JP2005201392A - Lubricant supply signal reader, lubricant supply state monitoring device and program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a lubricant supply signal reader, a lubricant supply state monitoring device and its program, efficiently monitoring the supply state of a lubricant supplied to a lubricated part such as a bearing of a rotary machine inexpensively. <P>SOLUTION: A lubricant supply signal reader 21 reads an output signal from a sensor disposed in a device required to be supplied with a lubricant or a supply pipe for a lubricant to sense the supply state of a lubricant to the device. This lubricant supply state monitoring device includes: a signal request means 32 connected to the reader 21 to output an output signal request of the sensor in a predetermined period to the lubricant supply signal reader; a signal receiving means 32 for receiving time serial data output from the lubricant supply signal reader corresponding to an output request; and a determination means 33 for determining the quality of the lubricant supply state on the basis of the time serial data. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for monitoring a supply state of a lubricant supplied to a lubricating part such as a bearing of a rotary machine.

  A lot of rotating machines are used in production facilities provided in factories, and many automatic centralized lubrication devices are used to supply lubricants such as grease to bearings of rotating machines at regular intervals. Yes. On the other hand, poor lubrication is cited as one of the main causes of equipment malfunctions in rotating machinery, and it has been pointed out that it is important to monitor the proper supply of lubricant to each equipment.

The following two methods are known as methods for monitoring the supply state of the lubricant from the automatic centralized lubrication apparatus.
One of them is that the distribution valve operates when the lubricant is supplied at regular time intervals, and the number of actuations of the distribution valve within a predetermined time is counted to properly supply the lubricant. It is to check whether or not.

The other is a method of confirming the supply state from the distributing valve to the lubricant supply machine parts such as bearings. The supply state of the lubricant using a pressure sensor attached to the lubricant supply pipe nearest to each lubrication point Is to confirm. In this pressure sensor method, the pressure of the lubricant in each pipe measured by the pressure sensor is compared with a preset pressure by the controller, and depending on the comparison result, the lubricant is not supplied, or the pressure sensor A method for determining an abnormality and issuing an alarm is known (for example, see Patent Document 1).
JP 2001-164916 A

  However, in the method of checking the lubricant supply state by counting the number of times the distributor valve is operated, it is not possible to know the lubricant supply state in the path after the distributor valve. Lubricant supply failure due to breakage, clogging, etc. of the lubricant supply piping that occurs cannot be monitored.

  Further, in the system using the pressure sensor, it is necessary to attach a pressure sensor to each lubricant supply pipe in the immediate vicinity of each lubrication location and to supply power to the pressure sensor. Therefore, when an attempt is made to configure several thousand monitoring points in a production factory or the like by this pressure sensor method, there is a problem that the monitoring device becomes large and the installation cost becomes expensive.

  Furthermore, it should be noted that when monitoring the supply of lubricant with a sensor, the signal to be monitored occurs only every few tens of minutes for a few seconds. There is a need for a monitoring technique that can efficiently monitor these sensing signals that are randomly generated at thousands of monitoring points in a production factory or the like.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and is capable of efficiently and inexpensively monitoring the supply state of a lubricant supplied to a lubrication location such as a bearing of a rotary machine. It is an object to provide a device, a lubricant supply state monitoring device, and a program.

  In order to achieve the above object, a lubricant supply signal readout device according to claim 1 of the present invention is installed in a device that requires supply of lubricant or a lubricant supply pipe, and the lubricant supplied to the device. A lubricant supply signal reading device for reading an output signal from a sensor that senses the supply state of the sensor, wherein the output signal of the sensor is monitored at a predetermined period, and indicates that the sensor senses the supply of lubricant. Means for extracting time series data and means for outputting the extracted time series data to an external device.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the lubricant supply signal reading device according to the present invention, wherein the lubricant supply signal readout device is installed in a device that requires the supply of the lubricant or in a lubricant supply pipe and senses the supply state of the lubricant to the device. A lubricant supply signal reading device for reading an output signal from a sensor, wherein the lubricant output signal is monitored at a predetermined period, and time series data representing that the sensor senses the supply of lubricant is extracted. And means for outputting the extracted time-series data to the external device in response to the output signal request of the sensor from the external device.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the lubricant supply signal reading device according to the third aspect, wherein the time series data is determined in advance by an output signal of the sensor. The output signal in a period from when it is out of a predetermined range to when the output signal continues within the predetermined range for a predetermined time.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the lubricant supply signal readout device according to the fourth aspect, wherein the sensor is a pressure applied to the lubricant when the lubricant is supplied. Is provided with a member that causes distortion deformation, and the member includes a piezoelectric element that senses the generated strain and converts it into an electrical signal.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the lubricant supply signal readout device according to the fifth aspect, wherein the sensor is a pressure applied to the lubricant when the lubricant is supplied. The member is formed by covering a piezoelectric element that senses the generated strain and converts it into an electric signal with a covering material.

  The lubricant supply signal readout device according to claim 6 of the present invention is the lubricant supply signal readout device according to the invention described above, wherein one end of the sensor is fixed and the other end is provided with the lubricant. A detecting member which is disposed so as to be positioned in the flow of the lubricant formed when supplied, and which is deformed by bending at the other end due to the flow of the lubricant, and the detecting member is bent It has a piezoelectric element that generates a voltage by deformation.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a lubricant supply state monitoring device in signal connection with the lubricant supply signal reading device according to the invention described above, and based on the output signal of the sensor, A monitoring device for monitoring a supply state, the signal receiving means for receiving time series data representing that the sensor senses the supply of lubricant from the lubricant supply signal reading device, and based on the time series data Determination means for determining whether the supply state of the lubricant is good or bad.

  According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the lubricant supply state monitoring device in signal connection with the lubricant supply signal reading device according to the above-described invention, and based on the output signal of the sensor, A monitoring device for monitoring a supply state, wherein the lubricant supply signal reading device outputs a signal request means for outputting an output signal request of the sensor at a predetermined cycle, and the lubricant corresponding to the output request. Signal receiving means for receiving the time series data output from the supply signal reading apparatus, and a judging means for judging whether or not the lubricant supply state is good based on the time series data.

  The lubricant supply state monitoring device according to claim 9 of the present invention is the lubricant supply state monitoring device according to the invention described above, wherein the determination means has a predetermined maximum value of the time series data. When the value is outside the predetermined range, it is determined that the lubricant supply state is defective.

  A lubricant supply state monitoring device according to a tenth aspect of the present invention is the lubricant supply state monitoring device according to the invention described above, wherein the lubricant supply signal readout device and the lubricant supply state are provided. Signals are connected to the monitoring device in a daisy chain manner.

  The lubricant supply state monitoring device according to claim 11 of the present invention is the lubricant supply state monitoring device according to the above-described invention, wherein the sensor is a pressure applied to the lubricant when the lubricant is supplied. Is provided with a member that causes distortion deformation, and the member includes a piezoelectric element that senses the generated strain and converts it into an electrical signal.

  A lubricant supply state monitoring device according to a twelfth aspect of the present invention is the lubricant supply state monitoring device according to the above-described invention, wherein the sensor is a pressure applied to the lubricant when the lubricant is supplied. The member is formed by covering a piezoelectric element that senses the generated strain and converts it into an electric signal with a covering material.

  The lubricant supply state monitoring device according to claim 13 of the present invention is the lubricant supply state monitoring device according to the invention described above, wherein the sensor has one end fixed and the other end of the lubricant supply. A detecting member which is disposed so as to be positioned in the flow of the lubricant formed when supplied, and which is deformed by bending at the other end due to the flow of the lubricant, and the detecting member is bent It has a piezoelectric element that generates a voltage by deformation.

  According to a fourteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program for monitoring a supply state of a lubricant based on an output signal of the sensor by connecting a signal to the lubricant supply signal reading device according to the invention described above. A signal receiving step for receiving time-series data indicating that the sensor has detected the supply of lubricant from the lubricant supply signal reading device, and supply of lubricant based on the time-series data And a determination step of determining whether the state is good or not.

  According to a fifteenth aspect of the present invention, the program according to the fifteenth aspect is connected to the lubricant supply signal reading device according to the above-described invention, and monitors the supply state of the lubricant based on the output signal of the sensor. A device program comprising: a signal request step for outputting an output signal request of the sensor at a predetermined cycle to the lubricant supply signal reading device; and reading the lubricant supply signal in response to the output request. A signal receiving step for receiving time-series data output from the apparatus and a determination step for determining the quality of the lubricant supply state based on the time-series data are executed by a computer.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the supply state of the lubricant supplied to lubrication parts, such as a bearing of a rotary machine, can be monitored efficiently and cheaply.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a lubricant supply state monitoring sensor used in the lubricant supply state monitoring device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
The lubricant supply state monitoring sensor 1 connects a nipple 3 to a joint of a T-type pipe joint 2 connected to a lubricant supply pipe, and a socket 5 into which a plug 4 is inserted on the opposite side of the nipple 3. In addition, a plate-like detection unit 6 having a sensing element is inserted into the T-shaped pipe joint 2 through an opening provided in the plug 4. Here, as shown in FIG. 1, the upper portion of the plug 4 is fixed with a resin 7 to fix one end of the detecting portion 6 and prevent leakage of the lubricant from the T-type fitting 2.

  The nipple 3 and the socket 5 are provided to adjust the length of the detection unit 6 and are not necessarily required for the lubricant supply state monitoring sensor 1. However, as described later, Since a certain length is required to improve the sensitivity of the sensor, it is desirable to provide it.

  In addition to the T-type pipe joint 2, a Y-type pipe joint or a joint in which a plug is attached to a cloth may be used. However, it is desirable to use the T-type pipe joint 2 for ease of configuration.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the configuration of the detection unit 6 as seen from the side.
The detection unit 6 is provided around a piezoelectric element 8 that is a rectangular plate-shaped piezoelectric material having a rectangular shape, sandwiches both the front and back surfaces of the piezoelectric element 8 with a reinforcing plate 9, and further covers the entire surface with an elastic covering material 10. It is a configuration.

  A lead wire 11 for extracting charges generated in the piezo element 8 is connected to end electrodes provided on the front and back surfaces of the piezo element 8 by soldering or the like. For this reason, in FIG. 2, when bending stress acts in the left-right direction and distortion occurs, a voltage is generated at both ends of the lead wire.

  Here, the reason why the piezo element 8 is sandwiched between the reinforcing plates 9 is to make it difficult to cause damage to the piezo element 8 due to bending stress. The reinforcing plate 9 may be any material that can prevent the piezo element 8 from being damaged by a predetermined bending stress, and may be a metal material such as iron or a polymer material such as plastic if insulated from the piezo element 8. Also good. The reinforcing plate 9 may be provided on one side without being provided on both sides of the piezo element 8.

  Further, the entire covering with the covering material 10 is to protect the piezo element 8 and the reinforcing plate 9 by forming them as one body, and even if the piezo element 8 is damaged, a broken piece in the lubricant. It is designed to prevent the occurrence of equipment abnormalities due to contamination. The covering material 10 also has a function of strengthening moisture proofing and electrical insulation with respect to the piezo element 8, and is therefore preferably used as a component of the detection unit 6.

  Note that the reinforcing plate 9 and the covering material 10 may be formed of one layer or multiple layers depending on the material, usage conditions, and the like of the piezo element 8. The piezoelectric element 8 is suitably a piezoelectric ceramic, a polymer piezoelectric film, or the like, but may be another piezoelectric substance. Further, the shape of the piezo element 8 may be any shape such as a rod shape or a saddle shape in which the pipe is halved as long as it has a certain length so as to be bent by the flow of the lubricant. In view of manufacturing costs, a rectangular shape is desirable.

  In the present embodiment, the detection unit 6 is formed using the piezo element 8, the reinforcing plate 9, and the covering material 10. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and the piezo element 8 and The detection unit 6 may be formed using the covering material 10.

  Further, the piezo element 8 is configured such that when two plate-like piezo elements are bonded and bent by force F, one element expands and the other element contracts so that both elements generate charges. Alternatively, a bimorph type element may be used. Further, a plurality of plate-like piezoelectric elements may be bonded together.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example in which a lubricant supply state monitoring sensor is incorporated in a lubricant supply circuit.
The lubricant supply state monitoring sensor 1 is incorporated in a part of a lubricant supply circuit configured by an automatic centralized lubrication device that supplies lubricant at regular intervals. Specifically, it is installed in the middle of the lubricant supply pipe 13 branched from the distribution valve 12. However, in order to be able to monitor the supply of the lubricant to the lubrication location, the bearing 14 or the bearing close to the lubrication location. It is desirable to attach to 14 itself.

  When the lubricant is supplied to the lubricant supply state monitoring sensor 1 installed in this way, the lubricant flows in the direction of the arrow in the detection unit 6 shown in FIG. Then, the detection unit 6 is bent in the downstream direction of the flow with the portion fixed by the resin 7 as a fulcrum. As a result, opposite charges are generated on the front and back surfaces of the piezo element 8, and a voltage is generated at both ends of the lead wire 11.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an output waveform of the lubricant supply state monitoring sensor 1.
The vertical axis represents the voltage generated in the lead wire 11, and the horizontal axis represents the time elapsed from left to right. Pulsed voltage 17 is generated by bending caused by intermittent pumping flow of lubricant acting on detection unit 6. When the flow of the lubricant stops, the detection unit 6 is restored to the original state by the elastic force of the piezo element 8 and the reinforcing plate 9. At this time, the applied bending strain is reduced, and as a result, a pulsed voltage 18 having the opposite polarity is generated.

  Thus, a positive and negative voltage pair is generated by the intermittent lubricant flow, and a waveform with less noise is obtained as shown in FIG. Therefore, if the length of the detection unit 6 is long, the bending distortion increases, so that a large generated voltage can be obtained. Since the lubricant supply state monitoring sensor 1 according to the present embodiment is designed based on these principles, special amplification processing and noise removal processing are required even when signal processing is performed with a large voltage generated. It is a level that does not. Therefore, the processing circuit can be configured at low cost.

  Further, it can be seen that, according to this principle, if the amount of lubricant flowing increases, the bending strain of the detection unit 6 increases, and thus the peak of the generated voltage 17 also increases. Therefore, if the voltage 17 is greater than a certain level, a sufficient amount of lubricant is supplied, and conversely, if the voltage 17 is less than a certain level, it is determined that the amount of lubricant supplied is insufficient. Can do.

  In the present embodiment, since the piezo element 8 is used for the detection unit 6, the lubricant supply state monitoring sensor 1 can be made small and inexpensive.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing another configuration of the lubricant supply state monitoring sensor 1.
The lubricant supply state monitoring sensor 1 of this configuration is configured such that a joint of a T-type pipe joint 2 connected to a lubricant supply pipe is connected by a nipple 3, and another T-type pipe is provided on the opposite side of the nipple 3. The coupling 2 is connected. Then, plugs 4 are inserted into the other two ends of the T-shaped pipe joint 2 that are not connected to the nipple 3, and a plate-like detection unit 6 having a sensing element is connected to one plug 4. Is inserted into the T-shaped pipe joint 2 through the opening provided in the, and is received and supported by plugs 4 at both ends. Here, as shown in FIG. 5, one end portion is fixed with a resin 7 to fix one end of the detection portion 6 and prevent leakage of the lubricant from the T-type fitting 2.

  When the lubricant is supplied to the lubricant supply state monitoring sensor 1 installed in this manner, a lubricant flow is generated in the direction of the arrow in the detection unit 6 shown in FIG. The sensor 6 is branched and pressurizes the detection unit 6. Then, since both ends of the detection unit 6 are supported by the plug 4, the detection unit 6 receives stress near the center and is bent to generate distortion. As a result, opposite charges are generated on the front and back surfaces of the piezo element 8, and a voltage is generated at both ends of the lead wire 11.

  Since the lubricant supply state monitoring sensor 1 of this configuration is not installed in the lubricant supply pipe, even if the lubricant supply state monitoring sensor 1 is damaged, the occurrence of equipment abnormality is avoided. be able to.

  However, in the method of supporting both ends of the detection unit 6 shown in this configuration, since the generated distortion is small, it should be noted that the output voltage is small compared to the method of supporting one side of the detection unit 6 shown in FIG. There is. That is, it should be noted that when the output voltage is small, amplification processing or noise removal processing may be required.

  Next, a method for monitoring the lubricant supply state using the lubricant supply state monitoring sensor 1 will be described.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the sensor output waveform in association with the lubricant supply state. From left to right in FIG. 6, output waveforms of a normal supply state, a supply shortage state, a no supply state, and a state where clogging occurs downstream of the sensor are shown.

  As shown in FIG. 6, when the peak value (peak voltage value) of the sensor output waveform becomes a predetermined value or less, it can be determined that supply failure can be determined. In addition, when the peak value of the output signal of the sensor is equal to or greater than another predetermined value, it is indicated that it can be determined that clogging has occurred on the downstream side of the sensor. If clogging occurs downstream of the sensor, the pressure at the sensor portion increases, and a large force is applied to the piezo element, which increases the peak voltage.

  Next, a monitoring device for monitoring the lubricant supply state using the lubricant supply state monitoring sensor 1 and the lubricant supply state monitoring method described above will be described.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a configuration of a monitoring system using the monitoring device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  The monitoring system includes a processing circuit 21, a branch device 22, an interface device 23, and a monitoring device 25.

  The processing circuit 21 reads an output signal from the lubricant supply state monitoring sensor 1 and exchanges data with the monitoring device 25. The processing circuit 21 may be integrated with the lubricant supply state monitoring sensor 1 or may be configured separately from the lubricant supply state monitoring sensor 1 by configuring a device in which a plurality of processing circuits 21 are combined. May be.

  The branch device 22 and the interface device 23 are components for connecting a plurality of lubricant supply state monitoring sensors 1 in a daisy chain. This daisy chain connection has the effect of reducing the cost of wiring work when connecting a large number of lubricant supply state monitoring sensors 1 and the monitoring device 25.

  The monitoring device 25 determines the lubricant supply state based on the signal measured by the lubricant supply state monitoring sensor 1 and the operation DI from the automatic lubricant supply device (not shown), and also displays the determination result. Send to other systems.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the monitoring device 25.

  The monitoring device 25 includes a display unit 27 and a control device 28. The control device 28 includes an input / output control unit 31, a data collection unit 32, a state determination unit 33, an alarm output unit 34, a data management unit 35, and a data memory 38.

  The input / output control unit 31 is an interface that controls a signal transmission / reception operation with the interface device 23, the display unit 27, an automatic lubricant supply device (not shown), and other systems.

  The data collection unit 32 periodically collects measurement waveform signals of the lubricant supply state monitoring sensor 1. The state determination unit 33 determines the quality of the lubricant supply state based on the collected measurement waveform signals. The alarm output unit 34 outputs an alarm to a predetermined place when the supply state of the lubricant is poor. The data management unit 35 performs history management of the collected data, and performs trend management of the lubricant supply state based on the data. The data memory 38 stores collected data.

  Next, the operation of the monitoring system will be described.

  FIG. 9 is a schematic flowchart showing the sensor output signal acquisition operation of the processing circuit 21. The processing circuit 21 executes the following operation at a predetermined time (about several tens of milliseconds).

  The processing circuit 21 reads the output signal of the lubricant supply state monitoring sensor 1 (S01), and whether or not a voltage outside the predetermined range, that is, a voltage greater than or equal to a predetermined value (or less than a predetermined value) is generated in the output signal. (S02).

  When a voltage outside the predetermined range is generated (S02 Yes), the operation of writing the output signal of the lubricant supply state monitoring sensor 1 into the memory (not shown) is continued until the voltage falls within the predetermined range and stabilizes. (S03) When the output signal no longer changes, the data writing is terminated (S04). Then, the written output signal is transferred to a transmission data buffer (not shown), and the data in the memory is cleared.

  With the above operation, the waveform signal measured by the lubricant supply state monitoring sensor 1 is always stored in the transmission data buffer of the processing circuit 21.

  FIG. 10 is a schematic flowchart showing the data collection operation of the data collection unit 32. The data collection unit 32 is activated at a predetermined time (several minutes to several tens of minutes) by the timer function in the control device and executes the following operations.

  The data collection unit 32 designates the address of the lubricant supply state monitoring sensor 1 and outputs a collection data transmission request to the interface device 23 (T01).

  The processing circuit 21 having the corresponding address that has received the collection data transmission request transmits the data stored in the transmission data buffer (S10), and then clears the transmission data buffer (S11).

  The data collection unit 32 receives the transmitted output waveform signal of the sensor at the corresponding address (T02), and reads the operation DI indicating whether or not the lubricant supply line in which the sensor is provided is operating ( T03). When the operation DI is ON, it can be determined that the received data is valid. The sensor output waveform signal, operation DI, and current time are stored in the data memory 38 (T04).

  After the above operation is executed for all the sensors and the output waveforms of all the sensors are stored in the data memory (T05), the state determination unit 33 is activated, the next activation timer is set (T06), and the process ends.

  When the transmission request in step T01 is received and there is no data in the transmission data buffer of the processing circuit 21, the processing circuit 21 does not transmit a waveform signal and transmits information indicating that there is no data to be transmitted. You may do it. As a result, the communication load can be reduced.

  FIG. 11 is a schematic flowchart showing the determination operation of the state determination unit 33. The state determination unit 33 is activated from the data collection unit 32 and executes the following operations.

  The state determination unit 33 reads the output waveform data of the sensor from the data memory 38 (T10), and executes waveform shaping processing for facilitating signal processing from the output waveform (T11).

  Then, the first abnormality determination process is executed (T12). The first abnormality determination process is a process for determining the presence or absence of abnormality based on the transmitted data, and determines the normal state, supply shortage, clogging state, etc. shown in FIG. 6 from the peak value of the output waveform. .

  Next, a second abnormality determination process is executed (T13). The second abnormality determination process is a process for determining the presence / absence of abnormality based on a predetermined number of data that has already been read, and when there is no predetermined number of sensor outputs at a predetermined time, that is, counting per time If the number is small, it is determined that an abnormality has occurred.

  The above determination process is executed for all sensors (T14), and when it is determined that there is an abnormality (T15), the alarm output unit 34 is activated (T16).

  FIG. 12 is a schematic flowchart showing the operation of the alarm output unit 34. The alarm output unit 34 is activated by the state determination unit 33 and performs the following operations.

  The alarm output unit 34 receives information about the abnormality occurrence sensor and the content of the abnormality (T20), outputs an abnormality message on the display screen of the display unit 27, and sounds an alarm (T21). In addition, information on the abnormality occurrence sensor and abnormality content is transmitted to the other system (T22), and the abnormality related information is stored in the data memory 38 as management data (T23).

  Here, the other system corresponds to, for example, a system for monitoring operation of a manufacturing plant in which the lubricant supply state monitoring sensor 1 is installed, or a monitoring system for maintenance of equipment in the manufacturing plant.

  FIG. 13 is a schematic flowchart showing the operation of the data management unit 35. The data management unit 35 is activated by the operation of the user of the lubricant supply state monitoring system and executes the following operations.

  The data management unit 35 reads the history of past data from the data memory 38 (T25). Then, trend management is performed based on the transition of the state determination index (for example, peak value, count value per hour, etc.) from the past, and the presence / absence of the occurrence of abnormality, prediction of abnormality occurrence time, and the like are performed. This trend management is used to execute CBM (state-based maintenance) in which a sensor in a warning area, which is a previous stage leading to an abnormality, is extracted and preventive maintenance is performed.

  The above management process is executed for all sensors (T27), and the management result is displayed on the display unit 27 or output to a printer (not shown) (T28).

  According to the lubricant supply state monitoring system of the first embodiment described above, the output signal of the enormous number of lubricant supply state monitoring sensors 1 having different lubricant supply time intervals. Can be efficiently processed to monitor the occurrence of abnormality.

  In the first embodiment, the control device 28 performs the first abnormality determination process shown in FIG. 11. However, the processing circuit 21 also performs the first abnormality determination process and detects the occurrence of an abnormality. When this occurs, an alarm lamp indicating an abnormality in the lubricant supply state monitoring sensor 1 or the processing circuit 21 may be turned on. By doing so, it is possible to easily identify the lubricant supply state monitoring sensor 1 in which an abnormality has occurred in the field.

  Next, a monitoring apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the second embodiment, the configuration is the same as that of the monitoring system shown in FIG. 7 and the monitoring device shown in FIG. 8, but the data collection unit 32 reads the waveform signal based on the data read request from the processing circuit 21. The point is different from the first embodiment. Accordingly, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  FIG. 14 is a schematic flowchart showing a sensor output signal acquisition operation of the processing circuit 21 according to the second embodiment. The processing circuit 21 executes the following operation at a predetermined time (about several tens of milliseconds).

  The processing circuit 21 reads the output signal of the lubricant supply state monitoring sensor 1 (S21), and whether or not a voltage outside the predetermined range, that is, a voltage greater than or equal to a predetermined value (or less than a predetermined value) is generated in the output signal. (S22).

  When a voltage outside the predetermined range is generated (S22 Yes), the operation of writing the output signal of the lubricant supply state monitoring sensor 1 into the memory (not shown) is continued until the voltage falls within the predetermined range and stabilizes. (S23) When the output signal no longer changes, the data writing is terminated (S24). Then, the written output signal and the address of the lubricant supply state monitoring sensor 1 are transmitted to the control device 28 (S25).

  With the above operation, the processing circuit 21 transmits the waveform signal measured every time the lubricant supply state monitoring sensor 1 detects the lubricant supply state to the control device 28.

  FIG. 15 is a schematic flowchart showing a data collection operation of the data collection unit 32 according to the second embodiment. The data collection unit 32 is activated by data transmission from the processing circuit 21 and executes the following operations.

  The data collection unit 32 receives the output waveform signal of the transmitted sensor and the sensor address (T30), and reads the operation DI indicating whether the lubricant supply line provided with the sensor is in operation. (T31). When the operation DI is ON, it can be determined that the received data is valid.

  Then, the output waveform signal of the sensor, the operation DI, and the current time are stored in the data memory 38 (T32), the state determination unit 33 is activated (T33), and the process ends.

  The operation of the state determination unit 33 is different from the operation in the first embodiment in that it is executed for each sensor at the timing when data is transmitted. Further, the second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the second abnormality determination is executed for all sensors in a predetermined cycle (for example, several tens of minutes). This is to cope with the fact that this state determination operation is not executed when no output from the sensor is made.

  The operations of the alarm output unit 34 and the data management unit 35 are the same as those in the first embodiment. Therefore, description of these detailed operations is omitted.

  In the second embodiment described above, transmission from the processing circuit 21 is not performed when the sensor does not detect the lubricant supply state. Accordingly, the communication load can be further reduced, and the frequency with which each process in the control device 28 operates is reduced accordingly, so that the processing efficiency of the control device 28 can be increased.

  The lubricant supply state monitoring device according to the present invention uses a lubricant supply state monitoring sensor 1 installed at a lubrication location or a lubricant supply pipe to determine whether or not a predetermined amount or more of lubricant has been supplied. It is to monitor whether or not it has been supplied. By configuring the lubricant supply state monitoring sensor 1 in combination with parts and devices as required, a lubricant supply state monitoring device having a new function can be constructed. Therefore, it is possible to monitor the lubrication location or the supply state of the lubricant in the immediate vicinity of the lubrication location, to prevent an initial abnormality due to a poor supply of the lubricant, and to achieve a necessary and sufficient device configuration.

  The lubricant supply state monitoring sensor and the lubricant supply state monitoring device according to the present invention can be applied not only to grease but also to lubricants such as oil.

  It should be noted that the functions described in the above embodiments are not limited to being configured using hardware, but can be realized by causing a computer to read a program describing each function using software. Each function may be configured by appropriately selecting either software or hardware.

  Furthermore, each function can be realized by causing a computer to read a program stored in a storage medium (not shown). Here, as long as the storage medium in this embodiment can store a program and can be read by a computer, the storage format may be any form.

  Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment as it is, and can be embodied by modifying the constituent elements without departing from the scope of the invention in the implementation stage. Further, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining a plurality of constituent elements disclosed in the embodiment. For example, some components may be deleted from all the components shown in the embodiment. Furthermore, you may combine suitably the component covering different embodiment.

Sectional drawing which shows the structure of the supply condition monitoring sensor of the lubricant of 1st Embodiment based on this invention Sectional drawing seen from the side surface which shows the structure of a detection part. The figure which shows the structural example which incorporated the supply condition monitoring sensor of the lubricant into the supply circuit of the lubricant. The figure which shows the output waveform of the supply condition monitoring sensor of a lubricant. Sectional drawing which shows the other structure of the supply condition monitoring sensor of a lubricant. The figure which matches and shows a sensor output waveform with the supply state of a lubricant. The figure which shows the structure of the monitoring system which uses the monitoring apparatus of 1st Embodiment which concerns on this invention. The figure which shows the structure of a monitoring apparatus. FIG. 5 is a schematic flowchart showing a sensor output signal acquisition operation of the processing circuit. FIG. 5 is a schematic flowchart showing a data collection operation of a data collection unit. FIG. 5 is a schematic flowchart showing a determination operation of a state determination unit. The general | schematic flowchart which shows operation | movement of an alarm output part. FIG. 5 is a schematic flowchart showing the operation of a data management unit. FIG. 5 is a schematic flowchart showing a sensor output signal acquisition operation of a processing circuit according to a second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic flowchart showing a data collection operation of a data collection unit according to the second embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Lubricant supply state monitoring sensor, 2 ... T-type pipe joint, 6 ... Detection part, 8 ... Piezo element, 9 ... Reinforcement plate, 10 ... Cover material, 11 ... Lead wire, 12 ... Distribution valve, 13 ... Lubrication Supply pipe for agent, 14 ... bearing, 21 ... processing circuit, 22 ... branching device, 23 ... interface device, 25 ... monitoring device, 27 ... display unit, 28 ... control device, 32 ... data collection unit, 33 ... state determination unit 34 ... alarm output unit, 35 ... data management unit, 38 ... data memory.

Claims (15)

A lubricant supply signal reading device for reading an output signal from a sensor that is installed in a device that requires supply of a lubricant or a lubricant supply pipe and senses the supply state of the lubricant to this device,
Means for monitoring the output signal of the sensor at a predetermined period and extracting time-series data indicating that the sensor senses the supply of lubricant;
A lubricant supply signal readout device, comprising: means for outputting the extracted time-series data to an external device. A lubricant supply signal reading device for reading an output signal from a sensor that is installed in a device that requires supply of a lubricant or a lubricant supply pipe and senses the supply state of the lubricant to this device,
Means for monitoring the output signal of the sensor at a predetermined period and extracting time-series data indicating that the sensor senses the supply of lubricant;
A lubricant supply signal reading device comprising: means for outputting the extracted time-series data to the external device in response to an output signal request of the sensor from an external device. The time series data is
3. The output signal in a period from when the output signal of the sensor is out of a predetermined range to when the output signal continues within the predetermined range for a predetermined time. The lubricant supply signal readout device according to claim 1. The sensor is
Provided with a member that causes strain deformation due to the applied pressure of the lubricant when supplying the lubricant,
4. The lubricant supply signal reading device according to claim 1, wherein the member includes a piezoelectric element that senses generated strain and converts the detected strain into an electrical signal. 5. The sensor is
Provided with a member that causes strain deformation due to the applied pressure of the lubricant when supplying the lubricant,
The lubricant supply according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the member is formed by covering a piezoelectric element that senses generated strain and converts it into an electric signal with a covering material. Signal reading device. The sensor is
One end is fixed, and the other end is arranged so as to be positioned in the lubricant flow formed when the lubricant is supplied, and the other end is displaced by the lubricant flow to bend and deform. 4. The lubricant supply signal reading device according to claim 1, further comprising a detection member, wherein the detection member includes a piezoelectric element that generates a voltage by bending deformation. 5. A monitoring device that is in signal connection with the lubricant supply signal reading device according to claim 1 and that monitors a lubricant supply state based on an output signal of the sensor,
Signal receiving means for receiving time-series data indicating that the sensor has detected the supply of lubricant from the lubricant supply signal reading device;
A lubricant supply state monitoring apparatus comprising: a determination unit that determines whether the lubricant supply state is good or not based on the time series data. A monitoring device that is in signal connection with the lubricant supply signal reading device according to claim 2 and that monitors a lubricant supply state based on an output signal of the sensor,
Signal request means for outputting an output signal request of the sensor at a predetermined cycle to the lubricant supply signal reading device;
Signal receiving means for receiving time-series data output from the lubricant supply signal reading device in response to the output request;
A lubricant supply state monitoring apparatus comprising: a determination unit that determines whether the lubricant supply state is good or not based on the time series data. The determination means includes
The lubricant supply according to claim 7 or 8, wherein when the maximum value of the time series data is a value outside a predetermined range, the supply state of the lubricant is determined to be defective. Condition monitoring device.   The lubricant supply according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the lubricant supply signal readout device and the lubricant supply state monitoring device are signal-connected in a daisy chain manner. Condition monitoring device. The sensor is
Provided with a member that causes strain deformation due to the applied pressure of the lubricant when supplying the lubricant,
The lubricant supply state monitoring device according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the member includes a piezoelectric element that senses generated strain and converts the detected strain into an electric signal. The sensor is
Provided with a member that causes strain deformation due to the applied pressure of the lubricant when supplying the lubricant,
The lubricant supply according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the member is formed by covering a piezoelectric element that senses generated strain and converts it into an electric signal with a covering material. Condition monitoring device. The sensor is
One end is fixed, and the other end is arranged so as to be positioned in the lubricant flow formed when the lubricant is supplied, and the other end is displaced by the lubricant flow to bend and deform. The lubricant supply state monitoring device according to any one of claims 7 to 9, further comprising a detection member, wherein the detection member includes a piezoelectric element that generates a voltage by bending deformation. A program for a monitoring device that is connected to the lubricant supply signal reading device according to claim 1 and monitors the supply state of the lubricant based on an output signal of the sensor,
A signal receiving step for receiving time-series data indicating that the sensor has detected the supply of lubricant from the lubricant supply signal reading device;
A determination step for determining the quality of the lubricant supply state based on the time series data;
A program that causes a computer to execute. A monitoring device program that is connected to the lubricant supply signal reading device according to claim 2 and that monitors a lubricant supply state based on an output signal of the sensor,
A signal requesting step of outputting an output signal request of the sensor at a predetermined cycle to the lubricant supply signal reading device;
A signal receiving step of receiving time-series data output from the lubricant supply signal reading device in response to the output request;
A determination step for determining the quality of the lubricant supply state based on the time series data;
A program that causes a computer to execute.

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