Bearing gap measuring device and bearing gap measuring method

Abstract

To provide a bearing gap measuring device and a bearing gap measuring method, capable of automatically measuring a radial gap.SOLUTION: A bearing gap measuring method comprises: measuring a bearing gap to a bearing including an inner race having first and second raceway surfaces on an outer diameter surface, an outer race having first and second raceway surfaces on an inner diameter surface, and a roller arranged between the raceway surface of the inner race and the raceway surface of the outer race as a rolling element; arranging the inner race so as to have the first raceway surface on the upper side and have the second raceway surface on the lower side and arranging the outer race so as to have the second raceway surface on the upper side and have the first raceway surface on the lower side to measure a radial gap in the second raceway surfaces in the state of intervening between the second raceway surfaces relatively facing the second raceway surface of the inner race and the second raceway surface of the outer race to each other; and vertically moving at least one of the outer and inner race sides so that the first raceway surface of the outer race relatively faces the first raceway surface of the inner race to measure a radial gap in the first raceway surfaces in the state of intervening the roller between the first raceway surfaces relatively facing the first raceway surface of the inner race and the first raceway surface of the outer race to each other.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a bearing clearance measuring device and a bearing clearance measuring method. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, in a bearing comprising an inner ring having a raceway on its outer diameter surface, an outer ring having a raceway on its inner diameter surface, and rollers arranged between the raceway surfaces of the inner ring and the outer ring, when one of the inner ring or the outer ring is fixed and the other is moved in the radial direction, a certain amount of movement occurs. In this case, the amount of movement when moved in the radial direction is called the radial internal clearance, and the amount of movement when moved in the axial direction is called the axial internal clearance.

[0003] Incidentally, the size of the internal clearance (operating clearance) during operation affects bearing performance such as rolling fatigue life, heat generation, noise, vibration, etc. For this reason, it is important to measure the bearing clearance, and the measurement method specified in JIS B1515-2:2006 is generally used as the radial clearance measurement method for single-row bearings.

[0004] In this measurement method, the inner ring is fixed, and the measuring probe of the indicating instrument is placed on the outer diameter surface of the outer ring corresponding to the center of the outer ring raceway. In this state, the indicating instrument is pressed radially inward from the opposite direction to detect the maximum value of the indicating instrument, which is when the rolling element passes through the bottom of the raceway groove. The measuring probe of the indicating instrument is also pressed radially inward to detect the minimum value of the indicating instrument, which is when the rolling element passes through the bottom of the raceway groove. The difference between this minimum and maximum readings is the radial internal clearance.

[0005] Conventionally, as shown in Patent Documents 1 to 3 and the like, various measurement methods and measurement devices for measuring bearing clearances of bearings have been proposed.

[0006] The measurement method described in Patent Document 1 measures the radial clearance of a single-row radial ball bearing by vibrating the radial ball bearing, measuring the vibration, determining the contact angle of each ball from the frequency of this measured vibration, and then determining the radial clearance from this contact angle.

[0007] The measurement method and device described in Patent Document 2 vibrate a radial ball bearing with a vibrator, detect the vibration of the outer ring with a vibration detector, and determine the resonant frequency of the radial ball bearing. Based on this resonant frequency, the bearing clearance in the radial direction is determined.

[0008] The measuring device described in Patent Document 3 includes a load loading device, a load cell that detects the load, a displacement sensor that detects the amount of displacement in the measurement direction, and calculates the gap in the measurement direction from the amount of displacement when the load reaches a predetermined specified load. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-70305 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-153425 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-270913 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] Incidentally, the measurement methods described in Patent Documents 1 to 3 and JIS B1515-2:20016 describe measuring the radial clearance (internal clearance) in single-row bearings. However, in double-row roller bearings, it is necessary to measure the radial clearance for each row (two rows) separately.

[0011] A typical measurement method for measuring the radial clearance of a double-row (two-row) roller bearing will be explained below. As shown in Figure 10, a double-row roller bearing comprises an inner ring 4 having first and second raceway surfaces 2, 3 on its outer diameter surface 1, an outer ring 8 having first and second raceway surfaces 6, 7 on its inner diameter surface 5, and rollers 9 as rolling elements disposed between the raceway surfaces 2, 3 of the inner ring 4 and the raceway surfaces 6, 7 of the outer ring 8. There may be an even number of rollers 9 in each row, as shown in Figure 12(a), or an odd number, as shown in Figure 12(b).

[0012] The measurement method will be explained using Figures 10 and 11. First, in the assembled state shown in Figure 10(a), an outer ring removal step S1 is performed in which the outer ring 8 is removed from the inner ring / roller assembly 10. Next, an outer ring inversion step S2 is performed in which the removed outer ring 8 is turned upside down, and then an inverted outer ring installation step S3 is performed in which the outer ring 8 in the inverted state is installed again to the inner ring / roller assembly 10.

[0013] In this case, as shown in Figure 10(b), the inner ring 4 has the first orbital surface 2 arranged on the upper side and the second orbital surface 3 arranged on the lower side, and the outer ring 8 has the first orbital surface 6 arranged on the lower side and the second orbital surface 7 arranged on the upper side, so that the second orbital surface 3 of the inner ring 4 and the second orbital surface 7 of the outer ring 8 face each other.

[0014] In this state, the radial clearance for the opposing second row is measured in the second row measurement step S4. The measurement method can be the same as that of JIS B1515-2:20016. Once the measurement of the radial clearance for this second row is completed, the inner and outer ring reversal step S5 is performed, in which the inner and outer rings of the bearing in the state shown in Figure 10(b) are turned upside down, resulting in the state shown in Figure 10(c).

[0015] In the state shown in Figure 10(c), the inner ring 4 has the first raceway surface 2 arranged on the lower side and the second raceway surface 3 arranged on the upper side, and the outer ring 8 has the first raceway surface 6 arranged on the upper side and the second raceway surface 7 arranged on the lower side, so that the first raceway surface 2 of the inner ring 4 and the first raceway surface 6 of the outer ring 8 face each other.

[0016] In this state, the radial clearance for the opposing first row is measured in the first row measurement step S6. The measurement method can be the same as that of JIS B1515-2:20016. Once the measurement of the radial clearance for the first row is complete, the outer ring 8 is removed from the inner ring-roller assembly 10 in the outer ring removal step S7. The removed outer ring 8 is then turned upside down in the outer ring inversion step S8, and the inverted outer ring 8 is attached to the inner ring-roller assembly 10 in the outer ring attachment step S9, returning the bearing to its fully assembled state as shown in Figure 10(d). In the state shown in Figures 10(b) and 10(c), the bearing is placed on the stepped base 11 so that the inner ring 4 does not move. In this case, the outer ring 8 is supported by the lower support surface 11a of the base 11 with the outer ring 8 offset axially downward from the inner ring 4.

[0017] For this reason, when measuring the radial clearance of each row of a double-row (two-row) bearing, it was necessary to remove the outer ring, turn the outer ring over, and turn the inner and outer rings over between the measurements of the second and first rows. These operations were difficult to perform automatically, so they had to be done by a worker.

[0018] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a bearing clearance measuring method and a bearing clearance measuring device that are capable of automatically measuring radial clearance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0019] The bearing clearance measurement method of the present invention is a method for measuring a bearing clearance of a bearing comprising an inner ring having first and second raceway surfaces on its outer diameter surface, an outer ring having first and second raceway surfaces on its inner diameter surface, and rollers as rolling elements arranged between the raceway surfaces of the inner ring and the outer ring, wherein the inner ring is arranged so that the first raceway surface is on the upper side and the second raceway surface is on the lower side, and the outer ring is arranged so that the second raceway surface is on the upper side and the first raceway surface is on the lower side, The radial clearance at the second raceway surface constituting the second row is measured with the first raceway surface of the outer ring facing the second raceway surface of the outer ring and the rollers interposed between the facing second raceway surfaces, and then the outer ring is raised so that the first raceway surface of the outer ring faces the first raceway surface of the inner ring, and the radial clearance at the first raceway surface constituting the first row is measured with the first raceway surface of the inner ring and the first raceway surface of the outer ring facing each other and the rollers interposed between the facing first raceway surfaces.

[0020] In the bearing clearance measurement method of the present invention, the radial clearance in the second row can be measured in a state in which the second raceway surface of the inner ring and the second raceway surface of the outer ring face each other, with the rollers interposed between the opposing second raceway surfaces. Furthermore, from this state, the outer ring side can be raised or the inner ring side lowered to bring the first raceway surface of the inner ring and the first raceway surface of the outer ring face each other, with the rollers interposed between the opposing first raceway surfaces, thereby enabling measurement of the radial clearance in the first row. Therefore, between the measurement of the second row and the measurement of the first row, there is no need to turn the outer ring over or turn the inner and outer rings over; it is sufficient to move at least one of the outer ring side and the inner ring side up or down, enabling automation.

[0021] Before measuring the radial clearance in the second row, it is preferable to remove the outer ring of the bearing, which is made up of the inner ring, outer ring, and rollers assembled together, and then perform phase alignment to align the roller phases in the inner ring / roller assembly with the outer ring removed. Performing roller phase alignment in this manner enables stable measurements.

[0022] After the phase alignment, it is preferable to turn the removed outer ring upside down so that the second raceway surface of the inner ring and the second raceway surface of the outer ring face each other with the rollers interposed between them. This makes it possible to create a state in which the second raceway surface of the inner ring and the second raceway surface of the outer ring face each other without the first raceway surface of the inner ring and the first raceway surface of the outer ring facing each other, allowing stable measurement of the radial gap at the second raceway surface to be performed.

[0023] The bearing clearance measurement method of the present invention is a method for measuring a bearing clearance of a bearing comprising an inner ring having first and second raceway surfaces on its outer diameter surface, an outer ring having first and second raceway surfaces on its inner diameter surface, and rollers as rolling elements disposed between the raceway surface of the inner ring and the raceway surface of the outer ring, and comprises an outer ring removal step of removing the outer ring of the bearing formed by assembling the inner ring, the outer ring, and the rollers together, a phase adjustment step of aligning the roller phases in an inner ring-roller assembly with the outer ring removed, an outer ring reversing step of turning over the outer ring removed in the outer ring removal step, a first assembling step of assembling the outer ring turned over in the outer ring reversing step into the inner ring-roller assembly so that its second raceway surface corresponds to the second raceway surface of the inner ring of the inner ring-roller assembly, and a second row measuring step of measuring the radial clearance in the second row of the second raceway surfaces, with the first raceway surface of the outer ring facing the second raceway surface and the rollers interposed between the facing second raceway surfaces; an assembling step of raising the outer ring after measuring the radial clearance in the second row of the second raceway surfaces, so that the first raceway surface of the outer ring coincides with the first raceway surface of the inner ring of the inner ring-roller assembly; a first row measuring step of measuring the radial clearance in the first raceway surfaces, with the first raceway surface of the inner ring and the first raceway surface of the outer ring facing each other and the rollers interposed between the first raceway surfaces; and a second assembling step of removing the outer ring, turning the removed outer ring over, and reassembling it to the inner ring-roller assembly after measuring the radial clearance in the first raceway surfaces in the first clearance measuring step.

[0024] In the bearing clearance measurement method of the present invention, by performing each step in sequence, the bearing can be shifted to a form that allows measurement of the radial clearance of the second row, and even after that, the bearing can be shifted to a form that allows measurement of the radial clearance of the first row. Moreover, each step can be composed of a fixed operation, making it possible to mechanize the process.

[0025] The bearing clearance measuring device of the present invention is a bearing clearance measuring device for measuring a bearing clearance of a bearing comprising an inner ring having first and second raceway surfaces on its outer diameter surface, an outer ring having first and second raceway surfaces on its inner diameter surface, and rollers as rolling elements arranged between the raceway surface of the inner ring and the raceway surface of the outer ring, and comprises an outer ring removal mechanism for removing the outer ring of the bearing in which the inner ring, the outer ring, and the rollers are assembled together, a phase alignment mechanism for aligning the roller phases in the inner ring-roller assembly with the outer ring removed, and a phase alignment mechanism for aligning the second raceway surface of the inner ring with the second raceway surface of the outer ring. the rollers being interposed between the first and second raceway surfaces; a second row measuring mechanism for measuring the radial gap at the second raceway surface that constitutes the second row; an outer ring reversing mechanism for reversing the outer ring removed from the bearing; an outer ring up-and-down movement mechanism for moving the outer ring removed from the bearing up and down; and a first row measuring mechanism for measuring the radial gap at the first raceway surface that constitutes the first row, with the first raceway surface of the inner ring and the first raceway surface of the outer ring facing each other and the rollers being interposed between the first raceway surfaces.

[0026] The bearing clearance measuring device of the present invention is capable of carrying out each step in the bearing clearance measuring method, and can create a state in which the second raceway surface of the inner ring and the second raceway surface of the outer ring face each other while the first raceway surface of the inner ring and the first raceway surface of the outer ring do not face each other, thereby enabling stable measurement of the second row. Furthermore, it can create a state in which the first raceway surface of the inner ring and the first raceway surface of the outer ring face each other while the second raceway surface of the inner ring and the second raceway surface of the outer ring do not face each other, thereby enabling stable measurement of the first row. Furthermore, each step can be composed of a fixed operation, making it possible to mechanize the process. [Effects of the Invention]

[0027] The present invention makes it possible to mechanize (automate) the bearing reversal work that has conventionally been performed manually, and enables stable bearing clearance measurement to be performed in a short time. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0028] [Figure 1] 1 is a simplified block diagram of a bearing clearance measuring device according to the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a simplified process diagram of the bearing clearance measuring method of the present invention. [Figure 3] 1A and 1B show a bearing for explaining an outline of a bearing clearance measurement method, in which FIG. 1A is a simplified diagram of a fully assembled state, FIG. 1B is a simplified diagram showing a state in which the radial clearance at the second raceway surface can be measured, and FIG. 1C is a simplified diagram showing a state in which the radial clearance at the first raceway surface can be measured. [Figure 4] 1 is an overall plan view of a bearing clearance measuring device according to the present invention; [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a plan view of a phase alignment mechanism of the bearing clearance measuring device of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a front view of a phase alignment mechanism of the bearing clearance measuring device of the present invention. [Figure 7] 1 shows the outer ring lifting mechanism of a bearing, where (a) is a simplified diagram of the state in which the outer ring is lifted, (b) is a simplified diagram of the state in which the outer ring is not being moved up and down, and (c) is a simplified diagram of the state in which the outer ring is lowered. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a front view of the first raceway surface measuring mechanism and the second raceway surface measuring mechanism in a state of measuring the radial gap on the second raceway surface. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a front view of the first raceway surface measuring mechanism and the second raceway surface measuring mechanism in a state of measuring the radial gap on the first raceway surface. [Figure 10] 1 shows a general conventional method for measuring the radial bearing clearance of a double-row roller bearing, where (a) is a simplified cross-sectional view of the bearing in its assembled state before radial clearance measurement, (b) is a simplified cross-sectional view of the second raceway surface in its measured state, (c) is a simplified cross-sectional view of the first and second raceway surfaces in its measured state, and (d) is a simplified cross-sectional view of the bearing in its assembled state after radial clearance measurement. [Figure 11]FIG. 1 is a simplified process diagram of a typical conventional method for measuring the radial bearing clearance of a double-row roller bearing. [Figure 12] 1A and 1B show a double-row roller bearing, where (a) is a simplified diagram showing an even number of rollers in each row, and (b) is a simplified diagram showing an odd number of rollers in each row. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0029] An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to Figures 1 to 9. Figure 1 shows a simplified block diagram of a bearing clearance measuring device according to the present invention, and Figure 2 shows a simplified process diagram of a bearing clearance measuring method according to the present invention. In this case, for example, the bearing clearance of the bearing shown in Figure 3 is measured.

[0030] The bearing 20 shown in FIG. 3 comprises an inner ring 24 having first and second raceway surfaces 22, 23 on its outer diameter surface 21, an outer ring 28 having first and second raceway surfaces 26, 27 on its inner diameter surface 25, and rollers 29 as rolling elements disposed between the raceway surfaces 22, 23 of the inner ring 24 and the raceway surfaces 26, 27 of the outer ring 28.

[0031] In this case, the first and second raceway surfaces 22, 23 of the inner ring 24 are formed by grooves, and the first and second raceway surfaces 26, 27 of the outer ring 28 are formed by flat surfaces of the inner diameter surface 25 on which no grooves are formed.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 1, the bearing clearance measuring device comprises an outer ring removal / attachment mechanism 30 for removing the outer ring 28 of the bearing 20, which is made up of an inner ring 24, an outer ring 28, and the rollers assembled together; a phase alignment mechanism 32 for aligning the roller phases in an inner ring / roller assembly 31 (see FIG. 3) with the outer ring 28 removed; and a phase alignment mechanism 33 for aligning the roller phases in the second raceway surfaces 23, 27 that form the second row when the second raceway surfaces 23 of the inner ring 24 and the second raceway surfaces 27 of the outer ring 28 face each other with rollers 29 interposed between them. The bearing assembly is equipped with at least a second row measuring mechanism 33 that measures the radial clearance, an outer ring inversion mechanism 34 that inverts the outer ring 28 removed from the bearing 20, an outer ring up / down movement mechanism 35 that moves the outer ring 28 removed from the bearing 20 up and down, and a first row measuring mechanism 36 that measures the radial clearance at the first raceway surfaces 22, 26 that make up the first row when the first raceway surface 22 of the inner ring 24 and the first raceway surface 26 of the outer ring 28 are opposed to each other with a roller 29 interposed between the first raceway surfaces.

[0033] 4, the bearing clearance measuring device in this case comprises a measurement area H1 where the bearing clearance is measured and a phase alignment area H2 where phase alignment is performed, and bearings 20 as workpieces are supplied from a work input source (in this case, an input conveyor) 40 to the phase alignment area H2 by a bearing transport mechanism 41. The bearing transport mechanism 41 can be configured, for example, by a publicly known, existing transport robot.

[0034] The phase alignment area H2 is equipped with a phase alignment stage H2a where phase alignment is performed, and a finished product discharge stage H2b for discharging the finished bearings whose bearing clearances have been measured to the discharge mechanism 42 via the bearing transport mechanism 41. The discharge mechanism 42 is composed of a discharge conveyor.

[0035] That is, as shown by the arrow X1, the workpiece is transported to the workpiece input source 40, The workpiece is transported from the workpiece input source 40 to the phase alignment stage H2a as shown by arrow A, and after phase alignment is completed, it is transported to the measurement area H1 as shown by arrow B. From the measurement area H1, the workpiece whose bearing clearance has been measured is transported to the finished product discharge stage H2b as shown by arrow C. Here, as will be described later, the outer ring 28 is assembled in the correct position to form a finished product, which is then transported to the carry-out mechanism 42 as shown by arrow D, and the finished product transported to the carry-out mechanism 42 is then transported in the direction of arrow X2 by the carry-out mechanism 42. In this case, the transports of arrows A, B, C, and D are performed by a bearing transport mechanism 41 made up of a transport robot.

[0036] The outer ring removing / attaching mechanism 30 can be configured, for example, by a publicly known, existing industrial robot. In this embodiment, the outer ring reversing mechanism 34 is also configured by the industrial robot that configures the outer ring removing / attaching mechanism 30.

[0037] Next, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the phase alignment mechanism 32 comprises a stage 45 on which the inner ring / roller assembly 31 is placed with the outer ring 28 removed, a rotation drive mechanism 46 that rotates (pivots) the inner ring / roller assembly 31 on this stage 45 about its axis, and a non-contact position sensor 47 that detects the position of the rollers 29.

[0038] The rotary drive mechanism 46 includes a drive motor 48 and a rotary table (not shown) that rotates by the rotary drive force of the drive motor 48, and the inner ring and roller assembly 31 is placed on this rotary table without being misaligned.

[0039] A photoelectric sensor can be used as the position sensor 47. Here, a photoelectric sensor is a sensor that projects light such as visible light or infrared light from a light projecting unit and detects the light reflected by the specimen object or changes in the amount of light blocked by the specimen object with a light receiving unit. There are various types of photoelectric sensors, but it is necessary to select a type that can be used with this phase alignment mechanism 32. For example, a reflective type is preferable.

[0040] In this case, the inner ring / roller assembly 31 is rotated around its axis, the position of the rollers is detected by the position sensor 47, and the rotation is stopped at the roller top. Here, the roller top is the position where the distance to the position sensor 47 is smallest. A roller receiving mechanism 50 is provided on the opposite side of the position sensor 47. The roller receiving mechanism 50 comprises a receiving body 51 having a recess 51a into which one roller 29 fits, and a cylinder mechanism 52 which moves this receiving body 51 toward and away from the inner ring / roller assembly 31 in the radial direction.

[0041] 8, the outer ring up-down movement mechanism 35 includes a receiving member 55 that receives the outer ring 28, and a reciprocating mechanism 56 that moves the receiving member 55 up and down. The receiving member 55 has a base plate portion 55a and a receiving tubular portion 55b that stands upright from the base plate portion 55a, and the outer ring 28 can be received by the receiving tubular portion 55b. The reciprocating movement mechanism 56 is configured with a cylinder mechanism 58 that has a cylinder body 58a and a piston rod 58b that reciprocates in a cylinder chamber 59 of the cylinder body 58a. A frame 60 that receives the underside of the base plate portion 55a is attached to the piston rod 58b.

[0042] The frame 60 has an upper wall 60a attached to the lower surface of the base plate portion 55a and a guide rod 60b hanging down from the outer diameter portion of the upper wall 60a, with the piston rod 58b connected to the center of the lower surface of the upper wall 60a and the guide rod 60b being inserted into a guide block 61 attached to the cylinder main body 58a. Since the receiving member 55 moves up and down, a guide mechanism (composed of, for example, an LM guide or the like) is provided to guide the up and down movement, although this is not shown.

[0043] For this reason, as shown in Figure 7(b), in a state where the outer ring 28 is assembled to the inner ring-roller assembly 31 (in this case, the first raceway surface 22 of the inner ring 24 and the second raceway surface 27 of the outer ring 28 face each other, and the second raceway surface 23 of the inner ring 24 and the first raceway surface 26 of the outer ring 28 face each other), by raising the piston rod 58b of the cylinder mechanism 58, the outer ring 28 rises as shown in Figure 7(a). In the state of Figure 7(a), the first raceway surface 26 of the outer ring 28 faces each other and the first raceway surface 22 of the inner ring 24 faces each other, and the raceway surface of the outer ring 28 does not face each other and the second raceway surface 23 of the inner ring 24.

[0044] 7(b), the outer ring 28 is lowered by lowering the piston rod 58b of the cylinder mechanism 58. In this state of FIG. 7(c), the second raceway surface 27 of the outer ring 28 faces the second raceway surface 23 of the inner ring 24, and the raceway surface of the outer ring 28 does not face the first raceway surface 22 of the inner ring 24.

[0045] The inner ring 24 is mounted and fixed on the inner ring support 65. That is, the inner ring 24 mounted and fixed on the inner ring support 65 is maintained at a predetermined height position without being affected by the up and down movement of the outer ring 28.

[0046] The first row measuring mechanism 36 and the second row measuring mechanism 33 each have a probe 66A, 66B. The probes 66A, 66B are reciprocated in the radial direction of the outer ring 28 by reciprocating mechanisms 68A, 68B on the outer diameter side of the outer ring 28. Each reciprocating mechanism 68A, 68B includes a reciprocating guide mechanism 69. The reciprocating guide mechanism 69 includes guide rails 70 and sliders 71 that slide on the guide rails. A support frame 72 supporting the probes 66A, 66B is mounted on the sliders 71. In this case, the support frame 72 can be manually adjusted along the radial direction of the bearing toward or away from the bearing. The support frame 72 also includes a reciprocating body 72a that can move up and down, and the reciprocating body 72a can be manually adjusted up and down along a guide member 72b. The support frame 72 is also provided with a locking member 73 which is a screw member, and by tightening this locking member 73, radial sliding of the support frame 72 is restricted, and by loosening the locking member 73, radial sliding of the support frame 72 is permitted. The reciprocating body 72a is also provided with a locking member 74 which is a screw member, and by tightening this locking member 74, reciprocating movement of the reciprocating body 72a in the height direction is restricted, and by loosening the locking member 74, reciprocating movement of the reciprocating body 72a in the height direction is permitted.

[0047] Furthermore, the first row measuring mechanism 36 and the second row measuring mechanism 33 are provided with a pressure unit (not shown) that can apply a load to the outer ring 28. That is, the first row measuring mechanism 36 and the second row measuring mechanism 33 can be measured using the measurement method of JIS B1515-2:20016.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 1, the operations of the outer ring mounting / removing mechanism 30, phase alignment mechanism 32, first row measuring mechanism 36, second row measuring mechanism 33, outer ring reversing mechanism 34, outer ring up / down moving mechanism 35, bearing transport mechanism 41, input conveyor 40, and carry-out mechanism 42 are controlled by, for example, a computer 100.

[0049] A computer is basically composed of input means with input functions, output means with output functions, memory means with storage functions, calculation means with calculation functions, and control means with control functions. The input function is used to read information from the outside into the computer, and the read data and programs are converted into signals in a format suitable for the computer system. The output function displays calculation results and stored data externally. The memory means stores and saves programs, data, and processing results. The calculation function calculates, compares, and processes data according to program instructions. The control function interprets program instructions and issues instructions to each means, and this control function oversees all of the computer's means. Input means include keyboards, mice, tablets, microphones, joysticks, scanners, capture boards, etc. Output means include monitors, speakers, printers, etc. Memory means include memory, hard disks, CDs, CD-Rs, PDs, and MOs. Calculation means include CPUs, etc., and control means include CPUs and motherboards, etc.

[0050] Next, a method for measuring the radial gap using the measuring device configured as described above will be described.

[0051] First, the bearing 20 (which is an assembly of the inner ring 24, outer ring 28, and roller 29) transported downstream from the workpiece input source 40 is transported by the transport mechanism 41 to the phase alignment area H2 as indicated by arrow A. Then, in the phase alignment area H2, the outer ring 28 is removed by the outer ring removal / attachment mechanism 30. That is, the outer ring removal step S11 shown in FIG. 2 is performed.

[0052] Thereafter, the inner ring-roller assembly 31 from which the outer ring 28 has been removed is subjected to the phase alignment of the rollers 29 (phase alignment step S12) as described above on the phase alignment stage H2a. After the phase alignment step S12 has been performed, the outer ring removed in the outer ring removal step S11 is inverted using the outer ring removal / attachment mechanism 30 so that it is upside down. That is, the outer ring inversion step S13 is performed, and the outer ring 28 in this inverted state is then assembled to the inner ring-roller assembly 31 in the first assembly step S14.

[0053] In this first assembling step S14, as shown in Fig. 8, the inner ring / roller assembly 31 placed and fixed on the inner ring support base 65 is in a state in which the first raceway surface 22 is arranged on the upper side and the second raceway surface 23 is arranged on the lower side, and the outer ring 28 is in a state in which the second raceway surface 27 is arranged on the upper side and the first raceway surface 26 is arranged on the lower side, so that the second raceway surface 27 of the outer ring 28 faces the second raceway surface 23 of the inner ring 24 via the rollers 29. In other words, the second raceway surface 23 of the inner ring 24 and the second raceway surface 27 of the outer ring 28 are arranged on the second row measurement line, as shown in Fig. 3(b).

[0054] The bearing 20, with the second raceway surface 27 of the outer ring 28 facing the second raceway surface 23 of the inner ring 24 via the rollers 29, is transported to the measurement area H1 via the transport mechanism 41 as shown by arrow B, and a second row measurement step S15 is performed to measure the radial bearing clearance at the second raceway surfaces that make up the second row. In this case, the inner ring 24 needs to be fixed so that it does not move.

[0055] Thereafter, an outer ring raising step S16 is performed in which the outer ring 28 is raised as shown in Fig. 9. In this case, the first raceway surface 26 of the outer ring 28 faces the first raceway surface 22 of the inner ring 24 via the rollers 29. Note that the phase of the rollers 29 may differ between the first raceway surface side and the second raceway surface side, and if this differs, the outer ring 28 is returned to the phase adjustment area H2 again, the phase adjustment of the rollers on this first raceway surface is performed, and the outer ring 28 is returned to the measurement area.

[0056] 9 (a state in which the first raceway surface 26 of the outer ring 28 faces the first raceway surface 22 of the inner ring 24 via the rollers 29), a first row measurement step S17 is performed to measure the radial bearing clearance at the first raceway surfaces that make up the first row. In this way, in a state in which the first raceway surface 26 of the outer ring 28 faces the first raceway surface 22 of the inner ring 24 via the rollers 29, the first drive surface 22 of the inner ring 24 and the first raceway surface 27 of the outer ring 28 are disposed on the first row measurement line.

[0057] After the first row measurement step S17 is completed, the bearing 20 is transported via the transport mechanism 41 to the phase alignment stage H2b, as shown by arrow C. Here, the outer ring is again removed using the outer ring removal / attachment mechanism 30 in the outer ring removal step S18, followed by the outer ring inversion step S19, in which the removed outer ring 28 is inverted, and then the second attachment step S20, in which the inverted outer ring 28 is attached to the inner ring / roller assembly 31. By performing this step S20, the assembly (assembly) of the bearing 20 is completed. The assembled bearing 20 is then discharged via the transport mechanism 41 to the carry-out mechanism 42, which is composed of a discharge conveyor, as shown by arrow D.

[0058] This makes it possible to measure the radial bearing clearance of both rows of a double-row roller bearing. Therefore, the radial bearing clearance can be measured sequentially for double-row roller bearings that are transported downstream of the work input source (input conveyor) 40.

[0059] Incidentally, as shown in Figure 3(b), in order to bring the first raceway surface 26 of the outer ring 28 into opposition to the first raceway surface 22 of the inner ring 24 via the rollers 29, in the above embodiment the outer ring 28 side was raised relative to the inner ring 24 side, but it is also possible to lower the inner ring 24 side relative to the outer ring side.

[0060] As described above, in the present invention, in order to switch from a state in which the radial bearing clearance of the second row second raceway surface can be measured as shown in Fig. 3(b) to a state in which the radial bearing clearance of the first row first raceway surface can be measured as shown in Fig. 3(c), it is not necessary to turn over the outer ring 28 or the inner / outer rings 24, 28, but it is sufficient to move at least one of the outer ring 28 side and the inner ring 24 side in the vertical direction, making automation possible. In other words, the bearing turnover work, which was conventionally performed manually, can now be mechanized (automated), and stable bearing clearance measurements can be performed in a short time.

[0061] As in the embodiment, before measuring the radial clearance between the opposing second raceway surfaces 23, 27, it is preferable to remove the outer ring 28 of the bearing 20, which is made up of the inner ring 24, outer ring 28, and rollers 29 assembled together, and then perform phase alignment to align the roller phases in the inner ring-roller assembly 31 in a state where the outer ring 28 has been removed. By performing roller phase alignment in this manner, stable measurements can be made.

[0062] Furthermore, after phasing, it is preferable to turn the removed outer ring 28 upside down so that the second raceway surface 23 of the inner ring 24 and the second raceway surface 27 of the outer ring 28 face each other, with rollers 29 interposed between the second raceway surfaces 23, 27. This makes it possible to create a state in which the second raceway surface 23 of the inner ring 24 and the second raceway surface 27 of the outer ring 28 face each other, without the first raceway surface 22 of the inner ring 24 and the first raceway surface 26 of the outer ring 28 facing each other, and enables stable measurement of the radial clearance at the second raceway surfaces 23, 27.

[0063] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to an embodiment, various modifications are possible without being limited to the above embodiment. In the above embodiment, the measurement heights for measuring the radial clearances of the first and second rows are different. That is, the measurement height is higher in the state shown in FIG. 3(c) than in the state shown in FIG. 3(b). This necessitates the provision of a pair of measuring mechanisms equipped with probes. However, by lowering the outer ring 28 and inner ring / roller assembly 31 from the state shown in FIG. 3(c), the measurement position of the first raceway surface can be aligned with the measurement position of the second raceway surface. In this way, by lowering the outer ring 28 and inner ring / roller assembly 31, only one measuring mechanism equipped with a probe is required. If only one measuring mechanism were used, there would be a risk of measurement errors occurring between the measuring mechanisms when two measuring mechanisms are used. However, since the same measuring mechanism measures the bearing clearances of the two rows, measurement errors do not occur between the measuring mechanisms, enabling stable estimation.

[0064] The number of rollers 29 in the bearing 20 may be an even number or an odd number, and the number of rollers is also arbitrary. As for the measurement mechanism for each row, instead of using the measurement method of JIS B1515-2:2006, other known and publicly used measurement methods (methods) may be used. [Explanation of symbols]

[0065] S11 Outer ring removal process S12 Phase matching process S13 Outer ring reversal process S14 1st assembly process S15 Second column measurement process S16 Outer ring rising process S17 First column measurement process S18 Outer ring removal process S19 Outer ring reversal process S20 Second installation process 20 Bearings 21 Outer diameter surface 22 1st orbital plane 23 2nd orbital plane 24 Inner Circle 25 Inner diameter surface 26 1st orbital plane 27 Second orbital plane 28 outer ring 30 Outer ring removal and installation mechanism 31 Inner ring and roller assembly 32 Phase alignment mechanism 33 Second column measuring mechanism 34 Outer ring reversal mechanism 35 Outer ring up / down movement mechanism 36 First column measuring mechanism

Claims

1. A bearing clearance measurement method for measuring a bearing clearance of a bearing including an inner ring having first and second raceway surfaces on an outer diameter surface, an outer ring having first and second raceway surfaces on an inner diameter surface, and rollers as rolling elements disposed between the raceway surfaces of the inner ring and the outer ring, comprising: a bearing clearance measurement method comprising: positioning the inner ring with the first raceway surface on an upper side and the second raceway surface on a lower side, and positioning the outer ring with the second raceway surface on an upper side and the first raceway surface on a lower side, with the second raceway surface of the inner ring and the second raceway surface of the outer ring facing each other and the rollers interposed between the opposing second raceway surfaces, measuring a radial clearance at the second raceway surface constituting a second row; next, moving at least one of the outer ring side and the inner ring side in the vertical direction so that the first raceway surface of the outer ring faces the first raceway surface of the inner ring, and measuring a radial clearance at the first raceway surface constituting a first row, with the first raceway surface of the inner ring and the first raceway surface of the outer ring facing each other and the rollers interposed between the opposing first raceway surfaces.

2. 2. A bearing clearance measurement method according to claim 1, characterized in that, before measuring the radial clearance of the second row, the outer ring of the bearing, which is formed by assembling the inner ring, the outer ring, and the rollers, is removed, and then phase alignment is performed to align the roller phases in the inner ring / roller assembly in a state in which the outer ring has been removed.

3. 2. A bearing clearance measuring method according to claim 1, wherein after the phase adjustment, the removed outer ring is turned upside down so that the second raceway surface of the inner ring and the second raceway surface of the outer ring face each other and the roller is interposed between the second raceway surfaces.

4. A bearing clearance measurement method for measuring a bearing clearance of a bearing including an inner ring having first and second raceway surfaces on an outer diameter surface, an outer ring having first and second raceway surfaces on an inner diameter surface, and rollers as rolling elements disposed between the raceway surfaces of the inner ring and the outer ring, comprising: an outer ring removal step of removing the outer ring of the bearing formed by assembling the inner ring, the outer ring, and the rollers; a phase alignment process of aligning the roller phases in the inner ring / roller assembly with the outer ring removed; an outer ring reversing step of reversing the outer ring removed in the outer ring removing step; a first assembling step of assembling the outer ring turned over in the outer ring turning step to the inner ring / roller assembly so that a second raceway surface of the outer ring corresponds to a second raceway surface of the inner ring of the inner ring / roller assembly; a second row measuring step of measuring radial clearances in the second raceway surfaces constituting the second row, with the second raceway surfaces of the inner ring and the second raceway surfaces of the outer ring opposing each other and the rollers interposed between the opposing second raceway surfaces; a raising step of raising the outer ring after measuring the radial clearance of the second raceway surface in the second row measuring step, so that the first raceway surface of the outer ring corresponds to the first raceway surface of the inner ring of the inner ring / roller assembly; a first row measuring step of measuring radial clearances of the first raceway surfaces constituting the first row in a state in which the first raceway surfaces of the inner ring and the first raceway surfaces of the outer ring face each other and the rollers are interposed between the first raceway surfaces; a second assembling step of, after measuring the radial clearance of the first raceway surface in the first row measuring step, removing the outer ring and then reassembling the removed outer ring in an inverted state to the inner ring / roller assembly.

5. A bearing clearance measuring device for measuring a bearing clearance of a bearing including an inner ring having first and second raceway surfaces on an outer diameter surface, an outer ring having first and second raceway surfaces on an inner diameter surface, and rollers as rolling elements disposed between the raceway surfaces of the inner ring and the outer ring, an outer ring removal mechanism that removes the outer ring of the bearing formed by assembling the inner ring, the outer ring, and the rollers; a phase alignment mechanism that aligns the roller phases in the inner ring / roller assembly with the outer ring removed; a second row measuring mechanism that measures a radial gap in the second raceway surfaces that constitute the second row, with the second raceway surfaces of the inner ring and the second raceway surfaces of the outer ring facing each other and the rollers interposed between the second raceway surfaces; an outer ring reversing mechanism that reverses the outer ring removed from the bearing; an outer ring up-down movement mechanism that moves the outer ring removed from the bearing up and down; a first row measuring mechanism that measures the radial clearance on the first raceway surfaces that constitute the first row, with the first raceway surfaces of the inner ring and the first raceway surfaces of the outer ring facing each other and the rollers interposed between the first raceway surfaces.

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