JP2008260449A - Bearing for wheel with bidirectional communication function - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a bearing for a wheel with a bidirectional communication function allowing bidirectional communication between a rotating side and a fixed side, reduction of the number of parts, communication of a detection signal of a load sensor regardless of whether the wheel is rotating or not, and easy wiring. <P>SOLUTION: Double row rolling elements 5 are interposed between an outer member 1 to be a fixed ring and an inner member 2 to be a rotary ring. A bidirectional communication means 21 performing bidirectional communication by non-contact is provided between the outer member 1 and the inner member 2. The inner member 2 or a member mounted on the inner member 2 is provided with the load sensor 18 for detecting grounding load of a wheel. A bidirectional communication auxiliary means supplying power and transmitting an output of the sensor to the load sensor 18 via the bidirectional communication means 21 is provided in the inner member 2. The bidirectional communication means 21 has a primary coil 22 installed in the fixed ring and a secondary coil 24 installed in the rotary ring, for instance, to transmit power and data by electromagnetic induction by impressing AC current. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a wheel bearing with a bidirectional communication function having a bidirectional communication function and a load detection function for exchanging signals and electric power between a rotating wheel and a fixed wheel in a non-contact manner.

  In recent years, in order to improve the stability of an automobile, a load acting on each wheel is detected and attitude control is performed according to the detected value. In order to detect the load on the wheel, for example, a sensor that detects a tire ground contact force by providing a sensor such as a pressure-sensitive conductive rubber body in a tread portion of a tire has been proposed (Patent Document 1). Further, there has been proposed one that detects a torque applied to a drive wheel during braking and acceleration with a strain gauge or the like provided on a hub flange (Patent Document 2). In addition to this, a tire air pressure sensor is provided to detect an applied load by tire air pressure (Patent Document 3). When the sensor is installed on the rotation side as in each of these examples, it is necessary to provide a power source and a sensor output signal transmission unit on the rotation side.

As a response to such a demand, a tire power supply device has been proposed in which an electromagnetic coil is provided on the tire rotation side and a magnetic field generating means is provided on the non-rotation side (for example, Patent Document 4). Further, a wheel bearing device in which a power generation device is incorporated in a wheel bearing has been proposed (Patent Document 5). Further, a bearing with a non-contact signal transmission mechanism in which a non-contact signal transmission mechanism is provided on the bearing has been proposed (for example, Patent Document 6). In addition, there is a means for supplying power to the rotating side by a method such as slip ring or wireless power feeding.
JP-A-2005-082010 JP 2003-246201 A JP-A-2005-257297 JP 2006-232195 A JP 2002-055113 A JP 2002-130262 A

  In Patent Document 4, a tire power supply device in which an electromagnetic coil is provided on the rotating side and a magnetic field generating means is provided on the non-rotating side, and a power generation device incorporated in a wheel bearing of Patent Document 5, both have power to the rotating side. Can only supply. For this reason, it is necessary to provide a means for transmitting the sensor output separately by light, wireless, or the like, which increases the number of parts and reduces the degree of freedom in design. In Patent Document 5, power is generated by the wheel bearing, but it is not used as power supply or communication means to the rotating side. The configurations of Patent Documents 4 and 5 can supply power only during rotation. In the configuration of Patent Document 6, since no connector is mounted, wiring on the rotation side is difficult. In addition, when a slip ring is used, friction and wiring management become a problem.

  The object of the present invention is to provide bidirectional communication between the rotating side and the fixed side when the load sensor is provided on the rotating side, so that the number of parts can be reduced and the degree of freedom in design can be improved. It is an object to provide a wheel bearing with a bidirectional communication function, which can communicate a detection signal regardless of whether or not, can be easily wired, and has no problem of increased friction for communication.

The wheel bearing with bidirectional communication function according to the present invention includes a fixed wheel having a double-row rolling surface, a rotating wheel having a rolling surface facing the rolling surface of the fixed wheel, and an opposing rolling wheel. In a wheel bearing comprising a double row rolling element interposed between running surfaces, and rotatably supporting the wheel with respect to the vehicle body,
A bidirectional communication means for bidirectionally communicating in a non-contact manner is provided between the fixed wheel and the rotating wheel, and a load sensor for detecting a ground load acting on a wheel attached to the rotating wheel is provided on the rotating wheel or the rotating wheel. Provided in a member attached to the rotating wheel, and provided with bidirectional communication auxiliary means for supplying power and transmitting sensor output to the load sensor via the bidirectional communication means, the fixed wheel, A connector connected to the bidirectional communication means is provided on one or both of the rotating wheels.

According to this configuration, since the bidirectional communication means for performing bidirectional communication between the fixed wheel and the rotating wheel is provided, the signal of the load sensor attached to the rotation side is transmitted to the fixed side via the bidirectional communication means. Thus, it is not necessary to provide means for wirelessly transmitting the load sensor signal. In addition, the contact load can be detected in real time. Even if there are a large number of load sensors, it is possible to send data to the bus collectively by a relay machine, so that the necessary number of load sensors can be connected with a small number of wires. In this case, for example, communication data may be exchanged by using an interface based on a serial communication protocol such as a CAN (Controller Area Network) bus. Further, by using the bidirectional communication means, it is possible to easily supply power from the fixed side to the rotating side. Unlike the generator, the bidirectional communication means can supply electric power without rotating. Therefore, a wireless power feeding function, a battery, a single power generation function, and the like necessary for a sensor attached to a tire or the like can be eliminated. Further, since the connector is provided on at least one of the fixed wheel and the rotating wheel, wiring on the wheel bearing and the vehicle body side or wiring on the wheel bearing and the tire or wheel side is facilitated. Wiring can be performed even after the wheel bearing is incorporated into the vehicle body or wheel, so that assembly is facilitated. Since the bidirectional communication means performs non-contact communication, there is no problem of increased friction.
In this way, bi-directional communication between the rotating side and the fixed side can be performed, the number of parts can be reduced, the degree of freedom in design can be improved, and the detection signal of the load sensor can be communicated regardless of whether it is rotating or stopped. It can be done, wiring is easy, and there is no problem of increased friction for communication.

  In this invention, the bidirectional communication means includes a primary coil wound around a core provided on the fixed wheel and a secondary coil wound around a core provided on the rotating wheel, and the primary coil A magnetic circuit may be constituted by the coil and the secondary coil. A so-called rotary transformer is used. Thereby, it becomes a structure suitable for the wheel bearing which has the rotating wheel which is a rotary body.

  As described above, when the primary coil and the secondary coil are used, the bidirectional communication unit may perform data communication and power transmission at different frequencies. For example, power transmission is performed on the low frequency side, and data transmission is performed on the high frequency side. Thereby, communication of data and electric power can be performed using a common primary coil and secondary coil.

  When data communication and power transmission are performed at different frequencies as described above, the primary coil and secondary coil cores are divided into a low frequency core and a high frequency core. May be provided. In this way, the efficiency of transmission can be increased by dividing the core according to the frequency.

As a result, the load sensor refers to a sensor that can detect a load acting on a wheel attached to the rotating wheel, and the direct detection target is not particularly limited to pressure, strain, torque, and the like.
For example, the load sensor may be a pressure-sensitive conductor that is provided in a tread portion of a tire and has a resistance value that changes depending on the working pressure. A pressure-sensitive conductive rubber body or the like can be used as the pressure-sensitive conductor, and may be installed in a tire embedded state. Further, the load sensors made of the pressure-sensitive conductor may be provided at a plurality of locations in the circumferential direction and the width direction in the tread portion of the tire. When providing a plurality of load sensors, the advantages of the present invention are more effectively exhibited.

  The load sensor may be a pressure sensor that detects an air pressure of a tire of a wheel attached to the rotating wheel. The load acting on the wheel can also be detected by changing the tire pressure.

  Further, the load sensor may be a strain sensor that detects strain of any of the rotating wheel, a wheel attached to the rotating wheel, and a brake rotor attached to the rotating wheel. The load acting on the wheel can also be detected by detecting the distortion of these members.

  Further, the load sensor may detect a torque of a brake in which a brake rotor is attached to the rotating wheel. By detecting the brake torque, the load in the vehicle traveling direction can be detected.

  In the present invention, the connector may be fixed to the rotating wheel or the fixed wheel. If the connector is fixed to the rotating wheel or the fixed wheel, the wiring does not get in the way when the wheel is assembled, and wiring to the tire side or the vehicle body side can be easily performed.

  You may arrange | position the connector which connects wiring to a tire or the wheel side in the internal diameter part of a rotating wheel, or the flange provided in the rotating wheel. This facilitates communication with tires and wheels. In addition, since the connector is disposed on the inner diameter portion or the flange of the rotating wheel, the connector does not interfere with peripheral components and wiring is easy.

Either one or both of the fixed ring and the rotating ring may be provided with a wiring hole or a wiring groove for leading the wiring to the outside of the bearing from the peripheral surfaces of the fixed ring and the rotating ring facing each other. Providing such wiring holes or wiring grooves facilitates drawing the wiring to the outside, and prevents the wiring from being disconnected when a constant velocity joint is assembled to the wheel bearing.
A part of the wiring hole or the wiring groove may be molded. By molding a part of the wiring hole or the wiring groove, foreign matter such as water can be prevented from entering the inside.

  In this invention, you may provide the control circuit which stabilizes the electric power to transmit to either one or both of the said fixed wheel and the said rotating wheel. This control circuit is, for example, a circuit including a rectifier circuit, a regulator, an inverter, and the like. By providing such a control circuit, stable power can be supplied.

  The wheel bearing with bidirectional communication function according to the present invention includes a fixed wheel having a double-row rolling surface, a rotating wheel having a rolling surface facing the rolling surface of the fixed wheel, and an opposing rolling wheel. In a wheel bearing having a double row rolling element interposed between running surfaces and rotatably supporting a wheel with respect to a vehicle body, non-contact communication is performed in a non-contact manner between the fixed wheel and the rotating wheel. A bidirectional sensor is provided, and a load sensor for detecting a ground load acting on a wheel attached to the rotating wheel is provided on the rotating wheel or a member attached to the rotating wheel, and the bidirectional communication is performed with respect to the load sensor. A rotation-side transmission / reception circuit for supplying power and transmitting sensor output via the means is provided in the rotating wheel, and one or both of the fixed wheel and the rotating wheel are connected to the bidirectional communication means Rotating Communication between the fixed side and the fixed side, reducing the number of parts and improving the degree of freedom of design, and the detection signal of the load sensor can be communicated regardless of whether it is rotating or stopped, and wiring is easy. Thus, there is an effect that the problem of increased friction for communication does not occur.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 shows an assembly drawing in which the wheel bearing with bidirectional communication function of this embodiment is fixed to a knuckle 60. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line I-O-I 'of FIG. The wheel bearing with bidirectional communication function of this embodiment is a third generation inner ring rotating type and is applied to a wheel bearing for driving wheel support. In this specification, the side closer to the outer side in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle when attached to the vehicle is referred to as the outboard side, and the side closer to the center of the vehicle is referred to as the inboard side.
As shown in a cross-sectional view in FIG. 2, the bearing for the wheel bearing with bidirectional communication function is opposed to the outer member 1 in which a double row rolling surface 3 is formed on the inner periphery, and the respective rolling surfaces 3. The inner member 2 in which the rolling surface 4 to be formed is formed, and the outer member 1 and the double row rolling elements 5 interposed between the rolling surfaces 3 and 4 of the inner member 2. This wheel bearing is a double-row angular ball bearing type, and the rolling elements 5 are made of balls and are held by a cage 6 for each row. The rolling surfaces 3 and 4 have a circular arc shape in cross section, and the rolling surfaces 3 and 4 are formed so that the contact angles are aligned with the back surface. Both ends of the bearing space between the outer member 1 and the inner member 2 are respectively sealed by seals 7 and 8 serving as sealing devices.

The outer member 1 is a fixed wheel, and has a vehicle body mounting flange 1a attached to a knuckle 60 (FIG. 1) in a vehicle suspension system (not shown) on the outer periphery, and the whole is an integral part. The flange 1 a is provided with bolt holes 14 for mounting the vehicle body at a plurality of locations in the circumferential direction, and the flange 1 a is connected to the knuckle 60 by bolts 61 (FIG. 1) that are screwed into the bolt holes 14.
The inner member 2 is a rotating wheel, and includes a hub wheel 9 having a hub flange 9a for wheel mounting, and an inner ring 10 fitted to the outer periphery of the inboard side end of the shaft portion of the hub wheel 9. The hub wheel 9 and the inner ring 10 are formed with the rolling surfaces 4 of the respective rows. An inner ring fitting surface 12 having a small diameter with a step is provided on the outer periphery of the inboard side end of the hub wheel 9, and the inner ring 10 is fitted to the inner ring fitting surface 12. In FIG. 1, the inboard side end of the hub wheel 9 is a caulking portion 9 c for caulking and fixing the inner ring 10, but the inner ring 10 is attached to the inner ring fitting surface 12 without caulking as shown in FIG. 2. It may be fixed. A through hole 11 is provided at the center of the hub wheel 9. As shown in FIG. 1, the stem portion 63 a of the outer ring 63 of the constant velocity joint 62 is inserted into the through hole 11, and the inner member 2 is interposed between the stepped surface around the proximal end of the stem portion 63 a and the nut 64 at the distal end. The wheel bearing and the constant velocity joint 62 are connected to each other. The hub flange 9a is provided with press-fit holes 16 for hub bolts at a plurality of locations in the circumferential direction. In the vicinity of the base portion of the hub flange 9a of the hub wheel 9, a cylindrical pilot portion 13 for guiding the brake rotor 40 and the wheel 50 (FIG. 1) protrudes toward the outboard side. With the guidance of the pilot portion 13, the brake rotor 40 and the wheel 50 are overlapped on the hub flange 9a and fixed with the hub bolt 15 (FIG. 1). A tire 50 a is attached to the wheel 50.

  The wheel bearing is provided with a bidirectional communication means 21 that performs bidirectional communication without contact between the outer member 1 that is a fixed wheel and the inner member 2 that is a rotating wheel. The bidirectional communication means 21 is disposed between the double row rolling surfaces 3 and 3 (4, 4). A load sensor 18 for detecting a load acting on the wheel bearing is provided on the hub flange 9a of the inner member 2 that is a rotating wheel.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the bidirectional communication means 21 includes a primary coil 22, a stator core 23, a secondary coil 24, a rotor core 25, and wirings 26 and 27. The primary coil 22 and the secondary coil 24 are provided so as to constitute one magnetic circuit. The stator core 23 is made of a ring-shaped member having a groove on the inner diameter surface, and a primary coil 22 is wound in the groove. The rotor core 25 is made of a ring-shaped member having a groove on the outer diameter surface, and a secondary coil 24 is wound in the groove. A part of the stator core 23 and the rotor core 25 is provided with a wiring hole (not shown) for passing wiring. The stator core 23 and the primary coil 22 are in the radial direction on the inner diameter surface of the outer member 1 that is a fixed ring, and the rotor core 25 and the secondary coil 24 are on the outer diameter surface of the inner member 2 that is a rotating wheel. It is installed so as to face. The stator core 23 and the rotor core 25 are fixed to the outer member 1 and the inner member 2 by a method such as press fitting or adhesion. In order to position the stator core 23 and the rotor core 25 in the axial direction, a step, a protrusion (not shown), or the like may be provided on the inner diameter surface of the outer member 1 or the outer diameter surface of the inner member 2.

  The outer member 1 that is a fixed ring is provided with a wiring hole 28 through which the wiring 26 connected to the primary coil 22 passes from the inner diameter surface to the outer diameter surface. The hub wheel 9 of the inner member 2 that is a rotating wheel is provided with a wiring hole 29 through which the wiring 27 connected to the secondary coil 24 passes from the outer diameter surface to the inner diameter surface. A wiring groove 30 is provided in a part of the wiring groove 27 so as to extend the wiring 27 in the axial direction. When the primary coil 22 and the stator core 23 are assembled, the wire 26 may be fitted to the inner diameter surface of the outer member 1 from the axial direction in a state where the wire 26 is passed through the wire hole 28 in advance.

  Connectors 31 and 32 for connecting the wires 26 and 27 to the vehicle body side and the hub flange 9a of the rotating wheel 2 are provided at the ends of the wires 26 and 27, respectively. The connector 32 connected to the load sensor 18 provided on the hub flange 9a is fixed to the end face on the outboard side of the hub wheel 9 in the inner member 2 at an inner diameter portion than the pilot portion 13. The connector 31 for connecting to the vehicle body side is provided in a state where it is not fixed to the outer diameter surface of the outer member 1. The connector 31 may be fixed to the outer member 1 as shown in FIG.

  The connectors 31 and 32 connect both of the power lines 26 and 27 that supply power from the fixed side to the rotating side and signal lines that transmit output signals from sensors and the like from the rotating side to the fixed side. .

The connectors 31 and 32 are one of plug-in connector pairs in which a pair of connectors are inserted and connected to each other, and may be either a plug type or a socket type. The connectors 31 and 32 may be multipolar or coaxial.
FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing an example of the connector 32 fixed to the hub wheel 9 and the connector 33 of the wiring 34 connected to the connector 32 on the hub flange 9a side.

The fixed-side connector 31 and the rotary-side connector 32 are connected to the connectors 31 and 32 through the connectors 35 and 33 and their wirings 37 and 34. 38, 39. The power supply and the load sensor 18 are connected via the bidirectional communication auxiliary means 38 and 39. As shown in FIG. 1, the wiring 70 extending from the bidirectional communication auxiliary means 39 to the load sensor 18 passes through the inner diameter portion of the wheel 50 and the root portion of the hub flange 9 a in the axial direction, and inboard side of the hub flange 9 a. Is connected to a load sensor 18 disposed at the base of the side surface facing.
The load sensor 18 may be any sensor that detects a contact load acting on the tire 50a of the wheel 50, and a detection target to be directly detected is not particularly limited. In this embodiment, the load sensor 18 is a strain sensor such as a strain gauge that detects the strain of the hub flange 9a of the wheel bearing. In addition, the load sensor 18 may be an ultrasonic sensor or a displacement sensor that detects the displacement of the hub flange 9a or other members. In the illustrated example, the load sensor 18 is installed on the hub flange 9a. However, the installation location and the number of the load sensors 18 may be freely designed.

The bidirectional communication auxiliary means 38 and 39 are electric circuits for supplying power to the load sensor 18 and transmitting sensor output via the bidirectional communication means 21, for example, an AC voltage for transmitting electric power. , Generating a carrier wave for transmitting data, and superimposing a signal on the carrier wave.
An example in which electric power is transmitted from the fixed side to the load sensor 18 on the rotation side and data of the load sensor 18 is transmitted to the outside from the rotation side will be described. In this case, the fixed-side bidirectional history assisting means 38 includes an alternating current generation function unit that converts a direct current of a power source (not shown) into an alternating current having a frequency for transmission via the bidirectional communication means 21. , And a demodulating means for extracting a signal component from the received current. The rotation-side bidirectional communication auxiliary means 39 includes a rectifying means for converting the received alternating current into a direct current to be used as a power source for the load sensor 18, and a modulating means for superimposing the output signal of the load sensor 18 on the carrier wave. It is supposed to have.
In this example, the two-way communication auxiliary means 38 and 39 perform data communication and power transmission at different frequencies. In this case, power is performed on the low frequency side and data is performed on the high frequency side.

When a plurality of load sensors 18 or other types of sensors are provided on the rotation side, a relay device is provided in the bidirectional communication auxiliary means 39 on the rotation side, and communication data such as a plurality of sensor outputs is serially transmitted to the relay device. An interface for receiving data is provided. As this interface, for example, a serial communication protocol such as CAN is used. The fixed-side bidirectional communication auxiliary means 38 is provided with means for extracting signals transmitted by serial communication as outputs of individual sensors.

The fixed-side bidirectional communication auxiliary means 38 may be provided independently, or may be incorporated in an electric control unit (ECU) of an automobile. Further, the bidirectional communication auxiliary means 39 on the rotation side may be provided independently or may be assembled as an integral part of the load sensor 18.

  Further, a confirmation means 49 for confirming whether or not the communication by the bidirectional communication means 21 is normally established may be provided. The confirmation means 49 may be provided, for example, in the fixed-side bidirectional communication auxiliary means 38, or may be provided in the fixed-side connector 31 or between the connector 31 and the primary coil 22.

  According to the wheel bearing with bidirectional communication function configured as described above, since the bidirectional communication means 21 and the load sensor 18 are provided, for example, from the outer member 1 side that is a fixed wheel to the inner member 2 side that is a rotating wheel. When supplying electric power, when an AC voltage is applied to the primary coil 22, it is transmitted to the secondary coil 24 as inductive power by the magnetic flux generated in the cores 23 and 25. Therefore, power can be supplied to the load sensor 18 on the rotation side without contact. In this case, unlike the generator, the bidirectional communication means 21 can supply electric power without rotating. Therefore, a wireless power feeding function, a battery, a single power generation function, and the like necessary for the load sensor 18 attached to the inner member 2 that is a rotating wheel can be eliminated.

  Further, means for transmitting the detection signal of the load sensor 18 wirelessly by transmitting the detection signal of the load sensor 18 attached to the rotation side to the fixed side via the bidirectional communication means 21 by the bidirectional communication means 21. It becomes unnecessary to provide. Even if there are a large number of load sensors 18 or other types of sensors, it is possible to send data to the bus collectively by the relay as described above, so that only the necessary number of sensors can be connected with less wiring. . In that case, the communication data may be exchanged by using an interface based on a serial communication protocol such as a CAN bus as described above.

  As the connectors 31 and 32, it is preferable to use a connector that is waterproof in a plugged connection state that is in a fitted state. By doing so, it can be used even under poor conditions such as undercarriage of automobiles. The wiring 27 on the hub wheel 9 side is preferably fixed in the wiring groove 30. Then, when the constant velocity joint 62 is assembled, the wiring 27 does not get in the way and can be assembled without being disconnected. If parts of the wiring holes 28 and 29 and the wiring groove 30 are molded with a molding resin (not shown) or the like, water or the like can be prevented from entering the bearing. The primary coil 22 and the secondary coil 24 may be covered with a cover (not shown) made of resin or the like that serves as a protective partition, thereby protecting the coils 22 and 24.

  In this embodiment, a rotary transformer structure composed of a primary coil 22 and a secondary coil 24 is shown as the bidirectional communication means 21, but the bidirectional communication means 21 is non-contact data communication and power supply. In addition, the power may be transmitted using infrared rays, light, radio waves, ultrasonic waves, capacitive coupling, magnetic coupling, or the like. However, in the case of a rotating body such as a wheel bearing, a rotary transformer structure like this embodiment is considered suitable.

  FIG. 5 shows another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the load sensor 18 is disposed on the surface of the wheel 50 facing the outboard side. The bidirectional communication auxiliary means 39 and the wiring 70 are arranged on the load sensor arrangement surface of the wheel 50. The load sensor 18 includes a strain gauge that detects a strain of the wheel due to a load acting on the wheel bearing. What is necessary is just to design the installation location and installation number of the load sensor 18 in the wheel 50 arbitrarily.

  In this embodiment, since the bidirectional communication means 21 is connected to the load sensor 18 disposed on the wheel 50 via the connector 32, the wiring is not obstructed when the wheel bearing is installed on the wheel 50. Wiring with the wheel 50 can be performed even before the bearing is installed.

6 and 7 show still another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the load sensor 18 is disposed inside the tire 50 a of the wheel 50. Specifically, it is installed inside the tread portion 50aa of the tire 50a. In this case, the load sensor 18 may be a strain sensor that detects distortion of the tire 50a, a pressure-sensitive sensor that detects pressure of the tire 50a, or an air pressure sensor that detects air pressure in the tire 50a. When a pressure-sensitive sensor is used, a pressure-sensitive conductor such as a pressure-sensitive conductive rubber body whose resistance value changes depending on the working pressure is used. The load sensor 18 may be embedded in the tire 50a.
In this embodiment, the bidirectional communication means 21 includes first and second bidirectional communication means portions 211 and 212. Further, the first bidirectional communication means 21 1 is the same as the bidirectional communication means 21 described above with reference to FIG.
As shown in a partially enlarged view in FIG. 7, the second bidirectional communication means 21 2 includes a primary coil 22B and a secondary coil 24B, which are an outer periphery of the outer member 1 that is a fixed ring and an inner ring that is a rotating ring. It is located on the outer periphery of the side member 2 and is opposed to each other in the axial direction. The stator core 23B is fixed to the outer diameter surface of the outer member 1, and the rotor core 25B is fixed to the side surface of the hub flange 9a. The stator core 23B and the rotor core 25B are ring-shaped with grooves on the side surfaces, and the primary coil 22B and the secondary coil 24B are accommodated in the grooves, respectively. Primary coil 22B is connected to connector 31 'attached to stator core 23B by wiring (not shown). The secondary coil 24B is connected to the connector 32 'via the wiring 27'. The wiring 27 'is inserted into a wiring hole 42 provided in the hub flange 9a, and the connector 32' is fixed to the side surface of the hub flange 9a. Note that a relief groove (not shown) into which the connector 32 ′ enters is formed in the wheel 50 and the brake rotor 40 that are attached to the hub flange 9 a in an overlapping manner. The connector 32 'is connected to the load sensor 18 in the tire 50a through the connector 33' and the wiring 70 '. The wiring 70 ′ is connected to the load sensor 18 in the tire 50 a from the surface facing the outboard side of the wheel 50 through the hole 80 formed in the wheel 50. The hole 80 is provided with a seal connector (not shown) or the like to provide a sealing property.

  Thus, when the load sensor 18 is installed in the tread portion 50a of the tire 50a, the ground load can be directly detected. Further, as in this embodiment, when two systems of two-way communication means 211 and 212 are provided as the two-way communication means 21, one of them, for example, the second two-way communication means section 212 is connected to the power supply. The first two-way communication means 21 1 used for transmission and the other can be used for data transmission and reception. In this case, the frequency may be different between power transmission and data communication so that power is transmitted on the low frequency side and data is transmitted on the high frequency side. Thereby, efficient transmission can be performed.

FIG. 8 shows still another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the load sensor 18 is disposed on the brake rotor 40 and detects brake torque during braking. A strain gauge or the like is used for the load sensor 18. The installation location of the load sensor 18 may be any location where the brake torque can be detected, and is not limited to the illustrated location. The number of load sensors 18 may be appropriately designed.
The bidirectional communication means is provided with a bidirectional communication means portion 21 2 having the same configuration as the second bidirectional communication means portion in the embodiment shown in FIGS. This bidirectional communication means section 21 2 is connected to the load sensor 18 via connectors 32 ', 33', wiring 34 ', bidirectional communication auxiliary means 39, wiring 70'. The first bidirectional communication means 211 in the embodiment of FIGS. 6 and 7 is omitted. In this embodiment, power is transmitted and sensor output is transmitted by one bidirectional communication means unit 21 2. Other configurations are the same as those of the embodiment shown in FIGS.

FIG. 9 shows still another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the primary coil 22 and the secondary coil 24 in the bidirectional communication means 21 are installed so as to face each other in the axial direction. Stator core 23A and rotor core 25A are ring-shaped members having an L-shaped cross section, and primary coil 22 and secondary coil 24 are wound therein.
A magnetic path, that is, a magnetic circuit when an alternating voltage is applied to the primary coil 22 or the secondary coil 24 includes a part of the hub wheel 9 constituting the rotating wheel. If the magnetic circuit is configured to include a part of the hub wheel 9 in this way, the magnetic circuit can be easily configured, and the shapes of the rotor core 25A and the stator core 23A can be simplified. Other configurations and effects are the same as those of the embodiment of FIG.

  FIG. 10 shows still another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, for example, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the two-way communication means 21 includes the proximal end of the hub flange 9 a of the hub wheel 9 constituting the rotating wheel and the outboard side of the outer member 1 serving as a fixed wheel. It arrange | positions between the internal-diameter surfaces of an end. The primary coil 22 and the secondary coil 24 are arranged so as to face each other in the axial direction. A sealing device 7B is provided between the hub flange 9a of the rotating wheel and the end face of the outer member 1 on the outboard side. A part of the hub flange 9a in the circumferential direction is provided with a wiring groove 36 that extends the wiring 27 of the secondary coil, and the connector 32 connected to the wiring 27 is exposed to the outside from the outer diameter surface of the hub flange 9a. I'm out. The portion of the wiring 27 that protrudes from the hub flange 9a is preferably provided with a wiring hole 41 in a part of the brake rotor 40 and pulled out to the outer diameter side. Other configurations are the same as those of the embodiment described above with reference to FIG.

FIG. 11 shows still another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, for example, in the embodiment of FIG. 10, control circuits 53 and 54 are respectively installed on the hub wheel 9 of the inner member 2 constituting the rotating wheel and the outer member 1 which is a fixed wheel. The control circuits 53 and 54 are formed by mounting circuit elements on a circuit board or a circuit chip, and are fixed to the side surface of the hub flange 9 a of the hub wheel 9 and the outer diameter surface of the outer member 1. These control circuits 53 and 54 stabilize the transmitted power and include a rectifier circuit, a regulator, an inverter, and the like. For example, an inverter is provided in the control circuit 54 on the outer member 1 side which is a fixed wheel, and a rectifier circuit and a regulator are provided on the hub wheel 9 side constituting the rotating wheel. Thereby, the DC voltage from the vehicle body side is converted into an AC voltage, and the AC voltage is applied to the primary coil 22. When an AC voltage is applied to the primary coil 22, it is transmitted as inductive power to the secondary coil 24. Therefore, the AC voltage generated in the secondary coil 24 is converted into a DC voltage by a rectifier circuit, and smoothed and made constant by a regulator. Can output stable power to sensors installed on tires and wheels. The guide groove 36 of the wiring 27 provided in the hub flange 9 a extends from the inner diameter portion of the hub flange to the mounting position of the control circuit 53. Other configurations in this embodiment are the same as those in the embodiment shown in FIG.
The control circuits 53 and 54 may be provided with the functions of the rotation-side bidirectional communication auxiliary means 39 and the fixed-side bidirectional communication auxiliary means 38 described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 12 shows still another embodiment of the present invention. In the wheel bearing with bidirectional communication function, for example, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the bidirectional communication means 21 includes a primary coil for transmission 22 a and a primary coil for reception 22 b provided on the stator core 23, and a rotor core 25. The secondary coil for transmission 24a and the secondary coil for reception 24b are provided.
The stator core 23 is a ring-shaped member having two grooves on the inner periphery, and a primary coil for transmission 22a and a primary coil for reception 22b are accommodated in each groove, and the primary for transmission and reception are contained therein. The coils 22a and 22b are common. The rotor core 25 is a ring-shaped member having two grooves on the outer periphery, and a secondary coil for transmission 24a and a secondary coil for reception 24b are accommodated in each groove, and these secondary coils for transmission and reception are accommodated. 24a and 24b are common.

  The stator core 23 is attached to the inner peripheral surface of the outer member 1 that is a fixed wheel, and the rotor core 25 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the hub wheel 9 constituting the rotating wheel. The primary coil for transmission 22a of the stator core 23 and the secondary coil for transmission 24a of the rotor core 25 are opposed to each other to form a magnetic circuit, and the primary coil for reception 22b of the stator core 23 and the secondary coil for reception of the rotor core 25 are received. 24b face each other to constitute a magnetic circuit.

  The fixed-side wiring 26 has a power wiring and a data wiring. The power wiring is connected to the transmission primary coil 22a, and the data wiring is connected to the reception primary coil 22b. The rotation-side wiring 27 has a power line and a signal line, the power line is connected to the secondary coil for transmission 24a, and the signal line is connected to the secondary coil for reception 24b.

  In this embodiment, electric power is transmitted between the primary coil 22a and the secondary coil 24a, and data is transmitted between the primary coil 22b and the secondary coil 24b. Other configurations in this embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment.

  FIG. 13 shows still another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, for example, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, the first bidirectional communication means unit 211 has the same configuration as the bidirectional communication means 21 described above with reference to FIG.

In each of the above embodiments, the two-way communication means 21 is disposed between the double row rolling surfaces 3 and 3 or at the outboard side end of the wheel bearing device. Bi-directional communication means 21 may be provided to supply power and transmit output signals to the sensor installed at the constant velocity joint. In that case, the primary coil 22 may be provided on the inboard side end surface of the outer member 1 serving as a fixed ring, and the secondary coil 24 may be provided on the inner ring 10.
In each of the above embodiments, the outer member 1 is a fixed ring, but the present invention can also be applied to a wheel bearing device in which the inner member is a fixed ring and the outer member is a rotating wheel.
Furthermore, this invention can be applied not only to wheel bearings for driving wheels but also to wheel bearings for driven wheels.

It is sectional drawing of the wheel assembly | attachment state of the wheel bearing with a bidirectional | two-way communication function concerning 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is an expanded sectional view of the example which changed a part which shows the bearing part of the bearing for wheels with the bidirectional communication function. It is the side view which looked at the same bearing for wheels with a bidirectional communication function from the inboard side. It is the schematic which shows an example of a connector. It is sectional drawing which shows other embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows other embodiment of this invention. It is a partial expanded sectional view of the wheel bearing with the same bidirectional communication function. It is sectional drawing which shows other embodiment of this invention. It is an expanded sectional view showing other embodiments of this invention. It is an expanded sectional view showing other embodiments of this invention. It is an expanded sectional view showing other embodiments of this invention. It is an expanded sectional view showing other embodiments of this invention. It is an expanded sectional view showing other embodiments of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1. Outer member (fixed ring)
2 ... Inward member (rotating wheel)
3, 4 ... rolling surface 5 ... rolling element 18 ... load sensor 21 ... bi-directional communication means 22 ... primary coil 23 ... stator core 24 ... secondary coil 25 ... rotor cores 26, 27 ... wiring 28, 29 ... wiring hole 30 ... Wiring grooves 31, 32 ... connectors 38, 39 ... bidirectional communication auxiliary means 50 ... wheels 50a ... tires 50aa ... treads 53, 54 ... control circuit

Claims (12)

A fixed ring having a double row rolling surface, a rotating wheel having a rolling surface facing the rolling surface of the fixed wheel, and a double row rolling element interposed between the facing rolling surfaces. In the wheel bearing that supports the wheel rotatably with respect to the vehicle body,
A bidirectional communication means for bidirectionally communicating in a non-contact manner is provided between the fixed wheel and the rotating wheel, and a load sensor for detecting a ground load acting on a wheel attached to the rotating wheel is provided on the rotating wheel or the rotating wheel. Provided in a member attached to the rotating wheel, and provided with bidirectional communication auxiliary means for supplying power and transmitting sensor output to the load sensor via the bidirectional communication means, the fixed wheel, A wheel bearing with bidirectional communication function, characterized in that a connector connected to the bidirectional communication means is provided on one or both of the rotating wheels.   2. The bidirectional communication means according to claim 1, wherein the bidirectional communication means includes a primary coil wound around a core provided on the fixed wheel and a secondary coil wound around a core provided on the rotating wheel. A bearing for a wheel with a bidirectional communication function, wherein a magnetic circuit is constituted by a secondary coil and the secondary coil.   3. The wheel bearing with bidirectional communication function according to claim 2, wherein the bidirectional communication means performs data communication and power transmission at different frequencies.   The bidirectional communication function according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the load sensor is a pressure-sensitive conductor that is provided in a tread portion of a tire and changes a resistance value according to an applied pressure. Wheel bearing.   4. The wheel with bidirectional communication function according to claim 1, wherein the load sensor is a pressure sensor that detects a tire air pressure of a wheel attached to the rotating wheel. bearing.   4. The distortion sensor according to claim 1, wherein the load sensor has a distortion of any of the rotating wheel, a wheel attached to the rotating wheel, and a brake rotor attached to the rotating wheel. A bearing for a wheel with a bidirectional communication function, characterized by being a strain sensor for detection.   4. The wheel with bidirectional communication function according to claim 1, wherein the load sensor detects a torque of a brake in which a brake rotor is attached to the rotating wheel. bearing.   The wheel bearing with bidirectional communication function according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the connector is fixed to the rotating wheel or the fixed wheel.   9. The device according to claim 1, wherein the connector includes a connector for connecting a wiring to a tire or a wheel, and the connector is disposed on an inner diameter portion of the rotating wheel. Bearing for wheel with communication function.   9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the connector includes a connector for connecting a wiring to a tire or a wheel, and the connector is disposed on a flange provided on the rotating wheel. Wheel bearing with bidirectional communication function.   11. The wiring according to claim 1, wherein one or both of the fixed ring and the rotating ring are provided with a wiring to the outside of the bearing from the circumferential surfaces of the fixed ring and the rotating ring facing each other. A bearing for a wheel with a bidirectional communication function, characterized by having a hole or a wiring groove.   The stabilization of electric power to be transmitted to one or both of the fixed wheel and the rotating wheel, wherein the bidirectional communication means has a function of transmitting electric power. A wheel bearing with a bidirectional communication function, comprising a control circuit for performing

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