Linear guide device

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a linear guide device in which the direction of a load applied to a slider member can be set in a plurality of directions. [Solution] In this linear guide device, which consists of a long rail member and a slider member that moves linearly along the rail member by means of rollers, the rollers that are rotatably supported by the slider member rotate around their axes, and when the outer periphery of the rollers touch the rolling surface of the rail member, the rollers rotate while the slider member moves, and the multiple rollers are composed of a first roller that rolls on a first rolling surface on the underside of the rail member, a second roller that rolls on a second rolling surface on the top surface, and a third roller that rolls on a third rolling surface on the side.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a linear guide device that mainly comprises a long rail member and a slider member that moves along the rail member, and is suitable for a wide range of uses. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there have been linear guide devices consisting of a rail member that extends long and has a roughly C-shaped cross section, and a slider member that moves along the rail member. Among these linear guide devices, there are some in which a ball-bearing type roller is rotatably mounted on the slider member, and the roller rolls on the rolling surface on the inner surface of the rail member, causing the slider member to move linearly along the rail member. In many cases, the direction of the load applied to the slider member is determined based on the characteristics of the direction in which the roller receives the load. For example, the structure of Patent Document 1 has ball bearing rollers 121 to 124 that rotate around horizontal axes, so it can withstand a large load in the vertical direction, but has difficulty withstanding horizontal loads. Furthermore, the structure of Patent Document 2 has ball bearing rollers 3, 3' that rotate around a vertical axis, so it can withstand a large load in the horizontal direction but has difficulty withstanding a load in the vertical direction. Thus, rather than determining the application to some extent and arranging rollers, there is a demand for a linear guide device that allows freedom in the load direction, taking into consideration the degree of freedom in designing the article in which the linear guide device is used. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2005-042887 A [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 3215738 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In view of the above technical background, an object of the present invention is to provide a linear guide device in which the direction of a load applied to a slider member can be set in a plurality of directions. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is configured as a linear guide device mainly comprising a long rail member and a slider member that moves along the rail member, the rail member having a substantially C-shaped cross section mainly comprising a base plate portion and a pair of bent edges, the bent edges being formed to protrude in the same direction from both ends of the base plate portion, the base plate portion being formed to extend horizontally in cross section, the bent edges being formed by a pair of third rolling portions formed by extending both ends of the base plate portion in the vertical direction, and a pair of second rolling portions formed to extend horizontally facing each other from the upper ends of each third rolling portion, and a moving space between the pair of second rolling portions through which the base material of the slider member moves. A gap is provided, and a pair of first rolling surfaces are formed near both ends of the upper surface of the base portion, a third rolling surface is formed on each of the opposing sides of a pair of third rolling portions, and a second rolling surface is formed on the underside of each of the second rolling portions.The slider member mainly consists of a base material and a plurality of rollers rotatably supported on the base material, and the rollers rotate around their axes, and when the outer periphery of the roller comes into contact with the rolling surface, the rollers rotate while the slider member moves, and the plurality of rollers are composed of at least a first roller that rolls on the first rolling surface, a second roller that rolls on the second rolling surface, and a third roller that rolls on the third rolling surface.

[0006] Next, in order to solve the problem, the present invention is configured such that, in a plan view of the slider member, at least two first rollers are arranged on each of the pair of first rolling surfaces, at least two second rollers are arranged on each of the pair of second rolling surfaces, and at least two third rollers are arranged on each of the pair of third rolling surfaces, and each of the rollers, with at least two wheels arranged on each of the rolling surfaces, is arranged at least one wheel each in front of and behind the center of the slider member in the front-to-rear direction.

[0007] The substrate of the slider member has an upper substrate and a lower substrate, which are arranged so as to overlap in the vertical direction, with the upper substrate on the upper side and the lower substrate on the lower side, and at least the first roller is supported by the upper substrate and the second roller is supported by the lower substrate. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The rollers of the slider member can roll on the upper, lower, left and right surfaces of the rail member, so that the slider member can withstand loads in either the vertical or horizontal direction. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] Perspective view of a linear guide device [Figure 2] Exploded perspective view of a linear guide device [Figure 3] Front cross-sectional view of the linear guide device [Figure 4] Right side cross-sectional view of the linear guide device [Figure 5] Plan view of the linear guide device [Figure 6] A perspective view of a slider member [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] Exploded plan view of the linear guide device [Figure 9] Side view of the slider member when inserted [Figure 10]A schematic side view of the slider member being inserted [Figure 11] Schematic side view of the slider member inserted [Figure 12] Front cross-sectional view of the linear guide device in use in the hanging direction [Figure 13] A front cross-sectional view of the linear guide device in use in the vertical direction. [Figure 14] A side cross-sectional view of the linear guide device in a vertically used state. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0010] The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described based on examples. [Example]

[0011] The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. For convenience, the left-right direction in FIG. 5, i.e., the linear movement direction, will be referred to as the front-rear direction or sliding direction, the up-down direction in FIG. 3 as the height direction or vertical direction, and the left-right direction in FIG. 3 as the left-right direction or horizontal direction. 4 and 5, the left side is the front side, and the right side is the rear side. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 100 denotes a linear guide device of the present invention, and the linear guide device 100 is mainly composed of a rail member 1 and a slider member 2.

[0012] The rail member 1 is a long member having an approximately C-shaped cross section, and as shown in Figure 3, the approximately C-shaped cross section is formed by a base portion 10 and a pair of bending edges 11, 11, the base portion 10 is a plate extending horizontally, and the bending edges 11, 11 are formed by third rolling portions 13, 13 extending upward in an approximately vertical direction from both the left and right ends of the base portion 10, and second rolling portions 12, 12 extending in directions facing each other from the upper end of the third rolling portion 13. The second rolling portion 12 and the third rolling portion 13 are formed as a pair, and a movement space 14 is provided between the second rolling portions.

[0013] The upper surface near both the left and right ends of the substrate portion 10, the portions facing the second rolling portions 12, 12, are set as first rolling surfaces 101, 101 and are formed flat, the inner surfaces facing the pair of third rolling portions 13, 13 are set as third rolling surfaces 131, 131 and are formed flat, and the lower surfaces of the second rolling portions 12, 12, the inner surfaces facing the first rolling surfaces 101, 101, are set as second rolling surfaces 121, 121 and are formed flat. The rail member 1 of this embodiment is a long member manufactured by bending a metal plate. The manufacturing method and material are selected appropriately depending on the intended use, and it is of course possible to manufacture it from an aluminum alloy manufactured by extrusion molding.

[0014] The slider member 2, which will be described later, moves on each rolling surface of the rail member 1 thus formed, while the rollers of the slider member 2 rotate. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the slider member 2 mainly consists of an upper slider member 20, a lower slider member 30, a first roller 4... rotatably attached to the upper slider member 20, a second roller 5... rotatably attached to the lower slider member 30, and a third roller 6... rotatably attached to each of the upper slider member 20 and the lower slider member 30.

[0015] The upper slider member 20 is formed by bending a metal plate as shown in FIG. 7, and is integrally formed with an upper base material 21 and support pieces for a plurality of rollers. The upper base material 21 is formed in the shape of a rectangular plate that is long in the sliding direction, and the multiple support pieces are formed by bending the sides of the upper base material 21, and consist of a right horizontal support piece 22 and a left horizontal support piece 23 that support the third roller 6, and right vertical first support pieces 24, 24' and left vertical first support pieces 25, 25' that support the first roller 4.

[0016] The right horizontal support piece 22 is formed by bending one side (right side) of one end (front side) of the upper base material 21 in the longitudinal direction downward, and then bending the lower end horizontally outward to form an L-shape, and an axial hole 22A is provided in the horizontal part, which passes through in the vertical direction and through which the roller's rotation shaft is inserted. The left horizontal support piece 23 is formed in an L-shape by bending the other side (left side of the rear) of one side of one end of the longitudinal direction downward and then bending the other side (left side) of the one side horizontally outward at the lower end, and a shaft hole 23A is provided in the horizontal part that passes through in the vertical direction and through which the roller's rotation shaft is inserted.

[0017] The right vertical first support piece 24 is arranged at a distance behind the right horizontal support piece 22, with the right horizontal support piece 22 side of the upper base material 21 at the front, and is formed by bending the side (right side) of the upper base material 21 vertically downward, and is provided with a horizontally penetrating shaft hole 24A (not shown) for inserting the roller's rotation shaft. Furthermore, behind the right vertical first support piece 24 and spaced apart from the right vertical first support piece 24, a right vertical first support piece 24' having the same shape as the right vertical first support piece 24 is provided.

[0018] The left vertical first support piece 25 is arranged at a distance forward from the left horizontal support piece 23, with the left horizontal support piece 23 side of the upper base material 21 at the rear, and is formed by bending the side (left side) of the upper base material 21 vertically downward, and has an axial hole 25A that penetrates horizontally and into which the roller's rotation shaft is inserted. Furthermore, a left first vertical support piece 25' having the same shape as the left first vertical support piece 25 is provided in front of the left first vertical support piece 25 and spaced apart from the left first vertical support piece 25.

[0019] Further, crimping holes 212, 212 that also penetrate vertically are provided near both the front and rear ends of the upper base material 21. Reference numerals 213, 213 shown in Fig. 7 are screw holes for attaching an article to be attached to the slider member 2, and the shape, size, location, etc. of the screw holes 213 are set appropriately depending on the conditions of use.

[0020] The lower slider member 30 is formed by bending a metal plate as shown in FIG. 7, and is integrally formed with a lower base material 31 and support pieces for a plurality of rollers. The lower base material 31 is formed in the shape of a rectangular plate that is long in the sliding direction and is approximately the same size as the upper base material 21. The multiple support pieces are formed by bending the sides of the lower base material 31 and consist of a left horizontal support piece 32 and a right horizontal support piece 33 that support the third roller 6, and left vertical second support pieces 34, 34' and right vertical second support pieces 35, 35' that support the second roller 5.

[0021] The left horizontal support piece 32 is located at one end (front side) of the lower base material 31 on the same side as the right horizontal support piece 22 in the longitudinal direction, and one side (left side) facing the right horizontal support piece 22 is bent downward and then bent horizontally outward at the lower end to form an L-shape, with an axial hole 32A that passes through in the vertical direction in the horizontal part to insert the roller's rotation shaft. The right horizontal support piece 33 is formed on the opposite side (rear side) of the left horizontal support piece 32 in the front-to-rear direction, with one side (right side) of the opposite side bent downward and further bent horizontally outward at the lower end to form an L-shape, and an axial hole 33A is provided in the horizontal part that passes through in the vertical direction and into which the roller's rotation shaft is inserted.

[0022] The left vertical second support piece 34 is arranged at a distance behind the left horizontal support piece 32, with the left horizontal support piece 32 side of the lower base material 31 at the front, and is formed by bending the side of the lower base material 31 vertically downward, and has a horizontally penetrating shaft hole 34A for inserting the roller's rotation shaft. Furthermore, a left second vertical support piece 34' having the same shape as the left first vertical support piece 34 is provided behind the left second vertical support piece 34 and spaced apart from the left second vertical support piece 34.

[0023] The right vertical second support piece 35 is arranged at a distance forward from the right horizontal support piece 33, with the right horizontal support piece 33 side of the lower base material 31 at the rear, and is formed by bending the side (right side) of the lower base material 31 vertically downward, and is provided with a horizontally penetrating shaft hole 35A (not shown) for inserting the roller's rotation shaft. Furthermore, a right vertical second support piece 35' having the same shape as the right vertical second support piece 35 is provided in front of the right vertical second support piece 35 and spaced apart from the right vertical second support piece 35.

[0024] Further, oval support holes 312, 312 that are elongated in the sliding direction and penetrate vertically are provided near both the front and rear ends of the lower base material 31. Round holes 313, 313 near the support holes 312, 312 are relief holes provided corresponding to the screw hole 213, and like the screw hole 213, the shape, size, location, etc. are set appropriately depending on the conditions of use.

[0025] The periphery of each shaft hole is stepped to protrude toward the side where the roller is attached, forming a flange portion F on which the end of the inner ring of the roller is placed. Each roller is made up of an inner ring and an outer ring, with balls placed between them, allowing the outer ring to rotate relative to the inner ring, but since the outer ring cannot rotate smoothly if it comes into contact with the support piece, the flange F acts as a spacer to separate the outer ring from the support piece. Therefore, although it is possible to substitute a spacer such as a flat washer in place of the flange F, processing it integrally with the support piece simplifies the parts cost and the roller installation process, improving productivity.

[0026] Each roller is attached to each shaft hole of the upper slider member 20 and the lower slider member 30 formed as described above. The rollers include the first roller 4, second roller 5, and third roller 6 mentioned above, but in this embodiment, all of the rollers have the same shape and are attached in the same way, so only the third roller 6 will be explained.

[0027] As mentioned above, the third roller 6 is composed of an inner ring and an outer ring, with balls placed between the inner ring and the outer ring, and the outer ring rotating relative to the inner ring. A bearing hole 61, which is a through hole that fits onto the rotating shaft, is provided at the center of the inner ring, and the third roller 6 is attached as follows. The third roller 6 is attached via a rotating shaft 7, which is made of metal and has a cylindrical rotating support portion 71 and a fixed portion 72 at one end which has a smaller diameter than the shaft portion 71, a stepped portion 71A formed between the rotating support portion 71 and the fixed portion 72, and a flange 73 at the other end.

[0028] Then, the tip of the fixed portion 72 is inserted into the bearing hole 61 of the third roller 6, and the fixed portion 72 passes through the bearing hole 61. With the bearing hole 61 supported by the rotation support portion 71, the fixed portion 72 is inserted into the shaft hole 22A of the right horizontal support piece 22 from above and passes through the shaft hole 22A. Then, with the step portion 71A in contact with the flange portion F, the tip of the fixed portion 72 is crimped, and the rotary shaft 7 is fixed with the right horizontal support piece 22 sandwiched between the step portion 71A and the crimped portion. In this state, one of the upper and lower ends of the inner ring of the third roller 6 contacts the flange portion, and the other end contacts the flange 73, so that the third roller 6 is attached and supported by the right horizontal support piece 22 so as to be rotatable laterally and unable to come off the rotating shaft 7.

[0029] The other rollers are similarly attached via the rotation shafts 7 by utilizing the shaft holes of the respective support pieces. The third roller 6 is attached from above to the left horizontal support piece 23, the left horizontal support piece 32 and the right horizontal support piece 33 and supported thereon in the same manner as described above. The first roller 4 is attached and supported on the right vertical first support piece 24, 24' from the outside of the support piece opposite the left vertical first support piece 25 side via the rotating shaft 7, with the rotating shaft 7 inserted horizontally so that the first roller 4 can rotate vertically. Similarly, the first roller 4 is attached to the left vertical first support piece 25, 25' from the outside of the support piece opposite the right vertical first support piece 24, via the rotating shaft 7, with the rotating shaft 7 inserted horizontally so that the first roller 4 can rotate vertically. Similar to the right vertical first support pieces 24, 24', second rollers 5 are attached from the outside to the right vertical second support pieces 34, 34', and similar to the left vertical first support pieces 25, 25', second rollers 5 are attached from the outside to the left vertical first support pieces 35, 35'. Furthermore, since the opposing right and left vertical support pieces are arranged alternately in the front-to-rear direction, the vertical support piece on the opposite side to the crimping side is less likely to get in the way when crimping the rotary shaft 7.

[0030] The upper slider member 20 and the lower slider member 30 to which the rollers are attached in this manner are assembled as follows to form the slider member 2. The upper slider member 20, also with its support pieces facing downward, is placed on the upper surface of the lower substrate 31 from the upper part of the lower slider member 30, with its support pieces facing downward, so that the lower surface of the upper substrate 21 is placed on the upper surface of the lower substrate 31. In this state, the right horizontal support piece 22 and the left horizontal support piece 32, and the left horizontal support piece 23 and the right horizontal support piece 33 are arranged symmetrically in the left-right direction. Furthermore, the positional relationship is such that the crimping hole 212 is disposed above the support hole 312 .

[0031] Then, the fixing pins 8, 8 are inserted from below the support holes 312, 312, and the tips of the fixing pins 8, 8 are crimped in the crimping holes 212, 212 to fix the fixing pins 8, and prevent the upper slider member 20 and the lower slider member 30 from rotating relatively in the left-right direction. Next, spot welding is performed on the upper slider member 20 and the lower slider member 30 near the center in the front-rear direction to fix the upper slider member 20 and the lower slider member 30 together.

[0032] The fixing pin 8 is made of metal and has a cylindrical support portion 81, a crimped portion 82 on one end that is smaller in diameter than the support portion 81, a stepped portion 81A formed between the support portion 81 and the crimped portion 82, and a flange 83 on the other end. The crimped portion 82 of the fixing pin 8 formed in this manner is inserted into the support hole 312 from the underside of the lower substrate 31, and penetrates the crimped hole 212. With the step portion 81A in close contact with the periphery of the crimped hole 212 of the upper substrate 21, the tip of the crimped portion 82 is crimped, and the fixing pin 8 is attached to the upper substrate 21. In this state, the flange 83 covers the periphery of the support hole 312 on the underside of the lower base material 31, so even if the spot welding comes off, the underside of the lower base material 31 and the flange 83 come into contact, and the lower slider member 30 will not come off the upper slider member 20. The support hole 312 is long in the sliding direction, but its diameter in the left-right direction is set to be approximately the same as the diameter of the support portion 81, and since both sides of the support portion 81 and the support hole 312 come into contact, the left-right movement of the lower slider member 30 relative to the upper slider member 20 is restricted.

[0033] Furthermore, with the fixing pin 8 attached, a small gap S is provided between the flange 83 of the fixing pin 8 and the lower surface of the lower base material 31. This gap S is used to adjust the clearance between the first roller 4 and the second roller 5 relative to the rail member 1, which will be described later. In this state, the second roller 5 is attached at a higher position than the first roller 4. The height distance between the lower end of the first roller 4 and the upper end of the second roller 5 is set to be slightly higher than the height distance between the first rolling surface 101 and the second rolling surface 121 of the rail member 1.

[0034] The slider member 2 is constructed as described above, and next, a method for assembling the slider member 2 into the rail member 1 will be described. The third roller 6 on one side of the slider member 2 in the front-rear direction is inserted through the opening in the end face of the rail member 1. The following description will be given assuming that the right horizontal support piece 22 and the left horizontal support piece 32 are inserted first.

[0035] In the case of this insertion direction, as shown in FIG. 8, the rollers are arranged as follows in a plan view of the slider member 2. On the insertion side, the third roller 6 on the right side and the third roller 6 on the left side are arranged symmetrically. Then, in order, the second roller 5 on the right and the first roller 4 on the left are arranged symmetrically, the first roller 4 on the right and the second roller 5 on the left are arranged symmetrically, and beyond the part fixed by spot welding, the second roller 5 on the right and the first roller 4 on the left are arranged symmetrically, the first roller 4 on the right and the second roller 5 on the left are arranged symmetrically, and finally the third roller 6 on the right and the third roller 6 on the left are arranged symmetrically. Furthermore, the first roller 4 and the second roller 5 are arranged symmetrically in a plan view, but as shown in Figure 4, they are arranged so that the first roller 4 is on the lower side and the second roller 5 is on the upper side in the height direction. The third roller 6 on the right side and the third roller 6 on the left side are arranged at the same height in the height direction.

[0036] Then, when the slider member 2 is inserted as is, the right second roller 5 and the left first roller 4 are inserted next. Then, the right first roller 4 and the left second roller 5 are inserted in order, but these rollers are positioned in a different height direction than the rollers inserted earlier, and as mentioned above, the height distance between the bottom end of the first roller 4 and the top end of the second roller 5 is set to be slightly higher than the height distance between the first rolling surface 101 and the second rolling surface 121, so as shown in Figure 9, the right second roller 5 and left first roller 4 are not dimensionally able to fit between the first rolling surface 101 and the second rolling surface 121. However, the right second roller 5 and left first roller 4, which are inserted first, can be prevented from not fitting in place because the slider member 2 rotates horizontally (counterclockwise in Figure 3), allowing the right second roller 5 to move down and the left first roller 4 to move up the first rolling surface 101.

[0037] Next, when the slider member 2 is inserted into the rail member 1 as is, the first right roller 4 and the second left roller 5 reach the end face of the rail member 1 as shown in Figure 10, but as mentioned above, the first right roller 4 and the second left roller 5 are not dimensionally able to fit between the first rolling surface 101 and the second rolling surface 121. If the slider member 2 is pushed into the rail member 1 as is, the slider member 2 cannot rotate horizontally as described above due to the height relationship between the right second roller 5 and left first roller 4, which have already been inserted into the rail member, and the right first roller 4 and left second roller 5. Specifically, the right second roller 5 and the left first roller 4 rotate counterclockwise in Figure 3, and the right first roller 4 and the left second roller 5 attempt to rotate clockwise in Figure 3 and fit between the first rolling surface 101 and the second rolling surface 121, but because the rotations are in opposite directions, the slider member 2 cannot rotate horizontally.

[0038] Therefore, when the slider member 2 is further pushed into the rail member 1, the lower substrate 31 elastically deforms downward or the upper substrate 21 elastically deforms upward, causing the right first roller 4 to come into contact with the first rolling surface 101 and be pushed up, and at the same time, the front right second roller 5 comes into contact with the second rolling surface 121 and be pushed down, and on the left side, the left second roller 5 comes into contact with the second rolling surface 121 and be pushed down, and at the same time, the front left first roller 4 comes into contact with the first rolling surface 101 and is pushed up. That is, the lower substrate 31 elastically deforms downward, or the upper substrate 21 elastically deforms upward (in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 10), so that the centers of the first roller 4 and the second roller 5 can move closer together in the height direction. Therefore, the right second roller 5 and the right first roller 4, and the left first roller 4 and the left second roller 5 are accommodated between the first rolling surface 101 and the second rolling surface 121 (the state shown in FIG. 11).

[0039] The heights of the first roller 4 and the second roller 5 are automatically adjusted to match the heights of the first rolling surface 101 and the second rolling surface 121 by the elastic deformation of the lower substrate 31 or the upper substrate 21. Furthermore, since the left first roller 4 and the left second roller 5 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction in a plan view, the upper base material 21 and the lower base material 31 can be elastically deformed so as to twist relative to each other, making them easy to insert into the rail member 1. As mentioned above, a small gap S is provided between the flange 83 of the fixing pin 8 and the underside of the lower base material 31, so that the lower base material 31 and the upper base material 21 can be elastically deformed within the range of this gap S.

[0040] Then, when the slider member 2 is further inserted, the next right second roller 5, left first roller 4, and then the right first roller 4 and left second roller 5 are inserted into the rail member 1 in order, accompanied by elastic deformation of the lower base material 31 or upper base material 21 as described above, so that the centers of the first roller 4 and second roller 5 approach each other in the height direction. Finally, the right third roller 6 and the left third roller 6 are inserted, and the slider member 2 is assembled into the rail member 2. The end faces of the rail members are appropriately treated to prevent the slider members from slipping out. The elastic deformation of the lower base material 31 and the upper base material 21 occurs in the vertical direction from the base point at which the above-mentioned spot welding is fixed.

[0041] With the slider member 2 assembled to the rail member 1 in this manner, the lower substrate 31 or the upper substrate 21 is elastically deformed starting from the part of the slider member 2 fixed by the aforementioned spot welding, and the reaction force causes the first roller 4 to roll against the first rolling surface 101, and the second roller 5 to roll against the second rolling surface 121, so that the slider member 2 can slide relative to the rail member 1 in the height direction without any rattling. When an article is attached to the slider member 2, the upper base material 21 may become less likely to elastically deform, and in that case, the lower base material 31 will be the one that mainly undergoes elastic deformation. Therefore, screw holes for fixing an article are provided only on the upper slider member 20 side so that the lower slider member 30 and the article are not fixed to each other.

[0042] It is also possible to sandwich a springy or elastic part between the upper surface of the lower substrate 31 and the lower surface of the upper substrate 21 to apply tension between the lower substrate 31 and the upper substrate 21 . However, while the linear guide device 100 alone may at first glance appear to have little wobble in the slider member 2 and good performance, if the slider member 2 has springiness or elasticity, depending on the item attached to the slider member 2, the springiness or elasticity may cause the distance between the lower substrate 31 and the upper substrate 21 to change too much, resulting in wobble or malfunction. Therefore, as shown in the spot welding of the above embodiment, it is better to adhere the lower substrate 31 and the upper substrate 21 at the spot welded portion and partially stop the vertical movement of the lower substrate 31 and the upper substrate 21, as this reduces the wobble of the slider member and makes it more stable against loads, making it easier to use for items connected to the linear guide device 100.

[0043] Also, instead of spot welding, a screw hole may be provided in the upper base material 21, a screw may be attached from the top surface, the tip of the screw may be brought into contact with the top surface of the lower base material 31, and the vertical height may be adjusted with the screw. By using screws, the height of the lower base material 31 and the upper base material 21 can be intentionally adjusted by adjusting the degree to which the screws are tightened. However, as described above, when the first roller 4 of the slider member 2 is attached to the upper substrate 21 and the second roller 5 is attached to the lower substrate 31, when the upper substrate 21 and the lower substrate 31 are fixed by spot welding as described above, the upper substrate 21 and the lower substrate 31 move closer to each other as if drawn to each other, but conversely, the distance between the first roller 4 and the second roller 5 increases. Therefore, when the first roller 4 and the second roller 5 are pressed in the direction of approaching each other, the upper substrate 21 and the lower substrate 31 can elastically deform in the direction of moving away from each other, so that the distance between the first roller 4 and the second roller 5 and the height of the first rolling surface 101 and the second rolling surface 121 can be easily adjusted.

[0044] Furthermore, since the distance between the first rolling surface 101 and the second rolling surface 121 is difficult to maintain constant due to processing accuracy, when the slider member 2 slides, it passes through a point where the distance between the first rolling surface 101 and the second rolling surface 121 is different. However, in this embodiment, the elastic deformation of the upper substrate 21 and the lower substrate 31 is utilized, and therefore it is possible to use the reaction force to provide a suspension effect, so that the first roller 4 and the second roller 5 can follow the difference in distance between the first rolling surface 101 and the second rolling surface 121. Furthermore, if the first roller 4 is attached to the lower substrate and the second roller 5 is attached to the upper substrate, when the first roller 4 and second roller 5 are pressed in the direction in which they approach each other, the upper substrate and the lower substrate will move toward each other and will not be able to elastically deform. For this reason, it is possible to address this by inserting a spacer or the like between the upper substrate and the lower substrate, but this makes it difficult to set the distance between the first roller 4 and the second roller 5 and the degree of elastic deformation.

[0045] The linear guide device 100 of the embodiment configured as above has the following features. As shown in Figure 3, when the slider member 2 is used in a horizontal position with the base plate portion 10 of the rail member 1 facing downward and the upper substrate 21 side facing upward, when a load is applied to the slider member 2, the load is supported by the first rollers 4... and the first rolling surface 101. When a peeling load, that is, an upward load, is applied to the slider member 2, the second rollers 5··· and the second rolling surfaces 121 support the load. When a load is applied to the slider member 2 in a direction laterally relative to the sliding direction, the third rollers 6··· and the third rolling surfaces 131 can support the load, making it possible to support loads in multiple directions. In this way, the load applied to the slider member 2 can be shared and supported in the up, down, left, and right directions by the first to third rollers and the first to third rolling surfaces, so the contact surfaces of the first to third rollers and the first to third rolling surfaces can receive the load in approximately the same direction as the load, allowing for stable load support. This makes it possible to withstand heavy loads and increase durability.

[0046] 12, in the case where the linear guide device 100 is in a hanging state with the linear guide device 100 turned upside down, a downward load is applied to the slider member 2, and the load is supported by the second rollers 5... and the second rolling surface 121. Naturally, when an upward pushing load is applied, the load is supported by the first rollers 4... and the first rolling surface 101, and when a lateral load is applied, the load is supported by the third rollers 6... and the third rolling surface 131. Next, as shown in Figure 13, when the linear guide device 100 is oriented vertically, when a downward load is applied to the slider member 2, the load is supported mainly by the third rollers 6... and the third rolling surface 131 arranged on the lower side, and the torsional load is supported by the second rollers 5... and the second rolling surface 121 on the upper side. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 14, when the longitudinal direction of the linear guide device 100 is used vertically so that the slider member 2 slides up and down, the load is supported mainly by the upper second rollers 5... and the second rolling surface 121, the lower first rollers 4... and the first rolling surface 101, and some of the third rollers 6... and the third rolling surface 131.

[0047] In particular, the first roller 4, second roller 5, and third roller 6 are arranged one each on the front and rear of the center of the front and rear of the slider member 2, and one on each side, so that the slider member 2 can also handle loads that are biased to either the front or rear or the left or right. For example, when the linear guide device 100 is used in a vertical direction as described above, if an article is attached to the slider member 2, a load is applied to the slider member 2 such that it is pressed against the second rolling surface 121 in the peeling direction, and the second roller 5 bears the load. However, depending on the size and weight of the article, a force is also applied to rotate it left and right relative to the sliding direction, in which case the third roller 6 bears the load. The force rotating left and right may be received in the left and right rotation direction by one of the upper third rollers, and at the same time, the lower third roller diagonally opposite may be subjected to a load in the opposite direction. Even in the case of peeling, a load is applied to the upper part of the slider member 2 so as to press it against the second rolling surface 121 side, but a load may be applied to the lower part so as to press it against the first rolling surface 101 side. In this way, since the rollers are arranged in front of and behind the center of the slider member 2 in the front-rear direction, it is possible to cope with uneven loads.

[0048] Furthermore, if excessive tensile force is applied in one direction, either front or back, to the upper substrate 21, the amount of elastic deformation of the upper substrate 21 will increase, but since the flange 83 of the aforementioned fixing pin 8 comes into contact with the lower substrate 31, it is possible to suppress excessive deformation of the upper substrate 21. As described above, the rollers of the slider member can roll on the upper, lower, left and right surfaces of the rail member, so that the slider member can withstand loads in either the vertical or horizontal direction.

[0049] The linear guide device of the present invention can also be used by attaching the slider member to a fixed article and the rail member to a movable article. It is also possible to insert a plurality of slider members onto the rail member and slide them.

[0050] As described above, the linear guide device of the present invention is not limited to drawer-type storage furniture that requires high load capacity, but can be used in a wide range of applications for moving items in a straight line, such as movable panels, grills on kitchen counters, paper trays in copiers, automobile consoles, server racks, machine tools, and medical equipment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 100 Linear guide device 1 Rail member 2 Slider member 10 Circuit board 101 First rolling surface 11 Bent Edge 13 Third rolling part 131 Third rolling surface 12 Second rolling part 121 Second rolling surface 14 Moving Space 20 Upper slider member 21 Upper base material 212 Crimping hole 213 Spiral hole 22 Right horizontal support piece 22A shaft hole 23 Left horizontal support piece 24 Right vertical first support piece 24´ Right vertical first support piece 25 Left vertical first support piece 25´ Left vertical first support piece 30 Lower slider member 31 Lower base material 312 Support hole 32 Left horizontal support piece 32A shaft hole 33 Right horizontal support piece 33A shaft hole 34 Left vertical second support piece 34´ Left vertical second support piece 35 Right vertical second support piece 35´ Right vertical second support piece Around the F axle hole 4. First Roller 5. Second Roller 6. Third Roller 61 Bearing hole 7 Rotation Axis 71 Rotation support part 71A Stepped section 72 Fixed part 73 flange 8 fixing pins 81 Support part 81A stepped section 82 Crimping part 83 flange S Gap

Claims

1. The linear guide device is mainly composed of a long rail member and a slider member that moves along the rail member. The rail member has a substantially C-shaped cross section mainly composed of a base plate portion and a pair of bent edges. The bent edges are formed to protrude in the same direction from both ends of the base plate portion, and the base plate portion is formed to extend horizontally in cross section. The bent edges are formed by a pair of third rolling portions formed by extending both ends of the base plate portion in the vertical direction, and a pair of second rolling portions formed by extending horizontally opposite from the upper ends of each third rolling portion, and a movement space is provided between the pair of second rolling portions in which the base material of the slider member moves. a pair of first rolling surfaces are formed near both ends of the upper surface, a pair of third rolling portions are formed on opposite sides thereof, and a second rolling surface is formed on the underside of each of the second rolling portions; the slider member is mainly composed of a base material and a plurality of rollers rotatably supported on the base material, the rollers rotate around their axes, and when the outer peripheries of the rollers come into contact with the rolling surfaces, the rollers rotate while the slider member moves, and the plurality of rollers are composed of at least a first roller that rolls on the first rolling surface, a second roller that rolls on the second rolling surface, and a third roller that rolls on the third rolling surface.

2. 2. The linear guide device according to claim 1, wherein, in a plan view of the slider member, the first rollers are arranged with at least two wheels for each of the pair of first rolling surfaces, the second rollers are arranged with at least two wheels for each of the pair of second rolling surfaces, and the third rollers are arranged with at least two wheels for each of the pair of third rolling surfaces, and each of the rollers arranged with at least two wheels for each of the rolling surfaces is arranged with at least one wheel in front of and behind the center of the slider member in the front-to-rear direction.

3. 3. The linear guide device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the base material of the slider member has an upper base material and a lower base material, the upper base material and the lower base material are arranged so as to overlap in the vertical direction, the upper base material being on the upper side and the lower base material being on the lower side, and at least the first roller being supported by the upper base material and the second roller being supported by the lower base material.

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