Rail vehicle wheel set bearing unit equipped with sensors

Abstract

The invention relates to a rail vehicle wheel set bearing unit equipped with sensors and formed essentially by an axle bearing for a rotating axle (2), a fixed axle bearing housing (3) which surrounds the axle bearing, and by a sensor unit (4) for monitoring the state of the axle bearing. The axle bearing is composed here of at least one concurrently rotating component which is mounted on the rotating axle and one stationary component which is mounted in the fixed axle bearing housing, and is sealed axially from the outside by at least one sealing unit (5) with a sealing ring (6) which is attached to the stationary part of the axle bearing and on the outside of which a sensor module (7) which is in contact with a plurality of signal transmitter elements on the axle bearing is mounted. The sensor module (7) essentially forms the sensor unit (4), together with a data transmission cable (8) and a connecting element (9) connecting to an electronic processor unit. According to the invention, the sensor unit (4) is embodied as a single-piece mounting unit which is free of plug-type connections and whose sensor module can be introduced into the axle bearing housing through said axle bearing housing during mounting, and said sensor unit can be secured to the wheel set bearing unit with permanently reliable contacts by means of a flange component (10) which is arranged between the sensor module and the connecting element on the axle bearing housing.

Description

technical field [0001] The invention relates to a sensor-equipped wheel set bearing arrangement for a rail vehicle, which is essentially composed of a bearing for a rotating shaft, a bearing shell surrounding the bearing and a sensor arrangement for monitoring the state of the bearing. Background technique [0002] It is generally known to experts regarding wheel set bearings of rail vehicles that mechanical damage to the bearings on bogies greatly reduces the safety of the rail vehicle and that failure of the bearings can ultimately lead to catastrophic consequences. The causes of mechanical damage to bearings are extremely varied, but in most cases they can be attributed to defects in the manufacture or installation of the bearing, fatigue cracks or spalling of the material on its running face, damage due to damaged seals Excessive corrosion of the individual bearing elements, excessive heating of the bearing due to insufficient lubrication of the moving bearing elements o...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

[0004] However, it is disadvantageous in this sensor-equipped wheel set bearing arrangement that the plug-in connector of the sensor arrangement is not provided to ensure a permanent connection between the plug-in flange in the bearing housing and the connection to the electronic processor unit in the rail vehicle. Reliable electrical connection, since plug connections are generally very susceptible to dust and water and thus have a high probability of failure under the harsh driving conditions of rail vehicles

Despite the presence of connection protection and sealing devices on the plug connectors of the known sensor devices, it has been shown in practice that vibrations and temperature changes, in particular due to vibrations and temperature leading to ingress of moisture and dust or even loosening or detachment of the plug connection of the sensor device on the bearing housing and / or at the connection to the electronic processor device, resulting in malfunctions during data transmission to the processor device and Timely prediction or detection of faults occurring on bearings is no longer possible

In addition, the cable connection to the sensor via the plug-in flange fixedly installed in the bearing housing and the data transmission cable is very complex, and this part of the sensor arrangement must be removed when the bearing is dismantled for maintenance purposes, so that a simple The time and cost savings obtained by decoupling the movable cable part of the sensor device are also limited for maintenance work

Also the thinner-walled sheathing of the data transmission cable on the movable cable part of the sensor has proved insufficient to protect the data transmission cable from mechanical damage, such as stone impacts, etc.

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