JP2009041743A - Lubricant supply body and linear motion guide device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a lubricant supply body capable of using various types of materials and supplying a lubricant for a long time, and a linear motion guide device equipped with the lubricant supply body. <P>SOLUTION: The lubricant supply body 10 comprises a lubricant holding body 16 comprising needle felt and a support body 15 for supporting the lubricant holding body 16. Lubricating oil and porous inorganic particulates are included in the lubricant holding body 16. Since the porous inorganic particulates entering into the lubricant holding body 16 adsorb and hold the lubricating oil, the lubricating oil holding performance of the lubricant holding body 16 is enhanced and an appropriate amount of the lubricating oil can be supplied for a long time. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a lubricant supply body and a linear motion guide device (ball screw, linear guide, etc.) provided with the same.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as shown in Patent Document 1, a lubricant supply body used for a linear motion guide device or the like is known. The lubricant supply body (lubricant-containing polymer member) shown in Patent Document 1 is formed by molding a mixture of a polyolefin-based synthetic resin such as polyethylene and a lubricating oil by injection molding or the like, and is solidified in a state containing the lubricating oil. When this is in contact with a lubrication site such as a ball, the lubricating oil gradually oozes out from the surface and is supplied to the lubrication site.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-25933

However, the lubricant-containing polymer member has the following problems.
(1) Since it is solidified in a state containing a lubricating oil, it cannot be easily replenished even if the lubricating oil is depleted.
(2) Since the synthetic resin and the lubricating oil need to be a highly compatible combination, materials that can be used are limited.
The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and provides a lubricant supply body that can use various materials and can supply a lubricant over a long period of time, and a linear motion guide device including the lubricant supply body. The purpose is to do.

In order to solve the above problems, a lubricant supply body according to claim 1 of the present invention includes a lubricant holder made of needle felt, and a support that supports the lubricant holder, and the lubricant holding body. The body contains porous inorganic fine particles and the lubricating oil.
Here, the inclusion of the porous inorganic fine particles in the lubricant holder means a state in which the porous inorganic fine particles have entered at least the lubricant holder.

  As described above, even when the lubricant is depleted by holding the lubricant in the lubricant holder made of needle felt and lubricating, the lubricant supplier itself is used as in the case of using the lubricant-containing polymer member. It is possible to lubricate the needle felt for a long time by replenishing the needle felt with lubricating oil. Further, since various types of lubricating oil can be contained in the needle felt, there is no material limitation and an optimum lubricating material can be used.

  Furthermore, by including porous inorganic fine particles, the porous inorganic fine particles that have entered the lubricant holding body adsorb and hold the lubricating oil in the lubricant holding body, so that the lubricating oil is held only by the absorption action of the needle felt fiber. Compared to the case, the lubricant holding performance of the lubricant holder is enhanced. Therefore, since excessive release of the lubricating oil from the lubricant holder can be suppressed and an appropriate amount of lubricating oil can be gradually released, the lubricating state can be maintained for a long time.

The lubricant supply body according to claim 2 of the present invention is characterized in that, in claim 1, the porous inorganic fine particles have a primary particle size of 0.1 μm or more and 30 μm or less.
When the primary particle size is less than 0.1 μm, it is easy to enter the needle felt, but the pores of the porous inorganic fine particles are also reduced, so that the lubricating oil retention performance is not exhibited. On the other hand, when it exceeds 30 μm, it becomes difficult to enter the needle felt.

The lubricant supplier according to claim 3 of the present invention is characterized in that, in claim 1 or 2, the pore diameter of the porous inorganic fine particles is 10 μm or less.
This is because the surface area is increased to make it easier to hold the lubricating oil inside.
The ratio of the total mass of the porous inorganic fine particles and the lubricating oil to be contained in the lubricant holder to the mass of the needle felt (the state in which the porous inorganic fine particles and the lubricating oil are not contained) is 10% by mass or more. Is preferred. If it is less than 10% by mass, it becomes difficult to obtain a stable lubricating oil supply performance. Further, the ratio between the porous inorganic fine particles and the lubricating oil is not particularly limited, but since the main purpose is lubrication performance, it is preferable to increase the ratio of the lubricating oil.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the lubricant supply body according to any one of the first to third aspects, the support body holds the lubricant holding body so as to be in contact with a lubrication target object, and an attachment portion for the lubrication target object. It is characterized by providing.
The linear motion device according to claim 5 of the present invention includes a linearly extending guide member, a linear motion member that is disposed outside the guide member and moves relatively linearly, and a roller provided at a position where the two members face each other. A rolling element that rolls a raceway constituted by a moving surface in a loaded state; and a circulation unit that moves the rolling element from an end point of the raceway to a start point, and the circulation path of the rolling element by the circulation unit and the raceway. The lubricant supply body according to any one of claims 1 to 4 is provided in at least one linear motion direction end portion of the linear motion member.

A linear motion device according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is the linear motion device according to the fifth aspect, wherein a lubricant-containing polymer member formed by molding a synthetic resin containing a lubricant is disposed at at least one linear motion direction end of the linear motion member. It is characterized in that it is provided so as to be able to contact the lubrication part.
The lubricant-containing polymer member may be provided at an end portion to which the lubricant supply body according to claims 1 to 4 is attached, or may be attached to an end portion to which the lubricant supply body is not attached.

  According to the present invention, since the needle felt is configured to hold the lubricating oil, it can be replenished when the lubricating oil is exhausted, and the lubricating oil can be supplied over a long period of time. Furthermore, since the lubricant holding body includes the porous inorganic fine particles together with the lubricating oil, the lubricating oil can be supplied for a long period of time compared to the case where the lubricating oil is absorbed only by the needle felt fibers.

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[First Embodiment]
<Configuration of linear guide and lubricant supply body>
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a linear guide (corresponding to the linear motion device of the present invention) of the present embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 1, a linear guide of this embodiment includes a guide rail (corresponding to a guide member of the present invention) 30, a slider (corresponding to a linear motion member of the present invention) 2, and a ball (not shown) Corresponding to the rolling element of the invention. The slider 2 includes a main body 2A, an end cap 2B, a lubricant supply body 10, and a side seal 40. The ball rolls in a loaded state by ball grooves (corresponding to the rolling surface of the present invention) 31A, 31B of the guide rail 30 and a ball groove (not shown) of the slider 2 (corresponding to the rolling surface of the present invention). A trajectory that moves the ball from the end point of the track to the start point is formed in the end cap 2B. Further, the lubricant supply body 10 is disposed between the end cap 2 </ b> B and the side seal 40.

2 is a front view of the lubricant supply body 10, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a method of attaching the lubricant supply body 10 to the main body 2A of the slider 2.
As shown in FIG. 2, the lubricant supply body 10 is a substantially U-shaped member that matches the outer shape of the end cap 2 </ b> B, and includes a lubricant holding body 16 made of needle felt and a support body 15 that supports the lubricant holding body 16. It consists of.
As shown in these drawings, the support body 15 has substantially the same outer shape as the end cap 2B, and the inner periphery 15a that fits outside the guide rail 30 has a shape along the outer periphery of the guide rail 30, and is attached In this case, a slight gap is formed between the guide rail 30 and the guide rail 30.

  Mounting holes 12 and 12 through which the bolts 43 and 43 are passed are formed in the support 15 at positions on both sides of the guide rail 30. In addition, a recess 14 into which the lubricant holding body 16 is fitted is provided on the surface of the support 15 facing the side seal 40. The concave portion 14 is provided on the inner peripheral side of the support 15 so as to avoid the mounting holes 12 at positions corresponding to both side portions of the guide rail 30 and to leave a suitable peripheral edge at other portions. is there. The support 15 is provided with a supply hole 18 extending from the upper surface and side surfaces to the wall surface of the recess 14. In this way, the support 15 is thicker than the lubricant holder 16 and the attachment hole (corresponding to the attachment portion of the present invention) 12 is formed, so that the load received during use is supported by the support 15. Therefore, deformation of the lubricant holding body 16 and release of the lubricating oil can be prevented, and the lubricating state can be maintained for a long period of time.

  The lubricant holding body 16 has a shape corresponding to the concave portion 14 of the support body 15, and the inner periphery 16 a is closer to the guide rail 30 than the inner periphery 15 a of the support body 15 when fitted into the concave portion 14 of the support body 15. It protrudes and is formed into a shape that can contact the outer periphery of the guide rail 30 (the upper surface 30a and the ball grooves 31A and 31B). The lubricant holder 16 contains the following lubricating oil and porous inorganic fine particles.

After the lubricating oil and the porous inorganic fine particles are contained in the lubricant holding body 16 cut out in the shape of FIG. 2, the lubricant holding body 16 in this state is fitted into the recess 14 of the support 15, The lubricant supply body 10 is obtained.
As shown in FIG. 4, the lubricant supply body 10 is arranged with the surface on the lubricant holding body 16 side facing the side seal 40, and the side seal 40 using a bolt 43 inserted from the outside of the side seal 40. And attached to the main body 2A together with the end cap 2B.

  As an attachment procedure, first, the ball is put in the ball circulation path formed by the guide rail 30, the main body 2A, and the end cap 2B by the guide rail 30, the main body 2A of the slider 2, the end cap 2B, and the ball. And Next, in this state, the lubricant supply body 10 and the side seal 40 are disposed outside the end cap 2B, and the bolt 43 is attached to the attachment hole 41 of the side seal 40, the attachment hole 12 of the lubricant supply body 10, and The tip of the end cap 2B is passed through the mounting hole 21 and the tip thereof is screwed into the female screw of the main body 2A.

  Thereby, the lubricant holding body 16 of the lubricant supply body 10 and the seal portion of the side seal 2 </ b> C are attached in contact with the guide rail 30. Then, the lubricant oil is supplied from the lubricant supply body 10 to the ball grooves 31A and 31B and the upper surface 30a of the guide rail 30. The porous inorganic fine particles contained in the lubricant holding body 16 hold the lubricating oil in the pores, and this is entangled with the fiber and remains in the lubricant holding body 16 so that only the lubricating oil is used as the lubricant. Compared with the case where it is included in the holding body 16, the lubricating oil holding effect of the lubricant holding body 16 can be enhanced, and a stable lubricating state can be maintained over a long period of time.

In addition, since the lubricant supply body 10 is provided with the supply holes 18 on the upper surface and the side surface of the support body 15, the lubricant oil (or a mixture of the lubricant oil and the porous inorganic fine particles) is supplied from the supply holes 18. Thus, the lubricant oil can be resupplied to the lubricant holding body 16 without removing the lubricant supply body 10.
In the present embodiment, the lubricant supply body 10 is attached to both ends of the slider 2, but the effect of the present invention can be obtained as long as it is attached to at least one of the sliders 2.

Hereinafter, the composition of each component, materials used, and the like will be described.
<About support>
The material of the support 15 is not particularly limited in the present invention, but needs to be strong enough to receive a load or the like during use of the apparatus and prevent the lubricant holder 16 from being deformed. For example, metal or resin is used. be able to.
The type of metal is not particularly limited, but aluminum or aluminum alloy is preferable because it is lightweight, excellent in formability, and inexpensive.

  Although the kind of resin is not specifically limited, Thermoplastic resins, such as polyphenylene sulfide, polyacetal, polyamide (polyamide 6, polyamide 66, etc.), can be illustrated. These resins can be used alone, but a composite material containing glass fibers or the like is preferable from the viewpoint of heat resistance and strength. Among these, a polyamide resin reinforced with glass fiber or the like, particularly polyamide 66, is most preferable in terms of heat resistance, oil resistance, strength, and cost. Moreover, you may add suitably the various additives normally used for resin shaping | molding for various objectives, such as intensity | strength, moldability, tolerance improvement, and antioxidant, to these resin. The molding method of these resins or resin compositions is not limited, but injection molding is most suitable in terms of cost.

<About Needle Felt>
A needle felt is a fiber made of synthetic resin (hereinafter referred to as synthetic fiber) formed into a felt shape. The total amount of the porous inorganic fine particles and the lubricating oil contained in the needle felt is preferably at least twice the weight of the needle felt. Further, the synthetic fiber constituting the needle felt may be solid, or may be a hollow fiber so as to retain more porous inorganic fine particles and lubricating oil.

  Synthetic fiber materials that make up the needle felt include polyester fibers such as polypropylene, polyethylene and polyethylene terephthalate, nylon fibers such as nylon 6, nylon 66 and aromatic nylon (commonly called aramid resin), acrylic fibers such as polyacrylonitrile, and screws. Examples thereof include coarse rayon, copper ammonia rayon (cupra), saponified acetate human silk rayon fiber, and fluorine-based fibers such as PTFE. Also, a blend of these fibers may be used. Assuming the usage environment of the application apparatus, polypropylene, polyethylene, and fluorine-based fibers are particularly preferable in that they hardly absorb water.

The porosity of the needle felt (the presence rate of the space formed by the entanglement of the fibers) (%) is defined by the following formula (1) in relation to the synthetic fibers constituting the needle felt.
[1- (apparent density of needle felt ÷ density of synthetic fiber)] × 100 (1)
Considering the amount of absorption of the porous inorganic fine particles and the lubricating oil and the mechanical strength such as wear resistance, the porosity of the needle felt is preferably 60 to 85%, more preferably 70 to 80%. When the porosity is less than 60%, the amount of absorption of lubricating oil or the like is reduced, and punching with a needle felt blade is difficult. When the porosity exceeds 85%, the initial amount of absorption of lubricating oil or the like is large, but the retention between the fibers decreases because the spacing between the fibers becomes wide. Furthermore, since the amount of fibers is small, mechanical strength such as wear resistance is also lowered, and practicality is lowered.

The synthetic fiber constituting the needle felt is preferably thinner in consideration of retention properties such as lubricating oil, but from the balance between synthetic fiber manufacturing problems and mechanical strength, the diameter is preferably 5 to 40 μm, 10-25 micrometers is more preferable.
Further, the lubricant holder may be a needle felt containing grease, or a plurality of needle felts containing grease.

  The lubricant material will be described later. The combination of the lubricant holding body and the lubricating oil is a combination of the synthetic fibers constituting the lubricant holding body and the lubricating oil having similar chemical structures. It is preferable in consideration of wettability. For example, when the synthetic fiber is low polarity such as polyethylene or polypropylene, the lubricating oil is preferably low polarity such as mineral oil or poly α-olefin oil. When the synthetic fiber is a fluorine fiber such as PTFE, a fluorine oil such as perfluoropolyether oil is suitable.

  According to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-84930, polypropylene fiber needle felt has a high affinity with mineral oil grease and a large grease absorption rate. In the present invention, although there is a difference between grease and lubricating oil, It is predicted that can also be suitably used. Moreover, as for the needle felt made from a polyester fiber, the thing of a hollow fiber has a high lubricating oil absorption factor, and is suitable.

  Specific examples of synthetic fiber needle felts with high absorbability for mineral oil include polypropylene needle felts ("Ecolo Saver PCN-400", manufactured by Chubu / Shin Tokai Felt Co., Ltd.), polyester needle felts ("Ecolo Saver ACS-"). 200 ", manufactured by Chubu / Shin Tokai Felt Co., Ltd.), polyester (Tetron) needle felt (" Fujiron 5000H ", Hayashi Felt Co., Ltd.), heat-resistant nylon needle felt (" Fujiron 6000CN ", Hayashi Felt Co., Ltd.) ), Acrylic needle felt (“CP needle”, Hayashi Felt Co., Ltd.) and the like.

  In addition, as a method of absorbing the lubricant into the lubricant holder, there are a method of repeating the compression work with the lubricant holder submerged in the lubricant and a method of absorbing the lubricant by performing a deaeration work in a vacuum. Applicable. Porous inorganic fine particles can be included in the same way, but the porous inorganic fine particles may flutter and may not be able to be sufficiently contained, so mix and absorb lubricating oil or other oils etc. Is preferred. In the case where only the porous inorganic fine particles are first absorbed, it can be uniformly absorbed when dispersed in an organic solvent (hexane or the like).

  In addition, the lubricant holding body 16 is particularly joined to the support body 15 when it is sandwiched and fixed between other members (in the above embodiment, the side seal 40 and the end cap 2B) as in the above embodiment. Although it is not necessary, in the case of separation depending on the application, it is preferable to join using an appropriate adhesive. There is no limitation on the adhesive to be used, but in consideration of the influence of penetration into the lubricant holder 16, a high-viscosity adhesive or an adhesive having a high curing speed is preferable, and particularly at room temperature, it is in a sheet form at a temperature higher than the melting point. Most preferred is a hot-melt adhesive that melts and bonds (fuses) non-adhesive materials together. Suitable hot melt adhesives include polyethylene, ethylene-propylene, poly-α-olefin copolymers such as ethylene-4-methylpentene-1, EVA (ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer), nylon 11 and nylon 12. Low melting point copolymer nylon as the main component, polyamide adhesives such as dimer acid polyamides, dibasic acids (terephthalic acid, etc.) and glycols (eg, ethylene glycol, 1,2-propanediol, 1,3- Examples thereof include those obtained by blending a tackifier with a base polymer (polyester type or the like) obtained by polycondensation with propanediol, 1,3-butanediol, or alkylene glycol such as neopentyl glycol). Examples of the tackifier include polyterpene resin, alicyclic petroleum resin, fatty acid / aromatic petroleum resin, hydrogenated hydrocarbon resin, hydrogenated rosin / ester, and the like, usually alone or in combination. use.

  In addition, non-woven fabrics, films (for example, polyester, polypropylene), foams (for example, polyethylene, polyurethane, butyl rubber), etc. are used as adhesives, and acrylic, rubber-based, silicone-based, etc. adhesives on both sides Double-sided tape with can also be used. The most suitable double-sided tape has a heat-sensitive (hot melt) adhesive such as vinyl acetate resin or EVA attached to the surface of the base material on the lubricant holding body 16 side, and an acrylic adhesive or the like attached to the other surface. It is a thing.

<About lubricating oil>
In the present invention, the type of lubricating oil contained in the lubricant holder is not particularly limited, and any lubricating oil that is generally used can be used.
Specific examples of the lubricating oil include mineral oil, synthetic oil, and animal and vegetable oils. Mineral oils that have been refined to have a viscosity index of 100 or more by appropriately combining vacuum distillation, solvent removal, solvent extraction, hydrocracking, solvent dewaxing, sulfuric acid washing, clay purification, hydrorefining, etc. preferable. And what is called highly refined mineral oil refine | purified so that a viscosity index may be 120 or more is more preferable.

  Synthetic oils include synthetic hydrocarbon oils, ester oils, ether oils, silicone oils, fluorine oils and the like. Among these, examples of the synthetic hydrocarbon oil include poly α-olefins such as normal paraffin, isoparaffin, polybutene, polyisobutylene, 1-decene oligomer, 1-decene and ethylene co-oligomer, and hydrides thereof. Other examples include alkylbenzenes such as monoalkylbenzene, dialkylbenzene, and polyalkylbenzene, and alkylnaphthalenes such as monoalkylnaphthalene, dialkylnaphthalene, and polyalkylnaphthalene.

  Examples of ester oils include dibutyl sebacate, di (2-ethylhexyl) sebacate, dioctyl adipate, diisodecyl adipate, ditridecyl adipate, ditridecyl glutarate, and methyl acetyl ricinolate, trioctyl trimellitate, tri Aromatic ester oils such as decyl trimellitate and tetraoctyl pyromellitate, polyol ester oils such as trimethylolpropane caprylate, trimethylolpropane pelargonate, pentaerythritol-2-ethylhexanoate, pentaerythritol pelargonate, etc. Examples include complex ester oils that are oligoesters of mixed fatty acids of basic and dibasic acids and polyhydric alcohols.

  Further, examples of the ether oil include polyglycols such as polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, polyethylene glycol monoether, and polypropylene glycol monoether, monoalkyl triphenyl ether, alkyl diphenyl ether, dialkyl diphenyl ether, tetraphenyl ether, pentaphenyl ether, mono Examples thereof include phenyl ether oils such as alkyl tetraphenyl ether and dialkyl tetraphenyl ether. In view of heat resistance, a thioether ether oil is also suitable. Examples of the thioether-based ether oil include (di) alkyldiphenyl thioether oil and pentaphenyl thioether oil.

Synthetic oils other than the above include tricresyl phosphate, perfluoroalkyl ether oil and the like. Examples of animal and vegetable oils include beef tallow, pork oil, soybean oil, rapeseed oil, rice bran oil, coconut oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, and other oils or hydrides thereof. These lubricating oils may be used alone or in appropriate combination of two or more. Moreover, you may add various lubricating oil additives, such as a rust preventive agent, an extreme pressure additive, and antioxidant.
<About porous inorganic fine particles>
The kind of the porous inorganic fine particles is not particularly limited, and silica fine particles and alumina fine particles are preferable from the viewpoint of cost and availability.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the second embodiment, the lubricant supply body is applied to a mold clamping mechanism of an injection molding machine.
FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a mold clamping mechanism of the injection molding machine.
The mold clamping mechanism 110 is a mechanism that performs mold clamping and mold opening of the mold during injection molding. The mold clamping mechanism 110 shown in FIG. 5 has a fixed platen 113 and a movable platen 117 facing each other, of which the movable platen 117 is movably supported by a tie bar 115 and the movable platen 117 is arranged on the back side. It is configured to move forward and backward toward the fixed platen 113 by being driven by a driving means 119 (such as a hydraulic cylinder). One of the pair of molds is fixed to the fixed platen 113, the other is fixed to the movable platen 117, and the movable platen 117 is moved forward and backward to perform mold clamping and mold opening.

In the mold clamping mechanism 110, the tie bar 115 is inserted into the through hole 117 a of the movable platen 117, and the movable platen 117 slides along the tie bar 115 during forward / backward driving. Lubricant supply body 131 according to the present embodiment supplies lubricating oil necessary for sliding, and is attached as a pair around through holes 117a on both sides of movable platen 117 (circled portion A in the figure). ).
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the lubricant supply body 131 applied to the mold clamping mechanism 110, and FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the lubricant supply body 131. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. 7 (axial cross-sectional view), and FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 7, each lubricant supply 131 is wound around a pair of semi-cylindrical cylindrical wall members 133, 134 and cylindrical wall members 133, 134 combined in a cylindrical shape so that they are in close contact with each other. Garter spring 136 and a screw member 138 for fixing the cylindrical wall members 133 and 134 to the movable platen 117. The inner diameters of the cylindrical wall members 133 and 134 are set to be substantially equal to the outer diameter of the tie bar 115, and when the cylindrical wall members 133 and 134 are attached concentrically with the tie bar 115, the outer periphery of the tie bar 115 and the cylindrical wall member The inner peripheries of 133 and 134 are in surface contact. Further, through holes through which the screw member 138 is inserted are provided in the cylindrical wall members 133 and 134 and the movable platen 117, and a pair of lubricant supply bodies 131 and 131 are connected by a common screw member 138 via the movable platen 117. Is done. In addition, it fixes by screwing the nut 139 (refer FIG. 6) to the screw member 138 end part. Further, reference numerals 133a and 134a in FIG. 7 indicate through holes provided in the cylindrical wall members 133 and 134, respectively, and reference numerals 117b and 117c indicate through holes provided in the movable platen 117, respectively. Further, since the screw member 138 is inserted through the sleeve 140 through the sleeve 140 in order to prevent deformation at the time of tightening, the through holes 133a and 134a are set to a size that allows the sleeve 140 to be inserted thereinto. ing.

  As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the cylindrical wall member 133 includes a lubricant holder 142 made of needle felt and a support 141 that supports the lubricant holder 142. The support 141 is a semi-cylindrical tubular member, and a semi-cylindrical recess is formed on the inner peripheral side of the support 141 with a short axis, that is, with some peripheral portions at both ends in the axial direction. The lubricant holding body 142 cut out in the shape of the concave portion is joined. This lubricant holding body 142 contains lubricating oil and porous inorganic fine particles. Further, the support body 141 is thicker than the lubricant holding body 142 and penetrates from the outside of the support body 141 toward the inner lubricant holding body 142 in addition to the through hole 133a for inserting the screw member 138. A lubricating oil supply hole 144 is also formed. The materials for forming the support 141 and the lubricant holder 142 are the same as those shown in the first embodiment. Although not shown in detail, the cylindrical wall material 134 is the same as the cylindrical wall material 133 and has a vertically symmetrical shape.

  As described above, the present invention can also be applied to lubrication of the mold clamping mechanism 110 of the injection molding machine. In the mold clamping mechanism 110, when the movable platen 117 moves forward or backward, the lubricant oil is supplied to the tie bar 115 by the lubricant holder 142 disposed forward in the movement direction. Since the lubricant holding body 142 includes porous inorganic fine particles together with the lubricating oil, the lubricating oil holding effect is higher than when only the lubricating oil is included, and the lubricating oil can be supplied over a long period of time. Further, since the lubricating oil can be replenished, the lubricating oil can be supplied for a long time without replacing the lubricant supply 131, and maintenance is easy.

[Third Embodiment]
Next, a third embodiment will be described. In the third embodiment, the present invention is applied to a ball screw and a lubricant supply body that lubricates the ball screw.
FIG. 10 shows a cross-sectional view of a ball screw to which the lubricant supply body 250 is applied.
The ball screw shown in FIG. 10 has a screw shaft (corresponding to the guide member of the present invention) 201 and a nut (corresponding to the linear motion member of the present invention) 202. The screw shaft 201 has a thread groove with a semicircular cross section on the outer peripheral surface and extends in the axial direction, and this screw groove 201 a constitutes a rolling element rolling groove 201 a of the screw shaft 201. The nut 202 has a thread groove facing the rolling element rolling groove 201 a of the screw shaft 201 on the inner peripheral surface, and this thread groove constitutes the rolling element rolling groove 202 a of the nut 202. Then, a ball (corresponding to the rolling element of the present invention) 203 arranged between the rolling element rolling grooves 201a and 202a rolls, so that the nut 202 can move relative to the screw shaft 201 in the axial direction. It is configured.

Further, although not shown, a rolling element tube (corresponding to a circulation part of the present invention) that connects both ends of the rolling element rolling groove 201a is connected to the nut 202. As a result, the ball 203 which has rolled between the rolling element rolling grooves 201a and 202a and has reached the end can pass back and forth between both ends through the rolling element tube, and infinitely between the rolling element rolling grooves 201a and 202a. A ball 203 is supplied.
In addition, a short cylindrical lubricant supply body 250 having substantially the same outer diameter is fixed to an end portion of the nut 202 in the axial direction.

FIG. 11 shows an axial cross section (cross section taken along the line CC in FIG. 10) of the lubricant supply body 250.
As shown in FIG. 11, the lubricant supply body 250 includes a short cylindrical support body 222 having an outer diameter substantially the same as that of the nut 202, and a short cylindrical lubricant holding member disposed on the inner periphery of the support body 222. And a body 220. The support body 222 is thicker than the lubricant holding body 220, and four through holes 223 penetrating in the axial direction are formed at substantially equal intervals in the circumferential direction, and these through holes (corresponding to the mounting portion of the present invention). )) It is fixed to the nut 202 by a bolt 206 inserted through 223. Further, a lubricating oil supply hole 210 penetrating in the radial direction is formed, and the lubricating oil can be resupplied to the lubricant holder 220. Further, a dust-proof seal member 207 is provided on the inner periphery of the axial end opposite to the nut 202, and the lubricant holder 220 is attached to a portion where the inner diameter on the nut 202 side is increased across the flange 208. It fits inside. The flange 208 has a function of isolating the seal member 207 and the lubricant holder 220 and supporting the lubricant holder 220 from the axial direction.

  The lubricant holding body 220 includes a pair of semi-cylindrical semi-cylindrical bodies 220a and 220b made of needle felt containing porous inorganic fine particles and lubricating oil, which are vertically opposed to each other. The semi-cylindrical bodies 220a and 22B have a radius of curvature substantially equal to the inner circumference of the support 222, but the inner circumference is set larger than the radius of curvature of the screw shaft 201. For this reason, it contacts the outer periphery of the screw shaft 201 only at the center in the circumferential direction, and a gap 260 is formed between the circumferential end and the screw shaft 201. This is because if the entire surface of the lubricant holder 220 is brought into close contact with the screw shaft 201, the lubricant that has oozed out from the lubricant holder 220 may be wiped off by the lubricant holder 220 that is in close contact. (Scraper action). Accordingly, as in the present embodiment, by forming the gap 260, the lubricating oil that has oozed out from the lubricating oil is prevented from flowing through the gap 260 or in the center in the circumferential direction. By being transmitted to 201a, lubricating oil can be diffused moderately.

As described above, the present invention is also applicable to the ball screw lubricant supply body 250. Since the lubricant holding body 220 contains porous inorganic fine particles capable of holding the lubricating oil therein, the lubricating oil holding effect is higher than when only the lubricating oil is contained, and the lubricating oil can be supplied over a long period of time. . Furthermore, since the lubricating oil can be replenished, the lubricating oil can be supplied for a long time without replacing the lubricant supply body 250, and maintenance is easy.
Although the other end portion of the nut 202 is not shown in FIG. 10, the lubricant supply body 250 may be attached to both end portions of the nut 202 or only one end portion.

[Other application examples]
The application of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment.
For example, in the linear guide, as shown in FIG. 12, in addition to the lubricant supplier 10 shown in FIG. 4, a lubricant-containing polymer member 22 may be further provided. In FIG. 12, the lubricant-containing polymer member 22 has an outer shape that matches the lubricant supply body 10, is disposed between the side seal 40 and the lubricant supply body 10, and is fixed to the main body 2 </ b> A of the slider 2. . Reference numeral 23 in the figure denotes a through-hole through which a bolt 43 for fixing to the main body 2A of the slider 2 is inserted. When the bolt is fixed, the bolt 43 is attached with a tubular sleeve 25 interposed in the through-hole 23. Insert.

The lubricant-containing polymer member 22 is formed by injection molding or the like of a synthetic resin containing lubricating oil. As the synthetic resin, for example, polyethylene or polypropylene can be used, and as the lubricating oil, for example, poly α-olefin oil or mineral oil can be used. In addition, materials described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-84930, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-25933, and Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-38928 can be used.
As described above, since the lubricant-containing polymer member 22 is solidified in a state containing the lubricating oil, the lubricating oil gradually oozes from the surface. Therefore, by using together with the lubricant supply body 10, it becomes possible to stably supply the lubricating oil over a long period of time.

Furthermore, for example, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, a replenishment unit 50 may be provided in addition to the lubricant supply body 10. FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of the end of the slider to which the replenishment unit 50 is mounted. FIG. 14A is a plan view of the replenishment unit 50, and FIG. 13B is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. is there.
In these drawings, the replenishment unit 50 has an outer shape adapted to the lubricant supply body 10, is disposed between the lubricant supply body 10 and the side seal 40, and is fixed to the main body 2 </ b> A of the slider 2. On the surface facing the lubricant supply body 10, a recess 57 having an axial cross section substantially the same as that of the lubricant holding body 16 is formed and filled with the lubricating oil 56. The replenishment unit 50 is provided with replenishment holes 58 extending from the outer surface to the recess 57 on both the left and right sides and the upper side, so that the replenishment of the lubricating oil to the recess 57 is possible. Reference numeral 52 denotes a through hole for the bolt 43 for fixing to the main body 2A.

As described above, when the replenishment unit 50 is provided, the lubricating oil filled in the recess 57 is absorbed by the lubricant holder 16 and supplied to the lubrication site via the lubricant holder 16. Thereby, compared with the case where only the lubricant supply body 10 is used, the lubricating oil can be supplied to the lubrication site for a longer period of time. The constituent material of the replenishment unit 50 is not particularly limited in the present invention. For example, the replenishment unit 50 may be formed of the same material as that of the support 15 of the lubricant supply body 10. For example, a transparent material (polysulfone, polymethylpentene, transparent Nylon or the like is preferable because it is easy to check the remaining amount of the lubricating oil.
Further, the lubricant supply body may have a shape as shown in FIG. 15, for example. FIG. 15A is a plan view of the lubricant supply body 10 ′, FIG. 15B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 15A, and FIG.

A lubricant supply body 10 'shown in FIG. 15 supplies a lubricant to a pair of ball grooves provided on both side surfaces of a guide rail of a linear guide. The support body 15' and a pair of lubricants are supplied. And holding bodies 16c and 16d. The support body 15 'includes a pair of sleeve portions 15c and 15d that face both side surfaces of the guide rail. The sleeve portions 15c and 15d are each provided with a recess opening on the inner surface facing the guide rail on the surface facing the side seal when the slider is fixed to the main body. Then, lubricant holding bodies 16c and 16d made of needle felt containing lubricating oil and porous inorganic fine particles are fitted in the recesses, respectively. The lubricant holders 16c and 16d have portions 16C and 16D facing the ball groove of the guide rail projecting toward the guide rail from the support 15 and supply the lubricant to the ball groove by contacting the ball groove. . In the figure, reference numeral 12 'denotes a through hole for inserting a bolt for fixing to the main body of the slider, and reference numerals 18c and 18d denote supply holes for replenishing the lubricating oil. The supply holes 18c and 18d are formed as semicircular through holes in the outer walls (side walls opposite to the guide rails) of the sleeve portions 15c and 15d, as indicated by broken lines in FIG. .
The shape as described above can be applied to a linear guide in which only one pair of ball grooves is formed on the guide rail. Further, the lubricant supply body is not limited to such a shape, and can be an appropriate shape according to the shape of the linear guide.

Next, in order to evaluate the effect of the present invention, each example and each comparative example of the present invention will be described because evaluation tests were conducted.
A lubricant supplier 10 as shown in FIG. 2 was produced. The lubricant holder 16 was made of polypropylene felt (fiber diameter 20 μm, porosity 72%, thickness 5 mm). Then, 70% by mass (polypropylene felt not containing lubricating oil or the like) of mineral oil (base oil kinematic viscosity of 150 mm ² / s at 40 ° C.) in which the porous inorganic fine particles are blended in the lubricant holder 16 with a specified mass concentration. The total mass of the lubricating oil and the porous inorganic fine particles with respect to the mass of the above was included, and the specimens of Examples and Comparative Examples were used. The contents of the examples and comparative examples are shown below. It has been confirmed that the pore diameters of the porous silica (porous inorganic fine particles) used in this test are all 10 μm or less.

Example 1: Mineral oil blended with 20% by weight of porous silica (primary particle size 5 μm) Example 2: Mineral oil blended with 10% by weight of porous silica (primary particle size 5 μm) Comparative example 1: Mineral oil only Comparative example 2: Porous silica ( Mineral oil blended with 20% by mass of primary particle size (90 nm) Comparative example 3: Nanosilica (no pore: 40 nm of primary particle size) blended mineral oil with 20% by mass of comparative example 4: Mineral oil with 90% by mass of porous silica (primary particle size 5 μm) (comparative example) In No. 4, mineral oil was blended to soak the felt.)
Comparative Example 5: Porous silica (primary particle size 50 μm) 20 mass% blended mineral oil

[Measurement of lubricant exudation]
First, the amount of lubricant oozing out was measured and will be described.
The specimens of Examples 1 and 2 and Comparative Examples 1 to 3 were attached to a linear guide (“LH10” manufactured by NSK Ltd .; see FIG. 4), and the delivery amount averaged 28.degree. It was operated at 4 m / min, a maximum of 32 m / min, and a stroke of 800 mm. During operation, the mass of the lubricant holding body 16 was measured every predetermined time, and the amount of lubricating oil oozing was determined from the mass difference from the initial mass. The amount of oozing includes the mass of porous inorganic fine particles released from the lubricant holding body 16 and the lubricating oil held by the porous inorganic fine particles.
The results are shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 16, it can be seen that the amount of the exudation is moderately suppressed in the specimens of Examples 1 and 2 in which 10 to 20 mass% of porous silica is blended. From this, it can be seen that in the example, excessive exudation is suppressed and an appropriate amount of lubricating oil is gradually supplied, so that the lubricating state can be maintained well over a long period of time compared to the comparative example.

[Durable life evaluation]
Next, an endurance life test was performed using the specimens of Example 1 and Comparative Examples 3 and 4. The test conditions were substantially the same as the measurement of the amount of seeping out of the lubricating oil, the ambient temperature was set to 60 ° C., the test apparatus was operated until the life was determined, and the time was measured. The lifetime is a burn-in lifetime, and the lifetime was defined as the temperature sensor attached to the top of the unit rising by 20 ° C. Table 1 shows the results of relative evaluation with the life of Example 1 as 1.

  From the results of Example 1 and Comparative Example 4 shown in Table 1, it can be seen that when the proportion of porous silica becomes too large, the relative life becomes extremely small. This is because if too much porous silica is added, the porous silica almost absorbs the lubricating oil, which makes it difficult for the lubricating oil to be released from the lubricant holder 16 and the amount of the lubricating oil is small. . Further, in Comparative Example 5, when the porous silica was included in the lubricant holding body 16, the porous silica remained on the surface (confirmed visually), and could not be completely included in the polypropylene felt. .

It is a perspective view which shows the linear guide of this embodiment. It is a front view of a lubricant supply body. It is the sectional view on the AA line of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the method of attaching a lubricant supply body to the main body of a slider. It is a top view which shows the mold clamping mechanism of an injection molding machine. It is a perspective view of the lubricant supply body applied to the mold clamping mechanism. It is a disassembled perspective view of a lubricant supply body. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. It is CC sectional view taken on the line of FIG. 7 (axial direction cross section). It is sectional drawing of the ball screw to which the lubricant supply body is applied. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view in the axial direction of the lubricant supply body (cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. 10). It is a disassembled perspective view of the slider edge part of the linear guide concerning the other application example. It is a disassembled perspective view of the slider edge part of the linear guide which concerns on the other application example. (A) is a top view of a supply unit, (B) is the sectional view on the AA line of (A). (A) is a top view of the lubricant supply body which concerns on another application example, (B) is the sectional view on the AA line of (A), (C) is a bottom view. It is a graph which shows the measurement result of the amount of seepage of lubricating oil.

Explanation of symbols

10, 10 'Lubricant supply body, 15, 15' support body, 15c, 15d Sleeve, 16 Lubricant holding body, 16c, 16d Lubricant holding body, 18 Supply hole, 18c, 18d Supply hole, 2 Slider, 2A Main body, 2B end cap, 2C side seal, 21 mounting hole, 22 lubricant-containing polymer member, 23 through hole, 30 guide rail, 31A, 31B ball groove, 40 side seal, 41 mounting hole, 43 bolt, 50 supply unit, 56 Lubricating oil, 57 Recessed part, 58 Replenishment hole, 110 Clamping mechanism, 113 Fixed platen, 115 Tie bar, 117 Movable platen, 117a, 117b Through hole, 119 Movable platen driving means, 131 Lubricant supply body, 133a Through hole, 133 134 Wall material, 136 garter spring, 138 screw member, 139 nut, 140 Sleeve, 141 Support, 142 Lubricant holder, 144 Supply hole, 201 Screw shaft, 201a, 202a Rolling element rolling groove, 201a, 202a Rolling element rolling groove, 202 Nut, 203 ball, 206 bolt, 207 Seal Member, 208 Flange, 210 Supply hole, 220 Lubricant holder, 220a, 22B Semi-cylindrical body, 222 Support body, 223 Through hole, 250 Lubricant supply body, 260 Clearance

Claims (6)

A lubricant holder made of needle felt;
A support that supports the lubricant holder, and
A lubricant supply body comprising porous lubricant particles and the lubricating oil in the lubricant holder.   2. The lubricant supply body according to claim 1, wherein the porous inorganic fine particles have a primary particle size of 0.1 μm or more and 30 μm or less.   The lubricant supply body according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the pore diameter of the porous inorganic fine particles is 10 µm or less.   The said support body hold | maintains the said lubricant holding body so that a lubrication target object can be contacted, and is provided with the attaching part with respect to a lubrication target object, The lubricant supply body in any one of Claims 1-3 characterized by the above-mentioned. A track composed of a linearly extending guide member, a linearly moving member arranged on the outside of the guide member and relatively moving linearly, and a rolling surface provided at a position where both the members are opposed to each other is rolled in a loaded state. In a linear motion device that has a rolling element that moves, and a circulation unit that moves the rolling element from the end point of the track to the start point, and the circulation path of the rolling element is configured by the circulation unit and the track,
A linear motion device comprising the lubricant supply body according to any one of claims 1 to 4 provided at at least one linear motion direction end of the linear motion member.   6. The lubricant-containing polymer member formed by molding a synthetic resin containing a lubricant is provided so as to be able to contact a lubrication site at an end portion of at least one linear motion direction of the linear motion member. The linear motion device described.

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