DE102017106235A1 - Bearing element and method for producing such - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to bearing element for a bearing, in particular for a rolling bearing, wherein the bearing element (10) is designed to interact in a bearing operation with another bearing element of the bearing, wherein the bearing element (10) has a base body (12) a receiving space (14) for receiving a sensor (16) for detecting physical quantities, wherein the sensor (16) in the receiving space (14) completely in the base body (12) is housed such that the sensor (16) free from all sides of the base body (12) is surrounded.

Description

The present invention relates to a bearing element with improved sensor technology and a defined measurement behavior. The present invention further relates to a bearing having such a bearing element and a method for producing such a bearing element.

Bearing applications such as rolling bearing applications have long been known. Advantages arise, for example, in a mature technology and in a reliable application. In this case, it is also known to position sensors in bearing elements in order to detect physical variables acting on corresponding bearing components.

Known sensor rolling elements often have holes or recesses for positioning sensors, which are needed to bring the sensors to the points considered. As a result of this removal of material, these rolling elements are then only comparably comparable in terms of their strength and rigidity to the rest of the standard rolling elements, which are configured sensor-free. As a result of these differences, the data obtained must be transferred to the real situation using appropriate calculation models, which may affect the accuracy of the statement. In other words, the recorded data for transmission to the entire bearing components may possibly be used only with great effort or only to a limited extent.

The solutions known from the prior art can therefore offer even further potential for improvement, in particular with regard to the assessment of physical data of an overall bearing.

It is the object of the present invention to at least partially overcome the disadvantages known from the prior art. It is in particular the object of the present invention to provide a solution by means of which physical data of a layer can be detected particularly advantageously.

The object is achieved according to the invention by a bearing element with the features of claim 1 and by a bearing with the features of claim 8. The object is achieved according to the invention further by a method having the features of claim 9. Preferred embodiments of the invention are in the Subclaims, described in the description or the figures, wherein further features described or shown in the subclaims or in the description or the figures individually or in any combination may form an object of the invention, if the context does not clearly indicate the opposite.

It is proposed a bearing element for a bearing, in particular for a roller bearing, wherein the bearing element is designed to interact during operation of the bearing with another bearing element of the bearing, wherein the bearing element has a base body having a receiving space for receiving a sensor for Detecting physical sizes, and wherein the sensor is completely housed in the receiving space in the base body such that the sensor is surrounded on all sides without joints of the body.

Such a bearing element enables a particularly accurate and simple detection of physical data in the operation of a bearing.

The bearing element described above is used in a bearing or is designed as part of such a bearing. In particular, the bearing element is part of a rolling bearing and can thus be referred to as a rolling bearing component. Furthermore, it can be provided that the bearing element is part of a sliding bearing and thus can be referred to as a plain bearing component.

The bearing element is in particular designed to interact during operation of the bearing with a further bearing element of the bearing. In other words, the bearing element is designed to correspond to a further bearing element. For example, the bearing element may be configured as an inner ring or as an outer ring of a rolling bearing when used in a rolling bearing and thus serve to interact with a rolling element or with a plurality of rolling elements. Furthermore, for example, the bearing element can be designed as a rolling body, which in turn can then interact with an inner ring and an outer ring.

The bearing member has a base body having a receiving space for receiving a sensor for detecting physical quantities. Thus, a receiving space is provided in the main body, which is designed to receive a sensor. In particular, a sensor can be arranged in the receiving space. The shape and size of the receiving space can be adapted to the sensor to be used or to the positioned in the receiving space.

In principle, the sensor can be any suitable sensor which serves to detect physical variables which occur during the operation of the bearing or act on the bearing element. to detect. For example, the sensor may be a sensor for detecting temperature, mechanical forces, or the like.

In addition, it may be provided that only one receiving space is provided, in which a plurality of identical or different sensors is arranged, or that a plurality of receiving spaces is provided, wherein in the receiving spaces in each case one or a plurality of identical or different sensors are provided.

In a bearing element described above, it is further provided that the sensor is completely housed in the receiving space in the base body such that the sensor is surrounded on all sides without joints of the body. In other words, it is provided that the sensor is surrounded on all sides by the base body and therefore is not exposed. The sensor is free of joints surrounded by the body or its material. This is to mean, in particular, that the sensor is formed free of joints at least on the outer surface of the bearing element, that is to say in particular on its functional surface, such as, for example, a rolling body raceway of an inner ring or outer ring or on the surface of a rolling element.

A joint is to be understood as an area where two components, in particular prefabricated components, are connected. For example, a joint may be a weld or the like.

In particular, this embodiment can offer significant advantages over the solutions of the prior art.

In detail, can be integrated by the above-described embodiment in a bearing element sensor elements without significantly affect the basic function of the bearing element or the bearing, such as roller bearing or plain bearing. Above all, the mechanical properties, such as the rigidity and load capacity of a bearing element equipped with a sensor, can not or do not differ significantly from those of a conventional bearing element.

Due to the lack of joints, such as seams, negative influences on the measured physical quantities can be at least reduced, so that a transmission of the measured data of the stocked with a sensor bearing element on other bearing elements or on the entire camp compared to the solutions of the Technique can be significantly improved. For at joints, there may be the risk that unintentional disturbances or deviations may occur due to an inequality in the material matrix, which can, however, just be prevented in the case of a bearing element described above. As a result, monitoring of the work of the bearing can also be improved by improved sensor technology.

The above-described bearing element thus makes it possible to determine, for example, acting forces and temperatures during operation of the bearing particularly accurately, which in principle may be difficult due to the dynamics of the bearing. In particular, the problem is solved by the above-described bearing element, according to which the original measuring conditions to be detected are changed in the process, if space is provided for these sensors structurally, in particular by subsequent processing.

It may be particularly preferred that the bearing element is a rolling element for a rolling bearing. In particular with rolling elements, the above-described embodiment of a bearing element can be advantageous. For in particular rolling elements are often provided in a plurality, wherein a sensor is usually provided only in one of the rolling elements or at least in a limited number. In order to transfer the data recorded in a rolling element to the other rolling elements and thus to obtain a statement about the total bearing, an exact measurement of importance, since a potential error can multiply. Thus, in particular with rolling elements, an advantageous integration of sensors into the rolling bodies can be made possible without impairing the fundamental function of the rolling bearing and / or distorting the measured values. Above all, stiffness and load capacity can not differ significantly or not significantly from those of a conventional rolling element in the case of rolling elements equipped with sensors, so that transmission of detected data may well be possible.

The specific design of the rolling element can in principle be freely selectable. For example, the rolling element may be spherical or cylindrical, but not limited thereto.

It may further be preferred that the main body has a functional surface which interacts during storage with a corresponding functional surface of a further bearing component, wherein the functional surface is free of joints. For example, the functional surface may be the surface of a rolling element that comes into contact with a raceway of an inner ring or outer ring. Further For example, the functional surface may be a raceway of an inner ring or outer ring, on which rolls a rolling body. In this embodiment, a particularly accurate measurement can also be made possible because joints on functional surfaces can affect the operation of the bearing.

It can also be achieved that the bearing element, if it is for example a rolling element or an inner or outer ring, can come into contact with the corresponding mating surface in a low-friction rolling state, so that a particularly advantageous working of the bearing element is possible. This can be made possible in particular by using an additive method, as described below, in particular without an aftertreatment, such as smoothing, in order to machine or smooth any joints.

It may further be preferred that the sensor element is at least partially disposed in an angled or curved, in particular channel-like, receptacle. This embodiment may be particularly preferred to position a sensor with its periphery. By way of further example, it can be achieved that these channels connect different positions of the bearing element with each other so as to investigate different positions of the bearing element with respect to occurring physical quantities. In this case, this embodiment is difficult or impossible to produce, in particular by conventional manufacturing methods, such as drilling, however, by additive manufacturing, as described below, but easily implemented.

It may also be particularly preferred for the sensor to be a self-sufficient sensor. For example, the sensor may have a corresponding power supply and / or be configured wirelessly or wirelessly. In particular, a self-sufficient sensor can preferably be housed in the base body as described above, since it need not be contacted from the outside, for example by cables, for example for power supply and / or signal transmission, and can therefore be used particularly preferably in the case of a bearing element described above.

Thus, a self-sufficient sensor can be understood in particular to be one that can only work with its periphery connected directly in the receptacle and / or can communicate wirelessly and thus need not be contacted from the outside.

For example, but not limited to a self-sufficient sensor, it may further be provided that the sensor is arranged without cavities in the receptacle. In other words, the sensor together with its periphery is contacted by the main body or its material at all points, so that in particular no cavity is provided between the sensor and the main body or its material. In other words, the image is matched to the sensor with respect to its size and geometry. In this embodiment, a particularly advantageous connection of the sensor to the base body can take place, so that the generated forces, occurring temperatures or other physical variables can be transmitted to the sensor in a particularly accurate and trouble-free manner.

Particularly preferably, it can be provided that the bearing element is produced by an additive method. In particular, by additive manufacturing, a bearing element, such as a rolling element or its blank, can be produced, which may have already integrated the corresponding sensor by the special production. At least it is easier to provide a corresponding recording. If necessary, synergies with the project "Freeform" can be achieved here. In particular, by the application of additive manufacturing processes adverse effects of sensor insertion on strength and rigidity of the bearing element, such as the sensor rolling element can be avoided.

In addition, sensors used to measure physical quantities should preferably be placed close to the location where the physical quantities to be measured occur, ie, near the surface. Nevertheless, in the prior art production-related possibly have a limited freedom with respect to the arrangement. In particular, by additive methods, however, this freedom of the arrangement can be increased, which can further improve the measurement of physical data.

With regard to further advantages and technical features of the bearing element, reference is made to the following description of the bearing, the method, the figures and the description of the figures.

The present invention further relates to a bearing, in particular a rolling bearing, comprising at least one bearing element, as described in detail above. Concrete application examples include, for example, ball bearings, roller bearings, roller bearings, screw drives, linear roller guides, which according to the invention are to be summarized under the term bearings, such as rolling bearings. Preferably, the bearing may be a roller bearing and / or serve sensor applications. In particular, the bearing may be suitable for critical applications with unclear operating conditions, for measuring bearings for customer applications for the verification of simulation assumptions for condition monitoring, also referred to as condition monitoring, for large-scale test stands.

In particular, the bearing has the advantages as described above with respect to the bearing element. In particular, an effective and accurate measurement of physical variables can be achieved, and these can be transferred in a simple manner to other bearing elements and thus to the overall bearing.

With regard to further advantages and technical features of the bearing, reference is made to the description of the bearing element, the method, the figures and the description of the figures.

The subject of the present invention is also a method for manufacturing a bearing element for a bearing, as described in detail above, in particular for a roller bearing, wherein a main body of the bearing element is formed with a receiving space for receiving a sensor for detecting physical quantities and wherein the receiving space, a sensor is housed in the base body such that the sensor is surrounded on all sides without joints of the body.

By this method, thus, in particular, a bearing element is produced, as described in detail above. This results in the advantages as they are disclosed in detail above. In particular, such a method thus allows the production of a bearing element which allows an effective and accurate measurement of physical quantities.

For example, it may be preferred that the bearing element is at least partially formed by an additive process. Particularly preferably, the main body can be completely molded using an additive method. In this context, an additive or generative method may be understood as meaning, in particular, a process in which a component is built up in layers on the basis of digital 3D design data by the depositing or building up of material. Examples of such processes include, for example, 3D printing, which often also includes laser sintering or laser melting, as well as high-energy cold gas spraying. An additive manufacturing process differs significantly from conventional, erosive manufacturing methods. Instead of milling a workpiece out of a solid block, as is known in the case of abrasive methods, the components are in particular built up layer by layer from materials or raw materials in additive manufacturing processes, which are present as starting material, in particular fine powder. Such methods are used, for example, in so-called rapid prototyping or in series production.

In most cases, a laser, such as a CO2 laser, a Nd: YAG laser or a fiber laser, or else an electron beam source is used for processing, such as, for example, melting of the powdery raw material in particular.

Using an additive method offers the particular advantage that the main body or the entire bearing element can be produced in a simple manufacturing step. As a result, simple procedures can be implemented, which can reduce the manufacturing costs. Moreover, by an additive method without increasing the manufacturing cost, substantially any structure of a receptacle can be made possible, which can further improve adaptability.

With regard to the sensor, it can be printed in the receptacle which can be introduced directly in the production process, without having to prefabricate separate recesses. Alternatively, a prefabricated sensor can be inserted into the receptacle. Basically, the sensor can be particularly stress-free in the recording, which can further improve the measurement results but also the long-term stability

It is also possible, a blank of the bearing element, such as a rolling element, are prepared by conventional manufacturing, which already contains the recesses for the introduced sensors, the "packaging", so the shutter, the sensor and thus the connection to the component geometry then by additive manufacturing processes such as high energy cold gas spraying. In this embodiment, the bearing element can then be additively deformed or encased, for example to form an outer layer, in order to obtain a joint-free surface.

With regard to further advantages and technical features of the method, reference is made to the description of the bearing element, the bearing of use, the figures and the description of the figures.

• 1 eine Schnittansicht durch einen zylinderförmigen Wälzkörper von der Seite; und
• 2 eine Schnittansicht durch den Wälzkörper aus 1 von vorne.

In the following, a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention will be explained with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein it is explicitly pointed out that the object according to the invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiment described. It shows:

• 1 a sectional view through a cylindrical rolling element from the side; and
• 2 a sectional view through the rolling elements 1 from the front.

In the 1 is a bearing element 10 for a bearing, in particular for a rolling bearing shown. In particular, the bearing element is designed as a cylindrical roller body, which interacts in a storage operation with an inner web or with an outer web as a further bearing element of the bearing. For this purpose, a rotation axis 20 is provided around which the bearing element 10 or the rolling elements can rotate.

The bearing element 10 has a basic body 12 on top of a recording room 14 for picking up a sensor 16 for detecting physical quantities. In the 1 and 2 are two recording rooms 14 each provided with a self-sufficient sensor 16. It can be seen that the respective sensor 16 in the appropriate recording room 14 completely in the body 12 housed is such that the sensor 16 is surrounded on all sides without joints and cavity-free of the base body 12. It is further shown that the main body 12 a designed as a tread functional surface 18 has, which interacts during storage with a corresponding functional surface of another bearing component, ie an inner or outer web, wherein the functional surface 18 is free of joints.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

10

bearing element

12

body

14

reception area

16

sensor

18

Working surface

20

axis

Claims (10)

Bearing element for a bearing, in particular for a roller bearing, in particular wherein the bearing element (10) is designed to interact in a bearing operation with another bearing element of the bearing, wherein the bearing element (10) has a base body (12) having a receiving space ( 14) for receiving a sensor (16) for detecting physical quantities, characterized in that the sensor (16) in the receiving space (14) completely in the base body (12) is housed such that the sensor (16) free from all sides of the base body (12) is surrounded. Bearing element after Claim 1 , characterized in that the bearing element (10) is a rolling element for a rolling bearing. Bearing element after Claim 1 or 2 , characterized in that the base body (12) has a functional surface (18) which interacts during storage with a corresponding functional surface of a further bearing component, wherein the functional surface (18) is free of joints. Bearing element according to one of Claims 1 to 3 , characterized in that the sensor (16) is at least partially disposed in an angled or curved, in particular channel-like, receptacle (14). Bearing element according to one of Claims 1 to 4 , characterized in that the sensor (16) is a self-sufficient sensor. Bearing element according to one of Claims 1 to 5 , characterized in that the sensor (16) is arranged free of cavities in the receptacle (14). Bearing element according to one of Claims 1 to 6 , characterized in that the bearing element (10) is at least partially produced by an additive method. Bearing, in particular rolling bearing, comprising at least one bearing element (10) according to one of Claims 1 to 7 , Method for producing a bearing element (10) for a bearing according to one of the Claims 1 to 7 in particular for a roller bearing, wherein a base body (12) of the bearing element (10) is formed with a receiving space (14) for receiving a sensor (16) for detecting physical quantities and wherein in the receiving space (14) a sensor (16) is enclosed in the base body (12), that the sensor (16) is surrounded on all sides without joints of the main body (12). Method according to Claim 9 , characterized in that the bearing element (10) is at least partially formed by an additive method.

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