Multi-row rolling element housing band and motion guide apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10837491-B2
Application number	US-201816612844-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 14, 2018
Priority date	May 23, 2017
Publication date	Nov 17, 2020
Grant date	Nov 17, 2020

Abstract

A multi-row rolling element housing band is provided which can promote an increase in the degree of precision of a guide. At least three rolling element rows ( 17 ) to ( 19 ) are arranged in a band ( 15 ). Each second rolling element ( 18 a ) of the second rolling element row ( 18 ) is displaced by P/n in a length direction of the band ( 15 ) from each first rolling element ( 17 a ) of the first rolling element row ( 17 ). Each third rolling element ( 19 a ) of the third rolling element row ( 19 ) is displaced by P/n in the length direction of the band ( 15 ) from each second rolling element ( 18 a ) of the second rolling element row ( 18 ). P is the pitch between the first rolling elements ( 17 a ), and n is the number of rows.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A multi-row rolling element housing band, wherein
at least three rolling element rows are arranged in a band, and
in at least a part of the band in a length direction thereof, second rolling elements of a second rolling element row is displaced by approximately P/n in the length direction of the band from first rolling elements of a first rolling element row, third rolling elements of a third rolling element row is displaced by approximately P/n in the length direction from the second rolling elements, the third rolling elements are displaced by approximately 2P/n in the length direction from the first rolling elements, and
P is a first rolling element pitch of the first rolling element row, and n is the number of more than three of the rolling element rows.

2. The multi-row rolling element housing band according to claim 1 , wherein the first rolling element pitch of the first rolling element row, a second rolling element pitch of the second rolling element row, and a third rolling element pitch of the third rolling element row are substantially equal to each other.

3. The multi-row rolling element housing band according to claim 2 , wherein the first rolling element row, the second rolling element row, and the third rolling element row are placed in order in a width direction of the band.

4. The multi-row rolling element housing band according to claim 3 , wherein the number of the rolling element rows is three or four.

5. A motion guide apparatus comprising:
a guide rail;
a carriage assembled to the guide rail in such a manner as to be movable relative to the guide rail; and
a multi-row rolling element housing band according to claim 4 integrated into a circulation path of the carriage, wherein
as viewed from a front of the carriage in a state where the motion guide apparatus is placed on a horizontal plane, the carriage is provided with four circulation paths in total, that is, an upper circulation path and a lower circulation path on each of the left and right sides, and
the multi-row rolling element housing band is integrated into each circulation path.

6. A motion guide apparatus comprising:
a guide rail;
a carriage assembled to the guide rail in such a manner as to be movable relative to the guide rail; and
a multi-row rolling element housing band according to claim 3 integrated into a circulation path of the carriage, wherein
as viewed from a front of the carriage in a state where the motion guide apparatus is placed on a horizontal plane, the carriage is provided with four circulation paths in total, that is, an upper circulation path and a lower circulation path on each of the left and right sides, and
the multi-row rolling element housing band is integrated into each circulation path.

7. The multi-row rolling element housing band according to claim 2 , wherein the number of the rolling element rows is three or four.

8. A motion guide apparatus comprising:
a guide rail;
a carriage assembled to the guide rail in such a manner as to be movable relative to the guide rail; and
a multi-row rolling element housing band according to claim 7 integrated into a circulation path of the carriage, wherein
as viewed from a front of the carriage in a state where the motion guide apparatus is placed on a horizontal plane, the carriage is provided with four circulation paths in total, that is, an upper circulation path and a lower circulation path on each of the left and right sides, and
the multi-row rolling element housing band is integrated into each circulation path.

9. A motion guide apparatus comprising:
a guide rail;
a carriage assembled to the guide rail in such a manner as to be movable relative to the guide rail; and
a multi-row rolling element housing band according to claim 2 integrated into a circulation path of the carriage, wherein
as viewed from a front of the carriage in a state where the motion guide apparatus is placed on a horizontal plane, the carriage is provided with four circulation paths in total, that is, an upper circulation path and a lower circulation path on each of the left and right sides, and
the multi-row rolling element housing band is integrated into each circulation path.

10. The multi-row rolling element housing band according to claim 1 , wherein the first rolling element row, the second rolling element row, and the third rolling element row are placed in order in a width direction of the band.

11. The multi-row rolling element housing band according to claim 10 , wherein the number of the rolling element rows is three or four.

12. A motion guide apparatus comprising:
a guide rail;
a carriage assembled to the guide rail in such a manner as to be movable relative to the guide rail; and
a multi-row rolling element housing band according to claim 11 integrated into a circulation path of the carriage, wherein
as viewed from a front of the carriage in a state where the motion guide apparatus is placed on a horizontal plane, the carriage is provided with four circulation paths in total, that is, an upper circulation path and a lower circulation path on each of the left and right sides, and
the multi-row rolling element housing band is integrated into each circulation path.

13. A motion guide apparatus comprising:
a guide rail;
a carriage assembled to the guide rail in such a manner as to be movable relative to the guide rail; and
a multi-row rolling element housing band according to claim 10 integrated into a circulation path of the carriage, wherein
as viewed from a front of the carriage in a state where the motion guide apparatus is placed on a horizontal plane, the carriage is provided with four circulation paths in total, that is, an upper circulation path and a lower circulation path on each of the left and right sides, and
the multi-row rolling element housing band is integrated into each circulation path.

14. The multi-row rolling element housing band according to claim 1 , wherein the number of the rolling element rows is three or four.

15. A motion guide apparatus comprising:
a guide rail;
a carriage assembled to the guide rail in such a manner as to be movable relative to the guide rail; and
a multi-row rolling element housing band according to claim 14 integrated into a circulation path of the carriage, wherein
as viewed from a front of the carriage in a state where the motion guide apparatus is placed on a horizontal plane, the carriage is provided with four circulation paths in total, that is, an upper circulation path and a lower circulation path on each of the left and right sides, and
the multi-row rolling element housing band is integrated into each circulation path.

16. A motion guide apparatus comprising:
a guide rail;
a carriage assembled to the guide rail in such a manner as to be movable relative to the guide rail; and
a multi-row rolling element housing band according to claim 1 integrated into a circulation path of the carriage, wherein
as viewed from a front of the carriage in a state where the motion guide apparatus is placed on a horizontal plane, the carriage is provided with four circulation paths in total, that is, an upper circulation path and a lower circulation path on each of the left and right sides, and
the multi-row rolling element housing band is integrated into each circulation path.

17. A motion guide apparatus comprising:
a guide rail;
a carriage assembled to the guide rail in such a manner as to be movable relative to the guide rail; and
a multi-row rolling element housing band integrated into a circulat

Assignees

• Thk Co Ltd

Inventors

• Takahashi Toru
• Hamada Yoshihiro
• YAMAKOSHI Ryuichi

Classifications

• F16C33/3825

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

• F16C29/0635 Primary

  whereby the return paths are provided as bores in a main body of the U-shaped carriage, e.g. the main body of the U-shaped carriage is a single part with end caps provided at each end · CPC title

• F16C29/0602

  Details of the bearing body or carriage or parts thereof, e.g. methods for manufacturing or assembly · CPC title

• F16C29/008

  Systems with a plurality of bearings, e.g. four carriages supporting a slide on two parallel rails · CPC title

• F16C29/005

  Guide rails or tracks for a linear bearing, i.e. adapted for movement of a carriage or bearing body there along · CPC title