JP2016006349A5 - - Google Patents

Description

Lubricant supply body, lubricant supply body for linear motion guide device, linear motion guide device

  The present invention relates to a lubricant supply body and a linear motion guide device including the same.

  The linear motion guide device has a guide rail, a slider, and a plurality of rolling elements, and the slider linearly moves with respect to the guide rail via the rolling elements. The slider has leg portions arranged on both sides in the width direction of the guide rail, and a trunk portion connecting the both leg portions. Each of the guide rail and the slider has a raceway surface that forms a rolling passage of the rolling element at a position facing each other. The raceway surface extends in the longitudinal direction of the guide rail, and the rolling elements are disposed in the rolling path.

The slider forms a direction change path together with a slider main body formed with a raceway surface and a return passage for the rolling elements, end caps fixed at both ends of the slider main body in the moving direction, and a direction change path recess formed in the end cap. It consists of a return guide. The direction change path recess is formed on the surface of the end cap on the slider body side.
An oil groove is further formed on the surface of the conventional end cap on the slider main body side, extending from an oil supply port to which a grease nipple is attached to a direction change path recess. The oil groove is closed by the end cap side surface of the slider body, so that an oil supply passage is formed in the slider. The lubricant supplied from the grease nipple enters the direction change path through this oil supply path. The lubricant adheres to the rolling elements that have entered the direction change path, and the rolling elements enter the rolling path to lubricate the rolling path.

Further, side seals are fixed to both ends of the slider in the slider moving direction for the purpose of preventing foreign matter from entering the slider.
In Patent Document 1, in order to maintain the sealing performance of the side seal over a long period of time, a lubricant-containing polymer member is provided between the end cap of the slider and the side seal, and the lip portion ( It is described that the lubricant is supplied directly or via the guide rail to the portion to be brought into contact with the guide rail.

  Specifically, the end cap, the reinforcing plate, the lubricant-containing polymer member, and the side seal are fixed to both ends (both ends in the slider moving direction) of the slider body in a state where they are overlapped in this order. In the linear motion guide device of Patent Document 1, the lubricant-containing polymer member is a plate-like body that is thinner than the end cap but thicker than the side seal, and is fixed to each end of the slider body one by one.

Patent Document 2 describes a linear motion guide device in which an end cap, a lubrication plate, an end seal, a spacer, a sealing plate, a high-sealing seal device, and a scraper are fixed in this order on the outside of a slider body. . The lubrication plate has a protrusion that is in sliding contact with the raceway surface of the guide rail, and supplies the lubricant from the protrusion to the raceway surface.
The high hermetic sealing device includes a holder case and a laminated body disposed in the holder case. The laminate includes two lubrication supply plates and three seal plates, and the lubrication supply plates are inserted between adjacent seal plates. The seal plate is made of a mechanical floss urethane foam having a porous structure, and a porous portion of the porous structure is impregnated with a lubricant. The seal plate mainly functions as a side seal.

  The lubrication supply plate is obtained by impregnating a foamed body having a porous structure with a lubricant. In addition to supplying lubricating oil to the seal plate, the lubrication supply plate itself slides on the raceway surface of the guide rail so as to remove the raceway surface. Lubricate. It is described that the lubrication supply plate may be a lubricant-containing member obtained by mixing synthetic resin fine particles and a lubricant, heating and melting them, injecting them into a predetermined mold, and cooling and solidifying them.

  In the linear motion guide device described in Patent Document 2, not only the lubricant contained in the lubrication plate but also the lubricant contained in the seal plate and the lubrication supply plate constituting the high-sealing seal device are guided. The track surface of the rail is lubricated.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-25933 JP 2007-285455 A

As described above, Patent Documents 1 and 2 describe that the linear motion guide device is lubricated with a plate-like body containing a lubricant, but the lubricant supply performance is continued for a long time. There is room for improvement.
An object of the present invention is to provide a lubricant supply body that can be used by being fixed to a slider or the like of a linear motion guide device and that can continue the lubricant supply performance over a long period of time.

In order to solve the above problems, a lubricant supply body according to one aspect of the present invention has a structure in which only a plurality of plate-like bodies made of the same material containing a lubricant are stacked.
Examples of the plate-like body include those obtained by injection molding a synthetic resin material containing a lubricant.
The linear motion guide device according to one aspect of the present invention has the following configurations (1) and (2).

(1) It has a guide rail, a slider, and a plurality of rolling elements. The guide rail and the slider each have a raceway surface that forms a rolling passage of the rolling element at a position facing each other, and the raceway surface extends in the longitudinal direction of the guide rail. The slider includes a slider body in which the raceway surface and a return passage of the rolling element are formed, an end cap fixed to both ends of the slider body in the slider moving direction and a direction changing path of the rolling element, And a lubricant supply body fixed to at least one end of the end cap in the slider moving direction. The rolling element is disposed in a circulation path constituted by the rolling path, the return path, and the direction changing path. The slider linearly moves with respect to the guide rail via the rolling element.

(2) The lubricant supply body has a structure in which only a plurality of plate-like bodies made of the same material containing a lubricant are stacked. The plate-like body has a protrusion that faces the raceway surface of the guide rail.
In the linear motion guide device according to this aspect, the projecting portion may contact the raceway surface or may not contact the raceway surface.
The lubricant supply body for a linear motion guide device according to one aspect of the present invention is characterized by having the following configurations (3) to (6).

(3) It has a guide rail, a slider, and a plurality of rolling elements, and each of the guide rail and the slider has a raceway surface that forms a rolling path of the rolling element at a position facing each other, And a lubricant supply body fixed to at least one of both ends of the slider in the slider moving direction of the linear guide device in which the slider linearly moves with respect to the guide rail.
(4) A structure in which only a plurality of plate-like bodies made of the same material containing a lubricant are laminated.

(5) The plate-like body has a protrusion that faces the raceway surface of the guide rail.
(6) The thickness of the plate-like body is 0.50 mm or more and 5.0 mm or less, and the number of laminated plate-like bodies is 2 or more and 10 or less.
In the lubricant supply body for a linear motion guide device according to this aspect, the protruding portion may be in contact with the raceway surface or may not be in contact with the raceway surface.

According to the present invention, there is provided a lubricant supply body capable of continuing the lubricant supply performance for a long period of time as a lubricant supply body used by being fixed to a slider or the like of a linear motion guide device.
According to the linear motion guide device of the present invention, the lubrication performance can be continued for a long time as compared with the linear motion guide device having the conventional lubricant supply body.

It is a perspective view which shows the linear guide apparatus of embodiment. It is a perspective view explaining the lubricant supply body of embodiment, and the method of attaching this to a slider main body. It is a perspective view which shows the plate-shaped body which comprises the lubricant supply body of embodiment .

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.
As shown in FIG. 1, the linear motion guide device of this embodiment includes a guide rail 1, a slider 2, a ball (rolling element) not shown, and a grease nipple 4. The slider 2 includes a slider main body 21, an end cap 22, a reinforcing plate 23, a lubricant supply body 24, a side seal 25, and a bolt 26. The end cap 22, the reinforcing plate 23, the lubricant supply body 24, and the side seals 25 are fixed in this order to both ends of the slider main body 21 in the slider moving direction by bolts 26.

  The rolling grooves (track surfaces) 11 and 12 of the guide rail 1 and the rolling grooves (track surfaces) (not shown) of the slider body 21 form a rolling passage where the ball rolls in a loaded state. A direction changing path for moving the ball from the end point of the path to the return path provided in the slider body 21 is formed in the end cap 22. The slider body 21 is formed with a female screw to which a bolt 26 is screwed.

As shown in FIG. 2, the end cap 22 is formed with a through hole 22 a through which the bolt 26 passes and an oil supply port 22 c to which the grease nipple 4 is attached. An oil groove extending from the oil supply port 22 c to the direction change path recess is formed on the surface of the end cap 22 on the slider body 21 side.
The side seal 25 includes a substantially gate-shaped steel plate 251 matched to the outer shape of the end cap 22 and a nitrile rubber plate 252 integrated therewith. The steel plate 251 has a through hole 251a through which the grease nipple 4 passes and a through hole 251b through which the bolt 26 passes. The nitrile rubber plate 252 includes a protrusion 252a that is in sliding contact with the rolling groove 11 formed on the side surface 1b of the guide rail 1, a protrusion 252b that is in sliding contact with the rolling groove 12 formed in a corner of the guide rail 1, The guide rail 1 has a portion 252c that is in sliding contact with the upper surface 1a.

The lubricant supply body 24 is composed of five plate-like bodies 241. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the plate-like body 241 has a substantially gate shape that matches the outer shape of the side seal 25. The thickness of the plate-like body 241 is thinner than the thickness of the steel plate 251 of the side seal 25.
The plate-like body 241 has a first protrusion 241 a that faces the rolling groove 11 formed on the side surface 1 b of the guide rail 1 and a second protrusion that faces the rolling groove 12 formed on the corner of the guide rail 1. It has the part 241b and the opposing part 241c which opposes the upper surface 1a of the guide rail 1. FIG. Further, the plate-like body 241 has a through hole 241d whose side surface is opened on the outer side in the width direction than the projecting portions 241a and 241b, and has a through hole 241e whose upper surface is opened above the facing portion 241c. .

  The plate-like body 241 is a molded body made of synthetic resin containing a lubricant. Examples of the synthetic resin that can be used include polyolefin resins such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polybutylene, and polymethylpentene. Lubricants that can be used include paraffinic hydrocarbon oils such as poly α-olefin oils, naphthenic hydrocarbon oils, paraffinic mineral oils, naphthenic mineral oils, ether oils such as dialkyldiphenyl ether oils, and phthalates. Examples include ester oils.

The plate-like body 241 is produced by injection molding a mixture of the above-described synthetic resin with any one of the above-mentioned lubricants alone or using a plurality of additives and adding various additives as necessary. can do. The content of the lubricant in the plate-like body 241 is preferably 10 to 90% by mass.
The through holes through which the bolts 26 are passed through the lubricant supply body 24 are formed by fitting the sleeves 242A and 242B into the through holes 241d of the five plate-like bodies 241. The through holes through which the grease nipple 4 passes through the lubricant supply body 24 are formed by fitting the sleeves 242C into the through holes 241e of the five plate-like bodies 241.

  The lengths of these sleeves 242A, 242B, and 242C are slightly longer than the total thickness of the five plate-like bodies 241 (the thickness of the lubricant supply body 24), and are compressed in the axial direction by tightening the bolts 26 during assembly. Thus, the lubricant is not squeezed out. The outer diameters of the sleeves 242A, 242B, and 242C are larger than the diameters of the through holes 241d and 241e, whereby the projecting portions 241a and 241b can be pressed against the rolling grooves 11 and 12 to be in close contact with each other, and the opposing portion 241c is guided. The upper surface 1a of the rail 1 can be pressed and brought into close contact.

The reinforcing plate 23 is a substantially gate-shaped steel plate that matches the outer shape of the end cap 22, and has a through hole 23 a through which the bolt 26 passes and a through hole 23 c through which the grease nipple 4 passes. The reinforcing plate 23 does not contact the guide rail 1.
The slider 2 includes bolts 26, through holes 251 b in the side seal 25, through holes in the lubricant supply body 24 (sleeves fitted in the through holes 241 d in the five plate-like bodies 241) 242 A and 242 B, Assembling is performed by passing through the through hole 23 a and the through hole 22 a of the end cap 22 and screwing the tip of the end hole to the slider body 21.

The linear guide device 10 is assembled by assembling the slider 2 to the guide rail 1 by a normal method. The grease nipple 4 is inserted from the through hole 251 a of the side seal 25 and attached to the oil supply port 22 c of the end cap 22 through the sleeve 242 C and the through hole 23 c of the reinforcing plate 23.
In the linear motion guide device 10, the projecting portions 241 a and 241 b of the five plate-like bodies 241 constituting the lubricant supply body 24 are in contact with the rolling grooves 11 and 12 of the guide rail 1, and the facing portion 241 c is the guide rail 1. In contact with the upper surface 1a. When the linear motion guide device 10 is used, the lubricant is supplied from the oil supply pipe connected to the grease nipple 4 into the direction change path via the oil supply port 22c of the end cap 22, and directly from the lubricant supply body 24. The lubricant is supplied to the rolling grooves 11 and 12 of the guide rail 1.

  In the lubricant supply body 24, the lubricant that has oozed out from the respective surfaces of the five plate-like bodies 241 is supplied from the first protrusion 241a to the rolling groove 11 of the guide rail 1, and the second protrusion 241b. Is supplied to the rolling groove 12 of the guide rail 1 from the opposite portion 241c to the upper surface 1a of the guide rail 1. That is, the amount of lubricant oozing increases as the surface area of the lubricant supply 24 increases. Therefore, as the surface area of the lubricant supply body 24 is larger, more lubricant can be oozed out, and the supply of the lubricant can be stably performed over a long period of time.

  And the lubricant supply body 24 of this embodiment is the same as the plate-like body 241 except that the thickness is the same as the total thickness of the five plate-like bodies 241 by comprising five plate-like bodies 241. Compared with a conventional lubricant supply body having a shape, the surface area in the slider moving direction is five times. Therefore, when the same amount of lubricant is contained, the amount of the lubricant that oozes out on the surface in the slider moving direction by the lubricant supplier 24 is larger than that of the conventional lubricant supplier. Therefore, according to the lubricant supply body 24 of this embodiment, the lubricant can be supplied stably over a longer period than the conventional lubricant supply body.

  In addition, according to the linear motion guide device 10 of this embodiment, the lubricant supply body 24 including the five plate-like bodies 241 is provided, and instead of this, the thickness of the five plate-like bodies 241 is formed. Lubricating performance can be continued for a long time as compared with a linear motion guide device having a conventional lubricant supply body having the same shape as the plate-like body 241 except that the total thickness is the same. As a result, the durability life of the linear motion guide device can be improved.

In this embodiment, the lubricant supply body 24 including the five plate-like bodies 241 is illustrated, but the lubricant supply body of the present invention may be any one having two or more plate-like bodies. The number of laminated plate-like bodies is not limited, but 10 may be exemplified as the upper limit value of the number of laminated plate-like bodies.
Further, in this embodiment, an example in which the lubricant supply body is fixed to the slider 2 of the linear motion guide device 10 is shown. However, the lubricant supply body of the present invention has various types that require supply of the lubricant. Such as a ball screw or an oil seal.

  The thickness of the plate-like body constituting the lubricant supply body is preferably 0.50 mm or more and 5.0 mm or less, and the number of laminated plate-like bodies is preferably 2 or more and 10 or less. In this case, the thickness of the lubricant supply body (total thickness of the plate-like body) is preferably 1.0 mm or greater and 10.0 mm or less. Further, the thickness of the plate-like body constituting the lubricant supply body is preferably 0.50 mm or more and 5.0 mm or less, and the number of laminated plate-like bodies is more preferably 2 or more and 5 or less.

Moreover, it is preferable that the lower limit of the thickness of the plate-shaped body which comprises a lubricant supply body is 0.5 mm or more from a viewpoint of the manufacturing method of a plate-shaped body. When the thickness of the plate-like body is less than 0.5 mm, the mold fluidity of the material when manufactured by injection molding is deteriorated. Even when the injection molded product is cut in the thickness direction to obtain a plate-like body, the plate-like body constituting the lubricant supply body is soft, so that it is difficult to cut the thickness to less than 0.5 mm .

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Guide rail 1a Top surface of guide rail 1b Side surface of guide rail 10 Linear motion guide apparatus 11 Rolling groove (track surface) formed in side surface of guide rail
12 Rolling grooves (track surface) formed at the corners of the guide rail
2 Slider 21 Slider body 22 End cap 22a Bolt through hole 22c Oil supply port 23 Reinforcement plate 23a Through hole through bolt 23c Through hole through grease nipple 24 Lubricant supply body 241 Plate-like body 241a First protrusion 241b First Two projecting parts 241c Opposing part to the guide rail 241d Through hole through which the sleeve passes 241e Through hole through which the sleeve passes 242A Sleeve (through hole through which the bolt passes)
242B Sleeve (through hole for bolt)
242C Sleeve (through hole for grease nipple)
25 Side seal 251a Through hole through which grease nipple passes 251b Through hole through which bolt passes 26 Bolt 4 Grease nipple