Bearing device

Abstract

The present invention provides a bearing device which is capable of preventing leakage of grease and entry of foreign matter. A bearing device (1) comprises a bearing (2), a sensing part, and a power generation part that can supply electric power to the sensing part, the sensing part and the power generation part being provided to one end of the bearing (2). The sensing part and the power generation part are embedded in the bearing (2), and a seal member (6) that covers the sensing part and the power generation part is fitted on a circumferential surface of a fixed-side bearing ring of the bearing (2). The power generation part has a stator (13) that is supported by the fixed-side bearing ring and a magnetic ring (5) that is supported by a rotation-side bearing ring and faces the stator (13) with a gap therebetween. The seal member (6) has an annular first lip part (28) that slides on a circumferential surface of the rotation-side bearing ring and an annular second lip part that is in contact with the stator (13).

Description

Bearing device Related Application

[0001] This application claims the priority of Japanese Patent Application No. 2025-029345 filed on February 26, 2025, the priority of Japanese Patent Application No. 2025-029346 filed on February 26, 2025, the priority of Japanese Patent Application No. 2025-029347 filed on February 26, 2025, the priority of Japanese Patent Application No. 2025-029348 filed on February 26, 2025, and the priority of Japanese Patent Application No. 2025-029349 filed on February 26, 2025, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference to form a part of the present application.

[0002] The present invention relates to a bearing device, and to a technology capable of preventing grease leakage and preventing intrusion of foreign matter such as contaminants.

[0003] In a conventional bearing device, as shown in Fig. 9, a bearing 100 with a built-in sensor adapted to a bearing size specified in ISO standards or JIS standards is disclosed (Patent Document 1).

[0004] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2023-141396

[0005] In the prior art, a slight radial clearance δ, a so-called radial gap, is formed between the stator 101 and the magnetic ring 102, which makes it difficult for grease inside the bearing to leak, but it is impossible to completely prevent grease leakage. In addition, since the magnetic ring 102 is exposed to the outside, it may adsorb magnetic contaminants (abbreviated as "contami"). In this case, the rotation of the bearing 100 may be locked, or an abnormality may occur in the power generation unit such as the stator or the sensing unit due to the contaminants, which may make it impossible to detect predetermined operation information of the bearing 100.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a bearing device capable of preventing grease leakage and preventing intrusion of foreign matter.

[0007] The present invention provides a bearing device comprising a bearing, a sensing unit and a power generation unit capable of supplying power to the sensing unit, wherein a sealing member covering the sensing unit and the power generation unit is fitted to the circumferential surface of the fixed-side raceway ring of the bearing.

[0008] This configuration includes sealing members to cover the sensing and power generation sections, thereby preventing grease leakage from the bearing and preventing foreign matter from entering the bearing. This improves the operational reliability of bearing devices that incorporate sensing sections and other components.

[0009] The power generation unit includes a stator supported by the fixed-side raceway and a magnetic ring supported by the rotating-side raceway in the bearing and facing the stator with a gap between them. The sealing member may have an annular first lip portion that slides on the circumferential surface of the rotating-side raceway and an annular second lip portion that contacts the stator.

[0010] In this case, the first lip prevents grease from leaking from inside the bearing to the outside, and also prevents foreign matter such as contaminants from entering the bearing. The second lip prevents grease from inside the bearing from entering the sensing part. Therefore, the operational reliability of bearing devices incorporating sensing parts can be further improved.

[0011] An antenna unit for wirelessly transmitting the output of the sensing unit to the outside of the bearing is built into the bearing, and the sealing member has a core metal portion fitted to the circumferential surface of the fixed-side raceway ring and an elastic body fixed to the core metal portion, and when the fixed-side raceway ring is an outer ring, the inner diameter of the core metal portion may be larger than the outer diameter of the antenna unit.

[0012] In this case, the core metal portion of the sealing member is fitted to the circumferential surface of the outer ring, and the inner diameter of this core metal portion is made larger than the outer diameter of the antenna portion. As a result, the output of the sensing unit can be transmitted wirelessly to the outside of the bearing without blocking the radio waves of the antenna portion.

[0013] The stator of the power generation unit is fitted onto the circumferential surface of the fixed-side raceway, and an annular seal portion may be provided at the fitting portion between the stator and the circumferential surface of the fixed-side raceway. There is a possibility that grease from inside the bearing may leak from the fitting portion between the stator and the circumferential surface of the fixed-side raceway. With this configuration, since an annular seal portion is provided at the fitting portion, leakage of grease from inside the bearing from the fitting portion is prevented.

[0014] The specified bearing internal specifications may be changed to specify the bearing size. The specified bearing internal specifications include the diameter of the rolling elements, the pitch circle diameter of the rolling elements, the number of rolling elements, and the axial position of the racing surfaces of the inner and outer rings. The specified bearing size is the bearing inner diameter, bearing outer diameter, and bearing width as specified in the ISO or JIS standards.

[0015] This configuration allows for a smaller overall size of the bearing device compared to conventional bearing devices with sealing members at the ends, thereby increasing versatility when incorporating the bearing device into various devices.

[0016] When the fixed-side raceway is an outer ring, the fitting portion of the sealing member may be fitted and fixed to the outer circumferential surface of the outer ring. In this case, a larger area of ​​the fitting portion can be secured compared to a configuration in which the fitting portion of the sealing member is fitted and fixed to the inner circumferential surface of the outer ring. This allows the sealing member to be firmly and securely fixed to the outer ring.

[0017] The fitting portion between the sealing member and the outer circumferential surface of the outer ring may be provided with an annular sealing portion separate from the sealing member. In this case, leakage of grease from inside the bearing through the fitting portion can be prevented.

[0018] The sealing member includes a core metal portion fitted to the outer circumferential surface of the outer ring and an elastic body fixed to the core metal portion, wherein the core metal portion has a vertical plate portion that abuts against the end face of the outer ring, and the elastic body may be fixed to the inner diameter side portion of the vertical plate portion and provided on an inner diameter side of the inner circumferential surface of the outer ring.

[0019] When a bearing device is incorporated into another device, the outer ring end face is used as a contact point to abut against a stepped surface, such as the housing of the other device. However, if an elastic material such as rubber is present at the contact point, the restoring force of this elastic material will place an extra load on the bearing. With this configuration, the elastic material is fixed to the inner diameter side portion of the vertical plate portion of the core metal and is located on the inner diameter side of the inner circumferential surface of the outer ring, thus preventing an extra load from being placed on the bearing.

[0020] The sealing member includes a core metal portion that fits onto the outer circumferential surface of the outer ring, and the fitting portion between the core metal portion and the outer circumferential surface of the outer ring may include an elastic member integrally molded with the core metal portion. In this case, the number of parts can be reduced and the structure can be simplified compared to a configuration in which a separate annular sealing portion is provided at the fitting portion. Furthermore, the assembly man-hours for the bearing device can be reduced compared to a configuration in which a separate annular sealing portion is provided.

[0021] Conventional bearing devices, as shown in Figure 19, have a stepped annular recess formed on the inner surface of the outer ring of the bearing 100, and a sensor unit SU is provided in this annular recess (Patent Document 1). The sensor unit SU includes a stator 101 fitted and fixed in the annular recess, a substrate 103 fixed to the stator 101 by screws, and a sensor, etc., supported on the substrate 103.

[0022] In conventional technology, screws are used to fix the substrate 103. However, regarding the fastening state of the screws, due to the screw pitch and the length of the fastening portion (plate thickness of the stator 101), the tip of the screw must be used in a state in which it protrudes axially inward from the stator end face 101a. As a result, during bearing operation, the steel ball 104 approaches the screw by the axial clearance of the bearing, which may hinder the movement of the steel ball 104. In addition, the protrusion of the tip of the screw axially inward from the stator end face 101a compresses the internal design space of the bearing 100, limiting the design freedom of the bearing specifications and the sensing unit.

[0023] The power generation unit comprises an annular fixing part that maintains the phase of the stator and to which the stator and the sensing part are fixed, and a sensing part assembly including the stator and the sensing part, wherein one end of the fixed-side raceway is provided with an annular stepped portion that restricts the axial position of the fixing part and houses the sensing part assembly within the bearing.

[0024] This configuration includes an annular fixing component that maintains the phase of the stator and secures the stator and sensing unit. Furthermore, the annular stepped portion of the bearing can accommodate the sensing unit assembly, including the fixing component, stator, and sensing unit. As a result, screws protruding axially inward from the stator end face can be omitted. This prevents the bearing's rolling elements from interfering with the screws, improving the bearing's operational reliability. In addition, compared to conventional structures with screws, this configuration provides more internal design space for the bearing, resulting in greater design flexibility for the bearing specifications and the sensing unit.

[0025] The stator may be provided with an engaged portion that engages with an engaging portion provided on the fixed component. In this case, by engaging the engaged portion of the fixed component with the engaged portion of the stator, the two components can be easily fixed together while easily and reliably aligning the phases of the stator and the fixed component.

[0026] The aforementioned fixing component may be a resin component insert-molded into the stator. In this case, the resin component can be easily fixed to the stator, which is supported by a mold, by pouring resin into the cavity. Therefore, it becomes possible to improve the mass production efficiency of the bearing device.

[0027] The sensing unit assembly includes a substrate on which the sensing unit is supported, and the engaging portion of the fixing component has a configuration in which a large-diameter and a small-diameter protrusion are superimposed in the axial direction, with the large-diameter protrusion being inserted through a through hole which is the engaged portion of the stator, and the small-diameter protrusion being fitted into a hole provided in the substrate. In this case, the large-diameter protrusion of the fixing component can fix the fixing component to the stator while ensuring the phase between the fixing component and the stator. Furthermore, since the small-diameter protrusion of the fixing component is fitted into the hole in the substrate, the small-diameter protrusion of the fixing component can restrict the axial position of the substrate relative to the fixing component while ensuring the phase between the fixing component and the substrate.

[0028] The large-diameter protrusion may have an axial height greater than or equal to the thickness of the stator, and the small-diameter protrusion may have an axial height greater than or equal to the thickness of the substrate. In this case, the substrate can be raised from the stator, preventing metal-to-metal contact between the substrate and the stator. Therefore, leakage current caused by metal contact can be prevented without interposing insulating materials between the substrate and the stator. Furthermore, since insulating materials are not required, the number of parts can be reduced, thereby lowering manufacturing costs.

[0029] An insulating member may be provided in the gap between the substrate and the stator, and the substrate may be fixed to the stator via the insulating member. In this case, the substrate can be firmly fixed to the stator using an insulating member such as a potting material. The insulating member can prevent the substrate from making metal-to-metal contact with the stator.

[0030] In the conventional bearing 100 shown in Figure 29, the magnetic ring 102, which faces the stator 101 with a radial gap δ in between, is exposed to the outside, and may attract, for example, magnetic contamination (abbreviated as "contamination"). Therefore, it is conceivable to provide the bearing with a contact-type sealing member that covers the sensor and the magnetic ring. In this contact-type sealing member, for example, the sealing lip at the tip slides on the outer circumferential surface of the inner ring, which is the rotating raceway ring.

[0031] However, if the inner ring is shifted axially relative to the outer ring by the axial clearance of the bearing, there is a risk that the seal lip and the magnetic ring may come into contact. The magnetic ring is a component made of rubber mixed with rare earth elements or ferrite, and is therefore harder and has a rougher surface than the seal lip. For this reason, there is a concern that the seal lip may wear undesirably if it comes into contact with the magnetic ring.

[0032] A contact-type sealing member covering the power generation unit is fixed to the fixed-side raceway of the bearing. The power generation unit comprises a stator supported by the fixed-side raceway and a magnetic ring supported by the rotating-side raceway of the bearing and facing the stator with a gap between them. The rotating-side raceway may also be provided with a sealing lip sliding member that slides the sealing lip of the sealing member and prevents magnetic leakage from the magnetic ring.

[0033] In this configuration, the seal lip of the sealing member slides against the seal lip sliding member. Therefore, even if the rotating raceway shifts in a direction that brings the seal lip closer to the magnetic ring, unwanted wear of the seal lip can be prevented. This improves the sealing performance of the bearing compared to conventional structures. Furthermore, the seal lip sliding member prevents magnetic leakage from the magnetic ring, thus preventing a decrease in the magnetic flux density to the stator.

[0034] A sensing unit, powered by the power generation unit, is incorporated into one end of the bearing, and the sealing member may cover the sensing unit together with the power generation unit. In this case, foreign matter can be prevented from entering the sensing unit, and the operational reliability of the bearing device incorporating the sensing unit can be improved.

[0035] The seal lip sliding member is preferably made of a non-magnetic material. If the seal lip sliding member is made of a magnetic material, the magnetic flux generated from the magnetic ring is more likely to leak into the seal lip sliding member, which worsens the power generation efficiency. If the seal lip sliding member is non-magnetic, such magnetic leakage can be prevented, and the decrease in magnetic flux density can be prevented without adding any new parts to prevent magnetic leakage. Therefore, the structure can be simplified and manufacturing costs reduced compared to adding new parts to prevent magnetic leakage. The above-mentioned magnetic leakage prevention effect can be obtained if the relative permeability of the seal lip sliding member is lower than that of the stator, but this effect is best achieved by using a non-magnetic material for the seal lip sliding member.

[0036] The seal lip sliding member is formed in an L-shape in cross-section by a cylindrical portion fitted to the circumferential surface of the rotating raceway ring and a vertical plate portion extending radially from one axial end of the cylindrical portion. The seal lip may have a radial lip that slides on the cylindrical portion and an axial lip that slides on the vertical plate portion. With this configuration, the radial lip and axial lip can prevent grease inside the bearing from leaking to the outside of the bearing, and can more reliably prevent foreign matter such as contaminants from entering the bearing.

[0037] The outer diameter H of the vertical plate portion preferably satisfies the following relationship: Outer diameter of the magnetic ring ≤ H < (Inner diameter of the stator - Maximum radial clearance of the bearing). In this case, even if the rotating raceway is axially offset from the stationary raceway by the axial clearance of the bearing, the magnetic ring will not interfere with the stator. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the rotation of the bearing from being hindered during the operation of the bearing device.

[0038] In the conventional bearing 100 shown in Figure 41, the magnetic ring 102, which faces the stator 101 with a radial gap δ in between, is exposed to the outside, and may attract, for example, magnetic contamination (abbreviated as "contamination"). Therefore, it is conceivable to provide the bearing with a contact-type sealing member that covers the sensor and the magnetic ring. In this contact-type sealing member, for example, the sealing lip at the tip slides on the outer circumferential surface of the inner ring, which is the rotating raceway ring.

[0039] In the conventional technology equipped with the aforementioned contact-type sealing member, the sensor output is transmitted wirelessly to the outside of the bearing using the antenna. Covering the antenna with metal would block the antenna radio waves, so it is not possible to include a reinforcing member made of metal in the sealing member. However, the sealing member alone lacks sufficient strength, and changes in the internal pressure of the bearing or displacement of the axial clearance of the bearing can cause the seal lip to curl or fall off, impairing the sealing performance.

[0040] The bearing comprises an antenna unit that wirelessly transmits the output of the sensing unit to the outside of the bearing, and a power generation unit capable of supplying power to the sensing unit and the antenna unit, wherein the sensing unit, the antenna unit and the power generation unit are built into the bearing, and a sealing member covering the sensing unit, the antenna unit and the power generation unit is fixed to the fixed-side raceway of the bearing, and the sealing member may have an annular sealing reinforcement member in the portion excluding the portion facing the antenna unit in the axial direction.

[0041] This configuration includes a sealing member that covers the sensing unit, antenna unit, and power generation unit, thereby preventing lubricant from leaking out of the bearing and further preventing foreign matter from entering the bearing. The sealing member has an annular sealing reinforcement member, which increases the overall rigidity of the sealing member compared to conventional structures. Therefore, even if the internal pressure of the bearing changes or the axial clearance of the bearing shifts, the sealing performance is not impaired, and the sealing performance can be improved compared to conventional structures. Furthermore, since the annular sealing reinforcement member is provided in all parts except those facing the antenna unit in the axial direction, it is possible to wirelessly transmit the output of the sensing unit to the outside of the bearing without blocking the radio waves of the antenna unit.

[0042] The power generation unit includes a stator supported by the fixed bearing ring, and a magnetic ring supported by the rotating bearing ring of the bearing and facing the stator via a radial gap. The antenna unit may be fixed to the stator, and phase alignment means capable of assembling the seal reinforcing member and the stator in accordance with a predetermined phase may be provided. The predetermined phase is appropriately determined based on the position of the antenna unit fixed to the stator.

[0043] In this case, when assembling the bearing device, the seal reinforcing member and the stator to which the antenna unit is fixed can be easily aligned to the phase determined by the phase alignment means (that is, the phase that does not block the radio wave of the antenna unit). In this case, the assemblability of the bearing device can be improved compared to a structure in which no phase alignment means is provided.

[0044] The seal member has a seal configuration in which an outer surface of the seal reinforcing member is exposed, and the phase alignment means includes a first identification portion provided on the seal reinforcing member and a second identification portion provided on the stator. The first identification portion is provided at a predetermined phase on the outer surface of the seal reinforcing member with respect to a seal reinforcing member cutout portion, which is a portion of the seal member axially opposite to the antenna unit, and the second identification portion may be provided at a predetermined phase on the stator with respect to a fixing position of the antenna unit. The "seal reinforcing member cutout portion" means a portion of the seal member where the seal reinforcing member is not provided.

[0045] The seal member and the stator incorporating the antenna unit are each annular members. For this reason, it is not easy to align the phase of the seal reinforcing member cutout portion and the antenna unit during assembly. According to this configuration, by assembling the bearing device such that the phases of the first identification portion provided on the seal reinforcing member and the second identification portion on the stator side match, the phases of the seal reinforcing member cutout portion and the antenna unit can be easily aligned.

[0046] The seal member has a seal configuration in which the seal reinforcing member is covered with a seal material, the phase alignment means includes a first identification portion provided on the seal member and a second identification portion provided on the stator, the first identification portion may be provided at a predetermined depth at a predetermined phase on an outer surface of the seal material with respect to a hollowed portion of the seal reinforcing member, which is a portion of the seal member axially opposed to the antenna portion, and the second identification portion may be provided at a predetermined phase on the stator with respect to a fixed position of the antenna portion. The predetermined depth is a depth at which the first identification portion can be clearly detected not visually but by an automatic machine or the like.

[0047] In a seal configuration in which a seal reinforcing member is covered with a seal material, when an identification portion such as a recess is provided on a seal end surface on the outer side of the bearing, the following problem occurs. Even if the recess can be visually confirmed during assembly, it is difficult to recognize the recess when performing image determination of the recess by automatic equipment or the like.

[0048] According to this configuration, the first identification portion is provided at a predetermined depth in a predetermined phase on the outer surface of the seal material covering the seal reinforcing member. Therefore, the first identification portion can be clearly detected by, for example, an automatic machine or the like. Accordingly, the bearing device can be easily and reliably assembled such that the phases of the first identification portion on the seal member side and the second identification portion on the stator side match.

[0049] The second identification portion may be a notch portion provided in a part of the stator. In this case, the second identification portion can be provided without adding new components or the like to the stator.

[0050] In the prior art bearing 100 shown in FIG. 53, the stator has an annular stator component 111, on which a coil assembly 110 is supported, assembled to an annular stator main body 112. Further, in the prior art, the drawing position of the magnet wire of the coil and the assembly phase of the stator component 111 are not mechanically determined. As a result, when assembling the stator component 111 including the coil to the stator main body 112, the following problems existed.

[0051] It was difficult to align the phase between the circuit board 113 supported by the stator body 112 and the coil wire exit position, and the phase between the stator body 112 and the claw portion provided on the inner diameter of the stator component 111, resulting in poor assembly and the possibility of reduced power generation performance. For example, if the phase difference between the terminals of the circuit board 113 and the coil wire exit position becomes large, there is a concern that the coil wire will become longer, leading to breakage or other problems.

[0052] Furthermore, in order to maintain the desired power generation performance, the claw portion of the stator body 112 and the claw portion of the stator component 111 adjacent to the claw portion must be positioned with a predetermined gap in the circumferential direction. If the phase of the stator body 112 and the stator component 111 is undesirably misaligned, the gap between adjacent claw portions in the circumferential direction will deviate from the predetermined value, which may prevent the maintenance of the desired power generation performance.

[0053] The bearing comprises a substrate supporting the sensing unit, the sensing unit, the substrate, and the power generation unit, the power generation unit having a stator supported on the fixed-side raceway of the bearing and a magnetic ring supported on the rotating-side raceway of the bearing and facing the stator with a radial gap between them, the stator including a stator body to which the substrate is fixed and a stator component supporting a coil assembly including a coil wound around an annular component, the annular component being provided with a first engaging portion which engages with a first engaged portion of the stator component, and the stator component being provided with a second engaging portion which engages with a second engaged portion of the stator body, the second engaged portion may be provided at a predetermined phase with respect to the substrate fixing position on the stator body. The predetermined phase is appropriately determined by either or both testing and simulation.

[0054] In this configuration, when assembling the bearing device, the first engaging portion of the annular component is engaged with the first engaged portion of the stator component. Furthermore, the second engaging portion of the stator component is engaged with the second engaged portion of the stator body. This configuration mechanically determines the phase between the substrate fixed to the stator body and the coil pull-out position supported by the stator component. This configuration prevents unwanted phase misalignment between the stator body and the stator component, and makes it easy to determine the phase between the substrate and the coil pull-out position. Therefore, it is possible to improve assembly efficiency and suppress the decrease in power generation performance compared to conventional structures.

[0055] When the fixed-side raceway is an outer ring, the first engaging portion may be a protrusion provided on the outer diameter of the annular component, and the first engaged portion may be a recess provided on the stator component. In this case, the protrusion can be integrally molded on the outer diameter of the annular component, and the recess can be easily formed on a part of the stator component by machining or the like. Therefore, it becomes possible to assemble the annular component in conjunction with the stator component without adding any new parts.

[0056] The second engaging portion may be a claw portion provided on the stator component, and the second engaged portion may be a hole provided in the stator body. In this case, the claw portion can be integrally molded into a part of the stator component, and the hole can be easily formed in a part of the stator body by machining or the like. Therefore, it becomes possible to assemble the stator component in phase with the stator body without adding any new parts.

[0057] If multiple locations are provided where the phases of the first engaging portion and the first engaged portion, and the phases of the second engaging portion and the second engaged portion are respectively arranged unequally around the circumference, the respective phases may be arranged unequally. In this case, assembly errors can be prevented by reducing the number of combinations when engaging the first engaged portion of the annular component with the first engaged portion of the stator component. Similarly, assembly errors can be prevented by reducing the number of combinations when engaging the second engaging portion of the stator component with the second engaged portion of the stator body.

[0058] Any combination of at least two configurations disclosed in the claims and / or the specification and / or drawings is included in the present invention. In particular, any combination of two or more of each claim in the claims is included in the present invention.

[0059] The present invention will be more clearly understood from the following description of preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the embodiments and drawings are for illustrative and explanatory purposes only and should not be used to define the scope of the invention. The scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims. In the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals in multiple drawings indicate the same or corresponding parts.

[0060] This is an exploded perspective view of a bearing device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the bearing device. This is a side view of the bearing device. This is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in Figure 2. This is a partially enlarged view showing a part of the main component of Figure 2. This is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing an enlarged view of part VB in Figure 5A. This is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the relationship between the core metal part and the antenna part of the seal member. This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a bearing device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a bearing device according to the third embodiment of the present invention. This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a bearing device according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a bearing device according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a bearing device according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention. This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a conventional bearing device. This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a bearing device according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention. This is a side view of the bearing device. This is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in Figure 10. This is a partially enlarged view showing a part of the main component of Figure 10. This is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing an enlarged view of the sensing part assembly, etc., of the bearing device. This is a partially enlarged view showing an enlarged view of part VI in Figure 13. This is an exploded perspective view of the stator body and fixing parts in the bearing device. This is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a part of the main component of a bearing device according to the eighth embodiment of the present invention. This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a bearing device according to the ninth embodiment of the present invention. This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a conventional bearing device. This is an exploded perspective view of a bearing device according to the 10th embodiment of the present invention. This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the same bearing device. This is a side view of the same bearing device. This is a partially enlarged view showing a part of the main part of Figure 21. This is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the sensing assembly and the like of the bearing device in an enlarged view. This is a partially enlarged view showing part VI of Figure 24 in an enlarged view. This is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the seal lip sliding member and the like in a bearing device according to the 11th embodiment of the present invention. This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a bearing device according to the 12th embodiment of the present invention. This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a bearing device according to the 13th embodiment of the present invention. This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a conventional bearing device. This is an exploded perspective view of a bearing device according to the 14th embodiment of the present invention. This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the same bearing device. This is a side view of the same bearing device. This is a partially enlarged view showing a part of the main part of Figure 31. This is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the sensing assembly and the like of the bearing device in an enlarged view. This is a partially enlarged view showing part VI of Figure 31 in an enlarged view. This is an exploded perspective view of the stator body and seal member in the bearing device.This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a bearing device according to the 15th embodiment of the present invention. This is a side view of the same bearing device. This is a partially enlarged view showing an enlarged X portion of Figure 37. This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a bearing device according to the 16th embodiment of the present invention. This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a conventional bearing device. This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a bearing device according to the 17th embodiment of the present invention. This is a cross-sectional view taken along line IIA-IIA in Figure 42. This is a partially enlarged view showing an enlarged IIB portion of Figure 43A. This is a partially enlarged view showing an enlarged IIC portion of Figure 43A. This is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in Figure 42. This is a partially enlarged view showing a partially enlarged main part of Figure 42. This is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing an enlarged sensing section assembly, etc., of the bearing device. This is a partially enlarged view showing an enlarged VI portion of Figure 42. This is an exploded perspective view of the stator body, coil assembly, and stator components in the bearing device. This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a bearing device according to the 18th embodiment of the present invention. This is an exploded perspective view of the stator body, coil assembly, and stator components in a bearing device according to the 19th embodiment of the present invention. This is a side view of the stator body, etc., of the bearing device viewed from the axial direction. This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the stator body, etc., of the bearing device. This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a conventional bearing device.

[0061] [First Embodiment] A bearing device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 5C. The bearing device is applicable to a wide range of industrial machinery such as motors and blowers, wind power generation equipment, vehicles such as automobiles, motorcycles, and railway vehicles, medical equipment, etc. However, the bearing device is not limited to these applications.

[0062] <Outline Structure of the Bearing Device> As shown in Figure 1, the bearing device 1 according to the first embodiment comprises a bearing 2, an O-ring 3 which is an annular seal portion, a sensing unit assembly 4, a magnetic ring 5, and a sealing member 6 which will be described later. As shown in Figure 2, the components of the bearing device 1 other than the bearing are built into one end of the bearing 2 (the left end in Figure 2). The state of the bearing 2 measured by the sensing unit 7 of the sensing unit assembly 4 is transmitted to the outside of the bearing device 1 and monitored continuously or at predetermined intervals. The components of the bearing device 1 other than the bearing may be collectively referred to as the "sensing unit assembly, etc."

[0063] <Bearing> The bearing 2 in this example is a rolling bearing that is lubricated with grease and comprises an inner ring 8, an outer ring 9, a plurality of rolling elements 10 interposed between the racing surfaces of the inner and outer rings 8 and 9, a cage 11 that holds these rolling elements 10, and a seal 12 provided at the other end of the bearing 2. This rolling bearing is a deep groove ball bearing in which balls are interposed as rolling elements 10 between the opposing racing surfaces 8a and 9a of the inner ring 8 and the outer ring 9.

[0064] The rolling elements 10 consist of steel balls or ceramic balls. The cage 11 is a resin crown-shaped cage. The cage 11 may also be a corrugated cage made of sheet metal. The seal 12 is a contact seal that is fitted and fixed to an outer ring seal groove 9b provided on the inner circumferential surface of the outer ring and contacts an inner ring seal groove 8b provided on the outer circumferential surface of the inner ring. The outer ring seal groove 9b is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the outer ring on the other end of the bearing 2 (the right end in Figure 5B). The inner ring seal groove 8b is radially opposite to the outer ring seal groove 9b. The seal 12 may also be a non-contact seal. This deep groove ball bearing is used, for example, in a fixed outer ring with inner ring rotation, but as will be described later, it may also be used in an inner ring with outer ring rotation.

[0065] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in Figure 3. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in Figure 2. As shown in Figures 2 to 4, a first notch 9c is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the outer ring 9 at one end. The first notch 9c is a stepped annular recess. As shown in Figure 5A, a second notch 8c is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the inner ring 8 at one end. The second notch 8c is a stepped annular recess. The first notch 9c faces the second notch 8c in the radial direction. These first and second notches 9c and 8c provide space for housing the sensing assembly and the like at one end of the bearing 2.

[0066] In the following explanation, as shown in Figure 2, the direction of the bearing central axis AX is referred to as the "axial direction," the direction perpendicular to the bearing central axis AX is referred to as the "radial direction," and the direction around the bearing central axis AX is referred to as the "circumferential direction." Furthermore, the side facing the bearing central axis AX is referred to as the "inner diameter side," and the side moving away from the bearing central axis AX is referred to as the "outer diameter side."

[0067] <Regarding the main dimensions and internal specifications of the bearing> The bearing 2 has been modified from the specified internal specifications to achieve the defined bearing size shown in Figures 2 to 4. The defined bearing size is the inner diameter, outer diameter, and width of the bearing as defined in ISO 15 or JIS 1512-1, and is also referred to as the main dimensions of the bearing. Simply adding the seal member 6 to the conventional technology would result in exceeding the defined bearing size. Therefore, in this embodiment, the defined internal specifications of the bearing have been modified so that even with the addition of the seal member 6 shown in Figures 1 to 3, the bearing size remains within the defined limits. The term "inside the bearing" refers to the space between the outer ring 9 and the inner ring 8 in the range from one axial end face to the other end face of the outer ring 9.

[0068] Specifically, as shown in Figure 5A, the bearing 2 of the embodiment has been modified from the internal specifications of a general bearing by, for example, reducing the diameter of the steel balls, increasing the pitch circle diameter PCD of the steel balls, increasing the number of steel balls, and moving the axial position P1 of the racing surfaces 8a and 9a on the inner and outer rings 8 and 9 toward the side opposite the sealing member (right side in Figure 5A). By moving the axial position P1 of the racing surfaces 8a and 9a, a sensing assembly or the like can be built into one end of the bearing 2. By reducing the diameter of the steel balls, increasing the pitch circle diameter PCD of the steel balls, and increasing the number of steel balls, the bearing 2 can achieve a desired load capacity. The axial position P1 of the racing surfaces 8a and 9a, the diameter of the steel balls, the pitch circle diameter PCD, and the number of steel balls can be appropriately determined, for example, by simulation and / or testing.

[0069] <Sensing Unit Assembly> As shown in Figures 4 and 5B, the sensing unit assembly 4 includes a stator 13, an insulator 14, a substrate 15, a sensing unit 7, and an antenna unit 17a (Figure 5C). As shown in Figure 5B, the power generation unit G is formed by the stator 13 and a magnetic ring (described later) 5 that faces the stator 13 across a radial gap δ1, also known as a radial gap. That is, the bearing device includes a sensing unit 7 and a power generation unit G capable of supplying power to the sensing unit 7, which are provided at one end of the bearing 2 (Figure 5A). The power generation unit G is built into the bearing 2 (Figure 5A). The power generated by the power generation unit G can be supplied to the substrate 15 and the sensing unit 7.

[0070] <Stator etc.> The stator 13 is supported by the outer ring 9, which is a fixed-side raceway. The stator 13 has a stator body 19 that holds the substrate 15 and the like, and a stator component 21 that supports the coil assembly 20. The stator body 19 is made of an annular magnetic material. The stator body 19 is formed in a substantially U-shape in vertical cross-section with a disc-shaped portion 19a, an outer diameter cylindrical portion 19b connected to the outer peripheral edge of the disc-shaped portion 19a, and an inner diameter portion 19c connected to the inner peripheral edge of the disc-shaped portion 19a. The disc-shaped portion 19a, the outer diameter cylindrical portion 19b, and the inner diameter portion 19c are integrally formed from a single material, for example by machining.

[0071] As shown in Figure 5C, the stator body 19 is fitted onto the inner circumferential surface of the outer ring 9, which is the fixed-side raceway ring. Specifically, the outer diameter side cylindrical portion 19b of the stator body 19 is fitted and fixed into the first notch 9c of the outer ring 9. Furthermore, the outer diameter side portion of the disc-shaped portion 19a abuts against the stepped portion 9ca of the first notch 9c. This positions the stator body 19 axially relative to the outer ring 9. With the outer diameter side cylindrical portion 19b fitted into the first notch 9c and the outer diameter side portion of the disc-shaped portion 19a abutting against the stepped portion 9ca, the stator body 19 does not protrude from the end face of the outer ring 9. In other words, the stator body 19 is housed at one end of the bearing 2.

[0072] An O-ring 3 is provided at the fitting portion k1 between the stator body 19 and the inner circumferential surface of the outer ring 9. An annular seal groove 9d is provided in the first notch 9c of the outer ring 9, and the O-ring 3 is fitted into the seal groove 9d. This O-ring 3 prevents grease from leaking from inside the bearing through the fitting portion k1 between the outer diameter cylindrical portion 19b of the stator body 19 and the inner circumferential surface of the outer ring 9. A liquid gasket may be used instead of the O-ring 3 as the annular seal. By filling the seal groove 9d with liquid gasket, grease leakage from the bearing 2 can be prevented in the same way as with the O-ring 3.

[0073] As shown in Figure 1, an annular stator component 21 is fixed to the stator body 19 coaxially with the stator body 19. The stator component 21 is made of an annular magnetic material. As shown in Figure 5B, the stator component 21 is formed in a substantially U-shape in vertical cross-section, consisting of a disc-shaped portion 21a, an outer diameter cylindrical portion 21b connected to the outer peripheral edge of the disc-shaped portion 21a, and an inner diameter portion 21c connected to the inner peripheral edge of the disc-shaped portion 21a. The components of the stator component 21 are also integrally formed from a single material by machining or the like, similar to the stator body 19. The outer diameter cylindrical portion 21b of the stator component 21 is fixed to the inner diameter portion of the disc-shaped portion 19a of the stator body 19. The stator body 19 and the stator component 21 are positioned at a predetermined phase while fixed to each other.

[0074] As shown in Figures 1 and 5B, the inner diameter portion 19c of the stator body 19 has a plurality of claw portions 19ca that protrude in one axial direction. The plurality of claw portions 19ca are provided at regular intervals in the circumferential direction. At the same time, the inner diameter portion 21c of the stator component 21 has a plurality of claw portions 21ca that protrude in the other axial direction. The plurality of claw portions 21ca are provided at regular intervals in the circumferential direction. The plurality of claw portions 19ca in the stator body 19 and the plurality of claw portions 21ca in the stator component 21 are arranged alternately with a gap in the circumferential direction. The stator component 21 is positioned and fixed to the stator body 19 at a predetermined phase such that the claw portions 19ca and 21ca are arranged alternately with a predetermined gap in the circumferential direction.

[0075] As shown in Figure 5B, the coil assembly 20 has an annular bobbin 22 with a U-shaped cross-section and a coil 23 wound around the circumferential groove of the bobbin 22. The coil assembly 20 is supported inside the disc-shaped portion 21a, the outer diameter cylindrical portion 21b, and the inner diameter portion 21c of the stator component 21. The stator component 21, on which the coil assembly 20 is supported, is fixed to the stator body 19 as described above.

[0076] <Substrate, Sensing Unit, etc.> As shown in Figures 4 and 5B, an arc-shaped substrate (also called a "circuit board") 15 and a wireless communication circuit 17 (Figure 5C) are fixed to the disc-shaped portion 19a of the stator body 19 via an insulator 14 or the like. These substrates 15 and wireless communication circuit 17 (Figure 5C) are each fixed to the stator body 19 by a plurality of screws 24. However, the substrates 15 and wireless communication circuit 17 are not limited to being fixed by screws 24, and may be fixed to the stator body 19 by adhesive or the like, for example.

[0077] As shown in Figure 4, the circuit board 15 is equipped with a sensing unit 7 for monitoring the state of the bearing 2, and a power supply circuit (not shown). The sensing unit 7 is built into the bearing 2. The state of the bearing 2 is synonymous with predetermined operating information for the bearing 2. Examples of the sensing unit 7 include a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the bearing 2 and an acceleration sensor for detecting the acceleration acting on the bearing 2. However, the sensing unit 7 is not limited to these sensors.

[0078] <Wireless Communication Circuit> A wireless communication circuit 17 is built into one end of the bearing 2. The wireless communication circuit 17 includes an antenna section 17a. The wireless communication circuit 17 transmits the output of a sensing unit 7, such as a temperature sensor or an acceleration sensor, wirelessly to the outside of the bearing 2 using the antenna section 17a. A control device (not shown) controls the system to output a warning light, a warning sound, a warning display, etc., or to limit the rotation of the bearing 2, or to stop the operation of the bearing 2, etc., when the output of the transmitted sensing unit 7 exceeds a predetermined threshold. An operator who has confirmed the output of a warning light, etc., may stop the drive source of the bearing device.

[0079] <Magnetic Ring, etc.> As shown in Figures 1 and 5A, a magnetic ring 5 is supported on the inner ring 8, which is the rotating raceway. The magnetic ring 5 faces the stator 13 with a radial gap δ1 between them. The magnetic ring 5 is fitted and fixed into the second notch 8c of the inner ring 8. As shown in Figure 5B, the magnetic ring 5 includes a core metal 18 and a multipole magnet 25 fixed to this core metal 18.

[0080] The core metal 18 has a cylindrical portion 18a that fits into the second notch 8c, and a flange portion 18b that extends radially outward from one axial end of the cylindrical portion 18a. The flange portion 18b can increase the overall rigidity of the core metal 18. The multipole magnet 25 is made, for example, by vulcanizing and bonding a magnetic material, which is a mixture of magnetic powder and rubber, to the core metal 18, and then alternately magnetizing the north pole and south pole in the circumferential direction of the bearing.

[0081] The inner surface of the multipole magnet 25 abuts against the stepped portion of the second notch 8c. This positions the magnetic ring 5 axially relative to the inner ring 8. When the cylindrical portion 18a of the mandrel 18 is fitted into the second notch 8c and the inner surface of the multipole magnet 25 abuts against the stepped portion, the magnetic ring 5 does not protrude from the end face of the inner ring 8. In other words, the magnetic ring 5 is housed at one end of the bearing.

[0082] As shown in Figures 1 and 5B, the claw-pole type power generation unit G is formed by the claw portion 19ca of the stator body 19, the claw portion 21ca of the stator component 21, and the magnetic ring 5. The total number of claw portions 19ca and 21ca is equal to the number of poles of the multi-pole magnet 25, that is, the total number of north and south poles. As shown in Figure 5B, each end of the coil 23 drawn out from the stator 13 is electrically connected to terminals (not shown) provided on the substrate 15. These terminals are electrically connected to the power supply circuit. As shown in Figure 5A, the AC power output from the power generation unit G is converted to DC power by the power supply circuit as the inner ring 8 rotates. As shown in Figures 4 and 5B, the temperature sensor, acceleration sensor, and wireless communication circuit 17 use the DC power converted by the power supply circuit.

[0083] <About the sealing member> The sealing member 6 (Figure 3) covers the sensing unit 7 and the power generation unit G. When the sealing member 6 is removed from the bearing device 1, the sensing unit 7 and the power generation unit G are exposed. As shown in Figure 5B, the sealing member 6 is fitted and fixed to the inner circumferential surface of the outer ring 9 via the outer diameter side cylindrical portion 19b of the stator body 19. The sealing member 6 has an annular core metal portion 16 that fits onto the inner circumferential surface of the outer ring 9 and an elastic body 26 fixed to the core metal portion 16. In this embodiment, the case in which the outer ring is fixed and the inner ring rotates is illustrated, so the sealing member 6 is fitted onto the inner circumferential surface of the outer ring 9. However, when the inner ring is fixed and the outer ring rotates, the sealing member 6 is fitted onto the outer circumferential surface of the inner ring. Also, since the core metal portion 16 is made of a conductive material, it is prone to absorbing radio waves and can become a barrier to wireless communication. Therefore, as shown in Figure 5C, when the fixed-side raceway is the outer ring 9, the inner diameter 16d of the core metal portion 16 is made larger than the outer diameter 17D of the antenna portion 17a to facilitate wireless communication.

[0084] As shown in Figure 5B, the elastic body 26 is made of rubber or the like and has a seal body 27, a first lip portion 28, and a second lip portion 29. These seal body 27 and the first and second lip portions 28 and 29 are integrally formed. The elastic body 26 is preferably made of a material with low dielectric loss that does not easily absorb radio waves.

[0085] The seal body 27 has a main body portion 27a extending inward from the core metal portion 16, and a bulging portion 27b provided on the axial inner end of the core metal portion 16 and a part of the outer circumference of the core metal portion 16. The bulging portion 27b has a tightening allowance with respect to the outer diameter side cylindrical portion 19b of the stator body 19. In Figure 5B, a part of the bulging portion 27b is shown to be fitted into the outer diameter side cylindrical portion 19b, but the part of the bulging portion 27b is a tightening allowance. When the core metal portion 16 is fitted into the outer diameter side cylindrical portion 19b of the stator body 19, the bulging portion 27b is elastically deformed and contacts the outer diameter side cylindrical portion 19b in a sealed state.

[0086] The annular first lip portion 28 is provided at the inner diameter end of the seal body 27 and slides against the outer circumferential surface of the inner ring 8. Specifically, the first lip portion 28 has an inner lip 28a and an outer lip 28b that branch out in the axial direction inward and outward. The inner lip 28a and the outer lip 28b each have an overlap with the outer circumferential surface of the inner ring 8. In Figure 5B, the respective tip portions of the inner and outer lips 28a and 28b are shown to be fitted into the outer circumferential surface of the inner ring 8, and these respective tip portions are overlaps. Grease is pre-held in the annular groove 30 between the inner lip 28a and the outer lip 28b. The grease held in the annular groove 30 can further reduce the sliding resistance of the first lip portion 28.

[0087] The annular second lip portion 29 branches off from near the radial midpoint of the seal body 27. The second lip portion 29 contacts the stator 13 with an overlap. The second lip portion 29 inclines axially inward as it moves from near the radial midpoint of the seal body 27 toward the inner diameter. The tip portion of this second lip portion 29 contacts the outer diameter side cylindrical portion 21b of the stator component 21 with an overlap. In Figure 5B, the tip portion of the second lip portion 29 is shown as fitted into the outer diameter side cylindrical portion 21b, but this tip portion is an overlap.

[0088] <Effects> As described above, the bearing device 1 in Figure 5A is provided with a sealing member 6 that covers the sensing unit and the power generation unit G, thereby preventing grease leakage from the bearing and preventing foreign matter from entering the bearing 2. This improves the operational reliability of the bearing device 1, which incorporates the sensing unit and the like. In particular, since the magnetic ring 5 and the stator 13 are covered in a sealed state by the sealing member 6, it is possible to prevent the magnetic ring and the like from attracting contaminants. Therefore, the rotation of the bearing 2 will not lock as desired, and it is possible to prevent abnormalities from occurring in the power generation unit G and the sensing unit due to contaminants. As a result, predetermined operating information of the bearing 2 can be reliably detected.

[0089] As shown in Figure 5B, the sealing member 6 has first and second lip portions 28 and 29. The first lip portion 28 prevents grease inside the bearing from leaking to the outside of the bearing 2 and more reliably prevents foreign matter such as contaminants from entering the bearing. The second lip portion 29 prevents grease inside the bearing from entering the sensing portion 7. Therefore, the operational reliability of the bearing device 1, which incorporates the sensing portion, can be further improved.

[0090] As shown in Figure 5C, the core metal portion 16 of the sealing member 6 is fitted to the inner circumferential surface of the outer ring 9, and the inner diameter 16d of the core metal portion 16 is made larger than the outer diameter 17D of the antenna portion 17a. Therefore, the output of the sensing unit can be transmitted wirelessly to the outside of the bearing 2 without blocking the radio waves of the antenna portion 17a. An O-ring 3 is provided at the fitting portion k1 between the stator body 19 and the inner circumferential surface of the outer ring 9. Therefore, grease from inside the bearing is prevented from leaking from the fitting portion k1. As shown in Figure 5A, the internal specifications of the bearing were changed to specify the bearing size. Therefore, the overall size of the bearing device can be reduced compared to the conventional structure in which a sealing member is provided at the end of the bearing device, and the versatility when incorporating the bearing device 1 into various devices can be increased.

[0091] <Regarding Other Embodiments> In the following description, parts corresponding to matters previously described in each embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted. When only a part of the configuration is described, the other parts of the configuration will be the same as those in the previously described embodiment unless otherwise specified. The same configuration will produce the same effects. Not only are combinations of the parts specifically described in each embodiment possible, but it is also possible to partially combine embodiments, provided that there are no particular problems with the combination.

[0092] [Second Embodiment: Figure 6, Configuration in which the seal fitting portion is the outer diameter portion of the outer ring] As shown in Figure 6, when the fixed-side raceway is the outer ring 9, the fitting portion of the seal member 6A may be fitted and fixed to the outer circumferential surface of the outer ring 9. Specifically, the seal member 6A includes an annular core metal portion 16A fitted to the outer circumferential surface of the outer ring 9 and an elastic body 26 fixed to the core metal portion 16A. The core metal portion 16A is a metal member made of steel plate or the like. The core metal portion 16A is formed in a substantially L-shape in cross-section with a vertical plate portion 31 that abuts against one end surface of the outer ring 9 and a cylindrical portion 32 connected to the outer diameter side end of the vertical plate portion 31.

[0093] A stepped annular recess 9e is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the outer ring 9 on one side (left side in Figure 6) where the sealing member 6A is provided. The cylindrical portion 32 of the core metal portion 16A is fitted and fixed into the annular recess 9e of the outer ring 9. An annular seal portion, separate from the sealing member 6A, is provided at the fitting portion k2 between the core metal portion 16A and the outer circumferential surface of the outer ring 9. An O-ring 3 is used as the annular seal portion. An annular seal groove is provided in the annular recess 9e of the outer ring 9, and the O-ring 3 is fitted into the seal groove.

[0094] When the cylindrical portion 32 is fitted and fixed into the annular recess 9e of the outer ring 9, the outer circumferential surface 32a of the cylindrical portion 32 becomes flush with the outer circumferential surface portion 9D on the other side (right side in Figure 6) of the outer ring 9. As a result, the outer circumferential surface of the outer ring 9 is set to the bearing outer diameter of the specified bearing size. At the same time, the width dimension W1 between the outer surface of the vertical plate portion 31 that abuts against one end face of the outer ring 9 and the other end face of the outer ring 9 is set to the bearing width of the specified bearing size.

[0095] The O-ring 3 prevents grease from leaking from inside the bearing through the fitting portion k2 between the core metal portion 16A and the outer circumferential surface of the outer ring 9. As in the first embodiment, a liquid gasket may be used instead of the O-ring 3. The elastic body 26 is fixed to the inner diameter side portion of the vertical plate portion 31 and is provided on the inner diameter side of the inner circumferential surface of the outer ring 9. The elastic body 26 is made of rubber or the like and has a seal body 27, a first lip portion 28, and a second lip portion 29.

[0096] According to the configuration shown in Figure 6, the fitting portion k2 of the sealing member 6A is fitted and fixed to the outer circumferential surface of the outer ring 9. In this case, a larger area of ​​the fitting portion k2 can be secured compared to a configuration in which the fitting portion of the sealing member is fitted and fixed to the inner circumferential surface of the outer ring. This allows the sealing member 6A to be firmly and securely fixed to the outer ring 9.

[0097] When the bearing device 1 is assembled into the device, the outer ring end face is used as a contact point to abut against, for example, a stepped surface such as the housing of the device. However, if there is an elastic material such as rubber on the contact point, the restoring force of this elastic material will place an extra load on the bearing. With this configuration, the elastic material 26 is fixed to the inner diameter side portion of the vertical plate portion 31 of the core metal portion 16A and is provided on the inner diameter side of the inner circumferential surface of the outer ring 9, thus preventing an extra load from being placed on the bearing 2. In addition, it provides the same effects as the first embodiment.

[0098] [Third Embodiment: Figure 7, Configuration in which a rubber part is integrally molded into the metal fitting part of the seal] Compared to the second embodiment, as shown in Figure 7, the O-ring of the fitting part k2 between the seal member 6B and the outer circumferential surface of the outer ring 9 is eliminated. Furthermore, an elastic member 33 integrally molded with the core metal part 16A may be provided at the fitting part k2 between the core metal part 16A and the outer circumferential surface of the outer ring 9. The elastic member 33 is made of rubber or the like. According to the configuration in Figure 7, the number of parts can be reduced and the structure can be simplified compared to the configuration in which a separate annular seal part is provided at the fitting part k2 (Figure 6). Also, the assembly man-hours of the bearing device 1 can be reduced compared to the configuration in which a separate annular seal part is provided. Other effects and advantages are the same as those of the second embodiment.

[0099] [Fourth to Sixth Embodiments: Figures 8A to 8C, configuration in which a sealing member is fitted to the inner ring circumferential surface] Conversely to the first embodiment (see Figure 5A), as shown in Figure 8A, the inner ring 8 may be used as the fixed-side raceway, and the sealing member 6 may be fitted to the outer circumferential surface of the inner ring 8. In this case, the outer ring 9 becomes the rotating-side raceway, and the inner and outer lips 28a and 28b of the sealing member 6 slide against the inner circumferential surface of the outer ring 9.

[0100] Contrary to the second embodiment (see Figure 6), the inner ring 8 may be used as a fixed raceway, and the sealing member 6A may be fitted to the inner circumferential surface of the inner ring 8, as shown in Figure 8B. Contrary to the third embodiment (see Figure 7), the inner ring 8 may be used as a fixed raceway, and the sealing member 6B may be fitted to the inner circumferential surface of the inner ring 8, as shown in Figure 8C.

[0101] The bearing device can also be configured as shown in Figures 5A, 6, and 7, with the inner ring 8 acting as the fixed-side raceway and the outer ring 9 as the rotating-side raceway. Furthermore, the bearing device can also be configured as shown in Figures 8A to 8C, with the outer ring 9 acting as the fixed-side raceway and the inner ring 8 as the rotating-side raceway. These bearing devices are described below as examples of proposed designs.

[0102] A bearing device comprising a bearing 2 having an inner ring 8 and an outer ring 9, and a sensing unit 7 and a power generation unit G capable of supplying power to the sensing unit 7, wherein the sensing unit 7 and the power generation unit G are built into the bearing 2, and sealing members 6 (6A, 6B) covering the sensing unit 7 and the power generation unit G are fitted to the circumferential surface of the inner ring 8 or the outer ring 9.

[0103] <Other> Of the first and second lip portions 28 and 29 of the sealing member, the second lip portion 29 may be omitted. The magnetic ring 5 may be a so-called axial gap type power generation unit that faces the stator 13 with an axial gap in between.

[0104] The bearing 2 is not limited to the deep groove ball bearing described above, but may also be a rolling bearing such as an angular contact ball bearing or a tapered roller bearing. The rolling bearing may be an all-ball type ball bearing without a cage. The bearing 2 may be an open-type rolling bearing without a bearing seal 12, and the grease inside the bearing may be sealed by a cover member on the device side. The bearing 2 may also be fitted with main dimensions other than the specified bearing size. The bearing 2 is not limited to a rolling bearing, but may also be a sliding bearing.

[0105] [Seventh Embodiment] A bearing device according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 10 to 16. The bearing device 1 according to the seventh embodiment shown in Figure 10 has a similar schematic configuration to the bearing device according to the first embodiment described above. In the seventh embodiment, components similar to those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions are omitted.

[0106] Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line I-I in Figure 11. Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in Figure 10. As shown in Figures 10 to 12, a first stepped portion 9c is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the outer ring 9 at one end. The first stepped portion 9c is a stepped annular recess, also referred to as the "first notch." As shown in Figure 13, a second stepped portion 8c is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the inner ring 8 at one end. The second stepped portion 8c is a stepped annular recess, also referred to as the "second notch." The first stepped portion 9c faces the second stepped portion 8c in the radial direction. These first and second stepped portions 9c and 8c provide space for housing the sensing assembly and the like at one end of the bearing 2.

[0107] <Sensing Unit Assembly> As shown in Figure 14, the sensing unit assembly 4 includes an annular fixing component RP, a stator 13, a substrate 15, a sensing unit 7 and an antenna unit 17a as shown in Figure 12. As shown in Figure 13, the power generation unit G is formed by the stator 13 and a magnetic ring (described later) 5 that faces the stator 13 with a radial gap δ1, also known as a radial gap. That is, the bearing device 1 is provided at one end of the bearing 2 and includes a sensing unit 7 and a power generation unit G capable of supplying power to the sensing unit 7. The power generation unit G is built into the bearing 2. The power generated by the power generation unit G can be supplied to the substrate 15 and the sensing unit 7.

[0108] <Regarding fixed parts, etc.> As shown in Figure 16, the fixed part RP maintains the phase of the stator 13 in the power generation section G (Figure 13). Furthermore, as shown in Figure 14, the stator 13 and the sensing section 7 are fixed to the fixed part RP. As shown in Figure 16, the fixed part RP is a flat, annular resin part and is provided coaxially with the stator body 19 on the axial outer surface of the stator body 19, which will be described later. As shown in Figure 13, the first stepped portion 9c restricts the axial position of the fixed part RP, and the sensing section assembly 4, including the fixed part RP, the stator 13, and the sensing section 7, is housed in the bearing by the first and second stepped portions 9c and 8c.

[0109] As shown in Figure 16, the fixing component RP has a disc-shaped fixing component body 34 and a plurality of engaging portions 35 provided on one surface of the fixing component body 34. The plurality of engaging portions 35 are provided at predetermined phases on the fixing component body 34. These fixing component body 34 and the plurality of engaging portions 35 are integrally formed from the same resin material, but it is also possible to form them separately and fix the plurality of engaging portions 35 to one surface of the fixing component body 34. The stator body 19 and the fixing component RP are fixed to each other by adhesive or joining, or the fixing component RP is insert-molded into the stator body 19.

[0110] As shown in Figure 13, the stator 13 is supported by the outer ring 9, which is a fixed-side raceway. The stator 13 has a stator body 19 that holds fixed components RP and a substrate 15, and a stator component 21 that supports the coil assembly 20. The stator body 19 is made of an annular magnetic material. The stator body 19 is formed in a substantially U-shape in longitudinal cross-section with a disc-shaped portion 19a, an outer diameter cylindrical portion 19b connected to the outer peripheral edge of the disc-shaped portion 19a, and an inner diameter portion 19c connected to the inner peripheral edge of the disc-shaped portion 19a. The disc-shaped portion 19a, the outer diameter cylindrical portion 19b, and the inner diameter portion 19c are integrally formed from a single material, for example by machining.

[0111] As shown in Figure 16, the disc-shaped portion 19a of the stator body 19 is provided with engaged portions 36 that engage with each engaging portion 35 of the fixed component RP. Specifically, as shown in Figures 14 and 16, the engaging portion 35 of the fixed component RP is configured by overlapping large-diameter and small-diameter protrusions 35a and 35b in the axial direction. In each engaging portion 35, the large-diameter and small-diameter protrusions 35a and 35b are provided coaxially and are each formed in a cylindrical shape extending in the axial direction. The small-diameter protrusion 35b is smaller in diameter than the large-diameter protrusion 35a. The axial base end of the large-diameter protrusion 35a is provided on one surface of the fixed component body 34, and the small-diameter protrusion 35b is provided so as to overlap the axial tip of the large-diameter protrusion 35a.

[0112] The large-diameter protrusion 35a is inserted through the through-hole, which is the engaged portion 36 of the stator body 19. At the same time, as shown in Figures 12 and 14, the small-diameter protrusion 35b is fitted into the hole 15a provided in the substrate 15. The substrate 15 and the fixing component RP are firmly fixed together by applying, for example, an adhesive, between the hole 15a of the substrate 15 and the small-diameter protrusion 35b of the fixing component RP. Note that the method of fixing the substrate 15 to the fixing component RP is not limited to the adhesive, and for example, bonding with an insulating material such as potting material or heat welding are possible. In the state in which the small-diameter protrusion 35b is fitted into the hole 15a of the substrate 15, the axial inner surface of the substrate 15 is supported by the stepped surface 35aa of the large-diameter protrusion 35a.

[0113] <Parameters> As shown in Figure 15, the large-diameter protrusion 35a of the fixed component RP has an axial height H1 that is greater than or equal to the thickness t1 of the stator body 19. The small-diameter protrusion 35b has an axial height H2 that is greater than or equal to the thickness t2 of the substrate 15. The thickness t1 of the stator body 19 refers to the thickness of the disc-shaped portion 19a of the stator body 19.

[0114] <Substrate, Sensing Unit, etc.> The substrate (also called a "circuit board") 15 is provided in an arc shape along the disc-shaped portion 19a of the stator body 19 in the plan view shown in Figure 12. The substrate 15 is provided, for example, over a circumferential range of approximately 270 degrees along the disc-shaped portion 19a, and a wireless communication circuit 17 is provided at the remaining circumferential position.

[0115] As shown in Figures 14 and 16, the substrate 15 is supported by the stepped surface 35aa of the large-diameter protrusion 35a of the fixing component RP, and is fitted and fixed to the small-diameter protrusion 35b. As shown in Figure 16, one surface of the fixing component body 34 is provided with a plurality of (two in this example) protrusions 37 that project in the axial direction. These protrusions 37 are formed in a cylindrical shape that extends in the axial direction and are provided in a different phase from the plurality of engaging portions 35. The plurality of protrusions 37 are integrally formed on the fixing component body 34 from the same resin material as the fixing component body 34, similar to the plurality of engaging portions 35.

[0116] As shown in Figure 12, the multiple protrusions 37 (Figure 16) are fitted into the holes 15b provided in the substrate 15. Furthermore, the axial tip portions of the protrusions 37 protrude a predetermined short distance from the axial outer surface of the substrate 15. A wireless communication circuit 17 is fitted and fixed to the axial tip portions of the protrusions 37.

[0117] <Effects> The bearing device 1 shown in Figure 13, described above, includes an annular fixing part RP that maintains the phase of the stator 13 and fixes the stator 13 and the sensing part 7. Furthermore, the sensing part assembly 4, including the fixing part RP, the stator 13 and the sensing part 7, can be housed in the annular stepped portions 9c and 8c of the bearing 2. As a result, the screw that protrudes axially inward from the stator end face can be omitted. This prevents the rolling elements 10 of the bearing 2 from interfering with the screw, improving the operational reliability of the bearing 2. In addition, compared to conventional structures with screws, there is more internal design space in the bearing 2, which improves the design freedom of the bearing specifications and the sensing part 7.

[0118] The stator 13 is provided with an engaged portion 36 that engages with an engaging portion 35 provided on the fixed component RP. Therefore, by engaging the engaged portion 35 of the fixed component RP with the engaged portion 36 of the stator 13, the phases of the stator 13 and the fixed component RP can be easily and reliably aligned, and both components can be easily fixed together. If the fixed component RP is a resin part insert-molded into the stator body 19, the resin part can be easily fixed to the stator body 19, which is supported by a mold, by pouring resin into the cavity. Therefore, it is possible to improve the mass production efficiency of the bearing device 1.

[0119] The engaging portion 35 of the fixing component RP has a configuration in which large-diameter and small-diameter protrusions 35a and 35b are superimposed in the axial direction. The large-diameter protrusion 35a is inserted through the through hole, which is the engaged portion 36 of the stator 13, and the small-diameter protrusion 35b is fitted into the hole 15a provided in the substrate 15. In this case, the large-diameter protrusion 35a of the fixing component RP can fix the fixing component RP to the stator 13 while ensuring the phase between the fixing component RP and the stator 13. Furthermore, since the small-diameter protrusion 35b of the fixing component RP is fitted into the hole 15a of the substrate 15, the small-diameter protrusion 35b of the fixing component RP can restrict the axial position of the substrate 15 relative to the fixing component RP while ensuring the phase between the fixing component RP and the substrate 15.

[0120] As shown in Figure 15, the large-diameter protrusion 35a has an axial height H1 greater than or equal to the thickness t1 of the stator body 19, and the small-diameter protrusion 35b has an axial height H2 greater than or equal to the thickness t2 of the substrate 15. In this case, the substrate 15 can be raised from the stator 13, preventing the substrate 15 from making metal-to-metal contact with the stator 13. Therefore, leakage current caused by metal contact can be prevented without interposing insulating material between the substrate 15 and the stator 13. Furthermore, since insulating material is not required, the number of parts can be reduced, thereby lowering manufacturing costs.

[0121] As shown in Figure 13, the bearing device 1 is provided with a sealing member 6 that covers the sensing unit 7 and the power generation unit G, thereby preventing grease leakage from the bearing and preventing foreign matter from entering the bearing 2. This improves the operational reliability of the bearing device 1, which incorporates the sensing unit and the like. In particular, since the magnetic ring 5 and the stator 13 are covered in a sealed state by the sealing member 6, it is possible to prevent the magnetic ring and the like from attracting contaminants. Therefore, the rotation of the bearing 2 will not lock as desired, and it is possible to prevent abnormalities from occurring in the power generation unit G and the sensing unit 7 due to contaminants. As a result, predetermined operating information of the bearing 2 can be reliably detected.

[0122] As shown in Figure 14, the sealing member 6 has first and second lip portions 28 and 29. The first lip portion 28 prevents grease inside the bearing from leaking to the outside of the bearing 2 and more reliably prevents foreign matter such as contaminants from entering the bearing. The second lip portion 29 prevents grease inside the bearing from entering the sensing portion 7. Therefore, the operational reliability of the bearing device 1, which incorporates the sensing portion, can be further improved.

[0123] Furthermore, an O-ring 3 is provided at the fitting portion k1 between the stator body 19 and the inner circumferential surface of the outer ring 9. This prevents grease from leaking from the fitting portion k1. As shown in Figure 13, the internal specifications of the bearing were changed to specify the bearing size. As a result, the overall size of the bearing device can be reduced compared to conventional bearing devices with sealing members at the ends, and the versatility of incorporating the bearing device 1 into various devices can be increased.

[0124] [Eighth Embodiment: Figure 17, with insulating member] As shown in Figure 17, an insulating member 14 may be provided in the gap between the substrate 15 and the stator 13. An insulating member 14, such as potting material, is provided in the gap between the axial outer surface of the substrate 15 and the disc-shaped portion 19a of the stator body 19. Thus, the substrate 15 is fixed to the stator 13 via the insulating member 14. In addition, similar to the seventh embodiment, a large-diameter protrusion 35a is inserted through the through hole 36 of the stator 13, and a small-diameter protrusion 35b is fitted into the hole 15a provided in the substrate 15. According to the eighth embodiment, the substrate 15 can be firmly fixed to the stator 13 using an insulating member 14 such as potting material. Furthermore, the insulating member 14 can prevent the substrate 15 from making metal-to-metal contact with the stator 13.

[0125] [Ninth Embodiment: Figure 18, configuration in which a sealing member is fitted to the outer circumference of the inner ring] Conversely to the seventh and eighth embodiments, as shown in Figure 18, the inner ring 8 may be used as the fixed-side raceway, and the sealing member 6 may be fitted to the outer circumference of the inner ring 8. In this case, the outer ring 9 becomes the rotating-side raceway, and the inner lip 28a and outer lip 28b of the sealing member 6 slide against the inner circumference of the outer ring 9.

[0126] The bearing device can also be configured, for example, with the inner ring 8 as the fixed-side raceway and the outer ring 9 as the rotating-side raceway, while maintaining the configuration shown in Figures 13 and 17. Alternatively, the bearing device can also be configured, for example, with the outer ring 9 as the fixed-side raceway and the inner ring 8 as the rotating-side raceway, while maintaining the configuration shown in Figure 18. These bearing devices are described below as examples of proposed designs.

[0127] A bearing device comprising a bearing 2 having an inner ring 8 and an outer ring 9, and a sensing unit 7 and a power generation unit G capable of supplying power to the sensing unit 7, wherein the sensing unit 7 and the power generation unit G are housed in the bearing 2, and an annular fixing part RP is provided that maintains the phase of the stator 13 in the power generation unit G and fixes the stator 13 and the sensing unit 7, and an annular stepped portion 9c (8c) is provided at one end of the inner ring 8 or the outer ring 9 that restricts the axial position of the fixing part RP and houses the sensing unit assembly 4, including the fixing part RP, the stator 13 and the sensing unit 7, within the bearing.

[0128] Of the first and second lip portions 28 and 29 of the sealing member, the second lip portion 29 may be omitted. The magnetic ring 5 may be a so-called axial gap type power generation unit that faces the stator 13 with an axial gap in between.

[0129] [Tenth Embodiment] A bearing device according to the tenth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 20 to 25.

[0130] <Outline Structure of Bearing Device> As shown in Figure 20, the bearing device 1 according to the tenth embodiment comprises a bearing 2, an O-ring 3 which is an annular seal portion, a sensing portion assembly 4, a magnetic ring 5, a contact-type seal member 6, and a seal lip sliding member 38 which will be described later.

[0131] As shown in Figure 24, the annular first lip portion 28 is provided on the inner diameter side of the seal body 27 and slides against the seal lip sliding member 38, which will be described later. Specifically, the first lip portion 28 has a radial lip 28b that slides against the cylindrical portion 38a of the seal lip sliding member 38 and an axial lip 28a that slides against the vertical plate portion 38b of the seal lip sliding member 38. The radial lip 28b protrudes inward from the inner diameter side tip of the seal body 27. The axial lip 28a is inclined outward from the inner surface of the inner diameter side portion of the seal body 27 as it moves axially inward.

[0132] The axial lip 28a and radial lip 28b have an overlap with respect to the seal lip sliding member 38. In Figure 24, the respective tip portions of the axial lip 28a and radial lip 28b are shown to be fitted into the seal lip sliding member 38, and these respective tip portions are overlaps. Grease is pre-held in the annular groove 30 between the axial lip 28a and the radial lip 28b. The grease held in the annular groove 30 can further reduce the sliding resistance of the first lip portion 28.

[0133] <About the seal lip sliding member> The inner ring 8 supports a seal lip sliding member 38 adjacent to the magnetic ring 5. The seal lip sliding member 38 slides the first lip portion (seal lip) 28 of the seal member 6 and prevents magnetic leakage from the magnetic ring 5. The seal lip sliding member 38 is fitted and fixed to the second stepped portion 8c of the inner ring 8.

[0134] The seal lip sliding member 38 is made of a non-magnetic material such as an austenitic stainless steel plate or aluminum. Examples of the stainless steel plate include SUS304. The seal lip sliding member 38 is formed in an L-shape in cross-section with a cylindrical portion 38a and a vertical plate portion 38b.

[0135] The cylindrical portion 38a is fitted onto the second stepped portion 8c, which is the circumferential surface of the inner ring 8. The vertical plate portion 38b extends radially outward from one axial end of the cylindrical portion 38a and abuts against the outer surface of the magnetic ring 5. The cylindrical portion 38a and the vertical plate portion 38b are integrally formed from a single material, for example by machining. The outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 38a in the seal lip sliding member 38 slides against the radial lip 28b. The outer surface of the vertical plate portion 38b in the seal lip sliding member 38 slides against the axial lip 28a.

[0136] <Parameters> As shown in Figure 25, the outer diameter H of the vertical plate portion 38b satisfies the following relationship: Outer diameter 5D ≤ H < (Inner diameter 13d of stator 13 - maximum radial clearance of bearing) By setting the above relationship, even if the inner ring 8 is shifted axially relative to the outer ring 9 by the axial clearance of the bearing 2 shown in Figure 23, the seal lip sliding member 38 will not interfere with the stator 13. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the rotation of the bearing 2 from being hindered during the operation of the bearing device 1.

[0137] <Effects> According to the bearing device 1 described above, the first lip portion (seal lip) 28 of the seal member 6 slides against the seal lip sliding member 38. Therefore, even if the inner ring 8 shifts in a direction that brings the first lip portion 28 closer to the magnetic ring 5, it is possible to prevent the first lip portion 28 from wearing down undesirably. This improves the sealing performance of the bearing 2 compared to conventional structures. In addition, the seal lip sliding member 38 prevents magnetic leakage from the magnetic ring 5, thus preventing a decrease in the magnetic flux density to the stator 13.

[0138] Since the sealing member 6 covers the sensing unit 7 together with the power generation unit G, it prevents foreign matter from entering the sensing unit 7 and improves the operational reliability of the bearing device 1 that houses the sensing unit, etc. Because the sealing lip sliding member 38 is made of a non-magnetic material, it can prevent magnetic leakage from the magnetic ring 5 by itself, and it is possible to prevent a decrease in the magnetic flux density without adding any new parts to prevent magnetic leakage. For this reason, the structure can be simplified and manufacturing costs can be reduced compared to when new parts are added to prevent magnetic leakage.

[0139] As shown in Figure 25, the seal lip sliding member 38 is formed in an L-shape in cross-section by a cylindrical portion 38a and a vertical plate portion 38b extending radially from one axial end of the cylindrical portion 38a. The first lip portion 28 has a radial lip 28b that slides on the cylindrical portion 38a and an axial lip 28a that slides on the vertical plate portion 38b. With this configuration, the radial lip 28b and the axial lip 28a can prevent grease inside the bearing from leaking to the outside of the bearing, and can more reliably prevent foreign matter such as contaminants from entering the inside of the bearing.

[0140] Therefore, the rotation of the bearing 2 shown in Figure 23 will not lock undesirably, and abnormalities in the power generation unit G and sensing unit 7 due to contamination, etc., can be prevented. As a result, predetermined operating information of the bearing 2 can be reliably detected. The second lip portion 29 can prevent grease inside the bearing from entering the sensing unit 7. Therefore, the operational reliability of the bearing device 1, which incorporates the sensing unit, etc., can be further improved.

[0141] [Eleventh Embodiment: Figure 26, with insulating member] As shown in Figure 26, the seal lip sliding member 38 has a magnetic material 38A made of a steel plate such as SPCC, and an insulating sheet material 39. The sheet material 39 is an annular thin plate sandwiched between the magnetic material 38A and the magnetic ring 5. The sheet material 39 may be fixed to the inner surface of the vertical plate portion 38b of the magnetic material 38A.

[0142] [Twelfth Embodiment: Figure 27, without sensing unit, etc.] As shown in Figure 27, it is also possible to remove the sensing unit from the bearing device 1 and configure it so that the power generated by the power generation unit G is supplied to a load outside the bearing.

[0143] [13th Embodiment: Figure 28, configuration in which a sealing member is fitted to the outer circumference of the inner ring] Conversely to the 10th to 12th embodiments, as shown in Figure 28, the inner ring 8 may be used as the fixed-side raceway, and the sealing member 6 may be fitted to the outer circumference of the inner ring 8. In this case, the outer ring 9 becomes the rotating-side raceway, and the first lip portion 28 of the sealing member 6 slides against the sealing lip sliding member 38 fitted to the stepped portion 9c of the outer ring 9.

[0144] The bearing device can also be configured as shown in Figures 23 and 27, for example, with the inner ring 8 as the fixed-side raceway and the outer ring 9 as the rotating-side raceway. Alternatively, the bearing device can be configured as shown in Figure 28, for example, with the outer ring 9 as the fixed-side raceway and the inner ring 8 as the rotating-side raceway. These bearing devices are described below as reference examples.

[0145] A bearing device comprising a bearing 2 having an inner ring 8 and an outer ring 9, and a power generation unit G provided at one end of the bearing 2, wherein the power generation unit G is built into the bearing 2, and a contact-type seal member 6 covering the power generation unit G is fixed to the outer ring 9 or the inner ring 8, the power generation unit having a stator 13 supported by either the outer ring 9 or the inner ring 8, and a magnetic ring 5 supported by the other raceway of either the outer ring 9 or the inner ring 8 and facing the stator 13 with a gap between them, the bearing device comprising a seal lip sliding member 38 that slides the seal lip 28 of the seal member 6 and prevents magnetic leakage from the magnetic ring 5.

[0146] [Fourteenth Embodiment] A bearing device according to the fourteenth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 30 to 36.

[0147] As shown in Figure 34, the coil assembly 20 has an annular bobbin 22 with a U-shaped cross-section and a coil 23 wound around the circumferential groove of the bobbin 22. The coil assembly 20 is supported inside the disc-shaped portion 21a, the outer diameter cylindrical portion 21b, and the inner diameter portion 21c of the stator component 21. The stator component 21, in which the coil assembly 20 is supported, is positioned and fixed to the stator body 19 at a predetermined phase.

[0148] As shown in Figure 35, the sealing member 6 has an annular sealing reinforcement member 16 in the portion of the sealing member 6 that is not axially opposed to the antenna portion 17a. The portion of the sealing member 6 that is axially opposed to the antenna portion 17a is a sealing reinforcement member cutout 40 in which the sealing reinforcement member 16 is not provided. As shown in Figure 36, the sealing reinforcement member cutout 40 has the shape of an arc-shaped hole along the circumferential direction. As shown in Figures 35 and 36, a part of the elastic body 26, which will be described later, is embedded in the sealing reinforcement member cutout 40.

[0149] As shown in Figure 34, the annular seal reinforcement member 16 is formed in a substantially L-shape in cross-section by a vertical plate-shaped reinforcement member body 16a with most of its outer surface exposed, and a cylindrical portion 16b connected to the outer diameter edge of the reinforcement member body 16a. The reinforcement member body 16a and the cylindrical portion 16b are integrally molded from a steel plate or the like. The seal reinforcement member weight reduction portion 40 (Figure 35) is formed in the reinforcement member body 16a. The cylindrical portion 16b of the seal reinforcement member 16 is fitted and fixed to the inner circumferential surface of the outer ring 9 via the outer diameter side cylindrical portion 19b of the stator body 19. The seal reinforcement member 16 is also referred to as the core metal portion 16.

[0150] <Phase Alignment Means> As shown in Figure 30, the seal member 6 and the stator 13 incorporating the antenna portion 17a are both annular members. Therefore, during assembly, it is not easy to align the phase of the seal reinforcement member's weight-reducing portion 40 and the antenna portion 17a so as not to block the radio waves of the antenna portion 17a. For this reason, the bearing device 1 is equipped with a phase alignment means PM that can assemble the seal reinforcement member 16 and the stator 13 in a predetermined phase. Specifically, as shown in Figure 36, the phase alignment means PM has a first identification portion M1 provided on the seal reinforcement member 16 and a second identification portion M2 provided on the stator 13.

[0151] In the sealing member 6, a first identification portion M1 is provided at a predetermined phase on the outer surface of the sealing reinforcement member 16 relative to the weight-reducing portion 40 of the sealing reinforcement member. The first identification portion M1 is a circular hole-shaped identification mark recessed to a predetermined depth in the axial direction on the outer surface of the reinforcement member body 16a. This identification mark is provided, for example, at a phase Deg of 120 degrees relative to the circumferential intermediate portion P40 of the weight-reducing portion 40 of the sealing reinforcement member. However, the phase Deg is not limited to 120 degrees.

[0152] As shown in Figure 30, a second identification portion M2 is provided at a predetermined phase on the stator 13 with respect to the fixed position of the antenna portion 17a on the stator 13. As shown in Figure 36, the second identification portion M2 is a notch provided in a part of the stator 13. This notch is formed by removing a part of the circumferential direction of the outer diameter side cylindrical portion 19b of the stator body 19 in the shape of a rectangular hole, for example by machining. The notch is provided separated by the phase Deg from the fixed position P17a of the antenna portion 17a (Figure 30). Therefore, during assembly, the phase of the first identification portion M1 of the seal reinforcement member 16 and the second identification portion M2 of the stator 13 are aligned during assembly. This makes it easy to align the phase of the seal reinforcement member weight reduction portion 40 and the antenna portion 17a (Figure 30).

[0153] As shown in Figure 34, the sealing member 6 has an elastic body 26 fixed to the sealing reinforcing member 16. The elastic body 26 is made of rubber or the like and has a sealing body 27, a first lip portion 28 as a sealing lip, and a second lip portion 29. These sealing body 27 and the first and second lip portions 28 and 29 are integrally formed.

[0154] The seal body 27 has a main body portion 27a integrally molded with the seal reinforcing member 16, and a bulging portion 27b provided on the axial inner end of the seal reinforcing member 16 and a part of the outer circumference of the seal reinforcing member 16. The bulging portion 27b has a tightening allowance with respect to the outer diameter side cylindrical portion 19b of the stator body 19. In Figure 34, a part of the bulging portion 27b is shown as fitted into the outer diameter side cylindrical portion 19b, but the part of the bulging portion 27b is a tightening allowance. When the seal reinforcing member 16 is fitted into the outer diameter side cylindrical portion 19b of the stator body 19, the bulging portion 27b is elastically deformed and contacts the outer diameter side cylindrical portion 19b in a sealed state.

[0155] <Effects> The bearing device 1 shown in Figure 31, as described above, is equipped with a sealing member 6 that covers the sensing unit 7, the antenna unit 17a, and the power generation unit G. Therefore, it is possible to prevent grease inside the bearing from leaking to the outside of the bearing 2, and to further prevent foreign matter from entering the bearing. Since the sealing member 6 has an annular sealing reinforcement member 16, the overall rigidity of the sealing member can be increased compared to the conventional structure without a sealing reinforcement member. Therefore, even if the internal pressure of the bearing 2 changes or the axial clearance of the bearing 2 is displaced, the sealing performance is not impaired, and the sealing performance can be improved compared to the conventional structure.

[0156] Furthermore, since the annular seal reinforcing member 16 is provided in all parts except those facing the antenna portion 17a in the axial direction, it is possible to wirelessly transmit the output of the sensing unit 7 to the outside of the bearing 2 without blocking the radio waves of the antenna portion 17a. As shown in Figure 30, when assembling the bearing device 1, the seal reinforcing member 16 and the stator 13 to which the antenna portion 17a is fixed can be easily aligned so that the phases of the first identification portion M1 on the seal reinforcing member side and the second identification portion M2 on the stator side match, that is, without blocking the radio waves of the antenna portion 17a. In this case, the ease of assembly of the bearing device 1 can be improved compared to a structure in which the phase alignment means PM is not provided.

[0157] [Fifteenth Embodiment: Figures 37-39, First Identification Part on the Outer Surface of the Seal Material] Figure 37 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in Figure 38. As shown in Figures 37 and 38, in the fifteenth embodiment, the seal member 6 differs from the fourteenth embodiment in that the seal reinforcing member 16 is not exposed to the outside of the bearing device, and the seal reinforcing member 16 is covered with an elastic body 26 which is the seal material. The phase alignment means PM has a first identification part M1 provided on the seal member 6 and a second identification part M2 (Figure 38) provided on the stator 13.

[0158] In the aforementioned seal configuration, if an identification part such as a recess is provided on the seal end face on the outside of the bearing, the following problems arise. Although it is possible to visually confirm the recess during assembly, it is difficult to recognize the recess when performing image recognition of the recess using automated equipment, etc.

[0159] Therefore, in order to make it easier for automated machines to clearly detect the first identification part M1, in the 15th embodiment, as shown in Figure 38, the first identification part M1 is provided at a predetermined depth Dm (Figure 39) at a predetermined phase Deg on the outer surface of the elastic body 26, which is the sealing material, relative to the seal reinforcement member cutout 40, which is the part of the sealing member 6 that faces the antenna part 17a in the axial direction. Specifically, the first identification part M1 is an identification mark on the outer surface of the elastic body 26, which is the sealing material, where the elastic body 26 is removed in the shape of a circular hole to a depth (predetermined depth Dm) where the seal reinforcement member 16 is exposed, as shown in Figure 39.

[0160] As shown in Figure 38, the first identification portion M1 is provided at a phase Deg of, for example, 120 degrees relative to the circumferential intermediate portion P40 of the seal reinforcement member cutout portion 40. However, the phase Deg is not limited to 120 degrees. Furthermore, a second identification portion M2 is provided at a predetermined phase Deg in the stator 13 relative to the fixed position P17a of the antenna portion 17a. The second identification portion M2 is a notch provided in a part of the stator 13. Therefore, during assembly, the first identification portion M1 on the seal member 6 side and the second identification portion M2 on the stator 13 side are assembled to match in phase. This makes it easy to align the phases of the seal reinforcement member cutout portion 40 and the antenna portion 17a. In addition, it provides the same effects and advantages as the 14th embodiment.

[0161] [16th Embodiment: Figure 40, configuration in which a sealing member is fitted to the outer circumference of the inner ring] Conversely to the first and second embodiments, as shown in Figure 40, the inner ring 8 may be used as the fixed-side raceway, and the sealing member 6 may be fitted to the outer circumference of the inner ring 8. In this case, the outer ring 9 becomes the rotating-side raceway, and the first lip portion 28 of the sealing member 6 slides against the sealing lip sliding member 38 fitted to the stepped portion 9c of the outer ring 9.

[0162] The bearing device can also be configured as shown in Figures 31 and 37, for example, with the inner ring 8 as the fixed-side raceway and the outer ring 9 as the rotating-side raceway. Alternatively, the bearing device can be configured as shown in Figure 40, for example, with the outer ring 9 as the fixed-side raceway and the inner ring 8 as the rotating-side raceway. These bearing devices 1 are described below as reference examples.

[0163] A bearing device comprising: a bearing 2 having an inner ring 8 and an outer ring 9; a sensing unit 7; an antenna unit 17a that wirelessly transmits the output of the sensing unit 7 to the outside of the bearing 2; and a power generation unit G capable of supplying power to the sensing unit 7 and the antenna unit 17a, wherein the sensing unit 7, the antenna unit 17a, and the power generation unit G are built into one end of the bearing 2, and a sealing member 6 covering the sensing unit 7, the antenna unit 17a, and the power generation unit G is fixed to either the outer ring 9 or the inner ring 8, and the sealing member 6 has an annular sealing reinforcing member 16 in the portion excluding the portion facing the antenna unit 17a in the axial direction.

[0164] The first identification portion M1 provided on the seal reinforcement member 16 and the second identification portion M2 provided on the stator 13 may be, for example, laser marking or engraving. Of the first and second lip portions 28 and 29 of the seal member 6, the second lip portion 29 may be omitted. The magnetic ring 5 may be a so-called axial gap type power generation unit that faces the stator 13 across an axial gap.

[0165] [17th Embodiment] A bearing device according to the 17th embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 42 to 48.

[0166] As shown in Figure 46, the coil assembly 20 comprises an annular component 22 and a coil 23. In this embodiment, an annular bobbin with a U-shaped cross-section is used as the annular component 22. The coil 23 is wound around the circumferential groove of the bobbin. The base end, or root, of the coil 23 is fixed at a predetermined phase in the circumferential groove of the bobbin. The coil assembly 20 is supported inside the disc-shaped portion 21a, the outer diameter cylindrical portion 21b, and the inner diameter portion 21c of the stator component 21. The coil assembly 20 is also coaxially supported by the stator component 21.

[0167] <Regarding phase alignment between stator component and coil assembly> As shown in Figure 48, a first engagement portion 41 is provided on the bobbin, which is an annular component 22. Figure 43B is a partially enlarged view showing part IIB of Figure 43A, and Figure 43C is a partially enlarged view showing part IIC of Figure 43A. As shown in Figures 43A to 43C, the first engagement portion 41 on the bobbin engages with the first engaged portion 42 on the stator component 21, determining the phase between the stator component 21 and the coil assembly 20, and preventing the coil assembly 20 from rotating relative to the stator component 21.

[0168] When the fixed-side raceway is the outer ring 9 (Figure 43A), the first engaging portion 41 is a protrusion provided on the outer diameter portion of the annular component 22, as shown in Figure 48. Hereafter, the first engaging portion 41 may be referred to as the protrusion 41. The protrusion 41 is a projection that protrudes radially outward from other parts of the outer diameter portion of the annular component 22. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 43B and 43C, the first engaged portion 42 is a recess provided on the outer diameter side cylindrical portion 21b of the stator component 21, that is, a groove that extends a predetermined small distance in the circumferential direction on the outer diameter side cylindrical portion 21b. Hereafter, the first engaged portion 42 may be referred to as the recess 42. The protrusion 41 and the recess 42 are formed by machining or the like.

[0169] As shown in Figure 43A, the circumferential positions, or phases, of the protrusions 41 on the bobbin and the recesses 42 on the stator component 21 are provided at multiple locations that are equally spaced circumferentially. In this example, three protrusions 41 are provided on the outer diameter of the bobbin at 120-degree intervals in the circumferential direction.

[0170] However, the single protrusion 41 shown in Figure 43C is wider than the other two protrusions 41 shown in Figure 43B, etc., in order to determine the phase of the coil 23's withdrawal position P23. As shown in Figure 43A, the three recesses 42 in the stator component 21 are formed to have a circumferential width corresponding to the circumferential width of the protrusions 41 that they engage with. The radial heights of the three protrusions 41 are uniform and are set so as not to protrude outward beyond the outer circumferential surface 21ba of the outer diameter cylindrical portion 21b shown in Figure 48.

[0171] <Regarding the phase alignment between the stator body and stator components> The stator component 21, on which the coil assembly 20 is supported, is positioned and fixed to the stator body 19 at a predetermined phase. Specifically, the stator component 21 is provided with a second engaging portion 43, and the second engaging portion 43 engages with a second engaged portion 44 of the stator body 19. The second engaged portion 44 is provided at a predetermined phase with respect to the substrate fixing position on the stator body 19.

[0172] As shown in Figures 44 and 48, the second engaging portion 43 is a claw portion provided on the stator component 21. The second engaged portion 44 is a hole provided in the stator body 19. Hereafter, the second engaging portion 43 may be referred to as the claw portion 43, and the second engaged portion 44 may be referred to as the hole 44. The claw portion 43 is integrally formed on the outer diameter side cylindrical portion 21b (Figure 48) of the stator component 21 by machining or the like. The hole 44 is formed on the disc-shaped portion 19a of the stator body 19 by machining or the like. The circumferential positions, i.e., phases, of the claw portion 43 of the stator component 21 and the hole 44 of the stator body 19 are provided at multiple locations that are unequally distributed on the circumference. In this example, as shown in Figure 48, three claw portions 43 are provided at unequally distributed on the circumference at the axial tip edge of the outer diameter side cylindrical portion 21b of the stator component 21.

[0173] Each claw portion 43 protrudes axially more than other parts of the axial tip edge of the outer diameter cylindrical portion 21b. Furthermore, each hole 44 of the stator body 19 is a slit-shaped hole extending in the circumferential direction. When each claw portion 43 of the stator component 21 is engaged with the hole 44 of the stator body 19, each claw portion 43 is set so as to not protrude axially inward from the inner surface of the disc-shaped portion 19a, as shown in Figure 47.

[0174] As shown in Figure 43A, the lead portion 23a of the coil 23 drawn out from the stator 13 is electrically connected to a terminal Tm provided on the circuit board 15. The terminal Tm is electrically connected to the power supply circuit. By aligning the phases of the stator component 21 and the coil assembly 20, and the stator body 19 and the stator component 21, the phase between the position of the terminal Tm on the circuit board 15 fixed to the stator body 19 and the lead position P23 of the coil 23 supported by the stator component 21 is mechanically determined.

[0175] As the inner ring 8 rotates, the AC power output from the power generation unit G (Figure 42) is converted into DC power by the power supply circuit. The wireless communication circuit 17, which includes the temperature sensor, acceleration sensor, and antenna unit 17a, uses the DC power converted by the power supply circuit.

[0176] <Effects> The bearing device 1 shown in Figure 42 described above is equipped with a sealing member 6 that covers the sensing unit 7, the antenna unit 17a, and the power generation unit G. Therefore, it is possible to prevent grease inside the bearing from leaking to the outside of the bearing 2, and to further prevent foreign matter from entering the inside of the bearing. Since the sealing member 6 has an annular sealing reinforcing member 16, the overall rigidity of the sealing member can be increased compared to the conventional structure without a sealing reinforcing member. Therefore, even if the internal pressure of the bearing 2 changes or the axial clearance of the bearing 2 is displaced, the sealing performance is not impaired, and the sealing performance can be improved compared to the conventional structure.

[0177] Furthermore, since the annular seal reinforcing member 16 is provided in all parts except those facing the antenna portion 17a in the axial direction, it is possible to wirelessly transmit the output of the sensing unit 7 to the outside of the bearing 2 without blocking the radio waves of the antenna portion 17a.

[0178] When assembling the bearing device 1, as shown in Figure 48, the protruding portion 41 of the bobbin 22 is engaged with the recessed portion 42 of the stator component 21 (Figures 43B and 43C). Furthermore, the claw portion 43 of the stator component 21 is engaged with the hole 44 in the stator body 19. This configuration mechanically determines the phase between the substrate 15 fixed to the stator body 19 and the pulling position P23 of the coil 23 supported by the stator component 21, as shown in Figure 43A.

[0179] This configuration prevents unwanted phase misalignment between the stator body 19 and the stator components 21, and also allows for easy determination of the phase between the circuit board 15 and the coil 23's lead-out position P23. Therefore, it is possible to improve assembly efficiency and suppress the decrease in power generation performance compared to conventional structures.

[0180] A protrusion 41 can be integrally molded onto the outer diameter of the bobbin 22, and a recess 42 can be easily formed on a part of the stator component 21 by machining or the like. Therefore, it is possible to assemble the bobbin 22 in phase with the stator component 21 without adding any new parts. As shown in Figure 48, a claw portion 43 can be integrally molded onto a part of the stator component 21, and a hole 44 can be easily formed on a part of the stator body 19 by machining or the like. Therefore, it is possible to assemble the stator component 21 in phase with the stator body 19 without adding any new parts.

[0181] [Eighteenth Embodiment: Figure 49, configuration in which a sealing member is fitted to the outer circumference of the inner ring] Conversely to the seventeenth embodiment, as shown in Figure 49, the inner ring 8 may be used as the fixed-side raceway, and the sealing member 6 may be fitted to the outer circumference of the inner ring 8. In this case, the outer ring 9 becomes the rotating-side raceway, and the first lip portion 28 of the sealing member 6 slides against the sealing lip sliding member 38 fitted to the stepped portion 9c of the outer ring 9.

[0182] [Ninthest Embodiment: Figures 50-52, Air-Core Coil] The coil assembly is not limited to a configuration that includes a coil wound on a bobbin. As shown in Figure 50, for example, it may be a coil assembly 20 in which the coil 23 is solidified in an annular shape with a resin material 45 such as varnish. In this case, the resin material 45 corresponds to the "annular part".

[0183] <Regarding phase alignment between stator components and coil assembly> Figure 51 is a cross-sectional view taken along line X-X in Figure 52, and Figure 52 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the stator body, etc. As shown in Figures 51 and 52, a rectangular protrusion (first engaging portion) 41 is provided on a part of the circumferential direction of the outer surface of the resin material 45 (Figure 50). The lead-out portion 23a of the coil 23 (Figure 50) protrudes from the outer surface of the protrusion 41 and is electrically connected to a terminal provided on a substrate (not shown).

[0184] As shown in Figure 50, the outer diameter cylindrical portion 21b of the stator component 21 is provided with a recess (first engaged portion) 42 into which the convex portion 41 engages. The recess 42 is a rectangular hole-shaped notch into which the rectangular convex portion 41 engages. By engaging the rectangular convex portion 41 with this rectangular hole-shaped notch, the phase alignment between the stator component 21 and the coil assembly 20 can be easily and reliably performed. The phase alignment between the stator body 19 and the stator component 21 is configured the same as in the first embodiment. With this configuration, the number of parts can be reduced and the structure simplified compared to the first embodiment which has a bobbin, thereby reducing manufacturing costs. In addition, it provides the same effects as in the first embodiment.

[0185] [Embodiment 17: Unequal Distribution on the Circumferential Direction] In the seventeenth embodiment, as shown in Figure 43A, the circumferential positions, i.e., phases, of the convex portion 41 of the bobbin 22 and the recessed portion 42 of the stator component 21 are provided at multiple locations where they are equally distributed on the circumference. However, it is not limited to the said equal distribution on the circumference. The circumferential positions, i.e., phases, of the convex portion 41 of the bobbin 22 and the recessed portion 42 of the stator component 21 are provided at multiple locations, and the circumferential positions at multiple locations may be unequally distributed on the circumference. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 44, the circumferential positions, i.e., phases, of the claw portion 43 of the stator component 21 and the hole 44 of the stator body 19 are provided at multiple locations, and the circumferential positions at multiple locations may be unequally distributed on the circumference.

[0186] In this case, assembly errors can be prevented by reducing the number of combinations when engaging the protruding part of the bobbin with the recessed part of the stator component 21. Furthermore, assembly errors can be prevented by reducing the number of combinations when engaging the claw part 43 of the stator component 21 with the hole 44 of the stator body 19.

[0187] Regarding the number of protrusions on the bobbin, if we only consider preventing the coil assembly from rotating relative to the stator component, at least one is sufficient. However, if two or more protrusions are provided, it becomes difficult to clearly determine the phase of the coil's lead-out position. In this case, the circumferential width of the protrusion should be varied to determine the phase of the coil's lead-out position. Also, in the 17th embodiment, as shown in Figure 44, there are three holes 44 in the stator body 19 and three claws 43 in the stator component 21, but at least one is sufficient to determine the phase.

[0188] The bearing device can also be configured as shown in Figure 42, for example, with the inner ring 8 as the fixed-side raceway and the outer ring 9 as the rotating-side raceway. Alternatively, the bearing device can be configured as shown in Figure 49, for example, with the outer ring 9 as the fixed-side raceway and the inner ring 8 as the rotating-side raceway. These bearing devices 1 are described below as reference examples.

[0189] A bearing device comprising a bearing 2 having an inner ring 8 and an outer ring 9, a sensing unit 7, a substrate 15 supporting the sensing unit 7, and a power generation unit G capable of supplying power to the sensing unit 7, wherein the sensing unit 7, the substrate 15, and the power generation unit G are built into one end of the bearing 2, and the power generation unit G comprises a stator 13 supported by one of the raceways of the inner ring 8 and the outer ring 9, and a magnetic ring 5 supported by the other raceway and facing the stator 13 with a gap δ1 between them, wherein the stator 13 includes a stator body 19 to which the substrate 15 is fixed, and a stator component 21 supporting a coil assembly 20 including a coil 23 wound around an annular component 22, wherein the annular component 22 is provided with a first engaging portion 41, and the first engaging portion 41 engages with a first engaged portion 42 of the stator component 21, and A bearing device in which a second engaging portion 43 is provided on the stator component 21, the second engaging portion 43 engages with a second engaged portion 44 of the stator body 19, and the second engaged portion 44 is provided at a predetermined phase with respect to the substrate fixing position on the stator body 19.

[0190] As an air-core coil, the coil assembly 20 may be constructed by winding a fusion-compatible coil 23 in a ring shape and fusing it. Of the first and second lip portions 28 and 29 of the sealing member 6, the second lip portion 29 may be omitted. As a reference example, the magnetic ring 5 may be a so-called axial-gap type power generation unit that faces the stator 13 across an axial gap.

[0191] As described above, preferred embodiments have been explained with reference to the drawings, but various additions, modifications, and deletions are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, such additions and deletions are also included within the scope of the present invention.

[0192] 1...Bearing device 2...Bearing 3...O-ring (annular seal part) 4...Sensing part assembly 5...Magnetic ring 6, 6A, 6B...Sealing member 7...Sensing part 8...Inner ring (rotating side raceway, stationary side raceway) 9...Outer ring (stationary side raceway, rotating side raceway) 9c...First stepped part 13...Stator 14...Insulating member 15...Substrate 15a...Hole 16, 16A...Core metal part 17a...Antenna part 19...Stator body 20...Coil assembly 21...Stator part 22...Bobbin (annular part) 23...Coil 26...Elastic body 28...First lip part 28a...Axial lip 28b...Radial lip 29...Second lip part 31...Vertical plate part 33...Elastic member 35...Engaging part 35a...Large diameter protrusion 35b... Small diameter protrusion 36... Engaged part 38... Seal lip sliding member 38a... Cylindrical part 38b... Upright plate part 41... Protrusion (first engaging part) 42... Recess (first engaged part) 43... Claw part (second engaging part) 44... Hole (second engaged part) 45... Resin material (ring part) G... Power generation part RP... Fixing part

Claims

1. A bearing device comprising a bearing and a sensing unit and a power generation unit capable of supplying power to the sensing unit, wherein a sealing member covering the sensing unit and the power generation unit is fitted to the circumferential surface of the fixed-side raceway ring of the bearing.

2. The bearing device according to claim 1, wherein the power generation unit comprises a stator supported by the fixed-side raceway and a magnetic ring supported by the rotating-side raceway in the bearing and facing the stator with a gap between them, and the sealing member comprises an annular first lip portion that slides on the circumferential surface of the rotating-side raceway and an annular second lip portion that contacts the stator.

3. A bearing device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein an antenna unit for wirelessly transmitting the output of the sensing unit to the outside of the bearing is built into the bearing, the sealing member has a core metal portion fitted to the circumferential surface of the fixed-side raceway ring and an elastic body fixed to the core metal portion, and when the fixed-side raceway ring is an outer ring, the inner diameter of the core metal portion is larger than the outer diameter of the antenna unit.

4. A bearing device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the stator of the power generation unit is fitted onto the circumferential surface of the fixed-side raceway ring, and an annular seal portion is provided at the fitting portion between the stator and the circumferential surface of the fixed-side raceway ring.

5. A bearing device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the specified internal bearing specifications are changed to obtain a specified bearing size.

6. A bearing device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein, when the fixed-side raceway is an outer ring, the fitting portion of the sealing member is fitted and fixed to the outer circumferential surface of the outer ring.

7. A bearing device according to claim 6, wherein the fitting portion between the seal member and the outer circumferential surface of the outer ring is provided with an annular seal portion separate from the seal member.

8. A bearing device according to claim 6, wherein the sealing member includes a core metal portion fitted to the outer circumferential surface of the outer ring and an elastic body fixed to the core metal portion, the core metal portion having a vertical plate portion that abuts against the end face of the outer ring, and the elastic body being fixed to the inner diameter side portion of the vertical plate portion and provided on an inner diameter side of the inner circumferential surface of the outer ring.

9. A bearing device according to claim 6, wherein the sealing member includes a core metal portion fitted to the outer circumferential surface of the outer ring, and the fitting portion between the core metal portion and the outer circumferential surface of the outer ring is provided with an elastic member integrally molded with the core metal portion.

10. A bearing device according to claim 1 or claim 2, comprising an annular fixing part that maintains the phase of the stator in the power generation section and to which the stator and the sensing section are fixed, and a sensing section assembly including the stator and the sensing section, wherein one end of the fixed-side raceway is provided with an annular stepped portion that restricts the axial position of the fixing part and houses the sensing section assembly within the bearing.

11. A bearing device according to claim 10, wherein the stator is provided with an engaged portion that engages with an engaging portion provided on the fixed component.

12. A bearing device according to claim 10, wherein the fixed component is a resin component insert-molded into the stator.

13. A bearing device according to claim 11, wherein the sensing unit assembly includes a substrate on which the sensing unit is supported, and the engaging portion of the fixed component has a configuration in which a large diameter and a small diameter protrusion are superimposed in the axial direction, the large diameter protrusion is inserted through a through hole which is the engaged portion of the stator, and the small diameter protrusion is fitted into a hole provided in the substrate.

14. A bearing device according to claim 13, wherein the large-diameter protrusion has an axial height greater than or equal to the thickness of the stator, and the small-diameter protrusion has an axial height greater than or equal to the thickness of the substrate.

15. A bearing device according to claim 14, wherein an insulating member is provided in the gap between the substrate and the stator, and the substrate is fixed to the stator via the insulating member.

16. A bearing device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein a contact-type sealing member covering the power generation unit is fixed to the fixed-side raceway of the bearing, the power generation unit comprises a stator supported by the fixed-side raceway and a magnetic ring supported by the rotating-side raceway of the bearing and facing the stator with a gap between them, and the rotating-side raceway is provided with a sealing lip sliding member that slides the sealing lip of the sealing member and prevents magnetic leakage from the magnetic ring.

17. A bearing device according to claim 16, wherein a sensing unit supplied with power by the power generation unit is built into one end of the bearing, and the sealing member covers the sensing unit together with the power generation unit.

18. A bearing device according to claim 16, wherein the seal lip sliding member is made of a non-magnetic material.

19. The bearing device according to claim 16, wherein the seal lip sliding member is formed in an L-shape in cross-section by a cylindrical portion fitted to the circumferential surface of the rotating raceway ring and a vertical plate portion extending radially from one axial end of the cylindrical portion, and the seal lip has a radial lip that slides on the cylindrical portion and an axial lip that slides on the vertical plate portion.

20. In the bearing device according to claim 19, the outer diameter H of the vertical plate portion satisfies the following relationship: Outer diameter of magnetic ring ≤ H < (Inner diameter of stator - Maximum radial clearance of bearing) 21. A bearing device according to claim 1 or claim 2, comprising: an antenna unit that wirelessly transmits the output of the sensing unit to the outside of the bearing; and a power generation unit capable of supplying power to the sensing unit and the antenna unit, wherein the sensing unit, the antenna unit and the power generation unit are built into the bearing; a sealing member covering the sensing unit, the antenna unit and the power generation unit is fixed to the fixed-side raceway of the bearing; and the sealing member has an annular sealing reinforcing member in the portion excluding the portion facing the antenna unit in the axial direction.

22. The bearing device according to claim 21, wherein the power generation unit has a stator supported by the fixed-side raceway ring and a magnetic ring supported by the rotating-side raceway ring of the bearing and facing the stator with a radial gap between them, the antenna unit is fixed to the stator, and the bearing device is equipped with phase alignment means that can assemble the seal reinforcing member and the stator in a predetermined phase.

23. The bearing device according to claim 22, wherein the seal member has a seal configuration in which the outer surface of the seal reinforcing member is exposed, the phase alignment means has a first identification portion provided on the seal reinforcing member and a second identification portion provided on the stator, the first identification portion is provided at a predetermined phase on the outer surface of the seal reinforcing member with respect to the seal reinforcing member cutout portion which is a portion of the seal member that faces the antenna portion in the axial direction, and the second identification portion is provided at a predetermined phase on the stator with respect to the fixed position of the antenna portion.

24. The bearing device according to claim 22, wherein the seal member has a seal configuration in which the seal reinforcing member is covered with a seal material, the phase alignment means has a first identification portion provided on the seal member and a second identification portion provided on the stator, the first identification portion is provided to a predetermined depth at a predetermined phase on the outer surface of the seal material with respect to the seal reinforcing member cutout portion which is a portion of the seal member that faces the antenna portion in the axial direction, and the second identification portion is provided at a predetermined phase on the stator with respect to the fixed position of the antenna portion.

25. A bearing device according to claim 23, wherein the second identification portion is a notch provided in a part of the stator.

26. A bearing device according to claim 1 or claim 2, comprising a substrate supporting the sensing unit, wherein the sensing unit, the substrate, and the power generation unit are built into the bearing, the power generation unit having a stator supported on the fixed-side raceway of the bearing and a magnetic ring supported on the rotating-side raceway of the bearing and facing the stator with a radial gap between them, the stator comprising a stator body to which the substrate is fixed and a stator component supporting a coil assembly including a coil wound around an annular component, the annular component being provided with a first engaging portion, the first engaging portion engaging with a first engaged portion of the stator component, and the stator component being provided with a second engaging portion, the second engaging portion engaging with a second engaged portion of the stator body, the second engaged portion being positioned at a predetermined phase with respect to the substrate fixing position on the stator body.

27. A bearing device according to claim 26, wherein, when the fixed-side raceway ring is an outer ring, the first engaging portion is a protrusion provided on the outer diameter portion of the annular component, and the first engaged portion is a recess provided on the stator component.

28. A bearing device according to claim 26, wherein the second engaging portion is a claw portion provided on the stator component, and the second engaged portion is a hole provided on the stator body.

29. A bearing device according to claim 26, wherein, when there are multiple locations where the phases of the first engaging portion and the first engaged portion, and the phases of the second engaging portion and the second engaged portion are provided, the respective phases are unequally distributed around the circumference.

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