Rolling element cages, sliding members, limited stroke slide rails

Abstract

To provide a rolling element retainer, a slide member, and a limited-stroke slide rail that can avoid vibration during sliding and damage to the body, and allow the rolling element to roll smoothly.SOLUTION: A body 1 of a rolling element retainer is extended along a path A, has a polygonal cross-sectional shape, and includes at least four protruding portions 12 protruding away from the body 1. A plurality of accommodating tanks 13 are distributed in the body 1 at intervals along the path A, and each accommodating tank 13 is used for accommodating a rolling element 2. A plurality of apertures 14 are formed in the body 1 and located between the accommodating tanks 13. The apertures 14 are communicated with the accommodating tanks 13. The apertures 14 are used for storing lubricating oil or a porous lubricant 3. At least one of the protruding portions 12 is continuously extended across all adjacent accommodating tanks 13 on the path A.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a rolling element cage, a sliding member, and a limited-stroke slide rail, and more particularly to a rolling element cage, which has storage tanks for storing rolling elements, and holes communicating between adjacent storage tanks that store lubricating oil or a porous lubricant to provide lubrication when the rolling elements roll, and which has protrusions on the rolling element cage that extend continuously across all adjacent storage tanks, thereby providing the rolling element cage with higher rigidity. [Background technology]

[0002] A finite stroke slide rail includes two fixed-length slide rails that are movable relative to each other, and a sliding member is installed between the two fixed-length slide rails to support the relative movement of the two fixed-length slide rails, and the sliding member includes a retainer of a specific length and a plurality of balls spaced apart by the retainer, and the balls roll on the slide rail surface to support a load. Finite stroke slide rails are generally used in machining processes with a relatively short travel distance.

[0003] The "finite linear guide unit with retainer" disclosed in Patent Document 1 uses a flat, plate-shaped retainer with window holes arranged along the longitudinal direction, and rollers are installed at an angle in each window hole, with the window holes having adjacent recesses and lips on their periphery, which are used to insert rolling elements and regulate their position.

[0004] The retainer described in Patent Document 1 is flat and plate-shaped, so the retainer is thin and has low rigidity. Therefore, in order to maintain sufficient strength in the retainer, it is necessary to reduce the number of window holes arranged in the longitudinal direction of the retainer. This reduces the number of rolling elements that can be inserted, thereby reducing the load-bearing capacity of the limited stroke slide rail. Furthermore, the technology described in Patent Document 1 does not take into consideration how to lubricate the rolling elements and maintain smooth rolling.

[0005] The "linear rolling bearing cage" described in Patent Document 2 is constructed by connecting cage segments, each of which has one accommodating groove, and rolling elements are accommodated in the accommodating groove. Adjacent cage segments are elastically fitted into holes by journals on their end faces, and in order to elastically deform the journals to fit into the holes, the journals are provided with through holes, which are the space necessary to accommodate deformation. Thus, after connecting the adjacent cage segments, the through holes communicate with the accommodating grooves of the adjacent cage segments.

[0006] The cage disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 2 employs a pocket-type cage that encases and covers the rolling elements, and is therefore more rigid than the cage in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1. However, the through-holes in the journal in Patent Document 2 are used as a space necessary to accommodate deformation of the journal, and the application does not consider how to lubricate the rolling elements when they roll and ensure their smooth rolling.

[0007] In the "linear guide device" disclosed in Patent Document 3, a cage is constructed by joining a first division and a second division, and anti-slip portions extending longitudinally are provided at the top and bottom vertical corners of the rectangular cage body, and stepped hooks adjacent to the accommodating tanks are provided at the left and right horizontal corners, and the anti-slip portions and stepped hooks can regulate the position of the rolling elements. Furthermore, a gear that limits sliding is installed in this cage, and recesses that accommodate the gear shafts are formed on the first and second divisions of the cage, respectively.

[0008] In the retainer disclosed in Patent Document 3, the anti-pullout portion and the divided hooks regulate the position of the rolling elements, thereby increasing the structural rigidity of the retainer. However, the divided hooks on the left and right sides in the horizontal direction do not extend across all of the rolling elements over their entire length, and therefore have low tensile strength against the axial tensile force that occurs when the guide rail slides in the axial direction. Furthermore, the technology described in Patent Document 3 does not take into consideration how to lubricate the rolling elements while they are rolling and ensure their smooth rolling. Furthermore, when assembling a cage to regulate the sliding gear, the gear shaft must be assembled externally onto the recess 25 of the cage, which may result in the gear becoming unstable. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent No. 08360644B2 [Patent Document 2] German Patent No. 3709039C2 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-012648 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a rolling element cage, a sliding member, and a limited stroke slide rail that can avoid vibration and damage to the main body during sliding and allow the rolling elements to roll smoothly. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] The rolling element cage of the present invention includes a main body, a plurality of accommodating tanks, and a plurality of holes, wherein the main body extends along a path, is polygonal in a longitudinal cross section intersecting the path, and has at least four protrusions protruding away from the main body, the plurality of accommodating tanks are distributed within the main body and the protrusions along the path, each of the accommodating tanks being spaced apart by a predetermined distance, each of the accommodating tanks being used to accommodate a rolling element, the plurality of holes are formed in the main body and located between the accommodating tanks, the holes are connected to the accommodating tanks, and the holes are used to store lubricating oil or a porous lubricant, and at least one of the protrusions extends continuously across all of the adjacent accommodating tanks on the path.

[0012] Furthermore, the width of the storage tank is slightly larger than the width of the rolling body, and the storage tank has an opening on the main body, the width of the opening is slightly smaller than the width of the rolling body, the main body can be elastically deformed to push the rolling body into the storage tank from the opening, and the body has a rolling surface that prevents the rolling body from coming out, and the rolling body has a rolling surface that protrudes from the main body.

[0013] The rolling element retainer further includes a first divided portion and a second divided portion extending along the path, and the first divided portion and the second divided portion are connected to each other on a connecting surface via corresponding connecting portions, thereby forming the rolling element retainer.

[0014] Furthermore, the main body has an axis integrally molded in the vertical direction, a rotatable gear is supported on the axis, a notch is provided in the main body at a position corresponding to the gear, and a portion of the gear is exposed to the outside through the notch.

[0015] The rolling element cage further includes a first divided portion and a second divided portion extending along the path, and the first divided portion and the second divided portion are joined to each other on a joining surface via corresponding joining portions, and the joining surface is parallel to the axis of the gear.

[0016] Furthermore, the path is a straight path or an arc path.

[0017] Furthermore, a sliding member includes the rolling element cage according to any one of claims 1 to 6, and is characterized in that the rolling elements are housed in the housing tanks, respectively.

[0018] Furthermore, the rolling elements are rollers or balls.

[0019] Furthermore, the directions of the rolling axes, which are the centers of rotation of the adjacent rolling elements, are staggered.

[0020] The limited stroke slide rail of the present invention includes the rolling element cage according to any one of claims 1 to 6 and two fixed-length slide rails, the rolling elements are accommodated in each of the accommodation grooves, sliding grooves are provided on the opposing surfaces of the two fixed-length slide rails, the sliding grooves of the two fixed-length slide rails jointly define a sliding space in the longitudinal direction, the contour of the sliding space corresponds to the contour of the rolling element cage, the rolling element cage is installed in the sliding space, the rolling elements roll on the sliding grooves, a rail gap and a recessed groove are formed in the sliding space in the longitudinal cross section, and the protrusions are located in the rail gap and the recessed groove.

[0021] Furthermore, a gear is installed on the rolling element cage, and tooth grooves corresponding to the gear are provided on the two fixed-length slide rails, respectively, and the gear is meshed with the tooth grooves. [Effects of the Invention]

[0022] Based on the above technical features, the present invention can achieve the following effects.

[0023] 1. A plurality of holes on the rolling element cage are formed between the accommodating tanks of the main body and communicate with the adjacent accommodating tanks. Lubricating oil or porous lubricant can be stored in the holes, which can provide lubrication when the rolling elements roll, and can prevent phenomena such as vibration when the two fixed-length slide rails slide relative to each other due to uneven rolling of the rolling elements.

[0024] 2. In the longitudinal cross section of the rolling element cage, each corner of each housing groove has a protrusion that passes through all of the housing grooves in the axial direction, and all of the protrusions distributed around the corners of the housing grooves further increase the connection strength between all of the adjacent housing grooves, effectively improving the rigidity of the rolling element cage and giving the rolling element cage greater tensile strength in the axial direction. The increased rigidity brought about by the protrusions makes it possible to install more housing grooves in a rolling element cage of the same length to accommodate more rolling elements, thereby providing the limited stroke slide rail with a higher load capacity and preventing the main body from being damaged by external forces during assembly and use.

[0025] 3. In the longitudinal cross section of the rolling element cage, the accommodation space of the accommodation basin extends to the protruding portion, so that the exposed surfaces of the rolling elements can have a larger contact area.

[0026] 4. A gear is installed in the middle of the rolling element cage, and the gear is engaged with the tooth grooves of the two fixed-length slide rails. When the two fixed-length slide rails move relative to each other, the rolling element cage and the two fixed-length slide rails maintain their relative movement at a predetermined position, preventing creep. Moreover, the gear shaft is integrally molded on the body of the rolling element cage, eliminating the need for separate assembly, ensuring the perpendicularity of the shaft and allowing the gear to rotate stably. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0027] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a rolling element cage and a sliding member according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a rolling element cage and a sliding member according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 2. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a limited stroke slide rail according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a front view of a limited stroke slide rail according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a rolling element cage according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 6 is a front view of a rolling element cage according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a rolling element cage according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a rolling element cage and a sliding member according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a limited stroke slide rail according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of a rolling element cage according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a rolling element cage according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a plan view of a rolling element cage according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] 15 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XV-XV in FIG. 14. [Figure 16] 16 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XVI-XVI of FIG. 14. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of a rolling element cage according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is a front view of a main part of a rolling element cage according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 19] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a rolling element cage according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 20] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a rolling element cage according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 21] FIG. 10 is a plan view of a rolling element cage according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 22] 22-XXII cross-sectional view of FIG. 21. [Figure 23] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a rolling element cage and a sliding member according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 24] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a rolling element cage and a sliding member according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 25] 25 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XXV-XXV of FIG. 24. [Figure 26] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a limited stroke slide rail according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 27] FIG. 10 is a front view of a limited stroke slide rail according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 28] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a rolling element cage and a sliding member according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 29] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a rolling element cage and a sliding member according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0028] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the following examples. In each embodiment described below, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals. In addition, in each of the examples from Example 2 onwards, detailed explanations of structures similar to those in Example 1 will be omitted. [Example]

[0029] FIG. 1 shows a rolling element cage 10 and a sliding member 20 according to a first embodiment. The rolling element cage 10 is formed by one-piece molding and includes a main body 1 . The main body 1 has a polygonal shape and is made of a rigid material such as stainless steel. The main body 1 extends along a path. The path may be a straight path or an arc path as needed. In this embodiment, the main body 1 extends along a straight path defined by an axial direction A.

[0030] A sliding member 20 is formed by placing a plurality of rolling elements 2 in the body 1 of the rolling element cage 10 . In this embodiment, rollers are used as the rolling elements 2, and the rolling axes of adjacent rolling elements 2, which serve as the centers of rotation, are staggered, for example, the rolling axes of adjacent rolling elements 2 are offset by 90 degrees. A plurality of rolling elements 2 are placed in the main body 1 of the rolling element cage 10 to form the sliding member 20.

[0031] 2 and 3, on a cross section in a vertical direction P intersecting the path (axial direction A), the main body 1 has a plurality of corners 11. In this embodiment, the main body 1 is rectangular and has four corners 11, and at least four protrusions 12 protrude away from the main body 1. In this embodiment, the four protrusions 12 protrude away from the main body 1 from the positions of the corners 11, respectively. The rolling element cage 10 is formed by distributing a plurality of accommodating grooves 13 in the body 1 and the protruding portions 12 along the axial direction A. The accommodating grooves 13 are spaced apart from one another by a predetermined distance D, and the protruding portions 12 extend continuously across all adjacent accommodating grooves 13 along the entire length in the axial direction A.

[0032] The width of the storage tank 13 is slightly larger than that of the rolling elements 2, so that the rolling elements 2 can be accommodated in the storage tank 13, respectively. After the rolling elements 2 are placed in the storage tank 13, the rolling surfaces 21 protrude from the main body 1. Furthermore, a plurality of holes 14 are formed between the storage tanks 13 of the main body 1, and the holes 14 are connected to the storage tanks 13, and lubricating oil or porous lubricants can be stored in the holes 14. In this embodiment, a porous lubricant 3 is installed as an example.

[0033] 4, in this embodiment, the container 13 has an opening 15 on the main body 1. The width of the opening 15 is slightly smaller than the width of the rolling elements 2, and since the main body 1 allows for some elastic deformation, the rolling elements 2 can be pushed into the container 13 through the opening 15 by applying force. After the rolling elements 2 are placed in the container 13, they are restricted from escaping and cannot freely leave the opening 15.

[0034] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the limited stroke slide rail 30 is configured by incorporating a sliding member 20 between two fixed-length slide rails 4, and can support the relative movement of the two fixed-length slide rails 4. A sliding groove 41 is provided on each of the opposing surfaces of the two fixed-length slide rails 4. The inner surface of the sliding groove 41 is a rail surface 411, and the sliding grooves 41 of the two fixed-length slide rails 4 jointly define a sliding space 42. The contour of the sliding space 42 corresponds to the contour of the rolling element cage 10, and the sliding member 20 is installed in the sliding space 42, allowing the rolling element 2 to roll along the rail surface 411 of the sliding groove 41.

[0035] In the longitudinal direction P, a rail gap 421 and a recessed groove 422 are formed in the sliding space 42, and the protrusion 12 is disposed in the rail gap 421 and the recessed groove 422. As shown in Figure 6, two fixed-length slide rails 4 are arranged on the left and right sides, and recessed grooves 422 are formed on the opposing surfaces of the two fixed-length slide rails 4 to accommodate the left and right protrusions 12 of the rolling element retainer 10, respectively.The two fixed-length slide rails 4 are installed at a distance from each other, and rail gaps 421 are formed on the upper and lower sides to accommodate the upper and lower protrusions 12 of the rolling element retainer 10.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 3, by putting porous lubricant 3 into the holes 14 connected between adjacent storage tanks 13 on the main body 1, it is possible to provide lubrication when the rolling elements 2 roll, and it is possible to avoid phenomena such as vibration when the two fixed-length slide rails 4 move relative to each other due to the rolling elements 2 not rolling smoothly. [Example]

[0037] 7 to 11 show a second embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figures 7, 8, and 9, the main body 1 of the rolling element retainer 10 has a cutout 19 in the middle section in the axial direction A, a rotatable gear 18 is incorporated at the position of the cutout 19, a part of the gear 18 is exposed from the cutout 19, and the length of the gear 18 in the vertical direction P is slightly longer than the protruding length of the two opposing protrusions 12. Furthermore, an integrally molded shaft 17 is provided on the main body 1, and the gear 18 is pivotally mounted on said shaft 17. The shaft 17 integrally molded on the main body 1 allows the gear 18 to be easily incorporated into the main body 1, and also ensures the perpendicularity of the shaft 17, allowing the gear 18 to rotate in a stable manner.

[0038] In Example 2, all the storage tanks 13 located on one side of the gear 18 along the axial direction A are one set of ``adjacent'' storage tanks 13, and all the storage tanks 13 located on the other side of the gear 18 along the axial direction A are another set of ``adjacent'' storage tanks 13. The two storage tanks 13 closest to the gear 18 across the gear 18 are located on two sides of the gear 18, respectively, and the two separated storage tanks 13 are not adjacent to each other and do not fall under the definition of ``adjacent'' storage tanks 13 of the present invention.

[0039] As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, a sliding member 20 is formed by inserting a plurality of rolling elements 2 into a main body 1 of a rolling element cage 10 . In the second embodiment, the limited stroke slide rail 30 has tooth grooves 44 extending along the axial direction A on the two fixed-length slide rails 4, respectively, and when the sliding member 20 is installed between the two fixed-length slide rails 4, the gears 18 mesh with the tooth grooves 44. As a result, when the two fixed-length slide rails 4 move relative to each other, the meshing action between the gears 18 and the tooth grooves 44 allows the sliding member 20 and the two fixed-length slide rails 4 to move relative to each other while maintaining predetermined positions, and creep does not occur. [Example]

[0040] 12 to 16 show a third embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figures 12 and 13, in Example 3, the rolling element cage 10 equipped with a gear 18 is an assembly type and includes a first divided portion 101 and a second divided portion 102 extending along a linear path, and the first divided portion 101 and the second divided portion 102 are connected to each other on a connecting surface via corresponding connecting portions to form the rolling element cage 10. The bonding surfaces include a first bonding surface 1013 on the first division 101 and a second bonding surface 1023 on the second division 102 .

[0041] In this embodiment, the first divided portion 101 and the second divided portion 102 are formed by cutting the rolling element retainer 10 in half along the diagonal protrusion 12, so that the first divided portion 101 and the second divided portion 102 each have half of the protrusion 12 on opposite sides in the cutting direction, and when the first divided portion 101 and the second divided portion 102 are joined together, a complete protrusion 12 is formed. The connecting portion includes a plurality of first assembly protrusions 1011 and a plurality of first assembly holes 1012 arranged alternately at intervals on the first connecting surface 1013, and a plurality of second assembly protrusions 1021 and a plurality of second assembly holes 1022 arranged alternately at intervals on the second connecting surface 1023, and when the first divided portion 101 and the second divided portion 102 are connected and assembled, they form the rolling element cage 10. In this embodiment, half shafts 171 are integrally formed with the first divided portion 101 and the second divided portion 102, respectively.

[0042] As shown in Figures 14, 15, and 16, when the first divided part 101 and the second divided part 102 are joined together, the first joining surface 1013 and the second joining surface 1023 are bonded together, the first assembly protrusion 1011 is inserted into the second assembly hole 1022, and the second assembly protrusion 1021 is inserted into the first assembly hole 1012, respectively. In addition, the half shafts 171 on the first divided part 101 and the second divided part 102 form the shaft 17 of the gear 18. In this embodiment, the rolling element 2 and shaft 17 are first placed on the first divided section 101 or the second divided section 102, and then the second divided section 102 or the first divided section 101 is joined and assembled, which not only makes it easy to mold and manufacture the rolling element cage 10, but also makes it easy to attach the rolling element 2 and shaft 17. [Example]

[0043] In Example 4, as shown in Figures 17, 18, and 19, the rolling element retainer 10 equipped with a gear 18 is an assembly type and includes a first divided portion 101 and a second divided portion 102 extending along a linear path, and the first divided portion 101 and the second divided portion 102 are joined to each other on a joining surface via corresponding joining portions to form the rolling element retainer 10. The bonding surfaces include a first bonding surface 1013 on the first divided portion 101 and a second bonding surface 1023 on the second divided portion 102. In this embodiment, the first divided portion 101 and the second divided portion 102 are configured such that the rolling element cage 10 is cut in half along the diagonal protrusion 12, and the first divided portion 101 and the second divided portion 102 each have one complete protrusion 12 on each side opposite to each other in the cutting direction.

[0044] The main body 1 of the rolling element retainer 10 is polygonal, and the protrusions 12 protrude from the corners 11. A first recess 1014 is formed on the protrusion 12 of the first divided portion 101 in the cutting direction, which accommodates the corners 11 on the opposing sides of the second divided portion 102 when the first divided portion 101 and the second divided portion 102 are joined. A second recess 1024 is formed on the protrusion 12 of the second divided portion 102 in the cutting direction, which accommodates the corners 11 on the opposing sides of the first divided portion 101 when the first divided portion 101 and the second divided portion 102 are joined.

[0045] First mating portions 1015 extending from the protrusions 12 are provided at the two opposing ends of the first divided portion 101, and first mating grooves 1016 are installed corresponding to the opposing sides, and second mating portions 1025 extending from the protrusions 12 are provided at the two opposing ends of the second divided portion 102, and second mating grooves 1026 are installed corresponding to the opposing sides. The connecting portion includes a plurality of first assembly protrusions 1011 and a plurality of first assembly holes 1012 arranged adjacent to each other on the first connecting surface 1013, and a plurality of second assembly protrusions 1021 and a plurality of second assembly holes 1022 arranged adjacent to each other on the second connecting surface 1023, and when the first divided portion 101 and the second divided portion 102 are connected, the rolling element retainer 10 is formed.

[0046] In this embodiment, half shafts 171 are molded integrally with the first divided portion 101 and the second divided portion 102. (The first divided portion 101 and the second divided portion 102 are installed symmetrically, and during production, the first divided portion 101 is turned 180 degrees to become the second divided portion 102, so in Figures 18 and 19, the first divided portion 101 and the second divided portion 102 are shown together.)

[0047] As shown in Figures 20, 21, and 22, when the first divided portion 101 and the second divided portion 102 are joined together, the first fitting portion 1015 at the end of the first divided portion 101 is fitted into the second fitting groove 1026 at the end of the second divided portion 102, and the second fitting portion 1025 at the end of the second divided portion 102 is fitted into the first fitting groove 1016 at the end of the first divided portion 101, and the first bonding surface 1013 and the second bonding surface 1023 are bonded to each other.

[0048] In addition, the first recess 1014 of the first divided portion 101 accommodates the corner 11 on the opposite side of the second divided portion 102, the second recess 1024 of the second divided portion 102 accommodates the corner 11 on the opposite side of the first divided portion 101, the first assembly protrusion 1011 is fitted into the second assembly hole 1022, the second assembly protrusion 1021 is fitted into the first assembly hole 1012, and the half shaft 171 on the first divided portion 101 and the second divided portion 102 form the shaft 17 of the gear 18.

[0049] In this embodiment, the rolling element 2 and shaft 17 are first placed on the first divided section 101 or the second divided section 102, and then the second divided section 102 or the first divided section 101 is joined and assembled, which not only makes it easy to mold and manufacture the rolling element cage 10, but also makes it easy to attach the rolling element 2 and shaft 17. [Example]

[0050] As shown in Figures 23 to 25, Example 5 differs from the previous examples in that balls are used as the rolling elements 2, which indicates that it can be applied to rolling elements 2 such as rollers and balls, which are most commonly used in linear movement slide rails.

[0051] As shown in Figures 26 and 27, the limited stroke slide rail 30 is configured by incorporating the aforementioned sliding member 20 between two fixed-length slide rails 4, and the rolling element 2 rolls along the rail surface 411, supporting the relative movement of the two fixed-length slide rails 4. [Example]

[0052] In a rolling element cage 10 and a sliding member 20 according to a sixth embodiment shown in FIG. 28, balls are used as the rolling elements 2, and a gear 18 is mounted on the rolling element cage 10. [Example]

[0053] In Example 7 shown in Figure 29, the rolling element holder 10 and sliding member 20 use balls as the rolling elements 2, a gear 18 is installed on the rolling element holder 10, and the rolling element holder 10 is configured by combining a first divided portion 101 and a second divided portion 102.

[0054] The above describes the best mode for carrying out the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. All changes and modifications that do not deviate from the scope of the claims are included within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0055] 10 Rolling element cage 20 Sliding member 30 Limited stroke slide rail 1 Main unit 101 First division 1011 First assembly protrusion pillar 1012 First assembly hole 1013 First bonding surface 1014 First recess 1015 First fitting part 1016 First fitting groove 102 Second division 1021 Second assembly protrusion pillar 1022 Second assembly hole 1023 Second bonding surface 1024 Second recess 1025 Second fitting part 1026 Second fitting groove 11 Corner 12 Protrusion 121 Inverted Hook 13 Containment Tank 14 Hole 15 Aperture 17 axes 171 Half axis 18 Gears 19 Notch 2 rolling elements 21 Rolling surface 3. Porous lubricants 4 fixed length slide rails 41 sliding groove 411 Rail surface 42 Sliding Space 421 Rail gap 422 Depression groove 44 tooth space A axis direction P Vertical D distance

Claims

1. A rolling element cage including a main body, a plurality of accommodating tanks, and a plurality of holes, the body extends along a path, has a polygonal shape in a longitudinal cross section intersecting the path, and has at least four protrusions protruding away from the body; the plurality of accommodating grooves are distributed in the main body and the protruding portion along the path, the accommodating grooves are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance, and each accommodating groove is used to accommodate a rolling element; The plurality of holes are formed in the main body and are located between the storage tanks, the holes are connected to the storage tanks, and the holes are used to store lubricating oil or porous lubricant; At least one of the protrusions extends continuously across all of the adjacent storage tanks on the path. A rolling element cage characterized by:

2. 2. The rolling element cage according to claim 1, wherein the width of the accommodating tank is slightly larger than the width of the rolling elements, the accommodating tank has an opening on the main body, the width of the opening is slightly smaller than the width of the rolling elements, the main body can be elastically deformed to push the rolling elements into the accommodating tank through the opening, and the main body has a rolling surface that prevents the rolling elements from coming out, and the rolling elements protrude from the main body.

3. 2. The rolling element cage according to claim 1, characterized in that the rolling element cage comprises a first divided portion and a second divided portion extending along the path, and the first divided portion and the second divided portion are joined to each other on joining surfaces via corresponding joining portions.

4. 2. The rolling element cage according to claim 1, characterized in that the main body has a shaft integrally molded in the vertical direction, a rotatable gear is supported on the shaft, a notch is provided in the main body at a position corresponding to the gear, and a part of the gear is exposed to the outside through the notch.

5. 5. The rolling element cage according to claim 4, comprising a first divided portion and a second divided portion extending along the path, the first divided portion and the second divided portion being joined to each other on a joining surface via corresponding joining portions to form the rolling element cage, the joining surface being parallel to the axis of the gear.

6. 2. The rolling element cage according to claim 1, wherein the path is a straight path or an arcuate path.

7. A sliding member, comprising the rolling element cage according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the rolling elements are housed in the housing tanks, respectively.

8. 8. The sliding member according to claim 7, wherein the rolling elements are rollers or balls.

9. 8. The sliding member according to claim 7, wherein the rolling axes of the adjacent rolling elements, which are centers of rotation, are staggered.

10. 10. A limited-stroke slide rail, comprising: the rolling element cage according to claim 1; and two fixed-length slide rails, wherein the rolling elements are accommodated in each of the accommodation tanks; sliding grooves are provided on opposing surfaces of the two fixed-length slide rails; the sliding grooves of the two fixed-length slide rails jointly define a sliding space in the longitudinal direction, the contour of the sliding space corresponds to the contour of the rolling element cage; the rolling element cage is installed in the sliding space; the rolling elements roll on the sliding grooves; a rail gap and a recessed groove are formed in the sliding space in the longitudinal cross section, and the protrusions are located in the rail gap and the recessed groove.

11. 11. The limited stroke slide rail according to claim 10, wherein a gear is installed on the rolling element cage, and tooth grooves corresponding to the gear are provided on the two fixed-length slide rails, respectively, and the gear is meshed with the tooth grooves.

Images