Motion guide apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10174787-B2
Application number	US-201615560051-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 10, 2016
Priority date	Apr 9, 2015
Publication date	Jan 8, 2019
Grant date	Jan 8, 2019

Abstract

A motion guide apparatus ensures that a retaining portion retains a rolling element. A rolling element retainer having retaining portions that prevent a rolling element from falling out of a movable body, the retaining portions extending along a loaded rolling element rolling portion, is incorporated in the movable body of the motion guide apparatus. End plates are formed integrally with the retaining portions. Fall prevention portions to reduce the widths of openings between the retaining portions are provided to center parts of the retaining portions in a length direction thereof. The fall prevention portions are padding portions integrated with the retaining portions, the padding portions rising in such a manner as to reduce the widths of the openings, and/or projections integrated with the retaining portions, the projections touching the movable body in such a manner that the center parts of the retaining portions bend toward a track member.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A motion guide apparatus including
a track member having a rolling element rolling portion extending in a length direction,
a movable body, having a loaded rolling element rolling portion facing the rolling element rolling portion of the track member, to be assembled to the track member in such a manner as to be movable in the length direction,
a plurality of rolling elements placed between the track member and the loaded rolling element rolling portion of the movable body in such a manner as to be capable of rolling motion, and
a rolling element retainer incorporated in the movable body, the rolling element retainer being a resin molded product and having at least one retaining portion, extending along the loaded rolling element rolling portion, to prevent the rolling elements from falling out of the movable body, the motion guide apparatus comprising
a fall prevention portion in a center part of the at least one retaining portion in the length direction, configured to reduce a width of an opening between at least two retaining portions or between the at least one retaining portion and the movable body,
wherein the fall prevention portion includes a padding portion which is resin molded integrally with the at least one retaining portion, the padding portion rising in such a manner as to reduce the width of the opening.

2. A motion guide apparatus including
a track member having a rolling element rolling portion extending in a length direction,
a movable body, having a loaded rolling element rolling portion facing the rolling element rolling portion of the track member, to be assembled to the track member in such a manner as to be movable in the length direction,
a plurality of rolling elements placed between the track member and the loaded rolling element rolling portion of the movable body in such a manner as to be capable of rolling motion, and
a rolling element retainer incorporated in the movable body, the rolling element retainer having at least one retaining portion, extending along the loaded rolling element rolling portion, to prevent the rolling elements from falling out of the movable body, the motion guide apparatus comprising
a fall prevention portion in a center part of the at least one retaining portion in the length direction, configured to reduce a width of an opening between at least two retaining portions or between the at least one retaining portion and the movable body,
wherein the fall prevention portion includes a projection integrated with the at least one retaining portion, the projection touching the movable body in such a manner that the center part of the at least one retaining portion bends toward the track member.

3. The motion guide apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein assuming that the track member is placed on a horizontal plane, and viewed from the length direction,
the movable body includes an upper loaded rolling element rolling portion and a lower loaded rolling element rolling portion on each of left and right sides of the movable body,
the at least one retaining portion includes an upper retaining portion placed above the upper loaded rolling element rolling portion, and a lower retaining portion placed below the lower loaded rolling element rolling portion,
the upper and lower retaining portions are formed integrally with end plates placed on both end surfaces of the movable body in a travel direction with respect to the track member, and
the projection is provided on at least one of the upper retaining portion and the lower retaining portion.

4. The motion guide apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein assuming that the track member is placed on a horizontal plane, and viewed from the length direction,
the movable body includes an upper loaded rolling element rolling portion and a lower loaded rolling element rolling portion on each of left and right sides of the movable body,
the at least one retaining portion includes an upper retaining portion placed above the upper loaded rolling element rolling portion, a middle retaining portion placed between the upper loaded rolling element rolling portion and the lower loaded rolling element rolling portion, and a lower retaining portion disposed below the lower loaded rolling element rolling portion, and
the upper retaining portions, the middle retaining portions, and the lower retaining portions are formed integrally with end plates placed on both end surfaces of the movable body in a travel direction with respect to the track member.

5. A motion guide apparatus including
a track member having a rolling element rolling portion extending in a length direction,
a movable body, having a loaded rolling element rolling portion facing the rolling element rolling portion of the track member, to be assembled to the track member in such a manner as to be movable in the length direction,
a plurality of rolling elements placed between the track member and the loaded rolling element rolling portion of the movable body in such a manner as to be capable of rolling motion, and
a rolling element retainer incorporated in the movable body, the rolling element retainer having at least one retaining portion, extending along the loaded rolling element rolling portion, to prevent the rolling elements from falling out of the movable body, the motion guide apparatus comprising
a fall prevention portion provided only in a center part of the at least one retaining portion in the length direction, configured to reduce a width of an opening between at least two retaining portions or between the at least one retaining portion and the movable body,
wherein assuming that the track member is placed on a horizontal plane, and viewed from the length direction,
the movable body includes an upper loaded rolling element rolling portion and a lower loaded rolling element rolling portion on each of left and right sides of the movable body,
the at least one retaining portion includes an upper retaining portion placed above the upper loaded rolling element rolling portion, a middle retaining portion placed between the the upper loaded rolling element rolling portion and the lower loaded rolling element rolling portion, and a lower retaining portion disposed below the lower loaded rolling element rolling portion, and
the upper retaining portions, the middle retaining portions, and the lower retaining portions are formed integrally with end plates placed on both end surfaces of the movable body in a travel direction with respect to the track member.

6. The motion guide apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein
the fall prevention portion includes a padding portion integrated with the at least one retaining portion, the padding portion rising in such a manner as to reduce the width of the opening, and
the padding portion is provided on each of the upper retaining portion, the middle retaining portion, and the lower retaining portion.

7. The motion guide apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein
the fall prevention portion includes a projection integrated with the at least one retaining portion, the projection touching the movable body in such a manner that the center part of the at least one retaining portion bends toward the track member, and
the projection is provided on at least one of the upper retaining portion, the middle retaining portion, and the lower retaining portion.

8. A motion guide apparatus including
a track member having a rolling element rolling portion extending in a length direction,
a movable body, having a loaded rolling element rolling portion facing the rolling element rolling portion of the track member, to be assembled to the track member in such a manner as to be movable in the length direction,
a plurality of rolling el

Assignees

• Thk Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sakai Junichi
• Hoshide Kaoru
• Tomita Shigeo
• Nakamura Yuki
• Maki Nobuyuki
• Iwamoto Muten
• Horike Kazuya
• Narata Kenji
• Yamamura Katsunori
• Nakano Fukuji
• Nakamura Shigemi
• Irie Yosuke

Classifications

• F16C29/06 Primary

  in which the rolling bodies circulate partly without carrying load · CPC title

• F16C29/0633

  with a bearing body defining a U-shaped carriage, i.e. surrounding a guide rail or track on three sides · CPC title

• F16C29/0607 Primary

  of parts or members for retaining the rolling elements, i.e. members to prevent the rolling elements from falling out of the bearing body or carriage · CPC title