Machine arrangement

Abstract

A machine arrangement, including at least one bearing ring, wherein a glass fiber is connected with the machine arrangement. To allow a proper measurement of stresses, even at curved surfaces of the machine arrangement as it is typical in the case of bearing rings, the connection between the glass fiber and the machine arrangement is established by a glass material. The glass material is connected by material bonding with the machine arrangement as well as with the glass fiber.

Claims

1. A machine arrangement, comprising or being at least one bearing ring formed of a metal, wherein a glass fiber is connected with the machine arrangement, wherein the connection between the glass fiber and the machine arrangement is established by a glass material wherein the glass material is connected by material bonding with the at least one bearing ring formed of the metal as well as with the glass fiber, the glass material being the only material between the glass fiber and the at least one bearing ring such that there is no non-glass material between the glass fiber and the at least one bearing ring, wherein the glass fiber is connected with the machine arrangement by encasing the whole circumference of the glass fiber with the glass material along at least a part of the longitudinal axis of the glass fiber, and wherein the glass fiber is not located within a groove of the at least one bearing ring such that the glass fiber is spaced radially from an outer cylindrical surface of the at least one bearing ring.

2. The machine arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the material bonded connection between the glass material and the machine arrangement is established by a welding process using the glass material.

3. The machine arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the material bonded connection between the glass material and the glass fiber is established by a welding or melting process using the glass material.

4. The machine arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the glass material has a thickness measured in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the glass fiber of at least 0.3 (zero point three) mm.

5. The machine arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the glass material is materially bonded to the outer cylindrical surface of the at least one bearing ring.

6. The machine arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the glass material has a thickness measured in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the glass fiber of at least 0.5 (zero point five) mm.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The drawings show an embodiment of the invention.

(2) FIG. 1 shows in a perspective view a section of a outer bearing ring of a roller bearing, on which a glass fiber is fixed and

(3) FIG. 2 shows the cross section A-A according to FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(4) In FIG. 1 a machine arrangement 1 being an outer bearing ring of a roller bearing is shown. The bearing ring 1 has an outer spherical surface which is to be monitored with respect to strains which act in the machine part. The survey of those strains is carried out by the fiber Bragg grating (FBG) method which is known as such. Reference is made e.g. to U.S. Pat. No. 6,923,048 B2 where this technology is explained in more detail.

(5) For doing so a glass fiber 2 is securely fixed on the spherical, i.e. cylindrical outer circumference of the bearing ring 1. The glass fiber 2 has a longitudinal direction L which extends in the circumferential direction of the bearing ring 1.

(6) Details concerning the fixation of the glass fiber 2 at the bearing ring 1 can be seen from FIG. 2.

(7) Here, it can be seen that the glass fiber 2 is basically the pure glass element—possibly covered only by a reflective coating to ensure proper light conduction within the glass fiber—which is then connected with the bearing ring 2 by means of glass material 3.

(8) Thus, a material bonding is established between the glass fiber 2 and the machine part 1 to be monitored. This means, all strains in the machine part 1 are directly transferred into the glass fiber 2. Thus, the precondition is assured for a precise measurement of physical parameters of the machine part 1.

REFERENCE NUMERALS

(9) 1 Machine arrangement (bearing ring) 2 Glass fiber 3 Glass material L Longitudinal axis