A failure diagnostic apparatus for use in a ball screw conveyer includes a bearing stopper placed in contact with a bearing supporting a ball screw, a sensor unit equipped with an elastic member and a heat flux sensor, and a malfunction detector. The heat flux sensor works to produce an output as a function of deformation or displacement of the bearing stopper. The malfunction detector works to analyze the output from the heat flux sensor to detect a failure in operation of the ball screw conveyer. This enables a malfunction of the ball screw conveyer to be detected quickly and accurately.

A control system for monitoring a torque converter in a machine is disclosed. The control system includes a first speed sensor associated with a driving shaft of the torque converter. The first sensor is configured to measure an input speed of the torque converter. The control system further includes a second speed sensor associated with an output shaft of the torque converter. The second sensor is configured to measure an output speed of the torque converter. The control system further includes a processing module adapted to calculate a speed ratio based on the signals received from the first speed sensor and the second speed sensor. The control system further includes an output module adapted to provide indication for a seized condition of a one way clutch in the torque converter based on the speed ratio.

Disclosed are a state monitoring device and a state monitoring method for a ball screw, which enable appropriate collection of data to accurately diagnose the state of the ball screw. The state monitoring device monitors the state of the ball screw having a screw shaft, a nut, and a plurality of balls. The state monitoring device includes a drive control unit for controlling a drive unit (servo motor) to cause the screw shaft and the nut to move relative to each other at a constant speed for one or more reciprocating motions under an unloaded condition, and a data collection unit for collecting, as data, physical quantities related to the ball screw while the drive unit is controlled by the drive control unit.

An apparatus for detecting a fault in an in-wheel driving system of a vehicle including: an in-wheel motor; at least one speed reduction part coupled to the in-wheel motor through a gear and transferring a rotation force of the in-wheel motor to a wheel; a sensor part sensing rpms of the in-wheel motor and the speed reduction part; and a control unit suitable for calculating an rpm ratio between the in-wheel motor and the speed reduction part by using the respective rpms sensed through the sensor parts and determining whether a damage or a fault has occurred in the speed reduction part, based on the calculated rpm ratio.

The structure for detecting tooth-skipping of the speed reducer of the rotary driver is reduced in weight and size. In the rotary driver the occurrence of tooth-skipping is detected based on the difference in outputs from the encoders located at the input side (the side of the motor) and at the output side (the side of the load), which is opposite the input side in relation to the speed reducer. The rotary driver comprises a motor, a speed reducer located between the motor and a load to reduce the rotary speed of a rotary shaft at the side of the motor, to thereby transmit the reduced rotary speed to a rotary shaft at the side of the load, a first encoder for detecting a rotation of the rotary shaft at the side of the motor, a second encoder for detecting a rotation of the rotary shaft at the side of the load, a section for detecting any difference between a first detected value that is obtained by dividing an output of the first encoder by a rate for reducing the speed by the speed reducer and a second detected value that is obtained from an output of the second encoder, and a section for detecting tooth-skipping that detects tooth-skipping of the speed reducer based on the difference.

A system for early error detection in a wind generator drive system includes a first rotation sensor that is coupled to an input shaft of a drive gear or transmission stage to capture an input angle of rotation. A second rotation sensor is coupled to an output shaft of the drive gear or transmission stage to capture an output angle, which is performed in response to the input angle. A control unit is configured to simultaneously capture a first and a second time dependent signal, which are indicative of the input angle and the output angle, respectively. The control unit is configured to determine a time dependent angle difference from the first and the second signals under consideration of a transmission ratio of the drive gear or transmission stage, and analyzes this difference to perform early error detection in the drive system.

A method is for monitoring a steering system during operation in a vehicle. The steering system includes at least one steering actuator. In order to determine a force-closure detachment and/or torque detachment in the steering system, at least one operating signal of the at least one steering actuator is determined and evaluated, and a jerk signal is determined from the at least one operating signal and is monitored for changes.

A method of monitoring a first freewheel interposed between a first drive shaft of a first engine and a rotor. The state of operation of said first freewheel is correct if the first inlet speed of rotation of the first drive shaft lies in a second range of values corresponding to the current stage of operation while the outlet speed of rotation of the rotor lies in a first range of values corresponding to the current stage of operation.

A mechanical device includes a housing, a transparent spacer member, a magnet, and an image capturing device. The housing has an internal space in which a machine component immersed in oil is housed. The spacer member is disposed in an opening of the housing. The magnet is supported by the spacer member. The image capturing device captures the internal space of the housing via the spacer member.

Methods and systems for monitoring belt tension and determining belt lifespan in a TRS are disclosed. An embodiment of a self-tensioner can include a sensor connected to a self-tensioner in a belt driven system and a magnet that passes over the sensor to generate a signal. The sensor detects the signal, and the signal in conjunction with an angle of the magnet is converted into a voltage value. The method can include a controller connected to the self-tensioner, the controller converts the voltage value into a tension value, and stores the tension value among a plurality of premeasured tension values in a memory, where the controller compares the tension value and the plurality of premeasured tension values to determine a belt tension condition of the belt in the belt-driven system.