JP7284119B2 - Lubricant containment device, lubricant and additive - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a lubricant encapsulating device, a lubricant and an additive.

A machine such as a gear device contains a lubricant to reduce the friction that occurs in sliding parts (hereafter, all machines containing a lubricant are referred to as a "lubricant encapsulating device"). Lubricants are known to gradually deteriorate depending on the environment and conditions of use, and a means for suppressing the deterioration of the lubricant is provided in the lubricant enclosing device.

For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses means for enlarging the space for containing the lubricant, a cooling air A means for suppressing a rise in the temperature of the lubricant by cooling the lubricant is disclosed.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-113908

As described in Patent Document 1, while means for suppressing the deterioration of the lubricant in the lubricant enclosing device have been studied, it is necessary to grasp the extent to which the lubricant in the lubricant enclosing device has deteriorated. is also necessary.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a lubricant enclosing device capable of grasping the deterioration of the lubricant in the lubricant enclosing device. Another object of the present invention is to provide a lubricant and an additive that enable the deterioration of the lubricant to be grasped.

A lubricant enclosing device according to the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems is a lubricant enclosing device in which a lubricant is enclosed, and the molecular structure of a portion in contact with the enclosed lubricant changes depending on the pH of the lubricant. It is characterized in that a pH-responsive substance is arranged.
According to the lubricant enclosing device of the present invention, by arranging the pH responsive substance so as to be in contact with the enclosed lubricant, the change in the molecular structure of the pH responsive substance that occurs in accordance with the pH of the lubricant causes the lubrication. It becomes possible to grasp the pH fluctuation of the agent. That is, it is possible to grasp the pH fluctuation of the lubricant in the lubricant filling device without collecting the lubricant from the lubricant filling device. This makes it possible to monitor the pH variation of the lubricant during operation of the lubricant enclosing device.

Further, as one embodiment of the lubricant enclosing device of the present invention, the pH-responsive substance is characterized in that its color changes according to the pH of the lubricant.
According to this feature, it is possible to grasp the pH fluctuation of the lubricant as a color change. This makes it possible to monitor the pH variation of the lubricant with a simple means.

Further, as one embodiment of the lubricant enclosing device of the present invention, the lubricant enclosing device includes a casing and a confirmation window through which the inside of the casing can be confirmed, and the pH-responsive substance is located at a location through which the confirmation window can be confirmed. It has the characteristic that it is arranged in
According to this feature, it is possible to confirm the change in the molecular structure of the pH-responsive substance from the outside of the lubricant enclosing device, and to grasp the pH fluctuation of the lubricant. This makes it possible to easily monitor the pH fluctuation of the lubricant during operation of the lubricant enclosing device.

Further, as one embodiment of the lubricant filling device of the present invention, the confirmation window is characterized by being an oil gauge for confirming the liquid level of the sealed lubricant.
According to this feature, by making the oil gauge also function as a confirmation window, the structure for monitoring the pH fluctuation of the lubricant can be simplified, and the pH fluctuation of the lubricant can be monitored at low cost. .

Further, one embodiment of the lubricant filling device of the present invention is characterized in that the pH-responsive substance is retained in the confirmation window.
According to this feature, it becomes easy to confirm through the confirmation window how the molecular structure of the pH-responsive substance changes according to the pH of the lubricant. Monitoring can be performed more easily.

Further, one embodiment of the lubricant enclosing device of the present invention is characterized in that it comprises a foreign matter removing means for removing foreign matter from the lubricant before coming into contact with the pH-responsive substance.
According to this feature, foreign matter contained in the lubricant can be prevented from hindering the reaction between the pH-responsive substance and the lubricant, and can be a hindrance factor when confirming the state of structural change of the pH-responsive substance. It is possible to remove things. This makes it possible to improve the accuracy of monitoring pH fluctuations of the lubricant during operation of the lubricant encapsulating device.

Further, as one embodiment of the lubricant enclosing device of the present invention, the lubricant enclosing device is a gear device having an input stage gear set and an output stage gear set, and the pH responsive substance is more than the output stage gear set. It has the characteristic of being located close to the input stage gear set.
According to this feature, in the gear device, by arranging the pH-responsive substance on the side where the rotation speed of the gear is high (on the side of the input stage gear set), the pH fluctuation of the lubricant can be monitored at the location where the lubricant is stirred with high efficiency. can do. As a result, it is possible to monitor pH fluctuations of the lubricant at locations where the lubricant is uniform, and to increase the accuracy of monitoring.

Further, the lubricant of the present invention for solving the above problems is characterized by containing a lubricating oil and a pH-responsive substance whose molecular structure changes depending on pH.
According to this lubricant, it is possible to suppress the friction and wear of the sliding portion in various devices having the sliding portion, and to quickly grasp the pH fluctuation of the lubricant.

Further, an additive of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems is an additive added to a lubricant, characterized in that the additive contains a pH-responsive substance whose molecular structure changes depending on pH.
By adding this additive to a lubricant, it is possible to obtain a lubricant whose pH fluctuation can be quickly grasped.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a lubricant enclosing device capable of monitoring pH fluctuations of the lubricant during operation of the lubricant enclosing device. In addition, it is possible to provide a lubricant and an additive that enable the pH fluctuation of the lubricant to be quickly grasped.

1 is a schematic explanatory diagram of a lubricant enclosing device according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing the arrangement of a pH-responsive substance in the lubricant filling device according to the first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 10 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing the arrangement of a pH-responsive substance in a lubricant filling device according to a second embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 10 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing the arrangement of a pH-responsive substance in a lubricant filling device according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

Lubricants may undergo pH fluctuations due to oxidative deterioration or contamination with moisture. Therefore, it is important to know the pH variation of the lubricant. As a means to grasp the pH fluctuation of the lubricant in the lubricant enclosing device, the lubricant is sampled while the operation of the lubricant enclosing device is stopped, and the pH of the sampled lubricant is analyzed using various analyzers. is being done.
However, it is not realistic to check the pH of the lubricant by frequently stopping the operation of the lubricant enclosing device, and it takes a certain amount of time for analysis. was difficult.
As a result of intensive studies on the above-mentioned problems, the inventors of the present invention have found that it is possible to grasp the pH fluctuation of a lubricant in real time by contacting the lubricant with a substance whose molecular structure changes depending on the pH of the lubricant. The present invention was completed after discovering that
[Lubricant filling device]
The lubricating agent encapsulating device of the present invention is a mechanical device having various sliding parts such as gears, cams, and bearings. can be arranged, and other structures are not particularly limited.

Lubricant containment devices of the present invention include, for example, those known as gear trains.
A gear device is a mechanical device that increases or decreases the rotational speed of power using gears or the like to output power. As an output, a torque proportional to a reduction ratio such as a gear ratio or a pulley ratio can be obtained. Among the gear devices, the speed reducer is mainly used for the output shaft of the prime mover, but it may also be used for the rear stage of the transmission such as the final speed reducer of the automobile. Also, in industrial applications, railway vehicles, etc., they are often combined with motors. Other examples include those that are used to drive ship screw propellers and aircraft propellers.

Specific examples of the lubricant encapsulating device (gear device) of the present invention include, for example, parallel shaft type speed reducers such as parallel shaft gear speed reducers and helical speed reducers, worm speed reducers, bevel gear speed reducers and hypoid speed reducers. orthogonal shaft type speed reducer, concentric shaft type speed reducer such as planetary gear speed reducer, strain wave gear speed reducer and eccentric oscillating type speed reducer, and traction drive type speed reducer such as roller speed reducer.
In the following embodiments, the structure of a gear device (parallel shaft speed reducer) will be mainly described as a lubricant enclosing device, but the present invention is not limited to this.

[lubricant]
The lubricant of the present invention is a lubricant whose pH fluctuation can be quickly grasped, and contains a lubricating oil and a pH-responsive substance whose molecular structure changes depending on the pH of the lubricant. That is, in the present specification, the term "lubricating oil" refers to a lubricating oil that has a lubricating component for suppressing friction and wear in sliding parts in a device, or for suppressing heat generation, and a pH-responsive substance is added to the lubricating oil. What is added as an additive is expressed as a "lubricant".

According to this lubricant, in various mechanical devices having sliding parts, friction and wear of the sliding parts can be suppressed, pH fluctuations of the lubricant can be quickly grasped, and deterioration of the lubricant can be prevented. Appropriate monitoring becomes possible. In other words, the mechanical device to which the lubricant of the present invention can be applied is not limited to the lubricant enclosing device, but can be applied to various mechanical devices having a sliding portion that contacts the lubricant without providing a space for enclosing the lubricant. is also applicable. For example, it can be applied to a cylinder device having a rod, a ball screw device, and the like.

(Lubricant)
Lubricating oil is an oil that functions as a lubricating component for efficiently lubricating sliding parts of mechanical devices such as gears and bearings of gear devices. Known oils and greases can be used as the lubricating oil, but the lubricating oil is not limited to these.
Lubricating oils are broadly classified into, for example, mineral oils, synthetic oils, vegetable oils, and animal oils.
Mineral oils are lubricating oils obtained by refining petroleum, and examples thereof include paraffinic mineral oils and naphthenic mineral oils.
Synthetic oils are lubricating oils obtained by chemical synthesis. Examples include ester-based synthetic oils such as acid esters and silicate esters, ether-based synthetic oils such as polyglycol and phenyl ether, and fluorine-based synthetic oils such as halocarbons.
Vegetable oils are lubricating oils derived from plants, such as palm oil, rapeseed oil, castor oil, soybean oil, linseed oil, sunflower oil, olive oil, coconut oil, palm kernel oil, rice oil, corn oil, or fractionated oils thereof. , hydrogenated oils, vegetable oils such as transesterified oils, polyoxyalkylenated oils, chlorinated oils, sulfurized oils, polymerized oils, waxes, fatty acids, fatty acid derivatives, soaps, esterified oils, amidated oils, polyoxyalkylene adducts etc.
Animal oils are animal-derived lubricating oils such as beef tallow, lard, mutton tallow, whale oil, sardine oil, herring oil, and milk fat.

(pH-responsive substance)
The pH-responsive substance is not particularly limited as long as its molecular structure changes with pH. Here, "the molecular structure changes due to pH" means that the bonding state in the molecular structure of a substance changes due to a change in pH, that is, a change in the proton concentration around the substance (bond formation/breakage, single-fold change from a bond to a double bond or from a double bond to a single bond, etc.), and protonation or deprotonation of a part of the molecular structure of a substance.

As the pH-responsive substance, it is preferable to use a simple means for confirming the change in molecular structure due to pH. Further, it is preferable that the molecular structure is reversibly changed by pH. As a result, it is possible to easily detect the pH change of the lubricant, and it is possible to repeatedly check the pH change of the lubricant without exchanging or adding the pH-responsive substance. It becomes easier to monitor fluctuations.
In addition, in the present invention, it is assumed that maintenance work of the lubricant enclosing device, such as replacement of the enclosed lubricant, is carried out at the stage when the pH fluctuation of the lubricant is confirmed. Therefore, as the pH-responsive substance, even if the change in molecular structure due to pH is irreversible, any substance can be used as long as it can detect the pH change of the lubricant. By replacing or adding the pH-responsive substance along with the maintenance of the lubricant enclosing device, it becomes possible to monitor the pH fluctuation of the lubricant.

Examples of the pH-responsive substance of the present invention include those whose color changes with pH and those whose physical properties change with pH.

An example of a pH-responsive substance whose color changes with pH is quinone diimine represented by the following chemical structural formula (Formula 1). Formula 1 shows structural changes of the pH-responsive substance according to pH in order of increasing pH from the left side to the right side of the formula.

Other examples of pH-responsive substances whose color changes with pH include bromothymol blue (formula 2) and anthocyanin (formula 3) described in the following chemical structural formulas. As in Formula 1, Formulas 2 and 3 also show the structural changes of the pH-responsive substance according to the pH in order of increasing pH from the left side to the right side of the formulas.

pH-responsive substances such as those shown in Formulas 1 to 3 cause color changes due to pH fluctuations. Therefore, by detecting this color change, it becomes possible to monitor the pH fluctuation of the lubricant.

Examples of pH-responsive substances whose physical properties change with pH include pH-responsive polymers and pH-responsive gels having dissociative functional groups such as carboxyl groups, phosphoric acid groups, sulfonyl groups, and amino groups. Such pH-responsive polymers and pH-responsive gels are known to undergo changes in physical properties such as solubility in solvents, solvophilicity/solvophobicity, and structural volume due to pH fluctuations. Therefore, by detecting this physical property change, it becomes possible to monitor the pH fluctuation of the lubricant.

(Other ingredients)
Other components of the lubricant of the present invention include, for example, detergent dispersant, antioxidant, load-bearing additive, rust inhibitor, corrosion inhibitor, viscosity index improver, pour point depressant, antifoaming agent, and emulsifier. , an anti-emulsifier, an anti-mold agent, a thickening agent and the like may be added.

An embodiment of a lubricant filling device according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Also, this embodiment is merely an example for explaining the lubricant filling device according to the present invention, and is not limited to this.

[First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory diagram of a lubricant enclosing device according to a first embodiment. Note that FIG. 1A shows a cross-sectional view of the lubricant filling device as viewed from the side, and FIG. 1B shows an external view of the lubricant filling device as viewed from the side.
As shown in FIG. 1, the lubricant enclosing device 100 includes an internal mechanism having a sliding portion, a casing 101 enclosing a lubricant 103, and pH responsive substance placement means for arranging the pH responsive substance 20. 200.

An example of the lubricant enclosing device 100 is a parallel shaft type speed reducer. As shown in FIG. 1A, the casing 101 includes a plurality of gears 121a to 121f (hereinafter collectively referred to as "gears 121") as an internal mechanism having a sliding portion, and a space in which the lubricant 103 is stored. As a storage chamber 105 is provided. A plurality of shafts 107a to 107d (hereinafter collectively referred to as “shafts 107”) are provided in the casing 101 substantially parallel to each other. The shaft 107 includes an input shaft 107a, a first gear shaft 107b, a second gear shaft 107c and an output shaft 107d. Each shaft 107 is rotatably supported by the casing 101 via bearings (not shown).

The casing 101 is provided with an inspection opening 111 for inspecting the inside. The inspection port 111 is opened and closed by a lid member 113 . The lid member 113 is detachably attached to the casing 101 with screws or the like. Further, the casing 101 is provided with an oil gauge 115 for checking the liquid level of the lubricant 103 from the outside.

Gear 121 is housed within casing 101 . The plurality of gears 121 includes an input gear 121a, a first large-diameter gear 121b, a first small-diameter gear 121c, a second large-diameter gear 121d, a second small-diameter gear 121e, and an output gear 121f. Input gear 121a is fixed to input shaft 107a to form an input stage gear set. The first large-diameter gear 121b and the first small-diameter gear 121c are fixed to the first gear shaft 107b, and the second large-diameter gear 121d and the second small-diameter gear 121e are fixed to the second gear shaft 107c. In addition, output gear 121f is fixed to output shaft 107d to form an output stage gear set. Each gear 121 is partially immersed in the lubricant 103 .
The lubricant encapsulating device 100 in this embodiment includes at least an input stage gear set (a combination of the input gear 121a and the input shaft 107a) and an output stage gear set (a combination of the output gear 121f and the input shaft 107d). As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of gear sets (combinations of gears 121b to 121e and gear shafts 107b and 107c) can be provided between the input stage gear set and the output stage gear set. It is not limited.

The input shaft 107a is connected to a motor (not shown). When the input shaft 107a is rotated by driving the motor, the rotation is decelerated by a plurality of gears 121 and transmitted to the output shaft 107d. The rotation of the gear 121 supplies the lubricant 103 to the gear 121, the shaft 107 and the bearings.

Here, it is known that the lubricant 103 is affected by temperature and moisture depending on the usage environment and usage conditions, and oxidation and hydrolysis occur. For example, when grease is used as the lubricant 103, the grease may be oxidized to produce an organic acid, and the pH of the lubricant 103 may be lowered. Further, when the lubricant 103 contains a sulfur-based additive as an additive, sulfuric acid may be generated under the influence of temperature and moisture, and the pH of the lubricant 103 may be lowered. On the other hand, the thickening agent (particularly metallic soap) contained as a component of the lubricant 103 (particularly grease) may be hydrolyzed to produce hydroxide, which may increase the pH of the lubricant 103 .
When the pH of the lubricant 103 decreases or increases, problems such as the generation of sludge, which is an insoluble matter, and corrosion of the apparatus occur. Therefore, by monitoring the pH fluctuation of the lubricant 103 in real time, it becomes possible to appropriately deal with the problem caused by the pH fluctuation of the lubricant 103 .

The pH-responsive substance placement means 200 in this embodiment is for placing the above-described pH-responsive substance 20 in the casing 101 to bring the pH-responsive substance 20 and the lubricant 103 into contact with each other. As a result, a situation is created in which the molecular structure of the pH-responsive substance 20 changes according to the pH change of the lubricant 103, and the pH change of the lubricant 103 can be monitored in real time.

The pH-responsive substance placement means 200 is not particularly limited as long as it can be placed in the casing 101 so that the pH-responsive substance 20 is in contact with the lubricant 103 .
Moreover, the form of the pH responsive substance 20 placed by the pH responsive substance placing means 200 is not particularly limited. For example, the pH-responsive substance 20 may be in any state such as solid (molded body, powder, etc.) or liquid. Further, the pH-responsive substance arranging means 200 may directly arrange the pH-responsive substance 20, or may arrange the pH-responsive substance 20 supported on a carrier or the like. The carrier for supporting the pH-responsive substance 20 is not particularly limited. Examples of the carrier include sheets, granules, molded bodies, and the like made of paper, resin, porous bodies, and the like.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the pH-responsive substance arrangement means in the lubricant enclosing device of the first embodiment.
As the pH-responsive substance arrangement means 200, as shown in FIG. 2, a section A in which the pH-responsive substance 20 can be arranged can be provided on the wall surface side inside the casing 101. FIG. In addition, the means for forming the compartment A is not particularly limited as long as the compartment A can contain the pH responsive substance 20 and suppress the outflow of the pH responsive substance 20 .
For example, as shown in FIG. 2, a box 201 containing the pH-responsive substance 20 and having an inlet 201a and an outlet 201b for the lubricant 103 may be provided. By arranging the pH-responsive substance 20 in the compartment A formed by the box 201, the lubricant 103 and the pH-responsive substance 20 can be brought into contact with each other. The inlet 201a and the outlet 201b in the box 201 may be provided separately as shown in FIG. 2, or the inlet and the outlet may be integrated.
At this time, as shown in FIG. 2, the pH-responsive substance 20 is preferably supported on a carrier (such as a sheet) or formed into a molded body. As a result, the pH-responsive substance 20 can be easily accommodated in the box 201 , and the outflow of the pH-responsive substance 20 from the box 201 can be easily suppressed.

The position where the pH responsive substance 20 is placed by the pH responsive substance placing means 200 is not particularly limited. For example, in addition to locations where the lubricant 103 and the pH-responsive substance 20 are in effective contact, locations where the lubricant 103 is in a state suitable for monitoring pH fluctuations, such as where the homogeneity of the lubricant 103 is maintained. Alternatively, the pH responsive substance 20 may be placed at a location where it is easy to confirm the state of the change in the molecular structure of the pH responsive substance 20 .
More specifically, when the lubricant encapsulating device 100 is a gear device, as shown in FIG. is mentioned. Here, since the pH-responsive substance 20 is arranged on the gear rotation speed side of the gear device, pH fluctuations of the lubricant 103 can be monitored at locations where the lubricant 103 is stirred with high efficiency. As a result, it is possible to monitor pH fluctuations of the lubricant 103 at locations where the lubricant 103 is uniform, and to improve the accuracy of monitoring.

The pH responsive substance 20 arranged in the casing 101 by the pH responsive substance arranging means 200 changes its molecular structure according to the pH of the lubricant 103 with which it contacts. Therefore, by confirming the change in the molecular structure of the pH-responsive substance 20, it becomes possible to monitor the pH fluctuation of the lubricant 103. FIG.

Lubricant enclosing device 100 in this embodiment preferably includes confirmation means 210 for confirming the state of change in molecular structure of pH-responsive substance 20 to obtain information on pH fluctuation of lubricant 103 . This makes it possible to easily monitor pH fluctuations of the lubricant 103 during operation of the lubricant enclosing device 100 .

As confirmation means 210 , for example, a confirmation window 211 is provided in casing 101 . At this time, it is preferable that the confirmation window 211 and the pH-responsive substance placement means 200 are provided close to each other. As a result, it is possible to confirm the change in the molecular structure of the pH-responsive substance 20 from the outside of the lubricant enclosing device 100 and to grasp the pH fluctuation of the lubricant 103. It becomes easy to monitor the pH variation of the lubricant 103 at .

When the confirmation window 211 is provided as the confirmation means 210, the operator can visually confirm the pH fluctuation. This makes it possible to easily monitor the pH variation of the lubricant 103, and to quickly respond to the pH variation of the lubricant 103. FIG.

As a specific example of visually confirming the change in the molecular structure of the pH-responsive substance 20 through the confirmation window 211 and determining the pH change, for example, the pH When the color of the pH-responsive substance 20 changes according to , the determination may be made based on the color change in the visible light range. As another example, changes in the physical properties of the pH-responsive substance 20, such as changes in the solubility of the pH-responsive substance 20 in solvents and changes in the refractive index due to changes in solvophilicity/solvophobicity, can occur depending on the pH. If it does occur, it can be visually determined in the form of transparency/opacity. Furthermore, when the volume of the pH-responsive substance 20 changes according to the pH, the buoyancy of the pH-responsive substance 20 changes, and the degree of floating and sinking from the reference plane is visually judged.

As the confirmation window 211 in this embodiment, it is preferable that the oil gauge 115 provided in the lubricant filling device 100 also serves as the confirmation window 211 . In other words, it is preferable that the pH-responsive substance placement means 200 and the oil gauge 115 are provided close to each other. This simplifies the structure for monitoring the pH variation of the lubricant 103, and makes it possible to monitor the pH variation of the lubricant 103 at low cost.

Another example of the confirming means 210 is to provide a detection device for confirming how the pH-responsive substance 20 changes in molecular structure. More specifically, providing a device such as a camera capable of acquiring and analyzing image data, providing a device capable of acquiring and analyzing spectral data, and the like are mentioned. Note that the determination of the pH fluctuation of the lubricant 103 may be performed in the same manner as the visual determination described above.
Here, when various detection devices are used as the confirmation means 210 , the installation location of the detection device may be either inside or outside the lubricant enclosing device 100 . For example, when the detection device is provided in the lubricant enclosing device 100 , it is possible to check how the molecular structure of the pH-responsive substance 20 changes without providing the confirmation window 211 . Moreover, when the detection device is provided outside the lubricant enclosing device 100 , it is possible to confirm the change in the molecular structure of the pH-responsive substance 20 through the confirmation window 211 .
When a detection device is used as the confirmation means 210, it becomes easy to automate the confirmation and determination of the change in the molecular structure of the pH-responsive substance 20, and the pH fluctuation of the lubricant 103 can be continuously monitored. Become.

As described above, according to the lubricant enclosing device of the present embodiment, by arranging the pH responsive substance so as to be in contact with the enclosed lubricant, the molecular structure of the pH responsive substance generated according to the pH of the lubricant Based on the change, it becomes possible to grasp the pH fluctuation of the lubricant. That is, it is possible to grasp the pH fluctuation of the lubricant in the lubricant filling device without collecting the lubricant from the lubricant filling device. This makes it possible to monitor the pH variation of the lubricant during operation of the lubricant enclosing device.

[Second embodiment]
FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of the pH-responsive substance arrangement means in the lubricant enclosing device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of the pH-responsive substance arrangement means 200 in the lubricant filling device 100 of the first embodiment. Also, the description of the same configuration as that of the first embodiment will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 3, the lubricating agent enclosing device in the second embodiment is provided with a confirmation window 211 as confirmation means 210, and the confirmation window 211 (oil gauge 115) as pH responsive substance arrangement means 200 is the pH responsive substance 20. and holding means 203 for directly holding it.

The holding means 203 for holding the pH-responsive substance 20 in the confirmation window 211 is not particularly limited. For example, attaching a carrier carrying the pH responsive substance 20 to the confirmation window 211 or directly applying the pH responsive substance 20 to the surface of the confirmation window 211 can be used. In addition, when the pH responsive substance 20 is attached or applied to the confirmation window 211, the peeling of the pH responsive substance 20 can be suppressed by using a chemical such as an adhesive or by performing surface treatment of the confirmation window 211. good too.

With the lubricant enclosing device of this embodiment, it becomes easy to confirm through the confirmation window how the molecular structure of the pH-responsive substance changes according to the pH of the lubricant. monitoring of pH fluctuations can be carried out more easily.

[Third embodiment]
FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of the pH-responsive substance arrangement means in the lubricant enclosing device according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of the pH-responsive substance arrangement means 200 in the lubricant filling device 100 of the first embodiment. Also, the description of the same configuration as that of the first embodiment will be omitted.

The lubricant 103 in the lubricant enclosing device 100 may contain abrasion powder generated by driving the internal mechanism (gear 121, etc.). In order to improve the accuracy and precision of monitoring the pH variation of the lubricant 103, it is preferable to provide a foreign matter removing means for removing foreign matter such as this wear powder.

For example, as shown in FIG. 4, as the pH-responsive substance placement means 200, a compartment A may be formed by a filter 205 and a filter fixing frame (not shown). At this time, the filter 205 functions as foreign matter removing means for removing foreign matter from the lubricant 103 before it comes into contact with the pH responsive substance 20 . Therefore, it is possible to introduce only the lubricant 103 that does not contain foreign matter (mainly abrasion powder) into the section A and bring it into contact with the pH-responsive substance 20 .

The filter 205 used as the foreign matter removing means may be any filter that can trap foreign matter such as abrasion powder.

The lubricant enclosing device according to the present embodiment suppresses inhibition of the reaction between the pH-responsive substance and the lubricant by foreign matter contained in the lubricant, and facilitates confirmation of the structural change of the pH-responsive substance. It becomes possible to remove the obstacles. This makes it possible to improve the accuracy of monitoring pH fluctuations of the lubricant during operation of the lubricant encapsulating device.

The embodiment described above shows an example of the lubricant enclosing device, the lubricant and the additive. The lubricant filling device, the lubricant and the additive according to the present invention are not limited to the above-described embodiments, and the lubricant filling device according to the above-described embodiments, Lubricants and additives may vary.

For example, in the lubricant encapsulating device of this embodiment, the location where the pH responsive substance is placed by the pH responsive substance arranging means may be a position where the pH responsive substance can be replaced through the inspection port of the casing. This makes it possible to easily replace the pH-responsive substance as well as the lubricant after detecting the pH variation of the lubricant, thereby reducing the work cost associated with monitoring the pH variation of the lubricant. .

Further, the lubricant enclosing device of this embodiment may be a combination of the pH-responsive substance disposing means of the second embodiment and the third embodiment. As a result, it is possible to easily confirm the change in the molecular structure of the pH-responsive substance according to the change in pH while reducing the volume of the compartment formed as the pH-responsive substance-arranging means.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The lubricant enclosing device of the present invention can be used as a mechanical device that encloses a lubricant and has various sliding parts. INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The lubricant enclosing device of the present invention is suitably used as, for example, a gear device, a reduction gear device, and the like. In particular, it can be used as a lubricant encapsulating device capable of monitoring pH fluctuations of the lubricant during operation of the mechanical device and appropriately detecting deterioration of the lubricant.

In addition, the lubricant and additive of the present invention are used as lubricants and additives added to lubricants used in various mechanical devices to suppress friction and wear of device parts (especially sliding parts). . In particular, it is suitable for use as a lubricant and an additive that can easily monitor the pH fluctuation of the lubricant and appropriately detect the deterioration of the lubricant.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100... Lubricant enclosure 101... Casing 103... Lubricant 105... Storage chamber 107a... Input shaft 107b, 107c... Gear shaft 107d... Output shaft 111... Inspection port 113... Lid member 115... Oil gauge 121a to 121f Gears 20 pH-responsive substance 200 pH-responsive substance arrangement means 201 Box body 201a Inlet 201b Outlet 203 Holding means 205 Filter (foreign matter removing means ), 210... confirmation means, 211... confirmation window, A... section

Claims (6)

A lubricant enclosing device in which a lubricant is enclosed,
A pH-responsive substance whose molecular structure changes depending on the pH of the lubricant is disposed at a location in contact with the enclosed lubricant ,
The lubricant encapsulating device is a gear device having an input stage gear set and an output stage gear set,
A lubricant filling device , wherein the pH-responsive substance is arranged closer to the input stage gearset than to the output stage gearset . 2. The lubricant filling device according to claim 1, wherein said pH-responsive substance changes color according to the pH of the lubricant. The lubricant enclosing device includes a casing and a confirmation window through which the inside of the casing can be confirmed,
3. The lubricant enclosing device according to claim 1, wherein said pH-responsive substance is arranged at a location that can be confirmed through said confirmation window. 4. The lubricant enclosing device according to claim 3, wherein said confirmation window is an oil gauge for confirming the liquid level of the enclosed lubricant. 5. The lubricant filling device according to claim 3, wherein said pH-responsive substance is held in said confirmation window. The lubricant enclosing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising foreign matter removing means for removing foreign matter from the lubricant before contact with the pH-responsive substance.

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