Abstract: A rolling bearing device includes: a bearing portion; an oil supply unit that has a pump; a first detection portion that detects operation of the pump; a second detection portion that detects the rotational state of the bearing portion; and a processing portion that generates determination information related to the lubrication state of the bearing portion on the basis of a detection signal from the first detection portion and a detection signal from the second detection portion. The processing portion outputs, to the pump, an instruction signal for oil supply when it is determined that operation of the pump is appropriate and that the rotational state of the bearing portion is not appropriate, and re-determines, after the lapse of a predetermined time, whether or not the rotational state of the bearing portion is appropriate.

Abstract: A pump includes a piezoelectric element that deforms when a drive voltage is applied to it, and a reservoir that has a capacity to store lubricating oil and that is at least partially deformed elastically to change in the capacity when the piezoelectric element deforms. The pump discharges the lubricating oil when the reservoir decreases in the capacity. A drive circuit unit is switchable between an application state where the drive circuit unit applies the drive voltage to the piezoelectric element, and a release state where the drive circuit unit releases the drive voltage applied to the piezoelectric element. A controller controllably switches the drive circuit unit between the application state and the release state. An electric power storage unit stores electric power that is output from the piezoelectric element when the drive voltage applied to the piezoelectric element is released.

Abstract: A rolling bearing device includes a bearing portion and a power generation portion. The power generation portion has a plurality of projecting portions provided on an outer ring spacer, a pair of core members provided on an inner ring spacer, a magnet, and a coil. The power generation portion generates an induced current in the coil as the projecting portions pass in the vicinity of first side end portions of the core members during rotation. There are two different loop paths along which magnetism generated by the magnet flows: a first loop path formed when the projecting portions are close to the first side end portions of the core members; and a second loop path formed when the projecting portions and the first side end portions of the core members are away from each other.

Abstract: An oil supply unit has: a pump that has a pressure chamber portion that stores lubricating oil and a piezoelectric element that is deformable by application of a voltage, the pump ejecting lubricating oil in the pressure chamber portion; a tank that is connected to the pump and that stores lubricating oil to be supplied to the pump for replenishment; a sensor that detects a pressure in an oil region which extends from the pressure chamber portion to the tank and in which lubricating oil is present, or the state of a bearing portion; a pressure adjustment portion that adjusts a pressure of lubricating oil in the oil region which extends from the pressure chamber portion to the tank; and a control portion that controls at least one of the pressure adjustment portion and the piezoelectric element on the basis of a detection result from the sensor.

Abstract: A control apparatus controls driving of an oil feeding unit. The oil feeding unit includes a piezoelectric body that deforms in response to a voltage applied thereto, and a reservoir to store lubricating oil. The capacity of the reservoir changes in accordance with deformation of the piezoelectric body so as to discharge lubricating oil from the oil feeding unit. The control apparatus includes N driving circuits 71a to 71n configured to apply voltages to the piezoelectric body (where N is an integer equal to or greater than two). The N driving circuits 71a to 71n are connected in parallel to the piezoelectric body. During oil feeding, the control apparatus uses a predetermined number of the driving circuits selected from the N driving circuits. The predetermined number is smaller than N.

Abstract: A rolling bearing device includes: a bearing portion that has an inner ring, an outer ring, a plurality of balls, and a cage that holds the plurality of balls; and an oil supply unit that supplies lubricating oil to the bearing portion. The oil supply unit has: a pump that discharges the lubricating oil through drive of a piezo element; a voltage boost portion that boosts a voltage to be applied to the piezo element; and a control portion that causes the pump to operate while varying a voltage boost time included in a period since the start of voltage boost by the voltage boost portion until the start of the drive of the piezo element.

Abstract: A pump included in an oil supply unit includes a piezoelectric body that is repeatedly deformed when a pulsed drive voltage is applied from a drive unit. The pump discharges lubricant as the volume of a storage unit that stores fluid to be supplied decreases with deformation of the piezoelectric body. An abnormal discharge detection device that detects an abnormal fluid discharge operation of the pump includes: a measurement unit that measures a terminal voltage of the piezoelectric body; and a control unit functioning as a determination unit that determines if the discharge operation is being performed normally or not based on whether or not the measured terminal voltage has changed with time during application of a pulse of the drive voltage.

Abstract: A bearing device includes: a bearing portion that has an inner ring, an outer ring, a plurality of balls interposed between the inner ring and the outer ring, and a cage that holds the balls; and an oil supply unit provided adjacent to the bearing portion in the axial direction. The oil supply unit has a pump that discharges a minute amount of lubricating oil to the bearing portion, and varies the amount of oil supplied to the bearing portion by discharge of lubricating oil from the pump.

Abstract: A rolling bearing device includes: a bearing portion that has an inner ring, an outer ring, a plurality of balls interposed between the inner ring and the outer ring, and a cage that holds the plurality of balls; and an oil supply unit provided adjacent to the bearing portion in the axial direction. The oil supply unit has a pump configured to supply lubricating oil to the bearing portion. The pump has a pump body provided with a nozzle that discharges lubricating oil and a vibration element that vibrates the pump body.

Abstract: A rolling bearing device includes: a bearing portion; an oil supply unit that has a pump; a first detection portion that detects operation of the pump; a second detection portion that detects the rotational state of the bearing portion; and a processing portion that generates determination information related to the lubrication state of the bearing portion on the basis of a detection signal from the first detection portion and a detection signal from the second detection portion. The processing portion outputs, to the pump, an instruction signal for oil supply when it is determined that operation of the pump is appropriate and that the rotational state of the bearing portion is not appropriate, and re-determines, after the lapse of a predetermined time, whether or not the rotational state of the bearing portion is appropriate.

Abstract: An oil supply unit has: a pump that has a pressure chamber portion that stores lubricating oil and a piezoelectric element that is deformable by application of a voltage, the pump ejecting lubricating oil in the pressure chamber portion; a tank that is connected to the pump and that stores lubricating oil to be supplied to the pump for replenishment; a sensor that detects a pressure in an oil region which extends from the pressure chamber portion to the tank and in which lubricating oil is present, or the state of a bearing portion; a pressure adjustment portion that adjusts a pressure of lubricating oil in the oil region which extends from the pressure chamber portion to the tank; and a control portion that controls at least one of the pressure adjustment portion and the piezoelectric element on the basis of a detection result from the sensor.

Abstract: A pump includes a piezoelectric element that deforms when a drive voltage is applied to it, and a reservoir that has a capacity to store lubricating oil and that is at least partially deformed elastically to change in the capacity when the piezoelectric element deforms. The pump discharges the lubricating oil when the reservoir decreases in the capacity. A drive circuit unit is switchable between an application state where the drive circuit unit applies the drive voltage to the piezoelectric element, and a release state where the drive circuit unit releases the drive voltage applied to the piezoelectric element. A controller controllably switches the drive circuit unit between the application state and the release state. An electric power storage unit stores electric power that is output from the piezoelectric element when the drive voltage applied to the piezoelectric element is released.

Abstract: A rolling bearing device includes a bearing portion and an oil supply unit provided adjacent, in the axial direction, to an annular space between an inner ring and an outer ring of the bearing portion to supply lubricating oil to the annular space. The oil supply unit includes an oil chamber that accommodates lubricating oil, a nozzle that discharges lubricating oil in the oil chamber, a pump body that applies a discharge force for causing lubricating oil in the oil chamber to fly from the nozzle toward the annular space, and a detection portion that detects gathering of lubricating oil at a discharge port of the nozzle. The detection portion includes a pair of electrodes disposed with the discharge port of the nozzle interposed therebetween, and a measurement portion that measures the capacitance of the pair of electrodes.

Abstract: A rolling bearing device includes a bearing portion and a power generation portion. The power generation portion has a plurality of projecting portions provided on an outer ring spacer, a pair of core members provided on an inner ring spacer, a magnet, and a coil. The power generation portion generates an induced current in the coil as the projecting portions pass in the vicinity of first side end portions of the core members during rotation. There are two different loop paths along which magnetism generated by the magnet flows: a first loop path formed when the projecting portions are close to the first side end portions of the core members; and a second loop path formed when the projecting portions and the first side end portions of the core members are away from each other.

Abstract: A rolling bearing device includes: a bearing portion that has an inner ring, an outer ring, a plurality of balls, and a cage that holds the plurality of balls; and an oil supply unit provided adjacent to the bearing portion in the axial direction and configured to supply lubricating oil to the bearing portion. The oil supply unit has: a pump that suctions lubricating oil into an oil chamber and discharges the lubricating oil by varying a capacity of the oil chamber by periodically driving a piezo element; and a control portion that causes the pump to operate by varying a rising time of a voltage applied to the piezo element in accordance with whether a drive period of the piezo element is long or short.

Abstract: A bearing apparatus includes a lubrication unit and a sensor to sense the temperature of the lubricant in the lubrication unit. The lubrication unit has a pump having a storage portion in which the lubricant is stored and a piezoelectric body that is deformed by an applied voltage, the pump enabling the lubricant in the storage portion to be discharged into the annular space by reducing the volume of the storage portion in conjunction with the deformation of the piezoelectric body, the pump also enabling the lubricant to be sucked into the storage portion to refill the storage portion with the lubricant by increasing the volume of the storage portion, and a control unit that performs control by outputting a control signal allowing the speed of change in the volume of the storage portion to depend on the temperature of the lubricant.

Abstract: A bearing device includes a bearing portion that includes an inner ring, an outer ring, a plurality of rolling elements that are interposed between the inner ring and the outer ring, and a cage that holds the plurality of rolling elements, one of the inner ring and the outer ring being a rotational ring, and another of the inner ring and the outer ring being a fixed ring; and an oil supply unit that is provided adjacent to the bearing portion in an axial direction. The cage includes a guide portion that is configured to be in sliding contact with a part of the fixed ring via lubricating oil. The oil supply unit includes a vibration sensor configured to detect a vibration of the fixed ring, and a pump configured to supply the lubricating oil to the bearing portion.

Abstract: A rolling bearing apparatus includes a bearing main body having an outer ring that is a fixed ring and an inner ring that is a rotating ring, the outer ring and the inner ring being concentrically provided, and a plurality of rolling elements provided between the outer ring and the inner ring, and a control unit having a vibration detector attached to the outer ring and a calculation unit that calculates a value for vibration of the bearing main body and a rotation speed thereof based on a detection signal from the vibration detector. The calculation unit calculates the rotation speed based on frequency components of vibration obtained from the detection signal and the number of vibrations inherent in the bearing main body.

Abstract: A rolling bearing device includes: a bearing portion that has an inner ring, an outer ring, a plurality of balls, and a cage that holds the plurality of balls; and an oil supply unit provided adjacent to the bearing portion in the axial direction and configured to supply lubricating oil to the bearing portion. The oil supply unit has: a pump that suctions lubricating oil into an oil chamber and discharges the lubricating oil by varying a capacity of the oil chamber by periodically driving a piezo element; and a control portion that causes the pump to operate by varying a rising time of a voltage applied to the piezo element in accordance with whether a drive period of the piezo element is long or short.

Abstract: A bearing device includes: a bearing portion that has an inner ring, an outer ring, a plurality of balls interposed between the inner ring and the outer ring, and a cage that holds the balls; and an oil supply unit provided adjacent to the bearing portion in the axial direction. The oil supply unit has a pump that discharges a minute amount of lubricating oil to the bearing portion, and varies the amount of oil supplied to the bearing portion by discharge of lubricating oil from the pump.