Method of supplying lubricant and apparatus for the same

• US 5,080,195 A
• Filed: 12/21/1989
• Issued: 01/14/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd., Koji Kato
• Inventors: Inoue, Hiroshi, Kato, Koji, Tsumaki, Nobuo, Mizumoto, Muneo
• Primary Examiner(s): Lazarus, Ira S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cariaso, Alan B.
• Application Number:
  US07/454,355
• Time in Patent Office: 754 Days
• Field of Search: 184/5, 184/5.1, 184/6.1, 184/6.4, 184/104.1, 184/6.12, 184/98, 184/99, 384/625, 384/448, 384/463, 118/724, 340/825.72
• US Class Current: 184/6.4
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/6622 Details of supply and/or removal of the grease, e.g. purging grease
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/667 related to conditioning, e.g. cooling, filtering
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/6674 related to the amount supplied, e.g. gaps to restrict flow of the liquid
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/6696 with solids as lubricant, e.g. dry coatings, powder
• CPC Class Codes: F16N 17/06 in vacuum or under reduced pressure lubrication of evacuating pumps F04; of rotary anodes of X-ray tubes H01J35/10
• CPC Class Codes: F16N 29/02 for influencing the supply of lubricant

Abstract

A lubricant supply source is disposed in the vicinity of a sliding or rotary portion of a machine element, and an electrical power source is intermittently driven by a controller, so as to intermittently supply lubricant from the lubricant supply source to the machine element. When required, a sensor for monitoring the operating state of the machine element, and/or a remote controller is used, so that the supply of lubricant is controlled on the basis of the signal of the sensor and/or by means of the remote controller. Consequently, lubricant can be supplied or supplemented to the machine element in accordance with necessity. Therefore, the machine element will be able to stably operate for a long time, even in relative inaccessible places which people cannot inadvertently access.

Claims

1. A method of supplying lubricant, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a lubricant supply means for supplying lubricant to t least one element of a machine, the lubricant supply means comprising a vacuum deposition source formed of a solid lubricant, an electrical power source for operating said lubricant supply means, a controller for controlling aid electrical power source, and a sensor for detcting a state of the at least one element of the machine;

causing said controller to determine, in dependence upon a detected value of said sensor, whether a supply of lubricant to the at least one element of the mchine is required;

causing said controller to drive said electrical power source upon a determination of a required lubrication; and

coating the lubricant on the at least one machine element by evaporating a solid lubricant by a tribo-coating means.

2. A method of supplying lubricant the method comprising the steps of:

providing a lubricant supply means for supplying lubricant to at least one element of a machine, an electrical power source for operating said lubricant supply means, a controller for controlling said electrical power source, and a sensor for detecting a state of the at least one element of the machine;

causing said controller to determine, in dependence upon a detected value of said sensor, whether a supply of lubricant to the at least one element of the machine is reqired;

causing said controller to drive said electrical power source upon a determination of a required lubrication; and

caoting the lubricant on the at least one machine element by evapoating a solid lubricant by a tribo-coating means,

wherein said controllwer communicates through a communication means with a remote controller, monitors the state of the at least one machine element, and determines that lubricant should be supplied to the at least one machine element when the supply of lubricant is required.

3. A method of supplying lubricant to a machine component part in motion comprising the steps of:

monitoring the condition of the machine element by means of a sensor; and

supplying lubricant in accordance with the state of the machine element by evaporating a solid lubricant by a tribo-coating means.

4. An apparatus for supplying lubricant comprising:

a tribo-coating means for supplying a solid lubricant to an element of a hamchine;

an electrical power source for operating said tribo-coating means so as to cause an evaporation of the solid lubricant and coating of the element of the machine;

nd

a controller for driving said electrical power source at predetermined intervals of time.

5. An apparatus for supplying lubricant according to claim 4, wherein said controller change, at arbitrarily determined intervals of time, the electrical power supplied by said electrical power source to said tribo-coating means.

6. An apparatus for supplyng lubricant comprising:

a tribo-coating means for supplying a solid lubricant to an element of a machine;

`an electrical power source for opeating said tribo-coating means so aso to cuase an evaporation of the solid lubricant and coating of the element of the machine;

a controller for driving and controlling said power source; and

a sensor for monitoring an operating state of the machine element and for generating signals forming an input to said cntroller.

7. An apparatus for supplying lubricant according to claim 6, further comprising a switching device disposed in a circiut connecting said controller and said sensor for turning on and off said circiut.

8. An apparatus for supplying lubricant according to claim 6, wherein said controller is a remote controller capable of performing remote contro.

11. An apparatus for supplying lubricant according to claim 6, wherein said lubricant supply means comprises an ion gun.

12. An apparatus for supplying lubricant according to claim 6, wherein said sensor for minotiring the operating state of the machine element comprises a temperature sensor.

13. An apparatus for supplying lubricant according to claim 6, wherein said sensor for minotiring the operting state of the machine element comprises a vibration detector.

9. Appartus for supplying lubricant, the apparatus comprising:

a lubricant supply means for supplying lubricant to an element of a machine, the lubricant supply means comprising a vacuum deposition source formed of a slid lubricant, and aheating means for heating and evaporating said lubricant so as to effect vacuum deposition, said heating means including at least one of a laser beam, and electron beam and a heater;

an electrical power source for operating said lubricant supply means;

a controller for driving and controlling said power source; and

a sensor for moniotoring an operating state of the machine element and for generating signals forming an input to said controller.

10. An apparatus for supplying lubricant accrding to claim 9, wherein the machine element incudes a ball bearing, and wherein said solid lubricant is disposed on at least one of an inner ring and an outer ring of said ball bearing.