Bearing groove diameter measuring method and groove diameter measuring device, rolling bearing manufacturing method, machine manufacturing method, and vehicle manufacturing method

Abstract

A ring-shaped member (25) having a raceway groove (25d) formed on its inner or outer circumferential surface is prepared. The ring-shaped member (25) is supported using a support member (33). The central axis of the ring-shaped member (25) is arranged horizontally, and the support member (25) contacts the groove bottom surface of the raceway groove (25d) to support the gravity of the ring-shaped member (25). With the movable probe (43) placed on the groove bottom surface, the height position of the movable probe (43) is measured. Based on the measurement result of the height position of the movable probe (43), the groove diameter of the raceway groove (25d) is calculated.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a bearing groove diameter measuring method and device, a rolling bearing manufacturing method, and a machine and vehicle manufacturing method. This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-088045, filed on May 29, 2023, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. [Background technology]

[0002] One of the manufacturing (assembly) processes for rolling bearings is to bring multiple probes into contact with the groove bottom of the bearing race (outer race, inner race, ring-shaped member) and measure the groove diameter from the displacement of the probes. Conventionally, in measuring the groove diameter, the groove diameter has been measured with the rotation axis of the bearing race arranged along the up-down direction (gravity direction, vertical direction) (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This is because, in equipment that transports rolling bearings horizontally, the bearing race can be measured in the same position as when it is transported to the groove diameter measurement position, making it easy to handle the bearing race when producing rolling bearings. In this method, the axial center of the bearing race is determined by the measuring force of the probes contacting the bearing race. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2010-185836 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, when measuring the groove diameter of the bearing raceway with the rotating shaft aligned along the direction of gravity, the weight of the bearing raceway acts in a direction that causes the gauge to shift from the bottom of the groove, making the measured value of the groove diameter unstable. Therefore, in the configuration of Patent Document 1, a mechanism for canceling the weight of the bearing raceway is provided below the bearing raceway to stabilize the measured value. However, even in this case, there is a risk that the friction state between the raceway surface and the gauge may change depending on the measurement environment, and it is difficult to find the optimal condition to stabilize the measured value. In addition, since the axial center of the bearing raceway is determined by the measuring force, a rubbing action may occur between the gauge and the raceway surface, which may lead to wear of the gauge and reduce the measurement accuracy.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a bearing groove diameter measurement method and device, as well as a rolling bearing manufacturing method, and a machine and vehicle manufacturing method, which can prevent a probe from shifting from the bottom of the raceway groove due to the weight of the bearing race and can improve the measurement accuracy of the groove diameter by suppressing wear of the probe. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A bearing groove diameter measurement method according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises the steps of: preparing a ring-shaped member having a raceway groove formed on its inner or outer peripheral surface; supporting the ring-shaped member using a support member, wherein the central axis of the ring-shaped member is arranged horizontally and the support member contacts a groove bottom surface of the raceway groove to support the gravity of the ring-shaped member; measuring a height position of a movable probe while the movable probe is placed on the groove bottom surface; and calculating a groove diameter of the raceway groove based on a measurement result of the height position of the movable probe.

[0007] A method for manufacturing a rolling bearing according to one aspect of the present invention uses the above-described measuring method.

[0008] A method for manufacturing a machine according to one aspect of the present invention uses the above-described method for manufacturing a rolling bearing.

[0009] A vehicle manufacturing method according to one aspect of the present invention uses the above-described method for manufacturing a rolling bearing.

[0010] A bearing groove diameter measuring device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a support member for supporting a ring-shaped member having a raceway groove formed on its inner or outer peripheral surface, the support member being arranged with a central axis of the ring-shaped member oriented horizontally and in contact with a groove bottom surface of the raceway groove to support the gravity of the ring-shaped member; a movable probe arranged to be freely moved, the movable probe being placed on the groove bottom surface of the ring-shaped member supported by the support member; a sensor for measuring a height position of the movable probe with the movable probe placed on the groove bottom surface; and a calculation unit for calculating the groove diameter of the raceway groove based on the measurement result of the height position. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the measuring probe from shifting from the groove bottom of the raceway groove due to the weight of the bearing race, and it is also possible to suppress wear of the measuring probe and improve the measurement accuracy of the groove diameter. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a groove diameter measuring device. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the gripping portion. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the bearing race and the gripping portion shown in FIG. 2 taken along line III-III. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the steps of the groove diameter measuring method. [Figure 5A] FIG. 5A is a process explanatory diagram up to arranging a bearing race on a conveying path at a measurement position. [Figure 5B] FIG. 5B is a process explanatory diagram up to arranging the bearing race on the conveying path at the measurement position. [Figure 5C] FIG. 5C is an explanatory diagram of the process up to arranging the bearing race on the conveying path at the measurement position. [Figure 6A]FIG. 6A is an explanatory view, partially in cross section, showing a state in which the bearing race held by the holding portion has been transferred to a measurement position. [Figure 6B] FIG. 6B is a schematic side view of FIG. 6A as viewed from the V direction. [Figure 7A] FIG. 7A is an explanatory diagram showing, in partial cross section, a state in which the grip of the gripping portion is released. [Figure 7B] FIG. 7B is a schematic side view of FIG. 7A as viewed from a direction V. [Figure 8A] FIG. 8A is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which a movable probe comes into contact with a raceway groove of a bearing race. [Figure 8B] FIG. 8B is a schematic side view seen from the direction of arrow V in FIG. 8A. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the main configuration of the groove diameter measuring device. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view of the gripping portion. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the bearing race and the gripping portion shown in FIG. 10 taken along line XI-XI. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a schematic side view of the movable probe and the pair of probes as viewed from the axial direction of the bearing race. [Figure 13A] FIG. 13A is an explanatory view, partially in cross section, showing a state in which the bearing race held by the holding portion has been transferred to a measurement position. [Figure 13B] FIG. 13B is a schematic side view seen from a direction V in FIG. 13A. [Figure 14A] FIG. 14A is an explanatory view, partially in cross section, showing a state in which a probe comes into contact with a raceway groove of a bearing ring. [Figure 14B] FIG. 14B is a schematic side view of FIG. 14A as viewed from the V direction. [Figure 15A] FIG. 15A is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which a movable probe comes into contact with a raceway groove of a bearing race. [Figure 15B] FIG. 15B is a schematic side view seen from the direction of arrow V in FIG. 15A. [Figure 16A] FIG. 16A is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which the bearing race is released from the gripping portion. [Figure 16B] FIG. 16B is a schematic side view seen from the direction of arrow V in FIG. 16A. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a perspective view, partly in section, of a rolling bearing. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a motor in which a rotating shaft is supported by a rolling bearing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The groove diameter measuring method for a bearing (groove diameter measuring method for a bearing race, groove diameter measuring method for a ring-shaped member) shown here is suitably used in, for example, a manufacturing process for a rolling bearing.

[0014] First Embodiment 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a groove diameter measuring device 100. The measuring device (hereinafter also referred to as a groove diameter measuring device) 100 has a measuring unit 11 and a control unit 13. The measuring unit 11 is equipped with a gripping unit 15, a rotating unit 17, a transport unit 19, an operating mechanism 21, and a position sensor 23. In this embodiment, the bearing race (ring-shaped member) is an outer ring 25 of a rolling bearing. In the following explanation, common members and parts are given the same reference numerals to simplify or omit the explanation.

[0015] Fig. 2 is a schematic perspective view of gripping portion 15 gripping outer ring 25. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III of outer ring 25 and gripping portion 15 shown in Fig. 2. Grip portion 15 has first support portion 15a, abutment portion 15b, and second support portion 15c.

[0016] The first support portion 15a has a flat surface PL1 (see FIG. 3) that abuts against one end surface 25a of the outer ring 25. The abutting portion 15b is formed integrally with the first support portion 15a, protrudes vertically from the flat surface PL1 of the first support portion 15a, and abuts against the outer peripheral surface 25c of the outer ring 25. The second support portion 15c is disposed facing the first support portion 15a and has a flat surface PL2 that abuts against the other end surface 25b of the outer ring 25. The first support portion 15a and the abutting portion 15b, and the second support portion 15c can be displaced in the directions of the arrows SL1 and SL2, respectively, by a driving mechanism (not shown). As a result, the outer ring 25 can be gripped and released by moving the flat surface PL1 of the first support portion 15a and the flat surface PL2 of the second support portion 15c closer to or farther from each other.

[0017] 1, the swivel unit 17 includes a swivel table 17a that is driven to swivel. The gripper 15 is supported on the swivel table 17a via, for example, a linear guide (linear guide mechanism). The swivel unit 17 rotates the swivel table 17a in the direction of arrow R1, thereby changing the axial direction of the outer ring 25 gripped by the gripper 15 to any direction between the direction of gravity (vertical direction, vertical orientation) and the horizontal direction (sideways orientation).

[0018] The transfer unit 19 is equipped with a rotating unit 17 that supports the gripping unit 15. The transfer unit 19 is equipped with a drive source (not shown) and is capable of moving the gripping unit 15 and the rotating unit 17 in any direction (direction of arrow SL3) along the three orthogonal axial directions. The transfer unit 19 may also have a function of moving in a rotational direction around each of the above-mentioned three orthogonal axes. The transfer unit 19 configured as described above transfers the outer ring 25 to a specified measurement position in the measurement unit 11. Note that by using a servo motor that allows for control of minute distances as the drive source for the transfer unit 19, it is possible to position the outer ring 25 with high precision.

[0019] The configuration of the actuation mechanism 21 differs depending on whether the bearing race (ring-shaped member) to be measured is an outer race or an inner race. In this embodiment, the bearing race (ring-shaped member) is the outer race 25, and the actuation mechanism 21 includes an upper arm (support member) 31, a lower arm 33, and a rotation support unit 35. The upper arm 31 is fixed to a support body (not shown). The rotation support unit 35 includes an electric actuator such as a motor mounted on a support base 37. The rotation support unit 35 rotatably supports the longitudinal middle part of the lower arm 33, and enables the lower arm 33 to tilt in the direction of the arrow R2. This allows one end 33a of the lower arm 33 to move freely in the vertical direction.

[0020] The upper arm (support member) 31 is made of a long member. One end 31a in the longitudinal direction of the upper arm 31 is disposed in an upper region of a region that is radially inward of the inner circumferential surface of the outer ring 25 held by the holding portion 15 at the measurement position. A pair of probes (fixed probe, support, contact portion, convex portion) 41A, 41B that contact the groove bottom of the upper raceway groove 25d of the outer ring 25 is provided on one end 31a of the upper arm 31. The upper arm 31 has two probes 41A, 41B, each of which has an upwardly convex contour. The two probes 41A, 41B are arranged apart from each other in the horizontal direction. The two vertices of the probes 41A, 41B are arranged on the same horizontal straight line. Each of the probes 41A, 41B has a convex surface. The convex surface can have a spherical surface and / or a curved surface. The top surface of the probe 41A has a first curvature. The top surface of the probe 41B has a second curvature. The first curvature and the second curvature are included in two vertical planes relative to one horizontal straight line, respectively. In one example, the raceway groove 25d of the outer ring 25 has a concave contour. When the radius of curvature of the groove shape (groove curvature) of the raceway groove 25d is R1 and the radius of curvature of the top surfaces of the probes 41A and 41B is R2, R1 / R2 can be set to approximately 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, 2.0, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, or 2.5 or more. For example, R1 / R2 is set to 1.0 or more and 1.8 or less. The above values ​​are merely examples and are not limited thereto. By appropriately setting the convex shape, when the outer ring 25 (ring-shaped member) is supported on the two probes 41A, 41B, the position and posture of the outer ring 25 are appropriately adjusted. The same applies to the inner ring described later. A position sensor 23 is fixed to the other end 31b opposite to one end 31a of the upper arm 31. The position sensor 23 may be a displacement sensor, and a contact or non-contact sensor can be used. As the position sensor 23, various types of sensors can be used, such as eddy current type, optical type, electrical resistance type, ultrasonic type, and laser type. The fixing of the position sensor 23 is not limited to the fixing to the upper arm 31, and it may be fixed to another member.

[0021] The lower arm 33 is made of a long member. One end 33a in the longitudinal direction of the lower arm 33 is disposed below one end 31a of the upper arm 31, that is, in a region below a region that is radially inward from the inner peripheral surface of the outer ring 25 gripped by the gripping portion 15 at the measurement position. One end 35a of the lower arm 33 is provided with a movable probe (movable probe) 43 that contacts the groove bottom of the raceway groove 25d on the lower side (lowest part) of the outer ring 25. The movable probe 43 contacts the groove bottom surface at the lowest part of the raceway groove 25d. The height position of the other end 33b opposite to the one end 33a of the lower arm 33 is detected by the position sensor 23 provided on the upper arm 31. The distance from the height detection position by the position sensor 23 of the lower arm 33 to the rotation center position (rotation support portion 35) of the lower arm 33 is known, and the distance from the rotation center position to the movable probe 43 is also known. Therefore, the height position where the movable probe 43 contacts the track groove 25d can be calculated by geometric calculation from the height detection value of the other end 33b from the position sensor 23. The detection of the height position described above can be simplified and may be performed by calculating the difference from a predetermined reference height. In one example, the two probes 41A and 41B have convex surfaces of the same shape and are arranged at the same height. The movable probe 43 has a convex surface arranged at a different height from the probes 41A and 41B. The convex surface of the movable probe 43 (top surface of the convex surface, apex of the convex surface, center of curvature of the convex surface) is arranged on a vertical line passing through the middle positions of the two probes 41A and 41B. For example, each of the two convex surfaces of the probes 41A and 41B includes a top surface having a curved contour that is a part of a circle with respect to a predetermined center position, and the center positions of the two circles are at the same height position. The convex surface of the movable probe 43 includes a top surface having a curved contour that is a part of a circle with respect to a predetermined center position. The center position of the circle with respect to the convex surface of the movable probe 43 is located on a vertical line passing through the horizontal midpoint of the center positions of the two circles with respect to the convex surfaces of the probes 41A and 41B. The groove diameter of the raceway groove 25d is calculated based on the measurement result of the height position of the movable probe 43 by the position sensor 23. The same applies to the inner ring described later.In one example, the distance from the height detection position by position sensor 23 of lower arm 33 to the rotation center position (rotation support part 35) of lower arm 33 is set to be smaller, equal, or larger than the distance from the rotation center position to movable probe 43. Based on the distance ratio, the value of the height position of movable probe 43 can be enlarged or reduced and measured by position sensor 23. The same applies to the inner ring described below.

[0022] In one example, each of the above-mentioned probes 41A, 41B and movable probe 43 is preferably a sphere having the same or approximately the same size as the rolling elements (balls) used in the outer ring 25 to be measured, or a sphere having a radius of curvature smaller than the radius of curvature of the raceway groove 25d. Furthermore, the probes 41A, 41B and movable probe 43 are not limited to spheres, and may be formed so that a portion of the surface has a spherical surface that constitutes a sphere of the above-mentioned size. By having the surfaces of the probes 41A, 41B and movable probe 43 be spherical, they are positioned by point contact with the raceway groove 25d, improving the measurement accuracy.

[0023] The control unit 13 includes a turning drive unit 51, a gripping drive unit 53, a positioning drive unit 55, a tilt drive unit 57, a position signal detection unit 59, and a calculation unit 61, and drives the above-mentioned units to calculate the groove diameter of the raceway groove 25d of the outer ring 25 from information on the detection signal from the position sensor 23, etc. In this case, the groove diameter is the diameter Din between the deepest points of the activating groove 25d, as shown in Fig. 3. Then, the control unit 13 outputs information on the calculated groove diameter.

[0024] The gripping drive unit 53 drives the first support portion 15a of the gripping unit 15 shown in Figures 2 and 3 in the SL1 direction and drives the second support portion 15c in the SL2 direction, thereby outputting a drive signal to grip and release the outer ring 25.

[0025] The swivel drive unit 51 outputs a drive signal for rotating the swivel table 17a of the swivel unit 17 shown in Fig. 1 in the R1 direction. The positioning drive unit 55 outputs a drive signal for transporting the transport unit 19 in the SL3 direction between the retracted position and the measurement position. The tilt drive unit 57 outputs a drive signal for tilting the lower arm 33 in the R2 direction to the rotation support unit 35. The position signal detection unit 59 outputs a position detection signal output from the position sensor 23 to the calculation unit 61 at a predetermined timing.

[0026] The calculation unit 61 calculates the groove diameter of the raceway groove 25d of the outer ring 25 based on the position information of the movable probe 43 calculated by geometric calculation from the detection signal from the position signal detection unit 59 and the known position information of the probes 41A and 41B, and outputs the calculated groove diameter information as a groove diameter output signal. Note that the calculation unit 61 may simply calculate the groove diameter by proportional calculation comparing the measured position information with a predetermined reference value, as will be described in detail later.

[0027] In this manner, the position signal detector 59 and the calculator 61 of the controller 13, and the position sensor 23 function as a position measuring unit that measures the contact position between the movable probe 39 and the raceway groove 25d.

[0028] Next, a specific procedure for a groove diameter measurement method using the groove diameter measurement device 100 configured as described above will be described in detail. Fig. 4 is a flow chart showing the procedure for the groove diameter measurement method. Here, the description is based on the assumption that the groove diameter of an outer ring transported on a transport path is measured as part of a manufacturing process for rolling bearings, but the groove diameter measurement is not limited to this and may be performed at any time.

[0029] The following description will be given with reference to Fig. 1 as appropriate. First, outer ring 25 conveyed on the conveying path is gripped by gripping part 15 (S1). Figs. 5A to 5C are explanatory diagrams of the process up to arranging outer ring 25 on conveying path 27 at the measurement position. As shown in Fig. 5A, outer ring 25, indicated by a dashed line on conveying path 27, is oriented with its end face in the vertical direction (gravity direction).

[0030] 1 rotates the swivel table 17a of the swivel unit 17 shown in FIG. 5A so that the flat surface PL1 of the first support portion 15a and the flat surface PL2 of the second support portion 15c of the gripper 15 are horizontal. The gripper drive unit 53 adjusts the positions of the first support portion 15a and the second support portion 15c so that the flat surface PL1 is at the same height as the transport path 27 and the distance between the flat surfaces PL1, PL2 is wider than the width of the outer wheel 25.

[0031] Then, the outer ring 25 is transferred from the conveying path 27 onto the flat surface PL1 of the gripping unit 15, and the outer peripheral surface 25c abuts against the abutment portion 15b. Then, the gripping drive unit 53 drives the first support portion 15a and the second support portion 15c to sandwich the outer ring 25 between the flat surfaces PL1, PL2. As a result, the outer ring 25 is gripped by the gripping unit 15.

[0032] 5B, the turning driver 51 (FIG. 1) turns the turning table 17a by 90° to make the axial direction Ax of the outer wheel 25 horizontal. That is, the outer wheel 25 is made to stand upright in the direction of gravity (S2).

[0033] 5C, the positioning drive unit 55 (FIG. 1) drives the transfer unit 19 to transfer the outer ring 25 to a specified measurement position (S3). By using a servo motor as the drive source of the transfer unit 19 in this transfer operation, the outer ring 25 can be positioned to the specified measurement position with higher accuracy.

[0034] Fig. 6A is an explanatory diagram, partially in cross section, showing the state in which outer ring 25 held by holding portion 15 has been moved to a measurement position. Fig. 6B is a schematic side view of Fig. 6A as viewed from the V direction. As shown in Fig. 6B, a pair of probes 41A, 41B are disposed at the same height position, and a vertical line L passing through the lower apex (lowest position) of movable probe 43 in the side view of Fig. 6B is aligned with the vertical line L. ct2 From each, they are at equal distances (L M1 =L M2 )

[0035] Here, the prescribed measurement position for arranging the outer ring 25 is, in the width direction of the outer ring 25, a vertical line L passing through the upper vertices (uppermost points) of the spherical surfaces of the probes 41A and 41B as shown in FIG. 6A. ct1 is the midpoint P in the width direction of the raceway groove 25d of the outer ring 25. ct In addition, as for the horizontal direction as viewed from the axial direction of the outer ring 25, as shown in FIG. ct2 However, in a side view of the outer ring 25, the position passing through the horizontal midpoint is the specified measurement position. In one example, the positional accuracy of positioning the outer ring 25 at the measurement position is, in the width direction, ct1 It is preferable to set the deviation from the groove bottom to 0.1 mm or less. On the other hand, the horizontal positional accuracy as viewed from the axial direction may be lower than the positional accuracy in the width direction. This is because when the pair of probes 41A, 41B contact the raceway groove 25d, the outer ring 25 automatically moves to a midpoint between the pair of probes 41A, 41B due to gravity. The above values ​​are merely examples and are not limiting.

[0036] Next, when the transfer of the outer ring 25 to the measurement position is completed, the gripping drive unit 53 releases the gripping of the outer ring 25 by the gripping unit 15. FIG. 7A is an explanatory diagram showing, in partial cross section, the state in which the gripping of the gripping unit 15 has been released. FIG. 7B is a schematic side view of FIG. 7A as viewed from the V direction. As shown in FIG. 7A, the positioning drive unit 55 (FIG. 1) drives the transport unit 19 to move the outer ring 25 gripped by the gripping unit 15 with high precision to a position where the track groove 25d contacts the probes 41A and 41B. Then, after the probes 41A and 41B are engaged with the track groove 25d, the gripping drive unit 53 (FIG. 1) moves the first support portion 15a of the gripping unit 15 in the direction of the arrow SL1 and moves the second support portion 15c in the direction of the arrow SL2 to release the gripping of the outer ring 25. Then, the outer ring 25 is supported by the probes 41A, 41B provided on the upper arm (support member) 31. In this way, the outer ring 25 is positioned at the measurement position by the transfer unit 19 and then released from the grip, so that the outer ring 25 can be positioned at the measurement position with high accuracy in an upright state. In this way, the weight of the outer ring 25 is supported by the pair of probes 41A, 41B (S4). The central axis of the outer ring 25 is arranged horizontally, and the probes 41A, 41B of the upper arm (support member) come into contact with the groove bottom surface of the raceway groove 25d to support the gravity of the outer ring 25.

[0037] At this time, the center position of the outer ring 25 is determined by a pair of probes 41A and 41B along a vertical line L CT2 Since the lower arm 33 shown in FIG. 1 is inclined counterclockwise around the rotation support portion 35, the movable probe 43 is separated from the raceway groove 25d of the outer ring 25.

[0038] Next, the tilt drive unit 57 (FIG. 1) drives the rotation support unit 35 to tilt the lower arm 33 clockwise around the rotation support unit 35, and brings the movable probe 43 into contact with the raceway groove 25d of the outer ring 25 (S5).

[0039] Fig. 8A is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the movable probe 43 coming into contact with the raceway groove 25d of the outer ring 25. Fig. 8B is a schematic side view seen from the direction of arrow V in Fig. 8A. As shown in Figs. 8A and 8B, when the movable probe 43 comes into contact with the raceway groove 25d of the outer ring 25, the outer ring 25 is supported at three points, the pair of probes 41A, 41B and the movable probe 43, and its position and posture are regulated. In the vertical direction, the center axis of the outer ring 25 is located between the contact position of the lower arm (support member) 33 with the groove bottom surface of the raceway groove 25d and the contact position of the movable probe 43 with the groove bottom surface of the raceway groove 25d.

[0040] In this state, the position signal detector 59 (FIG. 1) detects the height of the other end 33b of the lower arm 33 from the detection signal output from the position sensor 23. With the movable probe 43 placed on the groove bottom surface of the outer ring 25, the height position of the movable probe 43 is measured. This detected height information is sent to the calculator 61. The calculator 61 converts it into information on the height position where the movable probe 43 contacts the raceway groove 25d (S6). That is, the calculator 61 determines the height of the contact position between the movable probe 43 and the raceway groove 25d by a geometric calculation based on the positional relationship between the contact point (position measurement point) between the position sensor 23 and the other end 33b of the lower arm 33, whose position is known, the contact point between the movable probe 43 and the raceway groove 25d at one end 33a of the lower arm 33, and the rotation center of the rotation support part 35.

[0041] The calculation unit 61 then calculates the groove diameter of the raceway groove 25d of the outer ring 25 from height information of the contact points P1, P2 between the pair of probes 41A, 41B arranged at the specified positions shown in Fig. 8B and the raceway groove 25d and height information of the contact point P3 between the movable probe 43 and the raceway groove 25d calculated by calculation from the detection signal from the position sensor 23. The calculation unit 61 then outputs the calculated groove diameter information (S7). The height position of the contact point P3 and the groove diameter of the raceway groove 25d can be calculated by well-known geometric calculations. The groove diameter of the raceway groove 25d is calculated based on the measurement result of the height position of the movable probe 43.

[0042] In addition, when calculating the groove diameter in a simplified manner, the calculation unit 61 takes in the output signal from the position sensor 23 as position information of the movable measurement element 43, and compares the taken-in position information of the movable measurement element 43 with a predetermined standard to calculate the groove diameter.

[0043] In the above-mentioned groove diameter measurement method, the groove diameter is measured in a state where the outer ring 25 held by the gripping part 15 is rotated by 90° by the swivel part 17 from a state where the rotation axis of the outer ring 25 faces the gravity direction to a horizontal direction, that is, the outer ring 25 is upright in the gravity direction. According to this, the outer ring 25 engaged with the probes 41A and 41B naturally settles to the groove bottom of the raceway groove 25d by its own weight, so that the contact position between the probes 41A and 41B and the movable probe 43 and the raceway groove 25d is less likely to fluctuate, and the accuracy of the groove diameter measurement can be improved. In addition, by using a high-precision actuator such as a servo motor to transport the outer ring 25 to the measurement point, the probes 41A and 41B and the movable probe 43 can be accurately positioned to contact the groove bottom of the raceway groove 25d of the outer ring 25.

[0044] By keeping the amount of axial deviation between the probes 41A, 41B and the movable probe 43 and the bottom of the raceway groove 25d at 0.1 mm or less, the rubbing action between each probe and the raceway groove 25d can be reduced, suppressing wear of the probes. As a result, the life of each probe that can stably measure the groove diameter can be improved. In addition, the measuring force required to guide each probe to the groove bottom (the force that opens the probes 41A, 41B and the movable probe 43 in the radial direction of the outer ring 25) can be reduced, which also contributes to reducing wear of each probe.

[0045] <Second embodiment> 9 is a diagram showing the main components of a groove diameter measuring device 200. In this embodiment, the bearing race (ring-shaped member) is the inner race 26 of a rolling bearing. The groove diameter measuring device 200 has the same configuration as the groove diameter measuring device 100 described above, except that the configurations of the gripper 16, upper arm 32, and lower arm 34 are changed and a sensor support arm 36 is provided for inner race measurement. That is, in the operating mechanism 21A of the groove diameter measuring device 200 of this configuration, the sensor support arm 36 supporting the position sensor 23 and the lower arm 34 are each fixed to a support base 37, and the upper arm 32 is supported by the support base 37 in a freely tiltable manner.

[0046] Specifically, one longitudinal end 32a of the upper arm 32 is disposed above the uppermost part of the outer peripheral surface of the inner ring 26 held by the holding portion 16 at the measurement position, and a movable probe 44 that contacts the groove bottom of the raceway groove 26d is provided at the one end 32a. One longitudinal end 34a of the lower arm 34 is disposed below the lowermost part of the outer peripheral surface of the inner ring 26 held by the holding portion 16 at the measurement position, and a pair of probes 42A, 42B that contact the groove bottom of the raceway groove 26d are provided at the one end 34a. The sensor support arm 36 has a base end fixed to the support base 37, and a position sensor 23 is provided at one end 32a at the tip end extending along the upper arm 32.

[0047] The upper arm 32 has its longitudinal middle portion supported by the rotation shaft of the rotation support portion 35, allowing it to tilt in the direction of the arrow R2. This allows one end portion 32a of the upper arm 32 to move freely in the vertical direction. The height position of the other longitudinal end portion 32b of the upper arm 32 is detected by a position sensor 23 provided at one end portion 36a of the sensor support arm 36.

[0048] The distance from the height detection position by position sensor 23 of upper arm 32 to the rotation center position (rotation support part 35) of upper arm 32, and the distance from the rotation center position of upper arm 32 to movable probe 44 are known. Therefore, even in this case, the height position at which movable probe 44 contacts track groove 25d can be calculated by geometric calculation from the height detection value of other end 32b.

[0049] Fig. 10 is a schematic perspective view of the gripping part 16 gripping the inner ring 26. Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the inner ring 26 and gripping part 16 shown in Fig. 10 taken along line XI-XI. The groove diameter in this case is the diameter Dout between the deepest points of the actuation groove 26d, as shown in Fig. 11. The gripping part 16 has a first support part 16a, an abutment part 16b, and a second support part 16c.

[0050] The first support portion 16a has a flat surface PL1 (see FIG. 11) that abuts against one end surface 26a and a part of the outer circumferential surface of the inner ring 26. The abutting portion 16b is formed integrally with the first support portion 16a, protrudes vertically from the flat surface PL1 of the first support portion 16a, and abuts against the outer circumferential surface 26c of the inner ring 26. The second support portion 16c is disposed facing the first support portion 16a and has a flat surface PL2 that abuts against the other end surface 26b of the inner ring 26. The first support portion 16a and the abutting portion 16b, and the second support portion 16c are displaceable in the directions of the arrows SL1 and SL2, respectively, by a driving mechanism (not shown). The inner ring 26 can be gripped and released by moving the flat surface PL1 of the first support portion 16a and the flat surface PL2 of the second support portion 16c closer to or farther from each other.

[0051] FIG. 12 is a schematic side view of the movable probe 44 and the pair of probes 42A, 42B as viewed from the axial direction of the bearing race. The movable probe 44 of this configuration is formed of a cylindrical roller. With this, when the movable probe 44 is brought into contact with the raceway groove 26d of the inner ring 26 from above, the movable probe 44 makes line contact with the raceway groove 26d of the inner ring 26, whose rotation shaft is raised in the horizontal direction. As a result, even if the inner ring 26 is displaced from the specified measurement position, a stable contact state can be maintained, and the measurement accuracy of the groove diameter can be improved. Note that the movable probe 44 is not limited to a roller, and may be a ball or a part of the outer surface having a cylindrical outer surface. The pair of probes 42A, 42B are disposed at the same height, and in the side view of FIG. 12, a vertical line L passing through the axial center at the lowest position of the cylindrical shape of the movable probe 44 is aligned with the vertical line L. ct3 From each, they are at equal distances (L N1 =L N2 )

[0052] Next, specific steps of the groove diameter measuring method using the groove diameter measuring device 200 configured as above will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in Fig. 4. The steps from gripping the inner ring 26 (S1), standing it up (S2), and transporting it to the measurement position (S3) are the same as in the first configuration example described above.

[0053] Fig. 13A is an explanatory diagram showing, in partial cross section, the state in which the inner ring 26 held by the holding portion 16 has been moved to a measurement position. Fig. 13B is a schematic side view seen from the V direction of Fig. 13A. In this case, the prescribed measurement position for arranging the inner ring 26 is, in the width direction of the inner ring 26, a vertical line L passing through the upper vertices (uppermost points) of the spherical surfaces of the probes 42A and 42B as shown in Fig. 13A. ct4 is the midpoint P in the width direction of the raceway groove 26d of the inner ring 26. ct In addition, as for the horizontal direction as viewed from the axial direction of the inner ring 26, as shown in FIG. ct3 However, in a side view of the inner ring 26, a position passing through the horizontal midpoint is the specified measurement position. In one example, the positional accuracy of positioning the inner ring 26 at the measurement position is, in the width direction, ct4 It is preferable that the deviation from the groove bottom is 0.1 mm or less. On the other hand, the horizontal positional accuracy as viewed from the axial direction may be lower than the positional accuracy in the width direction. The above numerical values ​​are merely examples, and are not limiting.

[0054] Next, the positioning drive unit 55 (FIG. 1) drives the transfer unit 19 to move the inner ring 26 vertically downward while continuing to grip the inner ring 26 with the gripping unit 16, thereby bringing the contact points 42A, 42B into contact with the raceway groove 26d.

[0055] Fig. 14A is an explanatory diagram showing, in partial cross section, the state in which the contact between the contact points 42A, 42B and the raceway groove 26d of the inner ring 26 is made. Fig. 14B is a schematic side view of Fig. 14A as viewed from the V direction. As shown in Figs. 14A and 14B, the raceway groove 26d is supported by the contact points 42A, 42B while the inner ring 26 is held by the holding part 16 (S4). This operation (arrow SL3) can be realized with high precision by using a servo motor as the drive source of the transfer part 19.

[0056] Next, the tilt driver 57 (FIG. 1) drives the rotation support 35 to tilt the upper arm 32 clockwise around the rotation support 35, and brings the movable probe 44 into contact with the raceway groove 26d of the inner ring 26 (S5).

[0057] Fig. 15A is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the movable probe 44 coming into contact with the raceway groove 26d of the inner ring 26. Fig. 15B is a schematic side view seen from the direction of arrow V in Fig. 15A. As shown in Figs. 15A and 15B, when the movable probe 44 comes into contact with the raceway groove 26d of the inner ring 26, the inner ring 26 is supported at three points by the pair of probes 42A, 42B and the movable probe 44, and thus its posture is stable. The movable probe 44 comes into contact with the groove bottom surface of the inner ring 26 at the top of the raceway groove 26d.

[0058] In this state, the gripping drive unit 53 (FIG. 1) causes the gripping unit 16 to release the gripping of the inner ring 26. Fig. 16A is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which the gripping of the inner ring 26 by the gripping portion 16 has been released. Fig. 16B is a schematic side view seen from the direction of arrow V in Fig. 16A. Even when the gripping is released, the inner ring 26 does not lose its posture because it is supported by the pair of probes 42A, 42B and the movable probe 44.

[0059] Next, the position signal detector 59 (FIG. 1) detects the height of the other end 32b of the upper arm 32 from the detection signal output from the position sensor 23 shown in FIG. 9. This height information is input to the calculator 61, which converts the input information into information on the height position where the movable probe 44 contacts the track groove 26d based on the positional relationship between the contact point between the position sensor 23, whose position is known, and the other end 32b of the upper arm 32, the contact point between the movable probe 44 and the track groove 26d at one end 32a of the upper arm 32, and the rotation center of the rotation support part 35 (S6). Note that the detection of the height position in this case can also be simplified, and may be a matter of finding the difference from a predetermined reference height.

[0060] The calculation unit 61 then calculates the groove diameter of the raceway groove 26d of the inner ring 26 from height information of the contact points P1, P2 between the pair of probes 42A, 42B arranged at specified positions and the raceway groove 26d, and height information of the contact point P3 between the movable probe 44 and the raceway groove 26d calculated by calculation from the detection signal from the position sensor 23. The calculation unit 61 then outputs the calculated groove diameter information (S7). Note that the calculation unit 61 may simply calculate the groove diameter by proportional calculation comparing the measured position information with a predetermined reference value, as will be described in detail later.

[0061] In the groove diameter measurement method described above, the groove diameter of the inner ring can be measured with high accuracy, as in the case of measuring the groove diameter of the outer ring using the first configuration example. In particular, since the inner ring has a smaller diameter than the outer ring, it tends to lose its upright position when it is supported in contact with the probes 42A and 42B. In this regard, in the procedure of this method, the inner ring 26 is supported by the probes 42A and 42B and the movable probe 44, and then the grip by the gripping part 16 is released, so that the inner ring 26 can always be maintained in a stable upright position.

[0062] In addition, in the above groove diameter measurement methods, the absolute value of the groove diameter is calculated, but the method is not limited to this and a simplified measurement may be used. Specifically, dummy raceways are prepared in advance as upper and lower limits of the groove diameter dimension, and the groove diameter measurement results of these dummy raceways are compared with the groove diameter measurement results of an actual bearing raceway to determine the quality of the actual bearing raceway. The groove diameter may also be calculated by comparing with the measurement results of a raceway with a known groove diameter. For example, when a raceway A with a groove diameter of 0 μm is measured, the measured value by the position sensor is 1000 μm, and when a raceway B with a groove diameter of 100 μm is measured, the measured value by the position sensor is 1200 μm. Then, when a raceway C to be measured is measured, if the measured value by the position sensor is 1100 μm, the groove diameter of the raceway C is found to be 50 μm by proportional calculation. The above values ​​are only an example and are not limited to these. Furthermore, when the above-mentioned groove diameter dimension is calculated as a difference from a nominal value, the groove diameter can be managed more easily when this groove diameter measurement method is applied to a production line, etc. In addition, in the case of the above-mentioned simplified measurement, various dimensional values ​​for groove diameter calculation prepared in advance are not necessary or do not necessarily need to be accurate, so that the number of measurement steps can be reduced, which contributes to shortening the tact time.

[0063] The above-described method for measuring the groove diameter of a raceway for a bearing can be suitably applied to the manufacturing process of a rolling bearing. Fig. 17 is a partially sectional perspective view of a rolling bearing 71. The rolling bearing 71 includes an inner ring 73 which is the raceway for a bearing described above, an outer ring 75 which is also the raceway for a bearing described above, a plurality of rolling elements (balls) 77 provided between the inner ring 73 and the outer ring 75, and a cage 79 which holds the rolling elements 77 so that they can roll freely. The inner ring 73 is an annular body made of a metal such as a steel material and has raceway grooves 73a on its outer circumferential surface for guiding the rolling elements 77. The outer ring 75 is an annular body made of a metal such as a steel material and has raceway grooves 75a on its inner circumferential surface for guiding the rolling elements 77.

[0064] When assembling the inner ring 73 and outer ring 75 of the above-mentioned rolling bearing 71, by measuring the groove diameters of the inner ring 73 and outer ring 75, it is possible to select a combination that will provide the desired radial clearance from the groove diameter dimensions of the inner ring 73 and outer ring 75 and the diameter dimensions of the rolling elements 77. In other words, the more precisely the groove diameter dimensions can be measured, the more precisely the radial clearance can be set, and the higher the quality of the rolling bearing 71 can be produced.

[0065] The above-mentioned manufacturing method of a rolling bearing can also be applied to the manufacture of various machines (including those that are manually powered, such as machines) equipped with a rolling bearing. For example, the method can be applied to linear guide devices such as rails and sliders, ball screw devices and screw devices such as screw shafts and nuts, devices that combine a linear guide bearing with a ball screw, and actuators such as XY tables. The method can also be applied to rolling bearings used in rotating parts of steering devices such as steering columns, universal joints, intermediate gears, rack and pinions, electric power steering devices, worm reduction gears, and torque sensors. The method can be widely applied to vehicles, machine tools, household appliances, and the like that include the above-mentioned machines and steering devices. The machines, vehicles, and the like obtained thereby can be configured at a lower cost and with a higher quality than before.

[0066] Furthermore, the rolling bearing obtained by the above-mentioned method for manufacturing a rolling bearing can also be used as a rolling bearing for supporting a rotating shaft of a motor. FIG. 18 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a motor 81 in which a rotating shaft 83 is supported by rolling bearings 71A and 71B. This motor 81 is a brushless motor, and has a cylindrical center housing 85 and a substantially disk-shaped front housing 87 that closes one open end of the center housing 85. Inside the center housing 85, a rotatable rotating shaft 83 is supported along its axis via rolling bearings 71A and 71B arranged inside the front housing 87 and the center housing 85. A rotor 89 for driving the motor is provided around the rotating shaft 83, and a stator 91 is fixed to the inner peripheral surface of the center housing 85. The motor 81 having the above-mentioned configuration is generally mounted on a machine or a vehicle, and drives the rotating shaft 83 supported by the rolling bearings 71A and 71B.

[0067] The above example is just one example, and as an application example of a bearing, the bearing of this configuration can be suitably applied to any location where there is relative rotation, which can lead to improved product quality.

[0068] As such, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and the present invention also contemplates the mutual combination of the various components of the embodiments, as well as modifications and applications by those skilled in the art based on the description in the specification and well-known techniques, and these are included in the scope of protection sought.

[0069] For example, in the above example, the fixed-side probes are provided at two specified circumferential positions, but the present invention is not limited to such a pair of line-symmetrical positions, and may also be configured to support the raceway at one point.

[0070] The present disclosure includes the following combinations: (1) In one embodiment, a method for measuring groove diameter of a bearing includes the steps of: preparing a ring-shaped member having a raceway groove formed on its inner or outer peripheral surface; supporting the ring-shaped member using a support member, wherein a central axis of the ring-shaped member is arranged horizontally and the support member contacts a groove bottom surface of the raceway groove to support the gravity of the ring-shaped member; measuring a height position of a movable probe while the movable probe is placed on the groove bottom surface; and calculating a groove diameter of the raceway groove based on a measurement result of the height position of the movable probe. (2) In the measuring method described in (1) above, the support member has two convex portions arranged spaced apart from each other in the horizontal direction, and each of the two convex portions has an upwardly convex outline. (3) In the measuring method described in (1) or (2) above, the ring-shaped member is an outer ring having the raceway groove formed on its inner peripheral surface, and the movable probe contacts the groove bottom surface at a lowermost part of the raceway groove. (4) In the measuring method described in (1) or (2) above, the ring-shaped member is an inner ring having the raceway groove formed on its outer peripheral surface, and the movable probe contacts the groove bottom surface at the uppermost part of the raceway groove. (5) In one embodiment, a method for producing a rolling bearing uses the measurement method according to any one of (1) to (4) above. (6) In one embodiment, a method for manufacturing a machine uses the measurement method described in (5) above. (7) In one embodiment, a method for manufacturing a vehicle uses the measurement method described in (5) above. (8) In one embodiment, the bearing groove diameter measuring device includes a support member for supporting a ring-shaped member having a raceway groove formed on an inner or outer peripheral surface thereof, the support member being arranged with a central axis of the ring-shaped member oriented horizontally and in contact with a groove bottom surface of the raceway groove to support the gravity of the ring-shaped member, a movable probe arranged to be freely moved, the movable probe being placed on the groove bottom surface of the ring-shaped member supported by the support member, a sensor for measuring a height position of the movable probe with the movable probe placed on the groove bottom surface, and a calculation unit for calculating the groove diameter of the raceway groove based on the measurement result of the height position. (9) In the measuring device described in (8) above, the support member has two convex portions arranged spaced apart from each other in the horizontal direction, and each of the two convex portions has an upwardly convex outline. (10) In the measuring device described in (8) or (9) above, the ring-shaped member is an outer ring having the raceway groove formed on its inner peripheral surface, and the movable measuring element contacts the groove bottom surface at a lowermost part of the raceway groove. (11) In the measuring device described in (8) or (9) above, the ring-shaped member is an inner ring having the raceway groove formed on its outer peripheral surface, and the movable probe contacts the groove bottom surface at an uppermost part of the raceway groove.

[0071] The present disclosure also includes the following combinations: (21) A bearing race having a raceway groove formed on an inner or outer peripheral surface is gripped, The bearing race is raised so that its axial direction is horizontal and transported to a measurement position; At the measurement position, a fixed-side probe is brought into contact with a groove bottom at a specified circumferential position of either the upper or lower raceway groove of the upright bearing raceway, and the bearing raceway is released from gripping to allow the weight of the bearing raceway to be supported by the fixed-side probe; A movable probe is moved vertically to the bottom of the other of the upper and lower raceway grooves of the bearing ring until it comes into contact with the raceway groove; measuring a contact position between the movable probe and the raceway groove when the movable probe comes into contact with the raceway groove; a groove diameter of the bearing ring is calculated from a relationship between the measurement result of the contact position and a specified position of the fixed-side probe. According to this method for measuring the groove diameter of a bearing ring, the groove diameter is measured while the bearing ring is gripped and its rotation axis is rotated 90° from the state in which it is facing the direction of gravity to a horizontal direction, i.e., with the rotation axis of the bearing ring perpendicular to the direction of gravity. According to this, the bearing ring engaged with the fixed probe naturally settles to the bottom of the raceway groove due to its own weight, making it difficult for the contact positions of the fixed probe and movable probe to vary with the raceway groove, and improving the accuracy of groove diameter measurement.

[0072] (22) The bearing raceway is an outer ring having the raceway groove formed on an inner peripheral surface thereof, a pair of fixed-side probes are disposed at different circumferential positions of the raceway groove around a top portion of the raceway groove of the upright bearing ring; 22. The method for measuring a groove diameter of a bearing race according to claim 21, wherein the movable probe is positioned so as to contact a lowermost portion of the raceway groove of the upright bearing race. According to this method for measuring the groove diameter of a bearing race, when a pair of fixed-side probes come into contact with the raceway groove, the bearing race automatically moves due to gravity to a position midway between the pair of fixed-side probes, so that the bearing race can be positioned to the specified measurement position with high precision.

[0073] (23) The groove diameter measurement method for a bearing race as set forth in (22), wherein, after the bearing race is released from gripping, the pair of fixed-side probes come into contact with the raceway groove and the bearing race is supported by the pair of fixed-side probes. According to this method for measuring the groove diameter of a bearing race, positional deviation is less likely to occur compared to when the bearing race is mechanically positioned by an actuator or the like, and the positioning accuracy of the bearing race can be improved.

[0074] (24) The bearing raceway is an inner raceway having the raceway groove formed on an outer peripheral surface thereof, a pair of fixed-side probes are disposed at different circumferential positions of the raceway groove around a lowermost portion of the raceway groove of the upright bearing ring; The groove diameter measurement method for a bearing race according to any one of (21) to (23), wherein the movable probe is positioned so as to contact the top of the raceway groove of the upright bearing race. According to this method for measuring the groove diameter of a bearing race, when a pair of fixed-side probes come into contact with the raceway groove, the bearing race automatically moves due to gravity to a position midway between the pair of fixed-side probes, so that the bearing race can be positioned to the specified measurement position with high precision.

[0075] (25) A method for measuring a groove diameter of a bearing race as set forth in (24), comprising bringing the raceway groove of the bearing race into contact with the pair of fixed-side probes, supporting the bearing race between the pair of fixed-side probes, and then releasing the grip of the bearing race. According to this method for measuring the groove diameter of a bearing race, the bearing race can be stably maintained in an upright position.

[0076] (26) A method for measuring a groove diameter of a bearing race as set forth in any one of (21) to (25), wherein when the bearing race is transported to the measurement position, the deviation of the fixed side probe from the groove bottom at the circumferential position of the bearing race is set to 0.1 mm or less. According to this method for measuring the groove diameter of a raceway for a bearing, the raceway for a bearing can be positioned with high accuracy.

[0077] (27) A gripping portion for gripping a bearing raceway, the bearing raceway being disposed with its rotation axis facing the direction of gravity and having a raceway groove formed on its inner or outer peripheral surface; a bearing ring turning unit that stands the gripped bearing ring so that the axial direction of the bearing ring is horizontal; a transfer unit that transfers the upright bearing race to a measurement position; a probe operating mechanism which brings a fixed probe into contact with a groove bottom at a prescribed circumferential position of either the upper or lower raceway groove of the upright bearing ring at said measurement position, causes the weight of said bearing ring to be supported by said fixed probe, and moves a movable probe in a vertical direction to the groove bottom of the other of the upper or lower raceway groove of said bearing ring until said movable probe comes into contact with said raceway groove; a position measuring unit for measuring a contact position between the movable probe and the raceway groove when the movable probe comes into contact with the raceway groove; a calculation unit that calculates a groove diameter of the bearing ring from the relationship between the measurement result of the contact position and a specified position of the fixed-side measurement element. With this bearing race groove diameter measuring device, the groove diameter is measured while the bearing race is gripped and the rotation axis of the bearing race is rotated 90° from the state where it is facing the direction of gravity to a horizontal direction, i.e., with the rotation axis of the bearing race perpendicular to the direction of gravity. With this, the bearing race engaged with the fixed probe naturally settles to the bottom of the raceway groove due to its own weight, making it difficult for the contact positions of the fixed probe and movable probe to vary with the raceway groove, improving the accuracy of groove diameter measurement.

[0078] (28) The bearing raceway is an outer ring having the raceway groove formed on an inner peripheral surface thereof, The probe actuation mechanism includes: an elongated upper arm having one end in a longitudinal direction thereof disposed in an upper region of a region that is radially inward from an inner circumferential surface of the bearing raceway gripped by the gripping portion, the one end being provided with the fixed-side probe that comes into contact with an upper groove bottom of the raceway groove; a long lower arm having one end in a longitudinal direction thereof disposed in a lower region of a region that is radially inward from an inner circumferential surface of the bearing raceway gripped by the gripping portion, the one end being provided with the movable probe that comes into contact with a groove bottom on a lower side of the raceway groove; a rotation support part that rotatably supports a longitudinal intermediate part of the lower arm and displaces one end of the lower arm in an up-down direction, The position measuring unit is provided at the other end opposite to the one end of the upper arm, and measures the height position of the other end opposite to the one end of the lower arm when the movable measuring element provided on the lower arm contacts the bottom of the groove. With this bearing race groove diameter measuring device, the bearing race is supported upright with its axial direction horizontal on the fixed probe attached to the upper arm, and in this state the movable probe attached to the lower arm is brought into contact with the raceway groove, thereby making it possible to bring the raceway groove of the bearing race into contact without causing a rubbing action between the fixed probe and the movable probe. This makes it possible to stably and accurately determine the groove diameter of the bearing race using information on the height position measured by the position measuring unit.

[0079] (29) A pair of the fixed-side probes is disposed at different circumferential positions of the raceway groove around a top of the raceway groove of the upright bearing ring; The groove diameter measuring device for a bearing race according to (28), wherein the movable probe is positioned so as to contact the lowermost part of the raceway groove of the upright bearing race. With this bearing raceway groove diameter measuring device, when a pair of fixed side probes come into contact with the raceway groove, the bearing raceway automatically moves due to gravity to a position midway between the pair of fixed side probes, so that the bearing raceway can be positioned to the specified measurement position with high precision.

[0080] (30) The groove diameter measuring device for a bearing race according to (29), wherein the surfaces of the fixed probe and the movable probe each have a spherical surface. According to this bearing race groove diameter measuring device, the fixed probe and the movable probe are positioned with respect to the raceway groove by point contact, thereby improving the measurement accuracy of the groove diameter.

[0081] (31) The bearing raceway is an inner raceway having the raceway groove formed on an outer peripheral surface thereof, The probe actuation mechanism includes: a long upper arm having one end in a longitudinal direction disposed above a top portion of an outer peripheral surface of the bearing ring held by the holding portion, the one end being provided with the movable probe that comes into contact with a groove bottom of the raceway groove; a long lower arm having one end in a longitudinal direction disposed below a lowermost portion of an outer peripheral surface of the bearing ring held by the holding portion, the fixed probe being provided at the one end and contacting a groove bottom of the raceway groove; a rotation support part that rotatably supports a longitudinal intermediate part of the upper arm and displaces one end of the upper arm in a vertical direction, The position measuring unit is provided at the other end opposite to the one end of the lower arm, and measures the height position of the other end opposite to the one end of the upper arm when the movable measuring element provided on the upper arm contacts the bottom of the groove. With this bearing race groove diameter measuring device, the bearing race is supported upright with its axial direction horizontal on the fixed probe attached to the lower arm, and in this state the movable probe attached to the upper arm is brought into contact with the raceway groove, thereby making it possible to bring the raceway groove of the bearing race into contact with the fixed probe and the movable probe without causing a rubbing action. This makes it possible to stably and accurately determine the groove diameter of the bearing race using information on the height position measured by the position measuring unit.

[0082] (32) A pair of the fixed-side probes is disposed at different circumferential positions of the raceway groove around a lowermost portion of the raceway groove of the upright bearing ring; The groove diameter measuring device for a bearing race according to claim 31, wherein the movable probe is disposed so as to contact the uppermost portion of the raceway groove of the upright bearing race. With this bearing raceway groove diameter measuring device, when a pair of fixed side probes come into contact with the raceway groove, the bearing raceway automatically moves due to gravity to a position midway between the pair of fixed side probes, so that the bearing raceway can be positioned to the specified measurement position with high precision.

[0083] (23) The surface of the movable probe has an outer peripheral surface of a cylinder whose axis is included in a plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the bearing ring, The groove diameter measuring device for a bearing race according to claim 32, wherein the surfaces of the fixed side measuring element each have a spherical surface. With this bearing race groove diameter measuring device, when the movable probe is brought into contact with the raceway groove of the bearing race with the rotating shaft standing horizontally from above, the movable probe makes line contact with the raceway groove of the bearing race. This makes it possible to maintain a stable contact state even if the bearing race is misaligned from the specified measurement position, improving the measurement accuracy of the groove diameter.

[0084] (34) The groove diameter measuring device for a bearing race according to any one of (27) to (33), wherein the transport unit transports the bearing race using a servo motor as a drive source. According to this bearing race groove diameter measuring device, the bearing race can be moved to a specified measurement position with high accuracy.

[0085] (35) A method for manufacturing a rolling bearing, using the method for measuring a groove diameter of a raceway for a bearing according to any one of (21) to (26). According to this manufacturing method for a rolling bearing, for example, when combining the inner and outer rings of a rolling bearing, by measuring the groove diameters of the inner and outer rings, it is possible to select a combination that results in the target radial clearance based on the groove diameter dimensions of the inner and outer rings and the radial dimensions of the rolling elements.

[0086] (36) A manufacturing method for a machine using the manufacturing method for a rolling bearing according to (35). This manufacturing method for machines allows for a higher quality structure at a lower cost than conventional methods.

[0087] (37) A method for manufacturing a vehicle using the method for manufacturing a rolling bearing according to (35). This method of manufacturing a vehicle allows a higher quality structure to be achieved at lower cost than conventional methods. [Explanation of symbols]

[0088] 11 Measuring part 13 Control section 15,16 Grip 15a,16a 1st support part 15b, 16b Abutment part 15c,16c 2nd support part 17 Swivel section 17a Swivel table 19 Transfer section 21, 21A Operating mechanism 23 Position sensor (sensor) 25,26 Bearing rings 25a,25b,26a,26b end face 25c,26c outer surface 25d,26d Raceway groove 27 Transport Path 31, 32 Upper arm (support member) 31a,32a One end 31b, 32b other end 33, 34 Lower arm (support member) 33a,34a One end 33b,34b Other end 35 Rotation support part 37 Support stand 41A, 41B, 42A, 42B Sensor head 43,44 Movable measuring head 51 Swivel drive unit 53 Gripping drive unit 55 Positioning drive unit 57 Tilt drive unit 59 Position signal detector 61 Arithmetic section 71, 71A, 71B Rolling bearings 73 Inner ring (bearing raceway) 75 Outer ring (bearing raceway) 77 Rolling elements 79 Retainer 81 Motor 83 Rotation axis 85 Center Housing 87 Front housing 89 Rotor 91 Stator 100 Groove diameter measuring device Ax axis direction PL1,PL2 flat surface

Claims

1. preparing a ring-shaped member having a raceway groove formed on an inner or outer circumferential surface; a step of supporting the ring-shaped member using a support member, the ring-shaped member being disposed with a central axis oriented horizontally, and the support member contacting a groove bottom surface of the raceway groove to support the ring-shaped member; measuring a height position of the movable probe while the movable probe is placed on the bottom surface of the groove; calculating a groove diameter of the raceway groove based on a measurement result of the height position of the movable probe; Equipped with The step of measuring the height position includes: a step of preparing an arm having a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion, the movable probe being provided on the first portion, the third portion being disposed between the first portion and the second portion in the longitudinal direction of the arm, and an inclination state of the arm changing around the third portion; obtaining the height position of the movable probe based on a result of detection of a height position of the second portion of the arm by a sensor; having How to measure bearing groove diameter.

2. The support member has two protrusions spaced apart from each other in the horizontal direction, The two protrusions each have an upwardly convex profile. The measurement method according to claim 1.

3. the ring-shaped member is an outer ring having the raceway groove formed on an inner circumferential surface thereof, 3. The measuring method according to claim 1, wherein the movable probe contacts the groove bottom surface at a lowermost portion of the raceway groove.

4. the ring-shaped member is an inner ring having the raceway groove formed on an outer peripheral surface thereof, 3. The measuring method according to claim 1, wherein the movable probe contacts the bottom surface of the raceway groove at a top portion of the raceway groove.

5. The step of supporting the ring-shaped member comprises: mounting the ring-shaped member on a gripping portion with a central axis aligned along a vertical direction; a step of gripping the ring-shaped member with the gripping portion; and a step of standing up the ring-shaped member gripped by the gripping portion. supporting the ring-shaped member using the support member and releasing the grip of the ring-shaped member by the gripping portion; The method according to claim 1 or 2, comprising:

6. A method for manufacturing a rolling bearing, comprising using the measuring method according to claim 1 or 2.

7. A manufacturing method for a machine using the manufacturing method for a rolling bearing according to claim 6.

8. A method for manufacturing a vehicle, using the method for manufacturing a rolling bearing according to claim 6.

9. a support member for supporting a ring-shaped member having a raceway groove formed on an inner or outer peripheral surface thereof, the support member being disposed so that a central axis of the ring-shaped member is oriented horizontally and contacting a groove bottom surface of the raceway groove to support the ring-shaped member; a movable probe that is movably disposed and placed on a bottom surface of the groove in the ring-shaped member supported by the support member; and an arm having a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion, the movable probe being provided on the first portion, the third portion being disposed between the first portion and the second portion in a longitudinal direction of the arm, and an inclination state of the arm changing around the third portion; a sensor for measuring a height position of the second portion of the arm in a state where the movable measuring element is placed on the bottom surface of the groove; a calculation unit that calculates a groove diameter of the raceway groove based on the measurement result of the height position; and A bearing groove diameter measuring device comprising:

10. The support member has two protrusions spaced apart from each other in the horizontal direction, The two protrusions each have an upwardly convex profile.

10. The measuring device according to claim 9.

11. the ring-shaped member is an outer ring having the raceway groove formed on an inner circumferential surface thereof, 11. The measuring device according to claim 9, wherein the movable probe contacts the groove bottom surface at a lowermost portion of the raceway groove.

12. the ring-shaped member is an inner ring having the raceway groove formed on an outer peripheral surface thereof, 11. The measuring device according to claim 9, wherein the movable probe contacts the bottom surface of the raceway groove at a top portion of the raceway groove.

Images