Linear guide

Abstract

To provide a linear guide that can stably supply a lubricant to a guide rail via a lubrication unit having a simple and low-cost construction.SOLUTION: A linear guide comprises: a guide rail having a raceway surface along a longitudinal direction; a slider which is slidably engaged with the guide rail so as to straddle the guide rail, and having rollers which roll on the raceway surface; and a lubrication unit attached to an axial end of the slider and having a lubricant supply member impregnated with the lubricant. One or more slits penetrating in the longitudinal direction are formed in the lubricant supply member. The slits allow an opposing portion opposing the raceway surface to move in a direction away from the raceway surface.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a linear guide equipped with a lubrication unit. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a linear guide includes a guide rail extending in the axial direction and a slider mounted on the guide rail so as to be movable relative to the guide rail, and the slider moves relative to the guide rail in the axial direction via a plurality of rolling elements circulating between rolling element rolling grooves formed on the guide rail and the slider. In order to use the linear guide stably for a long period of time, it is important to supply a sufficient amount of lubricant to the rolling element rolling grooves and the rolling elements to maintain a good lubricated state.

[0003] For this reason, a linear guide has been disclosed in which a porous lubricant supplying member containing a lubricant is housed inside a case and attached to the end of the slider, and lubricant is supplied from the lubricant supplying member which comes into contact with the rolling element rolling grooves of the guide rail.

[0004] Patent Document 1 discloses a linear guide bearing device in which a lubrication unit attached to the end of the slider has a lubricant supplying member and a case that houses the lubricant supplying member, and a cylindrical portion provided on the case applies a biasing force to the lubricant supplying member so that it contacts the rail-side raceway surface of the guide rail. Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses a linear guide bearing device in which a slit is formed in the lubricant supplying member penetrating in the longitudinal direction, thereby smoothing elastic deformation of the lubricant supplying member. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2005-207497 A [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-82505 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The purpose of Patent Document 1 is to maintain contact between the lubricant supplying member and the rail-side raceway surface of the guide rail for a long period of time. However, in order to bring the lubricant supplying member into contact with the guide rail with an appropriate pressing force, the cylindrical portion of the case and the outer shape of the lubricant supplying member need to have high dimensional accuracy, which increases the manufacturing effort and cost.

[0007] The purpose of Patent Document 2 is to allow for manufacturing errors in dimensions and shape by making it easy to deform the lubricant supplying member, and to keep manufacturing costs low. However, Patent Document 2 is an invention related to a ball guide with an arc-shaped rolling surface, and if the invention is applied directly to a roller guide with an inclined rolling surface, there is a problem that the contact position between the lubricant supplying member and the rolling surface becomes partial, and lubricant may not be supplied normally.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and its object is to provide a linear guide having rollers rolling on the rolling surface of a guide rail, which can stably supply lubricant to the guide rail for a long period of time using a lubrication unit with a simple and low-cost configuration, without strict dimensional control of the case and lubricant supply member. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The above object of the present invention can be achieved by the following configuration. (1) a guide rail having a track surface along a longitudinal direction; a slider that slidably engages with the guide rail so as to straddle the guide rail and has rollers that roll on the track surface; a lubrication unit having a lubricant supplying member attached to an axial end of the slider and impregnated with a lubricant; The lubricant supply member has one or more slits formed therethrough in the longitudinal direction, The slit allows a portion of the groove facing the raceway surface to move in a direction away from the raceway surface. Linear guide. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, in a linear guide having rollers rolling on the raceway surface of a guide rail, a lubrication unit having a simple and low-cost configuration allows the lubricant supply member to contact the guide rail stably for a long period of time, even if the external dimensions of the case and lubricant supply member that constitute the lubrication unit are not precise. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view of a linear guide according to the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a side view of the linear guide according to the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a front view of the main part showing the right half of the lubricant supplying member. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a front view showing the lubricant supplying member housed in the case. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a front view of a main part showing the lubrication unit. [Figure 6] 6(A) and 6(B) are model diagrams showing an ideal contact state between the lubricant supplying member and the raceway surface. [Figure 7] 7(A) and 7(B) are model diagrams of Comparative Example 1 showing a contact state between the lubricant supplying member and the raceway surface when no slits are formed in the lubricant supplying member. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a front view of a main portion showing a contact state of the second contact portion. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a main part front view showing the right half of the lubricant supplying member of the second embodiment. [Figure 10] 10A and 10B are model diagrams of a comparative example 2 showing a contact state between the lubricant supplying member and the raceway surface in the second embodiment when no slits are formed in the lubricant supplying member. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a front view of a main portion showing a contact state of the second contact portion of the second embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a front view of a main portion of a lubricant supplying member according to a third embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a front view of a main portion of a lubricant supplying member according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a main part front view showing a first modified example of the lubricant supplying member of the fourth embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a main part front view showing a second modified example of the lubricant supplying member of the fourth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, the linear guide (linear guiding device) according to each embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the vertical direction, width direction, and axial direction of the slider respectively represent the directions in a state where the slider is assembled to a guide rail arranged with the longitudinal direction horizontal, the width direction of the slider is a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the guide rail and the vertical direction of the slider, and is also called the left-right direction, and the axial direction of the slider is a direction along the longitudinal direction of the guide rail, and is also called the front-rear direction.

[0013] (First embodiment) The configuration of the linear guide will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 5. Fig. 1 is a front view of the linear guide according to the present invention, Fig. 2 is a side view of the linear guide according to the present invention, Fig. 3 is a front view of the main part showing the right half of the lubricant supply member, Fig. 4 is a front view of the lubricant supply member housed in a case, and Fig. 5 is a front view of the main part showing the mounting state of the lubrication unit to the guide rail. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the linear guide 10 of the first embodiment includes a straight guide rail 20 and a slider 30 assembled so as to straddle the guide rail 20 and slidably engaged with the guide rail 20 via a plurality of rolling elements (rollers) 11.

[0014] The guide rail 20 is made of metal, and on both left and right side surfaces thereof, a rail-side track surface 21 is formed by being recessed in a trapezoidal shape toward the left and right inward, and extending along the longitudinal direction of the guide rail 20. The rail-side track surface 21 has a rail-side upper track surface 21a and a rail-side lower track surface 21b. The rail-side upper raceway surface 21 a is formed obliquely downward so as to form an acute angle with the upper surface of the guide rail 20 . The rail-side lower track surface 21b is formed obliquely upward so as to form an acute angle with the lower surface of the guide rail 20.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 2, the slider 30 comprises a slider body 31 having sleeve portions 35 on both the left and right sides of the guide rail 20, end caps 32 attached to both axial ends of the slider body 31, and lubrication units 33 attached to the axial ends of each end cap 32.

[0016] On the inner surface of each sleeve portion 35 of the slider body 31, a slider-side upper raceway surface 34a facing the rail-side upper raceway surface 21a of the guide rail 20 and a slider-side lower raceway surface 34b facing the rail-side lower raceway surface 21b of the guide rail 20 are formed along the longitudinal direction of the guide rail 20. The rail-side upper raceway surface 21a and the slider-side upper raceway surface 34a form a loaded rolling path, and the rail-side lower raceway surface 21b and the slider-side lower raceway surface 34b form a loaded rolling path. The slider body 31 has two rolling element return paths 36a, 36b in each of both sleeve portions 35. The rolling element return paths 36a, 36b penetrate the thick portions of both sleeve portions 35 in the axial direction of the guide rail 20.

[0017] The end cap 32 is formed in a substantially U-shape and has a curved path (not shown) that connects the slider side raceway surface of the slider body 31 and the rolling element return path, and a rolling element circulating path is formed by the rail side raceway surface 21, slider side raceway surfaces 34a, 34b, rolling element return paths 36a, 36b, and the curved paths at both ends. In the rolling element circulating path, a plurality of roller-shaped rolling elements 11 and retaining pieces (not shown) that retain the plurality of rolling elements 11 at substantially equal intervals are alternately assembled and arranged.

[0018] 2 shows the lubrication unit 33. The lubrication unit 33 includes a synthetic resin case 40, a lubricant supply member 50 housed in the case 40, and a generally U-shaped side seal 60 that matches the outer shape of the end cap 32.

[0019] The lubricant supplying member 50 is formed of a porous material such as rubber or synthetic resin, a fibrous material, or the like, and is configured to be impregnated with a lubricant. As the lubricant, mineral oil, synthetic oil, grease, or the like can be used. As the synthetic resin, polyurethane, polyethylene, polypropylene, or the like can be used. As the fibrous material, wool felt, polyester fiber, nylon fiber, acrylic fiber, or the like can be used. As a result, the lubricant supplying member 50 is impregnated with a large amount of lubricant and is made of a material that is easily elastically deformed.

[0020] The lubricant supplying member 50 is formed in a substantially U-shape so as to face the upper surface and both side surfaces of the guide rail 20. The lubricant supplying member 50 has protruding portions 55 formed by protruding the left and right inner sides of a sleeve portion in a trapezoidal shape toward the side surfaces of the guide rail 20, and the protruding portions 55 slide against the rail-side upper raceway surface 21a and the rail-side lower raceway surface 21b to supply lubricant.

[0021] The protruding portion 55 of the lubricant supplying member 50 has a first contact portion 51, a second contact portion 52, an upper slit 53, and a central slit .

[0022] The first contact portion 51 is an inclined surface that slopes downward from the upper portion of the protruding portion 55 toward the left and right inside, and is an abutment surface that faces the rail-side upper raceway surface 21a of the guide rail 20 and comes into surface contact with it. The second contact portion 52 is an inclined surface that slopes upward from the lower portion of the protruding portion 55 toward the left and right inside, and is an abutment surface that faces the rail-side lower track surface 21b of the guide rail 20 and comes into surface contact with it.

[0023] The first contact portion 51 and the second contact portion 52 are formed in a straight line that matches the opposing rail-side raceway surface 21, and are pressed against the rail-side raceway surface 21 with a clamping margin D when the protruding portion 55 of the lubricant supplying member 50 is engaged with the side surface of the guide rail 20. This configuration can be seen in FIG. 3. The first contact portion 51 and the second contact portion 52 may be formed in a gentle arc that protrudes toward the rail-side raceway surface 21.

[0024] As a result, the first abutment portion 51 comes into contact with most of the rail-side upper raceway surface 21a as the protruding portion 55 is pressed toward the guide rail 20, and supplies lubricant evenly to the entire rail-side upper raceway surface 21a. Similarly, the second abutment portion 52 comes into contact with most of the rail-side lower raceway surface 21b as the protruding portion 55 is pressed toward the guide rail 20, and supplies lubricant evenly to the entire rail-side lower raceway surface 21b.

[0025] The upper slit 53 is disposed in the protruding portion 55 of the lubricant supplying member 50, and is a long hole penetrating in the longitudinal direction (thickness direction of the lubricant supplying member 50). The upper slit 53 has a parallel portion 53a, a connecting portion 53b, and an intermediate portion 53c.

[0026] The parallel portion 53a is a first portion of the upper slit 53, and is a linear elongated hole that is disposed in the vicinity of the first contact portion 51 and extends substantially parallel to the first contact portion 51. The connecting portion 53b is a second portion of the upper slit 53, and is a linear long hole that extends substantially horizontally outward to the left and right from an opening position that opens into the upper end side of the protruding portion 55 on the outer edge of the lubricant supplying member 50. The connecting portion 53b is smoothly connected to the upper surface of the protruding portion 55, and forms a step between the connecting portion 53b and the upper end side of the sleeve portion of the lubricant supplying member 50. The intermediate portion 53c is a linear elongated hole extending in the vertical direction so as to connect the left and right outer ends of the connecting portion 53b and the left and right outer ends of the parallel portion 53a. As described above, the upper slit 53 is a slit formed in a C-shape when viewed from the front by connecting the connecting portion 53b, the intermediate portion 53c, and the parallel portion 53a in this order from the upper end of the protruding portion 55 of the lubricant supplying member 50. This configuration may be seen with reference to Figs. 3 to 5.

[0027] The central slit 54 is disposed in the protruding portion 55 of the lubricant supplying member 50 and is a long hole penetrating in the longitudinal direction. The central slit 54 has a parallel portion 54a and a connecting portion 54b.

[0028] The parallel portion 54a is a first portion of the central slit 54, and is a linear elongated hole that is disposed in the vicinity of the second contact portion 52 and extends substantially parallel to the second contact portion 52. The connection portion 54b is the second part of the central slit 54, and is a linear long hole whose one end side extends approximately horizontally from an opening position that opens into the vertical center of the protrusion portion 55 on the outer edge of the lubricant supply member 50 toward the left and right outside. As described above, the central slit 54 is an L-shaped slit bent downward in front view by connecting the connecting portion 54b and the parallel portion 54a in this order from the left and right inner ends of the protruding portion 55 of the lubricant supplying member 50. This configuration can be seen in Figs. 3 to 5.

[0029] The lubricant supplying member 50 has a first recess 56 recessed downward at the left and right center of the upper edge, a pair of left and right second recesses 57, 57 recessed in an arc shape toward the left and right inward on the lower sides of the left and right outer surfaces, a pair of third recesses 58, 58 provided on the left and right outer sides of the first recess 56, and a pair of insertion holes 59, 59 which are longitudinal through holes formed on the left and right inner sides of the third recess 58 in the sleeve portion of the lubricant supplying member 50. The lubricant supplying member 50 is accommodated at a predetermined position within the case 40 by the recesses 56 , 57 , 58 and the insertion hole 59 .

[0030] The case 40 is made by injection molding a hard resin such as polyacetal or polyamide, and is formed in a generally U-shape with approximately the same size as the end cap 32. The case 40 may also be made by cutting or pressing a metal material such as steel or aluminum.

[0031] The case 40 has an outer peripheral wall 41 that covers the outer periphery of the lubricant supplying member 50 and an inner wall 42 that covers one axial end side of the housed lubricant supplying member 50, forming a housing portion 43 that is a substantially U-shaped space that fits and houses the lubricant supplying member 50. This configuration can be seen in FIG. 4.

[0032] The outer peripheral wall 41 is formed in a generally U-shape to cover the upper surface, both outer side surfaces, and the lower end surface of the lubricant supplying member 50. The outer peripheral wall 41 has a cylindrical pressing portion 45 on its inner surface that presses the lubricant supplying member 50 housed in the case 40, and a cylindrical protrusion 46 disposed opposite the lubricant supplying member 50. The inner wall 42 covers an end face of the lubricant supplying member 50 housed in the case 40 on the axial side of the end cap 32. The inner wall 42 is formed with cylindrical insertion portions 47, 48 that position the lubricant supplying member 50 housed in the housing portion 43. That is, the case 40 can accommodate the lubricant supplying member 50 in the accommodation portion 43 with the inner side of the sleeve portion of the lubricant supplying member 50 facing the guide rail 20 side exposed.

[0033] The pressing portion 45 is disposed at the center of the upper left and right of the inner surface of the outer circumferential wall 41, and the first recess 56 of the lubricant supplying member 50 is fitted and housed therein. The protrusions 46 , 46 are disposed at the lower left and right ends of the inner surface of the outer circumferential wall 41 , and face the second recesses 57 , 57 of the lubricant supplying member 50 .

[0034] The insertion portions 47, 48 include a pair of left and right first insertion portions 47, 47 and a pair of left and right second insertion portions 48, 48. The first insertion portions 47, 47 are cylindrical members extending in the longitudinal direction from the inner wall 42, and are provided on the lower side of the sleeve portion of the inner wall 42 formed in a U-shape along the lubricant supplying member 50. The pair of first insertion portions 47, 47 are inserted into insertion holes 59, 59 of the lubricant supplying member 50, respectively. The second insertion portions 48, 48 are cylindrical members extending in the longitudinal direction from the inner wall 42, and are provided in a pair on the left and right sides on the upper side of the inner wall 42. The pair of second insertion portions 48, 48 are inserted so as to be inserted into the third recesses 58, 58 of the lubricant supplying member 50.

[0035] With the case 40 having this configuration, the first insertion portions 47, 47 are inserted into the insertion holes 59, 59 of the sleeve portion of the lubricant supplying member 50, and the second insertion portions 48, 48 are inserted into the third recesses 58, 58 in the upper part of the lubricant supplying member 50, whereby the lubricant supplying member 50, which is curved in an arc as a whole to impart elastic force, can be held in the accommodating portion 43 while allowing elastic deformation of the lubricant supplying member 50. In other words, the operation of accommodating the lubricant supplying member 50 in the case 40 becomes smooth and easy.

[0036] Furthermore, the lubricant supplying member 50 housed in the case 40 is elastically deformed inwardly to the left and right so that the pair of left and right protrusions 55, 55 sandwich both side surfaces of the guide rail 20 when the first recess 56 is pressed outwardly to the left and right by the pressing portion 45. That is, the pair of left and right protrusions 55, 55 can be pressed by the case 40 so as to come into contact with the rail-side raceway surface 21. This configuration may be seen in Figs. 4 and 5. According to the above, even if the dimensional accuracy of the outer shape of the lubricant supplying member 50 and the outer shape of the housing portion 43 of the case 40 is not high, the lubricant supplying member 50 can be stably brought into contact with the rail-side raceway surface 21. Therefore, the manufacturing cost of the lubrication unit 33 can be kept low.

[0037] In addition, since the lubricant supplying member 50 is housed in the case 40 and its outer peripheral surface is covered, evaporation of the lubricant due to drying can be prevented, and the outer peripheral surface can be prevented from coming into contact with obstacles, etc., resulting in scratches or leakage of the lubricant. The above-mentioned lubrication unit 33 may be configured to engage with the guide rail 20 only by elastic deformation of the lubricant supplying member 50, without using the case 40. This configuration may be seen in Fig. 3. Also, the case 40 may be attached to the lubricant supplying member 50 after the lubricant supplying member 50 is attached to the guide rail 20.

[0038] (Action and Effects)

[0039] The operation and effect of the lubrication unit of the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 3 to 8. Figures 6(A) and 6(B) are model diagrams showing an ideal contact state between the lubricant supplying member and the raceway surface, Figures 7(A) and 7(B) are model diagrams of Comparative Example 1 showing the contact state between the lubricant supplying member and the raceway surface when no slit is formed in the lubricant supplying member, and Figure 8 is a front view of the main part showing the contact state of the second contact portion.

[0040] The lubrication unit 33 described above is locked in a state in which it can supply lubricant to the guide rail 20 side by sandwiching the rail-side raceway surface 21 with the protruding portions 55, 55 of the lubricant supplying member 50. At this time, the lubricant supplying member 50 is deformed so as to push the protruding portions 55, 55 inward to the left and right as shown in FIG. 4, so that the first contact portion 51 and the second contact portion 52 of the lubricant supplying member 50 are elastically pressed against the rail-side raceway surface 21 with a predetermined tightening margin D. Therefore, the lubricant supplying member 50 can continue to supply lubricant to the rail-side raceway surface 21 for a long period of time. This configuration may be seen in FIG. 5.

[0041] The shapes and actions of the first contact portion 51 and the second contact portion 52 in contact with the rail-side track surface 21 in an ideal contact state will be described with reference to Figs. 6(A) and 6(B). The first contact portion 51 and the second contact portion 52 are formed in a straight line that matches the rail-side track surface 21 that faces them. Each of the first contact portion 51 and the second contact portion 52 has a contact portion L that comes into contact with the rail-side track surface 21 and a chamfered portion C provided on both edges of the contact portion L. If the contact portion L is too long, the amount of deformation required to bring the first contact portion 51 or the second contact portion 52 into contact with the entire rail-side raceway surface 21 becomes large, making it difficult to ensure contact. On the other hand, if the contact portion L is too short, it becomes difficult to uniformly supply oil to the rail-side raceway surface 21. For this reason, the length of the contact portion L is preferably about 50 to 80% of the length of the rolling elements (rollers) used. By setting the inclination θ of the chamfered portion C to about 5 to 15 degrees, unintended contact can be easily avoided, and the first abutment portion 51 and the second abutment portion 52 can come into smooth contact with the rail-side track surface 21.

[0042] In the first embodiment, the second contact portion 52 of the lubricant supplying member 50 is elastically deformed by the parallel portion 54a of the central slit 54 so that the tip of the second contact portion 52 is bent. As a result, a contact portion L that comes into contact with the rail-side lower track surface 21b with an ideal contact width is formed in the second contact portion 52. This configuration may be seen in FIG. 8. Similarly, the first abutment portion 51 of the lubricant supplying member 50 is easily allowed to swing up and down at the upper portion of the protruding portion 55 relative to the rail-side upper raceway surface 21a by the connecting portion 53b of the upper slit 53, and the tip of the first abutment portion 51 is elastically deformed so as to bend by the parallel portion 53a (see FIG. 5) of the upper slit 53. As a result, a contact portion L that comes into contact with the rail-side upper raceway surface 21a with an ideal contact width is formed in the first abutment portion 51. As a result of the above, the partial contact state in which the lubricant supplying member 50 and the rail-side raceway surface 21 come into contact only at a predetermined portion is eliminated, and an ideal contact state can be maintained. The lubricant supplying member 50 may be configured to have only one of the upper slit 53 and the central slit 54.

[0043] In this embodiment, in a free state where no external force is applied to the lubricant supplying member 50 attached to the lubrication unit 33, the lubricant supplying member 50 is formed so as to naturally interfere with the rail-side raceway surface 21. For this reason, normally, the first abutment portion 51 and the second abutment portion 52 each easily come into contact with the upper half of the rail-side raceway surface 21 and do not easily come into contact with the lower half. For this reason, the opening position where the connection portion 53b of the upper slit 53 communicates with the inner side of the sleeve portion of the lubricant supplying member 50 is positioned above the rail-side upper track surface 21a, and the opening position where the connection portion 54b of the central slit 54 communicates with the inner side of the sleeve portion of the lubricant supplying member 50 is positioned above the rail-side lower track surface 21b. With this configuration, the first abutment portion 51 and the second abutment portion 52 are smoothly deformed by the upper slit 53 and the central slit 54 so that the portions corresponding to the upper half of the rail-side track surface 21 respectively come into contact with the rail-side track surface 21 with an appropriate contact width.

[0044] In addition, by providing the upper slit 53 and the central slit 54 in the lubricant supplying member 50, the first abutment portion 51 and the second abutment portion 52 can be brought into contact with the rail side track surface 21 without the need to increase the accuracy of the external dimensions of the lubricant supplying member 50 and the case 40 too much. It should be noted that the lubricant supplying member 50 can supply the lubricant to the rail-side raceway surface 21 for a longer period of time as the amount of lubricant impregnated therein increases, but it becomes more difficult to manufacture the lubricant supplying member 50 without any shape error. Therefore, according to the lubrication unit 33 of this embodiment, even if the lubricant supplying member 50 with an oil content of 85% or more by weight is used and the shape error becomes large, the lubricant supplying member 50 can be used without any loss of performance.

[0045] A partial contact state between a lubricant supplying member having no slit and a rail-side raceway surface will be described as Comparative Example 1 with reference to Figs. 7(A) and 7(B). When a lubricant supplying member 50 in which no slit is formed is placed on the rail-side track surface 21, the contact portion L of the lubricant supplying member 50 with the rail-side track surface 21 moves in a direction away from the rail to eliminate interference. In this embodiment, the first abutment portion 51 and the second abutment portion 52 are each likely to come into contact with the upper half of the rail-side track surface 21 and are unlikely to come into contact with the lower half, so that the first abutment portion 51 and the second abutment portion 52 of the lubricant supply member 50 are subjected to a force in a direction expanding outward to the left and right, and are thereby tilted counterclockwise. As a result, a gap T is generated at a lower portion of the contact portion L between the first contact portion 51 and the rail-side upper track surface 21a. This configuration may be seen in FIG. 7(A). Similarly, a gap T is generated at a lower portion of the contact portion L between the second contact portion 52 and the rail-side lower track surface 21b. This configuration may be seen in FIG. 7(B). Due to this gap T, the contact portion L2 between the lubricant supplying member 50 and the rail-side raceway surface 21 is significantly shorter than the range of the contact portion L in this embodiment. For this reason, if the lubricant supplying member 50 does not have the upper slit 53 and the central slit 54, the lubricant supplying member 50 will not be able to uniformly apply the lubricant to the rail-side raceway surface 21.

[0046] Second embodiment FIG. 9 is a front view of essential parts showing the right half of the lubricant supplying member of the second embodiment, FIGS. 10(A) and 10(B) are model diagrams showing the contact state between the lubricant supplying member and the raceway surface in the second embodiment when no slit is formed in the lubricant supplying member, and FIG. 11 is a front view of essential parts showing the state of the lower raceway surface in the second embodiment.

[0047] The protruding portion 55 of the lubricant supplying member 50A has a first contact portion 51, a second contact portion 52, a lower slit 63, and a central slit 64.

[0048] The lower slit 63 is disposed at the lower end of the sleeve portion of the lubricant supplying member 50 and is a long hole penetrating in the longitudinal direction. The lower slit 63 has a parallel portion 63a and a connecting portion 63b.

[0049] The parallel portion 63a is a linear elongated hole that is disposed in the vicinity of the first contact portion 51 and extends substantially parallel to the first contact portion 51. The connection portion 63b is a linear elongated hole that extends upward in the up-down direction from an opening position that opens at the lower end of the sleeve portion of the outer edge of the lubricant supplying member 50. As described above, the lower slit 63 is an L-shaped slit when viewed from the front by connecting the connecting portion 63b and the parallel portion 63a in this order from the lower end of the sleeve portion of the lubricant supplying member 50. This configuration may be seen with reference to FIG.

[0050] The central slit 64 is disposed in the protruding portion 55 of the lubricant supplying member 50 and is a long hole penetrating in the longitudinal direction. The central slit 64 has a parallel portion 64a and a connecting portion 64b.

[0051] The parallel portion 64a is a linear elongated hole that is disposed in the vicinity of the second contact portion 52 and extends substantially parallel to the first contact portion 51. The connection portion 64b is a linear elongated hole that extends substantially horizontally from an opening position that opens at the center of the protrusion 55 in the up-down direction on the outer edge of the lubricant supplying member 50 toward the left and right outside. As described above, the central slit 64 is an L-shaped slit bent upward in front view by connecting the connecting portion 64b and the parallel portion 64a in this order from the left and right inner ends of the protruding portion 55 of the lubricant supplying member 50. This configuration may be seen in FIG. 9.

[0052] According to the lubrication unit 33 of the second embodiment described above, the second contact portion 52 of the lubricant supplying member 50 is elastically deformed such that the tip of the second contact portion 52 is bent by the parallel portion 63a of the lower slit 63. This configuration may be seen in FIG. Similarly, the first contact portion 51 of the lubricant supplying member 50 is elastically deformed by the parallel portion 64a of the central slit 64 so that the tip of the first contact portion 51 is bent. Therefore, the partial contact state in which the lubricant supplying member 50 and the rail-side raceway surface 21 come into contact only at a predetermined portion is eliminated, and an ideal contact state can be maintained. The lubricant supplying member 50 may be configured to have only one of the lower slit 63 and the central slit 64.

[0053] In the second embodiment, the dimensions and shape are set so that in a free state in which no external force is applied to the lubricant supplying member 50 attached to the lubrication unit 33, a gap S of about 0.1 mm is formed between the lubricant supplying member 50 and the rail-side raceway surface 21. This configuration can be seen in Fig. 9. For this reason, normally, the first contact portion 51 and the second contact portion 52 tend to come into contact with the lower half of the rail-side raceway surface 21 and are less likely to come into contact with the upper half. For this reason, the opening position where the connection portion 63b of the lower slit 63 communicates with the lower end of the sleeve portion of the lubricant supplying member 50 is positioned below the rail-side lower track surface 21b, and the opening position where the connection portion 64b of the central slit 64 communicates with the inside of the protrusion portion 55 of the lubricant supplying member 50 is positioned below the rail-side upper track surface 21a. With this configuration, the first abutment portion 51 and the second abutment portion 52 are deformed by the lower slit 63 and the central slit 64 so that the portions corresponding to the lower halves of the rail-side track surface 21 can easily come into contact with the rail-side track surface 21. Therefore, the first abutment portion 51 and the second abutment portion 52 can be brought into contact with the rail-side track surface 21 with an ideal contact width.

[0054] With reference to FIG. 10, a partial contact state between a lubricant supplying member having no slit and a rail-side raceway surface in the second embodiment will be described as Comparative Example 2. In the second embodiment, since there is a gap S between the lubricant supplying member 50 and the guide rail 20, when the lubricant supplying member 50 is placed on the rail-side track surface 21 and then housed in the case 40, the first abutment portion 51 and the second abutment portion 52 of the lubricant supplying member 50 are pressed by the pressing portion 45, and receive a force in a direction that narrows them inward. In the second embodiment, the first abutment portion 51 and the second abutment portion 52 are each likely to come into contact with the lower half of the rail-side track surface 21 and are unlikely to come into contact with the upper half, so that the first abutment portion 51 and the second abutment portion 52 of the lubricant supply member 50 are subjected to a force in a direction that narrows them inward, and thus tilt clockwise. As a result, a gap T is generated at an upper portion of the contact portion L between the first contact portion 51 and the rail-side upper track surface 21a. This configuration may be seen in FIG. 10(A). Similarly, a gap T is generated at an upper portion of the contact portion L between the second contact portion 52 and the rail-side lower track surface 21b. This configuration may be seen in FIG. 10(B). Due to this gap T, the contact portion L2 between the lubricant supplying member 50 and the rail-side raceway surface 21 is significantly shorter than the range of the contact portion L in this embodiment. For this reason, if the lubricant supplying member 50 does not have the slits 63, 64, the lubricant supplying member 50 will not be able to uniformly apply the lubricant to the rail-side raceway surface 21.

[0055] Third embodiment FIG. 12 is a front view of a main portion of a lubricant supplying member according to a third embodiment. The protruding portion 55 of the lubricant supplying member 50B has a first contact portion 51, a second contact portion 52, an upper slit 53, a central slit 74, and a lower slit 63.

[0056] The central slit 74 is disposed in the protruding portion 55 of the lubricant supplying member 50 and is a long hole penetrating in the longitudinal direction. The central slit 74 has a first parallel portion 74a1, a second parallel portion 74a2, and a connection portion 74b, and is formed in a Y shape when viewed from the front.

[0057] The first parallel portion 74a1 is disposed in the vicinity of the first contact portion 51 and is a linear elongated hole that extends along the first contact portion 51 in a substantially parallel manner. The second parallel portion 74a2 is a linear elongated hole that is disposed in the vicinity of the second contact portion 52 and extends substantially parallel to the second contact portion 52. The connection portion 74b is a linear elongated hole that extends substantially horizontally from an opening position that opens into the vertical center of the protruding portion 55 on the outer edge of the lubricant supplying member 50 toward the left and right outside. As described above, the central slit 74 is a Y-shaped slit in front view, with the connecting portion 74b extending from the left and right inner ends of the protruding portion 55 of the lubricant supplying member 50, and the first parallel portion 74a1 and the second parallel portion 74a2 branching upward and downward at the left and right outer ends of the connecting portion 74b. This configuration can be seen in FIG. 12.

[0058] According to this configuration, three slits are formed in the protruding portion 55 of the lubricant supplying member 50, which increases the amount of elastic deformation of the protruding portion 55. This allows for a larger tolerance for dimensional accuracy between the lubricant supplying member 50 and the case 40. As a result, even if it is difficult to control whether a interference or a gap is formed between the lubricant supplying member 50 and the rail-side raceway surface 21, the lubricant supplying member 50 can be brought into contact with the rail-side raceway surface 21 at an ideal contact width. In other words, since a material that is difficult to maintain dimensional accuracy can be used for the lubricant supplying member 50, the range of material selection is expanded and versatility is improved.

[0059] In the lubrication unit 33 of the third embodiment, many slits are arranged in the protruding portion 55 of the lubricant supplying member 50, so that the lubrication unit 33 is easily applicable to a large-sized guide rail 20 having a rail width of 40 mm or more.

[0060] (Fourth embodiment) FIG. 13 is a front view of a main portion of a lubricant supplying member according to a fourth embodiment. The protruding portion 55 of the lubricant supplying member 50C has a first contact portion 51, a second contact portion 52, and a slit 81.

[0061] The slit 81 is disposed in the protruding portion 55 of the lubricant supplying member 50 and is a long hole penetrating in the longitudinal direction. The slit 81 has a first parallel portion 81a, a second parallel portion 81b, and a middle portion 81c.

[0062] The first parallel portion 81a is a linear elongated hole that is disposed in the vicinity of the first contact portion 51 and extends substantially parallel to the first contact portion 51. The second parallel portion 81b is a linear elongated hole that is disposed in the vicinity of the second contact portion 52 and extends substantially parallel to the second contact portion 52. The intermediate portion 81c is a linear elongated hole that extends in the vertical direction so as to connect the lower end of the first parallel portion 81a and the upper end of the second parallel portion 81b. As described above, the slit 81 is a trapezoidally elongated hole formed along the protruding portion 55 of the lubricant supplying member 50 , and does not have an opening that opens at the outer edge of the lubricant supplying member 50 .

[0063] With the slit 81 of this configuration, the first parallel portion 81a corresponding to the first abutment portion 51 contacting the rail-side upper track surface 21a and the second parallel portion 81b corresponding to the second abutment portion 52 contacting the rail-side lower track surface 21b are connected at the intermediate portion 81c to form a single continuous elongated hole, which makes it easier for the protrusion 55 to elastically deform.

[0064] Moreover, the slits 81 described above can maintain high strength of the protruding portions 55 of the lubricant supplying member 50 while allowing the first contact portion 51 and the second contact portion 52 to deform toward the rail-side track surface 21. For this reason, a material with low strength can be used for the lubricant supplying member 50.

[0065] (First modified example of the fourth embodiment) FIG. 14 is a main part front view showing a first modified example of the lubricant supplying member of the fourth embodiment. The protruding portion 55 of the lubricant supplying member 50D has a first contact portion 51, a second contact portion 52, a first slit 82, and a second slit 83.

[0066] The first slit 82 and the second slit 83 are disposed in the protruding portion 55 of the lubricant supplying member 50, and are elongated holes penetrating in the longitudinal direction. The first slit 82 is a linear elongated hole that is disposed in the vicinity of the first contact portion 51 and extends substantially parallel to the first contact portion 51 . The second slit 83 is a linear elongated hole that is disposed in the vicinity of the second contact portion 52 and extends substantially parallel to the second contact portion 52 . According to the above, the first slit 82 and the second slit 83 are elongated holes formed along the first abutment portion 51 and the second abutment portion 52, and do not have an opening that opens at the outer edge of the lubricant supplying member 50.

[0067] According to this configuration, by making the first slit 82 and the second slit 83 independent of each other, it becomes easier to ensure the strength of the protruding portion 55 of the lubricant supplying member 50.

[0068] (Second modified example of the fourth embodiment) FIG. 15 is a main part front view showing a second modified example of the lubricant supplying member of the fourth embodiment. The protruding portion 55 of the lubricant supplying member 50E has a first contact portion 51, a second contact portion 52, a first slit 82A, and a second slit 83A.

[0069] The first slit 82A and the second slit 83A are disposed in the protruding portion 55 of the lubricant supplying member 50, and are elongated holes penetrating in the longitudinal direction. The first slit 82A is disposed near the first contact portion 51, extends approximately parallel to the first contact portion 51, and is a semi-elliptical long hole with an arc portion facing toward the first contact portion 51. The second slit 83A is disposed near the second contact portion 52, extends approximately parallel to the second contact portion 52, and is a semi-elliptical long hole with an arc portion facing the second contact portion 52 side. As described above, the first slits 82 and the second slits 83 can ensure a large amount of elastic deformation while maintaining high strength of the protruding portion 55 of the lubricant supplying member 50 compared to the first modified example of the fourth embodiment.

[0070] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be modified and improved as appropriate.

[0071] As described above, the present specification discloses the following: (1) a guide rail having a track surface along a longitudinal direction; a slider that slidably engages with the guide rail so as to straddle the guide rail and has rollers that roll on the track surface; a lubrication unit having a lubricant supplying member attached to an axial end of the slider and impregnated with a lubricant; The lubricant supply member has one or more slits formed therethrough in the longitudinal direction, the slit allows a portion of the groove facing the raceway surface to move in a direction away from the raceway surface. Linear guide. According to this configuration, even if the outer dimensions of the case and the lubricant supplying member that constitute the lubrication unit are not strict, the lubricant supplying member can be brought into contact with the guide rail stably for a long period of time, which makes it possible to manufacture the lubrication unit easily and at low cost.

[0072] (2) The slit has a first portion that is disposed in the vicinity of a surface facing the raceway surface and extends substantially parallel to the raceway surface, and a second portion whose one end side opens to an outer edge of the lubricant supplying member, The first part and the second part are directly or indirectly connected. The linear guide described in (1). According to this configuration, the amount of elastic deformation of the surface of the lubricant supplying member that faces the raceway surface can be increased, making it easier for the lubricant supplying member to come into contact with the raceway surface.

[0073] (3) The lubricant supplying member is shaped so as to contact the raceway surface in a free state, The second portion has an opening position at an outer edge of the lubricant supply member higher than that of the first portion. (2) A linear guide as described above. According to this configuration, when the lubricant supplying member comes into contact with the guide rail in a free state, the lubricant supplying member smoothly deforms so as to come into contact with the raceway surface.

[0074] (4) The lubricant supplying member has a gap between itself and the raceway surface in a free state, The second portion has an opening position at an outer edge of the lubricant supply member lower than the first portion. (2) A linear guide as described above. According to this configuration, when there is a gap between the lubricant supplying member and the guide rail in a free state, the lubricant supplying member smoothly deforms so as to come into contact with the raceway surface.

[0075] (5) The slit has two or more first portions, Adjacent first portions are connected to each other. The linear guide according to any one of (1) to (4). According to this configuration, the amount of elastic deformation of the surface of the lubricant supplying member that faces the raceway surface can be efficiently increased. [Explanation of symbols]

[0076] 10 Linear guide 11 Rolling elements 20 Guide rail 21 Rail side raceway surface 21a Rail side upper track surface 21b Rail side lower track surface 30 Slider 31 Slider body 32 End cap 33 Lubrication Unit 34a Slider side upper raceway surface 34b Lower raceway surface on slider side 35 Sleeves 36a Rolling element return path 36b Rolling element return path 40 cases 41 Peripheral wall 42 Inner wall 43 Storage unit 45 Pressing part 46 Convex 47 First insertion part 48 Second insertion part 50, 50A, 50B, 50C, 50D, 50E Lubricant supply member 51 First contact portion 52 Second contact portion 53 Top slit 53a Parallel part (1st part) 53b Connection part (second part) 53c middle part 54 Center slit 54a Parallel section 54b Connection 55 Protruding part 56 First recess 57 Second recess 58 Third recess 59 Insertion hole 60 Side seal 63 Bottom slit 63a Parallel part 63b Connection 64 Center Slit 64a Parallel section 64b Connection 74 Center Slit 74a1,81a 1st parallel part 74a2,81b 2nd parallel part 74b Connection 81 Slit 81a First parallel section 81b 2nd parallel section 81c middle part 82 First Slit 83 Second Slit 82A First Slit 83A 2nd slit

Claims

1. A guide rail having a track surface along a longitudinal direction; a slider that slidably engages with the guide rail so as to straddle the guide rail and has rollers that roll on the track surface; a lubrication unit having a lubricant supplying member attached to an axial end of the slider and impregnated with a lubricant; The lubricant supply member has one or more slits formed therethrough in the longitudinal direction, the slit allows a portion of the groove facing the raceway surface to move in a direction away from the raceway surface. Linear guide.

2. the slit has a first portion that is disposed in the vicinity of a surface facing the raceway surface and extends substantially parallel to the raceway surface, and a second portion whose one end side opens to an outer edge of the lubricant supplying member, The first portion and the second portion are directly or indirectly connected to each other. The linear guide according to claim 1 .

3. the lubricant supplying member is shaped to contact the raceway surface in a free state; The second portion has an opening position at an outer edge of the lubricant supply member higher than that of the first portion. The linear guide according to claim 2.

4. the lubricant supplying member has a gap between itself and the raceway surface in a free state, The second portion has an opening position at an outer edge of the lubricant supply member lower than that of the first portion. The linear guide according to claim 2.

5. the slit has two or more first portions; Adjacent first portions are connected to each other. The linear guide according to claim 2.

Images