Air bearing guide rail device

Abstract

An air floating guide rail device includes a guide rail unit, a sliding base unit and a linear motor unit. The guide rail unit includes a guide rail body and two air floating block groups. The sliding base unit is slidably arranged on the guide rail unit and includes a middle base and two side bases integrally connected to two sides of the middle base. Each side base has a first guide surface, a first air guide channel, a second guide surface and a second air guide channel. The linear motor unit drives the sliding base unit to linearly move relative to the guide rail unit. High pressure gas is introduced from the first air guide channel and the second air guide channel, and air films are formed between the first guide surface, the second guide surface and the air floating block groups, so that the sliding base unit can smoothly slide relative to the guide rail unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a precision mechanical device, and more particularly to an air-bearing guide rail device. Background Technology

[0002] An air-bearing guide rail (Chinese Utility Model Patent Publication No. CN209830882U) is disclosed, comprising a guide rail body, a linear motor, and a slide. The guide rail body has a dovetail groove cross-section. The slide includes an upper slide and two side slides. The two ends of the upper slide are respectively connected to the side slides. The upper slide has two upper throttles inside, and each of the side slides also has a side throttle. The upper slide and the side slides together form a dovetail groove-shaped receiving space. The guide rail body is disposed within this receiving space. The linear motor includes a stator and a mover. The stator is fixed in the guide rail body by a stator base, and the mover is connected to the upper slide by a mover fixing plate.

[0003] While this type of air-bearing guide rail can achieve the desired linear displacement operation, if the guide rail body is made of aluminum, surface treatment is required at the air film generation areas corresponding to the upper and side throttles. The manufacturing process of the guide rail body is, in sequence, aluminum extrusion, CNC machining, grinding, hard anodizing, cryogenic treatment, and fine grinding. This process is limited by the length constraints of the hard anodizing and cryogenic treatment processes and is very costly. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide an air-bearing guide rail device that can solve the shortcomings of existing ones.

[0005] The air-bearing guide rail device of the present invention comprises a guide rail unit, a slide unit, and a linear motor unit. The guide rail unit includes a guide rail body made of a first material and two air-bearing block assemblies made of a second material and fixed to the guide rail body. The hardness of the second material is greater than that of the first material, and the ductility of the first material is greater than that of the second material. The guide rail body has two rail seats and a recessed space between the rail seats. Each rail seat has a top positioning surface located on one side of the recessed space and a side positioning surface disposed on one side of the top positioning surface and angled relative to the top positioning surface. The air-bearing block assemblies correspond to the rail seats respectively. Each air-bearing block assembly has a top air-bearing block fixed to the top positioning surface and a side air-bearing block fixed to the side positioning surface. The slide block is slidably mounted across the guide rail unit and is integrally formed. It includes a middle seat and two side seats integrally connected to both sides of the middle seat. The side seats correspond to the rail seat respectively. Each side seat has a first guide surface adjacent to the top air float block and located on one side of the middle seat, a first air guide channel communicating with the first guide surface from the outside, a second guide surface disposed on one side of the first guide surface and angled relative to the first guide surface, and a second air guide channel communicating with the second guide surface from the outside. The linear motor unit includes a stator installed in the recessed space of the guide rail unit and a mover installed in the middle seat of the slide block relative to the stator. The linear motor unit can drive the slide block to move linearly relative to the guide rail unit.

[0006] The air-bearing guide rail device of the present invention has an aluminum first material and an iron second material as the guide rail unit.

[0007] The air-bearing guide rail device of the present invention includes each rail base of the guide rail unit having an upper bearing groove recessed from the top positioning surface and a lower bearing groove recessed from the side positioning surface. Each top air-bearing block has a T-shaped cross-section and has a top upper section abutting against the top positioning surface and a top lower section integrally connected to the top upper section and embedded in the upper bearing groove. Each side air-bearing block has a T-shaped cross-section and has a side upper section abutting against the side positioning surface and a side lower section integrally connected to the side upper section and embedded in the lower bearing groove.

[0008] The air-bearing guide rail device of the present invention further comprises a guide rail body integrally connected to the bottom of the rail seat, two first locking holes extending from the base to the upper bearing groove, two second locking holes extending from the recessed space to the lower bearing groove, each top air-bearing block further comprises a first screw hole extending from the top lower section to the top upper section, each side air-bearing block further comprises a second screw hole extending from the side lower section to the side upper section, and the guide rail unit further comprises two first bolts passing through the first locking holes and screwed into the corresponding first screw holes, and two second bolts passing through the second locking holes and screwed into the corresponding second screw holes.

[0009] The air-bearing guide rail device of the present invention further includes a transition surface disposed between the top positioning surface and the side positioning surface, and a first groove recessed on one side of the side positioning surface.

[0010] The air-bearing guide rail device of the present invention further includes a second groove disposed between the first guide surface and the second guide surface and adjacent to the turning surface, and an extension surface disposed on one side of the second guide surface and relative to the first groove.

[0011] The air-bearing guide rail device of the present invention further includes a main air channel connecting the intermediate seat and the side seat in the sliding unit, and the main air channel is connected to the first air channel and the second air channel.

[0012] The air-bearing guide rail device of the present invention includes a guide rail unit whose recessed space is defined by the bottom surface of the groove and two side surfaces of the groove. The guide rail unit also includes two positioning grooves recessed by the bottom surface of the groove. The air-bearing guide rail device also includes two sensors installed in the positioning grooves. The sensors are used to sense the original position and the extreme position of the slide unit.

[0013] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: the guide rail body of the guide rail unit is made of a first material, the air float block group is made of a second material, and the hardness of the second material is greater than that of the first material, the ductility of the first material is better than that of the second material, the guide rail body is formed by aluminum extrusion, and after the top air float block and the side air float block are fixed to the guide rail body, the top air float block and the side air float block are then finely ground, thereby shortening the process and reducing manufacturing costs. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 This is a combined cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the air-bearing guide rail device of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0015] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0016] See Figure 1 An embodiment of the air-bearing guide rail device of the present invention includes a guide rail unit 10, a slide unit 20, a linear motor unit 30, and two sensors 40.

[0017] The guide rail unit 10 includes a guide rail body 101 made of a first material, two air-bearing block assemblies 102 made of a second material and fixed to the guide rail body 101, two first bolts 103, and two second bolts 104. In this embodiment, the first material is aluminum, and the second material is iron. The hardness of the second material is greater than that of the first material, and the ductility of the first material is better than that of the second material. The guide rail body 101 has a base 11, two rail seats 12 integrally connected to the base 11, a recessed space 13 between the rail seats 12, two first locking holes 14 extending from the base 11 to the rail seats 12, and two second locking holes 15 extending from the recessed space 13 to the rail seats 12.

[0018] Each rail base 12 has a top surface 121 located on one side of the recessed space 13, a top positioning surface 122 inclinedly connected to the top surface 121, an upper bearing groove 123 recessed from the top positioning surface 122, a turning surface 124 intersecting and connected to one side of the top positioning surface 122, a side positioning surface 125 intersecting and connected to one side of the turning surface 124 and angled (approximately 90 degrees) relative to the top positioning surface 122, a lower bearing groove 126 recessed from the side positioning surface 125, and a first groove 127 recessed on one side of the side positioning surface 125. The first groove 127 is closer to the base 11 than the lower bearing groove 126, in order to avoid machining tools (e.g., grinding wheels) used to machine the side positioning surface 125.

[0019] The recessed space 13 is defined by a bottom surface 131 and two side surfaces 132. The guide rail unit 10 also includes two positioning grooves 133 recessed by the bottom surface 131.

[0020] The first lock hole 14 is stepped and is connected to the corresponding upper support groove 123 by the base 11.

[0021] The second keyhole 15 is stepped and is connected to the corresponding lower support groove 126 by the recessed space 13.

[0022] The air buoyancy block assemblies 102 correspond to the rail bases 12 respectively. Each air buoyancy block assembly 102 has a top air buoyancy block 16 fixed to the top positioning surface 122 and a side air buoyancy block 17 fixed to the side positioning surface 125. Each top air buoyancy block 16 has a T-shaped cross-section and has an upper section 161 abutting against the top positioning surface 122, a lower section 162 integrally connected to the upper section 161 and embedded in the upper bearing groove 123, and a first screw hole 163 extending from the lower section 162 toward the upper section 161. Each side air flotation block 17 has a T-shaped cross section and has an upper side section 171 that abuts against the side positioning surface 125, a lower side section 172 integrally connected to the upper side section 171 and embedded in the lower bearing groove 126, and a second screw hole 173 extending from the lower side section 172 toward the upper side section 171.

[0023] The first bolt 103 passes through the first locking hole 14 and is screwed into the corresponding first screw hole 163.

[0024] The second bolt 104 passes through the second locking hole 15 and is screwed into the corresponding second screw hole 173.

[0025] The slide unit 20 is slidably mounted across the guide rail unit 10 and is made in one piece. It includes an intermediate seat 21, two side seats 22 integrally connected to both sides of the intermediate seat 21, a main air passage 23 connecting the intermediate seat 21 and the side seats 22, two first air passages 24 intersecting and connecting the main air passage 23, and two second air passages 25 intersecting and connecting the main air passage 23.

[0026] The side seats 22 correspond to the rail seats 12 respectively. Each side seat 22 has a first guide surface 221 adjacent to the top air float 16 and located on one side of the intermediate seat 21, a second guide surface 222 disposed on one side of the first guide surface 221 and angled (approximately 90 degrees) relative to the first guide surface 221, a second groove 223 disposed between the first guide surface 221 and the second guide surface 222 and adjacent to the turning surface 124, and an extension surface 224 disposed on one side of the second guide surface 222 and relative to the first groove 127. The second groove 223 is for avoiding machining tools (e.g., grinding wheels) that process the second guide surface 222.

[0027] The first air guide duct 24 is connected from the outside to the corresponding first guide surface 221 via the main air guide duct 23.

[0028] The second air passage 25 is connected from the outside to the corresponding second air passage 222 via the main air passage 23.

[0029] The linear motor unit 30 includes a stator 31 mounted on the bottom surface 131 of the guide rail unit 10 and located on one side of the positioning groove 133, and a mover 32 mounted on the intermediate seat 21 of the slide unit 20 and relative to the stator 31. Current is passed through the stator 31. Utilizing the interaction between the current and the magnetic field, the linear motor unit 30 can drive the slide unit 20 relative to the axial direction (perpendicular to the magnetic field) of the guide rail unit 10. Figure 1 The cross-sectional direction produces linear movement.

[0030] The sensors 40 are spaced apart along the axial direction of the guide rail unit 10. Figure 1 (Not shown), and is installed and positioned on the guide rail unit 10 through the positioning groove 133, and the sensor 40 is used to sense an initial position and an extreme position of the slide unit 20.

[0031] To further understand the effects of the combination of the components of this invention, the technical means employed, and the expected benefits, the following explanation will be provided, which will hopefully lead to a deeper and more specific understanding of this invention.

[0032] For example Figure 1 As shown, after the overall assembly is completed, the top air buoy 16 and the side air buoy 17 are respectively locked to the rail seat 12 of the guide rail body 101 by the first bolt 103 and the second bolt 104, and the slide unit 20 straddles the guide rail unit 10. There is a gap of about 0.01 mm between the first guide surface 221 and the top air buoy 16, and there is a gap of about 0.01 mm between the second guide surface 222 and the side air buoy 17. The gaps between the first guide surface 221 and the top air buoy 16, and between the second guide surface 222 and the side air buoy 17, allow air film to be generated, but they do not make contact.

[0033] When the linear motor unit 30 is started, high-pressure air is also introduced into the main air passage 23, and guided through the first air passage 24 to the space between the first guide surface 221 and the top air float 16, and through the second air passage 25 to the space between the second guide surface 222 and the side air float 17. An air film is generated between the first guide surface 221 and the top air float 16, and an air film is generated between the second guide surface 222 and the side air float 17, thus generating an air buoyancy effect (similar to the function of a linear slide rail), and providing the slide unit 20 with smooth sliding relative to the guide rail unit 10, while maintaining the linearity of the slide's movement.

[0034] Furthermore, by operating the linear motor unit 30 and sensing the position of the slide unit 20 by the sensor 40, the stroke of the slide unit 20 can be controlled.

[0035] This invention utilizes the fact that the guide rail body 101 of the guide rail unit 10 is made of aluminum and the air float block assembly 102 is made of iron. After the guide rail body 101 is formed by aluminum extrusion, only the top positioning surface 122 and the side positioning surface 125 need to be cut, and the first locking hole 14 and the second locking hole 15 need to be drilled. After the top air float block 16 and the side air float block 17 are fixed to the guide rail body 101, the top air float block 16 and the side air float block 17 need to be finely ground. This can shorten the process and reduce the manufacturing cost.

[0036] Furthermore, the hardness of the second material is greater than that of the first material, and the ductility of the first material is superior to that of the second material. As a result, the guide rail body 101 can omit processes such as hard anodizing and cryogenic treatment, thereby reducing manufacturing costs.

[0037] In summary, the air-bearing guide rail device of the present invention has a simple overall structure, is easy to manufacture and assemble, can reduce manufacturing costs, and can indeed achieve the purpose of the present invention.

Claims

1. An air-bearing guide rail device, comprising a guide rail unit, a slide unit, and a linear motor unit, characterized in that: The guide rail unit includes a guide rail body made of a first material and two air-bearing block assemblies made of a second material and fixed to the guide rail body. The hardness of the second material is greater than that of the first material, and the ductility of the first material is better than that of the second material. The guide rail body has two rail seats and a recessed space between the rail seats. Each rail seat has a top positioning surface located on one side of the recessed space and a side positioning surface located on one side of the top positioning surface and angled relative to the top positioning surface. The air-bearing block assemblies correspond to the rail seats respectively. Each air-bearing block assembly has a top air-bearing block fixed to the top positioning surface and a side air-bearing block fixed to the side positioning surface. The sliding unit is slidably mounted across the guide rail unit and is integrally formed. It includes a middle seat and two side seats integrally connected to both sides of the middle seat. The side seats correspond to the rail seat respectively. Each side seat has a first guide surface adjacent to the top air float and located on one side of the middle seat, a first air guide channel communicating with the first guide surface from the outside, a second guide surface disposed on one side of the first guide surface and disposed at an angle relative to the first guide surface, and a second air guide channel communicating with the second guide surface from the outside. The linear motor unit includes a stator installed in a recessed space of the guide rail unit, and a mover installed in an intermediate seat of the slide unit relative to the stator. The linear motor unit can drive the slide unit to produce linear movement relative to the guide rail unit.

2. The air-bearing guide rail device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first material of the guide rail unit is aluminum, and the second material is iron.

3. The air-bearing guide rail device according to claim 2, characterized in that: Each rail seat of the guide rail unit also has an upper bearing groove recessed from the top positioning surface and a lower bearing groove recessed from the side positioning surface. Each top air buoy has a T-shaped cross-section and has a top upper section abutting against the top positioning surface and a top lower section integrally connected to the top upper section and embedded in the upper bearing groove. Each side air buoy has a T-shaped cross-section and has a side upper section abutting against the side positioning surface and a side lower section integrally connected to the side upper section and embedded in the lower bearing groove.

4. The air-bearing guide rail device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The guide rail unit also has a base integrally connected to the bottom of the rail seat, two first locking holes extending from the base to the upper bearing groove, and two second locking holes extending from the recessed space to the lower bearing groove. Each top air buoy also has a first screw hole extending from the top lower section to the top upper section, and each side air buoy also has a second screw hole extending from the side lower section to the side upper section. The guide rail unit also includes two first bolts passing through the first locking holes and screwed into the corresponding first screw holes, and two second bolts passing through the second locking holes and screwed into the corresponding second screw holes.

5. The air-bearing guide rail device according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each rail seat of the guide rail unit also has a transition surface disposed between the top positioning surface and the side positioning surface, and a first groove recessed on one side of the side positioning surface.

6. The air-bearing guide rail device according to claim 5, characterized in that: Each side seat of the slide unit also has a second groove disposed between the first guide surface and the second guide surface and adjacent to the turning surface, and an extension surface disposed on one side of the second guide surface and relative to the first groove.

7. The air-bearing guide rail device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The slide unit also includes a main air passage connecting the middle seat and the side seat, and the main air passage is connected to the first air passage and the second air passage.

8. The air-bearing guide rail device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The recessed space of the guide rail unit is defined by the bottom surface of the groove and the two side surfaces of the groove. The guide rail unit also includes two positioning grooves recessed by the bottom surface of the groove. The air-bearing guide rail device also includes two sensors installed in the positioning grooves. The sensors are used to sense the original position and the extreme position of the slide unit.

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