JP2008267545A - Linear roller guide device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a linear roller guide device capable of notifying of replacement timing without causing unnecessary increase in the frequency of replacement. <P>SOLUTION: A slider 2 is provided with a replacement timing report device 9 provided with a relative movement quantity detection means detecting relative movement quantity of a slider 2, a relative movement quantity accumulation means obtaining total relative movement quantity by accumulating relative movement quantity detected by the relative movement quantity detection means, a comparison means comparing the total relative movement quantity obtained by the relative movement quantity accumulation means with a predetermined threshold, and a comparison result output means outputting comparison result by the comparison means as replacement timing information. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a linear motion rolling guide device used as a linear guide in various machines such as a manufacturing apparatus, a processing machine, and a measuring instrument.

  A linear motion rolling guide device used as a linear guide in various machines such as measuring instruments includes a linearly formed guide rail and a slider that moves relatively in the longitudinal direction of the guide rail. A large number of rolling elements are incorporated between the rolling element raceway surface formed on the left and right side portions and the rolling element raceway surface formed on the slider body of the slider so as to face the rolling element raceway surface. These rolling elements roll between the guide rail and the rolling element raceway surface of the slider body according to the relative movement of the slider, and the rolling element that rolls between the guide rail and the rolling element raceway surface of the slider body. The direction is changed by a direction change path formed between the end cap of the slider and the return guide, and then returns to the original position through a rolling element return passage formed in the slider body.

When such a linear motion rolling guide device is peeled off on the raceway surface due to long-term use, it becomes difficult to smoothly move the slider relative to each other. In particular, when a sudden failure of the linear motion rolling guide device occurs in the production facility, the entire production facility must be urgently stopped and the slider and the like must be replaced, so that the production efficiency of the production facility decreases. Therefore, there is one in which the rolling state of the rolling element is detected by an AE (acoustic emission) sensor to predict the occurrence of an abnormality (for example, see Patent Document 1).
JP 2004-263775 A

  However, in the above-described prior art, in order to determine the presence or absence of an abnormality from the output of the AE sensor, a signal processing device having a complicated configuration and an expensive signal processing device is required as a signal processing device that processes a signal output from the AE sensor. There's a problem. In addition, since the linear motion rolling guide device is used by being attached to a large and small machine, even if the same abnormality occurs, the signals output from the AE sensor are not always the same. There is also the problem that it is difficult to do.

  As a method for determining the replacement time of the slider, etc., there is a method of accumulating the operation time of the linear motion rolling guide device and setting the time when the total reaches a certain time as the replacement time of the slider, etc. When used in a pattern, it is difficult to accurately calculate the relative movement amount of the slider from the operating time. For this reason, there is a problem that the number of exchanges is unnecessarily increased because the slider and the like are exchanged with a short relative movement amount with a margin.

  The present invention has been made paying attention to the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a linear motion rolling guide device that can know that the replacement time has been reached without causing an unnecessary increase in the number of replacements. There is to do.

  In order to achieve the above object, a linear motion rolling guide device according to a first aspect of the present invention is formed on a rolling element raceway surface formed on a guide rail and a slider main body of a slider that moves relative to the longitudinal direction of the guide rail. In the linear motion rolling guide device having a large number of rolling elements between the rolling element raceway surfaces, the relative movement amount detecting means for detecting the relative movement amount of the slider, and the relative movement detected by the relative movement amount detecting means. The slider has relative movement amount accumulating means for accumulating the movement amount to obtain a total relative movement amount of the slider.

A linear motion rolling guide device according to a second aspect of the present invention is the linear motion rolling guide device according to the first aspect, wherein the slider has a preset threshold value for the total relative movement amount obtained by the relative movement amount accumulating means. Comparison means for comparing, and comparison result output means for outputting the comparison result of the comparison means as exchange time information are characterized.
A linear motion rolling guide device according to a third aspect of the present invention is the linear motion rolling guide device according to the first or second aspect, wherein the relative movement amount detecting means is in contact with the guide rail, and the rotational member is A pair of bearings rotatably supported with respect to the slider main body, and signal generating means for generating a signal each time the rotation angle of the rotation member reaches a predetermined rotation angle are provided.

A linear motion rolling guide device according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the linear motion rolling guide device according to the first or second aspect, wherein the detector detects the passage of the rolling element at a predetermined position as the relative movement amount detecting means. It is characterized by using.
A linear motion rolling guide device according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is the linear motion rolling guide device according to the first or second aspect, wherein as the relative movement amount detecting means, holes formed in the guide rail at regular intervals or It is characterized by using a detector for detecting uneven portions.

  According to the linear motion rolling guide device according to the present invention, since it is not necessary to calculate the relative movement amount of the slider from the operating time, it is possible to know that the replacement time has been reached without causing an unnecessary increase in the number of replacements. it can.

Hereinafter, a linear motion rolling guide device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an overall configuration of a linear motion rolling guide device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the linear motion rolling guide device shown in FIG. 1, as shown in FIG. In addition, the linear motion rolling guide device according to the first embodiment includes a guide rail 1 and a slider 2.
The guide rail 1 is formed in a straight line, and two rolling element raceway grooves 3 as rolling element raceway surfaces are formed on the left and right side surfaces of the guide rail 1. These rolling element raceway grooves 3 are respectively opposed to the rolling element raceway grooves 5 as rolling element raceway surfaces formed in the slider body 4 of the slider 2 that moves relatively in the longitudinal direction of the guide rail 1. A large number of rolling elements 6 are incorporated between 3 and the rolling element raceway grooves 5.

The slider 2 has end caps 7 made of a synthetic resin material at the front end portion and the rear end portion of the slider body 4. A return guide (not shown) is incorporated in these end caps 7, and a direction changing path curved in a substantially U shape is formed between the end cap 7 and the return guide.
The rolling element 6 rolls on the groove surfaces of the rolling element raceway grooves 3 and 5 with the relative movement of the slider 2. And the rolling element 6 which rolled the groove surface of the rolling element raceway grooves 3 and 5 changes direction in the above-mentioned direction change path, and also comes back through the rolling element return path 8 formed in the slider main body 4. The slider body 4 is provided with a replacement time notification device 9 (see FIG. 1) for notifying the replacement time of the slider 2.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the replacement time notification device 9. As shown in FIG. 3, the replacement time notification device 9 includes a relative movement amount detection means 10 for detecting the relative movement amount of the slider 2, and this. Relative movement amount accumulation means 11 for accumulating the relative movement amounts detected by the relative movement amount detection means 10 to obtain a total relative movement amount, and a total relative movement amount obtained by the relative movement amount accumulation means 11 are set in advance. Comparing means 12 for comparing with a threshold value and comparing result output means 13 for outputting the comparison result of the comparing means 12 as replacement time information are provided. The replacement time notification device 9 includes an operation panel 14 (see FIG. 1). The operation panel 141 includes an operation button 141 for inputting the target travel distance of the slider 2 and the slider 2 for target travel. An LED 142 that is turned on when the distance is reached, and a display window 143 that displays a caution text or the like are provided.

  An example of the relative movement amount detection means 10 is shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, the relative movement detecting means 10 is a roller 15 as a rotating member that contacts the upper surface of the guide rail 1 and a roller shaft 151 of the roller 15 that supports the slider body 4 so as to be rotatable. A pair of bearings 16 and 16 are provided. The relative movement amount detecting means 10 includes a cross-shaped light shielding plate 17 provided at one end of the roller shaft 151 and a photosensor 18 as a signal generating means that is turned on / off according to the rotational position of the light shielding plate 17. The relative movement amount accumulating means 11 is configured to accumulate the number of on / off times of the photosensor 18.

Note that the relative movement amount detecting means is not limited to the one shown in FIG. 4, and for example, the number of rotations of the roller shaft may be counted electrically.
In such a configuration, when the slider 2 is relatively moved in the longitudinal direction of the guide rail 1, the roller 15 of the relative movement amount detection means 10 rotates with the relative movement of the slider 2. When the roller 15 rotates with the relative movement of the slider 2, the light shielding plate 17 provided at one end of the roller shaft 151 rotates together with the roller 15, whereby the photosensor 18 is switched from OFF to ON, for example.

The relative movement amount accumulation means 11 accumulates the number of times the photosensor 18 is turned on and off, and supplies the accumulated value to the comparison means 12 as the total relative movement amount of the slider 2.
The comparison means 12 compares the total relative movement amount of the slider 2 obtained by the relative movement amount accumulation means 11 with a preset threshold value. When the total relative movement amount of the slider 2 exceeds the threshold value, it is determined that the slider 2 has reached the replacement time, and a signal that prompts replacement of the slider 2 is output to the comparison result output means 13.

When the comparison result output means 13 is supplied with a signal urging replacement of the slider 2 from the comparison means 12, for example, a text prompting replacement of the slider 2 is displayed on the display screen, and the fact that the slider 2 has reached the replacement time is used. Inform the person.
Therefore, in the first embodiment of the present invention described above, there is no need to calculate the relative movement amount of the slider 2 from the operating time as in the above-described prior art, so that an unnecessary increase in the number of replacements is not caused. You can know that the replacement period has been reached.

  In the first embodiment described above, the relative movement amount of the slider 12 is treated as the number of times the photosensor 18 is turned on / off. However, since the photosensor 18 is turned on / off for each reference distance, the photosensor 18 is practically used from the number of times the photosensor 18 is turned on / off. Conversion to a common unit system (for example, kilometers) is possible. Specifically, as in the second embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the travel distance calculation means 26 that calculates the relative movement amount of the slider together with the cumulative value of the relative movement amount accumulation means 11 sets the on / off count to the relative movement of the slider. What is necessary is just to convert into quantity (km etc.).

  Further, in the first embodiment described above, the replacement time notification device for notifying the replacement time of the slider 2 is exemplified as the one provided with the comparison means 12 and the comparison result output means 13. However, the comparison means 12 and the comparison result are illustrated. A replacement time notification device without the output unit 13 may be used. For example, the relative movement amount accumulated by the relative movement amount accumulation unit 11 may be periodically checked manually to determine the replacement time. .

  FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a main part of a linear motion rolling guide device according to the third embodiment of the present invention. The third embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the relative movement amount of the slider 2 is set. As a means for detection, a displacement sensor 21 that electrically detects the passage of the rolling element 6 is used. Here, an electrical displacement sensor is used as means for detecting the passage of the rolling element, but various sensors such as an optical type and a dynamic type may be used instead of the displacement sensor.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a main part of a linear motion rolling guide device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. The fourth embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the relative movement amount of the slider 2 is set. As a means for detection, a proximity switch 23 that turns on and off according to a rail mounting hole 22 formed in the guide rail 1 is used. Here, the proximity switch is used as the means for detecting the rail mounting hole 22, but various sensors such as an electric type, an optical type, and a dynamic type may be used instead of the proximity switch.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a main part of a linear motion rolling guide device according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. The fifth embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the surface of the guide rail 1 is This is a point using a proximity switch 25 that is turned on and off in accordance with the formed uneven portion 24. Although the proximity switch is used here as a means for detecting the uneven portion 25 on the rail surface, various sensors such as an electric type, an optical type, and a dynamic type may be used instead of the proximity switch.

1 is a perspective view showing an overall configuration of a linear motion rolling guide device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing of the linear motion rolling guide apparatus shown in FIG. It is a block diagram which shows schematic structure of the replacement time alerting | reporting apparatus provided in the slider. It is a figure which shows an example of the relative movement amount detection means of an exchange time alerting | reporting apparatus. It is a figure which shows the principal part of the linear motion rolling guide apparatus which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the principal part of the linear motion rolling guide apparatus which concerns on the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the principal part of the linear motion rolling guide apparatus which concerns on the 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the principal part of the linear motion rolling guide apparatus which concerns on the 5th Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Guide rail 2 Slider 3, 5 Rolling body track groove 4 Slider main body 6 Rolling body 7 End cap 9 Replacement time notification apparatus 10 Relative movement amount detection means 11 Relative movement amount accumulation means 12 Comparison means 13 Comparison result output means 15 Roller 151 Roller Shaft 16 Bearing 17 Light shielding plate 18 Photo sensor 21 Displacement sensor 22, 24 Proximity switch 26 Travel distance calculation means

Claims (5)

In the linear motion rolling guide device having a large number of rolling elements between the rolling element raceway surface formed on the guide rail and the rolling element raceway surface formed on the slider body of the slider that moves relatively in the longitudinal direction of the guide rail,
Relative movement amount detection means for detecting the relative movement amount of the slider, and relative movement amount accumulation means for accumulating the relative movement amounts detected by the relative movement amount detection means to obtain a total relative movement amount of the slider. A linear motion rolling guide device characterized by having a slider.   2. The linear motion rolling guide apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the slider compares the total relative movement amount obtained by the relative movement amount accumulating means with a preset threshold value, and compares the comparison result of the comparison means with the replacement time. A linear motion rolling guide device comprising comparison result output means for outputting information.   The linear motion rolling guide apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the relative movement amount detecting means contacts the guide rail, and a pair of bearings rotatably supports the rotary member with respect to the slider body. A linear motion rolling guide device comprising: signal generating means for generating a signal each time the rotation angle of the rotating member reaches a predetermined rotation angle.   3. The linear motion rolling guide apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a detector that detects passage of the rolling element through a predetermined position is used as the relative movement amount detecting means.   3. The linear motion rolling guide device according to claim 1, wherein a detector for detecting holes or irregularities formed in the guide rail at regular intervals is used as the relative movement amount detecting means. Linear motion rolling guide device.

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