Life estimation system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10693349-B2
Application number	US-201816173790-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 29, 2018
Priority date	Nov 9, 2017
Publication date	Jun 23, 2020
Grant date	Jun 23, 2020

Abstract

The life estimation system is a life estimation system that estimates a life of the reduction gear including a reduction mechanism. The life estimation system includes a sensor that is to be mounted onto the reduction gear and detects information for identifying a stress generated in a specific part of the reduction gear, and an estimating unit that identifies the stress generated in the specific part based on detection information obtained by the sensor and estimates the life of the specific part based on the identified stress.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A life estimation system that estimates a life of a reduction gear including a reduction mechanism, the system comprising:
a sensor that is mounted onto the reduction gear and detects information for identifying a stress generated in a specific part of the reduction gear; and
an estimator that identifies the stress generated in the specific part based on detection information obtained by the sensor and estimates a life of the specific part based on the identified stress,
wherein:
the sensor is mounted onto a part to which a load input from an output side of the reduction mechanism is transmitted without passing through the reduction mechanism,
the estimator estimates a life of a specific part on the output side of the reduction mechanism based on detection information obtained by the sensor,
the reduction gear reduces a speed of rotation of a motor and outputs the rotation, and
the estimator estimates a life of a specific part on an input side of the reduction mechanism based on a value of a current supplied to the motor.

2. The life estimation system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
another sensor that is mounted onto a part, to which a load generated by torque input by to the reduction gear is transmitted without passing through the reduction mechanism, and is different from the sensor,
wherein the estimator estimates a life of a specific part on an input side of the reduction mechanism based on detection information obtained by the another sensor.

3. The life estimation system according to claim 2 ,
wherein the other sensor detects a load generated in a bearing of the reduction mechanism.

4. The life estimation system according to claim 3 ,
wherein the bearing is a bearing in which a thrust component force is generated when a load is received, and
the other sensor detects the thrust component force generated in the bearing of the reduction mechanism.

5. The life estimation system according to claim 4 ,
wherein the reduction mechanism includes an input shaft and an input bearing which supports the input shaft, and
the input bearing is the bearing in which a thrust component force is generated when a load is received.

6. The life estimation system according to claim 5 ,
wherein the reduction mechanism includes an internal gear which is formed in the casing, external gears which internally mesh with the internal gear, a carrier member which is disposed on one side of the external gears in the axial direction, and
wherein the input bearing is disposed between the input shaft and the carrier member, and
the other sensor is sandwiched between the outer ring of the input bearing and the carrier member.

7. The life estimation system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the sensor detects a load generated in a bearing of the reduction gear.

8. The life estimation system according to claim 7 ,
wherein the bearing is a bearing in which a thrust component force is generated when a load is received, and
the sensor detects the thrust component force generated in the bearing.

9. The life estimation system according to claim 8 ,
wherein the reduction mechanism includes an internal gear which is formed in the casing, external gears which internally mesh with the internal gear, a carrier member which is disposed on one side of the external gears in the axial direction, and a main bearing which is disposed between the casing and the carrier member, and
the main bearing is the bearing in which a thrust component force is generated when a load is received.

10. The life estimation system according to claim 9 ,
wherein the sensor is sandwiched between an outer ring of the main bearing and the casing.

11. The life estimation system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the estimator estimates a life based on a stress identified for the specific part and information of an S-N diagram related to the specific part.

12. The life estimation system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a controller that generates a current value instruction indicating the value of the current supplied to the motor,
wherein the estimator estimates a life of the specific part on the input side of the reduction mechanism based on the value of the current indicated by the current value instruction generated by the controller.

13. The life estimation system according to claim 12 , further comprising:
an information processing terminal that receives detection information from the sensor and receives the current value instruction from the controller; and
a server that receives the detection information and the current value instruction from the information processing terminal,
wherein:
the information processing terminal stores the detection information of the sensor and the current value instruction for a certain period of time, and transmits a life estimation provision request which includes the detection information of the sensor and the current value instruction for the certain period of time to the server, and
the server estimates the life of the specific part on the input side and the life of the specific part on the output side of the reduction mechanism based on the detection information obtained by the sensor and the current value instructions for the certain period of time which are included in the life estimation provision request.

Assignees

• Sumitomo Heavy Industries

Inventors

• Tamura Mitsuhiro
• Yamamoto Akira

Classifications

• F16H1/00

  Toothed gearings for conveying rotary motion (specific for conveying rotary motion with variable gear ratio or for reversing rotary motion F16H3/00) · CPC title

• H02K15/00

  Processes or apparatus specially adapted for manufacturing, assembling, maintaining or repairing of dynamo-electric machines · CPC title

• F16H57/01

  Monitoring wear or stress of gearing elements, e.g. for triggering maintenance · CPC title

• H02K7/116

  with gears · CPC title

• H02K11/27

  Devices for sensing current, or actuated thereby (overcurrent protection responsive to temperature of the machines or parts thereof, e.g. windings, H02K11/25) · CPC title