US 7,543,499 B2
	Vibration detection device for attachment to a wheel and wheel with such a device
Arno Stubenrauch, Aidhausen (Germany); Jens Graf, Schweinfurt (Germany); Christian Knoche, Schweinfurt (Germany); Hendrik Anne Mol, Sleeuwijk (Netherlands); and Russell Bugden, Whitmore Lake, Mich. (US)
Assigned to AB SKF, Gothenburg (Sweden)
Filed on Mar. 15, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/79,117.
Claims priority of application No. 10 2004 012 770 (DE), filed on Mar. 15, 2004.
Prior Publication US 2006/0081049 A1, Apr. 20, 2006
Int. Cl. G01M 7/02 (2006.01)

U.S. Cl. 73—593  [736/660]

26 Claims

1. A vehicle wheel of a motor vehicle to which is attached a device, the wheel comprising a rim, a wheel bearing, and a plurality of lugs threadably engaged with threaded bolts so that the lugs are located on an outwardly facing side of the rim, and the device comprising a support mounted to the wheel of the motor vehicle, means provided on said support for detecting vibrations which occur during driving of the motor vehicle and for evaluating the vibrations for an incipient fault state of the wheel bearing, and a visual indicator outside the vehicle which provides a visible signal of the incipient fault state when the evaluation indicates the incipient fault state, the device being mounted on the outwardly facing side of the rim, the support being provided with at least one hole that receives one of the threaded bolts for mounting the device to the vehicle wheel.