Sensor Bearing Unit Wire Carrier and Sleeve Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wire management in sensor bearing units, particularly in fiber optical sensing applications, is inefficient due to exposure to damage during assembly and inadequate protection against bending and shock, leading to wire damage and assembly challenges.
Innovation Solution
A sensor bearing unit comprising stacked bearings with a sleeve and annular flange, a wire carrier, and fastening elements that prevent axial movement and guide wires within a controlled bending radius, ensuring protection and easy assembly by maintaining the wire and connectors as a unit during transport and assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If wires are stored along the bearing by creating a strand, then wire management is simplified, but the wire is exposed to damages and bending radius requirements cannot be guaranteed
Solution Approach 1:
The wire is nested inside a protective sleeve that is integrated with the bearing structure. The sleeve acts as a protective channel that guides the wire from the bearing to the connector, preventing the wire from being exposed to external damages while maintaining organized wire management.
Solution Approach 2:
A protective sleeve is introduced as an intermediary element between the wire and the external environment. This sleeve mediates the conflict by providing mechanical protection and maintaining the required bending radius, allowing the wire to be managed efficiently without direct exposure to damaging conditions.
2Productivity
If the bearing unit is designed for easy assembly, then assembly time is reduced, but wire protection during assembly may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The wire is pre-installed inside the protective sleeve during bearing manufacturing, before the bearing reaches the assembly stage. This preliminary action ensures the wire is already protected when the bearing is assembled onto the shaft, eliminating the need for delicate wire handling during assembly and maintaining both assembly speed and wire protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The wire-nested-sleeve assembly is integrated into the bearing structure as a single unit. This nesting allows the protected wire assembly to be handled and assembled together with the bearing, simplifying the assembly process while maintaining wire protection throughout the assembly operation.
3Ease of operation
If the wire is made accessible for connection, then connectivity is improved, but the wire becomes vulnerable to unwinding and damage
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is extracted as a separate component that can be independently attached to the wire end. The wire remains nested and protected within the sleeve for most of its length, while only the terminal portion is accessible for connector attachment. This separation allows easy connectivity while maintaining wire stability and protection throughout the bearing assembly.
Data Source
AI summary
Sensor bearing unit providing at least two bearings stacked one relative to the other and each having an inner ring and an outer ring, the sensor bearing unit having a sleeve radially surrounding the bearings and having a radial projection in axial contact with one of the bearings, an annular flange having a radial portion in axial contact with the other bearing and an axial portion radially surrounding the sleeve and connected to the sleeve, and a wire carrier configured to support at least one wire and at least one connector, the wire carrier includes at least one fastening element mounted on the bearing.