US 6,286,374 B1Granted

Preload measuring apparatus of rolling bearing

AssigneeNsk Ltd.

InventorsHiroyuki Kudo, Takashi Maeda, Nobuo Iwatani, Hiroshi Shibazaki

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Abstract

A preload measuring apparatus to measure the preload of a rolling bearing that includes a bearing support, a pressurization device, an excitation device, a vibration sensor, and a control section. The bearing support supports a rolling bearing by supporting both ends of a shaft inserted into an inner ring of the rolling bearing. The pressurization device loads a predetermined weight in the axial direction onto the rolling bearing. The excitation device applies vibration onto the rolling bearing by the drive of the piezoelectric elements. The vibration sensor detects the vibration generated on the rolling bearing by the vibration application of the excitation device. The control section operates the excitation device in the situation that the pressurization device presses the rolling bearing, and obtains the resonance frequency by the output signal from the vibration sensor and calculates the preload of the rolling bearing according to the obtained resonance frequency before the predetermined weight as loaded.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A preload measuring apparatus for measuring a preload of a rolling bearing which includes an inner race member, an outer race member, and a plurality of rolling elements rotatably interposed between said inner race member and said outer race member, said preload measuring apparatus comprising:

a bearing support member supporting both ends of said inner race member in the axial direction of said rolling bearing;
a pressurization member loading a predetermined load to one of said both ends of said inner race member in the axial direction through said bearing support member;
an excitation member applying a vibration to said inner race member in the axial direction while said predetermined load is loaded on said inner race member by said pressurization member;
a vibration sensor detecting a vibration which is generated on said outer race member and is caused by the vibration of said inner race member;
and
a controller capable of calculating a resonance frequency of said rolling bearing through an output signal of said vibration sensor and also calculating a true preload of said rolling bearing in accordance with the thus calculated resonance frequency, said true preload defining a preload of said rolling bearing before the predetermined load is loaded on said inner race member.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.