Machine component and monitoring system

Abstract

A mechanical component (40) is provided with: a housing (41); a bearing (42) that is disposed in the housing (41) and that rotatably supports the shaft member (31); a temperature sensor (43b) that is disposed on the outer surface of the housing (41) and detects the temperature of the bearing (42); and a connection member (44) which has a thermal conductivity higher than that of the housing (41), is disposed in the housing (41), and thermally connects the bearing (42) and the temperature sensor (43b).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to mechanical components and monitoring systems. Background Art

[0002] As an example of a mechanical component, a bearing unit for a conveyor device is disclosed in Patent Document 1. The mechanical component of Patent Document 1 includes a housing, a bearing disposed in the housing, a sensor for detecting a condition of the bearing, and a transmitter for wirelessly transmitting information detected by the sensor.

[0003] The bearing, sensor, and transmitter are arranged within a housing. The sensor, for example, a temperature sensor, detects the bearing temperature. Changes in the bearing's condition can increase the bearing temperature, potentially causing bearing abnormalities. The mechanical component disclosed in Patent Document 1 can help detect bearing abnormalities based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor.

[0004] Prior art literature

[0005] Patent Literature

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-11312 Summary of the Invention

[0007] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0008] The mechanical component disclosed in Patent Document 1 also includes a cover that covers the sensor (temperature detection device) and transmitter within the housing, and a sealing member that prevents dust and other particles from entering between the housing and the cover. The presence of the temperature detection device within the housing increases the number of components in the mechanical component disclosed in Patent Document 1, making it difficult to achieve a simple design. Furthermore, to accurately detect bearing abnormalities, it is desirable for the temperature detection device to accurately detect the bearing temperature.

[0009] An object of the present disclosure is to simplify the structure of a mechanical component including a bearing and a temperature detection device for detecting the temperature of the bearing, and to improve the accuracy of temperature detection by the temperature detection device, and to achieve high precision of temperature detection by the temperature detection device, in a monitoring system including the mechanical component.

[0010] Solutions for solving problems

[0011] A mechanical component of a technical solution disclosed herein comprises: a housing; a bearing, which is arranged in the housing and supports the shaft component so as to be rotatable; a temperature sensor, which is arranged on the outer surface of the housing and detects the temperature of the bearing; and a connecting member, which has a thermal conductivity higher than the thermal conductivity of the housing, is arranged in the housing and thermally connects the bearing and the temperature sensor.

[0012] Thus, the temperature sensor is located on the outer surface of the housing. This simplifies the structure within the housing and the mechanical components. Furthermore, the temperature sensor is thermally connected to the bearing via a connecting member having a higher thermal conductivity than the housing. This allows for greater accuracy in the temperature detected by the temperature detection device.

[0013] Furthermore, in a mechanical component according to one aspect of the present disclosure, the connection member includes one or more metals selected from the group consisting of pure copper, copper, aluminum, duralumin, gold, and silver.

[0014] As a result, the connection member transfers the heat of the bearing to the temperature sensor as quickly as possible, thereby reliably achieving a higher accuracy in the temperature detected by the temperature detection device.

[0015] In addition, in a mechanical component of a technical solution of the present disclosure, when the connecting member is observed from the inner side of the bearing toward the outer side of the bearing along a direction perpendicular to the axis of the bearing, the connecting member overlaps with a portion of the bearing where the stress generated by the force acting from the shaft member is the largest.

[0016] In a bearing, as the load from a shaft member causes a change in state, the temperature of the area experiencing this change rises. The area in the bearing experiencing the highest temperature corresponds to the area experiencing the greatest stress due to the force acting from the shaft member. Furthermore, the temperature sensor is thermally connected to the connecting member. Therefore, the temperature detected by the temperature sensor rises rapidly in response to the increase in bearing temperature. Therefore, mechanical components can contribute to early detection of bearing abnormalities based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor.

[0017] Furthermore, a mechanical component according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes an RFID tag that is integrally formed with the temperature sensor and transmits the temperature detected by the temperature sensor to a reader / writer.

[0018] Thus, the mechanical component can output the temperature detected by the temperature sensor with a simple structure.

[0019] A monitoring system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: a mechanical device including a plurality of the mechanical components described above; the reader / writer; and a terminal device electrically connected to the reader / writer and storing the temperature detected by the temperature sensor.

[0020] This allows the reader / writer to quickly acquire the temperatures detected by temperature sensors from multiple mechanical components. Consequently, the terminal device can easily acquire the temperatures detected by multiple temperature sensors using the reader / writer. Consequently, even when the monitoring system includes multiple mechanical components, it can achieve early detection of bearing anomalies using a simple structure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 This is a diagram showing the structure of a monitoring system.

[0022] Figure 2 It is the main view of the mechanical part.

[0023] Figure 3 It is along Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of the mechanical components along line III-III is shown.

[0024] Figure 4 It is a top view of the temperature detection device.

[0025] Figure 5 yes Figure 3 An enlarged cross-sectional view of the temperature detection device shown.

[0026] Figure 6 is a block diagram of an RFID tag.

[0027] Figure 7 It is a cross-sectional view of a temperature detection device for a machine component according to a first modified example of the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] Figure 8 It is a cross-sectional view of a temperature detection device for a machine component according to a second modified example of the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] Figure 9 It is a cross-sectional view of a temperature detection device for a machine component according to a third modified example of the embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The constituent elements of each embodiment and each modified example described below can be combined as appropriate. In addition, some constituent elements may not be used.

[0031] <Surveillance System 1>

[0032] Figure 1 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a monitoring system 1. The monitoring system 1 is a system for monitoring a mechanical component 40 including a bearing 42, which will be described later. The monitoring system 1 includes a mechanical device 2, a reader / writer 3, and a terminal device 4. The monitoring system 1 may include a plurality of mechanical devices 2.

[0033] The mechanical device 2 is a roller conveyor that conveys industrial products in a conveying direction W. The mechanical device 2 includes a pair of support tables 10 and a plurality of roller devices 20. In this embodiment, the number of roller devices 20 is ten, but it is needless to say that the number is not limited to this.

[0034] The pair of support tables 10 supports the plurality of roller devices 20. The pair of support tables 10 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape extending in the conveying direction W.

[0035] The roller device 20 includes a roller member 30 and a pair of mechanical components 40 .

[0036] The roller member 30 includes a shaft member 31 and a roller 32. The shaft member 31 has a cylindrical shape extending along the central axis.

[0037] The roller 32 is cylindrical and is disposed on the peripheral side surface of the shaft member 31 , and rotates integrally with the shaft member 31 . Both end portions of the shaft member 31 are exposed from the roller 32 .

[0038] A pair of mechanical components 40 supports the roller member 30 for relative rotation. Specifically, the pair of mechanical components 40 supports the two ends of the shaft member 31 for relative rotation. The mechanical components 40 are pillow blocks. The mechanical components 40 include bearings 42 (described later) and an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag 43a integrally formed with a temperature sensor 43b. Details of the mechanical components 40 will be described later.

[0039] The plurality of roller devices 20 are supported by the pair of support platforms 10 by fixing the pair of mechanical components 40 to the pair of support platforms 10 using, for example, fixing bolts. The plurality of roller devices 20 are arranged so that the central axes of the shaft members 31 are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the conveying direction W.

[0040] The reader / writer 3 wirelessly communicates with the RFID tag 43a provided on the mechanical component 40. The reader / writer 3 can be carried by the user and is electrically connected to the terminal device 4 by wire or wirelessly.

[0041] The user operates the reader / writer 3, causing a carrier wave to be transmitted from the reader / writer 3 toward the RFID tag 43a. In response, the RFID tag 43a transmits the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 43b (hereinafter referred to as the detected temperature of the temperature sensor 43b) to the reader / writer 3. The reader / writer 3 acquires the detected temperature of the temperature sensor 43b and transmits it to the terminal device 4.

[0042] The reader / writer 3 can simultaneously communicate wirelessly with multiple RFID tags 43a. Therefore, the reader / writer 3 can obtain the temperatures detected by multiple temperature sensors 43b in a relatively short time. The reader / writer 3 transmits the temperatures detected by the multiple temperature sensors 43b to the terminal device 4.

[0043] The terminal device 4 is a computer, for example, including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), an internal storage unit, an input interface, and an output interface. The CPU, ROM, RAM, and internal storage unit are connected via an internal bus. The ROM stores programs such as the BIOS. The internal storage unit, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or flash memory, stores operating system programs and application programs. The CPU implements various functions by executing programs stored in the ROM or internal storage unit using the RAM as a workspace.

[0044] The terminal device 4 acquires the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 43b from the reader / writer 3. The terminal device 4 detects an abnormality of the bearing 42 before a failure of the bearing 42 occurs in the mechanical component 40 based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 43b.

[0045] Bearing 42 abnormalities occur due to changes in its condition (e.g., changes over time) caused by the load acting from shaft member 31. If these abnormalities are ignored, bearing 42 may fail, leading to failure of mechanical component 40. Specifically, terminal device 4 detects abnormalities in bearing 42 that occur before bearing 42 fails.

[0046] As the change in the bearing 42's condition progresses, the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 43b rises (details will be described later). If the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 43b is above a predetermined temperature, the terminal device 4 determines that there is an abnormality in the bearing 42. Based on the determination result of the terminal device 4, the user investigates the mechanical component 40 determined to have an abnormality.

[0047] The user can detect abnormality of the bearing 42 at an early stage by regularly checking the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 43 b using the terminal device 4 .

[0048] As described above, according to this embodiment, the monitoring system 1 includes the mechanical device 2 including the plurality of mechanical components 40 , the reader / writer 3 , and the terminal device 4 electrically connected to the reader / writer 3 and storing the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 43 b .

[0049] As a result, the reader / writer 3 acquires the temperatures detected by the temperature sensors 43b from multiple mechanical components 40 in a relatively short period of time. Therefore, the terminal device 4 can easily acquire the temperatures detected by multiple temperature sensors 43b via the reader / writer 3. Consequently, even when the monitoring system 1 includes multiple mechanical components 40, it can achieve early detection of abnormalities in the bearings 42 using a simple configuration.

[0050] <Mechanical Parts 40>

[0051] In the following description, the Z direction shown in the figure is the vertical direction of the mechanical component 40, the X direction is the horizontal direction of the mechanical component 40, and the Y direction is the front-back direction of the mechanical component 40. The X direction, Y direction, and Z direction are orthogonal to each other. The X, Y, and Z directions are merely examples, and the present disclosure is not limited to these directions.

[0052] Figure 2 It is a front view of the mechanical component 40. Figure 3 It is along Figure 2 The mechanical component 40 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III. The mechanical component 40 includes a housing 41, a bearing 42, a temperature detection device 43, and a connecting member 44.

[0053] The housing 41 integrally includes a main body 41a and a flange 41b. The main body 41a includes a first through-hole 41a1 through which the shaft member 31 passes.

[0054] The flange portions 41 b are located on both sides of the main body portion 41 a in the X direction. The flange portions 41 b have second through holes 41 b 1 through which bolts for attaching the mechanical component 40 to the support stand 10 pass.

[0055] Furthermore, the lower surface (the surface on the -Z side) of the housing 41 corresponds to the mounting surface F1 that contacts the support base 10. The mounting surface F1 is flat. The mounting surface F1 is perpendicular to the Z direction. When the mechanical component 40 is mounted on the support base 10, the Z direction is approximately parallel to the direction of gravity. Therefore, when the mechanical component 40 is mounted on the support base 10, the mounting surface F1 is approximately perpendicular to the direction of gravity and faces downward in the direction of gravity.

[0056] The bearing 42 is disposed within the housing 41 and rotatably supports the shaft member 31 relative to the housing 41. The axis Ax of the bearing 42 extends along the Y direction. That is, when the housing 41 is mounted on the support base 10, the axis Ax of the bearing 42 is approximately perpendicular to the direction of gravity. In this specification, "axis Ax tilted relative to the direction of gravity" includes the case where the axis Ax is perpendicular to the direction of gravity. The axis Ax of the bearing 42 is approximately parallel to the central axis of the shaft member 31.

[0057] The bearing 42 is a ball bearing. Alternatively, the bearing 42 may be a roller bearing. The bearing 42 is disposed in the first through-hole 41a1. The bearing 42 includes an outer ring 42a, an inner ring 42b, and a plurality of balls 42c.

[0058] The outer ring 42a fits into the annular groove 41a2 formed on the inner circumference of the first through-hole 41a1. The outer ring 42a is fixed to the housing 41. The inner ring 42b is located inside the outer ring 42a. The shaft member 31 is fixed to the inner ring 42b so as to be rotatable as a unit. A plurality of balls 42c are arranged between the outer ring 42a and the inner ring 42b.

[0059] When the shaft member 31 rotates relative to the housing 41, the inner ring 42b rotates relative to the outer ring 42a. At this time, the plurality of balls 42c roll relative to the outer ring 42a and the inner ring 42b.

[0060] The temperature detection device 43 is arranged on the outer surface of the housing 41. The temperature detection device 43 detects the temperature of the bearing 42 (details will be described later). The temperature detection device 43 is arranged on the front surface F2 (the surface on the +Y side) of the outer surface of the housing 41.

[0061] Figure 4 It is a top view of the temperature detection device 43. Figure 5 yes Figure 3 An enlarged cross-sectional view of the temperature detection device 43 is shown. Figure 6 is a block diagram of the RFID tag 43a.

[0062] The temperature detection device 43 includes an RFID tag 43a, a temperature sensor 43b, a cover member 43c, and an adhesive member 43d. The RFID tag 43a and the temperature sensor 43b are integrally formed.

[0063] The RFID tag 43a is a passive RFID tag. Figure 5 The substrate 43a1 shown in FIG. The substrate 43a1 is made of a resin substrate, a ceramic substrate, a plastic substrate, etc. The conductor portion of the substrate 43a1 is formed by metal plating the surface of the substrate. Alternatively, the conductor portion may be formed of a conductive foil. Alternatively, the conductor portion may be formed using polymer conductive ink by screen printing or inkjet printing. The temperature sensor 43b, Figure 6 Shown are antenna 43e and control circuit 43f.

[0064] like Figure 5 As shown in FIG. 1 , the temperature sensor 43b is disposed on the main surface 43a2 of the substrate 43a1. The temperature sensor 43b detects the temperature of the bearing 42. The temperature sensor 43b detects the temperature of the bearing 42 by Figure 3 and Figure 5 The connecting member 44 shown is thermally connected to the bearing 42. The temperature sensor 43b is in contact with the connecting member 44. The temperature detected by the temperature sensor 43b corresponds to the temperature detected by the temperature detection device 43.

[0065] The connection member 44 is solid. The connection member 44 has a columnar shape. The connection member 44 includes one or more metals selected from the group consisting of pure copper, copper, aluminum, duralumin, gold, and silver.

[0066] The thermal conductivity of the connecting member 44 is higher than that of the housing 41. The thermal conductivity of the connecting member 44 is generally between 160 (W / m·K) and 390 (W / m·K). On the other hand, the material of the housing 41 includes cast iron or carbon steel. The thermal conductivity of the housing 41 is generally between 35 (W / m·K) and 55 (W / m·K). In addition, it is self-evident that the materials of the connecting member 44 and the housing 41 are not limited to the materials described above. In addition, it is self-evident that the thermal conductivity of the connecting member 44 and the housing 41 are not limited to the thermal conductivity described above.

[0067] Connecting member 44 is positioned within hole 41a3 of housing 41. Hole 41a3 opens on front surface F2. The outer surface of connecting member 44 contacts the inner surface of hole 41a3. Connecting member 44 also contacts temperature sensor 43b. Thus, the temperature of housing 41 is transferred to temperature sensor 43b via connecting member 44.

[0068] The connecting member 44 is located on the −Z side of the axis Ax of the bearing 42 in the housing 41. Specifically, the connecting member 44 is located on the −Z side of the housing 41. Figure 2 The housing 41 shown is located in the configuration area R1. The configuration area R1 corresponds to Figure 2 The area H1 between the imaginary line L passing through the axis Ax of the bearing 42 and parallel to the X direction and the mounting surface F1 on the front surface F2 shown overlaps with the X-direction area H2 of the bearing 42. Furthermore, the connecting member 44 is located within the first partial area R2 of the arrangement area R1, which is located closer to the -Z side than the outer peripheral surface of the bearing 42 in the Y direction.

[0069] In this embodiment, the connection member 44 is located in the overlapping region between the first partial region R2 and the second partial region R3. The second partial region R3 is a region of the machine component 40 that occupies a range H3 located closer to the -Z side than the inner circumferential surface of the inner ring 42b.

[0070] When housing 41 is mounted on support base 10 as described above, mounting surface F1 of housing 41 is substantially perpendicular to the direction of gravity and faces downward in the direction of gravity. Therefore, when housing 41 is viewed along the axis of bearing 42 while mounted on support base 10, connecting member 44 is located below, in the direction of gravity, the axis Ax of bearing 42. The axis of bearing 42 is the direction in which axis Ax extends.

[0071] Figure 6The control circuit 43f shown is electrically connected to the temperature sensor 43b and antenna 43e. Antenna 43e receives the transmission wave from the reader / writer 3. Antenna 43e employs a known structure. For example, antenna 43e can employ the inverted-F antenna structure described in Japanese Patent No. 4990858. In this case, antenna 43e can communicate even when the temperature detection device 43 is mounted on the surface of a metal member. Control circuit 43f is driven by the power generated by the transmission wave.

[0072] The control circuit 43f acquires the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 43b and stores it in the storage area 43f1. The control circuit 43f transmits the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 43b stored in the storage area 43f1 to the reader / writer 3 via the antenna 43e.

[0073] Furthermore, the control circuit 43f transmits identification information (e.g., an identification number) identifying the mechanical component 40 corresponding to the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 43b to the reader / writer 3. The identification information is pre-stored in the storage area 43f1 by the reader / writer 3. The terminal device 4 stores the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 43b and the identification information in association with each other. Thus, the terminal device 4 can identify the mechanical component 40 that has been determined to have an abnormality in the bearing 42.

[0074] Alternatively, the control circuit 43f may be an IC chip equipped with the temperature sensor 43b. In this case, the control circuit 43f and the temperature sensor 43b are integrated. This allows for miniaturization of the RFID tag 43a.

[0075] Figure 5 The cover member 43c shown protects the RFID tag 43a. The cover member 43c is flat and includes a placement surface 43c1. The placement surface 43c1 is flat. The placement surface 43c1 has a recessed portion 43c2 for placing the RFID tag 43a. In a top view of the cover member 43c, the recessed portion 43c2 is located in the center of the cover member 43c.

[0076] Furthermore, when the RFID tag 43a is positioned within the recess 43c2, the placement surface 43c1 of the cover member 43c and the main surface 43a2 of the substrate 43a1 are coplanar. In other words, when the RFID tag 43a is positioned within the recess 43c2, the placement surface 43c1 extends over the entire perimeter of the main surface 43a2 of the substrate 43a1. Alternatively, the placement surface 43c1 of the cover member 43c and the main surface 43a2 of the substrate 43a1 may be positioned on different planes. Furthermore, when the RFID tag 43a is positioned within the recess 43c2, the temperature sensor 43b protrudes relative to the placement surface 43c1.

[0077] The material of the cover member 43c is a thermoplastic resin. Specifically, the material of the cover member 43c is a waterproof and oil-resistant nylon resin. Therefore, the cover member 43c is waterproof and oil-resistant. The waterproof and oil-resistant properties of the cover member 43c mean that during the use of the mechanical component 40, changes in the properties of the cover member 43c caused by water, oil, grease used in the mechanical component 40, etc. are suppressed, and the operation of the temperature sensor 43b and the RFID tag 43a is not affected.

[0078] Adhesive member 43d is disposed on placement surface 43c1 of cover member 43c, adhering RFID tag 43a and cover member 43c to the outer surface (front surface F2) of housing 41. Adhesive member 43d is also disposed on main surface 43a2 of substrate 43a1. Adhesive member 43d has a third through-hole 43d1, inside which temperature sensor 43b is located. Third through-hole 43d1 is connected to hole 41a3.

[0079] Adhesive member 43d is a double-sided tape. Adhesive member 43d is waterproof. Adhesive member 43d is a so-called waterproof tape. The waterproof nature of adhesive member 43d means that during use of mechanical component 40, changes in the properties of adhesive member 43d caused by water are suppressed, and the operation of temperature sensor 43b and RFID tag 43a is not affected.

[0080] Furthermore, the adhesive member 43d is arranged around the entire circumference of the RFID tag 43a on the arrangement surface 43c1 of the cover member 43c. Therefore, watertightness is ensured between the cover member 43c and the outer surface of the housing 41, and water can be prevented from adhering to the temperature sensor 43b and the RFID tag 43a.

[0081] Next, the operation of the mechanical component 40 when an abnormality occurs in the bearing 42 will be described.

[0082] exist Figure 1 When the illustrated mechanical device 2 transports industrial products, a force acting downward in the direction of gravity acts on the bearing 42 from the shaft member 31. This force from the shaft member 31 generates friction between the balls 42c and the inner race 42b, and between the balls 42c and the outer race 42a. If this friction causes the bearing 42 to change in state and progress, it may cause an abnormality such as damage to the bearing 42. If the abnormality in the bearing 42 progresses, it may cause a failure such as seizure of the bearing 42.

[0083] Furthermore, as the change in the state of bearing 42 due to friction progresses, the temperature of bearing 42 rises. The highest temperature portion of bearing 42 coincides with the portion with the greatest friction, that is, the portion with the greatest stress due to the force acting from shaft member 31.

[0084] In this embodiment, a force acts downward in the direction of gravity (to the -Z side along the Z direction) from the shaft member 31 on the bearing 42. Therefore, the part of the bearing 42 where the stress due to the force from the shaft member 31 is the greatest, that is, the part with the highest temperature is Figure 2 The portion overlapping with the second partial region R3.

[0085] In addition, the temperature of the bearing 42 is conducted to the housing 41. The portion with the highest temperature in the housing 41 is in contact with the portion with the highest temperature in the bearing 42. Figure 2 The portion overlapping with the second partial region R3.

[0086] A connecting member 44 is disposed at a portion of the housing 41 that overlaps with the second partial region R3. When the connecting member 44 is viewed from the inside of the bearing 42 toward the outside of the bearing 42 in a direction perpendicular to the axis Ax of the bearing 42, the connecting member 44 overlaps with a portion of the bearing 42 where the stress generated by the force acting from the shaft member 31 is greatest.

[0087] The temperature of the housing 41 is conducted to the connecting member 44 . Since the connecting member 44 is located in the second partial region R3 , the maximum temperature of the housing 41 is conducted to the connecting member 44 .

[0088] Furthermore, as described above, temperature sensor 43b is thermally connected to connecting member 44. Therefore, temperature sensor 43b detects the temperature of the hottest portion of bearing 42 via connecting member 44 and housing 41. Consequently, the temperature detected by temperature sensor 43b rises quickly in response to the rise in bearing 42 temperature. Furthermore, temperature sensor 43b is thermally connected to bearing 42 via connecting member 44 and housing 41, enabling highly accurate detection of bearing 42 temperature.

[0089] As described above, the temperature detected by temperature sensor 43b is stored in terminal device 4 via reader / writer 3. Furthermore, if the temperature detected by temperature sensor 43b is above a predetermined temperature, terminal device 4 determines that an abnormality has occurred in bearing 42. Therefore, by thermally connecting temperature sensor 43b to bearing 42 via connecting member 44, abnormalities in bearing 42 can be detected early.

[0090] As described above, according to this embodiment, the mechanical component 40 further includes: a housing 41; a bearing 42, which is arranged on the housing 41 and supports the shaft member 31 so as to be rotatable; a temperature sensor 43b, which is arranged on the outer surface of the housing 41 and detects the temperature of the bearing 42; and a connecting member 44, which has a thermal conductivity higher than the thermal conductivity of the housing 41, is arranged on the housing 41, and thermally connects the bearing 42 and the temperature sensor 43b.

[0091] Thus, temperature sensor 43b is disposed on the outer surface of housing 41. This simplifies the internal structure of housing 41 and the structure of mechanical component 40. Furthermore, temperature sensor 43b is thermally connected to bearing 42 via connecting member 44, which has a higher thermal conductivity than housing 41. This improves the accuracy of the temperature detected by temperature detection device 43.

[0092] Furthermore, the connection member 44 includes one or more metals selected from the group consisting of pure copper, copper, aluminum, duralumin, gold, and silver.

[0093] Thus, the connection member 44 conducts the heat of the bearing 42 to the temperature sensor 43b as soon as possible. Therefore, it is possible to reliably achieve a high accuracy in the temperature detected by the temperature detection device 43.

[0094] Furthermore, when the connecting member 44 is viewed from the inside of the bearing 42 toward the outside of the bearing 42 in a direction perpendicular to the axis Ax of the bearing 42 , the connecting member 44 overlaps with a portion of the bearing 42 where stress due to the force acting from the shaft member 31 is greatest.

[0095] The portion of bearing 42 where stress is greatest due to the force acting from shaft member 31 corresponds to the portion with the highest temperature. Furthermore, temperature sensor 43b is in thermal contact with connecting member 44. Therefore, the temperature detected by temperature sensor 43b rises rapidly in response to increases in bearing 42 temperature and housing 41 temperature. Consequently, mechanical component 40 can contribute to early detection of bearing 42 abnormalities based on the temperature detected by temperature sensor 43b.

[0096] Furthermore, the mechanical component 40 includes an RFID tag 43 a that is integrally formed with a temperature sensor 43 b and transmits the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 43 b to the reader / writer 3 .

[0097] Thus, the mechanical component 40 can output the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 43b with a simple structure.

[0098] Next, a monitoring system 1 and a mechanical component 40 according to a modification of the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described mainly with respect to differences from the monitoring system 1 and the mechanical component 40 according to the above-described embodiment.

[0099] For example, the mechanical device 2 is not limited to a roller conveyor, and the mechanical device 2 only needs to include a plurality of mechanical components 40 including bearings 42 .

[0100] In addition, the mechanical component 40 is not limited to the pillow block, and the mechanical component 40 only needs to include the bearing 42 .

[0101] Furthermore, the RFID tag 43a may be an active type RFID tag. In this case, the RFID tag 43a further includes a power source.

[0102] Alternatively, adhesive member 43d may have elasticity. In this case, adhesive member 43d comprises, for example, an elastic sheet-like base material and adhesive layers disposed on both surfaces of the base material. The base material may be formed, for example, from a foamed resin such as foamed polyethylene. The elasticity of adhesive member 43d can suppress vibrations transmitted from housing 41 to temperature sensor 43b and RFID tag 43a during operation of mechanical device 2.

[0103] Furthermore, the adhesive member 43d may be a cured adhesive (eg, an epoxy adhesive) or a waterproof and oil-resistant butyl tape.

[0104] In addition, the temperature detection device 43 may not include the bonding member 43d. In this case, the temperature detection device 43 is fixed to the housing 41 with bolts, for example.

[0105] Furthermore, the cover member 43c may be shaped so as to partially cover the main surface 43a2 of the substrate 43a1 while the temperature sensor 43b is exposed.

[0106] Furthermore, arrangement region R1 may be located on the front surface F2 of housing 41 on a side other than the −Z side of axis Ax of bearing 42 . For example, arrangement region R1 may be located on a side other than the −Z side of axis Ax of bearing 42 .

[0107] The connecting member 44 is not limited to a cylindrical shape; it can also be spherical or curved. Furthermore, the connecting member 44 of the bearing 42 can be located on a side other than the -Z side relative to the axis Ax of the bearing 42. For example, the position of the connecting member 44 varies depending on the posture of the mechanical component 40 mounted on the support base 10. For example, when the mechanical component 40 is mounted on the support base 10 with the mounting surface F1 perpendicular to the direction of gravity and facing upward in the direction of gravity, the portion of the bearing 42 where the stress due to the force acting from the shaft member 31 is greatest (i.e., the portion with the highest temperature) is located on the +Z side relative to the axis Ax of the bearing 42. Therefore, the connecting member 44 is located on the +Z side relative to the axis Ax of the bearing 42 in the housing 41. In this case, the hole 41a3 and the temperature sensor 43b are located on the +Z side relative to the axis Ax of the bearing 42 in the housing 41. Furthermore, the position of the connecting member 44 varies depending on the direction of the load acting from the shaft member 31 on the bearing 42. For example, if the direction of the load acting from shaft member 31 on bearing 42 is from the -X side toward the +X side along the X direction, the portion of bearing 42 where the stress due to the force acting from shaft member 31 is greatest (i.e., the portion with the highest temperature) is located closer to the +X side than the axis Ax of bearing 42. Therefore, regardless of the orientation of mechanical component 40, connecting member 44 is located within housing 41 closer to the +X side than the axis Ax of bearing 42. Alternatively, mechanical component 40 may be mounted on support base 10 with the axis Ax of bearing 42 extending in the direction of gravity.

[0108] Furthermore, the connection member 44 can be located at any position in the housing 41 regardless of the posture of the mechanical component 40 and the direction of the load acting from the shaft member 31 on the bearing 42 .

[0109] In addition, the connecting member 44 may also be in contact with the bearing 42. For example, Figure 3 In the case where the housing 41 covers the front surface S2 of the bearing 42 , the connecting member 44 may also be in contact with the front surface S2 of the bearing 42 .

[0110] Figure 7 This is a cross-sectional view of the temperature detection device 43 of the mechanical component 40 according to the first variant of the embodiment of the present disclosure. In this first variant, the adhesive member 143d does not have the third through-hole 43d1. The adhesive member 143d covers the entire RFID tag 43a. As a result, the temperature sensor 43b is covered by the adhesive member 143d. The temperature sensor 43b and the bearing 42 are thermally connected via the adhesive member 143d and the connecting member 44. In addition, the adhesive member 143d may also contain particles such as Ag having a relatively high thermal conductivity.

[0111] Figure 8This is a cross-sectional view of a temperature detection device 43 of a mechanical component 40 according to a second modification of the embodiment of the present disclosure. In this second modification, the third through-hole 43d1 is filled with thermally conductive grease 243g. The temperature sensor 43b and the connecting member 44 are thermally connected via the thermally conductive grease 243g.

[0112] Thermal grease 243g is, for example, a silicone-based thermal grease. It goes without saying that thermal grease 243g is not limited to silicone-based grease; any grease in a paste form will suffice. Alternatively, thermal grease 243g may be a thermosetting resin (e.g., epoxy resin) containing particles of Ag, etc., having a relatively high thermal conductivity.

[0113] The thermal conductivity of thermal grease 243g is higher than that of housing 41. The thermal conductivity of thermal grease 243g is generally between 80 (W / m·K) and 180 (W / m·K). Thermal grease 243g may also be present between hole 41a3 and connecting member 44.

[0114] Figure 9 This is a cross-sectional view of a temperature detection device 345 of a mechanical component 40 according to a third variant of the embodiment of the present disclosure. The temperature detection device 345 of this second variant does not include the RFID tag 43a and the cover member 43c. The temperature detection device 345 of this third variant includes a substrate 345a, a temperature sensor 345b, and an adhesive member 345c. The temperature sensor 345b is disposed on the main surface 345a1 of the substrate 345a. The substrate 345a includes a terminal for outputting the detected temperature of the temperature sensor 345b.

[0115] In this case, monitoring system 1 does not include reader / writer 3. Terminal device 4 acquires the temperature detected by temperature sensor 345b by electrically connecting to the terminals of substrate 345a. Alternatively, substrate 345a may include a display unit that displays the temperature detected by temperature sensor 345b. In this case, the user confirms the temperature detected by temperature sensor 345b on the display unit and inputs it to terminal device 4.

[0116] The bonding member 345c bonds the substrate 345a to the housing 41. The bonding member 345c is, for example, a double-sided tape. The temperature detection device 345 may also include a cover member that protects the substrate 345a.

[0117] Description of Reference Numerals

[0118] 1. Monitoring system; 2. Mechanical device; 3. Reader / writer; 4. Terminal device; 10. Support platform; 31. Shaft member; 40. Mechanical component; 41. Housing; 41a3. Hole portion; 42. Bearing; 43. Temperature detection device; 43a. RFID tag; 43b. Temperature sensor; 44. Connecting member; Ax, axis of the bearing.

Claims

1. A mechanical component, wherein: The mechanical component has: shell; a bearing disposed in the housing and rotatably supporting the shaft member; a temperature sensor, disposed on an outer surface of the housing, for detecting a temperature of the bearing; as well as A connecting member having a thermal conductivity higher than that of the housing is disposed on the housing and thermally connects the bearing and the temperature sensor.

2. The mechanical component according to claim 1, wherein The connection member includes one or more metals selected from the group consisting of pure copper, copper, aluminum, duralumin, gold, and silver.

3. The mechanical component according to claim 1, wherein When the connecting member is viewed from the inside of the bearing toward the outside of the bearing in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the bearing, the connecting member overlaps with a portion of the bearing where stress due to the force acting from the shaft member is greatest.

4. The mechanical component according to claim 1, wherein The mechanical component further includes an RFID tag that is integrally formed with the temperature sensor and transmits the temperature detected by the temperature sensor to a reader / writer.

5. A monitoring system, wherein: The monitoring system has: A mechanical device comprising a plurality of mechanical components according to claim 4; the reader / writer; and A terminal device is electrically connected to the reader / writer and stores the temperature detected by the temperature sensor.

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