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  Bearing device with a sensorRelated Patent Categories: Bearings, Rotary Bearing, Antifriction Bearing, Sensor Or Inspection Features; Liquid Metal Or Shipping Protection Features; Bearing Member Integral With SealThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070172163. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates to a bearing device with a sensor such as, for example, a wheel support bearing assembly with a revolution sensor for use in an automotive vehicle and in any other field of application. BACKGROUND ART [0002] Wheel support bearing assemblies used in automotive vehicles make use of a revolution sensor for detecting the number of revolutions of a vehicle wheel for the purpose of controlling an anti-lock brake device and any other purpose. The revolution sensor is made up of a magnetic encoder of a ring-shaped configuration fitted to an inner race, which serves as a rotatable raceway member, and a sensor fitted to an outer race, which serves as a stationary raceway member, for detecting the magnetic encoder in a non-contact fashion. [0003] As a first example of configuration for fitting the sensor, the use of a sensor mounting member prepared by pressing a sheet metal has been suggested (See, for example, the Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 6-308145.). This suggested sensor mounting member includes a cutout hole formed in an annular support that is mounted on and, hence, fitted to the outer race, a pair of slide groove forming portions defined on respective side edges of the cutout hole for engagement with side portions of the sensor, and a tongue provided in a lower edge of the cutout hole for urging a rear face of the sensor. [0004] As a second example of configuration for fitting the sensor, the example is known, in which a retaining member of an arcuate configuration is molded integrally with an outer race mounting tube of an annular configuration mountable on the outer race to form a sensor holder and a sensor element is embedded in the retaining member provided in a portion of this sensor holder (See, for example, the Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2003-254985). [0005] Although the above described first example of configuration, in which the sensor is inserted in between the slide groove forming portions and is then urged by the tongue has such an advantage as to enable it to be simply mounted, there is a possibility of accidental separation. Also, since the wheel support bearing assembly is placed under the environment tending to be exposed to the road surface, grits and sands are apt to ingress in between the sensor and the magnetic encoder, resulting in the possibility of breakage. [0006] Also, the above described second example of configuration is such that since the retaining member of the sensor holder, in which the sensor element is embedded, and the outer race mounting tube are molded integrally with each other, the sensor holders of varying sizes must be manufactured for each size of the bearing devices with sensors, which vary in size depending on the type of automotive vehicles and the bearing capacity, resulting in increase of the cost. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION [0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a bearing device with a sensor, in which the fitting of the sensor is assured and excellent in reliability, and which can be easily applied to bearing parts of different sizes and can be made at a low cost. [0008] A bearing device with the sensor according to the present invention is a bearing device with a sensor, comprising a bearing part including an outer member having a raceway defined in an inner periphery thereof, an inner member having a raceway confronting the raceway in the outer member, and rolling elements interposed between those raceways, and a revolution sensor part including an encoder, fitted to one end of the inner member, and a sensor fitted to one end of the outer member in face-to-face relation with the encoder, wherein the sensor is fitted through the following sensor mounting member. [0009] The sensor mounting member has a mounting tube part mountable on an outer diametric surface of the outer member and a side plate part axially positioned in contact with an end face of the outer member. The side plate part of the sensor mounting member is provided with a recessed plate section, which has an inner surface side recessed, and an opposite plate part confronting a bottom surface portion of the recessed plate section, the sensor being fitted sandwiched between the bottom surface portion of the recessed plate section and the opposite plate part. The recessed plate section has a sectional shape along, for example a radial direction of a bearing part, which represents a shape of the figure "U". [0010] According to this construction, since the sensor is fitted sandwiched between the bottom surface portion of the recessed plate section provided in the sensor mounting member and the opposite plate part, there is no possibility of the sensor being detached and the fitting can be assured and highly reliable. Since the sensor mounting member is mounted on the outer diametric surface of the outer member through the mounting tube part and is axially positioned in contact with the end face of the outer member through the side plate part, the positioning can be easily and accurately performed, rendering the positioning accuracy of the sensor relative to the encoder to be excellent. Although the sensor referred to above has the sensor element embedded in, for example, the sensor holder made of a resinous material, this sensor holder is manufactured separate from the sensor mounting member and is fitted to the sensor mounting member. For this reason, where fitting is made to the bearing part of a different size, it is sufficient for the sensor mounting member to be complied with the size of the bearing part and the sensor provided with the sensor holder can be used for the different size of the bearing part by the employment of the same element. Accordingly, the sensor unit comprised of the sensor and the sensor mounting member can be manufactured at a low cost. [0011] The sensor mounting member may include inner and outer plates prepared from two sheet metals and overlapped one inside the other. In such case, the recessed plate section is provided in the outer plate and the opposite plate part is provided in the inner plate. [0012] Where the sensor mounting member is made up of the inner and outer plates overlapped with each other, a work of sandwiching the sensor between the U-shaped recessed plate section and opposite plate part of the sensor mounting member can be simplified. [0013] The recessed plate section and opposite plate part of the sensor mounting member may have respective sensor fitting openings for allowing the sensor to pass therethrough from outside to inside, in which the sensor has a protruding part, which protrudes towards a portion or whole of an perimeter of each of the sensor fitting openings, and the protruding part is sandwiched between the bottom surface portion of the recessed plate section and the opposite plate part. [0014] Where the side plate part of the sensor mounting member is provided with the sensor fitting opening, the sensor can be opposite directly to the encoder without the intervention of the side plate part. Also, where the sensor fitting opening is provided in the recessed plate section, drawing of an electric wiring to the outside can be facilitated. When those sensor fitting openings are provided, it is possible to position the sensor relative to the radial and circumferential directions of the bearing part by allowing an outer periphery of the sensor to engage the sensor fitting openings. [0015] In the present invention, an elastic element may be interposed between the bottom plate portion of the recessed plate section or the opposite plate part and the sensor. [0016] When the elastic element is so interposed, the sensor can be stably retained by the sensor mounting member without being loosened and, also, without an excessive sandwiching force induced. [0017] The elastic element may concurrently serve as a seal for sealing between the inner member and the sensor mounting member. By way of example, the elastic element is so constructed that an inner peripheral edge of the elastic element can slidingly engage with an outer peripheral surface of the inner member. [0018] In such case, the elastic element can be used concurrently for the stable fitting of the sensor and a sealing means and, without increasing the number of component parts, the sealability can be increased. Also, when the elastic element is used to seal a space between the inner member and the sensor mounting member, biting of foreign matters between the encoder and the sensor is prevented and, even when the bearing device with the sensor of the present invention is applied to a wheel support bearing assembly, biting of sand particles, which results from scattering of stones from the road surface, in between the encoder and the sensor can be prevented. [0019] In the present invention, each of the encoder and the sensor may be either a magnetic type or an optical type. In the case of the magnetic type, the encoder is rendered to be a magnetic encoder formed with alternating magnetic poles deployed in a circumferential direction and the sensor may be a magnetic sensor utilizing, for example, a Hall element or a magnetoresistive element. [0020] The bearing device with the sensor according to the present invention can be applied to any bearing device used in various field of application, for example, to a wheel support bearing assembly. In such case, the bearing part referred to previously may include the outer member having a plurality of raceways defined in the inner periphery thereof, the inner member having respective raceways confronting the raceways in the outer member, and a plurality of rows of rolling elements interposed between those opposite raceways, and be operable to rotatably support a vehicle wheel relative to an automotive vehicle body. [0021] Since the wheel support bearing assembly is placed under the severe environment tending to be exposed to vibration and also to the road surface, from which it tends to be contaminated with grits and sands, advantages of the present invention that the fitting of the sensor is assured and excellent in reliability can be exhibited effectively. Also, use to the wheel support bearing assemblies of varying size can be made easily and at a low cost. Continue reading... Full patent description for Bearing device with a sensor Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Bearing device with a sensor patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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