Rolling guide device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10330150-B2
Application number	US-201716090482-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 16, 2017
Priority date	Apr 11, 2016
Publication date	Jun 25, 2019
Grant date	Jun 25, 2019

Abstract

Provided is a rolling guide device which is capable of preventing uneven wear of a holding belt by alleviating a tensile force that acts on the holding belt when the holding belt circulates in an endless circulation path together with rolling elements. The endless circulation path has a guide groove configured to guide movement of the holding belt in the endless circulation path. A condition of t max <δ is satisfied, where: t max represents a maximum clearance between both end portions of the holding belt which are opposed to each other in the endless circulation path; δ is expressed by
δ = 2 ⁢ ∫ 0 π 2 ⁢ ( a ⁢ ⁢ sin ⁢ ⁢ θ ) 2 + ( c ⁢ ⁢ cos ⁢ ⁢ θ ) 2 ⁢ d ⁢ ⁢ θ - 2 ⁢ ∫ 0 π 2 ⁢ ( c ⁢ ⁢ sin ⁢ ⁢ θ ) 2 + ( b ⁢ ⁢ cos ⁢ ⁢ θ ) 2 ⁢ d ⁢ ⁢ θ ;
2c represents an interval between the holding belt in a load path and the holding belt in a return path; A represents a depth to an arc top point of an outer peripheral surface of the guide groove in a direction change path; B represents a depth to an arc top point of an inner peripheral surface of the guide groove in the direction change path; “d” represents a thickness of the holding belt; and a=(A−d/2) and b=(B+d/2) are satisfied.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A rolling guide device, comprising:
a track rail;
a large number of rolling elements configured to roll on the track rail;
a moving block, which has an endless circulation path for the rolling elements, and is configured to freely move along the track rail; and
a holding belt, which is flexible, has pockets configured to receive the rolling elements at predetermined intervals, is incorporated into the endless circulation path, and is configured to move in the endless circulation path together with the rolling elements,
wherein the endless circulation path includes:
a load path for allowing the rolling elements to roll therein while bearing a load between the track rail and the moving block;
a return path formed in parallel with the load path; and
a pair of direction change paths each connecting the load path and the return path to each other and having an arc shape,

wherein the endless circulation path has a guide groove configured to guide movement of the holding belt in the endless circulation path, and
wherein a condition of t max <δ is satisfied, where:
t max represents a maximum clearance between both end portions of the holding belt which are opposed to each other in the endless circulation path;
δ is expressed by

δ
=

2
⁢

∫
0

π
2

⁢

(

a
⁢

⁢
sin
⁢

⁢
θ

)

2

+

(

c
⁢

⁢
cos
⁢

⁢
θ

)

2

⁢
d
⁢

⁢
θ

-

2
⁢

∫
0

π
2

⁢

(

c
⁢

⁢
sin
⁢

⁢
θ

)

2

+

(

b
⁢

⁢
cos
⁢

⁢
θ

)

2

⁢
d
⁢

⁢
θ

;

2c represents an interval between the holding belt in the load path and the holding belt in the return path;
A represents a depth to an arc top point of an outer peripheral surface of the guide groove in each of the pair of direction change paths;
B represents a depth to an arc top point of an inner peripheral surface of the guide groove in each of the pair of direction change paths;
“d” represents a thickness of the holding belt; and
(a=A−d/2) and b=(B+d/2) are satisfied.

Assignees

• Thk Co Ltd

Inventors

• Aoki Shinji
• Irikawa Hiroki
• AOYAMA Shodai

Classifications

• F16C33/54

  made from wire, strips, or sheet metal (F16C33/48, F16C33/49 take precedence) · CPC title

• F16C33/3825

  formed as a flexible belt, e.g. spacers connected by a thin film · CPC title

• F16C29/06

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

• F16C29/0638 Primary

  with balls · CPC title

• F16C33/42

  made from wire or sheet metal strips (F16C33/40, F16C33/41 take precedence) · CPC title