JP4413913B2 - Linear guide device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a linear guide device in which a slider carrying a movable body such as a table moves along a track rail as a rolling body such as a ball or a roller provided in the slider circulates. The present invention relates to an improvement in a configuration for reliably supplying lubricant to rolling elements.

  Conventionally, as this kind of linear guide device, a track rail which is disposed on a fixed part such as a bed and has a ball rolling surface formed thereon, and is assembled to the track rail via a number of balls, a table or the like There is known a slider composed of a slider that moves along the track rail while supporting the movable body.

  The slider has a load rolling surface facing the rolling surface of the track rail via the ball and a ball return hole parallel to the load rolling surface, and along the track rail along with the rolling of the ball. And a movable block that is movable and a pair of arcuate direction change paths that are fixed to the front and rear end faces of the moving block and guide the ball between the load rolling surface and the ball return hole of the moving block. By fixing the lid to the front and rear end faces of the moving block, the load rolling surface and the end of the ball return hole are connected by a direction change path, and the ball is infinite. A circulation path is completed in the slider.

  Furthermore, in order to prevent dust or the like adhering to the track rail from entering the inside of the slider as the slider moves, the slider is usually provided with a plate-like plate made of a soft elastic material such as rubber on the front and rear end faces. A seal member is attached, and the slider moves in a state where the seal member is in close contact with the surface of the track rail.

  In using this linear guide device, the wear of the ball itself and the rolling surface of the track rail on which it rolls or the load rolling surface of the slider is suppressed, and the high-precision movement of the slider is maintained over a long period of time. From the viewpoint, it is necessary to supply a lubricant, such as grease, to such balls and the above-mentioned load rolling surface regularly or continuously.

For this reason, in the conventional linear guide device described above, a concave groove serving as a lubricant supply path is formed on the back surface side of the lid constituting the slider, that is, the contact surface with the movable block, and the lid is used as the movable block. When fixed, the lubricant supply path communicating with the infinite circulation path of the ball from the outside of the slider is completed.
Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 5-71442

  However, the lid body is formed by injection molding using a relatively hard synthetic resin, and if there is even a slight distortion in the molded lid body, there is a gap between the end face of the moving block to which it is fixed. As a result, the lubricant injected into the slider leaks between the lid and the moving block, and the lubricant cannot be sufficiently distributed to the infinite circulation path of the ball. was there.

  Also, since the injected lubricant leaks out, the ball and the load rolling surface cannot be sufficiently lubricated unless a large amount of lubricant is injected, and the lubricant is wasted. There was also the problem of end up.

  Furthermore, even when grease is filled into the lubricant supply path at a constant pressure by using a grease gun or the like, if there is a gap between the lid and the moving block, the grease filling pressure is reduced from this gap. There is also a problem that the grease cannot be sufficiently distributed to the tip of the lubricant supply path, that is, the endless circulation path of the balls.

  On the other hand, as a linear guide device designed to prevent such leakage of the lubricant, one disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 5-71442 is known. Specifically, a lubricant supply hole is formed through the lid body provided with the ball direction changing path, and the ball is passed through the supply hole from the lubricant supply pipe provided on the outer surface of the lid body. The lubricant is directly injected into the direction change path.

  However, when such a configuration is adopted, it is possible to prevent the leakage of the lubricant from between the moving block and the lid, but the lubricant is injected into the direction change path on the outer surface of the lid. In addition, considering the attachment of the sealing member to the outer surface of the lid, the outer surface of the lid also requires a recessed portion for accommodating the piping, increasing the number of components. However, there is a problem that the structure of the lid becomes more complicated than before.

  The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and the object of the present invention is to prevent the leakage of lubricant injected into the slider to reduce its consumption amount, An object of the present invention is to provide a linear guide device that can reliably lubricate an infinite circulation path and that can achieve this with a simple configuration.

  In order to achieve the above object, a linear guide device of the present invention includes a track rail having a rolling surface of a rolling element, a load rolling surface facing the rolling surface of the track rail via the rolling member, and this A rolling element return hole parallel to the loaded rolling surface and an arcuate direction change path for guiding the rolling element between the loaded rolling surface and the rolling element return hole are provided for infinite circulation of the rolling element. Accordingly, in the linear guide device including the slider that is movable along the track rail, a lubricant supply hole that communicates with the direction change path is formed on at least one of the front and rear end faces of the slider. On the other hand, the end face of the slider provided with the lubricant supply hole is covered with a plate-like member, and the end face and / or the inner surface of the plate-like member covering the end face has a lubricant connected to the lubricant supply hole. The supply groove is formed in the plate shape The wood is characterized in that the lubricant supply path is formed by fixing the said slider.

  According to such technical means, when the plate member is fixed to the end surface of the slider, the supply groove formed on the end surface of the slider or the inner surface of the plate member is covered, and the slider and the plate member cooperate. This completes the lubricant supply path. In the present invention, the lubricant can be supplied to the direction change path of the rolling element through the lubricant supply groove and the lubricant supply hole provided in the end face of the slider.

  At this time, if the contact portion of the plate-like member with the slider is formed of a viscoelastic body such as rubber, the plate-like member fixed to the slider is in close contact with the end surface of the slider, and the plate-like member and the slider There is no gap between them. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to effectively prevent the lubricant from leaking out of the lubricant supply path completed by the cooperation of the slider and the plate-like member. The endless circuit can be reliably lubricated.

  In addition, since it is possible to effectively prevent the lubricant from leaking out from the lubricant supply path in this way, even when grease is injected into the lubricant supply path using a grease gun or the like, filling at the time of such injection is possible. Since the pressure sufficiently acts to the tip of the lubricant supply path, the grease can be reliably injected into the direction change path of the rolling element provided in the slider.

  Here, from the viewpoint of more surely preventing the leakage of the lubricant from the lubricant supply path, the plate member is formed on the end surface of the slider and / or the inner surface of the plate member covering the end surface. It is preferable to form a belt-like projection that contacts the entire length of the edge of the supply groove. According to this structure, when the plate-like member is fixed to the slider, the band-like projections are more closely attached to the end surface of the slider, and the lubricant supply path can be made more complete. Further, as described above, since the plate-like member is formed by rubber vulcanization molding or the like, the band-like projection can be easily formed integrally with the plate-like member.

  Further, from the viewpoint of supplying only the necessary minimum amount of lubricant to the rolling elements that circulate infinitely in the slider, the lubricant is held and gradually supplied to the rolling elements in the direction change path. It is preferable that the holding supply member is packed in the lubricant supply groove and the lubricant supply hole. As such a holding and supplying member, resin, rubber, felt or the like can be used. With this configuration, excess lubricant does not overflow into the direction change path of the rolling elements, and only the lubricant consumed by circulation of the rolling elements is lubricated from the lubricant supply groove through the holding supply member. Since it flows into the agent supply hole, the slider can be moved for a long time with a very small amount of lubricant. In addition, if the lubricant supply groove serving as the lubricant supply path is formed larger on the slider side, the amount of lubricant that can be impregnated in the holding supply member can be set larger. It is also possible to reduce the number of times of injecting the lubricant into the slider.

  Further, since the lubricant held in the holding supply member such as felt flows while resisting gravity due to capillary action, if the holding supply member is packed in the lubricant supply groove and the lubricant supply hole, the slider The lubricant can be reliably supplied even to the direction change path where it is relatively difficult to supply the lubricant due to the influence of the motion posture.

  The rolling element in the present invention includes a ball and a roller, and the present invention effectively exhibits the above-described function regardless of which linear guide device is used.

  As described above, according to the linear guide device of the present invention, the lubricant supply path is formed by the cooperation of the slider and the plate-like member that are in close contact with each other. Can be reliably prevented from leaking out, and leakage of the injected lubricant can be prevented to reduce its consumption, and the rolling element and its infinite circuit can be reliably lubricated. Become.

  Further, when the seal member is also used as a plate-like member, the seal member itself is a component that is also used in a conventional linear guide device, and a lubricant supply path is formed by the cooperation of the slider and the seal member. In this case, no special parts are added, and this can be realized with a simple configuration.

  Hereinafter, the linear guide device of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  1 and 2 show a first embodiment of a linear guide device to which the present invention is applied. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a track rail, and ridges 11 are provided on the left and right shoulders along the axial direction. Ball rolling surfaces 12 on which the balls 2 roll are formed above and below each protrusion 11, and each ball rolling surface 12 forms an angle of 45 ° with respect to the radial direction and the thrust direction. . The track rail 1 is fixed to a fixing portion (not shown) such as a bed by fixing bolts (not shown). In addition, the code | symbol 13 in FIG. 1 is a bolt hole into which the said fixing bolt is inserted.

  Reference numeral 3 denotes a slider that moves along the track rail 1. The slider 3 is attached to both the front and rear end faces of the moving block 4 and the moving block 4 that sandwiches a large number of balls 2 together with the track rail 1. It is comprised from a pair of cover body 5 and a pair of sealing member (plate-shaped member) 6 fixed to the outer surface of this cover body 5. As shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the moving block 4 has a horizontal portion 4a and a pair of sleeve portions 4b suspended from both sides of the horizontal portion 4a and is formed in a saddle shape straddling the track rail 1, and the both sleeve portions 4b On the inner surface side, four load rolling surfaces 41 that sandwich the ball 2 in combination with the ball rolling surface 12 of the track rail 1 are formed. Each sleeve 4b has a ball return hole 42 corresponding to and parallel to each load rolling surface 41. Mounting portions 44 having bolt mounting holes 43 project from both side surfaces of the moving block 4, and the moving block 4 has a fixing bolt (not shown) penetrating the bolt mounting holes 43 from below the mounting portion 44. ) To a movable body (not shown) such as a table.

  Ball holding plates 45 and 46 are attached to the lower end of each sleeve portion 4b of the moving block 4 and the lower surface of the horizontal portion 4a, respectively. The ball holding plates 45 and 46 are formed by press molding of a metal plate, injection molding of hard synthetic resin, or the like. When the slider 3 is removed from the track rail 1, the balls 2 rolling on the ball rolling surfaces 41 are sliders. 3 is prevented from falling off.

  FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the lid 5 observed from the back side. Similarly to the moving block 4, the lid 5 has a horizontal portion 5a and a pair of sleeve portions 5b suspended from both sides of the horizontal portion 5a, and is formed in a saddle shape. A ball direction changing path 51 is provided to connect the four-side ball rolling surface 41 and the ball return hole 42 in communication with each other.

  FIG. 4 shows details of the ball direction changing path 51. A substantially semicircular outer circumferential guide surface 52 is formed on the lid 5 so that the ball 2 is guided in an arc shape between the ball return hole 42 and the ball rolling surface 12 of the track rail 1. It has become. A scooping portion 53 for scooping up the ball 2 from the ball rolling surface 12 of the track rail 1 is formed at the end of the outer peripheral guide surface 52. On the other hand, the R piece 7 is fitted to the outer peripheral guide surface 52, and the inner peripheral side that guides the ball 2 between the ball return hole 42 and the load rolling surface 41 in the R piece 7. A guide surface 71 is formed. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, by fitting the R piece 7 to the lid 5, the outer peripheral guide surface 52 and the inner peripheral guide surface 71 face each other, and the ball direction changing path 51 is completed. It is like that.

  A lubricant supply hole 56 is provided between the outer surface of the lid 5 to which the seal member 6 is attached and each ball direction changing path 51, and lubricant such as grease is supplied to the supply hole 56. The ball 2 that is injected into the ball direction changing path 51 and rolls in the ball direction changing path 51 is lubricated.

  The lid 5 is attached to both end faces of the moving block 4 by hexagon socket head bolts that penetrate the attachment holes 54. Positioning bosses 55 are provided around the mounting holes 54 on the back surface side of the lid 5, and the bosses 55 are fitted into concave grooves (not shown) provided on both end surfaces of the moving block 4. Thus, the lid body 5 is accurately positioned with respect to the moving block 4. When the lid 5 is attached to the moving block 4 in this way, the ball direction changing path 51 of the lid 5 and the ball return hole 42 of the moving block 4 are connected, and one end of the ball rolling surface 41 is connected to the other end. The infinite circulation path of the ball for circulating the ball 2 is completed.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the sealing member 6 fixed to the outer surface of the lid body 5 is rubber-molded on the back surface side of the plate 61 serving as a core material, that is, the contact surface with the lid body 5. The part 62 is formed by vulcanization and is formed into a plate shape having an outer shape substantially the same as the cross-sectional shape of the lid body 5 as a whole. Further, a lip portion 63 that is in sliding contact with the track rail 1 is formed integrally with the rubber molding portion 62 on the opposite side of the seal member 6 to the track rail 1 so that dust and lubricant adhering to the track rail 1 are formed. Are prevented from entering the inside of the slider 2 as the slider 2 moves. In the figure, reference numeral 64 denotes a screw hole for fixing the seal member 6 to the lid 5.

  Further, a grease reservoir 57 is formed on the end face of the lid 5 to which the seal member 6 is fixed (see FIG. 1), and a grease nipple (not shown) is inserted through an oil supply port 65 formed in the seal member 6. Then, it is screwed into the grease reservoir 57.

  The rubber molding portion 62 of the seal member 6 that contacts the end surface of the lid 5 is provided with a lubricant supply groove 66 that connects the grease reservoir 57 and the lubricant supply hole 56 of the lid 5 in communication with each other. The seal member 6 is fixed to the end surface of the lid 5 so that the lubricant supply path from the grease reservoir 57 to the ball direction change path 51 of the lid is completed.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 6, strip-like projections 67 are formed on both edges of the supply groove 66 over the entire length, and when the seal member 6 is fixed to the lid body 5, the strip-like projections 67 are covered. It closely adheres to the end surface of the body 5 and can reliably prevent the lubricant from leaking out of the supply groove 66.

  In the linear guide device of this embodiment configured as described above, when grease is poured from the grease nipple attached to the lid 5 using a grease gun, the grease is formed on the end surface of the lid 5. The grease enters the lubricant supply groove 66 of the seal member 6 through the grease reservoir 57 and is ejected from the lubricant supply holes 56 of the lid 5 to the direction change path 51 of the ball 2 through the supply groove 66. As a result, the balls 2 rolling on the direction changing path 51 are lubricated by the grease, and the grease spreads to the load rolling surface 41 and the ball return hole 42 as the balls 2 circulate.

  At this time, the rubber molding portion 62 of the seal member 6 fixed to the lid body 5 is in contact with the end surface of the lid body 5, and the rubber molding portion 62 is pressed against the adjacent plate 61 so as to be covered. Since it is in close contact with the body 5, there is no gap between the seal member 6 and the lid 5. Therefore, grease does not leak from the grease reservoir 57 and the lubricant supply groove 66, and the grease pressure-filled by the grease gun can be reliably injected into the direction change path 51 of the ball 2.

  In the above-described embodiment, grease is appropriately injected using a grease gun. However, a pipe is continuously connected to the slider 3, and the mist-like lubricant is lubricated using the pipe. You may comprise so that the agent supply groove | channel 66 may be blown.

  Further, in this embodiment, the plate-like member that forms the lubricant supply path with the slider 3 also serves as the seal member 6 that originally performs a dust-proof action, etc. Although the increase is prevented, for example, a plate-like member made of the same material may be prepared separately from the seal member, and this may be attached to the end surface of the slider to form the lubricant supply path.

  Next, a second embodiment of the linear guide device to which the present invention is applied will be described.

  In the first embodiment described above, the lubricant supply groove 66 is formed in the seal member 6 fixed to the lid 5. In the second embodiment, the lubricant supply groove 66 is formed on the lid 5 side. A lubricant holding and supplying member is packed therein.

  FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the lid body 5 of this embodiment as observed from the mounting surface side of the seal member 6. On the mounting surface side, a recess 58 for holding and storing the lubricant is formed in the horizontal portion 5 a of the lid 5, while each sleeve 5 b has a lubricant supply groove communicating with the recess 58. 59 is formed. As described in the first embodiment, the lid 5 is provided with the lubricant supply holes 56 communicating with the respective ball direction changing paths 51. The lubricant supply groove 59 is provided with the lubricant. The agent supply hole 56 is also in communication. The recess 58, the supply groove 59, and the supply hole 56 are filled with a felt 60 impregnated with a lubricant.

  On the other hand, FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing a state in which the lid body 5 of the second embodiment is fixed to the moving block 4 and the seal member 6 is fixed to the lid body 5. When the lid 5 is fixed to the moving block 4, the ball direction changing path 51 of the lid 5 and the ball return hole 42 of the moving block 4 are connected as described above, and the ball is moved from one end to the other end of the ball rolling surface 41. The endless circulation path of the ball circulating 2 is completed. At this time, the tip of the felt 60 packed in the lubricant supply hole 56 slightly protrudes into the direction change path 51 from the supply hole 56.

  The configuration other than the lid 5, that is, the track rail 1, the moving block 4, and the like are not different from those of the first embodiment described above, and the description thereof is omitted here.

  Also in the linear guide device of the present embodiment configured as described above, when the seal member 6 is fixed to the lid 5, the recess 58 and the lubricant supply groove 59 formed in the lid 5 are connected to the seal 5. A lubricant supply path that is covered by the member 6 and extends from the recess 58 to the direction change path 51 of the ball 2 is completed. At this time, since the rubber molding portion 62 of the seal member 6 is in close contact with the lid body 5 and no gap is formed between them, lubrication from the recess 58 and the lubricant supply groove 59 also takes place in this embodiment. It is possible to reliably prevent the agent from leaking out.

  Further, in this embodiment, since the felt 58 is filled in the recess 58, the lubricant supply groove 59 and the lubricant supply hole 56, the recess 58 is lubricated from the oil supply port 65 of the seal member 6. Lubricant is absorbed and held by the felt 60 and is fed to the ball direction change path 51 through the felt 60. For this reason, since the ball 2 is directly applied with the lubricant from the felt 60 slightly projecting on the direction changing path 51, the lubricant does not overflow the direction changing path 51 unnecessarily. The ball 2 can be reliably lubricated with this lubricant.

  In addition, in this embodiment, the recess 58 of the lid 5 is formed to be slightly larger than the supply groove 59, and the felt 60 in the recess 58 can hold a certain amount of lubricant. The lubricant injected from the oil supply port 65 of the seal member 6 is not immediately consumed, and the number of lubricant replenishment operations during the use of the linear guide device can be reduced.

It is a perspective view which shows 1st Example of the linear guide apparatus to which this invention is applied. It is sectional drawing of the linear guide apparatus which concerns on 1st Example. It is the perspective view which observed the cover which concerns on 1st Example from the attachment surface side to a movement block. It is sectional drawing which shows the direction change path of the ball | bowl formed in the cover body which concerns on 1st Example. It is the perspective view which observed the sealing member which concerns on 1st Example from the attachment surface side to a cover body. It is sectional drawing which shows the lubricant supply groove | channel formed in the sealing member. It is the perspective view which observed the cover body of the linear guide apparatus which concerns on 2nd Example from the attachment surface side of the sealing member. It is sectional drawing which shows the direction change path of the ball | bowl formed in the cover body which concerns on 2nd Example.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Track rail, 2 ... Ball, 3 ... Slider, 6 ... Seal member, 12 ... Ball rolling surface, 21 ... Load rolling surface, 56 ... Lubricant supply hole, 66 ... Lubricant supply groove

Claims (2)

A track rail having a rolling surface of the rolling element, a load rolling surface facing the rolling surface of the track rail via the rolling element, and a rolling element return hole parallel to the load rolling surface, A moving block that can move along the track rail as the rolling element rolls, and is fixed to both the front and rear end faces of the moving block, and is rolled between the load rolling surface of the moving block and the rolling element return hole. Each lid is composed of a pair of lids having arc-shaped direction change paths for guiding the moving body, a rubber molding portion integrally formed with a lip portion slidably contacting the track rail, and a plate on which the rubber molding portion is fleshed. In a linear guide device comprising a pair of seal members fixed to the body,
The lid body is provided with a lubricant supply hole that communicates between the mounting surface of the seal member and the direction change path, while the rubber molding portion of the seal member is lubricated to the lubricant supply hole of the lid body. A linear guide device in which a lubricant supply path is formed by forming a supply groove for the agent, and fixing the seal member to the lid so that the rubber molding portion contacts the lid. The linear guide device according to claim 1, wherein the seal member is formed with a belt-like protrusion that contacts the end face of the lid over the entire edge of the supply groove.

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