A condition monitoring system for monitoring a rolling element bearing. The system includes a signal processing unit and a vibration energy harvester. The vibration energy harvester provides an electromagnetic transducer. When vibrated, a coil moves relative to a static electromagnetic field to create power. To create a compact and efficient condition monitoring system, it uses the electromagnetic transducer also as a vibration sensor, a velocity sensor. The signal processing unit determines if the bearing has been damaged and in some embodiments also the extent of the damage. The electromagnetic transducer is attached directly or indirectly to the rolling element bearing.

A variable-stiffness actuator is to be installed into a flexible member and provide different degrees of stiffness to the flexible member. The actuator includes two hard members located apart from each other, and a shape-memory member connecting the hard members. The shape-memory member has a property of transitioning in phase between a first phase and a second phase. The shape-memory member is in a low stiffness state when in the first phase, and is in a high stiffness state when in the second phase. The actuator also includes a inducing member configured to cause a portion of the shape-memory member between the hard members to transition in phase between the first and second phases, and a urging member configured to urge the hard members in directions away from each other.

A variable-stiffness actuator is to be installed into a flexible member and provide different degrees of stiffness to the flexible member. The actuator includes two hard members located apart from each other, and a shape-memory member connecting the hard members. The shape-memory member has a property of transitioning in phase between a first phase and a second phase. The shape-memory member is in a low stiffness state when in the first phase, and is in a high stiffness state when in the second phase. The actuator also includes a inducing member configured to cause a portion of the shape-memory member between the hard members to transition in phase between the first and second phases, and a urging member configured to urge the hard members in directions away from each other.

A tubular shaft for a tubular shaft instrument includes a hollow shaft component, an actuating rod arranged in the hollow shaft component, and functional elements that are attached at the distal ends of the shaft component and/or of the actuating rod. The actuating rod is axially displaceable relative to the hollow shaft component to move the distal sections of the functional elements toward one another, past one another, and/or away from one another. The actuating rod includes at least one bending area in which flexible segments and support segments alternate and in which the actuating rod has significantly less bending resistance than outside the at least one bending area. A friction-reducing layer on the at least one bending area of the actuating rod reduces the friction of the actuating rod on the inside wall of the shaft component.

A tubular shaft for a tubular shaft instrument includes a hollow shaft component, an actuating rod arranged in the hollow shaft component, and functional elements that are attached at the distal ends of the shaft component and/or of the actuating rod. The actuating rod is axially displaceable relative to the hollow shaft component to move the distal sections of the functional elements toward one another, past one another, and/or away from one another. The actuating rod includes at least one bending area in which flexible segments and support segments alternate and in which the actuating rod has significantly less bending resistance than outside the at least one bending area. A friction-reducing layer on the at least one bending area of the actuating rod reduces the friction of the actuating rod on the inside wall of the shaft component.

Push-cables and associated apparatus for pipe inspection systems are disclosed. In one embodiment a pipe inspection system includes a camera head, a push-cable including an outer covering enclosing a plurality of electrical conductors for transmitting signals and/or power between the camera head and an electronic device operatively coupled to the push-cable, and a spring assembly disposed about the push-cable near the distal end where the spring assembly comprises a spring with a tapered flex section having a varying cross-sectional area and/or a varying cross-sectional shape.

Push-cables and associated apparatus for pipe inspection systems are disclosed. In one embodiment a pipe inspection system includes a camera head, a push-cable including an outer covering enclosing a plurality of electrical conductors for transmitting signals and/or power between the camera head and an electronic device operatively coupled to the push-cable, and a spring assembly disposed about the push-cable near the distal end where the spring assembly comprises a spring with a tapered flex section having a varying cross-sectional area and/or a varying cross-sectional shape.

The invention provides a manufacturing method for thin-wall bearing and a method for machining a thin-wall inner ring/outer ring as well as a precision flexible bearing. The method for machining the thin-wall inner ring/outer ring comprises the following steps of: S0, providing a thin-wall ring with machining allowance left; S1: reinforcing along the radial direction and/or axial direction of the thin-wall ring; S2: carrying out quenching-tempering heat treatment on the reinforcing ring obtained by reinforcement in the S1; S3: carrying out corresponding grinding, hard cutting and super finishing on the reinforcing ring after receiving heat treatment, which includes removal of the machining allowance and a reinforcing part obtained by reinforcement in the S1, thereby obtaining finished thin-wall ring product. The thin-wall ring reinforced machining method substantially reduces and even avoids deformation of the thin-wall ring in all manufacturing links, thereby obtaining very high machining precision. The precision thin-wall bearing and the precision flexible bearing can be manufactured by fitting of the precision thin-wall ring and a precision rolling body.

The invention relates to an adjustment mechanism for a vehicle disk brake, which is provided with an adjustment device for compensating the operation-induced wear on the brake linings and the brake disk, wherein the adjustment device has the following components: —a drive element (25) which is rotatably arranged within the housing of the disk brake on an axis (A) parallel to the axis of rotation of the brake disk and which can be set in rotation by a brake application device; —a shaft (40) which is arranged centrally on the axis (A), on which the drive element (25) is rotatably mounted; —a cardanic rotary bearing (45) which supports the shaft (40) in an opening (1A) of the housing in a pendulum-like manner and which is made at least partially of a deformable rubber or elastomer ring (46) and a steel ring (47) which is attached therein. In order to further develop the mentioned adjustment mechanism so that it can be produced more economically and requires only a small number of components, the steel ring (47) is supported in a sliding manner against a cylindrical bearing section (50) of the shaft (40), and a coupling consisting of a first coupling part (51), which is rotationally fixed to the shaft (40), and a second coupling part (52), which is rotationally fixed to the steel ring (47), is arranged on the axis (A), the second coupling part being a coupling ring (52) which is rotatably mounted on the shaft (40). The invention further relates to a corresponding cardanic rotary bearing (45) and a corresponding coupling ring (52).

The invention relates to a flexible shaft arrangement having a flexible hollow shaft which has an end at the drive side and an end at the output side, wherein the hollow shaft is reinforced sectionally between these ends by a core extending in its interior. Stiffer and more flexible sections can hereby be selectively positioned within the shaft arrangement.