Lubricant monitoring system

• US 6,776,261 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2002
• Issued: 08/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Stemco Products, Inc. (Enpro Industries Incorporated), Rosemount Aerospace, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Stemco LLC (Enpro Industries Incorporated), Garlock Sealing Technologies LLC, Rosemount Aerospace, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Kranz, Mark Jefferson, Cox, Jon A., Eriksen, Odd Harald Steen, Hood, Charles Robin
• Primary Examiner(s): FENSTERMACHER, DAVID MORGAN
• Application Number:
  US10/157,566
• Publication Number:
  US 20030221911A1
• Time in Patent Office: 811 Days
• Field of Search: 184/6.4, 324/636, 324/553, 324/638, 324/637, 324/639, 340/631, 73/614.2
• US Class Current: 184/6.4
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/52 with devices affected by abnormal or undesired conditions
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/548 in O-arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2326/02 Wheel hubs or castors
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/6625 Controlling or conditioning the grease supply
• 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 41/008 Identification means, e.g. markings, RFID-tags; Data transfer means
• CPC Class Codes: F16N 2270/52 Viscosity
• CPC Class Codes: F16N 2270/54 pH; Acidity
• CPC Class Codes: F16N 7/363 Centrifugal lubrication

Abstract

An apparatus is disclosed for monitoring characteristics of a fluid lubricant contained within a lubricant chamber formed in a wheel hub mounted for rotation about a stationary wheel axle. The apparatus includes an annular bearing spacer configured for mounting on the wheel axle between axially opposed inboard and outboard bearings, the annular bearing spacer forming an interior lubricant reservoir between an inner surface of the spacer and the wheel axle, a guide vane for directing lubricant from the lubricant chamber to the interior lubricant reservoir during rotation of the wheel hub assembly about the wheel axle, and a sensor operatively associated with the interior lubricant reservoir for determining a condition of the lubricant.

Claims

1. An apparatus for monitoring the condition of a fluid lubricant contained within a lubricant chamber formed in a wheel hub mounted for rotation about a stationary wheel axle, the apparatus comprising:

a) an annular bearing spacer configured for mounting on the wheel axle between axially opposed inboard and outboard bearings, the annular bearing spacer forming an interior lubricant reservoir between an inner surface of the spacer and the wheel axle;

b) a guide vane for directing lubricant from the lubricant chamber to the interior lubricant reservoir during rotation of the wheel hub assembly about the wheel axle; and

c) a condition sensor operatively associated with the interior lubricant reservoir for determining at least one condition of the lubricant directed into the interior reservoir by the guide vane.

2. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising means operatively associated with the condition sensor for communicating a signal to a receiver corresponding to a determined condition of the lubricant.

3. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the annular bearing spacer has at least one inlet port formed therein to facilitate the ingress of lubricant into the interior reservoir from the guide vane.

4. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the annular bearing spacer has at least one outlet port formed therein to facilitate the egress of lubricant from the interior reservoir into the lubricant chamber of the wheel hub.

5. An apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein a filtration device is operatively associated with the annular bearing spacer for filtering lubricant transferring from the interior reservoir to the lubricant chamber of the wheel hub.

6. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the guide vane extends radially outwardly from an outer surface of the annular bearing spacer and is configured to direct lubricant from the lubricant chamber to the interior lubricant reservoir upon rotation of the wheel hub about the wheel axle.

7. An apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein the guide vane includes fluid passages for receiving lubricant from the lubricant chamber as the wheel hub rotates about the wheel axle and for directing the lubricant radially inwardly toward the interior lubricant chamber.

8. An apparatus as recited in claim 7, wherein the guide vane includes axial discharge ports in communication with the fluid passages for directing lubricant in an axial direction toward the inboard and outboard bearings as the wheel hub rotates about the wheel axle.

9. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the condition sensor is adapted and configured to sense the presence of metallic particles in the lubricant.

10. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the condition sensor is adapted and configured to sense antioxidant levels in the lubricant.

11. An apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein the means operatively associated with the condition sensor for communicating a signal comprises a radio frequency signal generator.

12. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the condition sensor is adapted and configured to sense conductivity levels in the lubricant.

13. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the condition sensor is adapted and configured to communicate the remaining useful life of the lubricant.

14. A bearing spacer for a unitized wheel hub and bearing assembly, wherein the wheel hub is supported on a stationary wheel axle by axially opposed inboard and outboard bearings, and wherein the wheel hub defines a lubricant chamber containing lubricant to bathe the bearings, the bearing spacer comprising:

a) an annular spacer body configured for mounting over the wheel axle between the inboard and outboard bearings, the annular spacer body forming an interior lubricant reservoir between an inner surface of the spacer body and the wheel axle, the lubricant reservoir having an inlet port and at least one outlet port proximate to one of the bearings; and

b) a guide vane extending radially outwardly from an exterior surface of the annular spacer body for directing lubricant from the lubricant chamber to the interior lubricant reservoir during rotation of the wheel hub about the wheel axle.

15. A bearing spacer as recited in claim 14, wherein a filtration device is operatively associated with the annular spacer body for filtering lubricant transferring from the interior reservoir to the lubricant chamber of the wheel hub.

16. A bearing spacer as recited in claim 14, wherein the guide vane includes fluid passages for receiving lubricant from the lubricant chamber as the wheel hub rotates about the wheel axle and for directing the lubricant radially inwardly toward the interior lubricant chamber.

17. A bearing spacer as recited in claim 16, wherein the guide vane includes axial discharge ports in communication with the fluid passages for directing lubricant in an axial direction toward the inboard and outboard bearings as the wheel hub rotates about the wheel axle.

18. A bearing spacer as recited in claim 16, further comprising a sensor operatively associated with the interior lubricant reservoir for determining at least one condition of the lubricant directed into the interior reservoir by the guide vane.

19. An apparatus as recited in claim 18, wherein the sensor is adapted and configured to sense the presence of metallic particles in the lubricant.

20. An apparatus as recited in claim 18, wherein the sensor is adapted and configured to sense antioxidant levels in the lubricant.

21. A bearing spacer as recited in claim 18, wherein means are operatively associated with the sensor for communicating a signal to a receiver corresponding to a determined condition of the lubricant.

22. An apparatus as recited in claim 18, wherein the sensor is adapted and configured to sense conductivity in the lubricant.

23. An apparatus as recited in claim 18, wherein the sensor is adapted and configured to determine the total acid number in the lubricant.

24. An apparatus as recited in claim 18, wherein the sensor is adapted and configured to determine the remaining useful life of the lubricant.

25. A method of monitoring the condition of a fluid lubricant contained within the lubricant chamber of a wheel hub of a vehicle comprising the steps of:

a) positioning a lubricant condition sensor within the lubricant chamber of a wheel hub;

b) determining a condition of the lubricant within the lubricant chamber of the wheel hub; and

c) communicating a signal relating to the condition of the lubricant within the lubricant chamber of the wheel hub.

26. A method of monitoring the condition of a lubricant according to claim 25, wherein the step of determining the condition of the lubricant includes sensing the presence of metallic particles in the lubricant.

27. A method of monitoring the condition of a lubricant according to claim 25, wherein the step of determining the condition of the lubricant includes sensing antioxidant levels in the lubricant.

28. An apparatus for monitoring the condition of a fluid lubricant contained within a lubricant chamber formed in a wheel hub mounted for rotation about a stationary wheel axle, the apparatus comprising:

a) an annular bearing spacer configured for mounting on the wheel axle between axially opposed inboard and outboard bearings, the annular bearing spacer forming an interior lubricant reservoir between an inner surface of the spacer and the wheel axle; and

,

b) a condition sensor operatively associated with the interior lubricant reservoir for determining at least one condition of the lubricant.