WO2017098860A1

WO2017098860A1 - Lubricating oil supplying unit and bearing device

Info

Publication number: WO2017098860A1
Application number: PCT/JP2016/083566
Authority: WO
Inventors: 伊藤　浩義
Original assignee: Ntn株式会社
Priority date: 2015-12-10
Filing date: 2016-11-11
Publication date: 2017-06-15
Also published as: CN108368966A; KR20180093006A; DE112016005666T5; JP2017106564A

Abstract

Provided are a lubricating oil supplying unit and bearing device that can be operated stably for an extended time. A lubricating oil supplying unit comprises a holding unit (lubricating oil tank (30)) that holds lubricating oil to be supplied to the interior of a bearing (11), and a supplying unit (drive circuit (28), pump (29), delivery tube (32), and nozzle (37)) to supply the lubricating oil from the holding unit to the interior of the bearing. The supplying unit comprises: the pump that draws the lubricating oil from the holding unit and that is provided to allow a delivery pressure that is equal to or greater than a reference value to be applied to the lubricating oil; a supply line (delivery tube and nozzle) that is connected to the pump and that extends into the bearing; and a regulating unit (check valve (80)) that causes the lubricating oil to which a delivery pressure equal to or greater than the reference value is applied to circulate in the supply line and that prevents lubricating oil to which a delivery pressure less than the reference value is applied from circulating in the supply line.

Description

Lubricating oil supply unit and bearing device

The present invention relates to a lubricating oil supply unit and a bearing device, and more particularly to a lubricating oil supply unit and a bearing device that are arranged adjacent to a bearing and supply lubricating oil into the bearing.

Conventionally, a rolling bearing device in which an oil supply unit is incorporated in a rolling bearing has been known. (See JP-A-2005-180629 (Patent Document 1) and JP-A-2014-37879 (Patent Document 2)). In the bearing device disclosed in Patent Document 1, grease is sealed inside the rolling bearing. Lubricating oil of the same type as the base oil of this grease is accommodated in a spacer adjacent to the rolling bearing. In the oil supply unit, the lubricating oil in the spacer is replenished and supplied to the inside of the rolling bearing by a capillary phenomenon.

Further, the bearing device disclosed in Patent Document 2 includes a lubricating oil tank and a pump arranged in a spacer adjacent to the bearing. In this bearing device, it is said that the lubricating oil can be stably supplied to the bearing for a long period of time by intermittently operating the pump.

JP 2005-180629 A JP 2014-37879 A

In the apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 described above, grease is preliminarily sealed inside the bearing and lubrication is performed, but at the same time, the base oil of grease contained in the spacer is always supplied to the inside of the bearing. Supply tends to be excessive. In the device disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is difficult to stably supply the lubricating oil to the bearing for a long period of time because the base oil (lubricating oil) in the spacer is consumed quickly.

In addition, although the apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 2 seems to be able to supply the lubricating oil for a longer period of time than the apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, the supply state of the lubricating oil is confirmed from the outside of the bearing device. Can not do it. For this reason, even if a lubricant supply failure or the like occurs due to a malfunction such as a pump or the like, it is difficult to grasp a problem such as a lubricant supply failure until an abnormality occurs in the operation of the bearing. For this reason, in order to operate the bearing device stably for a long period of time, it has been difficult to take measures such as detecting an abnormality of the bearing device at an early stage and performing maintenance.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a lubricating oil supply unit and a bearing device that can be stably operated for a long period of time. .

The lubricating oil supply unit according to the present invention includes a holding unit that holds the lubricating oil supplied to the inside of the bearing, and a supply unit that supplies the lubricating oil from the holding unit to the inside of the bearing. The supply unit sucks the lubricating oil from the holding unit, a pump provided so that a discharge pressure equal to or higher than a reference value can be applied to the lubricating oil, a supply line connected to the pump and extending inside the bearing, An adjustment unit is provided that causes the lubricating oil to which the discharge pressure equal to or higher than the reference value is applied to flow in the supply pipe and prevents the lubricating oil to be supplied with the discharge pressure that is less than the reference value from flowing in the supply pipe.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a lubricating oil supply unit and a bearing device that can be stably operated for a long period of time.

3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a lubricating oil supply unit of the bearing device according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram which shows an example of the pump shown in FIG. It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram which shows an example of the lubricating oil supply unit of the bearing apparatus which concerns on a modification. FIG. 6 is a schematic sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. FIG. 6 is a schematic sectional view taken along line VII-VII in FIG. It is a graph which shows the 1st example of the relationship between the electrical storage voltage of the electrical storage part contained in the power supply part of a lubricating oil supply unit, and time. It is a graph which shows the 2nd example of the relationship between the electrical storage voltage of the electrical storage part contained in the power supply part of a lubricating oil supply unit, and time. It is a graph which shows the 3rd example of the relationship between the electrical storage voltage of the electrical storage part contained in the power supply part of a lubricating oil supply unit, and time. It is a graph which shows the 4th example of the relationship between the electrical storage voltage of the electrical storage part contained in the power supply part of a lubricating oil supply unit, and time. It is a graph which shows the 5th example of the relationship between the electrical storage voltage of the electrical storage part contained in the power supply part of a lubricating oil supply unit, and time. It is a graph which shows the 6th example of the relationship between the electrical storage voltage of the electrical storage part contained in the power supply part of a lubricating oil supply unit, and time. In Embodiment 3, it is a graph which shows the 6th example of the relationship between the electrical storage voltage of the electrical storage part contained in the power supply part of a lubricating oil supply unit, and time.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will not be repeated.

(Embodiment 1)
<Configuration of bearing device>
The bearing device according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. The bearing device 10 according to the present embodiment is a rolling bearing device and includes a bearing 11 (see FIG. 2) that is a rolling bearing and a lubricating oil supply unit 20 (see FIG. 2). The lubricating oil supply unit 20 is incorporated between an outer ring spacer 33 and an inner ring spacer 34 that are abutted against one end of the bearing 11 in the axial direction.

The bearing 11 includes, for example, an inner ring 14 which is a rotating raceway ring, a fixed outer ring 13, a plurality of rolling elements 15 interposed between the inner ring 14 and the outer ring 13, and a plurality of rolling elements 15. Is mainly provided with a retainer 16 that holds a fixed distance at a predetermined interval and a seal member that is disposed on the outer peripheral side of the retainer 16. As the bearing 11, for example, an angular ball bearing, a deep groove ball bearing, or a cylindrical roller bearing can be used. The bearing 11 is filled with desired grease in advance. The seal member is disposed at the end opposite to the side where the outer ring spacer 33 or the like is disposed.

The inner ring spacer 34 and the outer ring spacer 33 constitute a spacer, and the inner ring spacer 34 abuts against one end surface of the inner ring 14. The outer ring spacer 33 is abutted against one end face of the outer ring 13.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the lubricating oil supply unit 20 is disposed in an annular housing (housing main body 21 and lid 22), and includes a power generation circuit including a power generation unit 25 and a charging unit in the circumferential direction. 26, a control circuit 27, a drive circuit 28, a pump 29, a lubricating oil tank 30, and a check valve (adjustment unit) 80. The lubricating oil tank 30 stores the same type of lubricating oil as the base oil of the grease sealed in the bearing 11. The power generation unit 25, the power supply circuit 26, the control circuit 27, the drive circuit 28, the pump 29, and the lubricating oil tank 30 are arranged in the circumferential direction in the housing body 21. The power generation unit 25 is connected to the power supply circuit 26. The power supply circuit 26 is connected to the control circuit 27. The control circuit 27 is connected to the drive circuit 28. The drive circuit 28 is a circuit for operating a pump 29 such as a micropump. Connected to the pump 29 connected to the drive circuit 28 are a suction tube 31 connected to the bag body of the lubricating oil tank 30 and a discharge tube 32 for supplying lubricating oil from the pump 29 to the inside of the bearing 11. Has been. A nozzle 37 is connected to the distal end of the discharge tube 32 (the end opposite to the base connected to the pump 29) as shown in FIG. The tip of the nozzle 37 extends to the inside of the bearing 11 (position adjacent to the rolling element 15, for example, between the bearing ring on the fixed side and the bearing ring on the rotating side of the bearing 11). Note that the inner diameter of the nozzle hole of the nozzle 37 is appropriately set according to the relationship between the surface tension resulting from the viscosity of the base oil and the discharge amount. The drive circuit 28, the pump 29, the discharge tube 32, the nozzle 37, and the check valve 80 constitute a supply unit. The discharge tube 32 and the nozzle 37 constitute a supply line.

The pump 29 may have any configuration as long as the check valve 80 can discharge the lubricating oil at a discharge pressure equal to or higher than a reference value (opening pressure) through which the lubricating oil flows. The pump 29 is, for example, a rotary pump, for example, a trochoid pump. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a pump 29 as a trochoid pump. The pump 29 has an inner rotor 90 and an outer rotor 91 as rotating parts, and a case (not shown) as a fixed part. A suction port 92 and a discharge port 93 are formed in the case. The suction port 92 and the discharge port 93 of the pump 29 are connected to the suction tube 31 and the discharge tube 32, respectively. The inner rotor 90 and the outer rotor 91 can rotate (forward rotation) in the first direction R1.

The inner rotor 90 and the outer rotor 91 are in contact with each other at a plurality of locations. Inside the pump 29, a plurality of spaces (for example, five spaces) divided by the contact portions between the inner rotor 90 and the outer rotor 91 are formed. When the inner rotor 90 rotates in the first direction R1, the outer rotor 91 rotates in the first direction R1 by meshing with the inner rotor 90. When the inner rotor 90 and the outer rotor 91 rotate normally, the volumes of the plurality of spaces change. In addition, as shown in FIG. 4, when the volume of one space becomes the smallest, the space | interval of the inner rotor 90 and the outer rotor 91 in the said space (micro clearance gap S) is, for example, foreign matters (other than lubricating oil that can be mixed into lubricating oil) Or a lubricating oil having a viscosity equal to or higher than a predetermined value). The pump 29 is controlled by the control circuit 27 via the drive circuit 28.

When the inner rotor 90 and the outer rotor 91 rotate (forward rotation) in the first direction R1, the pump 29 causes the lubricant sucked from the lubricating oil tank 30 to flow through the discharge tube 32, the check valve 80, and the nozzle 37. It is provided in the inside of the bearing 11 so that discharge is possible. When the inner rotor 90 and the outer rotor 91 rotate (forward rotation) in the first direction R1, the pump 29 applies a discharge pressure equal to or higher than a reference value (valve opening pressure) of the check valve 80 to the lubricating oil. Can do. The discharge pressure when the pump 29 is driven is, for example, 1 kPa or more and 2 kPa or less.

The check valve 80 is provided in the discharge tube 32. The check valve 80 circulates lubricating oil to which a discharge pressure equal to or higher than a reference value (valve opening pressure) is applied toward the bearing 11 in the discharge tube 32. On the other hand, the check valve 80 prevents the flow of the lubricating oil to which the discharge pressure less than the reference value is applied in the discharge tube 32. The check valve 80 may have an arbitrary configuration. For example, the check valve 80 may be a duckbill type check valve (model name IMCB8057 or the like) or a diaphragm type check valve (model name IMCD116P or the like). Good. The reference value of the check valve 80 is equal to or lower than the discharge pressure when the pump 29 is driven. Further, the reference value of the check valve 80 exceeds the discharge pressure (for example, less than 1 kPa) of the lubricating oil leaking from the plurality of spaces of the pump 29 when the pump 29 is stopped. The reference value of the check valve 80 is, for example, 2 kPa or less, and preferably 1 kPa or more.

The control circuit 27 is capable of acquiring data relating to the lubricating oil supply status in the lubricating oil supply unit 20 and outputting the data to the outside of the control circuit 27 as will be described later.

As the power generation unit 25 of the lubricating oil supply unit 20, for example, a unit that generates power by the Seebeck effect can be used. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the power generation unit 25 includes a heat conductor 23 a connected to the outer ring spacer 33, a heat conductor 23 b disposed with a gap from the inner ring spacer 34, It has a thermoelectric element 24 (an element utilizing the Seebeck effect of a Peltier element) that is disposed so as to connect between the conductor 23a and the heat conductor 23b and is closely fixed to the

heat conductors

23a and 23b.

Here, when a rolling bearing device is used as the bearing device 10 as shown in FIG. 1, the temperature of the inner ring 14 and the outer ring 13 rises due to frictional heat with the rolling elements 15 (see FIG. 2). Normally, the outer ring 13 is dissipated by heat conduction because it is incorporated in the housing of the device. Therefore, a temperature difference occurs between the inner ring 14 and the outer ring 13 (the temperature of the inner ring 14 is higher than the temperature of the outer ring 13). The temperature is conducted to each

heat conductor

23a, 23b. The

heat conductors

23a and 23b are disposed so as to penetrate the inner peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface of the housing body 21, respectively. Therefore, a thermoelectric element disposed between the heat conductor 23a (heat sink) connected to the outer ring 13 via the outer ring spacer 33 and the heat conductor 23b located on the inner ring spacer 34 side (inner ring 14 side). A temperature difference occurs between both end faces of 24. For this reason, the thermoelectric element 24 can generate power by the Seebeck effect. By using such a power generation unit 25, it is not necessary to supply electric power to the lubricating oil supply unit from the outside, so that it is not necessary to attach an electric wire for supplying electric power to the bearing device 10 from the outside. Therefore, it is more effective to use the lubricating oil supply unit 20 having means for confirming that the lubricating oil has been supplied to the bearing 11 as described above.

It is preferable to use an adhesive in consideration of thermal conductivity on the surface in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the outer ring spacer 33 in the heat conductor 23a penetrating the outer peripheral surface of the housing body 21. The radius of curvature of the outer peripheral surface of the heat conductor 23 a on the outer ring 13 side is preferably the same as the radius of curvature of the inner peripheral surface of the outer ring spacer 33. In this way, since the inner peripheral surface of the outer ring spacer 33 and the outer peripheral surface of the heat conductor 23a can be brought into close contact with each other, heat is efficiently transmitted between the heat conductor 23a and the outer ring spacer 33 and the outer ring 13. Can communicate. On the other hand, the inner peripheral surface (surface facing the inner ring spacer 34) of the heat conductor 23b on the inner ring side is not in contact with the inner ring spacer 34. If possible, it is desirable to make the volume of the

heat conductors

23a, 23b on the outer ring side and the inner ring side equal. Further, it is desirable to increase the surface area of the heat conductor 23b on the inner ring side.

Note that heat conduction between the inner peripheral surface of the outer ring spacer 33 and the heat conductor 23a, between the heat conductor 23a and the thermoelectric element 24, and between the thermoelectric element 24 and the heat conductor 23b on the inner ring side. In order to increase the rate and adhesion, it is preferable to apply a heat dissipating grease or the like. Generally, the heat dissipating grease is mainly composed of silicone. Moreover, it is preferable to use a metal with high heat conductivity as a material of the

heat conductors

23a and 23b. For example, silver (Ag), copper (Cu), gold (Au) or the like can be used, but it is preferable to use copper from the viewpoint of cost. In addition, as a material of the

heat conductors

23a and 23b, a copper alloy containing copper as a main component may be used, or a sintered alloy containing copper as a main component may be used. Moreover, it is preferable that the

heat conductors

23a and 23b are formed by a processing method such as sintering, forging, or casting from the viewpoint of cost. In addition, the heat conductor connected to the thermoelectric element 24 may be disposed only on the high temperature side, and the thermoelectric element 24 may be tightly fixed to the spacer (outer ring spacer 33) on the low temperature side.

The electric charge generated (generated) by the power generation unit 25 is stored in the power supply circuit 26. Specifically, the electric charge is stored in a power storage unit such as a storage battery or a capacitor included in the power supply circuit 26 (also referred to as a power storage circuit). As a capacitor, it is preferable to use an electric double layer capacitor (capacitor). The power supply circuit 26 is electrically connected to the drive circuit 28 and the pump 29 via the control circuit 27, and is provided so as to be able to supply power thereto.

The control circuit 27 is a control unit for controlling the operation of the pump 29 via the drive circuit 28. The control circuit 27 includes a program storage unit that holds a control program, and an arithmetic unit (microcomputer) that is connected to the program storage unit and executes the control program. Various parameters related to the forward rotation operation of the pump 29 by the control circuit 27, for example, the supply start timing of the lubricant to the bearing 11, the supply timing (interval), the drive time of the pump 29 for supplying the lubricant, and the lubricant And the like can be set in advance. And the lubrication life of a bearing apparatus can be extended by maintaining the supply state of lubricating oil appropriately in this way.

The drive circuit 28 as a drive unit can rotate (forward rotation) the inner rotor 90 and the outer rotor 91 of the pump 29 in the first direction R1. The drive circuit 28 may include, for example, an arbitrary sensor (a bearing temperature sensor, a bearing rotation sensor, a lubricant remaining amount sensor, a lubricant temperature sensor, etc.). Signals from these sensors may be input to a calculation unit (microcomputer) of the drive circuit 28, and the pump 29 may be automatically controlled in accordance with the temperature of the bearing 11 and its rotation state to adjust the supply amount of the lubricating oil.

Lubricating oil tank 30 may be constituted by a plastic bag body having flexibility. The lubricating oil tank 30 may be arranged in an arc shape along the annular housing body 21.

The suction tube 31 may be detachably connected to the pump 29. By making the suction tube 31 detachable from the pump 29, when the remaining amount of lubricating oil in the lubricating oil tank 30 runs out, the suction tube 31 is removed from the pump 29 and lubricated from the suction tube 31 into the bag body. Oil can be replenished.

Further, by making the bag body of the lubricating oil tank 30 removable with respect to the pump 29, a spare bag body filled with lubricating oil can be prepared and the bag body can be exchanged. For example, when the lubricating oil in the used lubricating oil tank 30 runs out, remove the used lubricating oil tank 30 bag and replace it with a spare bag (a bag filled with lubricating oil). By doing so, the lubricating oil supply unit 20 can be replenished in a short time.

As shown in FIG. 2, the housing body 21 has an open surface opposite to the bearing 11 and has a U-shaped cross section. The lid 22 is configured to close the opening of the housing body 21 and be detachable from the housing body 21. The housing body 21 and the lid body 22 may be made of any material, but may be made of, for example, a resin material, more preferably a thermoplastic resin. As a material constituting the housing, for example, polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) can be used. The housing body 21 and the lid body 22 may be made of the same kind of material, but may be made of different materials.

The housing lid 22 may be fixed to the housing body 21 with screws 39 (see FIG. 6). By fixing the lid body 22 to the housing body 21, the inside of the housing surrounded by the housing body 21 and the lid body 22 can be sealed. The lid 22 can be removed by removing the screw 39 from the tap hole 35 to which the screw 39 is fixed. In this way, the lubricating oil can be replenished to the lubricating oil tank 30 housed in the housing body 21 without removing the entire lubricating oil supply unit 20 from the bearing device 10.

The outer peripheral surface of the housing body 21 may be fixed to the inner peripheral surface of the outer ring spacer 33. The outer peripheral surface of the housing main body 21 and the outer ring spacer 33 may be bonded and fixed by, for example, an adhesive. For example, an epoxy resin or the like may be used as an adhesive for bonding and fixing the housing body 21. The housing body 21 (that is, the lubricating oil supply unit 20) may be fixed to the stationary ring of the bearing 11. A gap 36 may be formed between the housing main body 21 and the inner ring spacer 34.

<Operation of bearing device>
In the bearing device including the bearing 11 and the lubricating oil supply unit 20 (see FIG. 2), the lubricating oil can be supplied from the lubricating oil tank 30 to the bearing 11 by controlling the operation of the pump 29 by the control circuit 27.

<Timing for forward rotation of pump 29>
The supply timing of the lubricating oil from the lubricating oil supply unit 20 to the inside of the bearing 11 is controlled as the timing of the forward drive of the pump 29. The forward drive timing of the pump 29 is performed, for example, when power generated in the power generation unit 25 is stored in a power storage unit (for example, a capacitor) in the power supply circuit 26 and the voltage of the power storage unit reaches a certain voltage. Is possible. Furthermore, in order to extend the lubrication life of the bearing 11 filled with grease and to increase the time to maintenance, it is desirable to set the following intervals. Hereinafter, a specific description will be given with reference to FIGS. 8 to 13, the vertical axis indicates the voltage of the power storage unit, and the horizontal axis indicates time. 8 to 13 show the time change (charging and discharging status) of the voltage of the power storage unit.

For example, referring to FIG. 8, a charging time 41 is required until the voltage of the power storage unit reaches the voltage (voltage V2 in FIG. 8) required for forward driving of pump 29 (or full charge). When the lubricant supply timing is earlier than the time t1 when the voltage of the power storage unit reaches the voltage V2 (full charge is reached), a predetermined power storage time (delay time 42) is added. (In other words, adding a delay time from time t1 to time t2), pump 29 is driven to rotate forward by the electric power stored in the power storage unit at time t2. In this way, it is possible to manage the supply interval of the lubricating oil to be longer than the time when the voltage of the power storage unit reaches a predetermined voltage (for example, full charge).

Further, as shown in FIG. 8, once the pump 29 is driven to rotate forward, the voltage of the power storage unit decreases to the voltage V1, and then the charging operation is performed again. As a result, the voltage of the power storage unit becomes a predetermined voltage (time point t3). Thereafter, after the delay time described above has elapsed (time t4), the pump 29 is driven to rotate forward again. Such a cycle can be continued thereafter (for example, from time t4 to time t6).

Further, as shown in FIG. 9, the delay time 42 (the time from the time point t1 to the time point t2) can be set long considering the life time of the grease sealed in the bearing 11 from the beginning. For example, when a grease-filled type bearing is used as the bearing 11, sufficient lubrication can be secured by the grease enclosed in the bearing 11 at the beginning of operation, so that the lubrication life of the grease enclosed in the bearing 11 is as shown in FIG. 9. After the elapse of (for example, 20,000 hours), the first supply of lubricating oil may be started. Further, at this time, as the operation start time of the bearing 11, any timing such as the time when the charging voltage of the power storage unit reaches a certain value or the time when the output voltage from the thermoelectric element 24 reaches a certain value is adopted. May be.

In this case, for example, the delay time 42 can be set so that the time from the start of operation to the time point t2 is equivalent to the lubrication life time 43 of the grease. Note that the time t2 may be determined by measuring the time from the operation start time using a timer function in the control circuit 27, and setting the elapsed time of the lubrication life time 43 as the time t2. In addition, regarding the delay time (time between time t3 and time t4 or time between time t5 and time t6) in the second and subsequent cycles, it is considered that the base oil of the grease in the bearing 11 is considerably reduced. Therefore, it can be set shorter than the first delay time 42 in consideration of the usage status of the bearing device. In this way, by delaying the initial supply of the lubricating oil, the life of the bearing 11 is extended, and the time until maintenance can be extended.

Also, as shown in FIG. 10, the lubricating oil discharge interval (operation interval of the pump 29) may be controlled according to the time until the power storage unit is fully charged. For example, the charge and discharge in the power storage unit may be repeated, and the pump 29 may be driven to rotate forward every predetermined number of cycles. Specifically, at time t1, time t2, and time t3 in FIG. 10, only the discharge from the power storage unit to the resistor or the like is performed, and the pump 29 is not driven. Then, at the time t4 when the battery is fully charged in the fourth charge / discharge cycle (when the voltage of the power storage unit becomes the voltage V2), the pump 29 is driven to rotate forward. In this way, the pump 29 can be driven to rotate forward every predetermined number of charge / discharge cycles, so that the supply interval of the lubricating oil can be increased.

Here, the power generation unit 25 of the lubricating oil supply unit 20 generates power using the temperature difference between the inner ring 14 and the outer ring 13 of the bearing 11. Therefore, in an operating situation in which the temperature of the inner ring 14 of the bearing 11 is relatively high, the temperature difference between the inner ring 14 and the outer ring 13 becomes large, and as a result, the amount of power generation per unit time in the power generation unit 25 is large. Become. Therefore, the charging time for the power storage unit of the power supply circuit 26 is shortened. On the other hand, when the difference between the temperature of the inner ring 14 of the bearing 11 and the temperature of the outer ring 13 is not so large, the power generation amount per unit time in the power generation unit 25 is reduced. Therefore, the charging time for the power storage unit of the power supply circuit 26 becomes longer.

10 is considered to correspond to the case where the temperature difference between the inner ring 14 and the outer ring 13 is large, FIG. 11 shows that the temperature difference between the inner ring 14 and the outer ring 13 of the bearing 11 is larger than that shown in FIG. It shows a case where the charging time is relatively small and as a result, the charging time becomes long. Comparing FIG. 10 and FIG. 11, it can be seen that the graph shown in FIG. 11 is longer with respect to the length of the charging time 41 (for example, the time from the start of charging to the time t1). That is, when the charge / discharge cycle is used for determining the drive interval of the pump 29 as shown in FIG. 10, the supply interval of the lubricating oil changes depending on the temperature difference between the inner ring 14 and the outer ring 13 of the bearing 11.

Generally, when the lubrication conditions inside the bearing 11 are good, the temperature rise inside the bearing 11 becomes relatively small, and there is no problem even if the lubrication oil supply interval is long. On the other hand, when the lubrication conditions inside the bearing 11 are not so good, the temperature rise inside the bearing 11 becomes relatively large, so it is desirable to shorten the supply interval of the lubricating oil.

Therefore, when power generation due to the temperature difference between the inner ring 14 and the outer ring 13 of the bearing 11 is used, the lubrication oil supply interval automatically changes according to the load of the bearing 11, so that the lubrication condition inside the bearing 11 is always changed. Can keep good. In the control shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, charging and discharging are repeated until the pump 29 is driven forward. Therefore, the interval of forward rotation of the pump 29 may be managed by the number of times of charging / discharging.

For example, as shown in FIG. 12, after the pump 29 has been normally driven once (time t1), charging and discharging are repeated eight times, and when the ninth full charge is reached (time t2 when the voltage V2 is reached). The drive interval of the pump 29 may be managed so as to repeat the cycle of driving the pump 29 in the normal direction.

Further, when the time until full charge is short in charging the power storage unit, it is estimated that the temperature difference between the outer ring 13 and the inner ring 14 in the bearing 11 is large (the inner ring temperature is high). On the contrary, when the time until full charge is long, it is estimated that the inner ring temperature is relatively low as compared with the case described above. Therefore, when the charging time is relatively short, the lubrication state inside the bearing 11 generally tends not to be very good, and when the charging time is long, the lubrication state inside the bearing 11 is generally good. You may judge. Thus, by measuring the time until full charge, a change in the lubrication state inside the bearing 11 can be indirectly estimated without separately providing a device such as a temperature sensor in the bearing 11. In order to make such an estimation, a relationship between the time until full charge and the lubrication state inside the bearing 11 may be obtained by, for example, an operation test. In this case, the relationship between the time and the lubrication state inside the bearing 11 changes depending on the rotational speed of the bearing 11, the magnitude of the load, the amount of preload, and the like.

In addition, when the pump 29 is driven and when the discharge is performed from the power storage unit to the end using a resistor or the like, the voltage drop in the power storage unit may be greater when the pump 29 is driven. For example, as shown in FIG. 13, when the pump 29 is driven at time t1 or time t2, the voltage of the power storage unit decreases to the voltage V1, while when the terminal is discharged to a resistor or the like, the voltage of the power storage unit is Consider a case where the voltage drops to V3. Here, the voltage V1 is lower than the voltage V3. In this case, a voltage V4 between the voltage V1 and the voltage V3 is set as a threshold value, and when the voltage of the power storage unit drops to a voltage equal to or lower than the threshold value, the control circuit 27 reduces the voltage (for example, the time point t1). Alternatively, the time point t2) and the voltage value (voltage V1) may be stored. As the timing information, specific date information may be used.

<Forward driving time of pump 29>
The supply amount of the lubricating oil from the lubricating oil supply unit 20 to the inside of the bearing 11 is controlled as the normal rotation driving time of the pump 29. As described above, the forward drive time of the pump 29 is controlled by the control circuit 27 based on, for example, a preset time.

Thus, with respect to the forward drive of the pump 29, the timing and drive time are appropriately controlled by the control circuit 27, so that the lubrication conditions inside the bearing 11 can always be kept good.

When the pump 29 is driven forward, lubricating oil to which a discharge pressure equal to or higher than the reference value of the check valve 80 is applied flows from the pump 29 into the discharge tube 32, whereby the check valve 80 is opened and the lubricating oil. Is supplied into the bearing 11 through the discharge tube 32. On the other hand, when the pump 29 is not normally driven, since the lubricating oil to which the discharge pressure equal to or higher than the reference value of the check valve 80 is applied does not flow into the discharge tube 32, the check valve 80 is closed. Therefore, when the forward drive of the pump 29 is stopped, the lubricating oil remaining in the plurality of spaces of the pump 29 and in the discharge tube 32 positioned on the upstream side of the check valve 80 is the reference value. Since the above pressure is not applied, supply to the inside of the bearing 11 by the check valve 80 is suppressed. In addition, the check valve 80 is closed for the lubricating oil remaining in the nozzle 37 and the discharge tube 32 located downstream of the check valve 80 when the forward drive of the pump 29 is stopped. This prevents the bearing 11 from flowing out.

That is, when the pump 29 is not rotating forward, the lubricating oil remaining in the pump 29, the discharge tube 32, and the nozzle 37 is not supplied into the bearing 11. Therefore, by controlling the normal rotation driving time of the pump 29, the amount of lubricating oil supplied from the lubricating oil supply unit 20 to the inside of the bearing 11 can be accurately controlled. In other words, according to the lubricating oil supply unit 20, the remaining amount of the lubricating oil in the lubricating oil tank 30 can be accurately estimated from the normal rotation driving time of the pump 29. Thereby, before the lubricating oil in the lubricating oil tank 30 becomes empty, the lubricating oil tank 30 can be supplemented with lubricating oil or replaced with the lubricating oil tank 30 filled with lubricating oil. As a result, the lubricating oil supply unit 20 and the bearing device 10 can be stably operated over a long period of time.

<Modification>
A modification of the lubricating oil supply unit and the bearing device according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. The lubricating oil supply unit and the bearing device shown in FIGS. 5 to 7 have basically the same configuration as the lubricating oil supply unit 20 and the bearing device 10 (see FIG. 2) shown in FIGS. Each structure of the electric power generation part 25, the control circuit 27, and the drive circuit 28 differs.

The thermoelectric element 24 of the power generation unit 25 may be disposed so as to connect between the heat conductor 23 disposed in the inner ring spacer 34 and the outer ring spacer 33. The thermoelectric element 24 is in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the outer ring spacer 33. The thermoelectric element 24 is connected to the power supply circuit 26 via a lead wire 81. Even in this case, a temperature difference is generated between the outer ring 13 and the inner ring 14 of the bearing 11, so that there is a temperature difference between both end faces of the thermoelectric element 24 disposed between the outer ring spacer 33 and the heat conductor 23. Arise. As a result, the thermoelectric element 24 can generate power by the Seebeck effect. In addition to the power supply circuit 26, a capacitor 82 that can store the charge generated by the power generation unit 25 may be further provided. The capacitor 82 is provided so that power can be supplied to the pump 29. Charging / discharging of the capacitor 82 is controlled by a drive control circuit.

The

drive control circuits

27 and 28 are provided with the control circuit 27 and the drive circuit 28 shown in FIG. 1 as one circuit. The

drive control circuits

27 and 28 can control the operation of the pump 29 by controlling charging and discharging of the capacitor 82.

Even in this case, the lubricating oil supply unit shown in FIGS. 5 to 7 distributes the lubricating oil to which the discharge pressure equal to or higher than the reference value is circulated in the discharge tube 32 and the nozzle 37 (supply pipe line), so that the reference value is reached. Since a check valve 80 for preventing the flow of the lubricating oil applied to the discharge tube 32 and the nozzle 37 (supply pipe line) to which a discharge pressure of less than is applied is provided, the same as the lubricating oil supply unit shown in FIGS. There is an effect.

(Embodiment 2)
Next, a lubricating oil supply unit according to Embodiment 2 will be described. The lubricating oil supply unit according to the second embodiment has basically the same configuration as that of the lubricating oil supply unit 20 according to the first embodiment, but the pump 29 (see FIG. 1) when the bearing device is driven. ) Is reversed.

As shown in FIG. 4, the inner rotor 90 and the outer rotor 91 of the pump 29 can be rotated (reversed) in the second direction R2 opposite to the first direction R1. When the inner rotor 90 rotates in the second direction R2, the outer rotor 91 rotates in the second direction R2 by meshing with the inner rotor 90. When the inner rotor 90 and the outer rotor 91 are inverted, the volumes of the plurality of spaces change.

Various parameters relating to the reversal operation of the pump 29, for example, the reversal drive timing (interval from the stop of the normal rotation operation to the start of the reversal operation) and the reversal drive time can be set in advance by the control circuit 27. The drive circuit 28 can rotate (reverse) the inner rotor 90 and the outer rotor 91 of the pump 29 in the second direction R2.

The pump 29 remains inside the pump 29 (a space formed between the inner rotor 90 and the outer rotor 91) as the inner rotor 90 and the outer rotor 91 rotate (reverse) in the second direction R2. The lubricating oil is provided in the lubricating oil tank 30 through the suction tube 31 so as to be discharged. If foreign matter is sucked into the pump 29 by the normal operation of the pump 29, the foreign matter can be discharged to the lubricating oil tank 30 through the suction tube 31 by the reversing operation of the pump 29. Note that when the pump 29 is reversed, the discharge tube 32 is closed by the check valve 80 because the lubricant to which the discharge pressure equal to or higher than the reference value is not supplied to the discharge tube 32. Therefore, according to the lubricating oil supply unit 20, it is possible to prevent the gas or the like inside the bearing 11 from being sucked into the pump 29 via the discharge tube 32.

<Inversion drive timing and inversion drive time of pump 29>
The inversion drive timing and inversion drive time of the pump 29 can be arbitrarily set in advance. For example, the pump 29 may be set so as to be reversely driven immediately after the forward drive time has elapsed and stopped. That is, for example, at time t2, t4, t6 shown in FIG. 8 or FIG. In addition, at time points t1, t2, and t4 shown in FIGS. 10 to 13, the pump 29 may be driven reversely following the normal rotation driving.

Further, the pump 29 may be set so as to resume normal rotation driving immediately after the reverse driving time has elapsed and stopped. For example, at time points t2, t4, and t6 shown in FIG. 8 or FIG. 9, the pump 29 may be driven forward after the forward rotation drive and the reverse drive. In addition, at the time points t1, t2, and t4 shown in FIGS. 10 to 13, the pump 29 may be driven forward after the forward drive and the reverse drive. In other words, the lubricating oil supply unit 20 can perform the operation for supplying a predetermined amount of lubricating oil into the bearing 11 as a series of processes in which the forward rotation driving and the reverse driving of the pump 29 are alternately repeated. It may be set.

Further, the inversion drive timing of the pump 29 may be, for example, a timing when an increasing tendency of the current value supplied from the drive circuit 28 to the pump 29 is confirmed. The increase in the current value occurs, for example, when a foreign object is caught in the minute gap S (see FIG. 4) formed between the inner rotor 90 and the outer rotor 91 of the pump 29. Therefore, the foreign matter can be prevented from being caught by reversing the pump 29 after the increase in the value of the current supplied from the drive circuit 28 to the pump 29 is confirmed. In this case, the control circuit 27 includes, for example, a measurement unit that can measure the current value and a determination unit that can detect an increasing tendency of the current value measured by the measurement unit. The pump 29 is reversely driven via the drive circuit 28 when, for example, an increasing tendency of the current value is confirmed by the determination unit of the control circuit 27.

As described above, the lubricating oil supply unit according to the second embodiment includes the pump 29 that can perform the forward rotation operation and the reversal operation. Therefore, the foreign material mixed in the lubricating oil is pumped into the pump 29 by the reversing operation of the pump 29. 29 can be discharged. Therefore, according to the lubricating oil supply unit according to the second embodiment, the lubricating oil can be stably supplied to the bearing 11 over a long period of time and has high reliability. Further, since the lubricating oil supply unit according to the second embodiment includes the check valve 80, the same effect as the lubricating oil supply unit according to the first embodiment can be achieved.

(Embodiment 3)
Next, a bearing device according to Embodiment 3 will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 14, the vertical axis indicates the voltage of the power storage unit, and the horizontal axis indicates time. The bearing device according to the third embodiment has basically the same configuration as that of the bearing device according to the first embodiment. However, before the lubricating life of the grease preliminarily sealed in the bearing 11 elapses, the lubricating oil is supplied. Is different in that is started. Specifically, in the bearing device according to the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, the first lubrication oil supply is controlled after the lubrication life by the grease sealed in the bearing 11 has elapsed. obtain. On the other hand, in the bearing device according to the third embodiment, as shown in FIG. 14, the first lubrication oil supply is controlled before the lubrication life due to the grease enclosed in the bearing 11 elapses. The

In this case, the delay time 42 is set so that the time point t2 when the pump 29 is driven is within the lubrication life time 43 of the grease. The delay time 42 is set so that, for example, the time point t2 when the pump 29 is driven is immediately before the grease lubrication life time 43. The delay time 42 can be set based on the result of the confirmation test by confirming in advance the time until the power storage unit is fully charged and the lubrication state with the grease enclosed in the bearing 11.

Since the lubricating oil supply unit according to the third embodiment is controlled to start supplying the first lubricating oil after the lubricating life by the grease sealed in the bearing 11 has elapsed, the seizure of the bearing 11 can be more reliably performed. Can be prevented. Further, since the lubricating oil supply unit according to the first embodiment includes the check valve 80, the same effect as the lubricating oil supply unit according to the first embodiment can be achieved.

In the lubricating oil supply unit and the bearing device according to the first to third embodiments, the pump 29 is configured as a trochoid pump, but may be another rotary pump. The pump 29 may be a centrifugal pump, for example. In this case, it has the impeller (impeller) as a rotation part, and the case (housing) as a fixed part. The impeller can rotate (forward rotation) in the first direction. Preferably, the impeller is rotatable (inverted) in the second direction. Inside the centrifugal pump, the minute gap is formed between the impeller and the case. Therefore, the centrifugal pump in which the impeller is provided so as to be reversible is suitable for the lubricating oil supply unit and the bearing device according to the second embodiment.

Although there are portions that partially overlap with the above description, the characteristic configurations of the embodiment of the present invention are listed.

The lubricating oil supply unit 20 according to the first to third embodiments supplies a holding portion (lubricating oil tank 30) that holds the lubricating oil supplied to the inside of the bearing 11, and supplies the lubricating oil to the inside of the bearing 11 from the holding portion. Supply section (drive circuit 28, pump 29, discharge tube 32 and nozzle 37). The supply unit sucks the lubricating oil from the holding unit, and is provided with a pump 29 provided so that a discharge pressure equal to or higher than a reference value can be applied to the lubricating oil, and a supply pipe connected to the pump 29 and extending inside the bearing 11 Lubricating oil to which a discharge pressure equal to or higher than a reference value is circulated in the supply pipe and the lubricating oil to which the discharge pressure less than the reference value is applied is circulated in the supply line (discharge tube 32 and nozzle 37). The adjustment part (check valve 80) to prevent is included.

In this way, it is possible to prevent the adjusting portion from circulating the lubricating oil to which the discharge pressure less than the reference value is applied. Therefore, for example, the lubricating oil remaining in the pump 29 when the pump 29 is stopped can be prevented from leaking into the supply pipe and being supplied into the bearing. That is, the lubricating oil can be supplied into the bearing only when the pump 29 is driven. As a result, the remaining amount of the lubricating oil in the holding unit can be accurately estimated from the driving time of the pump 29, and the lubricating oil can be replenished to the holding unit before the lubricating oil in the holding unit runs out. Thereby, the lubricating oil supply unit can be stably operated for a long time.

The adjustment unit is preferably a check valve 80 provided on the supply pipeline. In this way, the adjustment unit can be reduced in size.

In the lubricating oil supply unit according to the second embodiment, the pump 29 is configured to rotate in the first direction R1 and the second direction R2 opposite to the first direction R1 (inner rotor 90, outer rotor 91, impeller). ) And is provided so that the lubricating oil can be sucked from the holding portion and discharged to the supply pipe line by the rotating operation toward the first direction of the rotating portion. The pump 29 may perform the rotation operation of the rotation unit in the second direction when the rotation operation of the rotation unit in the first direction stops. In this way, it is possible to prevent foreign matters mixed in the lubricating oil from getting caught in the minute gap S (see FIG. 4) formed in the pump 29. As a result, the lubricating oil supply unit can operate stably over a long period of time.

The pump 29 has a rotating part rotatable in a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction, and sucks lubricating oil from the holding part by a rotating operation of the rotating part in the first direction. It is provided so that it can discharge to a supply pipeline. The pump 29 may further include a drive unit that drives the rotation unit, and may perform a rotation operation of the rotation unit toward the second direction when the current value of the drive unit exceeds a threshold value. In this way, foreign matter caught in the minute gap S (see FIG. 4) formed in the pump 29 can be discharged from the pump 29. As a result, the lubricating oil supply unit can operate stably over a long period of time.

The bearing device according to Embodiments 1 and 2 includes the lubricating oil supply unit and a bearing 11 to which the lubricating oil supply unit is connected. Therefore, the bearing device can stably receive the supply of the lubricating oil from the lubricating oil supply unit for a long period of time, so that the bearing 11 can be prevented from being seized for a long period of time. As a result, the bearing device can operate stably over a long period of time.

A bearing device according to Embodiment 3 includes the lubricating oil supply unit and a bearing 11 to which the lubricating oil supply unit is connected. The bearing 11 includes pre-sealed grease. The supply unit is provided so that lubricating oil can be supplied before the lubricating life of the grease elapses. In this way, the bearing device can reliably prevent the bearing 11 from being seized, and can operate stably over a long period of time.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the above-described embodiments can be variously modified. The scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. The scope of the present invention is defined by the terms of the claims, and is intended to include any modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the terms of the claims.

The present invention is particularly advantageously applied to a lubricating oil supply unit including a holding portion that holds the lubricating oil supplied to the inside of the bearing and a bearing device including the lubricating oil supply unit.

10 bearing device, 11 bearing, 13 outer ring, 14 inner ring, 15 rolling element, 16 cage, 20 lubricant supply unit, 21 housing body, 22 lid, 23, 23a, 23b thermal conductor, 24 thermoelectric element, 25 power generation 26, power supply circuit, 27 control circuit, 28 drive circuit, 29 pump, 30 lubricant tank, 31 tube, 32 discharge tube, 33 outer ring spacer, 34 inner ring spacer, 35 tap hole, 36 gap, 37 nozzle, 39 Screw, 41 charging time, 42 delay time, 43 lubrication life time, 80 check valve, 91 inner rotor, 92 outer rotor.

Claims

A holding portion for holding lubricating oil supplied to the inside of the bearing;
A supply unit for supplying the lubricating oil from the holding unit to the inside of the bearing,
The supply unit sucks the lubricating oil from the holding unit, and is connected to the pump so as to be able to apply a discharge pressure equal to or higher than a reference value to the lubricating oil, and extends inside the bearing. And supply the lubricating oil to which the discharge pressure equal to or higher than the reference value is circulated in the supply line, and distribute the lubricating oil to which the discharge pressure less than the reference value is applied in the supply line Lubricating oil supply unit including an adjustment unit for preventing
The lubricating oil supply unit according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment unit is a check valve provided on the supply pipeline.
The pump has a rotating part rotatable in a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction, and the holding part holds the lubricating oil by a rotating operation of the rotating part toward the first direction. It is provided so that it can be sucked out and discharged into the supply pipeline,
3. The lubricating oil supply according to claim 1, wherein the pump performs a rotation operation of the rotation unit toward the second direction when a rotation operation of the rotation unit toward the first direction stops. 4. unit.
The pump has a rotating part rotatable in a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction, and the holding part holds the lubricating oil by a rotating operation of the rotating part toward the first direction. It is provided so that it can be sucked out and discharged into the supply pipeline,
The said pump further has a drive part which drives the said rotation part, and when the electric current value of the said drive part exceeds a threshold value, the rotation operation of the said rotation part which goes to the said 2nd direction is performed. The lubricating oil supply unit according to claim 2.
The lubricating oil supply unit according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The bearing to which the lubricating oil supply unit is connected,
The bearing includes pre-enclosed grease,
The supply unit is a bearing device provided so that the lubricating oil can be supplied before the lubricating life of the grease elapses.