JP2004205014A - Linear guide device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a linear guide device in which rolling elements can be incorporated in a rolling element circulation passage without requiring much time or labor. <P>SOLUTION: Openings (through holes) 31 are provided on rolling element direction changing passages 21 of end caps 17, 18 so that the rolling elements 13 can be incorporated in the rolling element circulation passage 23 from the opening 31. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a linear guide device used as a machine component for guiding a linearly moving object in a machine tool, an injection molding machine, and the like, and particularly to a linear guide device using a roller-shaped rolling element as a rolling element.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, as shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, this type of linear guide device includes a guide rail 11, a slider 12 mounted on the upper surface of the guide rail 11, and a large number of sliders incorporated in the slider 12. A rolling element 13 and a large number of resin holding pieces 14 interposed between the rolling elements 13 are provided. A rolling element raceway recess 15 as a rail-side rolling element raceway having an upper raceway surface 15a and a lower raceway surface 15b inclined at an angle exceeding the angle is formed along the longitudinal direction of the guide rail 11.
[0003]
The slider 12 includes a slider body 16 having left and right inner surfaces facing the side surface of the guide rail 11, and end caps 17 and 18 attached to both ends in the front-rear direction of the slider body 16. The rolling element track projection 19 as a slider rolling element track having an upper track groove 19a and a lower track groove 19b inclined at an angle exceeding 90 degrees with respect to the inner surface of the slider body 16 (see FIG. 8). Are formed along the longitudinal direction of the guide rail 11. The upper raceway groove 19a and the lower raceway groove 19b of the rolling element raceway convex portion 19 are opposed to the upper raceway surface 15a and the lower raceway surface 15b of the rolling body raceway concave portion 15, and the raceway grooves 19a, 19b and the raceway. A linear rolling element rolling path 20 (see FIG. 9) is formed between the surfaces 15a and 15b.
[0004]
The rolling element 13 is formed in a cylindrical roller shape. For example, when the slider 12 relatively moves in the longitudinal direction of the guide rail 11, the roller-shaped rolling elements 13 roll along the rolling element rolling paths 20, and further, the U-shaped rollers formed on the end caps 17 and 18. The rolling element return path 22 (see FIG. 9) formed in the slider body 16 in parallel with the rolling element direction changing path 21 (see FIG. 9) and the rolling element rolling path 20 to form the above-described path. It is designed to circulate.
[0005]
In such a linear guide device, when the rolling element 13 is incorporated into the rolling element circulation path 23 composed of the rolling element rolling path 20, the rolling element direction change path 21 and the rolling element rolling path 20, the rolling element 13 rotates. Care must be taken not to fall off the upper raceway groove 19a and the lower raceway groove 19b of the moving body raceway convex portion 19. Therefore, conventionally, as shown in FIG. 10, the upper raceway groove 19a and the lower raceway groove 19b of the rolling element raceway convex portion 19 are covered with a jig 24, and a portion of the rolling element 13 not covered with the jig 24 is used. Are incorporated in the rolling element circulation path 23.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, such a method has a problem that since the working space is narrow, a lot of time is required for assembling the rolling elements 13. In particular, when the rolling element 13 is incorporated in the upper raceway groove 19a of the rolling element raceway convex portion 19, the working space becomes narrower, and the rolling element 13 is moved to the slider while checking a portion not covered by the jig 24 with a mirror. Since it is necessary to incorporate the rolling elements 13 into the rolling elements 12, there is a problem that a lot of time and labor are required for the work of incorporating the rolling elements 13.
Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and the rolling element can be incorporated into the rolling element circulation path without requiring much time and labor at the time of assembling, and the assembling property is improved. It is an object of the present invention to provide a linear guide device that can be used.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a guide rail, a rail-side rolling element track formed on both left and right side surfaces of the guide rail along a longitudinal direction of the guide rail, and a side surface of the guide rail. A slider body having opposed inner surfaces on the left and right, end caps attached to both ends in the front-rear direction of the slider body, and a slider-side rolling element formed on the inner surface of the slider body along the longitudinal direction of the guide rail A raceway and a rolling element rolling path formed between the rail-side rolling element track and the slider-side rolling element track that is incorporated in a slider constituted by the slider body and an end cap; A linear guide device including a rolling element return path formed in the body and a number of rolling elements rolling on a rolling element direction changing path formed in the end cap; , The end cap communicates with the rolling element direction change path, and includes an end cap main body having a through hole through which the rolling element can pass, and a closing member for closing the through hole of the end cap main body. It is characterized by having done.
[0008]
According to such a configuration, the rolling elements can be incorporated into the rolling element circulation path without employing the method shown in FIG. 10, so that much time and labor are not required when assembling the linear guide device. The rolling elements can be incorporated in the rolling element circuit.
In this case, as in the second aspect of the invention, a holding piece may be interposed between a number of rolling elements. Further, when the through-hole is formed in the end cap body so as to open the outer curved wall surface of the rolling element direction changing path as in the invention according to claim 3, the last rolling element between two adjacent holding pieces. When inserting a rolling element, the rolling element can be used without damaging the corners of the holding piece because the distance between two adjacent holding pieces is wider than when the through hole is formed in the linear part of the ball circulation path. Can be incorporated in the circuit.
[0009]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The same parts as those shown in FIGS. 7 to 9 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description of those parts will be omitted.
1 to 3 show a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a front view of an end cap, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the end caps 17 and 18 include an end cap body 30 having two through holes 31 and a closing member 32 that closes the through holes 31 of the end cap body 30. I have.
[0010]
As shown in FIG. 2, the through holes 31 are open to the rolling element direction change path 21, and the opening width w of each through hole 31 is formed to be larger than the axial length of the holding piece 14. That is, on the outer curved wall surface 21a of the rolling element direction changing path 21, the rolling element 13 is incorporated into the rolling element circulation path 23 including the rolling element rolling path 20, the rolling element direction changing path 21, and the rolling element return path 22. An opening (through hole) 31 is formed.
[0011]
In the linear guide device configured as described above, when the closing member 32 is removed from the end caps 17 and 18, as shown in FIG. The rolling element 13 can be incorporated in the moving body circulation path 23. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 10, the upper raceway groove 19 a and the lower raceway groove 19 b of the rolling element raceway convex portion 19 are covered with the jig 24, and the rolling element 13 is rolled from the portion not covered by the jig 24. Since it is not necessary to adopt a method of incorporating the rolling element 13 into the rolling element circulation path 23, the rolling element 13 can be incorporated into the rolling element circulation path 23 without requiring much time and labor when assembling the linear guide device.
[0012]
When the rolling elements 13 and the holding pieces 14 are incorporated into the upper raceway grooves 19a of the rolling element track projections 19, the rolling elements 13 and the holding pieces 14 are circulated through the rolling elements 13 and the holding pieces 14 while checking with a mirror the parts not covered by the jig 24. Since the rolling element 13 and the holding piece 14 can be incorporated into the rolling element circulation path 23 in a short time because they need not be incorporated in the path 23. Further, since the rolling elements 13 and the holding pieces 14 can be assembled from the end cap side, as shown in FIG. 4, the work of incorporating the rolling elements 13 and the holding pieces 14 can be automated.
[0013]
Further, when the opening (through-hole) 31 for incorporating the rolling element 13 is provided in the outer curved wall surface 21a of the rolling element direction changing path 21 as in the above-described embodiment, the corner portion 14a of the holding piece 14 may be damaged. And the last rolling element 13 can be incorporated. That is, when the opening for incorporating the rolling element is formed in the linear portion of the ball circulation path, as shown in FIG. 5A, when the last rolling element 13 is incorporated, the corner 14a of the holding piece 14 is used. May be damaged. On the other hand, when an opening (through hole) 31 for incorporating the rolling element 13 is provided on the outer curved wall surface 21a of the rolling element direction changing path 21, as shown in FIG. Since the interval between the fourteen is widened, the rolling elements 13 can be incorporated into the rolling element circulation path 23 without damaging the corners 14 a of the holding pieces 14.
[0014]
Further, even when the gap between the rolling elements is reduced, the holding pieces 14 are not damaged when the last rolling elements are incorporated, so that the holding pieces 14 can have a function of dropping the rolling elements. .
Note that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the through hole 31 of the end cap main body 30 is provided at a portion facing the rolling element return path 22, but as in the second embodiment shown in FIG. The same effect can be obtained even if it is provided at a portion facing the moving path 20.
[0015]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, in the linear guide device according to the first aspect of the present invention, the end cap of the slider includes an end cap body having a through-hole at a portion facing the rolling element return path or the rolling element rolling path, And a closing member for closing the through hole of the cap body. Therefore, it is not necessary to adopt a method of covering the upper raceway groove and the lower raceway groove of the rolling element raceway convex portion with the jig, and incorporating the rolling element into the slider from a portion not covered with the jig. The rolling elements can sometimes be incorporated into the rolling element circulation path without requiring much time and effort.
[0016]
According to the second aspect of the present invention, it is possible to suppress noise, vibration, and the like generated by the collision between the rolling elements by the holding piece.
According to the third aspect of the present invention, when the last rolling element is inserted between two adjacent holding pieces, two adjacent holding pieces are formed in comparison with a case where a through hole is formed in a straight portion of the ball circulation path. Since the spacing between the pieces is increased, the rolling elements can be incorporated into the rolling element circulation path without damaging the corners of the holding pieces. Since the holding piece is not damaged when the last rolling element is incorporated, the holding piece can have a function of dropping the rolling element.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a view showing a first embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is a front view of a linear guide device, and (b) is a rear view of the linear guide device.
FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG.
FIG. 3 is a view showing a method of incorporating a rolling element into a ball circulation path of the linear guide device shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration in a case where a rolling element assembling operation is automated.
FIG. 5 is an operation explanatory view of the linear guide device shown in FIG. 1;
FIGS. 6A and 6B are views showing a second embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 6A is a front view of a linear guide device, and FIG.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a conventional linear guide device.
8 is a front view of the linear guide device shown in FIG.
9 is a sectional view taken along line IX-IX in FIG.
FIG. 10 is a view for explaining a method of incorporating a rolling element in a slider of the linear guide device shown in FIG. 7;
[Explanation of symbols]
11 guide rail 12 slider 13 rolling element 14 holding piece 15 rolling element raceway recess 15a upper raceway surface 15b lower raceway surface 16 slider body 17, 18 end cap 19 rolling element raceway projection 19a upper raceway groove 19b lower raceway groove 20 Moving body rolling path 21 Rolling body direction changing path 22 Rolling body return path 23 Rolling body circulation path 30 End cap main body 31 Through hole 32 Closing member

Claims (3)

A guide rail, a rail-side rolling element track formed on the left and right side surfaces of the guide rail along the longitudinal direction of the guide rail, a slider body having left and right inner surfaces facing the side surfaces of the guide rail, An end cap attached to both ends in the front-rear direction of the slider body, a slider-side rolling element track formed on the inner surface of the slider body along the longitudinal direction of the guide rail, and the slider body and the end cap. A rolling element rolling path incorporated in the slider and formed between the rail-side rolling element track and the slider-side rolling element track; a rolling element return path formed in the slider body; and the end. A linear guide device including a number of rolling elements that roll on rolling element direction change paths formed in the cap,
The end cap is constituted by an end cap main body having a through hole communicating with the rolling element direction changing path and allowing the rolling element to pass therethrough, and a closing member closing the through hole of the end cap main body. A linear guide device. The linear guide device according to claim 1, wherein a holding piece is interposed between the plurality of rolling elements. 3. The linear guide device according to claim 1, wherein the through hole is formed in the end cap main body so as to open an outer curved wall surface of the rolling element direction changing path. 4.

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