Bearings – Rotary bearing – Antifriction bearing
Reexamination Certificate
2001-11-30
2004-02-24
Footland, Lenard A. (Department: 3682)
Bearings
Rotary bearing
Antifriction bearing
Reexamination Certificate
active
06695483
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sensor, a rolling bearing with a sensor and a rotating support apparatus with sensor which are utilized for causing a housing or a suspension system—which remains stationary even at time of use—to rotatably support wheels of a railroad vehicle, those of an automobile, or a rotating shaft of a rolling mill for metal working, as well as being utilized for detecting the status of the rolling bearing or that of the rotating support apparatus. The rolling bearing and the rotating support apparatus are effective for checking an abnormality in the rolling bearing, by means of detecting, e.g., the rotation speed of wheels or rotating shaft and the status of the rolling bearing (i.e., the temperature or vibration of the rolling bearing).
2. Description of the Related Art
A rolling bearing unit is used, for instance, for causing a housing fastened to a railroad vehicle to rotatably support railroad wheels. In order to determine the traveling speed of the railroad vehicle or to effect skidding control for preventing occurrence of unbalanced wear in the wheels, the rotational speed of the wheels must be detected. Moreover, in order to prevent occurrence of seizing up of the rolling bearing unit, which would otherwise be caused as a result of an abnormality having arisen in the rolling bearing unit, the temperature of the rolling bearing unit must be detected. To these ends, supporting of the wheels rotatable with respect to the housing, detection of rotation speed of the wheels, and detection of temperature of the rolling bearing unit have recently been effected through use of a rotating support apparatus with sensor, the apparatus being constituted by means of incorporating a rotation speed sensor and a temperature sensor into the rolling bearing unit.
FIGS. 59 and 60
show the structure of a related-art sensor-equipped rotating support apparatus for use with a railroad vehicle. An axle shaft
1
acts as a rotating shaft which rotates at the time of use while having an unillustrated wheel fixedly supported thereon. In order to achieve low weight, the axle shaft
1
is formed into the form of a hollow cylinder. The axle shaft
1
is rotatably supported by a double row tapered roller bearing
3
(which serves as a rolling bearing) at the interior diameter of a journal box
2
(which serves as a housing and does not rotate even at the time of use). The double row tapered roller bearing
3
comprises an outer ring
4
and a pair of inner rings
5
, which are arranged concentrically with each other, and a plurality of tapered rollers
6
,
6
. Of these elements, the entirety of the outer ring
4
is forced into a substantially cylindrical shape, and outer ring raceways
7
are formed in two rows along the inner circumferential surface of the outer ring
4
. Each outer ring raceway
7
has a tapered concave geometry and is inclined such that the interior diameter of the outer ring raceway
7
becomes greater toward the edge of the outer ring
4
with reference to the axial direction thereof.
Each of the pair of inner rings
5
is formed into a substantially cylindrical shape, and a tapered convex inner ring raceway
8
is formed along the outer circumferential surface of each inner ring
5
. The inner rings
5
are arranged at the interior diameter of the outer ring
4
and concentrically with the outer ring
4
while the smaller-diameter-side end faces of the respective inner rings
5
are mutually opposed. Moreover, a plurality of the tapered rollers
6
,
6
are rotatably retained by a retainer
9
provided between each outer ring raceway
7
and the corresponding inner ring raceway
8
.
The outer ring
4
of the double row tapered roller bearing
3
is fittingly retained by the interior of the journal box
2
. In the illustrated example, the outer ring
4
is sandwiched from either side with reference to the axial direction of the outer ring
4
between a step
10
formed at a position on the interior surface of the journal box
2
close to one edge thereof (i.e., the left-side edge of the journal box
2
shown in
FIG. 59
) and an unillustrated presser ring fittingly fixed to the interior of the other edge portion of the journal box
2
(i.e., the right-side edge portion of the journal box
2
shown in FIG.
59
). The inner rings
5
are fitted around in a position on the outer circumferential surface of the axle shaft
1
close to one end thereof (i.e., the left end of the axle shaft
1
shown in FIG.
59
) with a spacer
11
being interposed therebetween. An annular member
12
called an oil thrower is fitted around a portion of the end section of the axle shaft
1
projecting beyond; i.e., to the outside of, the inner ring
5
with reference to the axial direction thereof. The inner end face of the inside inner ring
5
butts against a stepped surface formed in an intermediate section of the axle shaft
1
. Accordingly, a pair of the inner rings
5
are not displaced toward the center of the axle shaft
1
(i.e., a position close to the right side in
FIG. 59
) as compared with the status of the inner rings
5
shown in FIG.
59
. By means of a nut
14
screw-engaged with an external thread
13
formed in the outer end section of the axle shaft
1
, the annular member
12
is pressed against the outer end face of the outside inner ring
5
. A locking ring
16
is fastened to the outer end face of the nut
14
by means of bolts
15
,
15
. Projections formed along the inner periphery of the locking ring
16
are engaged with a groove formed in the outer circumferential surface of the outer end section of the axle shaft
1
, thereby preventing loosening of the nut
14
.
A seal case
17
is formed from a metal plate, such as a mild steel plate, so as to assume a substantially cylindrical shape overall and a crank-shaped profile in cross section. The seal case
17
is fastened fittingly to the interior of each side of the outer ring
4
. A seal ring
18
is provided between an inner circumferential surface of each seal case
17
and an outer circumferential surface of the corresponding annular member
12
, thereby sealing an opening on either end of a space having the tapered rollers
6
,
6
provided therein. This construction prevents leakage to the outside of grease for lubrication purpose sealed in the space and entry of extraneous matter, such as rainwater or dust, into the space from the outside.
An encoder
19
is formed from magnetic metal, such as a steel product, so as to assume an overall disk shape and an L-shaped profile in cross section. The encoder
19
is fixedly coupled concentrically with the axle shaft
1
by means of a plurality of bolts
20
,
20
. Projections and depressions are alternately formed at uniform intervals in the circumferential direction of and in the outer brim of an outwardly-flanged disk section
21
, thereby alternately varying the magnetic characteristic of the outer brim at uniform intervals in the circumferential direction.
A cover
22
is fixed to one end of the journal box
2
, to thereby seal an opening at that end. The cover
22
is formed from synthetic resin or metal material and into an overall cylindrical shape having one end closed. The cover
22
comprises a cylindrical portion
23
; a bottom plate portion
24
closing an opening at one end of the cylindrical portion
23
(i.e., the left-side opening of the cylindrical portion
23
); and an outwardly-flanged mount section
25
provided along an outer circumferential surface close to the other end of the cylindrical portion
23
(i.e., the right-side end of the cylindrical portion
23
shown in FIG.
59
). The mount section
25
is secured to one end face of the journal box
2
by means of unillustrated bolts while the other end of the cylindrical section
23
is fitted to the interior of one end of the journal box
2
and the mount section
25
butts against one end face of the journal box
2
, whereby the cover
22
closes an opening at one end of the journal box
2
.
A sensor mount hole
26
is for
Endo Shigeru
Sakatani Ikunori
Takizawa Takeshi
Footland Lenard A.
NSK Ltd.
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