Lubricant Sensor with Rotatable Optical Gap for Contaminant Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lubricant deterioration sensors cannot immediately specify the kinds and amounts of contaminants within a machine's lubricant, requiring drainage and filtration, which lacks immediacy and accuracy.
Innovation Solution
A lubricant deterioration sensor with a light emitting element, color light reception element, gap forming member, and supporting member that allows for adjustable orientation of the oil gap, enabling immediate detection of contaminant colors within the lubricant by emitting white light and using RGB sensors, with a miniaturized configuration that reduces component count and improves detection accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If lubricant is drained and filtered by a membrane filter to specify contaminant kinds, then contaminant identification is possible, but immediacy is lost due to the complex drainage and filtration process
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts only the necessary function of contaminant detection from the complex drainage and filtration process. By using a light emitting element and color light reception element that directly detect contaminant color in the lubricant, it eliminates the time-consuming drainage and membrane filtration steps while retaining the essential contaminant identification capability
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the mechanical drainage and filtration system with an optical detection system. Instead of physically draining and filtering the lubricant through membrane filters, the system uses light emission and color reception elements to optically detect contaminant characteristics, significantly reducing detection time while maintaining identification accuracy
2Device complexity
If a straight optical path configuration is used, then the structure is simple, but the sensor size cannot be miniaturized
Solution Approach 1:
The invention transitions from a one-dimensional straight optical path to a two-dimensional folded optical path using reflection. By introducing a reflection surface that bends the light path at approximately 90 degrees, the system achieves compact miniaturization while maintaining the essential optical detection function, effectively utilizing spatial dimensions to reduce overall sensor volume
3Device complexity
If the supporting member is fixed in a specific orientation, then the structure is simple, but adaptability to different detection positions is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces rotational capability to the supporting member, transforming it from a static fixed-orientation component to a dynamic adjustable component. The supporting member can rotate relative to the housing around a rotation axis, allowing the oil gap to be oriented in different directions to adapt to various detection positions and lubricant flow directions, while the rotation preventing member maintains structural stability when adjustment is complete
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables immediate and accurate specification of contaminant types and amounts within the lubricant, enhancing predictive maintenance for industrial robots by improving detection accuracy and reducing component complexity.
Implementation Method 1
a color light reception element configured to receive the light emitted from the light emitting element and detect color of the received light
Data Source
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AI summary
A lubricant deterioration sensor, which is installed in a machine and detects deterioration of lubricant of the machine, is provided. A gap forming member forming an oil gap in which the lubricant enters, is provided. A supporting member, which supports a light emitting element, a color light reception element and the gap forming member, is provided. A fixing member to be fixed to the machine is provided. The gap forming member transmits light emitted from the light emitting element. The oil gap is disposed on an optical path from the light emitting element to the color light reception element. The fixing member supports the supporting member so as to be rotatable so that the direction of the opening of the oil gap changes when the supporting member rotates.