KR20080025523A - Grease impregnated pad for linear motion guide and manufacturing method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

A grease impregnated nonwoven pad for a linear motion guide and a manufacturing method thereof are provided to supply grease to a bearing of the linear motion guide little by little for a long time without periodic injection of lubricant. A manufacturing method of a grease impregnated nonwoven pad includes the steps of: putting a nonwoven pad in a nonwoven pad tank(100); sealing the nonwoven pad tank(102); putting semisolid or solid grease in a grease tank and heating to melt(106,108); opening a valve of an air discharge pipe and vacuumizing the nonwoven pad tank with a vacuum pump(104); and opening a valve of a grease injection pipe and injecting the melted grease into the nonwoven pad tank(110).

Description

Grease-impregnated nonwoven pad for linear motion guide and manufacturing method therefor {GREASE IMPREGNATED PAD FOR LINEAR MOTION GUIDE AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOF}

1 is a perspective view showing a conventional line motion guide.

2 is a perspective view of a nonwoven pad according to the present invention cut from a flat nonwoven fabric.

3A is a block diagram of an apparatus for manufacturing a grease-impregnated nonwoven pad for linear motion guide according to the present invention.

Figure 3b is a process chart showing a method of manufacturing a grease-impregnated nonwoven pad for linear motion guide according to the present invention.

4 is a perspective view of a grease impregnated nonwoven pad for a linear motion guide according to the present invention.

FIG. 5A is an exploded perspective view of a grease container in which the grease impregnated nonwoven pad shown in FIG. 4 is incorporated.

5B is an exploded perspective view showing the grease container shown in FIG. 4 in the opposite direction.

6A is an assembled perspective view of a grease container according to the present invention.

FIG. 6A is an assembled perspective view showing the grease container shown in FIG. 6A in an opposite direction.

7a is an exploded perspective view of a linear motion guide with a grease container according to the invention.

FIG. 7B is an assembled perspective view of the linio motion guide shown in FIG. 7A.

           Explanation of symbols on the main parts of the drawings

10: motion block 12: motion block body

14: bearing cover 16: end seal

18: rail 20a, 20a: nonwoven pad

22 rail insert 24 grease

26: grease container 28: heater

30: heater controller 32: grease injection tube

34: valve 38: air discharge pipe

40 valve 42 vacuum pump

44: vacuum pump controller 46: gauge

48: plate 50: rail insertion portion

       52 housing 54 rail insertion portion

56: grease container 58: washer

60: bolt

The present invention relates to a lubricant supply pad of a linear motion guide and a method for manufacturing the same. More specifically, for a linear motion guide capable of supplying a grease that maintains a semi-solid state at room temperature to a rail of a rear motion guide at a small amount over a long period of time. A grease impregnated nonwoven pad and a method for producing the same.

Referring to FIG. 1, a linear motion guide includes a motion block 10 and a rail 18 for guiding linear movement of the motion block 10. In general, the motion block 10 includes a motion block body 12 having a bearing in contact with the rail 18 therein, a bearing cover 14 attached to front and rear surfaces of the motion block body, and the bearing cover. It is comprised in the end chamber which is provided in the outer side of (14), and prevents penetration of a foreign material. The rail shape and the motion block bottom shape in contact with the rail are variously formed according to the use and performance requirements.

In order to prevent this, conventionally, lubricating oil has been periodically injected.

When the linear motion guide is used in an automation device or the like, it is necessary to supply lubricant to the bearing of the motion block 10 because the motion block 10 performs a large number of reciprocating motions on the rail 18 in a short cycle. This is because if the linear motion guide is used continuously for a long time without supplying lubricant, it may cause burning in the bearing and the rail tube due to heat generated by friction. Since the linear motion guide is mainly used for small, low load linear motion, it is preferable to supply a small amount of lubricant continuously for a long time.

In the conventional linear motion guide, lubricants (oils) and greases, which are liquid lubricants, have been used as lubricants. The supply of lubricant is to form a lubricant container inside the end chamber of the motion block and fill the lubricant therein and inject a small amount onto the rail, or insert a wool pad or the like into the end chamber and periodically It was done by filling the lubricant. Grease has also been applied directly to the bearing balls or ball cages when assembling the bearings inside the motion block. Since grease is hard to be impregnated with wool at room temperature, it was only applied directly to the ball when assembling a motion block unlike lubricant.

However, the lubricant supply for the conventional linear motion guide of this method has the following problems, and the improvement is required.

First, when lubricating oil is supplied to a container with lubricant, or supplied by moistening a wool pad, there is a problem in that the lubricant supply cycle is so short that the lubricant must be re-injected from time to time. The reciprocating motion of the motion block 10 generates a lot of heat at the contact surface between the rail 18 and the motion block 10. The liquid lubricant at room temperature is supplied with a container or wetted with a wool pad. This is because the viscosity drops due to this heat and easily flows down. When dozens or hundreds of automated machines equipped with linear motion guides are installed in one workplace, lubricating the linear motion guides in a short period of time is not only very difficult, but also causes a decrease in working efficiency. Therefore, in practice, it is a fact of the industry that the linear motion guide is damaged due to burning during use and its life is often shortened.

Next, when grease is applied to a bearing ball or a ball cage with a lubricant, there is a problem in that all of the grease is consumed by short-term use due to flow along the rail due to heat generated around the ball.

The present invention devised to solve the lubrication problem of the conventional linear motion guide described above is impregnated with a grease for the linear motion guide, which can supply a small amount of grease to the bearing of the linear motion guide for a long time. The purpose is to provide a nonwoven pad.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing a grease-impregnated nonwoven pad for linear motion guide, which can easily impregnate a large amount of grease on the nonwoven pad.

A grease-impregnated nonwoven pad for linear motion guide according to the present invention for achieving the above object includes a nonwoven pad made of synthetic yarn or natural yarn; And a grease that is impregnated in a molten state under a vacuum atmosphere to the nonwoven pad and then cured to a semi-solid or solid state.

It is preferable that the nonwoven pad is a wool nonwoven pad.

Method for manufacturing a grease-impregnated nonwoven pad for linear motion guide according to the present invention to achieve the above object comprises the steps of putting a nonwoven pad in a nonwoven pad tank; Nonwoven pad tank sealing step; Vacuuming the nonwoven pad tank; Heating the grease in a semisolid or solid state to a molten state; And injecting molten grease into the nonwoven pad tank.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of a grease-impregnated nonwoven pad for linear motion guide and a linear motion guide including the same will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a nonwoven pad according to the present invention cut from a flat nonwoven fabric, Figure 3a is a block diagram of a manufacturing apparatus of a grease-impregnated nonwoven pad for linear motion guide according to the present invention, Figure 3b is a present invention 4 is a perspective view showing a method of manufacturing a grease-impregnated nonwoven pad for linear motion guide according to the present invention, FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a grease-impregnated nonwoven pad for linear motion guide according to the present invention, and FIG. 5A is a grease-impregnated nonwoven pad shown in FIG. 4. 5B is an exploded perspective view showing the grease container shown in FIG. 4 in the opposite direction, FIG. 6A is an assembled perspective view of the grease container according to the present invention, and FIG. Assembly perspective view of the illustrated grease container in the opposite direction, FIG. 7A shows a linear motion guide with a grease container according to the invention. The exploded perspective view, Figure 7b is an assembled perspective view, respectively of the five shall motion guide shown in Figure 7a.

Referring to FIG. 2, the grease-impregnated nonwoven pad for linear motion guide according to the present invention is a nonwoven pad 20a cut out into a shape that can be attached to the front and rear surfaces of the motion block 10 by passing a flat nonwoven fabric with a puncher or the like. ). The lower portion of the nonwoven pad 20a is preferably provided with a rail insertion portion 22 that is the same as the cross-sectional shape of the rail 18. It is preferable that the nonwoven pad is a wool nonwoven pad. Wool has excellent affinity with grease, not only can easily impregnate a large amount of grease, but can also hold grease for a long time, and it has high durability due to less chemical deformation by grease, and internal pore volume. This is because the shape of the nonwoven pad is well maintained even in the case of large molding.

The cut nonwoven pad 20a is impregnated with grease according to the apparatus shown in FIG. 3A and the process shown in FIG. 3B.

The nonwoven pad grease impregnation device according to the present invention includes a grease barrel 26 provided with a heater 28 capable of accommodating grease in a semi-solid or solid state and heating the contained grease, which is sealable and can be loaded with a nonwoven pad therein. Nonwoven pad chamber 36, grease injection tube 32 capable of injecting grease into the nonwoven pad chamber 36 from the grease container 26, and valve 34 for opening and closing the grease injection tube 32. A vacuum pump 42 capable of discharging the air inside the nonwoven pad chamber 36 to the outside to make a vacuum state, and an air discharge pipe 38 connecting the nonwoven pad chamber 36 and the vacuum pump 42 to the outside; Characterized in that configured to include. Preferably, the air discharge pipe 38 further includes an on / off valve 40. The heater 28 of the grease container 26 is preferably further provided with a heater controller 30 for temperature control. The vacuum pump 42 is preferably provided with a gauge 46 for checking the vacuum pressure and a vacuum pump controller 44 for driving the vacuum pump 42 in accordance with the vacuum pressure.

Referring to the process diagram shown in Figure 3b, a method of manufacturing a grease-impregnated nonwoven pad for linear motion guide according to the present invention will be described.

First, the cut nonwoven fabric pad 20a is put into the nonwoven pad tank 36 and loaded (100), and the nonwoven pad tank 36 is sealed. In addition, the grease barrel 26 is heated by inputting grease of semi-solid or solid state (106, 108). Grease is heated to the melting temperature of the grease. At this time, the valve 34 of the grease injection pipe 32 is closed.

Next, the valve 40 of the air discharge pipe 38 is opened, and the vacuum pump 42 is operated to make the inside of the nonwoven pad chamber 36 into a vacuum atmosphere (104). By such a vacuum treatment, all the pores inside the nonwoven fabric stacked in the chamber 36 are in a vacuum state.

When the grease is heated to the melting temperature and the air pressure of the nonwoven pad chamber 36 drops to a vacuum state, the valve 40 of the air discharge pipe 38 is closed and the valve 34 of the grease injection pipe 32 is closed. Open to allow grease to enter the nonwoven pad chamber 36. The molten grease is easily impregnated into the nonwoven pad 20a in which all the internal pores are in a vacuum state. 4 shows a nonwoven pad 20b impregnated with grease.

The grease impregnated nonwoven pad 20b according to the present invention may be attached to the rear motion guide by various methods, but is housed inside the housing 52 formed of synthetic resin or the like as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B. After making the grease container 56 as shown in 6a and 6b, it is desirable to attach the grease container 56 to the front or back of the motion block 10.

Although one grease impregnated nonwoven pad 20b may be accommodated in the housing 52, referring to FIGS. 5A and 5B, two housings 2 are provided on both sides of a plate 48 in the housing 52. One or more grease impregnated nonwoven pads 20b may be accommodated.

7A and 7B, when the grease container 56 is assembled to the motion block 10, in the linear motion guide provided with the end chamber 16, the end chamber 16 is separated and the end chamber 16 is separated from the end chamber 16. It is preferable to assemble between the bearing covers 14. However, in the motion guide in which the end chamber 16 is not provided, only the grease container 56 may be assembled on the front, rear, front and rear surfaces of the motion block 10. The assembly of the grease container 56 to the motion block 10 is preferably formed by forming a screw hole in the housing 52 of the grease container 56 and assembling the screw 60. In Figs. 7A and 7B, reference numeral 58 denotes a washer.

According to the present invention having the above-described configuration, since a large amount of grease can be easily impregnated into the nonwoven pad, and a small amount of grease can be supplied to the bearing of the linear motion guide for a long time, there is no need for additional periodic lubricating oil. have.

Claims (3)

Nonwoven pads of synthetic or natural yarns; And Grease impregnated nonwoven pad for linear motion guide, characterized in that it comprises a; a non-solid pad impregnated in a molten state under a vacuum atmosphere and then cured in a semi-solid or solid state. The method of claim 1, The nonwoven pad is a grease-impregnated nonwoven pad for linear motion guide, characterized in that the wool nonwoven pad. Injecting the nonwoven pad into the nonwoven pad tank; Nonwoven pad tank sealing step; Vacuuming the nonwoven pad tank; Heating the grease in a semisolid or solid state to a molten state; And Injecting molten grease into the nonwoven pad tank; and manufacturing a grease impregnated nonwoven pad for a linear motion guide.

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