Linear guide

Abstract

To provide a linear guide capable of supplying lubricant to a guide rail stably for a long period using a lubrication unit having a simple and inexpensive construction.SOLUTION: The linear guide includes the guide rail having a raceway surface along the longitudinal direction, a slider, and the lubrication unit, the lubrication unit having a lubricant supply member, a case, and a pressing member, the case having a storage part in which the lubricant supply member is stored, an inner periphery wall covering an area between the lubricant supply member stored in the storage part and the guide rail, and a slit part formed on the inner periphery wall, the lubricant supply member having a fitted protrusion part fitted to the slit part and extending to the raceway surface. The lubricant supply member formed longer in the longitudinal direction than the storage part is pressed by the pressing member, compressed and deformed, and then the fitted protrusion part is pressed against the raceway surface.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

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 (balls) that circulate 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 balls 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] In particular, 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 linear guide is disclosed in which, even if the lubricant is reduced and the instantaneous lubricant supplying member shrinks, a cylindrical portion provided on the case deforms the lubricant supplying member so that it comes into contact with the rail-side raceway surface of the guide rail. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2022-150830 A 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 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 part 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 present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and its object is to provide a linear guide that can stably supply lubricant to a guide rail for a long period of time using a lubrication unit with a simple and low-cost configuration, without requiring strict dimensional control of the case and lubricant supply member. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] 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; a lubrication unit attached to an axial end of the slider; the lubrication unit includes a lubricant supplying member that is impregnated with a lubricant and that is deformed by an external force, a case that houses the lubricant supplying member, and a pressing member that presses the lubricant supplying member housed in the case in a longitudinal direction, the case has an accommodation portion in which the lubricant supplying member is accommodated, an outer peripheral wall covering an outer peripheral surface of the lubricant supplying member accommodated in the accommodation portion, an inner peripheral wall covering a space between the lubricant supplying member accommodated in the accommodation portion and the guide rail, and a slit portion formed in the inner peripheral wall, the lubricant supplying member has a fitting protrusion that fits into the slit and extends toward the raceway surface, the lubricant supplying member is formed to be longer in the longitudinal direction than the accommodation portion, and is compressed and deformed by being pressed by the pressing member, so that the fitting protrusion is pressed against the raceway surface. Linear guide. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the linear guide of the present invention, 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. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a linear guide according to the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the slider shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a front view showing a lubrication unit provided on a guide rail. [Figure 4] FIG. 4(A) is a partially exploded perspective view of the lubrication unit, and FIG. 4(B) is a side view showing a case in which a lubricant supplying member is housed. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the lubricant supplying member. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the case. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a front view showing the lubrication unit with the lubricant supplying member pressed. [Figure 8] FIG. 8(A) is an enlarged view of a main part showing the state of the second protrusion before the lubricant supplying member is pressed, and FIG. 8(B) is an enlarged view of a main part showing the state of the second protrusion after the lubricant supplying member is pressed. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a front view showing the lubrication unit of the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] 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.

[0012] (First embodiment) The configuration of the linear guide will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 6. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the linear guide according to the present invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the slider shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a front view showing a lubrication unit provided on a guide rail, Fig. 4(A) is a partially exploded perspective view of the lubrication unit, Fig. 4(B) is a side view showing a case in which a lubricant supply member is housed, Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the lubricant supply member, and Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the case. As shown in Fig. 1, the linear guide 10 of the first embodiment includes a linear guide rail 20 and a slider 30 that is assembled so as to straddle the guide rail 20 and slidably engages with the guide rail 20 via a plurality of rolling elements (balls) (not shown).

[0013] A first rail-side track surface 21 having a substantially semicircular or gothic arch-shaped cross section is formed in the axial direction on both side surfaces 23 of the guide rail 20. A clearance groove 21a is formed in the first rail-side track surface 21 along the axial direction in order to arrange a retaining wire toward the inside on the left and right sides. A second rail-side raceway surface 22 having a cross section of a substantially quarter-circular arc is formed in the axial direction at a ridge line where an upper surface 24 and both side surfaces 23 of the guide rail 20 intersect.

[0014] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the slider 30 comprises a slider body 31, end caps 32 attached to both axial ends of the slider body 31, lubrication units 33 attached to the axial ends of each end cap 32, and a side seal 60 attached to the axial end of the lubrication unit 33.

[0015] The slider body 31 is formed in a substantially U-shape, and has slider-side raceway surfaces (not shown) that face the rail-side raceway surfaces 21, 22 of the guide rail 20 on the inner surfaces of both sleeves, as well as a rolling element return path. The end cap 32, which is formed in a substantially U-shape, has a curved path (not shown) that connects the slider-side raceway surfaces of the slider body 31 and the rolling element return path, and the rail-side raceway surfaces 21, 22, the slider-side raceway surfaces, the rolling element return path, and the curved paths at both ends form a rolling element circulating path. A plurality of balls are loaded in the rolling element circulating path so as to be able to roll freely.

[0016] The side seal 60 is a generally U-shaped steel plate that matches the outer shape of the end cap 32, and both sleeve portions 62 have through holes 61 for mounting screws, and a connecting portion 63 that connects both sleeve portions 62 has a through hole 64 for a grease nipple. The side seal 60 is in contact with the guide rail 20. Specifically, an elastic body 65 such as nitrile rubber or grease-containing polyurethane rubber is provided on the inside of the generally U-shaped steel plate to seal the gap between the slider 30 and the guide rail 20. The side seal 60 is also used as a pressing member that covers and presses one longitudinal side of the lubricant supplying member 50 housed in the case 40 .

[0017] The lubrication unit 33 includes a case 40 made of synthetic resin, and a lubricant supplying member 50 housed in the case 40. This configuration can be seen in FIGS.

[0018] 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.

[0019] The lubricant supplying member 50 is formed in a substantially U-shape so as to face the upper surface 24 and both side surfaces 23 of the guide rail 20, and supplies lubricant by sliding contact with the first rail-side track surface 21 and the second rail-side track surface 22. The lubricant supplying member 50 has a first protrusion 51 that contacts the first rail-side track surface 21 and a second protrusion 52 that contacts the second rail-side track surface 22.

[0020] The first protrusion 51 is a plate-shaped protruding piece that protrudes inwardly from the inside of the sleeve portion of the lubricant supplying member 50 in the left and right directions, and is formed over the entire width t1 of the lubricant supplying member 50 in the axial direction. The first protrusion 51 has a base end 51a extending horizontally from the sleeve of the lubricant supplying member 50 toward the left and right inner sides, and a supplying portion 51b inclined upward from the base end 51a toward the left and right inner sides. This configuration may be seen in Figures 4(A) and 5. The supply portion 51b of the first protrusion 51 contacts the upper half of the first rail-side track surface 21 having a half-circular arc shape formed on both side surfaces 23 of the guide rail 20. In other words, the first protrusion 51 abuts against the upper side of the clearance groove 21a of the first rail-side track surface 21. This configuration may be seen in FIG. 3.

[0021] The second protrusion 52 is a plate-shaped protrusion that protrudes from an inner corner of the lubricant supplying member 50 toward the left and right inside so as to incline downward, and is formed over the entire axial width t1 of the lubricant supplying member 50. This configuration may be seen in Figures 4(A) and 5. The extended end of the second protrusion 52 abuts against the center of the second rail-side track surface 22, which has a quarter-circular arc shape formed on the ridge where the top surface 24 and both side surfaces 23 of the guide rail 20 intersect. This configuration can be seen in FIG. 3.

[0022] Further, a first recess 53 that opens upward is formed in approximately the center of the upper end of the lubricant supplying member 50. Further, a second recess 54 that is approximately U-shaped and opens laterally is formed on both outer surfaces of the lubricant supplying member 50. The first recess 53 is formed in an approximately U-shape with two parallel flat surfaces that face each other in the width direction, and the second recess 54 is formed in an approximately U-shape with two parallel flat surfaces that face each other in the up-down direction, and the corners between the two flat surfaces and the vertical surface are curved.

[0023] 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.

[0024] The case 40 has an outer circumferential wall 41 covering the outer circumferential portion of the lubricant supplying member 50, an inner wall 42 covering one axial end side of the lubricant supplying member 50 to be accommodated, and an inner circumferential wall 43 covering the inner circumferential portion of the lubricant supplying member 50 facing the guide rail 20, thereby forming an accommodating portion 44 which is a substantially U-shaped space for fitting and accommodating the lubricant supplying member 50. This configuration can be seen in Figures 4(A) and 6. The axial width t2 of the accommodation portion 44 is formed slightly narrower than the axial width t1 of the lubricant supplying member 50. In other words, when the lubricant supplying member 50 is accommodated in the accommodation portion 44, it has a protruding portion 50a that protrudes in the axial direction from the accommodation portion 44 by a predetermined protruding width t3. This configuration may be seen in FIG. 4(B).

[0025] The outer peripheral wall 41 is formed in a generally U-shape to cover the outer peripheral surface of the lubricant supplying member 50, specifically, the upper surface, the outer sides of both side surfaces, and the lower end surface. The outer peripheral wall 41 has cylindrical portions 45 and 46 on its inner surface as pressing means for pressing the lubricant supplying member 50 housed in the case 40. The inner wall 42 covers an end face of the lubricant supplying member 50 housed in the case 40 on the axial end cap 32 side. The end of the case 40 opposite the axial end cap 32 side, in other words, the end on the axial side seal 60 side, is formed open. The inner circumferential wall 43 is formed in a substantially U-shape along the inner side of the sleeve portion of the lubricant supplying member 50. The inner circumferential wall 43 has a pair of first protruding portions 43a, 43a protruding in a 1 / 2 arc shape along the first rail-side raceway surface 21 and a pair of second protruding portions 43b, 43b protruding in a 1 / 4 arc shape along the second rail-side raceway surface 22.

[0026] The cylindrical portions 45 and 46 include a first cylindrical portion 45 and a second cylindrical portion 46 . The first cylindrical portion 45 is an upper pressing means provided at approximately the center in the left-right direction on the upper inside of the outer peripheral wall 41. The second cylindrical portion 46 is a side pressing means provided at approximately the center in the height direction on both the left and right sides on the inside of the outer peripheral wall 41. The second cylindrical portion 46 is also provided with a screw insertion hole 46a for fixing the lubrication unit 33 to the slider body 31 with a screw.

[0027] Since the outer diameter of the first cylindrical portion 45 is set to be larger than the inner width (left-right width) of the first recess 53, the first cylindrical portion 45 and the first recess 53 interfere with each other by T1. Moreover, since the outer diameter of the second cylindrical portion 46 is set to be larger than the inner width (top-bottom width) of the second recess 54, the second cylindrical portion 46 and the second recess 54 interfere with each other by T2. That is, the first cylindrical portion 45 is press-fitted into the first recess 53 with an interference T1, and the second cylindrical portion 46 is press-fitted into the second recess 54 with an interference T2. This configuration may be seen in FIG. 3.

[0028] The first cylindrical portion 45 applies a pressing force to the first recess 53 in the width direction, but movement in the up and down direction is permitted and not restricted. The second cylindrical portion 46 applies a pressing force to the second recess 54 in the up and down direction, but movement in the width direction is permitted and not restricted. In addition, in this embodiment, the first cylindrical portion 45 and the second cylindrical portion 46 are provided continuously with the outer peripheral wall 41 of the case 40, and therefore the outer diameter of the first cylindrical portion 45 and the outer diameter of the second cylindrical portion 46 are determined by opposing arc surfaces, respectively.

[0029] A first slit portion 47 is formed in the first protruding portion 43a, through which the first protrusion 51 of the lubricant supplying member 50 is inserted. More specifically, the first slit portion 47 is disposed in the upper half of the half-arc-shaped first protruding portion 43a, and is formed over the entire axial direction of the inner circumferential wall 43. This configuration may be seen in FIGS. 3 and 6. With this configuration, the first slit portion 47 engages with and passes through the supply portion 51b of the first protrusion 51, which slopes upward toward the left and right inner sides, and guides the expansion and contraction of the supply portion 51b toward the first rail side track surface 21.

[0030] A second slit portion 48, into which the protrusion 52 of the lubricant supplying member 50 is inserted, is formed in the second protruding portion 43b. More specifically, the second slit portion 48 is disposed on the central side of the quarter-arc-shaped second protruding portion 43b, and is formed over the entire axial direction of the inner circumferential wall 43. This configuration may be seen in FIGS. 3 and 6. With this configuration, the second protrusions inclined downward toward the left and right inside are fitted and inserted into the second slits 48 , and guide the expansion and contraction of the second protrusions 52 toward the second rail-side track surface 22 .

[0031] (Action and Effects)

[0032] Next, the operation and effect of the above-mentioned lubrication unit 33 will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 8(B). Fig. 7 is a front view showing the lubrication unit in a state where the lubricant supplying member is pressed, Fig. 8(A) is an enlarged view of a main part showing the state of the second protrusion before pressing the lubricant supplying member, and Fig. 8(B) is an enlarged view of a main part showing the state of the second protrusion after pressing the lubricant supplying member.

[0033] In the lubrication unit 33, the axial width t1 of the lubricant supplying member 50 is formed wider than the axial width t2 of the accommodation portion 44. As a result, when the lubricant supplying member 50 is accommodated in the case 40, the protruding portion 50a at the end of the lubricant supplying member 50 protrudes in the axial direction from the end of the accommodation portion 44 by a predetermined protruding width t3. This configuration may be seen in FIG. 4(B). Furthermore, when the protruding portion 50a of the lubricant supplying member 50 protruding axially from the accommodation portion 44 is pressed by the side seal 60, the cross-sectional area of ​​the lubricant supplying member 50 in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction within the accommodation portion 44 increases. Specifically, both left and right sides of the upper portion of the lubricant supplying member 50 (both left and right sides of the first recess 53) are pressed in the axial direction by a pair of pressing portions 66, 66 provided on both left and right sides of the connecting portion 63 of the side seal 60. This configuration may be seen in FIG. 7. In addition, since the first protrusion 51 of the lubricant supplying member 50 of the lubrication unit 33 is fitted into the first slit portion 47 and the second protrusion 52 is fitted into the second slit portion 48, when the cross-sectional area of ​​the lubricant supplying member 50 in the accommodation portion 44 expands, the protrusions 51, 52 restrained by the slit portions 47, 48 smoothly protrude and deform toward the rail-side track surfaces 21, 22. Since the protrusions 51, 52 are fitted into the slit portions 47, 48, the lubricant supplying member 50 is accommodated in a stable position even if there is a gap between the lubricant supplying member 50 and the accommodation portion 44.

[0034] According to this configuration, the lubrication unit 33 can adjust the amount by which the first protrusion 51 and the second protrusion 52 of the lubricant supplying member 50 protrude from the slit portions 47, 48 by adjusting the amount of pressure applied to the lubricant supplying member 50 by the side seal 60. In other words, the first protrusion 51 and the second protrusion 52 can be brought into more reliable contact with the rail-side track surfaces 21, 22. This configuration can be seen in Figures 8(A) and 8(B). Furthermore, since high machining precision is not required between the outer shape of the lubricant supplying member 50 and the outer diameter of the housing portion 44 of the case 40, the manufacturing cost of the lubrication unit 33 can be kept low.

[0035] The lubricant supplying member 50 has an inner peripheral surface facing the guide rail 20 covered by an inner peripheral wall 43, while only a first protrusion 51 and a second protrusion 52 protruding from the slit portions 47, 48 contact the rail-side track surfaces 21, 22. According to this configuration, the lubricant contained in the lubricant supplying member 50 can be efficiently supplied only to the rail-side raceway surfaces 21, 22, making it possible to stably supply the lubricant over a long period of time, and significantly extending the maintenance-free period.

[0036] The left and right pair of first protrusions 51, 51 and second protrusions 52, 52 are formed to clamp the guide rail 20 in the left-right direction, and the supply portion 51b of the first protrusion 51 and the second protrusion 52 are formed to clamp the rail side track surfaces 21, 22 of the guide rail 20 in the up-down direction. According to this configuration, the lubricant supplying member 50 of the lubrication unit 33 is engaged with the guide rail 20 in a more stable position.

[0037] When the lubricant supplying member 50 is accommodated in the accommodation portion 44, the first cylindrical portion 45 is press-fitted into the first recess 53 with an interference T1 (see FIG. 3), so that a pressing force acts on the first recess 53 in the left-right direction in a direction that widens the inner width of the first recess 53. As a result, the protrusions 51, 52 of the lubricant supplying member 50 are displaced in the width direction, and the pressing force of the protrusions 51, 52 against the rail-side raceway surfaces 21, 22 of the guide rail 20 increases. In addition, when the second cylindrical portion 46 is pressed into the lower part of the side surface of the lubricant supplying member 50 with a clamping margin T2, a pressing force acts on the lubricant supplying member 50 in a direction to close the open end side, which is the lower end side of both sleeve portions.

[0038] According to this configuration, as in this embodiment, the pressing force that presses the protrusions 51 and 52 of the lubricant supplying member 50 toward the rail-side raceway surfaces 21 and 22 of the guide rail 20 can be more effectively applied. Furthermore, for example, even if the amount of lubricant impregnated in the lubricant supplying member 50 decreases and the external shape of the lubricant supplying member 50 shrinks, causing both sleeve portions to deform in a direction separating from each other, the second cylindrical portion 46 can prevent both sleeve portions of the lubricant supplying member 50 from deforming in a direction separating from each other. That is, the protrusion 51 of the lubricant supplying member 50 separates from the rail-side raceway surface 21 and becomes non-contact, preventing the supply of lubricant from being stopped midway.

[0039] As a result, the lubricant impregnated in the lubricant supplying member 50 can be smoothly supplied to the end from the protrusions 51, 52 to the rail-side track surfaces 21, 22. The pressing force of the protrusions 51, 52 against the rail-side track surfaces 21, 22 is adjusted by the outer shape of the lubricant supplying member 50, and the dimensions of the first recess 53, the second recess 54, and the first cylindrical portion 45, the second cylindrical portion 46. The first protruding portion 43a and the first slit portion 47, the second protruding portion 43b and the second slit portion 48, the first cylindrical portion 45, and the second cylindrical portion 46 are all integrally molded with the case 40. Therefore, the case 40 can be provided with a pressing means for pressing the lubricant supplying member 50 and a means for guiding the first protruding portion 51 and the second protruding portion 52 without increasing the number of parts.

[0040] Second embodiment FIG. 9 is a front view showing the lubrication unit of the second embodiment. The lubrication unit 33A includes a case 40A, a lubricant supplying member 50A, and a side seal 60.

[0041] The lubricant supply member 50A is formed in an approximately C-shape facing the upper surface 24 and both side surfaces 23 of the guide rail 20, and has a first protrusion 51A having a 1 / 2 arc shape that contacts the first rail side track surface 21, and a second protrusion 52A having a 1 / 4 arc shape that contacts the second rail side track surface 22. As in the first embodiment, the lubricant supplying member 50A has a protruding portion 50a that protrudes in the axial direction from the accommodating portion 44 by a predetermined protruding width t3 (see FIG. 4(B)) when accommodated in the accommodating portion 44.

[0042] The case 40A has an outer peripheral wall 41 that covers the outer peripheral portion of the lubricant supplying member 50 to be housed therein, and an inner wall 42 that covers one axial end side of the lubricant supplying member 50 to be housed therein, forming a housing section 44 which is an approximately C-shaped space in which the lubricant supplying member 50 is fitted and housed therein. That is, unlike the first embodiment, the lubricant supplying member 50A housed in the case 40 has a U-shaped inner peripheral surface facing both side surfaces 23 and the top surface 24 of the guide rail 20 exposed.

[0043] As described above, the lubrication unit 33A of the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the inner circumferential wall 43 and the slit portions 47 and 48 are not provided in the case 40A. According to this configuration, the lubrication unit 33 can increase the cross-sectional area of ​​the lubricant supplying member 50 in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction within the accommodating portion 44 by adjusting the amount of pressure applied to the lubricant supplying member 50 by the side seal 60, thereby bringing the first protrusion 51 and the second protrusion 52 into contact with the rail side track surfaces 21, 22. Furthermore, since the case 40 has a simpler shape, the manufacturing costs can be kept lower.

[0044] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be modified and improved as appropriate.

[0045] 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; a lubrication unit attached to an axial end of the slider; the lubrication unit includes a lubricant supplying member that is impregnated with a lubricant and that is deformed by an external force, a case that houses the lubricant supplying member, and a pressing member that presses the lubricant supplying member housed in the case in a longitudinal direction, the case has an accommodation portion in which the lubricant supplying member is accommodated, an outer peripheral wall covering an outer peripheral surface of the lubricant supplying member accommodated in the accommodation portion, an inner peripheral wall covering a space between the lubricant supplying member accommodated in the accommodation portion and the guide rail, and a slit portion formed in the inner peripheral wall, the lubricant supplying member has a fitting protrusion that fits into the slit and extends toward the raceway surface, the lubricant supplying member, which is formed to be longer in the longitudinal direction than the accommodation portion, is compressed and deformed by the pressing member, so that the fitting protrusion is pressed against 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.

[0046] (2) 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; a lubrication unit attached to an axial end of the slider; the lubrication unit includes a lubricant supplying member that is impregnated with a lubricant and that is deformed by an external force, a case that houses the lubricant supplying member, and a pressing member that presses the lubricant supplying member housed in the case in a longitudinal direction, the case has an accommodating portion in which the lubricant supplying member is accommodated, The lubricant supplying member has a protrusion protruding toward the raceway surface, the lubricant supplying member, which is formed to be longer in the longitudinal direction than the accommodating portion, is compressed and deformed by the pressing member, so that the protrusion is pressed against 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. [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 10 Linear guide 20 Guide rail 21 First rail side raceway surface 21a Relief groove 22 Second rail side raceway surface 23 Both sides 24 Top side 30 Slider 31 Slider body 32 End cap 33,33A Lubrication Unit 40,40A Case 41 Peripheral wall 42 Inner wall 43 Inner wall 43a 1st protrusion 43b Second protrusion 44 Storage unit 45 First cylindrical part 46 Second cylindrical section 47 First slit section (slit section) 48 Second slit section (slit section) 50,50A Lubricant supply member 50a protrusion 51 First protrusion (fitting protrusion) 51A First protrusion (protrusion) 51a Proximal end 51b Supply section 52 Second protrusion (fitting protrusion) 52A Second protrusion (protrusion) 53 First recess 54 Second recess 60 Side seal (pressure member) 61 Through hole 62 Both sleeves 63 Connecting part 64 Through hole 65 Elastic Body 66 Pressing part

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; a lubrication unit attached to an axial end of the slider; the lubrication unit includes a lubricant supplying member that is impregnated with a lubricant and that is deformed by an external force, a case that houses the lubricant supplying member, and a pressing member that presses the lubricant supplying member housed in the case in a longitudinal direction, the case has an accommodation portion in which the lubricant supplying member is accommodated, an outer peripheral wall covering an outer peripheral surface of the lubricant supplying member accommodated in the accommodation portion, an inner peripheral wall covering a space between the lubricant supplying member accommodated in the accommodation portion and the guide rail, and a slit portion formed in the inner peripheral wall, the lubricant supplying member has a fitting protrusion that fits into the slit and extends toward the raceway surface, the lubricant supplying member is formed to be longer in the longitudinal direction than the accommodation portion, and is compressed and deformed by being pressed by the pressing member, so that the fitting protrusion is pressed against the raceway surface. Linear guide.

2. 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; a lubrication unit attached to an axial end of the slider; the lubrication unit includes a lubricant supplying member that is impregnated with a lubricant and that is deformed by an external force, a case that houses the lubricant supplying member, and a pressing member that presses the lubricant supplying member housed in the case in a longitudinal direction, the case has an accommodating portion in which the lubricant supplying member is accommodated, The lubricant supplying member has a protrusion protruding toward the raceway surface, the lubricant supplying member is formed to be longer in the longitudinal direction than the accommodation portion, and is compressed and deformed by being pressed by the pressing member, so that the protrusion is pressed against the raceway surface. Linear guide.

Images