JP2007256033A - Lubricant deterioration detecting system of bearing with ic tag and sensor - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a simple and low-cost lubricant deterioration detection system capable of simply detecting lubricant deterioration of many bearings in the bearing operating state, and preventing abnormality of the bearing from occurring. <P>SOLUTION: This system is a system for detecting deterioration of lubricant enclosed inside the bearing. The bearing 1 is loaded with an IC tag 3; a power source circuit 5 incorporated in the IC tag 3 or provided separately from the IC tag 3, for accumulating the power supplied from the outside of the bearing 1 in a non-contact state; and a deterioration detection sensor 4 of the lubricant driven by the power source. Reading/writing of information to the IC tag 3 and power supplying with respect to the power source circuit 5 are performed in a non-contact state by a tag reading/writing terminal 2 that is provided separately. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a lubricant deterioration detection system for detecting a lubricant deterioration of a rolling bearing incorporated in various mechanical equipments with an IC tag and a lubricant deterioration detection, for example, a belt conveyor of a thermal power plant. It is applied to bearings and the like that are used in large numbers and require life management, such as wheel bearings for railway vehicles.

In various machine facilities, a large number of rolling bearings are used, and management of the bearing life is necessary, but management is often difficult.
For example, in a thermal power plant, coal used for fuel is carried by a coal carrier and landed on a belt conveyor by a coal lift. Furthermore, it is sent to a coal storage by a belt conveyor, piled up in a mountain shape and stored, and when consumed, it is sent from the coal pile of the storage coal to the boiler by a belt conveyor. The boiler cannot be stopped from the viewpoint of power supply and fuel efficiency, and it is necessary to always operate the belt conveyor. For the belt conveyor, a bearing unit having a structure in which a bearing is provided in a cylindrical roller is used. For example, several hundred bearing units are used.
In such a belt conveyor, the main bearing section such as a drive section stops the apparatus when an abnormality occurs due to damage or the like, so it is necessary to always monitor it. For this purpose, a temperature sensor or a vibration sensor is attached to the bearing to constantly monitor whether there is a change in temperature or vibration. On the other hand, since there are a large number of rollers that support the belt in the middle of the belt conveyor, it is not possible to manage all of the bearings in the same way as the bearing unit of the drive unit. Monitoring is not realistic. Therefore, from the record when the bearing unit was replaced last time, the bearing unit is replaced early to ensure safety with respect to the rated bearing life. The replacement of the bearing in this case is performed for each roller as a bearing unit, and an appropriate measure is taken so that the replacement is performed without stopping the belt conveyor.
In rail cars, bearings are used to support a large number of wheels. However, since passengers and luggage are transported to their destinations, they cannot be easily stopped halfway when the vehicles start to move. For this reason, the bearings are regularly inspected and managed when the vehicle is stopped so that no abnormality occurs during operation.
JP-A-2005-024441

In the conventional belt conveyor of a thermal power plant, even if the intermediate roller supports the belt, if an abnormality occurs in the bearing, it may be necessary to stop the conveyor depending on the damage situation. In periodic bearing replacement, appropriate measures are taken to enable replacement without stopping the conveyor. However, in the case of an unexpected bearing abnormality, replacement may not be possible when the conveyor is in operation. Even if the bearing is replaced early with respect to the rated life, an unexpected abnormality may occur, and such an abnormality cannot be known in advance.
In addition, for rolling stock wheel support bearings, periodic inspections are performed at the time of stopping as described above. However, for vehicles that run long hours at high speeds, bearing usage conditions are severe. It becomes. For this reason, the occurrence of abnormal bearings may not be sufficiently prevented only by periodic inspection at the time of stopping. Moreover, the bearing state during traveling cannot be accurately known when the vehicle is stopped.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive lubricant deterioration detection system that can easily detect lubricant deterioration of a large number of bearings in a bearing operating state and can prevent the occurrence of a bearing abnormality. It is to be.

The system for detecting a lubricant deterioration of a bearing with an IC tag / sensor according to the present invention includes: an IC tag in the bearing; Tag reading and writing, which is equipped with a power supply circuit for accumulating the generated power and a lubricant deterioration detection sensor driven by this power supply, and reads and writes information on the IC tag and feeds power to the power supply circuit in a contactless manner A terminal is provided.
According to this configuration, the tag reading / writing terminal is moved periodically or at any time to approach the bearing, and then power is supplied to the power supply circuit of the bearing, and the lubricant deterioration detection sensor is driven by the power, The deterioration detection sensor can be operated for an arbitrary time to detect the deterioration of the lubricant. Deterioration of lubricants can be detected before the temperature rises due to poor lubrication of the bearing or abnormal vibrations occur, so deterioration earlier than inspection equipment using only temperature sensors and vibration sensors Detection is possible. The result of detecting the deterioration of the lubricant may be always transmitted to the tag reading / writing terminal, or may be transmitted only when a certain condition is reached. Such an operation can be performed for a large number of bearings with IC tags and sensors with one tag reading / writing terminal.
For this reason, as in the case of the conventional continuous inspection, the power supply circuit that transmits the IC tag and the supplied power to the lubricant deterioration detection sensor without attaching a transmission device and a power supply for continuous driving in addition to the temperature sensor to each bearing unit There is no need to provide a corresponding receiver for each bearing unit, so that a small installation space is required and the equipment cost is low. For example, it is possible to carry out daily periodic inspection work such as once a day or once every certain time and intermittently monitor, so many bearings can be continuously monitored and measured. Even if there are many bearings you want to do, it can be handled. Further, since the bearing can be replaced before the occurrence of the bearing abnormality based on the result of the lubricant deterioration detection, the mechanical equipment itself is not damaged and the mechanical equipment itself is not damaged. In addition, since a bearing with a sign of failure can be replaced at the time of periodic maintenance when the mechanical equipment is stopped, it is easy to carry out necessary inventory of a replacement bearing or a bearing unit.

In the present invention, one or more sensors that are driven by the power source and detect information different from the lubricant deterioration detection sensor may be mounted on the bearing. The sensor for detecting the other information may be a temperature sensor or a vibration sensor.
The life of the bearing is also judged by temperature and vibration. If the temperature and vibration information is obtained in addition to the lubricant deterioration information, the bearing abnormality can be determined with higher accuracy.

  In the present invention, identification information of a bearing on which the IC tag is mounted may be stored in the IC tag. The identification information is a product number, a lot number, or the like. When the bearing identification information is obtained together with the lubricant deterioration detection information, the life judgment and management by a management computer or the like is further facilitated. Further, the IC tag may store information on the installation location of the bearing with respect to the mechanical equipment.

  In the present invention, the bearing may be an axle bearing of a railway vehicle. In the case of a railway vehicle, many bearings are used. However, since the deterioration state of the lubricant of these bearings can be read by a tag reading / writing terminal provided in the traveling path, it is possible to detect the deterioration of the lubricant during traveling. Therefore, it is possible to make a more reliable bearing abnormality determination by supplementing the periodic inspection when the vehicle is stopped.

In the case of an axle bearing of a railway vehicle, a seal case is attached to an end of the outer ring of the bearing, a seal for sealing the bearing space is provided in the seal case, the deterioration detection sensor is disposed inside the seal, and the seal case You may arrange | position an IC tag on the outer side.
For example, the outer ring of a bearing is complicated in its manufacturing process and has severe requirements in terms of strength. Therefore, when incorporating the IC tag, the lubricant deterioration detection sensor, etc., it is preferable because of an increase in the number of processes. Although there may be no case, when an IC tag and a lubricant deterioration detection sensor are arranged in a seal case which is a simple part, the attachment process is easy. In addition, when the IC tag or lubricant deterioration detection sensor is placed in the seal case, the other bearing components can be used in common with ordinary bearings that do not have an IC tag attached, and the manufacturing process is the same. It is excellent in productivity.

In this invention, the deterioration detection sensor obtains the light transmittance of the lubricant from the light emitting part and the light receiving part with the lubricant to be detected interposed between them and the output of the light receiving part, and mixes in the lubricant. And a determination unit that detects the amount of foreign matter that is being processed.
Since the amount of transmitted light that has passed through the lubricant decreases as the amount of foreign matter contained in the lubricant increases, the determination means can estimate the amount of foreign matter in the lubricant from the amount of transmitted light detected by the light receiving unit. . In the case of lubricants used in bearings, the mixing ratio of foreign matter such as wear powder increases as deterioration progresses, so if the amount of foreign matter mixed in the lubricant is detected, the deterioration state of the lubricant can be accurately determined. Can be detected.

In the present invention, the deterioration detection sensor includes an optical system in which a light emitting part and a light receiving part are arranged at an angle, and light emitted from the light emitting part is scattered and reflected by the surface of the lubricant and enters the light receiving part, and And a determination unit that detects the amount of foreign matter mixed in the lubricant from a change in output.
In the case of this configuration, since the reflected light is detected, the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit can be arranged adjacent to each other, and the deterioration detection sensor can be made compact.

  The system for detecting a lubricant deterioration of a bearing with an IC tag / sensor according to the present invention includes: an IC tag in the bearing; and the IC tag built in the IC tag or provided separately from the IC tag, so that power is supplied from outside the bearing without contact. Tag reading and writing, which is equipped with a power supply circuit for accumulating the generated power and a lubricant deterioration detection sensor driven by this power supply, and reads and writes information on the IC tag and feeds power to the power supply circuit in a contactless manner Since the terminal is provided, it is possible to easily detect lubricant deterioration of a large number of bearings in a bearing operation state with a simple and inexpensive configuration, and to prevent occurrence of an abnormality in the bearing.

  An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, this lubricant deterioration detection system for a bearing with an IC tag / sensor has a rolling bearing 1 incorporated in a mechanical facility 10 as a bearing 1 </ b> A with an IC tag / sensor and a tag reading / writing terminal 2. Is. The IC tag / sensor-equipped bearing 1 </ b> A includes a rolling bearing 1 provided with an IC tag 3, a lubricant deterioration detection sensor 4, and a power supply circuit 5. The power supply circuit 5 is built in the IC tag 3 or separated from the IC tag 3 and is supplied with electric power from the outside of the bearing in a non-contact manner to drive the deterioration detection sensor 4. The IC tag 3, the deterioration detection sensor 4, and the power supply circuit 5 are installed on a common substrate to constitute one bearing-equipped electronic component 6. The bearing-equipped electronic component 6 has a conceptual configuration shown in a block diagram drawn out and enlarged in FIG. The tag read / write terminal 2 reads stored information from the IC tag 3 of the IC tag / sensor-equipped bearing 1A and supplies power to the power supply circuit 5 in a non-contact manner.

The mechanical equipment 10 is equipment having a plurality of rolling bearings 1 arranged, and these bearings 1 are used as the above-mentioned bearings 1A with an IC tag / sensor. Specifically, the machine facility 10 is a conveyor line such as a belt conveyor or a roller conveyor, and FIG. 1 shows an example applied to the belt conveyor line. In this example, the rolling bearing 1 incorporated in the roller 8 that supports the middle portion of the belt 7 in the length direction is the bearing 1A with an IC tag / sensor. The roller 8 and the bearings 1 at both ends thereof constitute a bearing unit 8A. The inner ring of the rolling bearing 1 is installed on a roller spindle fixed to a conveyor frame (not shown in FIG. 1).
The tag reading / writing terminal 2 is movably installed along the arrangement of the IC tag / sensor-equipped bearings 1 </ b> A, and is moved by the terminal moving means 20. The tag reading / writing terminal 2 may be a terminal that can be moved by an operator.

  The IC tag 3 includes an IC chip 11 and an antenna 12. The IC chip 11 and the antenna 12 are provided on a common base (not shown) and are integrally wrapped with a resin (not shown) or the like. The IC tag 3 has various types, shapes, and sizes. In addition to the plate-shaped object, the IC tag 3 includes, for example, a rectangular shape or a spherical shape with a size of less than 1 mm, and the storage capacity varies. The size, type, etc. may be selected according to the bearing 1 to be attached. As the IC tag 3, for example, an RFID tag using an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology can be used. The RFID-type IC tag 3 has a transmission system that uses electrostatic coupling, electromagnetic coupling, electromagnetic induction, microwave, light, etc., and any of these types may be used. In this example, an electromagnetic induction type is used. Further, there are some IC tags 3 that can be used even if there is a metal around them, and these are preferable because they are attached to the bearing 1.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the bearing-equipped electronic component 6 provided with the IC tag 3 and the like and the tag read / write terminal 2. The IC chip 11 of the IC tag 3 has a central processing unit (CPU) 13, a memory 14, a transmission / reception circuit 15, and a power supply circuit 5, and the power supply circuit 5 obtains power from an antenna 12. The power supply circuit 5 is used not only for driving each part of the IC tag 3 but also for driving the lubricant deterioration detection sensor 4. As the memory 14, a memory that does not require a power source is used.
The bearing-equipped electronic component 6 is a component that can be integrally handled by mounting the IC tag 3 and the lubricant deterioration detection sensor 4 on a common substrate or the like. The output of the lubricant deterioration detection sensor 4 is connected to a predetermined input terminal (not shown) of the IC tag 3, for example. When an analog output sensor is used as the lubricant deterioration detection sensor 4, the output is output to the IC tag 3 or the like via the A / D converter 16 that converts the output into a digital value. The A / D converter 16 is installed on a common base (not shown) or the like with the lubricant deterioration detection sensor 4, and the lubricant deterioration detection sensor 4 and the A / D converter 16 constitute a deterioration detection sensor 4A with a converter. The The output of the deterioration detection sensor 4A with the converter is connected to the central processing unit 13 of the IC tag 3 in the illustrated example, but may be connected to the transmission / reception circuit 15.

The tag read / write terminal 2 can transmit signals and supply power to the IC tag 3 in a non-contact manner. The tag read / write terminal 2 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 22, a memory 23, a transmission / reception circuit 24, and a power supply circuit 25, and the central processing unit (CPU) 22 and the IC tag 3 via the antenna 26 and the transmission / reception circuit 24. Signal transmission / reception is performed. The tag read / write terminal 2 further has communication means 27 for connecting to a computer serving as the management host machine 28 via a communication path 29. The communication path 29 may be a simple cable or a wireless communication line, or may be a local area network, the Internet, or another wide area network.
The management host machine 28 includes a management system that manages the maintenance of the entire bearing 1 of the mechanical equipment 10. The management host machine 28 may manage maintenance of the bearings 1 of the plurality of mechanical facilities 10.

  The lubricant deterioration detection method with the above configuration will be described. The tag reading / writing terminal 2 is moved periodically or at any time to bring it closer to the IC tag / sensor-equipped bearing 1A. At this time, electric power is supplied to the power supply circuit 5 of the bearing 1A, the lubricant deterioration detection sensor 4 is driven by the electric power, and the lubricant deterioration detection sensor 4 is operated for an arbitrary time to detect the deterioration of the lubricant 32. . The detection value of the lubricant deterioration detection sensor 4 is transmitted to the tag reading / writing terminal 2 through the central processing unit 13 and the transmission / reception circuit 15 of the IC tag 3. The detection result transmitted to the tag read / write terminal 2 may always be transmitted to the management host machine 28 (FIG. 2), or is transmitted to the management host machine 28 only when a certain condition is reached. Also good. The determination as to whether or not the predetermined condition has been reached is made by condition determination means (not shown) provided in the tag read / write terminal 2. Such an operation may be performed on a large number of, for example, 100 bearings 1A with IC tags / sensors by one tag reading / writing terminal 2. Thus, a single tag reading / writing terminal 2 can monitor a large number of IC tag / sensor bearings 1A, and only the information when a certain condition of the IC tag / sensor bearings 1A is reached is managed by the management host machine. Therefore, it is only necessary to provide several tag reading / writing terminals 2 for several hundreds of IC tag / sensor-equipped bearings 1A in one machine facility 10, for example. As a result of detection of deterioration, even if the bearing 1 may malfunction, even if there is a possibility that the bearing 1 does not need to be replaced immediately, monitor it continuously as much as possible, The bearing 1 may be replaced at a time.

  For this reason, as in the case of the conventional constant inspection, the IC tag 3 and the supplied power are transmitted to the lubricant deterioration detection sensor 4 without attaching a transmission device and a power supply for constant driving to each bearing unit 8A in addition to the sensor. It is only necessary to provide the power supply circuit 5, and it is not necessary to provide a corresponding receiver for each bearing unit 8A. Therefore, the installation space is small and the equipment cost is low. For example, once every day or once every two hours, the monitoring interval may be determined and monitored intermittently. Since many bearings 1 can be monitored, even if there are many bearings 1 to be measured. Can do. Moreover, since it can replace | exchange before abnormality generate | occur | produces according to the result of degradation detection, it does not lead to failure of mechanical equipment 10 itself, and does not need to damage mechanical equipment 10 itself. Further, since the bearing having a sign of failure can be replaced at the time of periodic maintenance when the mechanical equipment 10 is stopped, it is easy to carry out necessary inventory of a replacement bearing or a bearing unit.

  Further, since the IC tag 3 is used, the identification information of the rolling bearing 1 provided with the IC tag 3 can be stored in the IC tag 3. The identification information is a product number, a lot number, or the like. When the identification information of the bearing 1 is obtained together with the deterioration detection information of the lubricant 32, it is possible to know the specifications of the bearing from a database or the like, so that the life determination and management by the management host machine 28 and the like are further facilitated. The IC tag 3 may further store information on the installation location of the bearing 1 with respect to the mechanical equipment 10.

In the above embodiment, the power supply circuit 5 for driving the lubricant deterioration detection sensor 4 is the one built in the IC tag 3, but for example, as shown in FIG. 3, the power supply for driving the IC tag 3 is used. In addition to the circuit 51, a power supply circuit 52 for driving the lubricant deterioration detection sensor 4 may be provided. The power supply circuit 52 also obtains power from the antenna 12. Further, a rechargeable battery 19 (not shown) and a charging circuit may be provided for the power supply circuit 52 (FIG. 5).
Further, the bearing-equipped electronic component 6 may include a temperature sensor 17 (or a vibration sensor) as shown in FIG. 4 in addition to the lubricant deterioration detection sensor 4. The output of the temperature sensor 17 is connected to, for example, a predetermined input terminal (not shown) of the IC tag 3. When an analog output sensor is used as the temperature sensor 17, the output is input to the IC tag 3 or the like via an A / D converter 18 that converts the output into a digital value. The A / D converter 18 is installed on a common substrate (not shown) and the like with the temperature sensor 17, and the temperature sensor 17 and the A / D converter 18 constitute a deterioration detection sensor 17A with a converter. Although the output of the deterioration detection sensor 17A with the converter is connected to the CPU 13 of the IC tag 3 in the illustrated example, it may be connected to the transmission / reception circuit 15. Even in the case where the temperature sensor 17 (or vibration sensor) is provided, the power supply circuit 51 built in the IC tag 3 may be used as the power supply, or another power supply circuit 52 may be used as shown in FIG. .

  FIG. 6 shows a principle configuration diagram of an example of the lubricant deterioration detection sensor 4. The lubricant deterioration detection sensor 4 includes light-emitting and light-receiving optical fibers 33 and 34 having one ends 33a and 34a facing the lubricant 32 to be detected, and the light-emitting and light-receiving optical fibers 33 and 34, respectively. A light emitting unit 35 and a light receiving unit 36 connected to the ends 33b and 34b, respectively, and a determination unit 37 for detecting deterioration of the lubricant 32 by a detection output of the light receiving unit 36 are provided. The lubricant 32 to be detected is a lubricant sealed inside the bearing 1. One ends 33 a and 34 a of the light-emitting and light-receiving optical fibers 33 and 34 facing the lubricant 32 are disposed so as to face each other with the lubricant 32 interposed therebetween.

  FIG. 7 shows a configuration example of the lubricant deterioration detection sensor 4. The light emitting unit 35 is composed of a light emitting element such as an LED, and the other end 33b of the light emitting side optical fiber 33 is disposed opposite to the light emitting surface of the light emitting element. The light receiving unit 36 is composed of a light receiving element such as a photodiode, and the other end 34b of the light receiving side optical fiber 34 is disposed opposite to the light receiving surface of the light receiving element. Further, condensing lenses 41A to 41D are disposed at the end portions 33a, 33b, 34a, and 34b of the optical fibers 33 and 34 on the light emitting side and the light receiving side, respectively. The lens may be provided only at one end of one of the optical fibers 33 and 34, for example. Circuits that serve as the light emitting unit 35, the light receiving unit 36, and the determination unit 37 are mounted on the same circuit board 38. The detection signal of the determination unit 37 is input from the wiring cable 39 to the IC tag 3. Further, power is supplied from the IC tag 3 to the lubricant deterioration detection sensor 4 via the wiring cable 39.

  In this lubricant deterioration detection sensor 4, the one end 33 a, 34 a of the light-emitting and light-receiving optical fibers 33, 34 respectively opposed to the lubricant 32 and the condensing lenses 41 </ b> B, 41 </ b> C serve as the detection unit 30. The parts excluding the detection unit 30, that is, the other ends 33b and 34b of the optical fibers 33 and 34, the condensing lenses 41A and 41D, the light emitting unit 35, the light receiving unit 36, the determination unit 37, and the like are installed outside the bearing 1. The

  In addition to LEDs, incandescent bulbs, semiconductor laser diodes, ELs, organic ELs, fluorescent tubes, and the like can be used as the light emitting elements that serve as the light emitting unit 35. In addition to the photodiode, a phototransistor, a CDS, a solar cell, a photomultiplier tube, or the like can be used as the light receiving element serving as the light receiving unit 36.

In the lubricant deterioration detection sensor 4 configured in this way, the light emitted from the light emitting portion 35 passes through the light collecting side condensing lens 41A, the optical fiber 33, and the condensing lens 41B, and the lubricant in the bearing 1 is used. 32, and is detected by the light receiving unit 36 via the condensing lens 41C, the optical fiber 34, and the condensing lens 41D on the light receiving side. Thus, the amount of transmitted light that has passed through the lubricant 32 decreases as the amount of foreign matter such as iron powder (wear powder) contained in the lubricant 32 increases, so that the determination means is based on the amount of transmitted light detected by the light receiving unit 36. 37 can estimate the content of foreign matter in the lubricant 32.
In the bearing 1 in which the lubricant 32 is enclosed, iron powder (abrasion powder) generated with use of the bearing 1 is mixed into the lubricant 32 as a main factor of deterioration of the lubricant 32. By estimating the content of foreign matter mixed in the lubricant 32 by the determination means 37, the deterioration state of the lubricant 32 can be detected.

In particular, in the lubricant deterioration detection sensor 4, the one ends 33 a and 34 a of the light-emitting and light-receiving optical fibers 33 and 34 are opposed to the lubricant 32 to be detected, and the other ends 33 b and 34 b of the optical fibers 33 and 34 are opposed to each other. Since the light emitting unit 35 and the light receiving unit 36 are connected, the light emitting unit 35, the light receiving unit 36, the condensing lenses 41A and 41D, and the determination unit 37 are connected to the one ends 33a and 34a of the optical fibers 33 and 34 and the condensing lens 41B. , 41C can be arranged apart from each other, and the deterioration state of the lubricant 32 can be stably detected without being affected by electrical noise or temperature change.
Moreover, since the detection part 30 can be comprised compactly, when using for the deterioration detection of the lubricant 32 sealed inside the bearing 1, for example, it can be installed in the inside of the bearing 1 with a simple and compact structure. Furthermore, the detection unit 30 does not become a factor that hinders the movement of the lubricant 32, the lubricant 32 can be stably supplied to the detection unit 30, and the degree of freedom of arrangement of the detection unit 30 inside the bearing 1 is also increased.
Further, since the ends 33a, 34a of the optical fibers 33, 34 on the light emitting side and the light receiving side serve as the detection unit 30 of the lubricant 32, the cross-sectional area of the measurement site of the lubricant 32 can be reduced, and even the lubricant 32 with high viscosity can be used. It is easy to enter the detection unit 30 and the detection is stabilized accordingly.
Further, since the condensing lenses 41A to 41D are provided at the end portions 33a to 34b of the optical fibers 33 and 34, light diffusion can be prevented, and the measurement spot in the lubricant 32 can be made finer and the detection sensitivity can be increased. it can. The same effect can be improved to some extent when a lens is provided in a part of the end portions 33a to 34b of the optical fibers 33 and 34.

  FIG. 8 shows another configuration example of the lubricant deterioration detection sensor 4. In the configuration example shown in FIG. 6, the lubricant deterioration detection sensor 4 includes end portions 33 a and 34 a facing the lubricant 32 in the light-emitting and light-receiving optical fibers 33 and 34 via mirrors 42 </ b> A and 42 </ b> B. This is opposed to the lubricant 32. Specifically, a mirror 42A is provided at one end 33a of the light-emitting side optical fiber 33 so that light emitted from the one end is bent at a right angle and incident on the lubricant 32. Further, a mirror 42B is provided at one end 34a of the optical fiber 34 on the light receiving side so that the light transmitted through the lubricant 32 through the mirror 42A is bent at a right angle and incident on the one end 34a of the optical fiber 34. Each of these mirrors 42A and 42B is covered with a transparent cover 43A and 43B together with one end 33a and 34a of each corresponding optical fiber 33 and 34 to prevent the mirrors 42A and 42B from being contaminated. In this case, the detection unit 30 is configured by the one ends 33a and 34a of the optical fibers 33 and 34, the mirrors 42A and 42B, and the transparent covers 43A and 43B. For example, the mirror may be provided only at one end of one of the optical fibers 33 and 34.

  As described above, when the end portions 33a and 34a facing the lubricant 32 in the optical fibers 33 and 34 are opposed to the lubricant 32 via the mirrors 42A and 42B, the end portions 33a and 34a of the optical fibers 33 and 34 are arranged. Since 34a does not have to be directly opposed to the lubricant 32, the degree of freedom of the orientation of the end portions 33a, 34a of the optical fibers 33, 34 is increased when the detection unit 30 is mounted inside the bearing 1, for example, a bearing The detection unit 30 can be attached to one seal portion, or can be attached while being inserted into the lubricant 32.

  FIG. 9 shows another configuration example of the lubricant deterioration detection sensor 4. For example, in the configuration example shown in FIG. 8, the lubricant deterioration detection sensor 4 includes a light emitting unit 35, a light receiving unit 36, and a determination unit 37 that are integrated with the detection unit 30 in, for example, a housing 44. Other configurations are the same as those in the configuration example of FIG.

  As described above, when the light emitting unit 35, the light receiving unit 36, and the determination unit 37 are integrated with the detection unit 30, the optical fibers 33 and 34 are connected to the bearing 1 in the deterioration detection of the lubricant 32 sealed inside the bearing 1. Wiring from the inside to the outside is unnecessary, and the lubricant deterioration detection sensor 4 can be easily installed.

  FIG. 10 shows still another configuration example of the lubricant deterioration detection sensor 4. In the configuration example shown in FIG. 6, the lubricant deterioration detection sensor 4 is configured to lubricate the light receiving side optical fiber 34 by reflecting light emitted from one end facing the lubricant 32 of the light emitting side optical fiber 33 by the reflecting member 45. One end of each of the optical fibers 33 and 34 and the reflecting member 45 are arranged so as to enter one end facing the agent 32. The light emitting unit 35, the light receiving unit 36, and the determination unit 37 are installed together with, for example, the housing 44 together with the detection unit 30.

As described above, when the light emitted from one end of the light-emitting side optical fiber 33 is incident on one end of the light-receiving side optical fiber 34 via the reflecting member 45, the one ends of the both optical fibers 33 and 34 are not arranged to face each other. Therefore, the degree of freedom of the direction of each one end is increased, and for example, the detection unit 30 can be attached to the seal portion of the bearing 1 or can be attached while being inserted into the lubricant 32.
Further, since the light emitting unit 35, the light receiving unit 36, and the determination unit 37 are integrated with the detection unit 30, the optical fibers 33 and 34 are connected to the bearing 1 in the deterioration detection of the lubricant 32 sealed inside the bearing 1. Wiring from the inside to the outside becomes unnecessary, and the lubricant deterioration detection sensor 4 can be easily installed.

  FIG. 11 shows still another configuration example of the lubricant deterioration detection sensor 4. This lubricant deterioration detection sensor 4 does not use an optical fiber, and interposes a lubricant 32 to be detected between a light emitting portion 35 and a light receiving portion 36 arranged opposite to each other, and passes through the lubricant 32 from the light emitting portion 35. The light to be detected is detected by the light receiving unit 36. The light-emitting unit 35, the light-receiving unit 36, and the circuit serving as the determination unit 37 that detects the deterioration of the lubricant 32 based on the detection output of the light-receiving unit 36 are mounted on the same circuit board 38. The light emitting unit 35, the light receiving unit 36, and the determination unit 37 are installed and integrated in the housing 44, and the housing 44 is provided with a concave portion 44 a that stores the lubricant 32.

  FIG. 12 shows still another configuration example of the lubricant deterioration detection sensor 4. In the lubricant deterioration detection sensor 4, the light emitting unit 35 and the light receiving unit 36 are arranged at an angle, and the light emitted from the light emitting unit 35 is scattered and reflected by the surface of the lubricant 32 and enters the light receiving unit 36. And determination means 37. The light emitting unit 35, the light receiving unit 36, and the circuit serving as the determination unit 37 are mounted on the same circuit board 38. The determination unit 37 estimates a foreign substance contained in the lubricant 32 from a change in the output of the light receiving unit 36 due to a change in the amount of light entering the light receiving unit 36. The detection signal of the determination means 37 is input to the IC tag 3 from the wiring cable 39, and the power is supplied from the IC tag 3 to the lubricant deterioration detection sensor 4 via the wiring cable 39 as in the case of each of the above configuration examples. It is the same.

In the lubricant deterioration detection sensor 4, the light emitted from the light emitting unit 35 is scattered and reflected by the surface of the lubricant 32, and a part of the scattered and reflected light is detected by the light receiving unit 36. If the content of foreign matter such as iron powder contained in the lubricant 32 increases, the amount of scattered / reflected light on the surface of the lubricant 32 decreases, so the determining means 37 determines the lubricant from the amount of scattered / reflected light detected by the light receiving unit 36. It is possible to estimate the amount of foreign matter contained in 32.
In the case of the lubricant 32 encapsulated inside the bearing, the main cause of the deterioration is that the wear powder such as iron powder generated with the use of the bearing is mixed. The deterioration state of the lubricant 32 can be determined by estimating the content of the wear powder as described above by the determination means 37.

13 and 14 show specific examples of the mechanical equipment 10 in FIG. As shown in FIG. 13, the machine facility 10 includes a conveyor line in which a plurality of belt conveyors 51 are arranged in series. This mechanical equipment 10 is, for example, a conveyor line that conveys coal from a coal storage unit to a boiler (not shown) in a thermal power plant.
Each belt conveyor 51 hangs the belt 7 between the end rollers 52 at both ends, and supports the belt 7 by a plurality of transport surface support rollers 8 and a return support roller 8 ′ arranged in the transport direction at an intermediate portion. Is. Both or one of the end rollers 52 at both ends is a driving roller. As shown in FIG. 14, each supporting roller 8 includes a horizontal central roller 8 aligned in the conveyor width direction and inclined side rollers 8 on both sides. The belt 7 is reversed by these three rollers 8. Supports trapezoidal groove shape. The rollers 8 at the center and both sides constitute a bearing unit 8A in which the rolling bearings 1 are incorporated at both ends in the roller 8. The inner ring of the rolling bearing 1 is fitted to a roller support shaft (not shown), and the rotor support shaft is fixedly installed on the conveyor frame 9.
The rolling bearing 1 of each of the rollers 8 in the mechanical equipment 10 including such a conveyor line is the bearing 1A with an IC tag / sensor to which the IC tag 3 and the lubricant deterioration detection sensor 4 are attached as described above.

FIG. 15 shows another example of a bearing with an IC tag / sensor. This IC tag / sensor-equipped bearing 1B is obtained by replacing the bearing 1 incorporated in a railway vehicle bearing unit with an IC tag / sensor-equipped bearing 1B. The railcar bearing unit in this case includes a bearing 1B with an IC tag and a sensor, and an oil drain 62 and a rear lid 63 which are accessory parts provided in contact with both sides of the inner ring 64 respectively. The bearing 1 is composed of a roller bearing, specifically, a double row tapered roller bearing, and includes divided inner rings 64 and 64 provided for the respective rollers 66 and 66, an integral outer ring 65, and the rollers 66 and 66. 66 and a retainer 67.
The rear lid 63 is attached to the axle 60 on the center side with respect to the bearing 1 and is in sliding contact with an outer peripheral oil seal 68. The oil drain 62 is attached to the axle 60 and has an oil seal 69 slidably contacted on the outer periphery. A lubricant is sealed inside the bearing 1 by both oil seals 68 and 69 arranged at both ends of the bearing 1, and dust and water resistance are ensured.

  Seal cases 70 and 71 are attached to both ends of the outer ring 65 of the bearing 1, and the oil seals 68 and 69 are provided on the seal cases 70 and 71, respectively. FIG. 16 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing an attachment structure of one oil seal 69. In the figure, a seal case 71 is an annular member having a cross-sectional shape in which a plurality of step portions are arranged stepwise in the axial direction, and one end of the seal case 71 is press-fitted to the inner diameter surface of the bearing outer ring 65. It is attached to the outer ring 65. A ring member 72 having an L-shaped cross section is attached to the inner diameter surface of the intermediate step portion 71 a of the seal case 71 by press-fitting the cylindrical portion 72 a, and a standing plate extending toward the inner diameter side of the ring member 72. The portion 72b is arranged so as to form a predetermined labyrinth gap with respect to the outer diameter surface of the oil drain 62. The oil seal 69 provided in the seal case 71 includes an annular cored bar 73 having an L-shaped cross section and an elastic member 74 fixed to the standing plate portion 73 b of the annular cored bar 73. The portion 73 a is fixed to the seal case 71 via the ring member 72 by press-fitting the inner surface of the cylindrical portion 72 a of the ring member 72. The elastic member 74 is formed with radial lips 74 a and 74 b that are in sliding contact with the outer diameter surface of the oil drain 62. The other end of the seal case 71 is loosely fitted into a ring-shaped groove 75 formed on the inwardly-width surface of the flange 62 a of the oil drain 62, so that the gap between the groove 75 and the other end of the seal case 71 is The labyrinth gap is formed in the. With such a configuration, at one end portion of the annular space between the inner and outer rings 64 and 65 of the bearing 1, a labyrinth gap formed between the ring member standing piece 72b and the outer diameter surface of the oil drain 62, and an oil Sealing is achieved by an oil seal 69 slidably contacting the outer diameter surface of the cut 62 and a labyrinth gap formed between the groove 75 of the oil cut 62 and the other end of the seal case 71. The description of the other end portion of the annular space between the inner and outer rings 64 and 65 of the bearing 1 is omitted, but the seal structure is the same as the one end portion described above.

  In this IC tag / sensor-equipped bearing 1B, the lubricant deterioration detection sensor 4 is disposed inside the oil seal 69 in the axial direction, and the IC tag 3 is disposed outside the seal case 71. Specifically, the deterioration detection sensor 4 is disposed on the surface of the ring member upright plate portion 72b facing inward in the axial direction, and the wiring cable 39 passes through the seal case 71 and is connected to the IC tag 3. The penetration portion of the wiring cable 39 in the seal case 71 is subjected to waterproofing / oilproofing treatment, thereby preventing moisture, dust, etc. from entering the bearing from the mounting portion of the lubricant deterioration detection sensor 4.

  For example, the outer ring 65 of the bearing 1 has a complicated manufacturing process and is severely demanding in strength. Therefore, when the IC tag 3 and the lubricant deterioration detection sensor 4 are incorporated, the number of processes is increased. However, when the IC tag 3 and the lubricant deterioration detection sensor 4 are arranged in the seal case 71, which is a simple part, the mounting process is easy. Further, when the IC tag 3 and the lubricant deterioration detection sensor 4 are arranged in the seal case 71, the other bearing components can be used in common with a general bearing that does not have an IC tag or the like attached, and the manufacturing process. Can be made the same and has excellent productivity.

It is a block diagram which shows the conceptual structure of the lubricant deterioration detection system of the bearing with an IC tag sensor concerning one Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the circuit structural example of the bearing mounting electronic component of the same lubricant deterioration detection system, and a tag reading / writing terminal. It is a block diagram of the modification of a bearing equipped electronic component. It is a block diagram of the other modification of a bearing equipped electronic component. It is a block diagram of the other modification of a bearing equipped electronic component. It is a principle block diagram of an example of the lubricant deterioration detection sensor mounted in a bearing equipped electronic component. It is a schematic block diagram of an example of a lubricant deterioration detection sensor. It is a schematic block diagram of the other example of a lubricant deterioration detection sensor. It is a schematic block diagram of further another example of the lubricant deterioration detection sensor. It is a schematic block diagram of further another example of the lubricant deterioration detection sensor. It is a schematic block diagram of further another example of the lubricant deterioration detection sensor. It is a schematic block diagram of further another example of the lubricant deterioration detection sensor. It is a side view of an example of the conveyor line used as the mechanical equipment to which this invention is applied. It is a cross-sectional view of one conveyor of the conveyor line. It is sectional drawing of an example of a bearing with an IC tag sensor. It is an enlarged view of the XVI part of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Rolling bearing 1A, 1B ... Bearing with IC tag sensor 2 ... Tag reading / writing terminal 3 ... IC tag 4 ... Lubricant deterioration detection sensor 5 ... Power supply circuit 6 ... Bearing equipped electronic component 8 ... Roller 8A ... Bearing unit 10 ... Mechanical equipment 12 ... antenna 13 ... central processing unit 17 ... temperature sensor (or vibration sensor)
20 ... Terminal moving means 32 ... Lubricant 35 ... Light emitting part 36 ... Light receiving part 37 ... Determination means 68, 69 ... Oil seals 70, 71 ... Seal case 65 ... Outer ring 67 ... Cage

Claims (8)

  An IC tag in the bearing, a power supply circuit that is built in the IC tag or provided separately from the IC tag, stores power supplied from the outside of the bearing without contact, and lubrication driven by the power supply A lubricant deterioration detection system for a bearing with an IC tag / sensor equipped with a tag reading / writing terminal, which is equipped with an agent deterioration detection sensor, and provided with a tag reading / writing terminal for reading / writing information on the IC tag and supplying power to the power supply circuit in a non-contact manner.   2. The lubricant deterioration detection of a bearing with an IC tag sensor in which one or a plurality of sensors that are driven by the power source and detect information different from the lubricant deterioration detection sensor are mounted on the bearing. system.   3. The lubricant deterioration detection system for a bearing with an IC tag / sensor according to claim 2, wherein the sensor for detecting the other information is a temperature sensor or a vibration sensor.   4. The lubricant deterioration detection system for a bearing with an IC tag / sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein identification information of a bearing on which the IC tag is mounted is stored in the IC tag.   5. The lubricant deterioration detection system according to claim 1, wherein the bearing is an axle bearing of a railway vehicle.   5. The seal case according to claim 4, wherein a seal case is attached to an end of the outer ring of the bearing, a seal for sealing the bearing space is provided in the seal case, the deterioration detection sensor is disposed inside the seal, and an IC is provided outside the seal case. Lubricant deterioration detection system for bearings with IC tags and sensors with tags.   The deterioration detection sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the deterioration detection sensor includes a light-emitting unit and a light-receiving unit in which a lubricant to be detected is interposed, and an output of the light-receiving unit. A lubricant deterioration detection system for a bearing with an IC tag and a sensor, comprising: a determination unit that obtains light transmittance and detects the amount of foreign matter mixed in the lubricant.   7. The deterioration detection sensor according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit are arranged at an angle, and the light emitted from the light emitting unit is scattered and reflected by the surface of the lubricant. A lubricant deterioration detection system for a bearing with an IC tag / sensor, comprising: an optical system that enters the optical system; and a determination unit that detects the amount of foreign matter mixed in the lubricant from a change in the output of the light receiving unit.

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