Linear motion guide device

Abstract

To provide a linear motion guide device including a seal member capable of suppressing damage and the like of a sliding portion, for example, at a time including a trial operation.SOLUTION: A linear motion guide device is provided with a side seal for sealing a space between a slider and a guide rail, the side seal has a holding plate disposed at a slider side, a cover, and a seal member disposed between the cover and the holding plate along a longitudinal direction of the guide rail, the seal member has a main body held between the holding plate and the cover, and a lip portion extending from the main body toward the guide rail side, and a connection portion between the lip portion and the main body at a prescribed part in a width direction of the guide rail is separated from the guide rail with respect to a connection portion between a lip portion excluding the prescribed part and the main body in a state that the lip portion is kept in contact with the guide rail.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a linear guide device. [Background technology]

[0002] The linear guide device has a roughly annular circulation path that connects a rolling passage for the rolling elements formed between the raceway surface of the guide rail and the raceway surface of the slider body, a return passage for the rolling elements formed in the slider body, and a direction change path for the rolling elements formed in the end cap, and the rolling elements are adapted to circulate within this circulation path.

[0003] Linear guide devices generally use contact seals such as side seals, inner seals, and under seals to protect the slider. In contact seals, soft elastic sliding parts, which tend to have low shape accuracy due to warping and bending caused by rubber molding and injection molding, are desired to have a shape correction technology that can make the sliding parts closer to the cross-sectional shape of the rail, which is the mating material to be sealed, or at least press the sliding parts against the rolling surface without any gaps in order to remove foreign matter on the rolling surface where the rolling elements pass.

[0004] Known shape correction technologies for elastic sliding parts of contact seals for linear guide devices include one that corrects by totally constraining the elastic member, as in Patent Document 1, and one that partially constrains it, as in Patent Document 2. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6295624 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 6863550 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] These shape correction technologies involve the use of shape correction parts made of hard plastic, which is easier to achieve shape precision, to provide a seal clamping margin (pressing force), which is said to produce a certain level of effectiveness.

[0007] However, rails of general linear guide devices have discontinuous parts such as rail mounting holes, rail joints, etc. When the seal member, which is a sliding part of the contact seal, passes through such discontinuous parts, problems such as the sliding part being scratched or worn by the edge of the discontinuous parts can occur.

[0008] This problem tends to become more pronounced when the chamfering of the edges of the rail mounting holes and rail joints is reduced to prevent the accumulation of foreign matter, which makes the seal member more likely to collide with the edge of the rail, which is the mating material.In addition, when many parts that are not completely rigid, such as rolling element circulation parts and lubrication parts, are stacked between the seal member and the slider, the seal member, which has a tightening margin, may collide strongly with the edge of the rail, which is the mating material, due to the influence of deformation and misalignment of these parts.

[0009] In response to this, for example, a rail top cover or a dedicated cap can be attached to the mounting hole of the rail, or tape can be applied to the joint of the rail, to reduce the impact force on the sliding part of the seal member. However, in consideration of workability, during a trial operation such as a break-in run during a shipping inspection of the linear guiding device, or after the rail of the linear guiding device is attached to another device with a bolt or the like, and the motion accuracy such as the running parallelism of the slider is adjusted, cover parts or the like are not often attached to the mounting hole or joint of the rail. For this reason, if the sliding part of the seal member is damaged during the trial operation, there is a risk that the desired sealing performance cannot be obtained during the actual operation of the device to which the linear guiding device is attached.

[0010] The present invention has been made in consideration of the problems with the conventional technology, and aims to provide a linear guide device equipped with a sealing member that can suppress damage to the sliding parts, including during trial operations. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] The linear guide device of the present invention is A linear guide device comprising a guide rail having a mounting hole, a slider, and a plurality of rolling elements, the guide rail and the slider having rolling surfaces disposed opposite each other to form a rolling passage for the rolling elements, and one of the guide rail and the slider performing linear motion relative to the other as the rolling elements roll in the rolling passage, a side seal is provided to seal between the slider and the guide rail; the side seal includes a retaining plate disposed on the slider side, a cover, and a seal member disposed between the cover and the retaining plate along the longitudinal direction of the guide rail, The seal member has a main body sandwiched between the retaining plate and the cover, and a lip portion extending from the main body toward the guide rail, The present invention is characterized in that, when the lip portion is in contact with the guide rail, the connection portion between the lip portion and the main body at a predetermined location in the width direction of the guide rail is farther away from the guide rail than the connection portions between the lip portion and the main body other than the predetermined location. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a linear guide device including a seal member capable of suppressing damage to a sliding portion, for example, during a trial operation as well. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a linear guide device according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a view showing the side seal of this embodiment disassembled from the slider. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a view of the linear guide device of FIG. 1 as viewed from the direction of arrow III. [Figure 4]FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the configuration of FIG. 3 taken along line IV-IV. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the side seal. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the side seal. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view corresponding to the portion indicated by the arrow VII in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a view showing a cross section parallel to the cross section of FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the configuration of FIG. 7(a) taken along line IX-IX. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the configuration of FIG. 7(b) taken along line XX. [Figure 11] FIG. 11(a) is a diagram showing a part of an intermediate wall according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 11(b) is a diagram showing a part of an intermediate wall according to a modified example. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 10, showing a side seal of the second embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 7(b) showing a side seal of the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A linear guide device according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0015] [First embodiment] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a linear guide device according to a first embodiment in a partially cutaway state. The linear guide device according to this embodiment includes a guide rail 100, a slider 200, and a plurality of rollers (rolling elements) 300. The guide rail 100 and the slider 200 have rolling surfaces 110, 210 that are disposed opposite each other and form a rolling path for the rollers 300.

[0016] The slider 200 has, in the length direction of the guide rail 100, a slider body 201, a pair of end caps 202 fixed to both ends thereof, a pair of solid lubricant cases 203 fixed to both ends thereof, and a pair of side seals 20 fixed to both ends thereof. A rolling surface 210 is formed on the slider body 201. The side seals 20 arranged at both ends of the slider 200 in the rail direction seal between the slider 200 and the upper surface and both side surfaces of the guide rail 100 with a seal member.

[0017] The solid lubricant case 203 is intended to replenish grease that seeps out from the solid lubricant contained within the case 203 over a long period of time, and details thereof are described in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-340362, and therefore will not be described here.

[0018] The slider 200 also has a return passage 204 for the rollers 300 and a direction change passage 205 that connects the return passage 204 with the rolling passage. The return passage 204 is formed in the slider body 201, and the direction change passage 205 is formed in the end cap 202. The upper surface of the slider 200 is formed with a female thread 206 for attaching a table or the like with screws.

[0019] 2, the side seal 20, the solid lubricant case 203, and the end cap 202 are formed with mounting holes for a grease nipple 400. Lubricant is introduced from the grease nipple 400 into an oil passage in the end cap 202 to lubricate the linear guide device. The side seal 20, the solid lubricant case 203, and the end cap 202 are fixed to the slider body 201 using bolts 500. The guide rail 100 is formed with mounting holes 120 for mounting the guide rail 100 to a mounting portion such as a base with a bolt.

[0020] In this linear guide device, the rolling passage, return passage, and direction change passage form a circulation path for the rolling elements, and as the rollers 300 circulate within this circulation path, one of the guide rail 100 and the slider 200 moves linearly relative to the other.

[0021] Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the side seal of this embodiment in a state disassembled from the slider. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the linear guide device of Fig. 1 as seen from the direction of arrow III, with rollers omitted. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of Fig. 3 cut along line IV-IV, showing the retaining plate 22 and the seal member 21 of the side seal 20. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the side seal 20. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the side seal 20 in an exploded state.

[0022] As shown in Figures 2 to 6, the side seal 20 has approximately the same external shape (approximately inverted U-shape) as the end cap 202 when viewed in the guide rail direction, and has an upper portion 20a arranged above the guide rail 100, a pair of side portions 20b arranged on each of the left and right sides of the guide rail 100, and a pair of corner portions 20c arranged diagonally above the guide rail.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 6, the side seal 20 is made up of a seal member 21, a retaining plate 22, and a cover .

[0024] The retaining plate 22 has a plurality of holes 22j for inserting bolts, and the cover 23 also has a plurality of holes 23a for inserting bolts. The seal member 21 is sandwiched between the retaining plate 22 and the cover 23, and a bolt 500 is inserted from the outside of the cover 23 through the holes 23a and 22j, and then inserted into the hole 202a of the end cap 202. The bolt is then screwed into the screw hole of the slider body 201, whereby the side seal 20 is attached to the end cap 202 via the solid lubricant case 203.

[0025] 7(a) and (b) are enlarged cross-sectional views corresponding to the portion indicated by the arrow VII in FIG. 3, where FIG. 7(a) shows a state in which the lip portion of the side seal 20 is not in contact with the guide rail 100, and FIG. 7(b) shows a state in which the lip portion of the side seal 20 is in contact with the guide rail 100. Also, FIG. 8(a) and (b) are views showing cross sections parallel to the cross sections of FIG. 7(a) and (b), where FIG. 8(a) shows a state in which the lip portion of the side seal 20 is not in contact with the guide rail 100, and FIG. 8(b) shows a state in which the lip portion of the side seal 20 is in contact with the guide rail 100. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the configuration of FIG. 7(a) taken along line IX-IX, and FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the configuration of FIG. 7(b) taken along line XX. In Fig. 9, the cross-sectional view taken along line VIIa-VIIa corresponds to Fig. 7(a), and the cross-sectional view taken along line VIIIa-VIIIa in Fig. 9 corresponds to Fig. 8(a). In Fig. 10, the cross-sectional view taken along line VIIb-VIIb corresponds to Fig. 7(b), and the cross-sectional view taken along line VIIIb-VIIIb in Fig. 10 corresponds to Fig. 8(b).

[0026] In Fig. 7(a) to Fig. 8(b), the cover 23 is made of a uniform plate material. The seal member 21 is formed of an elastically deformable material, and its cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the rail width direction is uniform along the rail width direction, and is formed by connecting a main body 21a and a lip portion 21b. The main body 21a has a substantially inverted U-shape in the cross section of Fig. 7(a) to Fig. 8(b), and specifically, has a main body upper portion 21c, a main body lower portion 21d, and a main body intermediate portion 21e that connects the main body upper portion 21c and the main body lower portion 21d. The main body upper portion 21c, the main body lower portion 21d, and the main body intermediate portion 21e abut against the opposing flat surface of the cover 23. Furthermore, the main body upper portion 21c and the main body lower portion 21d protrude toward the holding plate 22 side with respect to the main body intermediate portion 21e.

[0027] The lip portion 21b extends obliquely with respect to the surface of the guide rail 100 from near the retaining plate 22 on the lower surface (surface facing the guide rail 100) of the main body lower portion 21d toward the cover 23 in a cantilever shape.

[0028] The retaining plate 22 is composed of an upper wall 22a that abuts against the upper end of the cover 23 and extends in the rail length direction, a side wall 22b that is connected to the end of the upper wall 22a and extends toward the guide rail 100, and an intermediate wall 22c that extends from the intermediate position of the side wall 22b toward the cover 23. When assembled as the side seal 20, there is a gap between the main body upper part 21c and the opposing side wall 22b, and there is also a gap between the main body intermediate part 21e and the tip of the opposing intermediate wall 22c. Meanwhile, the main body lower part 21d abuts against both the cover 23 and the side wall 22b, so that the seal member 21 is sandwiched and held by the cover 23 and the retaining plate 22.

[0029] The tip of the intermediate wall 22c is located between the main body upper part 21c and the main body lower part 21d, so that the separation of the seal member 21 from between the cover 23 and the holding plate 22 in the assembled state is suppressed.

[0030] The cross-sectional shape of the retaining plate 22 changes depending on the position in the rail width direction. In Figures 9 and 10, the lower surface of the upper wall 22a (the surface facing the guide rail 100) has an upper shallow groove 22f formed across the center of the guide rail 100 and extending in the rail length direction, and flat upper lower surfaces 22g arranged on both sides of the upper shallow groove 22f in the rail width direction.

[0031] Further, the lower surface of intermediate wall 22c (the surface facing guide rail 100) has intermediate shallow groove (also called a relief portion) 22h formed at a position corresponding to upper shallow groove 22f and extending in the rail length direction, and planar intermediate lower surfaces 22i arranged on both sides of intermediate shallow groove 22h in the rail width direction. In this embodiment, upper shallow groove 22f and intermediate shallow groove 22h are formed between both ends of mounting hole 120 in the rail width direction, as shown in FIG.

[0032] Before the sealing member 21 abuts against the guide rail 100 (see Figure 9), the upper body portion 21c of the sealing member 21 abuts against the upper undersurface 22g of the upper wall 22a of the retaining plate 22, but does not penetrate into the upper shallow groove 22f very much. Therefore, a gap A exists between the bottom surface of the upper shallow groove 22f (the surface facing the guide rail 100) and the upper body portion 21c.

[0033] Moreover, in a state before the seal member 21 abuts against the guide rail 100 (see FIG. 9), the main body lower part 21d of the seal member 21 abuts against the middle lower surface 22i of the middle wall 22c of the retaining plate 22, but hardly penetrates into the middle shallow groove 22h, and therefore a gap B exists between the bottom surface (the surface facing the guide rail 100) of the middle shallow groove 22h and the main body lower part 21d. At this time, as shown in FIG. 7(a) and FIG. 8(a), it is preferable that the joint CN1 between the lip part 21b and the main body 21a at a position (predetermined position) corresponding to the middle shallow groove 22h in the rail width direction and the joint CN2 between the lip part 21b and the main body 21a other than the predetermined position are at approximately the same distance from the guide rail 100.

[0034] When the seal member 21 is in contact with the guide rail 100 (see Figs. 7(b) and 8(b)), the vicinity of the tip (lowest edge) of the lip portion 21b comes into contact with the guide rail 100 (here in line contact) and elastically deforms, providing a sealing function across the width of the rail. Since the lip portion 21b of the seal member 21 has a tightening margin with respect to the guide rail 100, the position of the tip of the lip portion 21b when passing through the mounting hole 120 is the position shown by the dashed line in Fig. 10.

[0035] At this time, the reaction force from guide rail 100 is transmitted to main body 21a via lip portion 21b, but the portion of main body lower portion 21d that abuts against intermediate portion lower surface 22i maintains a fixed state. Meanwhile, the portion of main body lower portion 21d facing intermediate portion shallow groove 22h elastically deforms due to the presence of gap B (see FIG. 9) between main body lower portion 21d and intermediate portion shallow groove 22h, and main body lower portion 21d enters intermediate portion shallow groove 22h as shown in FIG. 10, and abuts against the bottom surface of intermediate portion shallow groove 22h.

[0036] The reaction force from guide rail 100 is further transmitted to main body upper part 21c via main body intermediate part 21e. The part of main body upper part 21c abutting against upper bottom surface 22g maintains a fixed state, but the part of main body upper part 21c facing upper shallow groove 22f elastically deforms due to the presence of gap A (see FIG. 9) between main body upper part 21c and upper shallow groove 22f, and main body upper part 21c enters upper shallow groove 22f and abuts against the bottom surface of upper shallow groove 22f as shown in FIG. 10.

[0037] As is clear from a comparison of Fig. 7(b) and Fig. 8(b), the pivot point (connection portion with the main body 21a) of the lip portion 21b (see Fig. 7(b)) at a position corresponding to the intermediate shallow groove 22h is located farther away from the guide rail 100 than the lip portion 21b abutting against the intermediate lower surface 22i (see Fig. 8(b)). In other words, the connection portion CN1 between the lip portion 21b at a position (predetermined portion) corresponding to the intermediate shallow groove 22h in the rail width direction and the main body 21a is located farther away from the guide rail 100 than the connection portion CN2 between the lip portion 21b at a position other than the predetermined portion and the main body 21a. For this reason, the tightening margin is smaller for the lip portion 21b at a position corresponding to the intermediate shallow groove 22h than for the lip portion 21b abutting against the intermediate lower surface 22i.

[0038] Therefore, the surface pressure distribution of the lip portion 21b in the rail width direction can be adjusted so that the surface pressure of the lip portion 21b at a position corresponding to the intermediate shallow groove 22h against the guide rail 100 is lower than the surface pressure of the lip portion 21b abutting against the intermediate lower surface 22i. Therefore, when the lip portion 21b slides against the guide rail 100 with the side seal 20 attached to the slider 200, the impact force received from the mounting hole 120 when passing through the mounting hole 120 from the lip portion 21b can be mitigated, and when the guide rail has a joint, the impact force from the edge of the joint can be reduced, thereby suppressing damage to the sliding portion including during trial operation.

[0039] Furthermore, by forming upper shallow groove 22f in upper wall 22a, upper body portion 21c of seal member 21 is more likely to move upward, which in turn makes lower body portion 21d more likely to move upward, thereby making it possible to more effectively adjust the surface pressure distribution of lip portion 21b.

[0040] If intermediate shallow groove 22h were not formed in intermediate wall 22c, the surface pressure distribution of lip portion 21b would be uniform in the rail width direction, and the rigidity in the rail travel direction would be too strong overall, resulting in a large impact force from mounting hole 120 and possibly damaging lip portion 21b. By forming intermediate shallow groove 22h in intermediate wall 22c as in this embodiment, the impact force when passing through mounting hole 120 can be mitigated.

[0041] Furthermore, by arbitrarily setting the distance C (see Figure 7(b)) from the guide rail 100 to the bottom surface of the intermediate shallow groove 22h of the intermediate wall 22c, it is possible to prevent the lower part of the main body 21d from abutting against the bottom surface of the intermediate shallow groove 22h, for example, when the lip portion 21b abuts against the guide rail 100, thereby enabling adjustment of the surface pressure distribution of the lip portion 21b.

[0042] In addition, in an actual product, due to the influence of an assembly error of the side seal 20 to the slider 200, the lip portion 21b of the seal member 21 has a large and small tightening margin with respect to the guide rail 100. In the case of a large tightening margin, the lip portion 21b is deformed so that the upper body portion 21c abuts on the bottom surface of the upper shallow groove 22f and the lower body portion 21d abuts on the bottom surface of the intermediate shallow groove 22h as shown by the solid line in FIG. 10. On the other hand, in the case of a small tightening margin, the deformation of the lip portion 21b is suppressed so that a gap is formed between the bottom surface of the upper shallow groove 22f and the upper body portion 21c, and a gap is formed between the bottom surface of the intermediate shallow groove 22h and the lower body portion 21d as shown by the dashed line in FIG. 10. As a result, even if the tightening margin is large, damage to the lip portion 21b when passing through the mounting hole 120 can be prevented, and even if the tightening margin is small, necessary and sufficient sealing properties can be ensured.

[0043] However, if the intermediate shallow groove 22h is extended to the entire rail width direction of the intermediate wall 22c (i.e., if the relief portion is the entire intermediate wall 22c), the rigidity of the lip portion 21b in the rail travel direction may become too low, which may result in a deterioration in sealing performance. Therefore, it is preferable to provide the intermediate shallow groove 22h in a part of the intermediate wall 22c in the rail width direction.

[0044] Due to the impact force absorbing function provided by the intermediate shallow groove 22h, even if there is a plastic part such as a lubricant case 203 between the side seal 20 and the end cap 202, the increase in the pressing force of the lip portion 21b due to installation errors caused by misalignment or deformation can be mitigated, and damage to the tip of the lip portion 21b when passing through the mounting hole 120 can be prevented.

[0045] According to the inventor's investigations, it was found that, based on the measurement results of the misalignment caused by the lubricant case 203 provided between the side seal 20 and the end cap 202 and the tightening margin of the lip portion 21b, by setting the amount of relief of the relief portion (the depth of the intermediate shallow groove 22h) to a range in which no gap is formed between the lip portion 21b and the guide rail 100, it is possible to bring the lip portion 21b into contact with the guide rail 100 across the rail width direction even when the lubricant case 203 is provided.

[0046] In this embodiment, a relief portion that reduces the tightening margin, i.e., intermediate shallow groove 22h, is provided in correspondence with the portion passing through mounting hole 120, etc., which is particularly susceptible to damage of lip portion 21b during operation of the linear guide device. This relief portion is provided in the normal direction to the surface of guide rail 100. Also, while seal member 21 is sandwiched between cover 23 and retaining plate 22 when viewed in the rail traveling direction, at least before being fixed to slider 200 by bolt 500, the sandwiched portion between cover 23 and retaining plate 22 is in a slight preload state to the extent that lip portion 21b can deform following the relief portion due to a slight gap or a reaction force of the pressing force of lip portion 21b after rail insertion.

[0047] With this structure, even if there is an installation error such as misalignment or tilt due to the influence of an intermediate member, etc., the sealing pressing force of the lip portion 21b does not increase excessively and is made uniform, thereby mitigating the impact force when the lip portion 21b, which has a tightening margin, collides with the mounting hole 120 or the edge of the rail joint, if any, and preventing damage to the lip portion 21b.

[0048] This relief portion is provided, for example, in correspondence with the mounting hole 120. Depending on the relief width in the rail width direction at this time, it is possible to adjust the amount of relief in the vertical direction of the guide rail 100 even for lip portion 21b having the same rigidity. Note that if the amount of relief in the vertical direction is set so that the end face of lip portion 21b comes into contact, the seal pressing force will not be constant, but it is possible to set a minimum tightening margin, and this may be done.

[0049] [Variations] Fig. 11(a) is a diagram showing a part of the intermediate wall 22c according to the first embodiment as viewed in the rail length direction, and Fig. 11(b) is a diagram showing a part of the intermediate wall 22c according to a modified example as viewed in the same direction. In the first embodiment, as shown in Fig. 11(a), the inclined surfaces 22k constituting both side surfaces of the intermediate shallow groove 22h are inclined at an obtuse angle θ with respect to the intermediate lower surface 22i. The obtuse angle of intersection θ is preferably, for example, 160 degrees or more and less than 180 degrees.

[0050] In contrast, in the modified example shown in FIG. 11(b), the inclined surfaces 22k constituting both side surfaces of the intermediate shallow groove 22h intersect with the intermediate lower surface 22i at an acute crossing angle θ'. When the crossing angle θ' between the inclined surfaces 22k and the intermediate lower surface 22i is set to an acute angle, the interference can be reduced even with a narrower width due to local deformation of the lip portion 21b. However, this may result in a reduction in the seal life, an extreme difference in seal contact pressure, or a pocket (foreign matter accumulation) where foreign matter is likely to accumulate, resulting in a reduction in sealing performance. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 11(a), it is preferable that the crossing angle is an obtuse angle.

[0051] 9, upper body portion 21c and lower body portion 21d of seal member 21 have a uniform thickness, while upper shallow groove 22f is formed in upper wall 22a of retaining plate 22 and intermediate shallow groove 22h is formed in side wall 22b, thereby providing a gap between upper body portion 21c and upper shallow groove 22f and between lower body portion 21d and intermediate shallow groove 22h. In contrast, instead of providing upper wall 22a and side wall 22b of retaining plate 22 with a uniform cross section, a groove that is an inversion of upper shallow groove 22f is provided in upper body portion 21c of seal member 21, and a groove that is an inversion of intermediate shallow groove 22h is provided in lower body portion 21d, thereby ensuring a similar gap.

[0052] Furthermore, even if the side seal does not have a structure of a retaining plate, a seal member, and a cover, the effect of the relief portion that reduces the tightening margin can be obtained. For example, in the case of a side seal in which the seal member is made of rubber bonded to a core metal of a metal plate that serves as a retaining plate, the tightening margin of the lip of the seal member can be adjusted by not bonding the rubber to the core metal (or by reducing the bonding area) at the position facing the mounting hole 120.

[0053] [Second embodiment] Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view similar to Fig. 10 showing a part of a side seal of the second embodiment. In this embodiment, only the configuration of the retaining plate 22A is different from that of the first embodiment, and therefore, a duplicated description of the configuration common to the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0054] In FIG. 10, the upper shallow groove 22f formed in the upper wall 22a of the retaining plate 22A and the middle shallow groove 22h formed in the middle wall 22c are formed inside both ends of the mounting hole 120 of the guide rail 100 in the rail width direction. In contrast, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12, the upper shallow groove 22Af formed in the upper wall 22Aa of the retaining plate 22A and the middle shallow groove 22Ah formed in the middle wall 22Ac are formed to protrude outward from both ends of the mounting hole 120 of the guide rail 100 in the rail width direction. Therefore, the middle shallow groove 22Ah as a relief portion is wider in the rail width direction than in the first embodiment. This can further reduce the impact force of the edge of the mounting hole 120 on the lip portion 21b.

[0055] The side seal biases the guide rail 100 by the interference of the lip portion 21b and receives the reaction force. The sum of the reaction forces from the guide rail 100 is the same whether the recess is narrow in the rail width direction as in the first embodiment or wide as in this embodiment. However, when the recess is narrow as in the first embodiment, the lip portion 21b bends to achieve balance, whereas when the recess is wide as in this embodiment, the moment applied to the seal member 21 increases and the seal member 21 itself bends to achieve balance, so that the bending of the lip portion 21b is reduced accordingly, resulting in approximately the same surface pressure.

[0056] [Third embodiment] Fig. 13 is a cross-sectional view similar to Fig. 7(b) showing a side seal 20B of a third embodiment. In this embodiment, only the configurations of the seal member 21B and the retaining plate 22B of the side seal 20B are different from those of the first embodiment, and therefore, redundant description of the configurations common to the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0057] In this embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the holding plate 22B perpendicular to the rail width direction is uniform along the rail width direction, while the cross-sectional shape of the seal member 21B perpendicular to the rail width direction varies depending on the position in the rail width direction. More specifically, the holding plate 22B is formed by connecting an upper wall 22Ba and side walls 22Bb, and a groove recess 22Bc extending in the rail width direction adjacent to the upper wall 22Ba is formed at the upper part of the side wall 22Bb.

[0058] The seal member 21B is formed by connecting a main body 21Ba and a lip portion 21Bb. The main body 21Ba has an upper portion 21Bc and a lower portion 21Bd that is thinner than the upper portion 21Bc. The lip portion 21Bb is connected to the lower surface of the lower portion 21Bd. The lower portion 21Bd is sandwiched between the cover 23 and the holding plate 22B.

[0059] The upper portion 21Bc has a uniform cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the rail width direction, while the lower portion 21Bd has a shorter distance D (the length in the normal direction of the contact surface of the guide rail 100) from the upper portion 21Bc to the lip portion 21Bb at the position corresponding to the mounting hole 120 (FIG. 1) in the rail width direction, and a relatively longer distance E from the upper portion 21Bc to the lip portion 21Bb at other positions. In FIG. 13, the lower portion 21Bd and the lip portion 21Bb at the position corresponding to the mounting hole 120 are shown by solid lines, and the other lower portion 21Bd and the lip portion 21Bb are shown by broken lines.

[0060] According to this embodiment, in a state where the lip portion 21Bb is in contact with the surface of the guide rail 100, the connecting portion between the lip portion 21Bb and the main body 21Ba at a predetermined position (the position corresponding to the mounting hole 120) in the width direction of the guide rail 100 is separated from the guide rail 100 more than the connecting portion between the lip portion 21Bb and the main body 21Ba at positions other than the predetermined position. That is, in a state where the seal member 21B is in contact with the guide rail 100, at the position corresponding to the mounting hole, since the distance D (<E) from the upper portion 21Bc to the lip portion 21Bb is short, the tightening allowance of the lip portion 21Bb becomes small, and at other positions, the tightening allowance of the lip portion 21Bb becomes large.

[0061] For this reason, the surface pressure distribution of the lip portion 21Bb in the rail width direction can be adjusted so that the surface pressure of the lip portion 21b at a position corresponding to the mounting hole for the guide rail 100 is lower than the surface pressure of the lip portion 21Bb at other positions. Therefore, when the lip portion 21Bb slides on the guide rail 100 with the side seal 20B attached to the slider 200 (FIG. 1), the impact force received from the mounting hole when passing through the mounting hole from the lip portion 21Bb can be mitigated, and when there is a joint of the guide rail, the impact force from the edge of the joint can be reduced.

[0062] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and the mutual combination of the configurations of the embodiment, and modifications and applications by those skilled in the art based on the description in the specification and well-known techniques are also contemplated by the present invention and are included in the scope of protection sought. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 20, 20B Side seal 21, 21B Seal member 22, 22A, 22B retaining plate, 23 Cover 100 Guide Rail 200 Slider 202 End Cap 203 Lubricant Case Around 300

Claims

1. A linear guide device comprising a guide rail having a mounting hole, a slider, and a plurality of rolling elements, the guide rail and the slider having rolling surfaces disposed opposite each other to form a rolling passage for the rolling elements, and one of the guide rail and the slider performing linear motion relative to the other as the rolling elements roll in the rolling passage, a side seal is provided to seal between the slider and the guide rail; the side seal includes a retaining plate disposed on the slider side, a cover, and a seal member disposed between the cover and the retaining plate along the longitudinal direction of the guide rail, The seal member has a main body sandwiched between the retaining plate and the cover, and a lip portion extending from the main body toward the guide rail, When the lip portion is in contact with the guide rail, a connection portion between the lip portion and the main body at a predetermined location in the width direction of the guide rail is spaced farther from the guide rail than a connection portion between the lip portion and the main body other than the predetermined location. A linear motion guide device characterized by the above.

2. When the lip portion is not in contact with the guide rail, a connecting portion between the lip portion and the main body at a predetermined location in the width direction of the guide rail and a connecting portion between the lip portion and the main body other than the predetermined location are at the same distance from the guide rail.

2. The linear guide device according to claim 1 .

3. The cross-sectional shape of the body of the seal member perpendicular to the width direction of the guide rail is uniform, a recess is formed at a predetermined location in the width direction of the guide rail on a surface of the holding plate facing the guide rail, and a part of the main body enters into the recess when the lip portion is in contact with the guide rail; 2. The linear guide device according to claim 1 .

4. The cross-sectional shape of the holding plate perpendicular to the width direction of the guide rail is uniform, the length of the body of the seal member in a direction normal to the abutment surface of the guide rail at a predetermined location in the width direction of the guide rail is shorter than the length of the body of the seal member in a direction normal to the abutment surface of the guide rail at other than the predetermined location; 2. The linear guide device according to claim 1 .

5. The predetermined location in the width direction of the guide rail is a location corresponding to a mounting hole of the guide rail.

5. The linear guide device according to claim 1,

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