Rolling element bearing unit with sensor and hub unit with sensor

• US 7,245,123 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2003
• Issued: 07/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jtekt Corporation (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Jtekt Corporation (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Koyagi, Katsura, Inoue, Masahiro, Sakamoto, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): Lefkowitz; Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Whittington; Kenneth J.
• Application Number:
  US10/514,477
• Publication Number:
  US 20050169563A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,523 Days
• Field of Search: 324160-180, 324/209, 384/448, 737/79, 738/623.22, 738/626.9, 738/625.41
• US Class Current: 324/209
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 27/00 Hubs non-metallic B60B5/00; of high resiliency B60B9/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 27/0005 with ball bearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 27/0026 of the radial type, e.g. splined key
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 27/0042 characterised by the fixation of the homokinetic joint to the hub
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 27/0068 the element being a sensor
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 27/0094 one or more of the bearing races are formed by the hub
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/163 with angular contact
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/186 with three raceways provided integrally on parts other than race rings, e.g. third generation hubs
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/522 related to load on the bearing, e.g. bearings with load sensors or means to protect the bearing against overload
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2300/02 General use or purpose, i.e. no use, purpose, special adaptation or modification indicated or a wide variety of uses mentioned
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2326/02 Wheel hubs or castors in general B60B
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 41/00 Other accessories, e.g. devices integrated in the bearing not relating to the bearing function as such
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/0023 by using magnetic sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 3/443 mounted in bearings bearings F16C

Abstract

A sensor-equipped hub unit comprises a hub unit 1 having a wheel-side raceway member 4, a body-side raceway member 5, and two rows of rolling bodies 6, and a sensor device 2 provided on the hub unit 1. The sensor device 2 has a magnetostrictive sensor 31 for detecting a reverse magnetostrictive effect of the raceway member 4 produced by a force exerted thereon by the rolling bodies 6. The sensor device 2 detects rotation from the number of repetitions of a variation in strain and also detects the force acting on the wheel-side raceway member 4 from the amplitude of strain.

Claims

1. A sensor-equipped antifriction bearing unit comprising an antifriction bearing having a fixed-side raceway member, a rotation-side raceway member and rolling bodies, and a sensor device provided on the bearing,

wherein the rotation-side raceway member is made of a magnetic material and the sensor device has a magnetostrictive sensor for detecting directly a reverse magnetostrictive effect of the rotation-side raceway member itself produced by a force exerted thereon by the rolling bodies.

2. A sensor-equipped antifriction bearing unit according to claim 1, the sensor device detects rotation from the number of repetitions of a variation in strain and also detects the force acting on the raceway member from the amplitude of strain.

3. A sensor-equipped antifriction bearing unit according to claim 1, wherein the rolling bodies are made of a nonmagnetic material.

4. A sensor-equipped antifriction bearing unit according to claim 3 wherein the antifriction bearing further has a retainer, and the retainer is made of a nonmagnetic material.

5. A sensor-equipped antifriction bearing unit according to claim 1 wherein the magnetostrictive sensor has a detecting face in a radial direction, is attached to a fixed-side member and detects the eccentricity of the rotation-side raceway member and the force acting on the rotation-side raceway member.

6. A sensor-equipped antifriction bearing unit according to claim 1 wherein the magnetostrictive sensor has a detecting face in a radial direction, is attached to a fixed-side member and detects the amount of expansion of the rotation-side raceway member and the force acting on the rotation-side raceway member.

7. A sensor-equipped antifriction bearing unit according to claim 1 wherein the magnetostrictive sensor is a magnetic impedance sensor and is attached to a fixed-side member, and the rotation-side raceway member is provided with an annular magnetized portion opposed to the sensor.

8. A sensor-equipped antifriction bearing unit comprising an antifriction bearing having a fixed-side raceway member, a rotation-side raceway member and rolling bodies, and a sensor device provided on the bearing,

wherein the sensor device has a magnetostrictive sensor for detecting a reverse magnetostrictive effect of the rotation-side raceway member produced by a force exerted thereon by the rolling bodies, wherein the magnetostrictive sensor has a detecting face in an axial direction and a detecting face in a radial direction, is attached to a fixed-side member and detects all of the axial displacement of the rotation-side raceway member, the radial displacement of the rotation-side raceway member, the force acting on the rotation-side raceway member and rotation data thereof.

9. A sensor-equipped antifriction bearing unit according to claim 8 wherein the rotational speed of the rotation-side raceway member to be determined from variations in the axial displacement or the radial displacement thereof with time and the speed of revolution of the rolling body to be determined from the number of repetitions of a variation in the strain of the rotation-side raceway member are detected as the rotation data.

10. A sensor-equipped antifriction bearing unit according to claim 8 wherein changes in residual magnetic flux of the rotation-side raceway member are detected to detect the axial displacement and the radial displacement of the rotation-side raceway member.

11. A sensor-equipped hub unit comprising a hub unit having a wheel-side raceway member to be attached to a wheel, a body-side raceway member to be fixed to a vehicle body, and two rows of rolling bodies arranged between the two raceway members, and a sensor device provided on the hub unit,

wherein wheel-side raceway member is made of a magnetic material and the sensor device has a magnetostrictive sensor for detecting directly a reverse magnetostrictive effect of the wheel-side raceway member itself produced by a force exerted thereon by the rolling bodies.

12. A sensor-equipped hub unit according to claim 11, wherein the sensor device detects the rotation of the wheel from the number of repetitions of a variation in strain and also detects the ground contact load on the wheel from the amplitude of strain.

13. A sensor-equipped hub unit according to claim 11, wherein the rolling bodies are made of a nonmagnetic material.

14. A sensor-equipped hub unit according to claim 13 wherein the hub unit further has a retainer, and the retainer is made of a nonmagnetic material.

15. A sensor-equipped hub unit according to claim 11 wherein the magnetostrictive sensor has a detecting face in a radial direction, is attached to a body-side member and detects the eccentricity of the wheel-side raceway member and the force acting on the wheel-side raceway member.

16. A sensor-equipped hub unit according to claim 11 wherein the magnetostrictive sensor has a detecting face in a radial direction, is attached to a body-side member and detects the amount of expansion of the wheel-side raceway member and the force acting on the wheel-side raceway member.

17. A sensor-equipped hub unit according to claim 11 wherein the magnetostrictive sensor is a magnetic impedance sensor and is attached to a wheel-side member, and the wheel-side raceway member is provided with an annular magnetized portion opposed to the sensor.

18. A sensor-equipped hub unit having a wheel-side raceway member to be attached to a wheel, a body-side raceway member to be fixed to a vehicle body, and two rows of rolling bodies arranged between the two raceway members, and a sensor device provided on the hub unit, wherein the sensor device has a magnetostrictive sensor for detecting a reverse magnetostrictive effect of the wheel-side raceway member produced by a force exerted thereon by the rolling bodies,

wherein the magnetostrictive sensor has a detecting face in an axial direction and a detecting face in a radial direction, is attached to a body-side member and detects all of the axial displacement of the wheel-side raceway member, the radial displacement of the wheel-side raceway member, the force acting on the wheel-side raceway member and rotation data thereof.

19. A sensor-equipped hub unit according to claim 18 wherein the rotational speed of the wheel-side raceway member to be determined from variations in the axial displacement or the radial displacement thereof with time and the speed of revolution of the rolling body to be determined from the number of repetitions of a variation in the strain of the wheel-side raceway member are detected as the rotation data.

20. A sensor-equipped hub unit according to claim 18 wherein changes in residual magnetic flux of the wheel-side raceway member are detected to detect the axial displacement and the radial displacement of the wheel-side raceway member.