Linear motion device with an RFID tag

• US 20060290507A1
• Filed: 06/19/2006
• Published: 12/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bosch Rexroth Mechatronics GmbH (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Bosch Rexroth Mechatronics GmbH (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Inventors: Greubel, Roland
• Granted Patent: US 7,479,885 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 29/00 Bearings for parts moving only linearly F16C32/06 takes precedence; incorporated in flexible shafts F16C1/28 ; parts of bearings in general and special methods for making bearings or parts thereof in general F16C33/00
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 29/0609 of the ends of the bearing body or carriage where the rolling elements change direction, e.g. end caps
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 29/0645 with load directions in O-arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 41/008 Identification means, e.g. markings, RFID-tags; Data transfer means

Abstract

A linear motion device has a rod, a traveler which is movably supported with at least one roller body circuit, the traveler including an electrically conductive carrier body; roller bodies braced on the electrically conductive carrier body in a load-transmitting fashion; and at least one electrically non conductive guidance component for the roller bodies, the guidance component being provided with an RFID tag, the RFID tag being accessible from outside.

Claims

1. A linear motion device, comprising a rod, a traveler which is movably supported on said rod with at least one roller body circuit, said traveler including an electrically conductive carrier body;

roller bodies braced on said electrically conductive carrier body in a load-transmitting fashion; and

at least one electrically nonconductive guidance component for said unloaded roller bodies, said guidance component being provided with an RFID tag, said RFID tag being accessible from outside.

2. A linear motion device as defined in claim 1, wherein said RFID tag is located between said guidance component and said carrier body.

3. A linear motion device as defined in claim 1, wherein said guidance component is composed of plastic, while said RFID tag is formed as an element which is cast integrally with said guidance component.

4. A linear motion device as defined in claim 3, wherein said guidance component is solidly joined to said carrier body by spray-coating of said carrier body.

5. A linear motion device as defined in claim 1, wherein said RFID tag includes an electronic circuit and an antenna, said antenna being applied directly to said guidance component by printing process.

6. A linear motion device as defined in claim 5, wherein said electronic circuit includes organic semi-conductors and is applied directly to said guidance component by a printing process.

7. A linear motion device as defined in claim 1, wherein all said guidance components are provided with an RFID tag.

8. A linear motion device as defined in claim 1, wherein said RFID tag includes a memory and a data processing unit, so that stress information from outside is transmittable in wireless fashion into said memory, and said data processing unit is arranged to calculate an expected remaining life of said linear motion device from the stress information, and a result is transmissible in wireless fashion to an outside.

9. A linear motion device as defined in claim 8;

and further comprising a sensor that detects oscillations of said traveler in said linear motion device, so that an oscillation information is taken into account in calculating the remaining life.

10. A linear motion device as defined in claim 1, wherein said RFID tag is permanently supplied with energy.

11. A linear motion device as defined in claim 1, for use in a higher level machine, the linear motion device being configured as a roller body thread drive, and in said RFID tag an actual relationship between a rotary position and a travel distance of said roller body thread drive is stored in a memory, and this relationship is taken into account by a controller of the higher-level machine in controlling position of said traveler.