Bearing with absolute angle sensor

• US 8,212,551 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2004
• Issued: 07/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NTN Corporation
• Original Assignee: NTN Corporation
• Inventors: Yamada, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, PARESH H
• Application Number:
  US11/659,219
• Publication Number:
  US 20090102466A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,891 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 324/207.25
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/52 with devices affected by abnormal or undesired conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 18/001 Calibrating encoders
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/2449 using hard-stored calibration data
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 3/443 mounted in bearings bearings F16C

Abstract

A rotation sensor equipped bearing capable of detecting a highly precise absolute angle with no correction work required after incorporation into a bearing installed equipment. An absolute angle sensor equipped bearing assembly includes a sensor equipped bearing and a correction data storing device. The sensor equipped bearing has a rotation detector capable of providing, as a detection output indicative of the rotation angle of a rotating raceway ring relative to a stationary raceway ring, two analog outputs that are offset 90° in phase relative to each other in terms of electrical degree. The correction data storing device stores a correction data for correcting an error when the absolute angle of the rotation angle of the rotating raceway ring is calculated from the two analog outputs and which is paired with the sensor equipped bearing.

Claims

1. An absolute angle sensor equipped bearing assembly comprising:

a sensor equipped bearing

including a bearing unit having a stationary raceway ring and a rotating raceway ring rotatable relative to the stationary ring through rolling elements, and a rotation detector capable of providing, as a detection output indicative of a rotation angle of a rotating raceway ring relative to the stationary raceway ring, two analog outputs that are offset 90°

in phase relative to each other in terms of electrical degree; and

a correction data storing device, which stores a correction data to correct an error when an absolute angle of the rotation angle of the rotating raceway ring is calculated based on the two analog outputs, and which is used paired with the sensor equipped bearing,

wherein the rotation detector includes a to-be-detected element made up of an annular backing metal and a magnetic generating member, mounted on the backing metal, in the form of an annular component having an outer peripheral portion magnetized in which one complete rotation thereof corresponds to one cycle of a sinusoidal magnetization distribution, and a magnetic sensor accommodated in an annular casing and confronting the to-be-detected element, the rotation detector being secured to the bearing unit in a manner such that a relative positional relation between the bearing unit and the rotation detector does not change after the sensor equipped bearing assembly has been incorporated in an equipment, and

wherein the to-be-detected element of the rotation detector is fitted on an outer peripheral surface of the rotating raceway ring of the bearing unit through the backing metal, and the magnetic sensor is fitted on an inner peripheral surface of the stationary raceway ring of the bearing unit through the annular casing, one of the opposite end portions of the annular backing metal and one of the opposite end portions of the annular casing, both remote from the bearing unit, being bent radially inwardly to same radial positions.

2. The absolute angle sensor equipped bearing assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the to-be-detected element is fitted to the rotating raceway ring and has a magnetic characteristic cyclically varying in a circumferential direction, and the stationary raceway ring includes two magnetic sensors fitted in face-to-face relation with the to-be-detected element and capable of providing respective analog outputs offset 90°

in phase relative to each other in terms of electrical degree.

3. The absolute angle sensor equipped bearing assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the correction data storing device includes a correction table, storing the correction data, and an absolute angle calculating section, which utilizes the correction table to calculate the absolute angle based on the two analog outputs, and wherein the correction data referred to above is based on an angle correction data measured after the manufacture of the sensor equipped bearing.

4. The absolute angle sensor equipped bearing assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the correction data is integrated with an angle value, which provides a result of calculation of an inverse arc tangent in an inverse arc tangent calculation table.

5. The absolute angle sensor equipped bearing assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the correction data storing device is a one-chip type microcomputer, a programmable logic circuit or a circuit board having the one-chip microcomputer or the programmable logic circuit mounted thereon.