KR20130061146A - Instrumented assembly and associated locking plate - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an axle journal (1), an inner race (2) mounted to the axle journal, and a distal end that presses directly or indirectly in the axial direction against the bottom and inner race (2) provided with at least one opening hole. A journal cap (6) comprising a skirt provided with a magnetic encoder ring (12) radially disposed outside the skirt of the journal cap (6) and at least partially covering the skirt of the journal cap; It relates to a metrology assembly comprising a locking plate (9) extending and locking at least one screw (7) assembly which fastens the journal cap (6) to the axle journal. According to the invention, the locking plate 9 comprises a skirt 11 which is at least partially nonmagnetic and covers the encoder ring 12 to protect it.
The present invention relates to an assembly comprising a locking plate and a journal cap as well as to a locking plate forming part of such an assembly.

Description

Instrumentation assembly and associated locking plate {INSTRUMENTED ASSEMBLY AND ASSOCIATED LOCKING PLATE}

The present invention relates to the field of axles or axles with metrology bearings. This involves large bearings that support high loads. The metrology of such bearings is typically assembled with a speed and / or temperature and / or vibration sensor in a fixed part of the bearing, and the moving part of the metrology is mounted in another race of the bearing.

More precisely, the present invention relates to a metrology assembly having bearings of the axle and journal cap as well as the locking plate of such an assembly.

In the French patent application filed under the applicant's name under FR 0806050, a measuring assembly with a bearing of a railway axle journal has an annular magnetic encoder mounted on the outside of the bearing. Attached in the direction, it is described that the bearing itself is in a spacer connected to the inner race of the bearing mounted in the axle journal. The sensors are arranged opposite in axial direction and in turn are connected to a fixed outer race of the bearing at an air-gap distance from the magnetic encoder. One or several deflectors can protect the interior of the bearing as well as the encoder against external contaminants. This deflector has at least one nonmagnetic portion at a level where the sensor and encoder are arranged opposite each other. The deflectors proposed in the prior art are too specific for bearings to be complex and gauged.

Therefore, this solution is only applicable to a limited number of bearings. Deflectors or deflectors are expensive due to the specifics added to existing parts (spacers, encoders, sensors, etc.) required for the operation of such instrumentation.

In particular, an impact caused by folding the tabs of the brake plate with the screw head occurs, in particular by handling, while striking the hammer and storing or assembling. When the journal cap is attached to the journal, the encoder, a relatively fragile component, is damaged.

An assembly is also known in which an encoder is arranged in a bearing, as illustrated in the French patent application filed under the applicant's name according to the registration number FR 0851217. In this case, the encoder indirectly contacts the grease present in the bearing. In addition, encoders come into contact with other elements and particles of contaminants present in the bearings, so that the bearings and the encoders themselves become more and more aging.

Moreover, this assembly requires deflectors in several complex and expensive parts. Any part of the deflector has a mechanical brittle area causing problems. Because in this patent application, the actual mechanical load is applied to the bearings and related parts.

In other words, such an assembly is very specific and not assembled for bearing types other than the originally designed bearings. In particular, it is not possible to assemble standard bearings.

Moreover, the French patent application FR 2 669 598 is known to describe a railway axle with a built-in speed detector, for example arranged in a bearing. The inner volume of the bearing is axially delimited by the rotating deflector, each fixed deflector being connected to the inner and outer races. Moreover, the journal cap (end element) is attached to the journal by several screws which in turn are locked by the locking plate. The screw includes a tab that can be folded into the head when the screw is disposed and tightened.

1 shows a locking plate that is part of this type of assembly. The locking plate comprises a sheet of metal that is substantially triangular in outer shape and is provided with three holes near each vertex of the triangle. The central portion of the metal sheet is recessed and incised, in which way tabs are formed in the vicinity of each hole. The tab can be folded to the screw head when the latter is placed in place.

All known embodiments require multiple parts, almost complex shapes.

Moreover, the encoder or detector is inherently sensitive and vulnerable, and is not particularly well protected before or after being placed into the assembly.

The present invention aims to overcome the problems of the prior art, in particular by the integration of the magnetic encoder into the metrology assembly of the journal cap in a simple way and to connect the journal and the mobile installation to the axle box housing outside of the bearing.

This is proposed according to the first embodiment of the present invention. A first embodiment of the invention relates to a plate mounted at the end of a journal cap of an axle bearing bearing, the plate being provided with at least one through hole of a connecting screw between the journal cap and the journal of the axle shaft. 10, further comprising an annular skirt 11 projecting perpendicular to the bottom to at least partially surround the journal cap.

This plate is capable of protecting the encoder ring and supporting the encoder ring assembled directly to the journal cap. The fastening holes can provide fastening of the plates even in harsh vibration environments. In practice, several fastening holes will be preferably provided evenly distributed around the axis of the skirt of the plate for reasons of dynamic equilibrium. The number of holes can in particular be three.

According to one embodiment, the skirt is at least partially composed of a nonmagnetic material, so that the encoder ring can be placed radially within the skirt without disturbing measurement by sensors disposed radially outside the skirt.

According to one embodiment, the bottom is provided with at least one tab that can be folded toward the through hole, so that the head of the fastening screw extending through the hole can be locked in sequence.

According to one embodiment, the plate further comprises a magnetic encoder ring attached to the skirt. The plate thus constitutes the armature of this ring.

The encoder ring can be attached to the radially inward facing wall of the skirt, in this way the skirt protects the encoder ring during its life, in particular during assembling and detaching the journal cap to the axle journal. By this arrangement, if the measurement is to rotate the electromagnetic field using a sensor disposed radially outside the protective skirt, the skirt can be ensured to be made of nonmagnetic material and more preferably to a lower thickness.

The encoder ring can alternatively be attached to the wall of the skirt facing radially outwards such that the plate can have the function of an armature that substantially supports the assembly. As the hole is provided at the bottom thereof, the encoder ring is locked in turn. Skirts made of magnetic material have the advantage of exhibiting a mirror effect that enhances the magnetic field.

According to one embodiment, the encoder ring is attached to the skirt by overmolding.

According to one embodiment, the skirt comprises a shoulder positioned centrally with respect to the journal cap.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the metrology assembly comprises the latter.

A journal cap having a bottom with at least one opening and a skirt with a distal support end, the journal cap having a radially outward surface

A bottom with an annular skirt covering the surface of the null cap and at least one hole aligned along one of the holes of the journal cap, in this way configured a passageway for the fastening screw of the journal cap in the axle journal Plate

-Magnetic encoder ring attached to the skirt of the plate

In this assembly, the plate serves to support the armature of the encoder ring via the hole that receives the fastening screw and to lock the encoder ring. More than one hole may be provided. The surface of the journal cap can in particular be cylindrical or tapered.

The bottom of the plate may be provided with at least one tab that can be folded into the head of the screw to lock the head of the screw. The plate is then a locking plate which functions to screw the journal cap to the axle journal, providing the advantage that several functions come together in the same part. If several holes are provided, each hole may advantageously be provided with a tab.

According to one embodiment, the encoder ring is attached to the wall of the skirt of the plate facing radially inward, such that the skirt of the plate can be made of a nonmagnetic material so that the shield is not formed in the magnetic field caused by the encoder ring. .

The encoder ring can be preferably pressed against the skirt of the journal cap at a distance of less than 0.5 mm, preferably less than 0.2 mm, from the skirt of the journal cap, and in this way the advantages of the mirror effect caused by the journal cap It is shown that the reading of the magnetic encoder is possible by the sensor disposed at the air gap distance.

According to another embodiment, the encoder ring is attached to the wall of the skirt of the plate facing radially outward.

In this case, the nonmagnetic protective cover can advantageously be provided to cover the encoder ring, which cover can be attached to the plate or journal cap or both.

The skirt of the plate may have a shoulder disposed axially between the proximal end in radial contact with the distal end of the journal cap and the distal end of the inner wall to which the encoder ring is attached. Such a plate is pressed into the journal cap, thereby preserving a volume between the journal cap and the plate to accommodate the encoder ring.

The plate may be integrally formed. Alternatively, it may include a metal bottom and a nonmagnetic skirt forming two parts.

According to one embodiment, the encoder ring is attached to the outer wall of the journal cap skirt, covered by the skirt of the plate, and protects the encoder during assembling this assembly to the axle journal. In this case, the skirt of the plate is nonmagnetic and the skirt of the journal cap is advantageously magnetic and can be read by a sensor arranged radially outside of the encoder by generating a mirror effect that enhances the magnetic field in this way. . According to an alternative embodiment, the encoder ring can be attached to one cup which is attached to the outer wall of the skirt of the journal cap.

The bottom of the plate includes a cut-out and the assembly further includes a current collecting conducting plate that presses directly against the journal cap through the cut of the plate.

The assembly can be supplemented with the following to construct the rotating equipment.

-Axle journal

At least one inner race mounted to the axle journal, the distal end of the journal cap being pressed axially directly or indirectly against the inner race

At least one fastening screw extending through the hole in the plate and the hole in the journal cap to fasten the journal cap to the axle journal

According to another embodiment of the invention, the axle box comprises the latter. The axle box comprises a housing, an inner race received in the housing, and an assembly previously described, wherein the inner race of the assembly is rotatably mounted to the outer race via a rolling body, and the encoder ring is bottom of the races and the journal cap. Disposed axially therebetween, the box further comprising a sensor attached to the housing and disposed radially at an air-gap distance from the encoder ring.

Within the border of this application, the skirt covers the encoder ring axially. For example, it covers along the axis of rotation of the metrology assembly between the skirt and the encoder ring.

The invention applies to all types of bearings as various alternatives. Therefore, many existing assemblies can be modified or modified by replacing parts in a simple manner.

Other features, details and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings.
1 is a locking plate according to the prior art as already mentioned.
2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a metrology assembly with bearings according to a first embodiment of the invention.
3 is a perspective view of a locking plate according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the locking plate according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a longitudinal sectional view of a metrology assembly with bearings according to a second embodiment of the invention.
6 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a metrology assembly with bearings according to a third embodiment of the invention.
7 is a longitudinal sectional view of a metrology assembly with bearings according to a fourth embodiment of the invention.
8 to 10 are various views of the fifth embodiment of the present invention.
For clarity, the same or similar components are designated by the same reference numerals in all the drawings.

2 shows a metrology assembly with bearings of axles and journal caps. More precisely, a bearing comprising at least one inner race 2, a rolling body 3 and at least one outer race 4 is mounted on the axle journal 1. The components of the bearing are shown schematically here. Several deflectors 51 and 52 may be provided to isolate and define the so-called inner space of the bearing. According to this example, the first deflector 51 is connected to the fixed outer race 4 and the second deflector 52 is connected to the rotating part.

The journal cap 6 is provided and arranged at the end of the journal of the axle 1. The journal cap 6 is axially tight against the inner race 2 and a second deflector is axially inserted between these two components 6, 2. In general, the fastening of the journal cap 6 to the journal 1 is performed by at least one screw 7 with a hexagonal head 8, for example.

The journal cap 6 includes a skirt 61 mounted around the journal 1, and the bottom 62 covers the end of the journal 1. Therefore, the journal cap 6 is in turn connected to the journal of the axle 1 and the inner race 2 of the bearing because of one or several screws 7.

Interestingly, the locking plate 9 is provided in a particularly and well known way for locking the connecting screw or screws 7 in turn. In order to perform this function, the locking plate 9 is provided with an orifice 101, which is a passage of one or several connecting screws 7, as shown in FIG. 3, on the screw head or the heads 8. And an end disk 10 forming a bottom having a central incision 102 having a tab 103 that can be folded into it. This arrangement itself is well known and very similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

According to the invention the locking plate 9 further comprises a skirt 11 for mounting at the end of the journal cap 6, more precisely covering all or part of the outer cylindrical wall of the journal cap 6. According to this embodiment of the present invention, the distal end 110 of the skirt 11 is pressed into the outer wall portion of the journal cap, as shown in FIG. 2.

The skirt 11 advantageously covers the annular magnetic encoder or sensor 12 in the axial direction and is arranged axially in the vicinity of the distal end of the journal cap 6.

The locking plate 9 or at least the skirt 11 is here made of a nonmagnetic material, for example a material of any kind of copper, aluminum or stainless steel.

This arrangement advantageously makes it possible to protect the magnetic encoder 12 in a simple manner.

According to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, a magnetic ring, which can be used, for example, as a magnetic encoder 12, is attached to the inner wall of the skirt 11 via overmolding. In fact, since the skirt 11 is at least partly made of nonmagnetic material, the magnetic field associated with the encoder 12 can pass through the skirt 11 and is transmitted to the sensor 13 opposite the encoder 12. Are arranged radially.

Therefore, the locking plate 9 or, more precisely, the skirt 11 of the locking plate 9 provides two functions here: protection of the encoder 12 by the skirt 11 covering the encoder axially. ; And a passage of the magnetic field from the encoder 12 toward the sensor 13 disposed opposite.

The encoder 12 is here used before the encoder 12 is used, i.e. while storing the locking plate 9, as well as during assembling the locking plate 9 to the journal cap 6, and naturally occurring. The encoder 12 is also protected during use.

Moreover, the encoder 12 is fully maintained by having a locking tab 103 in which the locking plate 9 can be folded into the head or heads of the screw 7 assembly. As such, when the screw 7 is fastened between the journal 1 and the journal cap 6, the tab 103 is folded over the head 8 which is in turn locked. The locking plate 9 as well as the encoder 12 are thus completely locked in this order with respect to the journal cap 6 and the journal 1 itself. This function, which in turn is locked, is in addition to (as already mentioned) another function performed by the locking plate according to the invention.

The skirt 11 of the locking plate 9 has a proximal cylindrical axis 112 of diameter smaller than the distal portion 110 and is connected with the distal portion 110 by the shoulder 111. The difference between the diameters of the parts under consideration substantially corresponds to the thickness of the housing of the encoder 12, as fully shown in FIG. 4; Low radius tolerances are provided between these components and in this way the journal cap exhibits a mirroring effect that enhances the magnetic field read by the sensor. For assembling the plate and journal cap before assembling the journal cap to the journal, the forced press-in of the locking plate 9 with the journal cap is provided on either the small diameter proximal shaft 112 or the large diameter distal portion 110. Can be.

According to another embodiment of the invention as shown in FIG. 5, the encoder 12 is attached near the distal end of the journal cap 6 to an annular support 200 press-fitted to the outer wall of the journal cap 6. Can be. The encoder 12 is of course covered axially by the skirt 11, as in the first embodiment. All other features are similar and the only difference from the second embodiment lies in the connection of the encoder 12 which is attached to the outer wall portion of the skirt 61 of the journal cap 6 via the support 200. The solution of this embodiment has all the advantages previously described in connection with the first embodiment of the invention.

According to the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the encoder 12 can be attached to a cap 300 located entirely in a volume delimited by the locking plate 9 and the journal cap 6. The cap includes a cylindrical skirt 301 supporting the encoder 12 and the bottom 302 itself axially sandwiched between the bottom 10 of the locking plate and the journal cap 6. The bottom of the cap 300 is advantageously passed through a fastening screw or screws 7 which provide a mechanical coupling of the cup 300 and even an encoder 12 with a very high reliability for a long time in the event of significant vibrations. .

In the previous embodiment, the skirt 11 and the bottom 10 of the locking plate 9 are formed as a single unitary piece and are made of parts made of nonmagnetic material. However, according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, this can be considered to have a skirt 11 added to the bottom 10 of the locking plate 9. The locking plate may be provided with an indexation relief 11A at each position of the skirt that cooperates with the housing of the bottom 10. The skirt is also provided with an indexing relief 11B which cooperates with the housing 300A of the encoder bearing plate 300 providing its angular position with respect to the skirt 11. The configuration of the two parts offers the advantage of optimizing the selection of the material of the bottom and applying the respective functions of the two parts. In particular, in this hypothesis, the bottom 10 of the plate does not necessarily have to be made of nonmagnetic material.

According to an alternative, with or without an encoder, the skirt is pre-assembled at the bottom before assembling the plate to the journal cap. Alternatively, the skirt can be preassembled to the journal cap and the locking plate can be mounted in a second step.

8 to 10 show various aspects of yet another embodiment of an axle box according to the invention. The drawings are given the same reference numerals as those described in the previous embodiment for common components. This embodiment is distinguished from the previous embodiment by the presence of the special locking plate 9 and the current collector 92 for executing the return current loop, as shown in FIG. The locking plate 9 constituting the armature support of the encoder 12 is constituted by a cylindrical skirt 11 which is integral with the bottom 10 with one or several lugs 113 and through the fastening screw 7. A bottom 10 is also provided, which also has a hole 101, at least one opening 114, in which the reference numeral of the opening 114 is the same as that of the lug 113, and is separated from the latter. do.

The encoder 12 is overmolded on the surface of the skirt 10 facing outward in the radial direction. The whole constituted by the locking plate 9 and the encoder 12 is press fit into the cylindrical axis 610 of the journal cap and is located between the axial end of the bottom of the journal cap 6 and the medium shoulder 611. . The cylindrical shaft 610 is preferably adapted to the thickness of the bottom of the journal cap, and in this way the skirt 61 is not mechanically weakened, and a suitable path of current between the rotating equipment and the housing 400 of the axle box is provided. Without disturbing, the assembly is integrally formed.

An annular protective cover 80 consisting of a thin metal sheet made of a nonmagnetic material is crimped into the journal cap 6, in which way the journal cap 6 and the locking plate 9 are defined, and the annular The space of is filled with the ring encoder 12.

Positioning and fastening to support the encoder 12 are made by fastening screws 7, so that fastening the journal cap 6 to the axle journal 1 can also be provided at the same time. This fastening ensures good mechanical resistance for extended periods of time even in harsh environments subjected to strong vibrations. The locking plate 9 is provided with a tab 103 which can be folded into the head of the fastening screw for locking the screw head 8.

Moreover, the return current plate 90 is attached to the journal cap 6 via a special screw 91. This screw 91 is arranged in one of the openings 114 of the locking plate 9, in this way the return current plate 90 is indirectly in contact with the journal cap 6. In the illustrated embodiment, the screw 91 does not penetrate directly into the axle journal 1 and does not fasten the journal cap 6 to the axle journal 1. However, although no alternative is shown, one of the fastening screws 7 of the journal cap 6 may also be used to fasten the plate 90 to the axle journal 1. The brush 93 of the current collector 92 integrally formed with the lid 410 of the housing of the axle box is inserted in sliding contact with the plate 90 and is part of the rotary equipment integrally formed with the axle. To form an electrical circuit for current circulation between the rail and the electrical equipment.

In all of the embodiments shown in the figures, it should be noted that the plate 9 is provided with a locking plate, for example a plate, to stop the tab 103 of the screw head 8. However, without departing from the scope of the present invention, it would also be possible for the plate to be provided without any tabs 103 and without any locking function of the screw 8.

Claims (22)

The plate assembled at the end of the journal cap 6 of the axle bearing bearing is provided with at least one through hole 101 for connection of the screw 7 between the journal cap 6 and the journal of the axle 1. Including bottom 10 is provided,
And an annular skirt (11) projecting perpendicularly to said bottom to at least partially surround said journal cap. The method of claim 1,
The bottom plate is characterized in that it is provided with at least one tab that can be folded toward the through hole (101). 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2,
And a magnetic encoder ring attached to the skirt. The method of claim 3, wherein
The encoder ring (12) is characterized in that it is attached to the wall of the skirt (11) facing inward in the radial direction. The method of claim 4, wherein
And the skirt is at least partially composed of a nonmagnetic material. The method of claim 3, wherein
The encoder ring (12) is characterized in that it is attached to the wall of the skirt (11) facing outward in the radial direction. The method according to claim 6,
And the skirt is at least partially composed of a nonmagnetic material. 8. The method according to any one of claims 3 to 7,
And the encoder ring (12) is attached to the skirt (11) by overmolding. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
The skirt (11), characterized in that it comprises a shoulder (111) to be centered with respect to the journal cap (6). A bottom cap 62 having at least one opening hole and a skirt 61 having a distal support end and a journal cap 6 having a radially outwardly facing surface,
A bottom with an annular skirt 11 covering the surface of the journal cap and at least one hole aligned along one of the holes of the journal cap, in this way a passage for the fastening screw of the journal cap A plate (9) constituting the axle journal; And
And a magnetic encoder ring (12) attached to the skirt of the plate. 11. The method of claim 10,
At the bottom of the plate is provided with at least one tab that can be folded into the head of the screw to lock the head of the screw. The method of claim 10 or 11,
The encoder ring is attached to the skirt (11) of the plate facing outward in the radial direction, wherein the skirt (11) of the plate consists of a nonmagnetic material. 13. The method of claim 12,
The encoder ring 12 is characterized in that it is pressed directly or indirectly against the skirt 61 of the journal cap at a distance of less than 0.5 mm, preferably less than 0.2 mm from the skirt 61 of the journal cap. Assembly. The method according to claim 12 or 13,
The skirt 11 of the plate 9 is arranged axially between the proximal end in radial contact with the distal end of the journal cap 6 and the distal end of the inner wall to which the encoder ring 12 is attached. Assembly comprising a shoulder (111). The method of claim 10 or 11,
The encoder ring 12 is attached to the outer wall of the skirt 61 of the journal cap 6, covered by the skirt 11 of the plate, the skirt 11 of the plate is made of a nonmagnetic material Assembly characterized in that. The method of claim 15,
The encoder ring is attached to one cup attached to the outer wall of the skirt (61) of the journal cap (6). 17. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 16,
The bottom of the plate includes a cut-out, and the assembly further comprises a current collecting conducting plate that presses directly against the journal cap through the cut of the plate. Assembly. 18. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 17,
The plate (9) is characterized in that it comprises a metal bottom (10) and a non-magnetic skirt (11) forming two parts. The method of claim 10 or 11,
The encoder ring is attached to the wall of the skirt (11) of the plate facing outward in the radial direction. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 17 or 19,
Assembly, characterized in that the plate (9) is formed integrally. The method according to any one of claims 10 to 20,
Axle journal 1;
At least one inner race (2) mounted to the axle journal; And
At least one fastening screw extending through the hole in the plate and the hole in the journal cap to fasten the journal cap to the axle journal,
And the distal end of the journal cap is pressed axially directly or indirectly against the inner race. An axle box comprising a housing, an inner race received in the housing, and an assembly according to any one of claims 10 to 21,
The inner race of the assembly is rotatably mounted to the outer race via a rolling body, the encoder ring is disposed axially between the races and the bottom of the journal cap, and the box is attached to the housing An axle box further comprises a sensor disposed radially at an air-gap distance from the encoder ring.

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