Rolling bearing testing device and rolling bearing testing system

Abstract

The invention relates to a rolling bearing testing device (1) comprising a housing (2) in which a rotating shaft (3) is arranged, the rotating shaft (3) being supported in the housing (2) by a first rolling bearing (41) and a second rolling bearing (42), the rolling bearing testing device (1) further comprising a first connecting device (51) and a second connecting device (52), one part of the first connecting device (51) is fixedly connected relative to the outer ring of the first rolling bearing (41), and the other part of the first connecting device (51) extends out through a first opening in the shell (2); one part of the second connecting device (52) is fixedly connected relative to the outer ring of the second rolling bearing (42), and the other part of the second connecting device (52) extends out through a second opening in the shell (2). The invention also relates to a rolling bearing test system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a rolling bearing testing device and a rolling bearing testing system. Background Technology

[0002] Bearings, especially rolling bearings used in agricultural machinery, require lifespan testing. These bearings often endure extremely harsh conditions in actual use, such as mud environments, particularly those containing fertilizers. Therefore, it is crucial to simulate real-world operating conditions as closely as possible during lifespan testing. This ensures that the test results more accurately reflect actual operating conditions, thereby improving reliability.

[0003] Typically, this type of lifespan test simulates the real-world operating environment in a test chamber. This involves mixing fertilizers commonly used in agricultural production with mud, and then placing the bearing under test inside the chamber. These test chambers are usually designed as closed systems to prevent contamination of the external environment. After the test begins, the bearing runs continuously within the chamber until it fails due to wear. During this period, staff regularly observe and record the test results. Unlike other general bearing tests, data cannot be detected using sensors in this lifespan test because, firstly, the mud in the simulated environment affects the accuracy of sensor detection, and the chemical components in the mud can corrode the sensors; secondly, vibrations during the test can distort the data detected by the sensors within the test chamber.

[0004] Because such tests typically need to be conducted continuously for extended periods, day and night, if a bearing fails during the night when no one is on duty, it may not be discovered and recorded until the next working day. This leads to inaccurate test results. Meanwhile, the entire testing equipment continues to operate during this period, resulting in significant energy waste and increased testing costs. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Therefore, based on the above-mentioned prior art, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a bearing, especially a rolling bearing testing device and a rolling bearing testing system, which at least partially overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art.

[0006] The aforementioned technical problem is first solved by a rolling bearing testing device according to the present invention. The rolling bearing testing device includes a housing, in which a rotating shaft is arranged. The rotating shaft is supported within the housing by a first rolling bearing and a second rolling bearing. The rolling bearing testing device also includes a first connecting device and a second connecting device. A portion of the first connecting device is fixedly connected relative to the outer ring of the first rolling bearing, and another portion extends out through a first opening on the housing. A portion of the second connecting device is fixedly connected relative to the outer ring of the second rolling bearing, and another portion extends out through a second opening on the housing. The portions of the first and second connecting devices extending out of the housing are connected to a detection device outside the housing. The detection device is configured to detect the offset of the portions of the first and / or second connecting devices outside the housing.

[0007] The bearing, especially rolling bearing, testing apparatus includes a housing, which allows for the simulation of real-world operating environments, particularly in the case of agricultural machinery, such as dry, wet, dusty, and, where necessary, muddy environments mixed with fertilizers. These environments are typically highly polluted, and confining them within the housing prevents contamination of the exterior.

[0008] When testing bearings, a rotating shaft, supported by the bearing under test, is typically used. A drive unit is located outside the housing and connected to the rotating shaft inside the housing via a transmission mechanism. The drive unit rotates the shaft to begin the bearing test, during which test data is recorded and analyzed to optimize the bearing design. Usually, two bearings under test are used to support the rotating shaft, but more or fewer bearings can also be used to achieve the desired testing objectives.

[0009] According to the present invention, the rolling bearing testing apparatus further includes connecting devices, specifically a first connecting device and a second connecting device. A portion of the first connecting device is fixedly connected to the outer ring of the first rolling bearing, and another portion extends through a first opening in the housing. A portion of the second connecting device is fixedly connected to the outer ring of the second rolling bearing, and another portion extends through a second opening in the housing. When the rotating shaft is supported by the bearings, the inner ring of the bearing is fixed to the shaft by interference fit or end face pressing. The outer rings of the first and second rolling bearings are respectively fixedly connected to the connecting devices. For this purpose, the rolling bearing testing apparatus may also include a bearing housing, on which the outer ring of the bearing can be fixed, and the connecting device is also fixedly connected, for example, by welding, threaded connection, etc. In the rolling bearing testing apparatus according to the present invention, the housing has an opening, and another portion of the connecting device can extend from the housing through the opening.

[0010] The portions of the first and second connecting devices extending out of the housing are connected to a detection device outside the housing. The detection device is configured to detect the offset of the portions of the first and / or second connecting devices outside the housing. During bearing testing, over time, wear begins to occur inside the bearing, specifically between the inner and outer rings and the rolling elements, and this wear becomes increasingly severe, leading to a greater degree of relative offset between the inner and outer rings. In existing technologies, detecting this offset is difficult and complex, generally requiring testers to visually inspect and record the bearing's operation within the housing at all times. However, with this invention, this offset is brought out of the housing, allowing it to be determined from outside the housing. The advantage of this is that it separates the simulated testing environment from the tester's working environment while conveniently monitoring the bearing's operation. In other words, conditions that were previously invisible or inconvenient to observe or detect during bearing testing are brought out to the outside of the housing via the connecting devices. This avoids directly using measuring or testing devices to collect test data in harsh simulated environments, ensuring that the devices can operate in a clean environment and thus guaranteeing the accuracy or precision of the test data, as the exterior of the housing protects against contamination and vibration from the interior. Furthermore, this also extends the lifespan of the measuring or testing device.

[0011] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the rolling bearing testing device is provided with two detection devices. The two detection devices are respectively connected to the protruding portions of the first connecting device and the second connecting device, and are respectively configured to detect the offset of the protruding portion of the first connecting device and the offset of the protruding portion of the second connecting device. This allows for the separate detection of the offsets of the protruding portions of the two connecting devices as needed, thereby enabling selective testing of the rolling bearing.

[0012] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the portions of the first connecting device and the second connecting device extending out of the housing are interconnected by a common detection device. That is, the two connecting devices can be tested using a common detection device. This design not only has a simple structure but also achieves lower costs by using as few detection devices as possible.

[0013] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the detection device includes a force application unit and an offset recognition unit. The detection of the offset of the protruding portion of the connecting device can be performed in different ways. For example, the connecting device outside the housing may swing back and forth due to the rotation of the shaft; the offset of the protruding portion of the connecting device can be determined by detecting the amplitude of this swing. However, a simpler approach is to apply a force and then detect the offset caused by this force. Because the force causes the connecting device outside the housing to offset in a fixed direction, as wear between the inner and outer rings of the bearing intensifies, the offset of the outer ring relative to the inner ring under the force will increase and become clearly detectable. In other words, detecting a relatively static offset is technically more convenient and accurate than detecting dynamic swing. Furthermore, the force application unit can additionally set the bearing overturning moment to better simulate actual working conditions and accelerate bearing failure—that is, the bending moment that causes the inner and outer rings of the bearing to tilt relative to each other, which is not achievable in current designs.

[0014] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a force application unit applies force to the first and / or second connecting devices via a connection between a detection device and the first connecting device and / or the second connecting device. An offset identification unit is configured to identify the offset of the portion of the first and / or second connecting devices extending out of the housing caused by the force. According to the present invention, by applying force directly to the connecting devices, the offset within the housing due to the relationship between the inner and outer rings of the bearing can be definitively reflected on the portion of the connecting device outside the housing. Then, by detecting the offset of the portion of the connecting device outside the housing, the operating state of the rolling bearing can be ultimately detected. Thus, the influence of the heavily contaminated environment inside the housing is completely eliminated when detecting the offset.

[0015] According to a preferred design of the present invention, the offset recognition unit is designed as an electromechanical sensor. Of course, other designs are also conceivable, such as designing the offset recognition unit as a mechanical sensor.

[0016] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the force application unit is designed as a first tension spring and a second tension spring, and the offset identification unit is designed as a tension sensor. The tension sensor is connected between one end of the first tension spring and one end of the second tension spring, and the other corresponding ends of the first and second tension springs are respectively connected to the protruding portions of the first and second connecting devices. This not only allows for the simple application of force to the two connecting devices but also enables the detection of the offset between the connecting devices caused by this force. Specifically, a tension force is applied between the protruding portions of the two connecting devices, and this tension force is measured by the tension sensor. As the rotating shaft inside the housing begins to rotate, wear occurs between the inner and outer rings of the rolling bearing, and the wear increases. Since a part of the connecting device is fixedly connected to the outer ring of the bearing and the inner ring of the bearing is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft, the distance between the two connecting devices shortens due to the tension force. This, in turn, reduces the deformation of the tension springs between the connecting devices, ultimately resulting in a decrease in the tension force measured by the tension sensor. Furthermore, the wear condition of the bearing can be determined by this change in tension; that is, the smaller the tension force, the more severe the bearing wear. By comparing the value with a pre-set threshold, bearing failure can also be determined if the value is below a predetermined threshold. This enables a simple and intuitive detection of such offset.

[0017] According to a preferred design of the present invention, the offset recognition unit is designed as an image sensor. The advantage of designing it as an image sensor is that it avoids the use of complex mechanical structures and further increases the flexibility of offset detection.

[0018] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the image sensor continuously records images of the portions of the first connecting device and / or the second connecting device that protrude from the housing, and identifies offsets by comparing these images with original images of the portions of the first connecting device and / or the second connecting device that protrude from the housing. The image sensor can record images of the portions of the connecting devices that protrude from the housing before the start of the test and use these as original images. After the start of the test, or after the rotating shaft begins to rotate, the image sensor also records images of this portion at regular time intervals, such as several hours. The offset of the portions of the connecting devices that protrude from the housing can be easily determined by comparing the recorded images with the corresponding original images.

[0019] Finally, the aforementioned technical problem is also solved by the rolling bearing testing system according to the present invention. The rolling bearing testing system includes a rolling bearing testing device and a control device according to the present invention. The control device is configured to automatically stop the operation of the rolling bearing testing device when the detection device detects that the offset of the portion of the first connecting device and / or the second connecting device outside the housing exceeds a preset threshold. Since the present invention enables automatic detection of the offset of the portion of the connecting device extending out of the housing, and can automatically determine whether the offset exceeds a predetermined threshold when necessary, this rolling bearing testing system enables fully unattended rolling bearing testing, greatly reducing the workload of testing personnel and the cost of testing. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0021] Figure 1 A partial perspective view of the rolling bearing testing apparatus according to the present invention is shown;

[0022] Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of the rolling bearing testing apparatus according to the present invention is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The figure shows a rolling bearing testing apparatus (1) according to the present invention, which includes a housing (2). A rotating shaft (3) is arranged in the housing (2), and the rotating shaft (3) is supported within the housing (2) by one or more rolling bearings to be tested, for example two, namely a first rolling bearing (41) and a second rolling bearing (42). Specifically, the inner rings of the bearings are mounted on the rotating shaft by interference fit or end face pressing. A drive device is not shown in the figure. The drive device is arranged outside the housing (2) and is connected to the rotating shaft in the housing (2) by a transmission device (also not shown) and drives the rotating shaft to rotate during bearing testing. Before the bearing testing work begins, a corresponding testing environment can be arranged in the housing (2), including but not limited to an agricultural production environment, such as a soil environment, a mud environment, an environment mixed with fertilizer materials, etc. By means of a partially enclosed housing (i.e., except for the openings for the transmission device and the connecting device described below, which can of course be sealed by appropriate sealing devices), the environment inside the housing (2) can be prevented from contaminating the working environment of the test personnel.

[0024] The rolling bearing testing apparatus (1) also includes a first connecting device (51) and a second connecting device (52). The first connecting device (51) and the second connecting device (52) can be designed as plates or rods. A portion of the first connecting device (51) is fixedly connected to the outer ring of the first rolling bearing (41), and the other portion extends through a first opening in the housing (2). A portion of the second connecting device (52) is fixedly connected to the outer ring of the second rolling bearing (42), and the other portion extends through a second opening in the housing (2). The fixed connection between the first / second connecting device and the outer ring of the rolling bearing (42) can be made directly between the two. Alternatively, an additional dedicated bearing housing can be provided for fixing the bearing or the outer ring of the bearing, and the connecting device can be connected to the bearing housing, for example, by bolting, welding, pinning, etc. The first / second opening can be a separate opening, but it is also conceivable to simply provide a single opening on the housing, from which the first / second connecting device extends out of the housing (2).

[0025] The portions of the first connecting device (51) and the second connecting device (52) extending out of the housing (2) are connected to the detection device (6) outside the housing (2), for example, by means of bolt connection, welding, pin connection, etc. It is also conceivable that the first connecting device (51) and the second connecting device (52) are provided with through holes at the ends extending out of the housing (2), through which pins can pass and connect to the detection device.

[0026] The detection device (6) is configured to detect the offset of the first connecting device (51) and / or the second connecting device (52) outside the housing (2). During the test, the rotation of the rotating shaft causes relative movement between the inner and outer rings of the bearing, which are fixedly connected to the rotating shaft. This causes wear between the rolling elements arranged between the inner and outer rings and the inner and / or outer rings. As the test continues, this wear increases, leading to a greater degree of offset or relative movement between the inner and outer rings of the bearing. The purpose of the rolling bearing test is to detect or determine this offset. Bearings used in agricultural environments operate under harsh conditions, typically in dusty and muddy environments, and may also contain fertilizer materials, which have a very adverse effect on the operation of the sensor or may even damage or corrode the sensor. Therefore, in the prior art, testers can only periodically come to the location of the test device to visually inspect and record the test. Of course, this test cannot be continued outside of working hours. Now, by connecting the bearing to the connecting device and extending the connecting device out of the housing, the state of being in an environment that is inconvenient for testing can be transferred to an environment that is convenient for testing, namely, outside the housing.

[0027] In one embodiment, two detection devices (6) can be provided. The two detection devices are respectively connected to the portions of the first connecting device (51) and the second connecting device (52) extending out of the housing (2) and are respectively configured to detect the offset of the portion of the first connecting device (51) extending out of the housing (2) and to detect the offset of the portion of the second connecting device (52) extending out of the housing (2).

[0028] In another embodiment, the portions of the first connecting device (51) and the second connecting device (52) extending out of the housing (2) can be connected to each other by a common detection device (6).

[0029] In one embodiment, the detection device (6) may include a force application unit and an offset recognition unit. The offset of the portions of the first connecting device (51) and the second connecting device (52) extending out of the housing (2) can be detected in various ways, such as detecting the oscillation of these portions. It is conceivable that as the wear of the inner and outer rings of the bearings intensifies, the amplitude of the back-and-forth oscillation of the portions of the first connecting device (51) and the second connecting device (52) extending out of the housing (2) also increases. However, if the force applied by the force application unit limits this offset to a predetermined direction, it can be conveniently and accurately detected. This is because detecting static offset is naturally easier than detecting dynamic back-and-forth oscillation.

[0030] In one embodiment, the force application unit applies force to the first connecting device (51) and / or the second connecting device (52) via the connection of the detection device (6) to the first connecting device (51) and / or the second connecting device (52). The offset identification unit is configured to identify the offset of the portion of the first connecting device (51) and / or the second connecting device (52) extending out of the housing (2) caused by the force. In addition to limiting the originally unstable offset to a specified direction, the force application unit can also apply an overturning moment to the bearing via the connecting device connected to the detection device, which can accelerate bearing failure and better simulate actual working conditions.

[0031] In one embodiment, the offset recognition unit can be designed as an electromechanical sensor. Other sensor types are also conceivable, such as mechanical sensors, optical sensors, and electromagnetic sensors.

[0032] In one embodiment, the force application unit is designed as a first tension spring (61) and a second tension spring (62), and the offset recognition unit is designed as a tension sensor (63). The tension sensor (63) is connected between one end of the first tension spring (61) and the second tension spring (62), and the other corresponding ends of the first tension spring (61) and the second tension spring (62) are respectively connected to the protruding parts of the first connecting device (51) and the second connecting device (52) of the housing (2). As shown, the two tension springs are fixed between the first connecting device (51) and the second connecting device (52) and the tension sensor, such that the first connecting device (51) and the second connecting device (52) tend to move closer to each other under tension. When the wear between the inner and outer rings of the bearing intensifies, this tendency causes the two connecting devices to move towards each other and thus the distance between them becomes shorter. Therefore, the degree of tension, i.e., the deformation, of the first tension spring (61) and the second tension spring (62) decreases, and the tension sensor (63) will detect the decrease in tension. The decrease in tension corresponds to the degree of bearing wear, so the degree of bearing wear can be determined from the extent of the decrease in tension. Furthermore, a tension threshold can be preset; if the detected tension is less than this threshold, the bearing is considered to have failed. Additionally, by providing a tension spring between the portion of the first connecting device (51) and the portion of the second connecting device (52) extending out of the housing (2) and the tension sensor, the sensor can be buffered and protected, preventing direct impact on the sensor and potential damage.

[0033] In one embodiment, the offset recognition unit is designed as an image sensor. The image sensor can conveniently detect the offset of the portions of the first connecting device (51) and the second connecting device (52) extending out of the housing (2) without requiring additional, more complex construction and design.

[0034] In one embodiment, the image sensor continuously records images of the portions of the first connecting device (51) and / or the second connecting device (52) extending out of the housing (2), and performs offset identification by comparing these images with original images of the portions of the first connecting device (51) and / or the second connecting device (52) extending out of the housing (2). That is, the image sensor records images of the portions of the first connecting device (51) and / or the second connecting device (52) extending out of the housing (2), preferably once before the test begins and used as the original image. During the test, the image sensor continuously records corresponding images and compares these images with the original images, preferably calculating and determining the offset distance, thereby accurately determining the degree of deviation in terms of the offset distance magnitude.

[0035] Finally, the rolling bearing testing system according to the present invention (not shown in the figure) includes a rolling bearing testing device (1) and a control device, wherein the control device is configured to automatically stop the operation of the rolling bearing testing device (1) when the detection device (6) detects that the offset of the portion of the first connecting device (51) and / or the second connecting device (52) outside the housing (2) exceeds a preset threshold. This allows for automatic shutdown of the rolling bearing testing system during unattended periods, such as at night or on holidays, avoiding waste caused by the rolling bearing testing system continuing to operate even when the bearing has failed, thereby reducing the cost of bearing testing.

[0036] Although the present invention has been described in detail through preferred embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Those skilled in the art can derive other modified design schemes by combining the technical features mentioned in this specification without departing from the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A rolling bearing testing device (1), characterized in that, The rolling bearing testing device (1) includes a housing (2), in which a rotating shaft (3) is arranged. The rotating shaft (3) is supported in the housing (2) by a first rolling bearing (41) and a second rolling bearing (42). The rolling bearing testing device (1) also includes a first connecting device (51) and a second connecting device (52). A part of the first connecting device (51) is fixedly connected to the outer ring of the first rolling bearing (41) and the other part extends out through a first opening on the housing (2). A part of the second connecting device (52) is fixedly connected to the outer ring of the second rolling bearing (42) and the other part extends out through a second opening on the housing (2). The parts of the first connecting device (51) and the second connecting device (52) extending out of the housing (2) are connected to a detection device (6) outside the housing (2). The detection device (6) is configured to detect the offset of the parts of the first connecting device (51) and / or the second connecting device (52) outside the housing (2).

2. The rolling bearing testing device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that, Two detection devices (6) are provided. The two detection devices are respectively connected to the protruding parts of the first connecting device (51) and the second connecting device (52) of the housing (2) and are respectively set to detect the offset of the protruding part of the first connecting device (51) and the offset of the protruding part of the second connecting device (52) of the housing (2).

3. The rolling bearing testing device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The portions of the first connecting device (51) and the second connecting device (52) extending out of the housing (2) are connected to each other by a common detection device (6).

4. The rolling bearing testing device (1) according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The detection device (6) includes a force application unit and an offset recognition unit.

5. The rolling bearing testing device (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that, The force application unit applies force to the first connecting device (51) and / or the second connecting device (52) through the connection of the detection device (6) with the first connecting device (51) and / or the second connecting device (52). The offset identification unit is configured to identify the offset of the portion of the first connecting device (51) and / or the second connecting device (52) extending out of the housing (2) caused by the force.

6. The rolling bearing testing device (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that, The offset recognition unit is designed as an electromechanical sensor.

7. The rolling bearing testing device (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that, The force application unit is designed as a first tension spring (61) and a second tension spring (62), and the offset recognition unit is designed as a tension sensor (63). The tension sensor (63) is connected between one end of the first tension spring (61) and the second tension spring (62), and the other corresponding ends of the first tension spring (61) and the second tension spring (62) are respectively connected to the protruding parts of the first connecting device (51) and the second connecting device (52) of the housing (2).

8. The rolling bearing testing device (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that, The offset recognition unit is designed as an image sensor.

9. The rolling bearing testing device (1) according to claim 8, characterized in that, The image sensor continuously records images of the portions of the first connecting device (51) and / or the second connecting device (52) that protrude from the housing (2), and performs offset identification by comparing the images with the original images of the portions of the first connecting device (51) and / or the second connecting device (52) that protrude from the housing (2).

10. A rolling bearing testing system, characterized in that, The rolling bearing testing system includes a rolling bearing testing device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims and a control device, wherein the control device is configured to automatically stop the operation of the rolling bearing testing device (1) when the detection device (6) detects that the offset of the portion of the first connecting device (51) and / or the second connecting device (52) outside the housing (2) exceeds a preset threshold.

Images