Sensor arrangement and rolling bearing having such a sensor arrangement

• US 10,302,138 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2015
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co.KG (INA-Holding Schaeffler GmbH & Co. KG)
• Original Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co.KG (INA-Holding Schaeffler GmbH & Co. KG)
• Inventors: Kempe, Fabian, Herbrich, Matthias, Munch, Dagmar
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunlap, Jonathan M
• Application Number:
  US15/310,982
• Publication Number:
  US 20170074327A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,519 Days
• Field of Search: 307104, 455 411, 73862
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2233/00 Monitoring condition, e.g. temperature, load, vibration
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 41/008 Identification means, e.g. markings, RFID-tags; Data transfer means
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/30 Supports specially adapted for an instrument; Supports specially adapted for a set of instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 21/00 Measuring or testing not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/0019 by using strain gages, piezoelectric, piezo-resistive or other ohmic-resistance based sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2038/143 for signals
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices

Abstract

The invention relates to a sensor arrangement on a rotary bearing which has a stationary bearing part and a rotatable bearing part. A primary coil is arranged on the stationary bearing part and is connected to a supply unit in a wired manner. A sensor circuit and a secondary coil supplying said circuit with electrical energy are fitted to the rotatable bearing part. According to the invention, the primary coil and the secondary coil are part of an energy transmission unit which is constructed according to the Qi standard. At least the operating energy for the sensor circuit, preferably also the data for communication between the sensor circuit and the supply unit, are transmitted via the inductive coupling between the primary coil and the secondary coil.

Claims

1. A sensor arrangement comprising, a stationary part on which a primary coil is arranged that is connected with wires to a supply unit, a rotating part on which a sensor circuit and a secondary coil supplying said sensor circuit with electrical energy are mounted, the primary coil surrounds the rotating part with a ring-shape, the secondary coil is arranged concentrically within the primary coil, and the primary and secondary coils are part of an energy transmission unit that operates according to a Qi standard, and at least an operating energy for the sensor circuit is transmitted via an inductive coupling between the primary and secondary coils, and the stationary part is an outer ring of a rolling bearing and the primary coil is mounted on an outside of the outer ring.

2. The sensor arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the inductive coupling is configured for communication of data between the sensor circuit and the supply unit by transmission of the data between the primary and secondary coils.

3. The sensor arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the primary coil extends along a circumference of a stationary bearing part with a ring-shaped cross section as the stationary part and the secondary coil is mounted on a rotating bearing part as the rotating part.

4. A sensor arrangement comprising, a stationary part on which a primary coil is arranged that is connected with wires to a supply unit, a rotating part on which a sensor circuit and a secondary coil supplying said sensor circuit with electrical energy are mounted, the primary coil surrounds the rotating part with a ring-shape, the secondary coil is arranged concentrically within the primary coil, and the primary and secondary coils are part of an energy transmission unit that operates according to a Qi standard, and at least an operating energy for the sensor circuit is transmitted via an inductive coupling between the primary and secondary coils, wherein the sensor circuit and the secondary coil are mounted on a flexible carrier that is connected to the rotating part.

5. The sensor arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the flexible carrier is mounted on an inside of an inner ring of a rolling bearing.

6. The sensor arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the sensor circuit comprises a strain sensor that is mounted on the flexible carrier.

7. A sensor arrangement comprising, a stationary part on which a primary coil is arranged that is connected with wires to a supply unit, a rotating part on which a sensor circuit and a secondary coil supplying said sensor circuit with electrical energy are mounted, the primary coil surrounds the rotating part with a ring-shape, the secondary coil is arranged concentrically within the primary coil, and the primary and secondary coils are part of an energy transmission unit that operates according to a Qi standard, and at least an operating energy for the sensor circuit is transmitted via an inductive coupling between the primary and secondary coils, wherein the supply unit comprises a first microprocessor that controls preparation of supply energy to the primary coil, imbeds control data onto a current fed into the primary coil, monitors a counter induction occurring in the primary coil, and processes response data from the sensor circuit.

8. The sensor arrangement according to claim 7, wherein the sensor circuit comprises a second microprocessor that processes measured values supplied by the sensor and delivers response data to the secondary coil.

9. A rolling bearing comprising a stationary bearing part, a rotating bearing part, and the sensor arrangement according to claim 7, wherein the stationary bearing part is the stationary part, and the rotating baring ring is the rotating part.