Rolling bearing assembly

Abstract

A large rolling bearing assembly includes a rolling bearing and at least one displacement sensor module. The rolling bearing includes an inner ring, an outer ring, and a plurality of rolling elements between the inner ring and the outer ring, the inner ring is supported on a shaft, the outer ring is mounted in a housing, and the at least one displacement sensor module is configured to measure a radial position of the shaft in order to detect wear of the rolling bearing.

Claims

1-10. (canceled)

11. A large rolling bearing assembly comprising: a rolling bearing; and at least one displacement sensor module, wherein the rolling bearing includes an inner ring, an outer ring, and a plurality of rolling elements between the inner ring and the outer ring, wherein the inner ring is supported on a shaft, wherein the outer ring is mounted in a housing, and wherein the at least one displacement sensor module is configured to measure a radial position of the shaft in order to detect wear of the rolling bearing.

12. The rolling bearing assembly according to claim 11, wherein the at least one displacement sensor module is integrated in the housing or is integrated in the outer ring.

13. The rolling bearing assembly according to claim 11, wherein the at least one displacement sensor module is arranged on a radial surface of the housing or on a radial surface of the outer ring adjacent to an axial end of the rolling bearing.

14. The rolling bearing assembly according to claim 11, wherein the housing or the outer ring includes a radially extending opening through which the at least one displacement sensor module is pushable from outside the housing or the outer ring.

15. The rolling bearing assembly according to claim 11, wherein the at least one displacement sensor module includes at least one sensor element, and wherein the at least one displacement sensor module is mounted so that the at least one sensor element is arranged adjacent to the shaft.

16. The rolling bearing assembly according to claim 11, wherein the at least one displacement sensor module includes at least one sensor element, and wherein the at least one displacement sensor module is mounted so that the at least one sensor element is arranged adjacent to an intermediate element mounted on the shaft at an axial end of the rolling bearing.

17. The rolling bearing assembly according to claim 11, wherein the at least one displacement sensor module includes at least one sensor element, and wherein the at least one displacement sensor module is mounted so that the at least one sensor element is arranged adjacent to an intermediate element mounted on the inner ring at an axial end of the rolling bearing.

18. The rolling bearing assembly according to claim 11, wherein the rolling bearing assembly includes at least one sealing unit arranged on at least one axial end of the rolling bearing, and wherein the at least one displacement sensor module is arranged radially outside of the sealing unit and configured to indirectly measure the radial position of the shaft.

19. The rolling bearing assembly according to claim 11, wherein the at least one displacement sensor module comprises a first displacement sensor module and a second displacement sensor module, wherein the first displacement sensor module is arranged at a first axial end of the rolling bearing, and wherein the second displacement sensor module is arranged at a second axial end of the rolling bearing.

20. The rolling bearing assembly according to claim 11, wherein the at least one displacement sensor module includes a tubular, radially extending receptacle extending toward the shaft for receiving at least one sensor element and/or at least one cable.

21. The rolling bearing assembly according to claim 11, including a first seal assembly member supported by the housing and a second seal assembly member mounted on the shaft, wherein the at least one displacement sensor module is located on the first seal assembly member and configured to measure a distance to the second seal assembly member or the at least one displacement sensor module is located on the second seal assembly member and configured to measure a distance to the first seal assembly member.

22. The rolling bearing assembly according to claim 21, wherein the first seal assembly member and the second seal assembly member form a labyrinth seal.

23. The rolling bearing assembly according to claim 21, wherein the at least one displacement sensor module is mounted on a radially outer surface of the first seal assembly member.

24. The rolling bearing assembly according to claim 21, wherein the bearing is located in a space defined in part by the housing and the shaft, and wherein the at least one displacement sensor module is located outside the space.

25. The rolling bearing assembly according to claim 21, wherein the bearing is located in a space defined by the housing and the shaft and at least one seal assembly, and wherein the at least one displacement sensor module is located outside the space.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] In the following, preferred embodiments of the invention are described in relation to the drawings, wherein the drawings are exemplarily only, and are not intended to limit the scope of protection. The scope of protection is defined by the accompanied claims, only.

[0028] FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a rolling bearing assembly including displacement sensor modules at four different positions.

[0029] FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a rolling bearing assembly including a displacement sensor module at a fifth position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] In the following, identical or functionally equivalent elements are designated by the same reference numbers.

[0031] FIGS. 1 and 2 show a rolling bearing assembly 1, in particular a large rolling bearing assembly. The rolling bearing assembly 1 includes a solid rolling bearing including an inner ring 2 and an outer ring 4. Rolling elements 6, in this case spherical rollers, are arranged between the inner ring 2 and the outer ring 4.

[0032] In FIG. 1, the inner ring 2 is supported on a shaft 8 via an intermediate element 18. Alternatively, the inner ring 2 may be directly coupled to the shaft 8 as shown in FIG. 2. The outer ring 4 is supported in a housing 10. Alternatively, the housing 10 may form the outer ring 4. In order to detect wear of the rolling bearing, the rolling bearing assembly 1 includes one or more displacement sensor modules 12-1, 12-2, 12-3.

[0033] In FIG. 1, four different positions for the displacement sensor modules 12-1, 12-2, 12-3 are shown, as will be described in the following. The displacement sensor modules 12-1, 12-2, 12-3 may be used as alternatives but also in combination. For example, two of the sensor modules may be used, wherein each is arranged at one axial side of the rolling bearing.

[0034] Each variant of the displacement sensor modules 12-1, 12-2, 12-3 is configured to monitor a radial position of the shaft 8, in particular in relation to the housing 10. During the operating time of the rolling bearing assembly 1, the rolling bearing wears and causes an increasing distance between the raceways of the rings 2, 4 and the rolling elements 6 and thus an increasing distance between the housing 10 and the shaft 8 or at least a tilting of the shaft 8. By monitoring the radial position or displacement of the shaft 8, wear of the rolling bearing may be detected, and an exchange or a repair of the rolling bearing may be initiated in a timely manner.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 1, the displacement sensor module 12-1 is integrated into the housing 10. Alternatively, the displacement sensor module 12-1 may also be integrated in the outer ring 4. The displacement sensor module 12-1 is configured to measure a radial position of the shaft 8. This may be done by measuring a distance 14-1 between the displacement sensor module 12-1 and the shaft 8. For this, the displacement sensor module 12-1 is arranged adjacent to the shaft 8. This distance 14-1 is representative for the distance between the housing 10, to which the sensor module 12-1 is coupled (for example to a radial inner surface of the housing 10), and the shaft 8. When the radial position of the shaft 8 changes, also the distance between the sensor module 12-1 and the shaft 8 changes, both due to wear of the rolling bearing.

[0036] The displacement sensor module 12-1 may be connected to an evaluation unit or any other kind of processing unit (not shown). The connection may be realized via a cable 16-1. The cable 16-1 may be guided within an opening 20-1 through the housing 10. The displacement sensor module 12-1 may comprise a receptable which may be arranged within the opening 20-1 and which may house for example the cable 16-1.

[0037] Another variant of the displacement sensor module is illustrated by the sensor module 12-2. In this case, the sensor module 12-2 is also arranged on a radially inner side of the housing 10, wherein the cable 16-2 is guided through an opening 20-2. However, in contrast to the sensor module 12-1, the sensor module 12-2 does not directly measure the radial position of the shaft 8 but indirectly via an intermediate element 22. The intermediate element 22 is arranged on the shaft 8 or the element 18, respectively. The sensor module 12-2 measures a distance 14-2 between the sensor module 12-2 and the intermediate element 22.

[0038] Another possibility is realized by the displacement sensor modules 12-3. In this case, the two sensor modules 12-3 are arranged on radially outer surfaces of a sealing unit 24 and measure a distance 14-3 between the sealing unit 24 and the displacement sensor module 12-3. The sealing units 24 are arranged on each axial end of the rolling bearing and are in contact with the shaft 8. Thus, a position change of the shaft 8 results also in a position change of the sealing unit 24 which can then be detected by the displacement sensor modules 12-3. Particularly the sensor modules 12-3 may also be integrated into fully mounted rolling bearing assemblies 1, as the sensor modules 12-3 are attached to the outside surface of the sealing unit 24 and there is no need to make any changes to the rolling bearing assembly 1 or the rolling bearing or any other component.

[0039] If two displacement sensor modules are used, each on one axial side of the rolling bearing, in addition to a radial position of the shaft 8, a tilting of the shaft 8 or a deflection of the shaft 9 may also be detected. Since the wear of the rolling bearing may be different over the length of the rolling bearing, a tilting of the shaft 8 may result. Such a tilting of the shaft 8 may be recognized by different distances that are detected by the displacement sensor modules. For example, the sensor modules 12-3 may be used as pair of sensor modules on each axial side of the rolling bearing, but also the sensor module 12-1 in combination with 12-2 or 12-1 or 12-2 in combination with 12-3 may be used for providing a sensor module on each axial side of the bearing.

[0040] A further variant of the displacement sensor module is shown in FIG. 2 (showing a split bearing, as opposed to a standard (solid) bearing FIG. 1. In this case, the sensor module 12-4 is arranged adjacent to an intermediate element 26 (also called clamping ring) and on a radially inner surface of the housing 10, wherein a cable 16-4 may be guided through an opening 20-4 within the housing 10. The intermediate element 26 is arranged on a radial inner surface of the inner ring 2. Also in this case, the sensor module 12-4 may monitor a radial position of the shaft 8 as the intermediate element 26 changes its position together with a change of the shaft 8 and the inner ring 2.

[0041] Further, the displacement sensor module 12-4 of FIG. 2 may also be combined with the sensor modules 12-1, 12-2 and/or 12-3 of FIG. 1 as described above.

[0042] Using a displacement sensor module 12-1, 12-2, 12-3 and/or 12-4 as described above provides an easy and reliable possibility to monitor a position change of a shaft due to wear of a rolling bearing.