional area S of the coil becomes smaller and the voltage becomes insufficient.
The voltage V generated at both ends of the coil is expressed by the following equation.

Therefore, if the magnetic flux density in the field where the coil is placed is known, the minimum coil diameter that can be operated is determined, and if the coil is further reduced in size, the magnetic flux density needs to be increased.
In the present invention, the tag-side antenna and the reader-side antenna employ a magnetic closed circuit using a material with high magnetic permeability, so that even if the power applied to the reader-side antenna is small with a small antenna, an IC chip is connected to the tag-side antenna. Can obtain an operable voltage.
Similarly, a response signal from the tag side can be efficiently transmitted even with a small antenna size.
Based on the above principle, it was possible to realize a small RFID tag that was impossible until now.

  As the core, for example, a powder obtained by sintering or molding a magnetic powder can be used. At this time, when a toroidal core is used, the magnetic powder is sintered or molded into a ring shape. It is good also as a C-shaped core by the side view which has two protrusion parts connected with the base by dividing | segmenting it into plurality. In addition, instead of the toroidal core having an annular shape, for example, a square core is used, and the core is divided into a plurality of parts so as to have a U-shaped core having two protrusions connected at the base. Good.

  Further, the method of manufacturing the core is not limited to the above dividing method, and the magnetic powder may be sintered or molded so as to have a shape having at least a plurality of protrusions connected at the base. For example, it may be a U-shaped core or a C-shaped core having two protrusions connected at the base, or an E-shaped core having three protrusions connected at the base. It is good. Furthermore, it has a plurality of protrusions that are connected at the base and protrude in the same direction, and one protrusion is formed to be surrounded by other protrusions having an arc shape or an annular shape, and other shapes. The core can also be adopted.

As the magnetic powder, for example, a magnetic material such as ferrite, carbonyl iron, iron, nickel, cobalt, or a compound thereof is used, and these are sintered or molded. In addition to the sintered material, the core can be made of a material with high magnetic permeability, such as silicon steel plate, permalloy material, super permalloy material, etc. It is also possible to use materials.
The magnetic permeability of the core is preferably 1 to 2000, but in practice, there is no problem if it is 2 to 100.

In addition, the configuration of the core and wire of the reader / writer side antenna can be the same as the configuration of the tag side antenna, but can be optimized by changing the shape and material of both.
Here, an RFID system that operates reliably by setting the interval between the antenna of the IC tag and the antenna of the reader / writer to 0 to 5 mm, the outer shape of the core to 2 to 6 mm, and the wall thickness to 1 to 4 mm. Could be realized.

In each of these configurations, a configuration in which the tag-side antenna and the IC chip of the IC tag are accommodated in a casing can be employed.
At this time, for example, the tag-side antenna and the IC chip are configured to be accommodated in a cylindrical casing, and the end surface of each protruding portion faces one opening side in the cylindrical axis direction of the casing. can do.
Or the structure which the said tag side antenna and the said IC chip are accommodated in the recessed part provided in the casing, and the end surface of each said protrusion part faces the opening side of the said recessed part is employable.

By accommodating the tag side antenna and the IC chip of the IC tag in the casing, even when an external force is applied to the metal body, it is possible to suppress the external force from being applied to the tag side antenna and the IC chip. Further, the casing can prevent foreign matter from hitting and damaging the tag side antenna and the IC chip.
The casing may be made of metal or resin. However, when a casing with a closed side facing the protruding portion of the tag-side antenna is used, at least the material on the closed side is sensitive. It is desirable that it is made of a material that does not lower the temperature, for example, resin.

Moreover, the structure which has arrange | positioned the filler in the space between the said tag side antenna and the said IC chip, and the inner surface of the said casing can be employ | adopted.
If the filler is used, the tag-side antenna and the IC chip are firmly fixed to the casing, so that the durability of the IC tag is further increased. In addition, the filler can more reliably prevent foreign matter from entering the casing. In addition, as a raw material of this filler, resin, rubber | gum, etc. are employable, for example.

  The IC tag may employ a configuration in which the IC tag is fixed in the hole with an adhesive. Moreover, when using the said casing, the structure with which the casing is being fixed with the adhesive agent in the said hole is employable. At this time, the casing may be directly fixed to the inner surface of the hole by an adhesive, or the filler solidified integrally with the casing is fixed to the inner surface of the hole by the adhesive, so that the casing is indirectly attached to the inner surface of the hole. It may be fixed.

  Further, by adopting a configuration in which a concave adhesive reservoir is provided at the bottom of the hole and the adhesive is disposed in the adhesive reservoir, the adhesive strength to the inner surface of the IC tag or the casing can be further increased.

Furthermore, it is possible to employ a configuration in which a male screw portion is provided on the outer periphery of the casing, and the casing is screwed and fixed into the hole by the male screw portion.
If the casing is fixed by screwing into the hole of the metal body, the IC tag can be easily attached to the metal body. Further, by increasing or decreasing the screwing amount of the casing (screwing amount in the depth direction of the hole), the position (depth) of the tag side antenna of the IC tag can be adjusted with respect to the surface of the metal body. For this reason, the sensitivity adjustment of a tag becomes easy.

  In addition, it is desirable that the casing is configured to completely enter a hole provided in the metal body. If the casing completely enters the hole, it is possible to more reliably prevent damage caused by foreign matter hitting the casing.

The casing has, for example, a head that is thicker than a portion where the male screw portion is formed (hereinafter referred to as “screw forming portion”), and the screw forming portion is located on the bottom side of the hole. It can be set as the structure screwed so that a part may be located in the opening side of a hole. At this time, the hole formed in the metal body is preferably a countersink hole.
As a storage space for the IC tag, for example, a recess is formed in the head, and the tag-side antenna and the IC chip of the IC tag can be stored in the recess in the head. Or the hole which penetrates the screw formation part and head in the screwing direction is formed, and the tag side antenna and IC chip of the IC tag can be accommodated in the hole.

  Another configuration of the casing may be a columnar or cylindrical so-called imo screw type casing that does not have the head. At this time, as a storage space for the IC tag, for example, a recess is formed on the end surface of the casing (the end surface facing the surface of the metal body), and the tag-side antenna or IC chip of the IC tag is formed in the recess. Can be stored. Or the hole which penetrates the said screwing direction full length can be formed in the casing, and the tag side antenna and IC chip of an IC tag can be accommodated in the hole.

  Furthermore, in the structure which provided the external thread part in these casings, an adhesive agent can be arrange | positioned between the said external thread part and the inner surface of the said hole, and the effect of a locking prevention can also be exhibited with the adhesive agent.

  Since the present invention employs a method in which the magnetic flux for transmitting and receiving information is not passed through the metal body, the magnetic flux connecting the reader / writer side antenna provided in the reader / writer device and the tag side antenna provided in the IC tag is It is possible to take a shape that is confined in both antennas and does not leak around. For this reason, the magnetic closed circuit can be prevented from being influenced by the surrounding metal body, and the communication of information between the IC tag provided in the metal body of the rolling bearing and the external reader / writer device can be ensured. .

  That is, the magnetic flux emitted from one protruding portion of the tag side antenna of the IC tag is almost absorbed by one protruding portion of the reader / writer side antenna of the opposing reader / writer device, and from the other protruding portion of the reader / writer side antenna. The emitted magnetic flux is almost absorbed by the other protrusions of the tag-side antenna facing each other. For this reason, even if the IC tag is embedded in the metal body, it is difficult to be influenced by the surrounding metal body, and it is possible to reliably communicate with the reader / writer device.

  Accordingly, in a roll neck bearing device used in a rolling mill or the like, even when the bearing component constituting the roll neck bearing device is a metal body, it is possible to realize component management using a non-contact communication type IC tag. It becomes possible.

  In addition, the reader / writer device's antenna module and the IC tag module consisting of the tag-side antenna, IC chip, etc., select a highly heat-resistant, chemical-resistant, and highly water-resistant material, thereby providing a highly durable RFID system. realizable.

The principal part expanded sectional view of the bearing apparatus with an IC tag which shows one Embodiment of this invention (A)-(c) is a principal part expanded sectional view which shows the modification of FIG. The operation of the IC tag and the reader / writer device is shown, (a) is a partial sectional view showing a state in which the IC tag and the reader / writer device are brought close to each other, and (b) is a bottom view of the metal body side where the IC tag is embedded. 2A and 2B are partial cross-sectional views showing a state in which the IC tag and the reader / writer device are brought close to each other, and FIG. 2B is a bottom view of the metal body side in which the IC tag is embedded. 2 shows a further modification of FIG. 2, in which (a) is a partial sectional view showing a state in which an IC tag and a reader / writer device are brought close to each other, and (b) is a bottom view of the metal body side in which the IC tag is embedded. Fig. 4 shows another embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is a partial sectional view showing a state in which an IC tag and a reader / writer device are brought close to each other, and (b) shows a state in which the IC tag and the reader / writer device are brought closer to each other. A perspective view, (c) is a bottom view of an IC tag (A) (b) (c) is sectional drawing which respectively shows the installation structure to the metal body of an IC tag The details of the casing are shown, (a) is a plan view, (b) is a front view, (c) is a sectional view, and (d) is a perspective view. The schematic diagram which shows the state which made the IC tag and the reader / writer apparatus approach Cross section of conventional example Explanatory drawing which shows the state which made the IC tag and reader / writer apparatus of a prior art example approach Longitudinal sectional view showing the usage state of the roller neck bearing device

  An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, a roll neck in which a non-contact communication type IC tag 20 is attached to a metal body M provided in a rolling bearing 10 in which a rolling element 3 is interposed between an outer ring 1 and an inner ring 2. The bearing device.

  Further, in order to communicate information with the IC tag 20 provided in the roll neck bearing device, a reader / writer device 40 (external) different from the roll neck bearing device is used (FIGS. 2 to 4). reference).

The rolling bearing 10 is provided between a bearing case C detachably fixed to a housing and a roll neck A of a horizontal roll R in order to support roll necks of various rolls such as work rolls and intermediate rolls in a rolling mill. (Refer to FIG. 12).
In this embodiment, a four-row tapered roller bearing is employed, but a rolling bearing having another configuration may be employed.

As shown in FIG. 1, the rolling bearing 10 has a plurality of rolling elements 3 arranged in the circumferential direction in an annular bearing space formed between the inner and outer rings 2 and 1. The rolling element 3 is held in the circumferential direction by a cage 4.
A lubricant such as grease is sealed in the bearing space in which the rolling elements 3 are arranged. Also, by sealing both ends of the bearing space in the axial direction with the seal member 7, it becomes a sealed type rolling bearing that prevents leakage of the enclosed lubricant to the outside and entry of water or dust into the bearing space. ing.

As shown in FIG. 1, the IC tag 20 has a hole 11 that opens on an axial end surface of an outer ring 1, an inner ring 2 that are metal bodies M, and an outer spacer (seal case) 9 that is disposed on the axially outer side of the bearing. Is housed inside.
The part to which the IC tag 20 is attached may be a metal body M of a part other than the outer ring 1 and the inner ring 2. For example, the inner spacer 8 disposed between the outer rings 1 and 1 adjacent to each other in the axial direction, the core metal 7a of the seal member 7 press-fitted into the outer spacer 9, and the like can be used.

  The mounting position of the IC tag 20 with respect to each component can be freely set. However, as shown in FIG. 1, when the IC tag 20 is embedded in the end surface in the axial direction of each component, the radial load acting on the rolling bearing 10 is applied to the IC tag. The influence on 20 can be reduced. It is desirable that the external force acting on the IC tag 20 be as small as possible. If there is no problem with respect to the influence of external force, the mounting position of the IC tag 20 with respect to each component can be the inner diameter surface side, the outer diameter surface side, or the like of the component.

When reading the information stored in the IC tag 20 attached to each metal body M, for example, the rolling bearing 10 is removed together with the roll R and the roll neck A from the housing of the rolling mill to expose the IC tag 20. After that, the reader / writer device 40 is brought close to the IC tag 20. At this time, it may be performed after the rolling bearing 10 and its peripheral members are disassembled to such an extent that the reader / writer device 40 can be approached to the IC tag 20.
Of course, when the reader / writer device 40 can be approached to the IC tag 20 without disassembling the parts, the disassembling is unnecessary.

  For example, in the case where the IC tag 20 is attached to the inner ring 2 of the rolling bearing 10 provided in the roll neck bearing device, in particular, a structure in which the hole 11 for accommodating the IC tag 20 is provided in the inner diameter surface of the inner ring 2 is provided. Is effective.

  That is, for example, as shown in FIGS. 2 (a), (b), and (c), by providing the hole 11 in the inner diameter surface of the inner ring 2, the hole 11 has removed the roll neck A from the housing. In this case, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which the reader / writer side antenna 44 of the reader / writer device 40 inserted from the outside of the housing can be opposed. Here, the position where the reader / writer side antenna 44 can face means a state in which the reader / writer device 40 can transmit / receive information to / from the IC tag 20 in the hole 11. That is, when the tag side antenna 24 and the reader / writer side antenna 44 face each other, the magnetic flux extending from the protruding portions 22a and 22c of the tag side antenna 24 is located inside the edge of the opening of the hole 11 provided in the inner ring 2. The positional relationship is such that a magnetic closed circuit can be formed with the reader / writer side antenna 44.

  By providing the hole 11 for accommodating the IC tag 20 so as to open on the inner diameter surface of the inner ring 2, the hole 11 for accommodating the IC tag 20 pulls out the roll neck A when the roll neck A is removed from the housing. Then, the reader / writer device 40 is inserted into the space, so that information can be communicated with the IC tag 20 without disassembling the rolling bearing 10.

Thus, when the hole 11 for accommodating the IC tag 20 is provided to be opened on the inner diameter surface of the inner ring 2, the hole 11 passes through one end in the axial direction of the rolling surface 2 c of the inner ring 2, and the axis of the rolling bearing 10. It is possible to adopt a configuration that is provided so as to avoid a range sandwiched between the surface 2a orthogonal to the surface 2b and the surface 2b orthogonal to the axial center of the rolling bearing 10 through the other axial end of the same rolling surface 2c.
2 (a), 2 (b), and 2 (c) are enlarged views of the main part of the four rows of tapered roller bearings similar to those in FIG. 1, and the four rows are closer to the other end in the axial direction (right side in the drawing). ) In which the IC tag 20 is attached to the inner ring 2 having the two rows of rolling surfaces 2c. The IC tag 20 can be attached to the other inner ring 2, that is, the inner ring 2 provided with two rows of rolling surfaces 2c closer to one end in the axial direction (leftward in the drawing).

  FIG. 2A shows the inner ring 2 near the other end in the axial direction (rightward in the figure), in which a hole 11 and an IC tag 20 are provided at the end portion on the small collar side outside in the axial direction. That is, of the two rows of rolling surfaces 2 c of the inner ring 2, it passes through the other axial end (right end) of the rolling surface 2 c on the other end side (right side in the figure) and is orthogonal to the axis of the rolling bearing 10. The IC tag 20 is attached to the other axial end side (right side in the figure) further than the surface 2b. In this example, the hole 11 for accommodating the IC tag 20 is provided in a portion located on the inner diameter side of the seal member 7 and the outer spacer (seal case) 9.

  FIG. 2B similarly shows the inner ring 2 provided with a hole 11 and an IC tag on the inner diameter side of the large collar. That is, of the two rows of rolling surfaces 2 c of the inner ring 2, a surface that passes through the other axial end (right end) of the rolling surface 2 c on one end side (left side in the figure) and is orthogonal to the axis of the rolling bearing 10. It passes through one end (left end) in the axial direction of the rolling surface 2c on the other end side (right side in the drawing) on the other end side (right side in the drawing) with respect to 2b, and is orthogonal to the axis of the rolling bearing 10 The IC tag 20 is attached to one end side (left side in the figure) in the axial direction from the surface 2a.

  FIG. 2 (c) also shows the inner ring 2 provided with a hole 11 and an IC tag 20 at the end portion on the small inner side in the axial direction. That is, of the two rows of rolling surfaces 2 c of the inner ring 2, the surface 2 a that passes through one axial end (left end) of the rolling surface 2 c on one end side (left side in the figure) and is orthogonal to the axis of the rolling bearing 10. Further, the IC tag 20 is attached to one axial end side (left side in the figure).

  Thus, by providing the hole 11 for accommodating the IC tag 20 while avoiding the back surface of the rolling surface 2c where the load from the rolling element 3 acts greatly, the action of external force on the IC tag 20 in the hole 11 can be achieved. It can be kept low.

  Examples of the information stored in the IC tag 20 include product information (model, serial number, etc.) and maintenance information for the roll neck bearing device. The maintenance information includes, for example, identification information of various parts constituting the roll neck bearing device and past maintenance history for each part.

The history includes, for example, the date of periodic inspection and overhaul of the roller neck bearing device, the subsequent operation time, or the total operation time, repair / inspection / replacement history, etc. There are operating hours after periodic inspections and overhauls, or total operating hours, repair / inspection / replacement history, etc. Furthermore, information on gears around the bearing, accessory parts, maintenance of the seal member 7 and the like can be mentioned.
Regarding the information regarding the maintenance of the seal member 7, the supply timing and supply amount of the lubricant to the seal member 7 are handled as information to be input to the IC tag 20 in view of the special circumstances of the roller neck bearing device. This is convenient for management of the seal member 7.

  The configuration of the IC tag 20 will be described. In the IC tag 20, a tag-side antenna 24 is configured by winding a wire 21 made of a conductor around a core 22 made of a material having a high magnetic permeability. Here, the material having high magnetic permeability is a ferromagnetic material, and examples thereof include materials made of iron, nickel, cobalt, various compounds, sendust, carbonyl iron, ferrite, and the like.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the core 22 has a pair of arc-shaped projecting portions 22a and 22c projecting in the same direction, and the projecting portions 22a and 22c are connected to each other by an arc-shaped base portion 22b. Side-view C-shaped. That is, the projecting portions 22a and 22c of the tag side antenna 24 are both end portions of the core 22 having a C shape in a side view.

  In this embodiment, the core 22 employs an annular toroidal core divided into two along the circumferential direction. The toroidal core is obtained by sintering a magnetic powder in a ring shape. As the magnetic powder, various magnetic materials such as carbonyl iron and ferrite can be used. In addition, the magnetic body may be sintered in a C shape in a side view without such division.

In this embodiment, the end surfaces 22d of the pair of projecting portions 22a and 22c are each formed as a flat surface. In order to stabilize the magnetic flux, it is desirable that the end surfaces 22d of the protrusions 22a and 22c be flat surfaces in this way.
The flat surfaces are preferably in the same plane, but are not necessarily limited to the configuration in the same plane. As long as the sensitivity of the tag is allowed, the positional relationship between the flat surfaces (the protruding direction) And the positional relationship in the direction of connecting the protrusions 22a and 22c) and the direction can be freely set.

  The IC chip 23 is connected to both ends of the wire 21 wound around the core 22. The IC chip 23 receives the magnetic field from the reader / writer side antenna 44, which will be described later, by the tag side antenna 24, thereby obtaining the driving power and performing necessary processing, and modulating the received magnetic field with the resultant data. It has the function to return by.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the pair of projecting portions 22 a and 22 c of the tag-side antenna 24 faces the opening side of the hole 11 in the hole 11 of the metal body M. That is, the end surfaces of the pair of projecting portions 22 a and 22 c face the opening side of the hole 11.

  The configuration of the reader / writer device 40 will be described. Similar to the IC tag 20, the reader / writer device 40 forms a reader / writer side antenna 44 by winding a wire 41 made of a conductor around a core 42 made of a material having a high magnetic permeability. The material is the same as that of the core 22 of the tag side antenna 24.

  The shape of the core 42 of the reader / writer side antenna 44 is the same as that of the core 22 of the tag side antenna 24. As shown in FIG. 3, the reader / writer side antenna 44 has arcuate pairs of protrusions 42a and 42c protruding in the same direction. The protrusions 42a and 42c are connected by an arcuate base 42b to form a C-shape as viewed from the side. That is, the protrusions 42a and 42c of the reader / writer side antenna 44 are both end portions of the core 42 having a C shape in a side view. The core 42 employs a toroidal core having a ring shape divided into two along the circumferential direction.

Further, both ends of the wire 41 wound around the core 42 are connected to a matching circuit 45 of a reader / writer 43 provided in the reader / writer device 40.
Normally, the antenna terminal of the reader / writer is designed with an impedance of 50Ω. By matching the inductance of the antenna coil to 50Ω by the function of the matching circuit, the output of the reader / writer is efficiently transmitted to the antenna, and from the tag. The signal can be input to the reader / writer without being attenuated.

  When transmitting / receiving information between the IC tag 20 and the reader / writer device 40, the tag side antenna 24 is turned on as shown in FIG. The projecting portions 22a and 22c of the reader / writer side antenna 44 are made to face each other so that the positions of the projecting portions 42a and 42c coincide with each other.

  In this state, as indicated by arrows in FIG. 3, most of the magnetic flux extending from the protrusions 22 a and 22 c of the tag side antenna 24 (including both the magnetic flux coming out of each protrusion and the magnetic flux entering each protrusion) The metal body M passes through the inside of the opening edge of the hole 11 and reaches the outside of the hole 11. As a result, a magnetic closed circuit can be formed with a sensitivity at which information can be communicated between the IC tag 20 and the reader / writer device 40.

At this time, the toroidal core before the division in which the cores 22 and 42 are formed is an annular material and has a high magnetic permeability. When a wire made of a conductor is wound around the core to form a coil, most of the magnetic flux generated from the conductive coil stays in the core, and almost no magnetic flux leaks out of the core. Due to this action, even if the IC tag 20 is embedded in the metal body M, the magnetic flux is hardly affected by the surrounding metal body M. In addition, since the tag-side antenna 24 and the reader / writer-side antenna 44 having the same structure face each other, the two antennas 24 and 44 form an annular shape having the same shape as that of the toroidal core, thereby enabling reliable communication.
That is, for example, the magnetic flux emitted from the protruding portion 22a of the tag side antenna 24 of the IC tag 20 is almost absorbed by the protruding portion 42a of the reader / writer side antenna 44 of the opposing reader / writer device 40, and the reader / writer. The magnetic flux emitted from the other projecting portion 42c of the side antenna 44 is almost absorbed by the other projecting portion 22c of the opposing tag side antenna 24. For this reason, even if the IC tag 20 is embedded in the metal body M, it is difficult to be influenced by the surrounding metal body M, and the reader / writer device 40 can be reliably communicated.
Further, as a further advantage of the closed magnetic circuit technology adopted in this RFID tag system, the effect of confining the magnetic flux radiated from the antenna inside the core is great, and as a result, it is radiated from the end of the antenna to the free space. It is mentioned that electromagnetic energy is small. This means that the effect of this system on other electronic devices is very small.

  In this embodiment, the tag side antenna 24 and the IC chip 23 of the IC tag 20 are accommodated in the casing 30. Further, the end surfaces 22d of the projecting portions 22a and 22c are configured to face one opening side of the casing 30 in the cylinder axis direction.

  Since the tag side antenna 24 and the IC chip 23 of the IC tag 20 are accommodated in the casing 30, even if an external force acts on the metal body M, the external force is applied to the tag side antenna 24 and the IC chip 23. It can suppress joining. Further, the casing 30 can prevent the tag-side antenna 24 and the IC chip 23 from being damaged by being hit by foreign matter.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the filler a is disposed in the space between the tag side antenna 24 and the IC chip 23 and the inner surface 35 of the casing 30.
If the filler a is used, the tag-side antenna 24 and the IC chip 23 are firmly fixed to the casing 30, so that the durability of the IC tag 20 is further increased. Further, the filler a can more reliably prevent foreign matter from entering the casing 30. In addition, as a raw material of this filler a, resin, rubber | gum, etc. are employable, for example. Moreover, the raw material of the filler a in the casing 30 can be an adhesive.

  The casing 30 containing the IC tag 20 can be directly fitted into the hole 11 of the metal body M and fixed. However, in order to fix the casing 30 more firmly, it is desirable to arrange the filler b between the casing 30 and the inner surface of the hole 11 of the metal body M as shown in FIG. As the material of the filler b, for example, resin or rubber can be adopted, and an adhesive is particularly desirable. The filler b also exhibits the effect of protecting the IC tag 20 from vibration and deformation of the casing 30 due to its elasticity.

  When the casing 30 is not used, the IC tag 20 can be directly fitted into the hole 11 of the metal body M and fixed. However, in order to more securely fix the IC tag 20, it is desirable to use the filler b.

  A modification of the IC tag 20 of the present invention is shown in FIG. The IC tag 20 of this modification employs cores 22 and 42 that are U-shaped in side view, instead of the cores 22 and 42 that are C-shaped in side view.

  As shown in FIG. 4, each core 22 and 42 has a pair of projecting portions 22a and 22c; 42a and 42c projecting linearly in the same direction, and the projecting portions 22a and 22c; Are connected by linear base portions 22b and 42b. That is, the tag-side antenna 24 and the reader / writer side protrusions 22a and 22c; 42a and 42c are both end portions of the cores 22 and 42 each having a U-shape when viewed from the side.

  In this modification, as the cores 22 and 42, for example, a core having a rectangular shape can be divided into two. The material is the same as in the case of the toroidal core. Further, the magnetic body may be sintered in a U shape in a side view without such division.

A further modification of the IC tag 20 of the present invention is shown in FIG. As shown in the drawing, the IC tag 20 of this modification employs E-shaped cores 22 and 42 in side view instead of the C-shaped cores 22 and 42 in side view described above.
The wire rods 21 and 41 wound around the cores 22 and 42 are respectively formed on the central protrusions 22a and 42a among the three protrusions 22a and 22c; 42a and 42c that protrude linearly in the same direction. It is wound.

  For example, the magnetic flux is mostly absorbed from the central protrusion 22 a of the tag-side antenna 24 of the IC tag 20 into the central protrusion 42 a of the opposing reader / writer-side antenna 44, and at both ends of the reader / writer-side antenna 44. The magnetic flux emitted from the protruding portions 42c and 42c is almost absorbed by the protruding portions 22c and 22c at both ends of the opposing tag side antenna 24.

Another embodiment is shown in FIG. In this embodiment, a pot-shaped core 22 is employed. The shape of the core 22 is such that a columnar protrusion (one protrusion) 22a located at the center is surrounded by an arc-shaped protrusion (other protrusion) 22c located around the core. . The arc-shaped projecting portions 22c are provided on both sides of the center projecting portion 22a so as to form an annular peripheral wall portion.
Further, one columnar protrusion 22a located at the center and the arc-shaped protrusions 22c on both sides are connected by a base 22b having a disk shape.

  In this IC tag 20, a wire 21 made of a conductor is wound around the outer peripheral surface of one central projecting portion 22 a to form a tag-side antenna 24, and an IC chip 23 is connected to both ends of the wire 21. . The wire 21 wound around one projecting portion 22a of the core 22 is drawn out of the core 22 from the notch 22e between the other projecting portions 22c, 22c forming an arc shape, and reaches the IC chip 23.

The reader / writer side antenna 44 has the same configuration as the tag side antenna 24 and employs a pot-shaped core 42. The shape of the core 42 is such that a cylindrical protrusion (one protrusion) 42a located at the center is surrounded by an arc-shaped protrusion (other protrusions) 42c located around the core 42. . The arcuate protrusions 42c are provided on both sides of the central protrusion 42a to form an annular peripheral wall.
Further, one columnar protrusion 42a located at the center and the arc-shaped protrusions 42c on both sides are connected by a base 42b having a disk shape.

Further, both ends of the wire 41 wound around the outer peripheral surface of one protruding portion 42a of the core 42 are connected to a matching circuit 45 of a reader / writer 43 provided in the reader / writer device 40. The wire 41 wound around one projecting portion 42a of the core 42 is drawn out of the core 42 from a notch 42e between the other projecting portions 42c, 42c forming an arc shape, and is supplied to the matching circuit 45 of the reader / writer 43. Has reached.
Normally, the antenna terminal of the reader / writer is designed with an impedance of 50Ω. By matching the inductance of the antenna coil to 50Ω by the function of the matching circuit, the output of the reader / writer is efficiently transmitted to the antenna, and from the tag. The point is that the signal can be input to the reader / writer without being attenuated.

In each of the cores 22 and 42, the end surfaces 22d and 42d of the central projecting portions 22a and 42a and the other projecting portions 22c and 42c forming the peripheral wall portion are formed as flat surfaces. In order to stabilize the magnetic flux, it is desirable that the end surfaces 22d and 42d of both the protrusions 22a and 22c; 42a and 42c be flat surfaces in this way.
The flat surfaces are preferably in the same plane, but are not necessarily limited to the configuration in the same plane, and as long as the sensitivity of the tag is allowed, the positional relationship and orientation of the flat surfaces are free. Can be set.

  In this embodiment, when information is transmitted / received between the IC tag 20 and the reader / writer device 40, the reader / writer device 40 is turned on to enable transmission / reception, as shown in FIG. As shown, the position of one protrusion 42 a of the reader / writer side antenna 44 is positioned at the position of one protrusion 22 a of the tag side antenna 24, and the position of the other protrusion 22 c of the tag side antenna 24 is The two antennas 24 and 44 are opposed to each other so that the positions of the other protrusions 42 c of the writer-side antenna 44 are matched.

  In this state, as indicated by an arrow in FIG. 6A, most of the magnetic flux extending from the protruding portions 22a and 22c of the tag-side antenna 24 (including both the magnetic flux emitted from each protruding portion and the magnetic flux entering each protruding portion). However, it passes through the inside of the opening edge of the hole 11 of the metal body M and reaches the outside of the hole 11. As a result, a magnetic closed circuit can be formed with a sensitivity at which information can be communicated between the IC tag 20 and the reader / writer device 40.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 6A, the magnetic flux from one protrusion 22a located at the center of the tag side antenna 24 of the IC tag 20 to one protrusion located at the center of the opposing reader / writer side antenna 44. The magnetic flux that is almost absorbed by the portion 42 a and is emitted from the other protruding portions 42 c and 42 c located at the outer edge of the reader / writer side antenna 44 is another protruding portion 22 c that is located at the outer edge of the opposing tag side antenna 24. 22c is almost absorbed.

At this time, the tag-side antenna 24 and the reader / writer-side antenna 44 have the same shape and the same size, and each of the other protrusions circular in plan view so as to surround one protrusion 22a, 42a, respectively. 22c and 42c are arranged. For this reason, if the positions of the one protrusions 22a and 42a (the positions of the central axes of the one protrusions 22a and 42a) are matched, the IC tag 20 and the reader / writer device 40 can have any Even in the relative orientation, the positions of the other protrusions 22c and 42c coincide with a state in which transmission / reception is possible.
That is, the IC tag 20 and the reader / writer device 40 employing the pot-type cores 22 and 42 can function as an omnidirectional tag. The antenna center between the tag side antenna 24 and the reader / writer side antenna 44 is centered. It is sufficient to match, and since both the central axes are omnidirectional and angle adjustment is not required, the reading operation is easy and reliable.

  Thus, if the tag side antenna 24 and the reader / writer side antenna 44 are omnidirectional with respect to both central axes, the IC tag 20 can be performed without disassembling the rolling bearing 10 in the roll neck bearing device. It is advantageous when communicating information.

That is, in the roll neck bearing device, as described above, the hole neck 11 opened in the inner diameter surface of the inner ring 2 is provided and the IC tag 20 is accommodated. By inserting the reader / writer device 40 into the space after A is extracted, information can be communicated with the IC tag 20 without disassembling the rolling bearing 10.
At this time, since the tag side antenna 24 and the reader / writer side antenna 44 are omnidirectional around the central axis thereof, the antenna 24, the antenna 24, in the narrow space inside the rolling bearing 10 (the space inside the inner ring 2). 44 can be easily aligned.

In this embodiment, the tag-side antenna 24 and the reader / writer-side antenna 44 each have a cylindrical protrusion (one protrusion) 22a, 42a located in the center and an arc-shaped protrusion located around the periphery. (Other protrusions) The one surrounded by 22c and 42c is adopted, but one protrusion 22a is not limited to a cylindrical shape, and is, for example, a prismatic shape, a truncated cone shape, or a truncated pyramid shape. Various shapes can be adopted. In addition, the other protrusion 22c only needs to form a continuous or intermittent peripheral wall on the outer periphery of the one protrusion 22a, 42a. For example, as long as the lead wire 21, 41 can be secured, for example, It is good also as the cyclic | annular protrusion part 22c etc. over a perimeter.
The tag side antenna 24 and the reader / writer side antenna 44 are generally the same shape and the same size. For example, the reader / writer side antenna 44 is made larger than the tag side antenna 24 or vice versa. Even a combination of these can function well.

  Further, another embodiment is shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the tag side antenna 24 and the IC chip 23 of the IC tag 20 are accommodated in a recess 31 provided in the casing 30. The casing 30 is fixed to the metal body M so that the recess 31 faces the opening side of the hole 11 of the metal body M.

  In the recess 31 of the casing 30, the end surfaces of the projecting portions 22 a and 22 a of the tag side antenna 24 face the opening side of the recess 31, that is, the opening side of the hole 11 of the metal body M. The configurations of the IC tag 20 and the reader / writer device 40 corresponding to the IC tag 20 can be employed in any of the above-described embodiments.

  A male screw portion 32 is provided on the outer periphery of the casing 30. The casing 30 is screwed and fixed to the hole 11 of the metal body M by the male screw portion 32. At this time, it is desirable that a female screw portion corresponding to the male screw portion 32 is formed in advance on the inner surface of the hole 11, but a female screw portion is formed on the inner surface of the hole 11 by screwing the male screw portion 32. The so-called tapping screw may be used.

  If the casing 30 is screwed and fixed to the hole 11 of the metal body M, the IC tag 20 can be easily attached to and removed from the metal body M. Further, the IC tag 20 can be easily reused.

  Further, the position (depth) of the tag-side antenna 24 of the IC tag 20 is changed to the surface of the metal body M by increasing or decreasing the screwing amount of the casing 30 into the hole 11 (screwing amount with respect to the depth direction of the hole 11). Can be adjusted against. This facilitates tag sensitivity adjustment. Even when a casing 30 having another shape such as the above-described cylindrical casing 30 is adopted, such a male screw portion 32 can be provided.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 7, it is desirable that the casing 30 be configured to completely enter a hole provided in the metal body. In particular, a cylindrical or cylindrical so-called imo screw type casing 30 having no screw head is preferable. As described above, if the casing 30 completely enters the hole 11, damage or the like due to foreign matter hitting the IC tag 20 or the casing 30 can be more reliably prevented. In addition, the surface layer of the metal body M after the IC tag 20 is attached can be processed.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7A, the shape of the bottom of the hole 11 of the metal body M is a tapered shape (conical shape) that gradually decreases in diameter as the depth increases. Further, the shape of the bottom of the casing 30 is tapered so as to come into surface contact with the bottom of the hole 11 exactly.
For this reason, if the casing 30 is screwed and the bottom of the casing 30 is brought into close surface contact with the bottom of the hole 11, the friction force between the contact surfaces can contribute to prevention of loosening of the casing 30.

  As another form, for example, as shown in FIGS. 7B and 7C, a concave adhesive reservoir 34 can be provided at the bottom of the hole 11. A filler c can be disposed in the adhesive reservoir 34. If an adhesive is used as the filler c, the adhesive strength to the inner surface of the hole 11 of the IC tag 20 or the casing 30 can be further increased.

  Furthermore, an adhesive can be disposed between the male threaded portion 32 of the casing 30 and the inner surface of the hole 11, and the effect of preventing loosening can be exhibited by the adhesive.

  The casing 30 can be screwed and rotated in the opposite direction by inserting an operation jig or the like into an operation portion 33 provided on a surface facing the opening side of the hole 11. For example, the operation unit 33 may be configured as a hexagonal operation hole in a plan view and a general hexagon wrench inserted into the operation hole. Since the shape and position of the operation hole can be freely determined, the operation portion 33 may be, for example, a concave portion having a shape corresponding to a minus driver, a plus driver, a Torx driver, or the like.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 8, in the case of adopting a cylindrical screw-type casing 30, as shown in the drawing, an operation portion 36 consisting of a slit groove is provided at one end in the cylinder axial direction. Can be provided.

Here, consider the operation of the reader / writer side antenna 44 of the reader / writer device 40 alone. As shown in FIG. 9, the magnetic flux emitted from one protrusion 42 a of the core 42 of the reader / writer side antenna 44 is released into the air and enters the other protrusion 42 a of the core 42. In this case, assuming that the horizontal direction in the figure is horizontal, the magnetic flux at the position A in the figure passes almost horizontally. When the general IC tag 101 is placed at this position, the magnetic field is vertical (up and down direction in the figure). ) To maximize sensitivity.
In this regard, conventionally, when a general IC tag 101 is placed horizontally facing the reader / writer side antenna of the reader / writer device facing up and down as shown in the figure, the communication distance becomes maximum and the vertical In this case, the sensitivity was almost zero and communication was impossible.
By using the reader / writer side antenna 44 of the present invention, it is possible to realize an RFID system capable of reading and writing the IC tag 101 placed vertically with maximum sensitivity.

  In each of these embodiments, the distance between the tag side antenna 24 of the IC tag 20 and the reader / writer side antenna 44 of the reader / writer device 40 is almost 0, but communication can be sufficiently performed up to about 5 mm. If the distance is about 0 to 5 mm, even a micro tag having an outer diameter of the toroidal core of 5 mm and a wall thickness of about 3 mm will function sufficiently.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Outer ring 2 Inner ring 3 Rolling body 4 Cage 7 Seal member 7a Metal core 7b Seal lip 7c Spring member 8 Inner spacer 9 Outer spacer 10 Rolling bearing 11 Hole 20, 101 IC tag 21 Wire material 22 Core 22a Projection (one projection Part)
22b Base 22c Protrusion (other protrusion)
22d End surface 22e Notch 23, 103 IC chip 24, 104 Tag side antenna 30 Casing 31 Recess 32 Male thread 33, 36 Operation part 34 Adhesive reservoir 35 Inner surface 40, 110 Reader / writer device 41 Wire 42 Core 42a Projection (one Protruding part)
42b Base 42c Projection (other projection)
42d End face 42e Notch 43,113 Reader / writer (circuit)
44, 114 Reader / writer side antenna 45, 115 Matching circuit 121 Countersink hole 121a Bottom 121b Opening A Roll neck (shaft)
M Metal bodies a, b Filler (adhesive)
c Adhesive

Claims (16)

A rolling bearing (10) is incorporated in a bearing case (C) removably fixed to the housing so as to support the roll neck (A), and rolling elements (3) of the rolling bearing (10) are arranged. In a roll neck bearing device in which a lubricant is sealed in a bearing space between the inner and outer rings (2, 1),
A non-contact communication type IC tag (20) is attached to a bearing part made of a metal body (M) constituting the rolling bearing (10), and the IC tag (20) is provided on the tag side of the IC tag (20). By forming a closed magnetic circuit between the antenna (24) and the reader / writer side antenna provided in the external reader / writer device, it is possible to communicate information from the outside.
The IC tag (20) is accommodated in a hole (11) opened on the surface of the metal body (M), and the tag side antenna (24) has at least a plurality of protrusions (22a, 22c). Each of the protrusions (22a, 22c) faces the opening side of the hole (11), and the magnetic flux extending from each of the protrusions (22a, 22c) passes inside the opening edge of the hole (11). Thus, the roll neck bearing device is characterized in that the magnetic closed circuit that enables communication between the IC tag (20) and the reader / writer device can be formed by reaching the outside of the hole (11).   The bearing part made of the metal body (M) includes a metal core bar (6) provided in the inner ring (2), outer ring (1), spacer (8, 9), and seal member (7) of the rolling bearing (10). The bearing device for a roll neck according to claim 1, wherein the bearing device is a single or a plurality of bearing parts selected from 7a). The bearing component made of the metal body (M) is an inner ring (2) of the rolling bearing (10),
The hole (11) is provided to open on the inner surface of the inner ring (2), and the hole (11) is inserted from outside the housing when the roll neck (A) is removed from the housing. 2. The roll neck bearing device according to claim 1, wherein the reader / writer side antenna is positioned so as to face each other.   The hole (11) passes through one end in the axial direction of the rolling surface of the inner ring (2) and is perpendicular to the axial center of the rolling bearing (10) and the other end in the axial direction of the rolling surface. The roller neck bearing device according to claim 3, wherein the roller neck bearing device is provided so as to avoid a range sandwiched between surfaces perpendicular to the axis of the bearing (10).   The at least a plurality of protrusions (22a, 22c) are provided on a core (22) made of a material having a high magnetic permeability, and the plurality of protrusions (22a, 22c) are connected by a base (22b), The IC tag (20) constitutes the tag-side antenna (24) by winding a wire (21) made of a conductor around the base (22b) or the protrusions (22a, 22c), and an IC chip (23). The roller neck bearing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a wire rod (21) is connected to both ends of the wire rod (21).   The roller neck bearing device according to claim 5, wherein the core (22) has a shape obtained by dividing a toroidal core into a plurality of portions along a circumferential direction.   The at least a plurality of protrusions (22a, 22c) are provided on a core (22) made of a material having a high magnetic permeability, and the plurality of protrusions (22a, 22c) are connected by a base (22b) to form one protrusion. The portion (22a) is surrounded by another protruding portion (22c), and the IC tag (20) is formed by winding a wire (21) made of a conductor around the one protruding portion (22a). The roll neck bearing according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the roller neck (24) is configured and an IC chip (23) is connected to both ends of the wire (21). apparatus.   The IC tag (20) is configured such that the tag side antenna (24) and the IC chip (23) are accommodated in a cylindrical casing (30), and an end surface (22d) of the projecting portion (22a). The roller neck bearing device according to any one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that said one faces the opening side of the casing (30) in the cylinder axis direction.   The IC tag (20) is configured such that the tag-side antenna (24) and the IC chip (23) are accommodated in a recess (31) provided in a casing (30), and each protrusion (22a, The roller neck bearing device according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein an end surface (22d) of 22c) faces the opening side of the recess (31).   The filler (a) is arranged in a space between the tag side antenna (24) and the IC chip (23) and an inner surface of the casing (30). Rolling neck bearing device.   The roller neck bearing device according to claim 10, wherein the filler (a) is resin or rubber.   The roller neck bearing device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the IC tag (20) is fixed in the hole (11) with an adhesive (b, c). .   The roller neck bearing device according to any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein the casing (30) is fixed in the hole (11) with an adhesive (b, c).   A concave adhesive reservoir (34) is provided at the bottom of the hole (11), the adhesive (c) being arranged in the adhesive reservoir (34). The bearing device for roll necks as described.   The male screw part (32) is provided on the outer periphery of the casing (30), and the casing (30) is screwed and fixed to the hole (11) by the male screw part (32). The bearing apparatus for roll necks as described in any one of thru | or 11 thru | or 13.   The roller neck bearing device according to claim 15, wherein an adhesive (c) is disposed between the male screw portion (32) and an inner surface of the hole (11).

Images