PCB Sensor Bearing Assembly for Vacuum-Tight Pump Replacement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bearing solutions in vacuum pumps, particularly turbomolecular pumps, face issues with performance deterioration and contamination due to the integration of temperature sensors, and the removal and replacement of bearings compromise vacuum tightness.
Innovation Solution
A bearing equipped with a printed circuit board fitted onto a stationary component, allowing sensors to be pre-assembled separately, and an electrical connection system that simplifies installation and removal without direct connection to the bearing, ensuring easy replacement and maintaining vacuum integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If temperature sensors are integrated directly into the bearing, then bearing condition monitoring is enabled, but bearing performance deteriorates and contamination risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing system is divided into separate functional components: the bearing itself and the sensor system. The temperature sensor is mounted on a printed circuit board that is attached to the bearing housing or support structure, rather than being integrated into the bearing races or rolling elements. This segmentation allows the bearing to maintain its original performance characteristics while the sensor board provides monitoring capability.
Solution Approach 2:
A printed circuit board serves as an intermediary carrier for the temperature sensor. The PCB is mounted on the bearing support structure and provides both mechanical support for the sensor and electrical connection pathways. This intermediary approach allows sensor integration without direct contact between sensor components and bearing surfaces, preventing performance deterioration and contamination.
2Ease of repair
If bearing is removed and replaced, then bearing maintenance is enabled, but vacuum tightness is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing assembly is segmented into a bearing unit and a sensor unit. The bearing can be removed and replaced independently through a vacuum-compatible interface, while the sensor remains mounted on the stationary housing. This allows bearing maintenance without compromising the vacuum seal, as the sensor board and its connections remain outside the vacuum chamber or are designed to maintain seals during bearing replacement.
Solution Approach 2:
The temperature sensor and its printed circuit board are pre-mounted on the bearing support structure before vacuum operation begins. This preliminary installation ensures that the sensor system is already in place and configured, allowing the bearing to be replaced without disturbing the sensor mounting. The pre-established sensor connections eliminate the need to breach vacuum seals during bearing replacement procedures.
3Ease of manufacture
If sensors are pre-assembled on printed circuit board, then sensor integration is simplified, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple sensor functions are merged onto a single printed circuit board. The PCB integrates the temperature sensor, its mounting structure, electrical connections, and signal processing elements into one consolidated unit. This merging simplifies the manufacturing process by allowing the entire sensor assembly to be produced as a single module that can be attached to the bearing support, rather than assembling multiple separate components during bearing manufacturing.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates a bearing (11; 31; 71). According to an aspect of the invention the bearing allows to improve accurate monitoring of the bearing conditions and includes a printed circuit board (15), which is fitted to the bearing and on which one or more sensors (17) are preassembled. According to a further aspect of the invention the bearing allows to facilitate removal and replacement operations and includes a first electrical cable (45) and a second electrical cable (49) removably connected to each other. Said bearing is particularly suitable for applications to rotary vacuum pumps, especially turbomolecular pumps, in which the bearing is under vacuum conditions and the rotating shaft rotates at very high speed, so that high precision in the design and operation of the bearing is required and risks of contamination and/or of losing vacuum tightness must be carefully avoided.