Bearing, and management system and method for the same

• US 7,659,818 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2004
• Issued: 02/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jtekt Corporation (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Jtekt Corporation (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ueno, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Lieu; Julie
• Application Number:
  US10/556,338
• Publication Number:
  US 20060232425A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,098 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/184 in O-arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/52 with devices affected by abnormal or undesired conditions
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2229/00 Setting preload
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2233/00 Monitoring condition, e.g. temperature, load, vibration
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2326/02 Wheel hubs or castors in general B60B
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 25/06 Ball or roller bearings
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 41/008 Identification means, e.g. markings, RFID-tags; Data transfer means
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 13/04 Bearings

Abstract

Installed in a ball bearing which supports a rotation axis (a supported part) freely rotatable are a control unit, a memory unit wherein specified bearing initial information proper to the ball bearing is stored, and a wireless tag equipped with a radio antenna and a transmission/reception unit which transmit/receive information between this memory unit and the exterior. Then, when the bearing motion information on the motion state of said ball bearing is input to the transmission/reception unit, the control unit has a memory unit which stores the motion information. By this, a bearing, its management system, and its management method wherein an appropriate information management is easy can be provided.

Claims

1. A bearing system comprising:

a bearing which supports a supported part;

a wireless tag which transmits/receives information is attached to the bearing, the wireless tag including a memory unit, and bearing motion information on a motion state of said beating being writable to the memory unit when the bearing moves, wherein the memory unit stores specified bearing initial information proper to the bearing;

a measurement mechanism which obtains the bearing motion information on the motion state of the bearing when the bearing moves; and

a writer which writes the bearing motion information from the measurement mechanism to the memory unit.

2. The bearing described in claim 1, wherein said wireless tag is attached to a surface side other than the bearing face which makes a contact including a rolling contact, sliding contact, or both to the support face of the supported part.

3. The bearing described in claim 1, wherein said wireless tag is attached to a fixed-side member of the bearing.

7. The bearing described in claim 1, wherein said wireless tag is attached to a surface side other than the bearing face which makes a contact including a rolling contact, sliding contact, or both to the support face of the supported part.

8. The bearing described in claim 1, wherein said wireless tag is attached to a fixed-side member of the bearing.

9. The bearing described in claim 2, wherein said wireless tag is attached to a fixed-side member of the bearing.

11. The bearing system described in claim 1, further comprising a reader to read out the bearing motion information stored in the memory unit so as to analyze the motion of the bearing.

18. The bearing system of claim 1, wherein guidance information for assembly in a manufacturing line is stored in the memory unit.

19. The bearing system of claim 1, wherein remarks information includes special remarks and precautions on the bearing and a rotating equipment is stored in the memory unit.

20. The bearing system of claim 19, wherein the remarks information relates to recycled parts.

21. The bearing system of claim 19, wherein the remarks information relates to export restricted items.

22. The bearing system of claim 19, wherein the remarks information relates to environmentally hazardous substances.

4. A bearing management system characterized by being a management system to manage a bearing, it is equipped with a measurement mechanism which obtains bearing motion information on the motion state of the bearing when said bearing moves, and a writer which writes the bearing motion information from said measurement mechanism to a memory unit of the wireless tag installed on said bearing, wherein the memory unit stores specified bearing initial information proper to the bearing.

14. The bearing management system of claim 4, further comprising a reader which reads out the bearing motion information stored in the memory unit so as to analyze the motion of the bearing.

5. A bearing management method characterized by being a management method to manage a bearing, by which bearing motion information on the motion state of said bearing is written to a memory unit of a wireless tag installed on said bearing when the bearing moves, and the written motion information is read out to analyze the motion of said bearing, wherein the memory unit stores specified bearing initial information proper to the bearing.

6. A bearing management method characterized by being a management method to manage a bearing, by which bearing motion information on the motion state of said bearing is written to a memory unit of a wireless tag installed on said bearing when the bearing moves, and the written motion information is read out to analyze the motion of said bearing, wherein when an abnormality is detected in said bearing, write operation of said bearing motion information in said memory unit is stopped.

10. A bearing system comprising:

a bearing which supports a supported part;

a wireless tan which transmits/receives information is attached to the bearing, the wireless tan including a memory unit, and bearing motion information on a motion state of said bearing being writable to the memory unit when the bearing moves;

a measurement mechanism which obtains the bearing motion information on the motion state of the bearing when the bearing moves; and

a writer which writes the bearing motion information from the measurement mechanism to the memory unit,

wherein when an abnormality is detected in said bearing, the memory unit stops storing the bearing motion information on the motion state of the bearing.

12. A bearing system comprising:

a bearing which supports a supported part;

a wireless tag which transmits/receives information is attached to the bearing, the wireless tag including a memory unit, and bearing motion information on a motion state of said bearing being writable to the memory unit when the bearing moves, wherein the memory unit stores specified bearing initial information proper to the bearing;

a reader which reads out the bearing motion information stored in the memory unit so as to analyze the motion of the bearing.

13. A bearing system comprising:

a bearing which supports a supported part;

a wireless tag which transmits/receives information is attached to the bearing, the wireless tag including a memory unit, and bearing motion information on a motion state of said bearing being writable to the memory unit when the bearing moves;

a reader which reads out the bearing motion information stored in the memory unit so as to analyze the motion of the bearing,

wherein when an abnormality is detected in said bearing, the memory unit stops storing the bearing motion information on the motion state of the bearing.

15. A bearing management system characterized by being a management system to manage a bearing, it is equipped with a measurement mechanism which obtains bearing motion information on the motion state of the bearing when said bearing moves, and a writer which writes the bearing motion information from said measurement mechanism to the memory unit of the wireless tag installed on said bearing,

wherein when an abnormality is detected in said bearing, the memory unit stops storing the bearing motion information on the motion state of the bearing.

16. A bearing for a wheel hub in an automobile, comprising:

an outer ring having a cut-out section formed on an outer circumference for fitting on a housing of the automobile;

an inner ring for fitting on an axle;

a plurality of balls arranged between the outer ring and the inner ring;

a distortion gauge mounted to the cut-out section of the outer ring, for measuring a preload applied to the bearing; and

a wireless tag installed on the bearing having a memory unit storing output characteristics of the distortion gauge by receiving detection results of the distortion gauge and storing specified bearing initial information proper to the bearing.

17. A bearing management system using the bearing of claim 16, comprising a client terminal having an amplifying circuit wherein gain adjustment is performed by receiving the output characteristics stored in the wireless tag.