Rolling guide device

Abstract

To improve a mechanism for applying lubricant to the rolling element rolling surface of a rolling element.SOLUTION: At the end in the longitudinal direction of a moving member 21 constituting a rolling guide device 10, a plate-shaped end plate 51, a greasing nipple 52 mounted to the outward face side of the end plate 51, and a lubricant tank 55 mounted to the inward face side of the end plate 51 are installed. The lubricant tank 55 normally has a space from a rolling element 31. When a user pushes a greasing gun against the greasing nipple 52 for filling lubricant, the end plate 51 is elastically deformed by the pushing force of the greasing gun, to put the lubricant tank 55 and the rolling element 31 into a closely contacting state, and then the lubricant is applied to the rolling element 31.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] Rolling guide devices, which have rolling elements such as wheels, balls and rollers in the guiding section as mechanical elements for guiding the linear and curved motion of moving bodies such as tables, provide nimble movement and are therefore used in a variety of fields such as robots, machine tools, semiconductor and liquid crystal manufacturing equipment, medical devices and opening and closing devices.

[0003] When using this type of rolling guide device, it is necessary to provide good lubrication, that is, to create a film of oil between the rolling elements and the rolling surface of the rolling elements to prevent direct contact between metal and metal. If it is used without lubrication, wear of the rolling elements and the rolling surface of the rolling elements will increase, causing a premature end of life.

[0004] There are various methods for supplying lubricant to a rolling guide device, and one example is a method in which lubrication is performed via a greasing nipple attached to a moving member of the rolling guide device. In general, a greasing nipple is attached to an end plate attached to both longitudinal end faces of the moving member, and a lubricant supply path connecting the greasing nipple to the rolling element circulation path is formed inside the moving member and on the side that contacts the end face of the moving member. When a lubricant such as oil or grease is supplied to the greasing nipple, the lubricant is applied to the rolling elements via the lubricant supply path. For example, Patent Document 1 below is a prior art document that discloses such a rolling guide device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2005-207469 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, the lubrication structure of a rolling guide device according to the prior art, as represented by Patent Document 1 cited above, employs a structure in which a lubricant such as grease is supplied from a greasing nipple through a complex path when the lubricant is applied to the rolling surfaces of the rolling elements, which results in a complex structure of the components, and creates issues in terms of cost and operation, such as the cost of mold production and leakage of lubricant between parts.

[0007] In addition, in the conventional technology, it is difficult to apply an appropriate amount of lubricant to the appropriate part of the rolling body, so for example, if the necessary amount of lubricant is not applied to the rolling surface of the rolling body, it is considered that it will have a large effect on the sliding resistance and have a negative effect on the device life of the rolling guide device. Conversely, if more lubricant than necessary is applied to the rolling surface of the rolling body, it will have a negative effect such as environmental deterioration and increased operating costs.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the problems existing in the conventional technology described above, and aims to reduce manufacturing costs by simplifying the structure of the components for applying lubricant to the rolling surfaces of the rolling bodies that make up a rolling guide device, maintain a stable operating state of the rolling guide device by applying an appropriate amount of lubricant to appropriate parts of the rolling bodies, and further realize a rolling guide device that is environmentally friendly and has excellent operating costs by eliminating waste of the lubricant that is applied. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The rolling guide device according to the present invention comprises a track member which is an elongated member extending in a longitudinal direction and which is formed by a mounting surface portion which serves as a mounting reference for an external member and a pair of wall portions which are erected from each of both ends of the mounting surface portion toward one side, a moving member which is installed so as to be able to reciprocate along the longitudinal direction of the track member, and a plurality of rolling bodies which are disposed between the track member and the moving member and which are rollably disposed within a space surrounded by the mounting surface portion and the pair of wall portions which form the track member, thereby guiding the relative reciprocating movement of the moving member with respect to the track member, and each of the opposing wall surfaces of the pair of wall portions has a rolling body which comes into contact with an outer circumferential surface of the rolling body. a plate-shaped end plate, a grease nipple attached to the outer surface of the end plate, and a lubricant tank attached to the inner surface of the end plate are provided at the longitudinal end of the movable member, and the lubricant tank always has a gap between it and the rolling elements, and when a user presses a grease gun against the grease nipple to fill with lubricant, the end plate is elastically deformed by the pressing force of the grease gun, so that the lubricant tank and the rolling elements are in contact with each other without any gaps, and lubricant is applied to the rolling elements. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, manufacturing costs can be reduced by simplifying the structure of the components for applying lubricant to the rolling surfaces of the rolling bodies that make up the rolling guide device, and a stable operating state of the rolling guide device can be maintained by applying an appropriate amount of lubricant to appropriate parts of the rolling bodies.Furthermore, by eliminating waste of the lubricant that is applied, a rolling guide device that is excellent in terms of the environment and operating costs can be realized. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a rolling guide device according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed obliquely from above and to the front right. [Diagram 2]2 is a perspective view of a moving slider constituting the rolling guide device according to the present embodiment, as viewed diagonally from above and rear right. FIG. [Diagram 3] 1 is a perspective view of a rolling guide device according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the front side. [Figure 4] 1 is a perspective view of a rolling guide device according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the left side. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the rolling guide device according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] 4 is a perspective view for explaining an end plate, a grease nipple, and a lubricant tank that configure the moving slider according to the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the lubricant tank according to the present embodiment, in which (a) is a partial oblique view showing the surrounding area where the lubricant tank is installed in the rolling guide device according to the present embodiment, (b) is a partial oblique view showing the state where the wheel has been removed from (a), and (c) is a perspective view showing the lubricant tank alone according to the present embodiment. [Figure 8] 11 is a bottom view showing how the end plate according to the embodiment is elastically deformed. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a partial rear view to explain how the end plate elastically deforms and the lubricant tank comes into contact with the wheel in the rolling guide device of this embodiment, where sub-view (a) in the figure shows the state before the end plate elastically deforms, and sub-view (b) shows the state after the end plate elastically deforms. [Figure 10] 4 is a cross-sectional view for explaining a state in which a lubricant is applied to a wheel from a lubricant tank in the rolling guide device according to the present embodiment. FIG. [Figure 11] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a lubricant is applied from a lubricant tank to a wheel in a rolling guide device according to the present embodiment, as viewed from the bottom side. FIG. [Figure 12] 11 is a partial bottom view showing a main part of a moving slider for explaining the action and effect of an end plate and a lubricant tank provided in the rolling guide device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 13]11A to 11C are diagrams illustrating an improved structure that can be applied to the end plate according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Preferred embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the inventions according to the claims, and all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are not necessarily essential to the solution of the invention.

[0013] First, the basic configuration of the rolling guide device 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 4. Here, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the rolling guide device according to this embodiment when viewed from the front right and above, and Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the moving slider constituting the rolling guide device according to this embodiment when viewed from the rear right and above. Also, Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the rolling guide device according to this embodiment when viewed from the front side, and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the rolling guide device according to this embodiment when viewed from the left side. In this specification, for convenience of explanation, the directions of the rolling guide device 10 are defined as shown in Figs. 1 to 4. However, these directions do not indicate the directions when the rolling guide device 10 according to this embodiment is used, and the rolling guide device 10 according to this embodiment can be used in any posture. In other words, the directions of "front, back, up, down, left, right" shown in Figs. 1 to 4 are determined solely for convenience of explanation.

[0014] As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the rolling guide device 10 of this embodiment is configured to include a track rail 11 as a track member, a moving slider 21 as a moving member installed so as to be movable back and forth along the longitudinal direction of the track rail 11 (i.e., the left-right direction in Figures 1 to 3), and three wheels 31 as multiple rolling bodies arranged between the track rail 11 and the moving slider 21 in a freely rolling state.

[0015] The track rail 11 is an elongated member having a generally C-shaped cross section extending in the longitudinal direction. As shown in Fig. 4, the track rail 11 of this embodiment has, in a side view, a mounting surface portion 12 formed extending in the vertical direction, an upper wall portion 13 as a wall portion according to the present invention formed extending forward from an upper end of the mounting surface portion 12, and a lower wall portion 14 as a wall portion according to the present invention formed extending forward from a lower end of the mounting surface portion 12.

[0016] On the lower surface side of the upper wall portion 13, a wheel upper rolling surface 13a is formed as a rolling element rolling surface according to the present invention, which contacts with the wheel outer peripheral surface of the wheel 31 (the rolling element outer peripheral surface of the present invention). Similarly, on the upper surface side of the lower wall portion 14, a wheel lower rolling surface 14a is formed as a rolling element rolling surface according to the present invention, which contacts with the wheel outer peripheral surface of the wheel 31 (the rolling element outer peripheral surface of the present invention). The wheel upper rolling surface 13a and the wheel lower rolling surface 14a are arranged opposite to each other in a side view. And, three wheels 31 are arranged in a freely rolling state in an internal space 15 (the interior of the space according to the present invention) surrounded by the mounting surface portion 12, the upper wall portion 13, and the lower wall portion 14.

[0017] The track rail 11 of this embodiment has the above-mentioned outer shape formed by plastically deforming a metal material by drawing. However, the method of forming the track rail 11 is not limited to drawing. For example, the outer shape may be formed by grinding or cutting the metal material, or the outer shape may be formed by controlling the surface hardness and internal quality by heat treatment after plastically deforming the metal material by drawing, and then performing grinding or the like. In other words, the outer shape of the track rail 11, which is the track member of the present invention, can be formed by any processing method.

[0018] Moreover, the track rail 11 of this embodiment is a member that serves as an attachment reference for the rolling guide device 10. Therefore, in this embodiment, by forming attachment holes 12a such as bolt holes in the attachment surface portion 12 that constitutes the track rail 11, the track rail 11 can be fixed to an attachment reference surface such as a base or a door frame by using the attachment holes 12a.

[0019] As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the moving slider 21 is a block-shaped member having a roughly rectangular shape, and is installed so as to be reciprocally movable along the longitudinal direction of the track rail 11. In the moving slider 21 of this embodiment, three wheels 31 are arranged on the rear side in a freely rolling state. In addition, a movable member that is guided and moved by the rolling guide device 10 can be installed on the front side of the moving slider 21. In addition, in the rolling guide device 10 according to this embodiment, the track rail 11 is fixed to a mounting reference surface such as a base or a door frame, and the moving slider 21 is installed so as to be reciprocally movable relative to the track rail 11. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the moving slider 21 may be fixed to a mounting reference surface, and the track rail 11 may be reciprocally movable relative to the moving slider 21.

[0020] The wheel 31 is a member that is freely rollable disposed between the track rail 11 and the movable slider 21 in the approximately C-shaped internal space 15 that constitutes the track rail 11, thereby guiding the relative reciprocating movement of the movable slider 21 with respect to the track rail 11.

[0021] More specifically, the wheels 31 of this embodiment are arranged in a state where three wheels 31 can freely roll on the rear side of the moving slider 21. As is clear from a comparison between FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the one wheel 31 located in the center of the three wheels 31 is arranged to be in contact with the wheel upper rolling surface 13a and to have a gap without contacting the wheel lower rolling surface 14a. On the other hand, the two wheels 31 located on the left and right of the three wheels 31 are arranged to be in contact with the wheel lower rolling surface 14a and to have a gap without contacting the wheel upper rolling surface 13a. In this way, by arranging the positions of the three wheels 31 alternately in the up and down direction when viewed from the front, for example, when the moving slider 21 moves to the right side of the paper surface in FIG. 3 relative to the track rail 11, the one wheel 31 located in the center rotates counterclockwise with respect to the paper surface of FIG. 3, and the two wheels 31 located on the left and right rotate clockwise with respect to the paper surface of FIG. 3. Conversely, when the movable slider 21 moves to the left side of the paper with respect to the track rail 11 in Fig. 3, the wheel 31 located in the center rotates clockwise with respect to the paper of Fig. 3, and the two wheels 31 located on the left and right rotate counterclockwise with respect to the paper of Fig. 3. In this way, by arranging the three wheels 31 alternately in the up-down direction when viewed from the front, the movable slider 21, which moves relatively linearly along the longitudinal direction of the track rail 11, can perform suitable reciprocating linear movement while appropriately receiving the moment load.

[0022] 1 to 4, a configuration example has been shown in which one central wheel 31 is arranged so as to be in contact with the wheel upper rolling surface 13a, and two wheels 31 located on the left and right are arranged so as to be in contact with the wheel lower rolling surface 14a. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a configuration opposite to this embodiment, in which one central wheel 31 is arranged so as to be in contact with the wheel lower rolling surface 14a, and two wheels 31 located on the left and right are arranged so as to be in contact with the wheel upper rolling surface 13a, may be adopted.

[0023] In addition, in the present invention, it is also possible to adopt a configuration example in which four or more wheels 31 are arranged on the rear side of the moving slider 21, but in this configuration example, it is preferable to arrange adjacent wheels 31 so that they alternately contact the wheel upper rolling surface 13a and the wheel lower rolling surface 14a.

[0024] Furthermore, the wheel in the present invention includes a wheel member that is attached to a rotating shaft in a freely rotatable state and has a rolling contact surface with a mating member that is formed as a horizontal surface, a convex curved surface, or a concave curved surface. Incidentally, in this embodiment, the rolling contact surface of the wheel 31 is exemplified as being formed as a convex curved surface (see FIG. 4).

[0025] Next, a specific configuration of the moving slider 21 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 5 and 6. Here, Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the rolling guide device according to this embodiment. Also, Fig. 6 is a perspective view for explaining the end plate, grease nipple, and lubricant tank that constitute the moving slider according to this embodiment. In Fig. 6, the sub-view (a) is a perspective view seen from the upper right, and the sub-view (b) is a perspective view seen from the upper left.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 5, the moving slider 21 according to this embodiment has a slider body 22 having a generally rectangular shape, and the wheels 31 are installed on the slider body 22 in a freely rolling state by the mounting pins 23 and the bolts 24. Of the mounting pins 23, the mounting pin 23 for mounting the wheel 31 arranged at the center is an eccentric mounting pin 23a, and the mounting pins 23 for mounting the two wheels 31 arranged on the left and right are fixed mounting pins 23b. In other words, the rotation axis of the wheel 31 arranged at the center is an eccentric axis, and the position of the wheel 31 can be adjusted by rotating the eccentric mounting pin 23a as the eccentric axis. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, in this embodiment, three wheels 31 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction, but the rotation axes of the two wheels 31 arranged at the left and right are fixed axes, and the rotation axis of the one wheel 31 arranged at the center is an eccentric axis, so that the preload adjustment of the three wheels 31 with respect to the track rail 11 can be performed by moving the position of the wheel 31 arranged at the center upward.

[0027] In addition, at the longitudinal end of the slider main body 22 in this embodiment, a plate-shaped end plate 51, a grease nipple 52 attached to the outer surface side of the end plate 51, and a lubricant tank 55 attached to the inner surface side of the end plate 51 are installed.

[0028] The end plate 51 is fixed to the longitudinal end of the slider body 22 by bolts 51a. As shown in Fig. 6, a grease nipple 52 attached to the outer surface of the end plate 51 is provided with male threads 52a, a mounting hole 51b of the grease nipple 52 in the end plate 51 is a through hole, and a mounting hole 55a of the grease nipple 52 in the lubricant tank 55 is provided with female threads. Thus, the end plate 51, the grease nipple 52, and the lubricant tank 55 are fixedly connected by screwing the grease nipple 52 and the lubricant tank 55 together with male and female threads while the end plate 51 is sandwiched between the grease nipple 52 and the lubricant tank 55.

[0029] In addition, in the moving slider 21 according to this embodiment, the scraper 41 is installed in a rotatable state at a position sandwiched between the end plate 51 and the lubricant tank 55, and two side seals 42 extending in the longitudinal direction are installed on the surface of the slider body 22 on the side where the wheel 31 is installed. The scraper 41 is installed in a rotatable state by being fitted into the joint between the grease nipple 52 and the lubricant tank 55, while the two side seals 42 are fixed in a state where the left and right ends in the longitudinal direction are pressed by the end plate 51 while being inserted into the rear surface side of the slider body 22. The scraper 41 and the side seals 42 are both installed for the purpose of preventing foreign matter such as dust from entering the internal space 15 in which the wheel 31 is arranged and in which the wheel upper rolling surface 13a and the wheel lower rolling surface 14a are formed, and contribute to maintaining a stable operating state of the rolling guide device 10 according to this embodiment.

[0030] Above, the basic configuration of the rolling guide device 10 according to the present embodiment has been described. Next, the configuration of the main parts of the rolling guide device 10 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 7 to 12. Here, Fig. 7 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the lubricant tank according to the present embodiment, and the sub-diagram (a) in the figure is a partial perspective view showing the surrounding area where the lubricant tank is installed in the rolling guide device according to the present embodiment, the sub-diagram (b) is a partial perspective view showing a state in which the wheel is removed from the sub-diagram (a), and the sub-diagram (c) is a perspective view showing the lubricant tank alone according to the present embodiment. Also, Fig. 8 is a bottom view showing the state in which the end plate according to the present embodiment is elastically deformed. Furthermore, Fig. 9 is a partial rear view for explaining the state in which the end plate is elastically deformed in the rolling guide device according to the present embodiment and the lubricant tank comes into contact with the wheel, and the sub-diagram (a) in the figure shows the state before the end plate is elastically deformed, and the sub-diagram (b) shows the state after the end plate is elastically deformed. Furthermore, Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view for explaining a state in which a lubricant is applied from a lubricant tank to a wheel in the rolling guide device according to this embodiment, and Fig. 11 is a schematic diagram of a state in which a lubricant is applied from a lubricant tank to a wheel in the rolling guide device according to this embodiment, as viewed from the bottom side. Note that the sub-diagram (a) in Fig. 10 and the sub-diagram (a) in Fig. 11 are corresponding diagrams showing the same state, and the sub-diagram (b) in Fig. 10 and the sub-diagram (b) in Fig. 11 are corresponding diagrams showing the same state. Furthermore, Fig. 12 is a partial bottom view showing a main part of a moving slider for explaining the action and effect of an end plate and a lubricant tank provided in the rolling guide device according to this embodiment.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 9(a), the lubricant tank 55 according to this embodiment is always disposed with a gap between it and the wheel 31. In this embodiment, the end plate 51 to which the lubricant tank 55 is attached is made of a material with a low elastic modulus, such as plastic resin, and is therefore a member that easily elastically deforms when subjected to an external force, as shown in FIG. 8. Therefore, when a user presses a grease gun (not shown) against the grease nipple 52 to fill the lubricant, as shown in FIG. 9(b), the end plate 51 fixed to the end plate 51 is elastically deformed by the pressing force of the grease gun (not shown), and the lubricant tank 55 and the wheel 31 are in contact with each other without any gaps. In other words, when a user presses a grease gun (not shown) against the grease nipple 52 from the right side of the drawing to the left side of the drawing from the initial state shown in FIG. 9(a), the end plate 51 that receives this pressing force is elastically deformed, and the lubricant tank 55 and the wheel 31 are in contact with each other without any gaps, as shown in FIG. 9(b). When the user operates a lubricant gun (not shown) to supply lubricant in the state shown in Figure 9 (b), the lubricant is applied to the wheel 31 with the lubricant tank 55 and the wheel 31 in contact with each other.

[0032] As is apparent from a comparison of Figures 6 and 7, the lubricant tank 55 according to this embodiment has a hole-shaped portion 55b continuing to the mounting hole 55a of the grease nipple 52, and a groove-shaped portion 55c formed continuing to the hole-shaped portion 55b.

[0033] The hole-shaped portion 55b is a portion that serves to guide the lubricant supplied through the grease nipple 52 toward the groove-shaped portion 55c. The groove-shaped portion 55c serves to form a space for storing lubricant between the lubricant tank 55 and the wheel 31 when the lubricant tank 55 comes into contact with the wheel 31. More specifically, the groove-shaped portion 55c is a portion whose inlet that opens toward the wheel 31 side is formed as a groove shape that conforms to the shape of the wheel 31.

[0034] 10 and 11, the state in which the lubricant is applied from the lubricant tank 55 to the wheel 31 will be described. As described above, when the user presses the grease gun (not shown) against the grease nipple 52, the end plate 51 receives this pressing force and elastically deforms, so that the lubricant tank 55 and the wheel 31 come into contact with no gaps. However, the contact state between the lubricant tank 55 and the wheel 31 does not have to be a state of complete contact. When the user operates the grease gun (not shown) from this state to supply the lubricant, the lubricant is first introduced into the hole-shaped portion 55b of the lubricant tank 55 with the lubricant tank 55 and the wheel 31 in contact with each other (see the state in FIG. 10(a) and FIG. 11(a)). If more lubricant is supplied from this state, the lubricant will also fill the inside of the groove-shaped portion 55c that forms a space between the lubricant tank 55 and the wheel 31, which are in contact with each other, and a lubricant reservoir will be formed between the lubricant tank 55 and the wheel 31 (see the states in Figures 10(b) and 11(b)).

[0035] At this time, as shown in FIG. 9(b) and the like, the groove shape of the groove-shaped portion 55c formed in the lubricant tank 55 is such that when the lubricant tank 55 comes into contact with the wheel 31, the inlet opening on the wheel 31 side of the groove-shaped portion 55c follows the shape of the wheel 31 so that the lubricant flows along the rolling direction of the wheel 31, and the lubricant tank 55 and the wheel 31 come into contact with each other without any gaps in the direction perpendicular to the rolling direction of the wheel 31, so that the lubricant does not leak out. On the other hand, in the direction along the rolling direction of the wheel 31, an opening is formed between the lubricant tank 55 and the wheel 31 to the extent that the lubricant can be discharged. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 11(c), the lubricant filled inside the groove-shaped portion 55c leaks out only in the direction along the outer circumferential surface of the rolling element of the wheel 31.

[0036] When the wheel 31 is rolled in the state shown in FIG. 11(c), only the lubricant leaked from the lubricant reservoir formed between the lubricant tank 55 and the wheel 31 is applied to the rolling element outer circumferential surface of the wheel 31 and the wheel upper rolling surface 13a, or to the rolling element outer circumferential surface of the wheel 31 and the wheel lower rolling surface 14a (see the state shown in FIG. 11(d)). The state shown in FIG. 11(d) shows that the lubricant is efficiently applied only to the shaded area indicated by the symbol α in FIG. 12, that is, the area along the rolling element outer circumferential surface of the wheel 31. This state shows that it is possible to maintain a stable operating state of the rolling guide device 10 by applying an appropriate amount of lubricant to an appropriate area of ​​the wheel 31, and also shows that it is possible to realize a rolling guide device 10 that is excellent in terms of the environment and operating costs by eliminating waste of the lubricant to be applied. Furthermore, the structure of the components for applying lubricant (end plate 51, grease nipple 52 and lubricant tank 55) of the rolling guide device 10 in this embodiment is very simplified, so that manufacturing costs can be reduced compared to conventional technology.

[0037] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. Various modifications and improvements can be made to the above embodiments.

[0038] For example, the end plate 51 according to the above embodiment is exemplified as being made of a material with a low elastic modulus, such as plastic resin. However, various improvements can be made to the end plate of the present invention in order to achieve more suitable elastic deformation. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an improved structure of such an end plate. Here, FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an improved structure that can be applied to the end plate according to the present invention.

[0039] 13, the end plate 151 according to the improved embodiment of the present invention is fixed to the installation location of the longitudinal end of the movable slider 21 with a deformation gap 152 for elastic deformation. By providing the deformation gap 152, the length (L) of the portion of the end plate 151 other than the fixed portion that functions as a beam is increased, so that even if the pressing force β from the outside is small, the end plate 151 easily deforms elastically, making it possible to stably and reliably maintain the state in which the lubricant tank 55 and the wheel 31 are in contact with each other.

[0040] 13, for example, a deformation groove 153 for elastic deformation can be formed on the outer surface of an end plate 151 according to an improved embodiment of the present invention. By forming the deformation groove 153 on the outer surface of the end plate 151, the end plate 151 can easily elastically deform. This makes it possible to stably and reliably maintain the state in which the lubricant tank 55 and the wheel 31 are in contact with each other. The number of deformation grooves 153 formed may be one or more. The position at which the deformation groove 153 is formed may be selected arbitrarily according to the shape of the end plate 151.

[0041] It will be apparent from the description of the claims that such modified or improved forms may also be included within the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0042] 10 rolling guide device, 11 track rail (track member), 12 mounting surface portion, 12a mounting hole, 13 upper wall portion (wall portion), 13a wheel upper rolling surface (rolling body rolling surface), 14 lower wall portion (wall portion), 14a wheel lower rolling surface (rolling body rolling surface), 15 internal space (inside of space), 21 moving slider (moving member), 22 slider main body portion, 23 mounting pin, 23a eccentric mounting pin (eccentric shaft), 23b fixed mounting pin, 24 bolt, 31 wheel (rolling body), 41 scraper, 42 side seal, 51 end plate, 51a bolt, 51b mounting hole, 52 grease nipple, 52a male thread, 55 lubricant tank, 55a mounting hole, 55b hole shaped portion, 55c groove shaped portion, 151 End plate, 152 deformation gap, 153 deformation groove, α area along the outer circumferential surface of the rolling element of the wheel (area where lubricant is applied), β pressing force from the outside, L length of the part of the end plate that functions as a beam other than the fixed part.

Claims

1. a track member which is an elongated member extending in a longitudinal direction and which is formed by a mounting surface portion which serves as a mounting reference for an external member, and a pair of wall portions which are erected in one direction from each of both ends of the mounting surface portion; a moving member that is reciprocally movable along a longitudinal direction of the track member; a plurality of rolling elements that are disposed between the track member and the movable member and rollably within a space surrounded by the mounting surface portion and the pair of wall portions that form the track member, thereby guiding the relative reciprocating movement of the movable member with respect to the track member; Equipped with In a rolling guide device, a rolling element rolling surface that comes into contact with an outer circumferential surface of the rolling element is formed on each of the opposing wall surfaces of the pair of wall portions, At the end of the moving member in the longitudinal direction, A plate-shaped end plate; A grease nipple attached to an outer surface side of the end plate; a lubricant tank attached to an inner surface side of the end plate; was installed, The lubricant tank always has a gap between it and the rolling elements, This rolling guide device is characterized in that when a user presses a grease gun against the grease nipple to fill with lubricant, the pressing force of the grease gun causes the end plate to elastically deform, bringing the lubricant tank and the rolling elements into contact with no gaps, thereby applying lubricant to the rolling elements.

2. The rolling guide device according to claim 1, The rolling guide device according to claim 1, wherein the lubricant tank has a groove-shaped portion that forms a lubricant reservoir between the lubricant tank and the rolling elements when the lubricant tank comes into contact with the rolling elements.

3. The rolling guide device according to claim 1 or 2, The rolling guide device is characterized in that the end plates are fixed to installation locations of the longitudinal ends of the moving members with deformation gaps therebetween for elastic deformation.

4. The rolling guide device according to claim 1 or 2, The rolling guide device is characterized in that the end plates have deformation grooves on their outer surfaces for elastic deformation.

Images