Linear Slide Rail End Cap

Abstract

To provide an end cap for a linear slide rail which effectively reduces the internal injection pressure and prevents a situation in which lubricating oil leaks out uncontrollably due to an excessively high injection pressure. [Solution] The end caps of the linear slide rail are installed on two opposing ends of the slider, and the slider is slidably installed on the slide rail. The end cap includes a lid part 10 and a first cover 20 installed on the lid part, and the lid part has a structure in which a seal groove zone 18, an oil tank 14, and an oil tray discharge groove 16 are sequentially connected to the seal groove zone 18, and the first cover is designed to be installed in a seal strip zone 23 in the seal groove zone. When the injection pressure in the end cap is too high, the lubricating oil is introduced from the oil drain groove 232 in the seal strip zone to the oil tank and discharged to a predetermined position via the oil tray discharge groove.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to linear slide rails, and more particularly to end caps for linear slide rails. [Background technology]

[0002] As is well known, a conventional linear slide rail is composed of a guide rail and a slider, and end caps are installed in front and behind the slider, forming a ball circulation channel together with the guide rail. The end caps guide the balls to circulate and prevent foreign matter from entering, and also seal in the lubricating oil to maintain the performance and life of the linear slide rail. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Publication number 06-039144 [Patent Document 2] JP 2013-19465 A [Patent Document 3] Taiwan Patent Application No. 201137258 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the conventional patent documents, for example, Patent Document 1, Patent Document 2 and Patent Document 3 below, the end caps for sealing the lubricating oil are designed, and it is described that the sealing effect is strengthened mainly by the concave-convex design. However, these patent documents do not have a structural design for releasing pressure, and there is no place for the excess lubricating oil to escape, so there is a risk of oil leakage, which ultimately affects the normal operation and service life of the linear slide rail.

[0005] Therefore, the present inventor believed that the above-mentioned shortcomings could be improved, and after extensive research, he came up with the present invention, which effectively improves the above-mentioned problems through rational design.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to solve the above problems. That is, the present invention provides an end cap for a linear slide rail. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, an end cap of a linear slide rail according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a first outer end surface, a first inner end surface facing away from the first outer end surface, a first storage tank recessed into the first inner end surface, two oil tanks and two oil tray discharge grooves respectively connected to the two oil tanks, and a seal groove zone recessed into a bottom surface of the first storage tank, the two ends of the seal groove zone being connected to the two oil tanks, respectively; a lid portion attached to the lid portion and having a second outer end surface facing the first inner end surface, and a seal strip zone protruding from the second outer end surface and provided in the seal groove zone, the seal strip zone having an oil drain groove, the two ends of the oil drain groove being connected to the two oil tanks, respectively.

[0008] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cover portion further includes two return tanks recessed into the first inner end surface and connected to the two oil tray discharge grooves, respectively.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cover portion further has two first oil tray discharge guide grooves respectively recessed into the bottom surface of the oil tray discharge groove, and the first oil tray discharge guide grooves are connected to the return tank.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, each of the oil tray discharge grooves of the cover portion has an oil tray discharge end, and the cover portion further has two second oil tray discharge guide grooves respectively recessed into the bottom surfaces of the oil tray discharge grooves, and the second oil tray discharge guide grooves are connected to the oil tray discharge ends.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the seal groove zone of the lid portion is Π-shaped, the seal strip zone of the first cover is Π-shaped, the seal strip zone further has at least two protrusions, and the oil drain groove is formed between two adjacent protrusions.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the first cover further comprises a second inner end surface facing away from the second outer end surface, the second inner end surface having a pressure zone corresponding to the sealing strip zone, and the end cap further comprises a second cover, the second cover being mounted on the first cover and having a pressure strip zone crimped to the pressure zone.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the pressure zone of the first cover is Π-shaped and the pressure strip zone of the second cover is Π-shaped.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cover further includes two oil guide grooves respectively communicating with the two oil tanks and the two oil tray discharge grooves.

[0015] In order to achieve the above object, a linear slide rail according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a slide rail, a slider slidably installed on the slide rail, and two end caps installed on two opposite ends of the slider. The configuration and structure of each of the end caps are the same as those of the end caps described above, and therefore the description thereof will not be repeated here. Effect of the Invention

[0016] The present invention has the following advantages: The cover has a structure in which a seal groove zone, an oil tank, and an oil tray discharge groove are sequentially connected, and the first cover is designed to be installed in the seal strip zone within the seal groove zone. When the injection pressure in the end cap is too high, the lubricating oil is introduced into the oil tank through the oil drain groove in the seal strip zone and then discharged to a designated location via the oil tray discharge groove. This design effectively reduces the injection pressure inside the end cap, preventing the lubricating oil from leaking out due to excessive injection pressure, and enhances the resistance of the structure to deformation and assembly displacement caused by the oil injection pressure, thereby achieving an excellent oil sealing effect.

[0017] At least the following points will become apparent from the following specification and drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is an exploded view of an end cap and a linear slide rail having an end cap according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a combination diagram showing an end cap and a linear slide rail having an end cap according to the first embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 3] 4 is an exploded view showing the state in which the lid part and the first cover are separated in the first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 4] 4 is an exploded view showing the first cover and the second cover being separated according to the first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a combination view showing an inclined state of the end cap according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 6-6 in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 7 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of FIG. [Figure 9A]FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a first cover according to the first embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 9B] FIG. 9B is a cross-sectional view taken along line 9B-9B in FIG. 9A. [Figure 9C] FIG. 9C is a cross-sectional view taken along line 9C-9C in FIG. 9A. [Figure 9D] 4 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing another cross-sectional state of the protruding strip portion of the first cover in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a schematic operational diagram showing a pressure relief path for lubricating grease in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 11] 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a first oil tray discharge guide groove is provided on a cover according to a second embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 12] 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a second oil tray discharge guide groove is provided on a cover part of a third embodiment of the present invention; FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] The following is a detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to these, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the description. The technical scope of the present invention also includes embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in the different embodiments. Note that in this specification, similar elements and part names are indicated by the same numbers.

[0020] <First Example> First, a specific embodiment of an end cap for a linear slide rail according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0021] The end cap according to the first embodiment of the present invention is applied to a linear slide rail, which mainly comprises a slide rail 100, a slider 200, and two end caps 300 (see FIGS. 1 and 2). The slider 200 is slidably installed on the slide rail 100. The two end caps 300 are respectively mounted on two opposite ends of the slider 200 by fixing members (e.g., screws (not shown)). Since the two end caps 300 have the same structure, only one end cap 300 will be described below.

[0022] 3 to 9A, the end cap 300 is made up of a lid portion 10, a first cover 20, and a second cover 30. Each of these will be described below.

[0023] The cover portion 10 has a first outer end surface 11, a first inner end surface 12 facing the opposite side of the first outer end surface 11, a first storage tank 13 recessed in the first inner end surface 12, two oil tanks 14, two oil guide grooves 15 respectively communicating with the two oil tanks 14, two oil tray discharge grooves 16 respectively communicating with the two oil guide grooves 15, two return tanks 17 respectively communicating with the two oil tray discharge grooves 16, and a seal groove zone 18 recessed in the bottom surface of the first storage tank 13 and having a Π shape. Two ends 181 of the seal groove zone 18 are connected to the two oil tanks 14, respectively. Each of the oil tray discharge grooves 16 has an oil tray discharge end 161 adjacent to the side surface 101 of the slide rail 100.

[0024] The first cover 20 is attached to the lid 10 and has a second outer end surface 21 facing the first inner end surface 12, a second inner end surface 22 facing the opposite side of the second outer end surface 21, a seal strip zone 23 protruding from the second outer end surface 21 and provided in the seal groove zone 18, and a seal protrusion 24 protruding from the second inner end surface 22. The seal strip zone 23 has a Π shape and has two protruding stripes 231 protruding toward the bottom surface of the seal groove zone 18 and an oil drain groove 232 formed between the two protruding stripes 231. Two ends 2321 of the oil drain groove 232 are respectively connected to the two oil tanks 14 of the lid 10, and the number of the protruding stripes 231 is not limited to two and may be three or more, and the number of the oil drain grooves 232 is one less than the number of the protruding stripes 231. In this case, as shown in Figures 9A to 9C, the cross section of the two protrusions 231 of the seal strip zone 23 is substantially semicircular, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In this case, as shown in Figure 9D, the cross section of the protrusions 231 may be substantially rectangular. The second inner end surface 22 has a pressure zone 221 that corresponds to the seal strip zone 23 and is similarly Π-shaped, and the pressure zone 221 is located on a partial peripheral side of the seal protrusion 24.

[0025] Incidentally, when the first cover 20 is attached to the lid portion 10, the seal groove zone 18 of the lid portion 10 closes the groove mouth portion of the oil drain groove 232 of the first cover 20, forming a closed flow path in which two ends of the oil drain groove 232 are connected. Similarly, when the first cover 20 is attached to the lid portion 10, the first cover 20 closes the groove mouth portion of the oil tank 14, the oil guide groove 15, and the groove mouth portion of the oil tray discharge groove 16 of the lid portion 10, thereby connecting the oil tank 14, the oil guide groove 15, and the oil tray discharge groove 16.

[0026] The second cover 30 is installed on the first cover 20 and has a pressure strip zone 31 and a seal recess 32 surrounded by the pressure strip zone 31. The pressure strip zone 31 has a Π shape and is pressed against the pressure zone 221 of the first cover 20, so that the connection between the seal strip zone 23 of the first cover 20 and the seal groove zone 18 of the lid part 10 is more secure, and the sealing performance is further improved. The seal recess 32 is provided in the seal protrusion 24 of the first cover 20, so that the connection between the second cover 30 and the first cover 20 is more secure, and the sealing performance is further improved.

[0027] The above is a description of the structure and configuration of each main component in the first embodiment of the present invention. The working method and effects of the present invention will now be described.

[0028] In this case, as shown in Figures 9A to 9C and 10, the cover portion 10 has a structure in which the seal groove zone 18, oil tank 14, oil guide groove 15, and oil tray discharge groove 16 are sequentially connected to each other, and the first cover 20 is designed to be installed in the seal strip zone 23 in the seal groove zone 18. When the injection pressure in the end cap 300 is too high, the lubricating oil (shown by the arrows in Figures 9A and 10) is introduced from the oil drain groove 232 of the seal strip zone 23 to the oil tank 14, and then passed through the oil guide groove 15 and the oil tray discharge groove 16 in sequence to be discharged from the oil tray discharge end 161 of the cover portion 10 and the return tank 17, thereby lubricating the side surface 101 of the slide rail 100 and the rolling elements (not shown). In this way, the seal strip zone 23 of the first cover 20 is designed with an oil drain groove 232 to partially introduce and release the lubricating oil, thereby relieving the lubricating oil injection pressure. Therefore, the design of the present invention effectively reduces the injection pressure inside the end cap 300, prevents the lubricating oil from leaking out due to excessive injection pressure, strengthens the structural resistance to deformation and assembly displacement caused by the injection pressure, and achieves an excellent oil sealing effect.

[0029] <Second Example> The end cap of the linear slide rail according to the second embodiment of the present invention (see FIG. 11) further has two first oil tray discharge guide grooves 19A recessed into the bottom surface of the oil tray discharge groove 16 of the cover portion 10, and the first oil tray discharge guide grooves 19A are connected to the return tank 17. Thus, this embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the flow of the lubricating oil further has directionality, and the lubrication of the rolling elements (not shown) rolling in the return tank 17 can be further ensured.

[0030] <Third Example> The end cap of the linear slide rail according to the third embodiment of the present invention (see FIG. 12) further has two second oil tray discharge guide grooves 19B recessed into the bottom surface of the oil tray discharge groove 16 of the cover portion 10, and the second oil tray discharge guide grooves 19B are connected to the oil tray discharge end 161. This differs from the first embodiment in that the flow of the lubricating oil thus has more directionality, and the lubrication of the side surface 101 of the slide rail 100 can be further ensured.

[0031] Although the present invention has been described above using the embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. It is clear to those skilled in the art that various modifications or improvements can be made to the above embodiments. It is clear from the description of the claims for utility model registration that forms with such modifications or improvements can also be included in the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0032] 100 Slide Rail 101 Side 200 Slider 300 End Cap 10 Lid 11 First outer end surface 12 First inner end surface 13 First Storage Tank 14 Oil Tank 15 Oil guide groove 16 Oil tray drain groove 161 Oil tray discharge end 17 Return Tank 18 Seal Groove Zone 181 End 19A First oil tray discharge guide groove 19B Second oil tray discharge guide groove 20 First Cover 21 Second outer end surface 22 Second inner end surface 221 Pressure Zone 23 Seal Strip Zone 231 Projection part 232 Oil drain groove 2321 End 24 Seal protrusion 30 2nd Cover 31 Presser strip zone 32 Seal recess

Claims

1. a cover portion having a first outer end surface, a first inner end surface facing away from the first outer end surface, a first storage tank recessed into the first inner end surface, two oil tanks and two oil tray discharge grooves respectively communicating with the two oil tanks, and a seal groove zone recessed into a bottom surface of the first storage tank, the two ends of the seal groove zone being connected to the two oil tanks, respectively; a first cover attached to the lid portion, the first cover having a second outer end surface facing the first inner end surface, and a seal strip zone projecting from the second outer end surface and provided in the seal groove zone, the seal strip zone having an oil drain groove, two ends of the oil drain groove being connected to the two oil tanks, respectively.

2. The end cap of a linear slide rail as described in claim 1, characterized in that the lid portion further has two return tanks recessed into the first inner end surface and connected to the two oil tray discharge grooves, respectively, and the lid portion further has two first oil tray discharge guide grooves recessed into the bottom surfaces of the oil tray discharge grooves, and the first oil tray discharge guide grooves are connected to the return tanks.

3. The end cap of a linear slide rail as described in claim 1, characterized in that each of the oil tray discharge grooves of the cover portion has an oil tray discharge end, the cover portion further has two second oil tray discharge guide grooves respectively recessed into the bottom surfaces of the oil tray discharge grooves, and the second oil tray discharge guide grooves are connected to the oil tray discharge ends.

4. 2. The end cap of a linear slide rail as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the seal groove zone of the lid portion is Π-shaped, the seal strip zone of the first cover is Π-shaped, the seal strip zone further has at least two protrusions, and the oil drain groove is formed between two adjacent protrusions.

5. 2. The end cap of a linear slide rail as described in claim 1, wherein the lid portion further has two oil guide grooves which are respectively connected to the two oil tanks and the two oil tray discharge grooves.

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