# US 9,753,456 B2 · Device for detecting decrease in rotational speed of cooling fan of machine tool

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- Number: US 9,753,456 B2
- Document ID: US9753456B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/012,187
- Filed: 2016-02-01
- Published: 2016-08-04
- Granted: 2017-09-05
- Earliest claimed: 2015-02-02
- Assignees: Fanuc Corporation
- Applicants: FANUC Corporation
- Inventors: Yoshinori Hoshino; Taisei Fujimoto
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9753456B2

## CPC

- G05B 23/0289: {Reconfiguration to prevent failure, e.g. usually as a reaction to incipient failure detection}
- G05B 19/4062: Monitoring servoloop, e.g. overload of servomotor, loss of feedback or reference
- H02P 29/10: for preventing overspeed or under speed
- B23Q 11/126: {for cooling only}
- G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G)
- H02P: CONTROL OR REGULATION OF ELECTRIC MOTORS, ELECTRIC GENERATORS OR DYNAMO-ELECTRIC CONVERTERS; CONTROLLING TRANSFORMERS, REACTORS OR CHOKE COILS
- B23Q: DETAILS, COMPONENTS, OR ACCESSORIES FOR MACHINE TOOLS, e.g. ARRANGEMENTS FOR COPYING OR CONTROLLING (tools of the kind used in lathes or boring machines B23B27/00); MACHINE TOOLS IN GENERAL CHARACTERISED BY THE CONSTRUCTION OF PARTICULAR DETAILS OR COMPONENTS; COMBINATIONS OR ASSOCIATIONS OF METAL-WORKING MACHINES, NOT DIRECTED TO A PARTICULAR RESULT

## Abstract

A machine tool including a cooling fan measures an input power source voltage to the machine tool and an input current to the cooling fan. If the measured current value is outside a predetermined current value range corresponding to the measured voltage value, the machine determines that the rotational speed of the cooling fan has decreased.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A machine tool including a cooling fan, the machine tool comprising:
a user interface unit configured to give a notice of a state of the machine tool;
a current measuring unit configured to measure an input current to the cooling fan;
a voltage measuring unit configured to measure an input power source voltage to the machine tool;
a first storage unit storing a threshold of the input current corresponding to the input power source voltage, the first storage unit storing a plurality of voltage values stored in an ascending order; and
a rotation-reduction determining unit configured
to acquire, based on a measured current value measured by the current measuring unit and a measured voltage value measured by the voltage measuring unit, a threshold of the input current associated with the measured voltage value, from the first storage unit, and
to output information indicating reduction in a rotational speed of the cooling fan to the user interface unit when the measured current value exceeds the acquired threshold of the input current.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The machine tool according to claim 1, wherein the first storage unit further stores, as the threshold, a consumption current range within which the reduction in the rotational speed of the cooling fan is not occurring.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The machine tool according to claim 1, wherein
each voltage value among the plurality of voltage values is associated with a consumption current range which is stored in the first storage unit as the threshold and within which the reduction in the rotational speed of the cooling fan is not occurring under application of the associated voltage value.

### Claim 4

A machine tool including a cooling fan, the machine tool comprising:
a user interface unit configured to give a notice of a state of the machine tool;
a current measuring unit configured to measure an input current to the cooling fan;
a voltage measuring unit configured to measure an input power source voltage to the machine tool;
a second storage unit storing a rotational speed reduction rate of the cooling fan associated with each combination of the input current and the input power source voltage wherein
the second storage unit stores
a plurality of voltage values sorted in an ascending order, and
a plurality of current values sorted in an ascending order;
a rotational speed estimating unit configured
to estimate a rotational speed reduction rate of the cooling fan, based on a measured current value measured by the current measuring unit and a measured voltage value measured by the voltage measuring unit, and
to output the estimated rotational speed reduction rate of the cooling fan to the user interface unit.

### Claim 5

A cooling device configured to cool a machine including a cooling fan, the cooling device comprising:
a current measuring unit configured to measure an input current to the cooling fan;
a voltage measuring unit configured to measure an input power source voltage to the cooling fan;
a second storage unit storing a rotational speed reduction rate of the cooling fan associated with each combination of the input current and the input power source voltage, wherein
the second storage unit stores
a plurality of voltage values sorted in an ascending order,
a plurality of current values sorted in an ascending order;
a rotational speed estimating unit configured
to estimate a rotational speed reduction rate of the cooling fan, based on a measured current value measured by the current measuring unit and a measured voltage value measured by the voltage measuring unit, and
to output the estimated rotational speed reduction rate of the cooling fan.

### Claim 6

A cooling device configured to cool a machine including a cooling fan, the cooling device comprising:
a current measuring unit configured to measure an input current to the cooling fan;
a voltage measuring unit configured to measure an input power source voltage to the cooling fan;
a first storage unit storing a threshold of the input current corresponding to the input power source voltage, the first storing unit storing a plurality of voltage values stored in an ascending order; and
a rotation-reduction determining unit configured
to acquire, based on a measured current value measured by the current measuring unit and a measured voltage value measured by the voltage measuring unit, a threshold of the input current associated with the measured voltage value, from the first storage unit, and
to output information indicating reduction in a rotational speed of the cooling fan when the measured current value exceeds the acquired threshold of the input current.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The cooling device according to claim 6, wherein the first storage unit further stores, as the threshold, a consumption current range within which the reduction in the rotational speed of the cooling fan is not occurring.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The cooling device according to claim 6, wherein
each voltage value among the plurality of voltage values is associated with a consumption current range which is stored in the first storage unit as the threshold and within which the reduction in the rotational speed of the cooling fan is not occurring under application of the associated voltage value.

### Claim 9 (depends on 4)

The machine tool according to claim 4, wherein
for each combination of a voltage value among the plurality of voltage values and a current value among the plurality of current values, the second storage unit stores the associated rotational speed reduction rate of the cooling fan when the current value is consumed under application of the voltage value on the cooling fan.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The cooling device according to claim 9, wherein
for each combination of a voltage value among the plurality of voltage values and a current value among the plurality of current values, the second storage unit stores the associated rotational speed reduction rate of the cooling fan when the current value is consumed under application of the voltage value on the cooling fan.