Bearing assembly with sensors for monitoring loads

A bearing assembly for facilitating rotation about an axis and the monitoring of bearing loads, said bearing assembly comprising:

• an inner race having first and second inner raceways presented outwardly away from the axis;
• a housing surrounding the inner race and having first and second raceways presented inwardly toward and surrounding the first and second inner raceways, respectively;
• first rolling elements arranged in a row between and contacting the first raceways and second rolling elements arranged in a row between and contacting the second raceways, whereby the inner race will rotate with minimal friction in the outer races and the rolling elements will roll along the raceways;
• first sensors located around the housing radially outwardly from the first outer raceway to detect strains in the housing outwardly from the first outer raceway;
• second sensors located around the housing radially outwardly from the second outer raceway to detect strains on the housing outwardly from the second outer raceway;
• and
• the at least four sensors being located on the housing such as to provide a series of signals, the series of signals being capable of providing information allowing the calculating of loads for at least four degrees of freedom.

A bearing assembly for facilitating rotation about an axis and the monitoring of loads;

• said bearing assembly comprising:
• an inner race having first and second inner raceways presented outwardly away from the axis;
• a housing surrounding the inner race and having first and second raceways presented inwardly toward and surrounding the first and second inner raceways, respectively;
• first rolling elements arranged in a row between and contacting the first raceways and second rolling elements arranged in another row between and contacting the second raceways, whereby the inner race will rotate with minimal friction in the outer race and the rolling elements will roll along the raceways;
• and
• sensors attached to the housing outwardly from the outer raceways to detect strains in the housing, each sensor having an axis along which it is sensitive to dimensional changes, some of the sensors being oriented with their axes extended in the circumferential direction to detect strains in that direction, and others of the sensors being oriented with their axis oblique to the circumferential direction to detect oblique strains, the sensors being located on the housing such as to provide a series of signals, the series of signals being capable of providing information allowing the calculating of loads for at least four degrees of freedom.

A method of evaluating the conditions that exist at a tire contact patch between a tire of a road wheel and a road surface, comprising the following steps:

• a. attaching a road wheel to a hub having a spindle that rotates about an axis and in a housing that is attached to a suspension system component of an automotive vehicle, the spindle having first and second inner raceways on it, with the raceways being presented outwardly away from the axis and inclined in opposite directions with respect to the axis, the housing having first and second outer raceways that surround the first and second inner raceways, respectively, there being first rolling elements located in a row between the second raceways, so that when rotation is imparted to the wheel, the first and second rolling elements will roll along the first and second raceways, respectively;
• b. monitoring the strains in the housing at multiple locations;
• c. measuring strains in the housing at multiple locations;
• d. emitting signals related to the strains measured;
• and
• e. calculating the loads for five degrees of freedom, said calculations being made based on the strains measured.