WHEEL BEARING WITH SENSOR
First Claim
1. A sensor-equipped wheel support bearing assembly for rotatably supporting a vehicle wheel relative to a vehicle body structure, comprising:
- an outer member having an inner periphery formed with a plurality of rolling surfaces;
an inner member having an outer periphery formed with rolling surfaces opposed respectively to the rolling surfaces of the outer member; and
a plurality of rows of rolling elements each row interposed between the rolling surfaces in the outer and inner members;
at least one load detecting sensor unit provided in one of the outer member and the inner member that serves as a stationary member, the load detecting sensor unit including a strain generating member, having two or more contact fixing segments fixed to the stationary member in contact therewith, and two or more sensors fitted to the strain generating member for detecting the strain induced in the strain generating member, the two or more contact fixing segments being so arranged as to be spaced from each other in a direction circumferentially of an outer diametric surface of the stationary member at a same axial position; and
an estimating section for estimating a load acting on the wheel support bearing assembly based on a difference between respective output signals from the two or more sensors.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A sensor-equipped wheel support bearing assembly capable of accurately detecting the load acting on the bearing assembly is provided. The sensor-equipped wheel support bearing assembly includes a sensor unit in an outer member that serves as a stationary member. The sensor unit includes a strain generating member, having two or more contact fixing segments to be fixed to the stationary member, and two or more sensors for detecting strain in the strain generating member. The contact fixing segments are spaced from each other in a direction circumferentially of the stationary member at the same axial positions. An estimating section is provided in the bearing assembly for estimating load thereon based on the difference between respective output signals from the sensors by calculating amplitudes of the output signals or values corresponding to such amplitudes from the difference between the respective output signals.
30 Citations
13 Claims
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1. A sensor-equipped wheel support bearing assembly for rotatably supporting a vehicle wheel relative to a vehicle body structure, comprising:
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an outer member having an inner periphery formed with a plurality of rolling surfaces; an inner member having an outer periphery formed with rolling surfaces opposed respectively to the rolling surfaces of the outer member; and a plurality of rows of rolling elements each row interposed between the rolling surfaces in the outer and inner members; at least one load detecting sensor unit provided in one of the outer member and the inner member that serves as a stationary member, the load detecting sensor unit including a strain generating member, having two or more contact fixing segments fixed to the stationary member in contact therewith, and two or more sensors fitted to the strain generating member for detecting the strain induced in the strain generating member, the two or more contact fixing segments being so arranged as to be spaced from each other in a direction circumferentially of an outer diametric surface of the stationary member at a same axial position; and an estimating section for estimating a load acting on the wheel support bearing assembly based on a difference between respective output signals from the two or more sensors. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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Specification