Single-row steel ball circulating linear guide rail

Abstract

The utility model provides a single-row steel ball circulating linear guide rail which comprises a sliding rail, a sliding block and a plurality of steel balls. End cover assemblies are arranged on the two sides of the sliding block respectively; the surface of the sliding rail is provided with a downward-concave arc-shaped sliding groove used for being matched with rolling of the steel ball, and the sliding block can slide along the sliding rail. The bottom of the sliding block is provided with a bottom groove used for containing the steel balls, and the bottom of the sliding block is further provided with a lower retaining structure used for forming a channel for containing the steel balls together with the bottom groove and preventing the steel balls from falling off when the sliding block is separated from the sliding rail. A hollow channel penetrating through the two ends is formed in the sliding block and used for circulating passing of the steel balls. An end cover body in the end cover assembly is provided with a semicircular channel, the upper end of the semicircular channel communicates with a hollow channel of a sliding block, and the lower end of the semicircular channel communicates with a bottom groove, so that the semicircular channel and the sliding block jointly define an annular channel for steel balls to circularly roll. And the processing and assembling processes are simplified.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of linear guide technology, and more specifically to a single-row steel ball circulating linear guide. Background Technology

[0002] In industrial applications such as automated equipment, CNC machine tools, and electronic assembly platforms, linear guides are crucial components for achieving precise linear motion, and their performance directly impacts the equipment's operational accuracy and lifespan. Traditional circulating steel ball linear guide systems typically consist of a slide rail and a slider, with the slider containing a circulating channel for steel balls, achieving low-friction motion through ball rolling. However, in practical applications, it's often necessary to transfer the slider from one guide rail to another. Existing technologies generally have several drawbacks in such scenarios. For example, changing rails is difficult; moving the slider from one guide rail to another places extremely high demands on the product's precision, reversing positioning accuracy, and preload control. Even slight errors can lead to steel balls falling out, jamming, or even damage to the guide rail. Furthermore, disassembly and assembly are inconvenient and risky; the operation during rail changes is complex, with the risk of slider detachment or steel ball loss, often resulting in the entire component being scrapped. High costs are also involved; high-precision assembly and maintenance require cumbersome procedures, significantly increasing processing and labor costs. Furthermore, the slider is prone to impact wear at the track splice points during operation, affecting the overall lifespan and stability of the system. In summary, existing linear guide systems still have structural and functional shortcomings in meeting the requirements of flexible track changing, high-speed operation, and long-term stable use, and a more compatible, stable, and economical improvement solution is urgently needed. Utility Model Content

[0003] In view of this, the present invention provides a single-row steel ball circulating linear guide.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0005] A single-row steel ball circulating linear guide includes a slide rail, a slider, and several steel balls; end cap assemblies are respectively provided on both sides of the slider; the surface of the slide rail is provided with a concave arc-shaped groove for cooperating with the rolling of the steel balls, and the slider can slide along the slide rail; the bottom of the slider is provided with a bottom groove for receiving the steel balls, and a bottom retaining structure is also provided at the bottom to form a channel for receiving the steel balls together with the bottom groove, and to prevent the steel balls from falling out when the slider leaves the slide rail; the inside of the slider is provided with a hollow channel passing through both ends for the circulation of steel balls;

[0006] The end cover body in the end cover assembly is provided with a semicircular channel, the upper end of the semicircular channel is communicated with the hollow channel of the slider, the lower end is communicated with the bottom groove, thereby forming a ring-shaped channel for the steel balls to roll in cooperation with the slider; the steel balls are arranged in a single column in the ring-shaped channel; the end cover assembly comprises an end cover body, a backflow device, an oil storage cotton, a dustproof cover and an oil injection nozzle, wherein the end cover body and the backflow device jointly form the semicircular channel.

[0007] In the preferred technical scheme, the lower holding structure comprises two holding rods symmetrically arranged at the bottom of the slider, the steel balls can roll between the lower holding structure and the bottom groove, and the bottom ends of the steel balls protrude outward between the two holding rods to contact the sliding groove of the sliding rail.

[0008] In the preferred technical scheme, the oil storage cotton is arranged in the end cover body, the dustproof cover is sealed on the outer side of the end cover, and the oil injection nozzle is arranged on the dustproof cover and communicated with the oil storage cotton, which is used for injecting lubricating oil and lubricating the steel balls.

[0009] In the preferred technical scheme, the backflow device is provided with a side groove for the steel balls to roll, the end cover body is provided with a mounting groove matched with the backflow device, the backflow device is embedded in the mounting groove and forms a side part of the channel with the end cover body, and the side part of the channel is connected with the bottom groove and the hollow channel of the slider.

[0010] In the preferred technical scheme, the end cover body is provided with an oil inlet hole communicated with one side of the mounting groove and the side close to the oil storage cotton.

[0011] In the preferred technical scheme, the oil storage cotton is an oil-absorbing non-woven fabric material, which has the function of slowly releasing lubricating oil and is used for continuously lubricating the steel balls in the channel.

[0012] In the preferred technical scheme, the dustproof cover is detachably mounted on the outer side of the end cover body and is provided with a threaded sealing structure, which is used for sealing the oil injection nozzle and preventing dust or foreign matters from entering the end cover assembly.

[0013] In the preferred technical scheme, the steel balls form a closed rolling circulation path between the bottom groove of the slider, the backflow device and the hollow channel, so that the slider can realize stable linear reciprocating motion.

[0014] In the preferred technical scheme, the slider realizes low-friction linear reciprocating motion along the sliding rail through the continuous rolling circulation of the steel balls, and the structure supports the slider to run at a speed of 5 m / s at most.

[0015] According to the above technical scheme, compared with the prior art, the end cover assembly has the following beneficial technical effects:

[0016] By the innovative steel ball retaining structure design, the steel ball can be effectively prevented from falling off when the sliding block is separated from the slide rail, the rail changing operation is more convenient, even if there is a certain error in installation, the sliding block can stably run, and the dependence on installation precision is reduced. Compared with the traditional multi-column guide rail structure, the single-column steel ball design not only has a more compact structure, but also simplifies the machining and assembly process, and the overall cost can be reduced by more than 50%. The oil storage cotton is arranged in the end cover assembly, the oil storage cotton has the ability to continuously release lubricating oil, which can greatly improve the lubrication efficiency, reduce the wear of the steel ball, and prolong the service life. The structure optimizes the cooperation of the slide rail arc groove design through the closed-loop rolling path of the steel ball, cooperates with the high-quality lubrication system, can stably support the sliding block to run at a speed of 5m / s, meets the high-speed and high-frequency operation demand. The single-column steel ball design reduces the size of the sliding block, improves the structural rigidity and dynamic response speed, and is suitable for space-limited automation scenarios. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0017] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical scheme in the embodiments of the present application or the prior art, the drawings needed to be used in the embodiment or the prior art description will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only embodiments of the present application, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings according to the provided drawings without creating any creative labor.

[0018] Figure 1 It is a disassembled structural schematic view of the present application.

[0019] Figure 2 It is a structural schematic view of the separation state of the slide rail and the sliding block.

[0020] Figure 3 It is a structural schematic view of the connection state of the slide rail and the sliding block.

[0021] Figure 4 It is a disassembled structural schematic view of the sliding block.

[0022] Figure 5 It is a three-dimensional structural schematic view of the end cover body.

[0023] Drawing reference: 100, slide rail; 110, lower concave arc-shaped sliding groove; 200, sliding block; 210, end cover assembly; 211, end cover body; 2111, mounting groove body; 2112, oil inlet hole; 212, oil storage cotton; 213, dust cover; 214, oil injection nozzle; 215, backflow device; 2151, side concave groove; 220, bottom groove; 230, hollow channel; 240, lower retaining structure; 300, steel ball. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] The application will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. These drawings are simplified schematic diagrams, which only schematically show the basic structure of the application, and thus only show the components related to the application.

[0025] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "longitudinal", "radial", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "front", "rear", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer" and the like indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and thus cannot be understood as indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and thus cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application. In the description of the present application, the meaning of "a plurality of" is two or more, unless otherwise specified and limited.

[0026] In the description of the present application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise specified and limited, the terms "mounting", "connecting", "connection" should be understood broadly, for example, it can be fixed connection, or detachable connection, or integral connection; it can be mechanical connection, or electrical connection; it can be directly connected, or indirectly connected through intermediate medium; it can be the communication inside two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0027] As shown in the figure, a single-row steel ball circulating linear guide rail, comprising a slide rail 100, a slide block 200 and a plurality of steel balls 300, the guide rail system can realize high precision, low friction reciprocating linear motion. The slide rail 100 is an integral structure, preferably made of high hardness stainless steel material (such as S55C or SUJ2), and is subjected to quenching heat treatment and precision grinding treatment to improve its surface hardness and wear resistance. The top surface of the slide rail 100 is provided with a concave arc-shaped sliding groove 110 along the guide direction, which is used to cooperate with the steel ball 300 to roll, has a curvature matching the diameter of the steel ball 300, so as to realize uniform contact, increase the contact area, thereby effectively reducing the friction resistance and improving the carrying capacity. The slide block 200 is a cuboid structure, preferably made of high-strength steel or aluminum alloy matching the slide rail 100, to ensure its structural rigidity and precision stability. The bottom of the slide block 200 is provided with a bottom groove 220 for accommodating the steel ball 300 and cooperating with the concave arc-shaped sliding groove 110 of the slide rail 100 to form a rolling track; the bottom of the slide block 200 is also provided with a lower retaining structure 240, which cooperates with the bottom groove 220 to form a passage for accommodating the steel ball 300, and prevents the steel ball 300 from falling when the slide block 200 is separated from the slide rail 100. The slide block 200 is internally provided with a hollow passage 230 penetrating through both ends thereof, for connecting the end cover assemblies 210 on both sides of the slide block 200, to realize the circulation of the steel balls 300. The end cover assemblies 210 are installed at both ends of the slide block 200, each end cover assembly 210 comprising an end cover body 211, a backflow device 215, an oil storage cotton 212, a dust cover 213 and an oil injection nozzle 214. The end cover body 211 is internally provided with a semicircular passage, the upper end of which communicates with the hollow passage 230 in the slide block 200, and the lower end thereof communicates with the bottom groove 220, thereby forming a ring-shaped passage for the steel balls 300 to circulate and roll together with the slide block 200. The steel balls 300 are selected from precision steel balls (such as G10 grade SUJ2 material), have consistent diameters and are arranged in a single-row structure along the ring-shaped passage. Only one steel ball 300 is shown in the drawing, and the rest are not drawn one by one, in actual application, a plurality of steel balls 300 are arranged continuously, forming a closed circulation rolling loop through the ring-shaped path between the bottom of the slide block 200, the hollow passage 230 and the end cover assembly 210. Through the rolling of the steel balls 300 in the closed path, the slide block 200 can realize low-friction linear motion on the slide rail 100. Further, to prevent the steel balls from falling off when the slide block 200 is separated from the slide rail 100, the lower retaining structure 240 is provided at the bottom of the slide block.The structure includes two retaining rods symmetrically arranged on both sides of the bottom groove, which are embedded in the pre-set openings on the end cover body 211 during installation, and the retaining rods are connected at the same time when the end cover body is connected to the slider 200. The end cover assembly 210 is integrally connected to the slider 200 by long screws, and a gap is left between the retaining rods to expose the steel ball part to contact the sliding groove of the sliding rail, but the overall steel ball 300 is limited to fall off to ensure the safety and convenience of the structure. The end cover assembly 210 includes the following parts: the end cover body 211 is installed at both ends in cooperation with the slider 200, and is internally provided with a mounting groove body 2111 for embedding the backflow device 215 to form a lateral channel for the steel ball 300; the backflow device 215 is provided with a lateral groove 2151 for the rolling of the steel ball, which can be made of high-strength POM plastic or aluminum alloy, and is inserted into the mounting groove body 2111 of the end cover body 211, and is in communication with the bottom groove 220 and the hollow channel 230 of the slider to form a lateral backflow channel for the steel ball 300.

[0028] Further, a non-woven fabric (such as PET fiber or polyester cotton) is arranged in the end cover body near the channel part, which can absorb and slowly release lubricating oil to continuously lubricate the steel ball; the dust cover 213 is made of plastic or alloy shell and is installed on the outside of the end cover, which has a threaded sealing structure to prevent dust or foreign matter from entering the inside of the end cover assembly and prolong the service life of the slider; the oil injection nozzle 214 is installed on the dust cover 213 and is in communication with the oil storage cotton 212, and the user can periodically inject lubricating oil through the oil injection nozzle to supplement the oil in the oil storage cotton and ensure the continuity of lubrication. The end cover body 211 is also provided with an oil inlet hole 2112 which is in communication with one side of the oil storage cotton and one side of the mounting groove body 2111, and the lubricating oil can penetrate into the steel ball rolling channel through the hole to improve the lubrication effect.

[0029] Further, when the slider 200 is installed on the sliding rail 100, the steel ball 300 rolls between the groove 220 at the bottom of the slider and the sliding groove 110 of the sliding rail to drive the slider to move along the sliding rail. When the steel ball 300 rolls to one end of the slider, it is backflowed to the other end through the backflow device 215 and the hollow channel 230 in the end cover assembly 210 to form a closed circulation path. During the entire movement process, the steel ball is always in a continuous rolling state to realize the low-friction reciprocating motion of the slider. After the lubricating oil is injected through the oil injection nozzle 214, it is stored in the oil storage cotton 212 and slowly released into the inside of the steel ball circulation channel through the oil inlet hole 2112 to continuously lubricate the steel ball, effectively reducing wear and tear and prolonging the service life.

[0030] In the present embodiment, in order to achieve the linear reciprocating movement of the slider 200 along the slide rail 100 at a speed of up to 5 m / s, the following structural optimization and technical means are adopted: first, the relative movement between the slider 200 and the slide rail 100 relies on the continuous circulation of the steel balls 300. All the steel balls 300 are arranged in a single column and form a closed circulation path between the groove 220, the backflow device 215 and the hollow channel 230 at the bottom of the slider 200, so that the steel balls 300 can realize uninterrupted rolling during the movement of the slider 200, greatly reducing the friction coefficient and improving the running stability. Secondly, the lower concave arc-shaped sliding groove 110 matched with the steel balls 300 is arranged on the surface of the slide rail 100, the curvature of the sliding groove 110 matches the diameter of the steel balls 300, effectively dispersing the load and improving the contact stability, preventing rolling instability. In addition, the lower retaining structure 240 at the bottom of the slider 200 can prevent the steel balls 300 from falling off when the slider 200 is separated from the slide rail 100, ensuring the structural integrity during maintenance and high-speed operation. In order to ensure sufficient lubrication during high-speed operation, the end cover assembly 210 arranged at both ends of the slider 200 is provided with an oil storage cotton 212, an oil injection nozzle 214 and a dust cover 213. The oil storage cotton 212 is arranged in the end cover body 211 and can slowly release lubricant through the oil absorption material after being injected with lubricating oil by the oil injection nozzle 214, continuously lubricating the steel balls 300 and preventing dry friction and overheating. The dust cover 213 is provided with a threaded sealing structure for sealing the oil injection nozzle 214 and preventing dust or foreign matter from entering the inside of the end cover assembly 210. Through the above structural design and cooperation of the components, the slider 200 can realize low-friction, stable and continuous high-speed reciprocating movement on the slide rail 100. It has been measured that the present structure can support the stable operation of the slider 200 at a speed of up to 5 m / s, and is suitable for high-speed and high-precision linear transmission systems such as automatic assembly lines, precision tool machines and electronic equipment transmission modules.

[0031] The above description of disclosed embodiments enables those skilled in the art to carry out or use the present application. Various modifications to these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present application. Therefore, the present application will not be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but will conform to the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A single-row steel ball circulating linear guide, characterized in that: It includes a slide rail (100), a slider (200), and several steel balls (300); the slider (200) is provided with end cap assemblies (210) on both sides; The slide rail (100) has a concave arc-shaped groove (110) on its surface for cooperating with the rolling of the steel ball (300), and the slider (200) can slide along the slide rail (100); The bottom of the slider (200) is provided with a bottom groove (220) for accommodating the steel ball (300), and the bottom is also provided with a lower retaining structure (240) for forming a channel for accommodating the steel ball (300) together with the bottom groove (220), and for preventing the steel ball (300) from falling when the slider (200) is disengaged from the slide rail (100); The slider (200) has a hollow channel (230) that runs through both ends, for the circulation of steel balls (300); The end cap body (211) of the end cap assembly (210) is provided with a semi-circular channel. The upper end of the semi-circular channel is connected to the hollow channel (230) of the slider, and the lower end is connected to the bottom groove (220), thereby forming an annular channel for the steel ball (300) to circulate and roll together with the slider (200); the steel ball (300) is arranged in a single row in the annular channel. The end cap assembly (210) includes an end cap body (211), a return valve (215), an oil reservoir (212), a dust cover (213), and an oil inlet (214), wherein the end cap body (211) and the return valve (215) together form the semi-circular channel.

2. The single-row steel ball circulating linear guide rail according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lower retaining structure (240) includes two retaining rods symmetrically arranged at the bottom of the slider (200). The steel ball (300) can roll between the lower retaining structure (240) and the bottom groove (220). The bottom end of the steel ball (300) protrudes outward from between the two retaining rods to contact the groove (110) of the slide rail (100).

3. A single-row steel ball circulating linear guide rail according to claim 1, characterized in that: The oil reservoir (212) is placed inside the end cap body (211), the dust cover (213) is closed on the outside of the end cap, and the oil injection nozzle (214) is placed on the dust cover (213) and communicates with the oil reservoir (212) to inject lubricating oil and lubricate the steel ball (300).

4. A single-row steel ball circulating linear guide rail according to claim 1, characterized in that: The return valve (215) is provided with a side groove (2151) for rolling steel balls (300), and the end cap body (211) is provided with a mounting groove (2111) that matches the return valve (215). The return valve (215) is embedded in the mounting groove (2111) and forms a side portion of a channel with the end cap body (211). The side portion of the channel connects the bottom groove (220) of the slider (200) and the hollow channel (230).

5. A single-row steel ball circulating linear guide rail according to claim 4, characterized in that: The end cap body (211) is provided with an oil inlet hole (2112) on one side of the mounting groove (2111) and the side near the oil storage cotton (212).

6. A single-row steel ball circulating linear guide rail according to claim 1, characterized in that: The oil-absorbing cotton (212) is an oil-absorbing non-woven fabric material with the function of slowly releasing lubricating oil, which is used to continuously lubricate the steel balls (300) in the channel.

7. A single-row steel ball circulating linear guide rail according to claim 1, characterized in that: The dust cover (213) is detachably installed on the outside of the end cap body (211) and is provided with a threaded sealing structure for sealing the oil injection nozzle (214) and preventing dust or foreign objects from entering the end cap assembly (210).

8. A single-row steel ball circulating linear guide rail according to claim 1, characterized in that: The steel ball (300) forms a closed rolling circulation path between the bottom groove (220), the return valve (215) and the hollow channel (230) of the slider (200), enabling the slider (200) to achieve smooth linear reciprocating motion.

9. A single-row steel ball circulating linear guide rail according to claim 1, characterized in that: The slider (200) achieves low-friction linear reciprocating motion along the slide rail (100) through the continuous cyclic rolling of steel balls (300), and the structure supports the slider (200) to run at a maximum speed of 5 m / s.

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