Bearing assembly with incorporated electric line for providing multiple operating voltages

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11129289-B2
Application number	US-201615769203-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2016
Priority date	Oct 27, 2015
Publication date	Sep 21, 2021
Grant date	Sep 21, 2021

Abstract

A bearing assembly, comprising a bearing configured to support a machine part, an installation space configured to receive at least one electronic module, a mount in the installation space that includes an electric line and the electronic module is attached to the mount, one or more continuous electronic conductor paths, and one or more interrupted conductor path that is parallel to the continuous electronic conduct path.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A bearing assembly comprising:
an installation space for configured to receive at least one electronic module;
a mount extending into the installation space that has an electric line comprising numerous one or more electric conductor paths running in a longitudinal direction of the mount;
wherein the at least one electronic module is in contact with one or more conductor paths, wherein the electric line comprises at least one continuous electric conductor path and at least one interrupted electric conductor path that has at least one interruption, wherein the interrupted conductor path runs parallel to the continuous conductor path before and after the interruption, and in that at least one electronic module is connected to the interrupted conductor path before the interruption and is connected to the interrupted conductor path after the interruption with a second contact point, wherein the electronic module is configured to receive an input signal using a first contact point, converts this signal to an output signal, and outputs the output signal to the second contact point.

2. The bearing assembly of claim 1 , wherein the electric line comprises numerous continuous conductor paths and numerous interrupted conductor paths.

3. The bearing assembly of claim 2 , where the electronic module is a power supply module, a function module, protective circuitry module, and/or an interface converter module.

4. The bearing assembly of claim 3 , wherein the electronic module is attached to the mount with receivers.

5. The bearing assembly of claim 4 , wherein the first and second contact points of the electronic module are disposed on one side of the electronic module.

6. The bearing assembly of claim 5 , wherein the electric line is a flexible electric line that can be adapted to a curvature of the mount.

7. The bearing assembly of claim 6 , wherein the flexible electric is adapted to the number of electronic modules.

8. The bearing assembly of claim 7 , wherein a connecting line establishes a direct contact to the flexible electric line.

9. The bearing assembly of claim 8 , wherein a supply voltage on a section of the interrupted conductor path before the interruption is converted to a different supply voltage that is supplied by the electronic module to a section of the interrupted conductor path after the interruption.

10. The bearing assembly of claim 8 , wherein a first signal on a section of the interrupted conductor path before the interruption is converted by the electronic module to a second signal, which is supplied by the electronic module to a section of the interrupted conductor path after the interruption.

11. A bearing assembly, comprising:
an installation space configured to receive at least one electronic module;
a mount in the installation space that includes an electric line and the electronic module is attached to the mount;
one or more continuous electronic conductor paths;
one or more interrupted conductor path that is parallel to the continuous electronic conduct path.

12. The bearing assembly of claim 11 , wherein the electronic module is in contact with one or more of the continuous electronic conductor paths.

13. The bearing assembly of claim 11 , wherein the electronic module is in contact with one or more of the interrupted conductor paths.

14. The bearing assembly of claim 13 , wherein the electronic module is also in contact with one or more of the continuous electronic conductor paths.

15. The bearing assembly of claim 11 , wherein the mount 1s configured to adapt to a diameter of the installation space.

16. The bearing assembly of claim 11 , wherein at least one electronic module includes at least one electric contact point on at least one side of the at least one electronic module, wherein the at least one electric contact point is connected to the electric line via a conductive element.

17. The bearing assembly of claim 11 , wherein the electronic module is an interface converter module.

18. The bearing assembly of claim 11 , wherein the electronic module is an interface converter module.

19. The bearing assembly of claim 18 , wherein the interface converter module is configured to convert an input signal at an input-side first electric contact point to a different output signal and send the output signal to an output-side second contact point.

20. A bearing assembly comprising:
an installation space configured to receive at least one electronic module; and
a mount extending into the installation space that includes an electric line that has one or more electric conductor paths running in a longitudinal direction of the mount and the at least one electronic module is in contact with one or more conductor paths;
at least one continuous electric conductor path; and
at least one interrupted electric conductor path including at least one interruption, wherein the interrupted conductor path runs parallel to the continuous conductor path before and after the interruption, and in that at least one electronic module is connected to the interrupted conductor path before the interruption and is connected to the interrupted conductor path after the interruption with a second contact point.

Assignees

• Schaeffler Technologies Ag

Inventors

• Weeth Christoph
• Heim Jens

Classifications

• F16C41/00 Primary

  Other accessories, {e.g. devices integrated in the bearing not relating to the bearing function as such} · CPC title

• G01D11/02

  Bearings or suspensions for moving parts · CPC title

• H05K7/02 Primary

  Arrangements of circuit components or wiring on supporting structure · CPC title

• G01P3/443

  mounted in bearings (bearings F16C) · CPC title

• F16C19/22

  with bearing rollers essentially of the same size in one or more circular rows, e.g. needle bearings · CPC title