# US 12,768,764 B2 · Abnormality determination device, conductive particle detecting device, and abnormality determination method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,768,764 B2 - Document ID: US12768764B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/686,217 - Filed: 2022-07-20 - Published: 2024-10-24 - Granted: 2026-10-20 - Earliest claimed: 2021-09-28 - Assignees: Nabtesco Corporation - Applicants: Nabtesco Corporation - Inventors: Kazuhiko Sakurai; Masaki Harada - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12768764B2 ## CPC - G01N 15/0656: {using electric, e.g. electrostatic methods or magnetic methods (by investigating individual particles G01N15/1031, G01N15/12)} - G01N 33/2858: {Metal particles} - G01N 33/2888: {Lubricating oil characteristics, e.g. deterioration (lubricating properties G01N33/30)} - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) ## Abstract An abnormality determination device of the disclosure includes: an acquisition unit (601) acquiring an electrical resistance value between electrodes in a non-conductive lubricant used for lubrication of a mechanical device, the electrodes being spaced apart from each other in the lubricant; an abnormality determining unit (602) determining whether there is an abnormality in the mechanical device based on a number of times the resistance value acquired by the acquisition unit falls below a threshold; and an output unit (603) outputting a result of the determination by the abnormality determining unit. The acquiring unit acquires the electrical resistance between the electrodes that varies depending on conductive particles collected by magnetic force in the lubricant. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An abnormality determination device, comprising: an acquisition unit acquiring an electrical resistance value between electrodes in a non-conductive lubricant used for lubrication of a mechanical device, the electrodes being spaced apart from each other in the lubricant; an abnormality determining unit determining whether there is an abnormality in the mechanical device based on a number of times the electrical resistance value acquired by the acquisition unit falls below a threshold; and an output unit outputting a result of a determination by the abnormality determining unit, wherein the acquisition unit acquires the electrical resistance value between the electrodes that varies depending on conductive particles collected by magnetic force in the lubricant, wherein the acquisition unit acquires electrical resistance values between two or more pairs of electrodes in different combinations, and wherein the abnormality determining unit determines whether there is an abnormality in the mechanical device based on the number of times the electrical resistance values have fallen below the threshold. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The abnormality determination device of claim 1, wherein the abnormality determining unit determines whether there is an abnormality in the mechanical device based on a sum of the number of times each of the electrical resistance values has fallen below the threshold. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The abnormality determination device of claim 1, wherein the abnormality determining unit determines a state of the abnormality including a failure state indicating a failure of the mechanical device and a warning state before the failure state, and wherein the output unit outputs information indicating either the failure state or the warning state. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The abnormality determination device of claim 1, wherein the threshold is a value that can be changed depending on a size of the mechanical device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The abnormality determination device of claim 1, wherein the threshold is a value that can be changed depending on at least one of viscosity or insulation properties of the lubricant. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The abnormality determination device of claim 1, wherein the number of times is a value that can be changed depending on a size of the mechanical device. ### Claim 7 A conductive particle detecting device, comprising: electrodes in a non-conductive lubricant used for lubrication of a mechanical device, the electrodes being spaced apart from each other in the lubricant; an acquisition unit acquiring an electrical resistance value between the electrodes that varies depending on conductive particles collected by magnetic force in the lubricant; an abnormality determining unit determining whether there is an abnormality in the mechanical device based on a number of times the electrical resistance value acquired by the acquisition unit falls below a threshold; and an output unit outputting a result of a determination by the abnormality determining unit, wherein the acquisition unit acquires electrical resistance values between two or more pairs of electrodes in different combinations, and wherein the abnormality determining unit determines whether there is an abnormality in the mechanical device based on the number of times the electrical resistance values have fallen below the threshold. ### Claim 8 An abnormality determination method performed by a computer used to control an abnormality determination device, the method comprising: controlling an acquisition unit of the device to acquire an electrical resistance value between electrodes in a non-conductive lubricant used for lubrication of a mechanical device, the electrodes being spaced apart from each other in the lubricant; controlling a determination unit of the device to determine whether there is an abnormality in the mechanical device based on a number of times the electrical resistance value acquired by the acquisition unit falls below a threshold; and controlling an output unit of the device to output a result of a determination made by the determination unit, wherein the acquisition unit acquires the electrical resistance value between the electrodes that varies depending on conductive particles collected by magnetic force in the lubricant, wherein the acquisition unit acquires electrical resistance values between two or more pairs of electrodes in different combinations, and wherein the determination unit determines whether there is an abnormality in the mechanical device based on the number of times the electrical resistance values have fallen below the threshold.