Lubricant supplier and linear guide device equipped with lubricant supplier

Abstract

To provide a lubricant supply body which ensures supply of a lubricant to a rail through sliding of a slider to maintain lubrication over a long time, and to provide a linear motion guide device including the lubricant supply body.SOLUTION: A lubricant supply body 13 is provided at an end 5a of a slider 5 which moves straight in an axial direction L1 along a guide rail 1 and contacts with a rolling element rolling groove 3 of the guide rail 1 to supply a lubricant. The lubricant supply body 13 includes a lubricant containing polymer member 23 and a synthetic resin fiber member 19 which are at least partially disposed adjacent to each other. The lubricant containing polymer member 23 and the synthetic resin fiber member 19 at least partially contact with the rolling element rolling groove 3. The synthetic resin fiber member 19 includes a flange part 21 so that the flange part 21 covers an outer periphery of the lubricant containing polymer member 23. In a direction orthogonal to a moving direction of the slider 5, a flange part inner periphery 21b of the synthetic resin fiber member 19 is formed smaller than the outer periphery 23b of the lubricant containing polymer member 23.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an improvement in a lubricant supplier provided in a linear guide device, and to a linear guide device provided with the lubricant supplier. [Background technology]

[0002] A linear guide device is configured to include, for example, a guide rail extending in the axial direction and a slider that straddles the guide rail and moves relative to the guide rail in the axial direction. Rolling element rolling grooves that extend in the axial direction are formed on both side surfaces of the guide rail, and rolling element rolling grooves that face the rolling element rolling grooves on the guide rail are formed on the inner surfaces of both sleeves of the slider body. A large number of balls (rolling elements) are incorporated between these facing rolling element rolling grooves, and the slider moves relative to the guide rail in the axial direction via the rolling of these balls.

[0003] Patent Document 1 proposes a lubricant supplier having a lubricant retaining layer inside an outer layer that can store and replenish lubricant. The outer layer is made of a lubricant-containing polymer, and at least a portion of the outer layer is in contact with the lubricated portion. A recess provided inside the outer layer is filled with needle felt made of replenishable synthetic resin fibers that have absorbed grease or lubricating oil. However, in Patent Document 1, the needle felt is not in contact with the rail and does not have the function of applying a lubricant to the rail. Furthermore, when intended for long-term use, the machine must be stopped for re-lubrication.

[0004] In addition, Patent Document 2 discloses a lubricant supply member made of a porous resin material containing a lubricant, which slides against the rolling groove of the rolling element to supply the lubricant, and includes a plurality of seals arranged in a stack on the outer surface of the lubricant supply member. Felt is used as the material for the seals. However, this felt material is intended to have a sealing shape and does not have the function of pressing the lubricant-containing polymer member against the rail. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-036814 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-337407 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve such problems in the prior art, and its object is to provide a lubricant supplier that reliably supplies lubricant to the rail by the sliding of the slider, thereby enabling long-term maintenance of lubrication, and a linear guide device equipped with the lubricant supplier. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve this object, the first invention is a lubricant supply body that is provided at an end of a linear moving body that moves linearly in an axial direction and that supplies lubricant in contact with a lubrication portion, The lubricant-containing polymer member and the synthetic resin fiber member are disposed at least partially adjacent to each other, At least a portion of each of the lubricant-containing polymer member and the synthetic resin fiber member is in contact with the lubricated portion, the synthetic resin fiber member is provided with a flange portion so as to cover an outer periphery of the lubricant-containing polymer member, The lubricant supply body is characterized in that, in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the linear moving body, the inner circumference of the flange portion of the synthetic resin fiber member is smaller than the outer circumference of the lubricant-containing polymer member.

[0008] A second aspect of the present invention is the lubricant supplier according to the first aspect of the present invention, characterized in that the synthetic resin fiber member initially contains a lubricant.

[0009] A third aspect of the present invention is the lubricant supplier according to the first aspect of the present invention, characterized in that the synthetic resin fiber member does not initially contain a lubricant.

[0010] The fourth invention is a lubricant supply body according to the second invention, characterized in that the lubricant-containing polymer member and the synthetic resin fiber member are housed in a case.

[0011] The fifth invention is a lubricant supply body according to the third invention, characterized in that the lubricant-containing polymer member and the synthetic resin fiber member are housed in a case.

[0012] A sixth aspect of the present invention is a slider having a guide rail with a rolling element rolling groove extending in the axial direction, a slider having a rolling element rolling groove opposing the rolling element rolling groove of the guide rail and straddling the guide rail so as to be relatively movable in the axial direction, a rolling element incorporated so as to be able to roll freely between both the rolling element rolling grooves, a lubricant supplier attached to an axial end of the slider and in sliding contact with the rolling element rolling groove of the guide rail to supply lubricant, and a sealing material arranged to sandwich the lubricant supplier together with the slider, The linear guide device is characterized in that the lubricant supplier is the lubricant supplier according to any one of the first to fifth aspects of the present invention. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a lubricant supplier that reliably supplies lubricant to a rail by the sliding of a slider, thereby enabling long-term lubrication to be maintained, and a linear guide device equipped with the lubricant supplier. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic side view showing an embodiment of a linear guide device equipped with a lubricant supplier of the present invention. [Figure 2]1 is a schematic front view showing a first embodiment of a lubricant supplier of the present invention; [Figure 3] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an enlarged view of a portion of a slider including a first embodiment of a lubricant supplier of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a schematic front view showing a lubricant supplier according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an enlarged view of a portion of a slider including a lubricant supplier according to a third embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below. It should be noted that this embodiment is merely one embodiment of the present invention and is not to be construed as being limited in any way, and that appropriate design modifications are possible within the scope of the present invention. "First embodiment"

[0016] In this embodiment, for example, a linear guide device shown in FIG. 1 is assumed. The linear guide device includes a guide rail 1 having a first rolling element rolling groove 3 extending in the axial direction, a slider 5 having a substantially U-shaped cross section that has a second rolling element rolling groove (not shown) that faces the first rolling element rolling groove 3 of the guide rail 1 and is mounted across the guide rail 1 so as to be relatively movable in the axial direction (direction L1 in the figure), a number of rolling elements (not shown) incorporated so as to be rollable between the first rolling element rolling groove 3 and the second rolling element rolling groove, a lubricant supplier 13 also having a substantially U-shaped cross section that is attached to an axial end of the slider 5 and that supplies lubricant by sliding in contact with the first rolling element rolling groove 3 of the guide rail 1, and a sealing material (side seal) 9 also having a substantially U-shaped cross section that is arranged to sandwich the lubricant supplier 13 together with the slider 5. An end cap 11 having a substantially U-shaped cross section is provided at an axial end 5a of the slider 5. The slider 5, the end cap 11, the lubricant supplier 13 and the side seal 9 are configured to have substantially the same U-shaped cross section. The present invention has a characteristic configuration in the lubricant supply body 13, and since well-known configurations of the guide rail 1, slider 5, side seal 9, and end cap 11 can be adopted within the scope of the present invention, detailed explanations will be omitted here, and the following will describe in detail the lubricant supply body 13, which is a characteristic component of the present invention.

[0017] The lubricant supplier 13 is arranged sandwiched between the side seal 9 and the end cap 11, and is constructed by arranging a synthetic resin fiber material (felt member) 19 and a lubricant-containing polymer member 23 adjacent to each other within a case 15 formed to have the same external dimensions as the side seal 9 and the end cap 11 (see Figures 2 and 3).

[0018] The case 15 is formed in a roughly U-shape in cross section, which is roughly the same shape as the slider 5, side seal 9, and end cap 11, and flange portions 17 of a predetermined length protrude from the upper end face, lower end face, and left and right end faces toward the end cap (axial direction L1).

[0019] Felt member 19 is formed in a generally U-shaped cross section and is provided in close contact with the inner surface of case 15. Felt member 19 has flange portions 21 of a predetermined length protruding from the upper end face, lower end face, and left and right end faces toward the end caps (axial direction L1). End faces 21a of flange portions 21 are arranged so as to be flush with end faces 17a of flange portions 17 of case 15 (see FIG. 3). That is, the felt member 19 is disposed so that its flange portion 21 covers the lubricant-containing polymer member 23 from the outer periphery of the lubricant-containing polymer member 23 toward the axially outer side, and at least a portion of the felt member 19 is in contact with the rolling element rolling groove 3 of the guide rail 1. The felt member 19 is disposed between the case 15 and the lubricant-containing polymer member 23. In this embodiment, the felt member 19 contains a lubricant.

[0020] The lubricant-containing polymer member 23 is made by heating a raw material made by mixing a lubricant and a resin above the melting point of the resin to plasticize it, molding it into a predetermined shape, and then cooling and solidifying it. This is formed into a roughly U-shaped cross section and provided in close contact with the inner surface of the felt member 19, and is arranged so that it is in close contact with the inner surface of the felt member 19 and is flush with the flange end faces 17a, 21a of the case 15 and the felt member 19, respectively. At least a part of the lubricant-containing polymer member 23 is in contact with the rolling element rolling groove 3 of the guide rail 1 .

[0021] The inner periphery of the felt member 19, that is, the inner periphery 21b of the flange portion 21 in this embodiment, is formed smaller than the outer periphery 23b of the lubricant-containing polymer member 23. In this way, the inner circumference 21b of the flange portion 21 of the felt member 19 is formed smaller than the outer circumference 23b of the lubricant-containing polymer member 23, so that when the case 15 and the felt member 19 are combined, the felt member 19 presses the lubricant-containing polymer member 23 from the outer circumference against the guide rail 1, thereby achieving stable contact with the guide rail 1 (in Figure 2, arrow P indicates the pressing direction).

[0022] According to this embodiment, the felt member 19 recovers the lubricant initially released from the adjacent lubricant-containing polymer member 23 and supplies the retained lubricant to the guide rail 1 by sliding, so that by recovering and re-supplying the excess lubricant released, it is possible to maintain lubrication for a long period of time without stopping the machine. Furthermore, by preliminarily impregnating the felt member 19 with lubricant, excessive recovery of lubricant from the guide rail 1 and the lubricant-containing polymer member 23 is suppressed. Second Embodiment

[0023] The lubricant supply body 13 of this embodiment has the same overall configuration as the first embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 3, but differs from the first embodiment in that the felt member 19 is not pre-impregnated with lubricant. This allows for the recovery of a large amount of lubricant in an environment where a large amount of lubricant would be initially released and wasted. The other configurations and effects are the same as those of the first embodiment, so the description of the first embodiment is used and detailed description will be omitted here. "Third embodiment"

[0024] The lubricant supplier 13 of this embodiment does not include a case 15, but rather the felt member 19 serves as the case 15 (FIGS. 4 and 5). The other configurations and effects are the same as those of the first or second embodiment, so the explanation of the first or second embodiment will be used and detailed explanation will be omitted here. [Industrial Applicability]

[0025] The present invention is not limited to linear guide devices, but can be used in linear guide devices in general. [Explanation of symbols]

[0026] 1 Guide rail 3 Rolling element rolling groove (lubrication area) 5 Slider (linear motion) 9 Side seal 11 End cap 13 Lubricant supply body 15 cases 17 Flange 19 Felt material (synthetic resin fiber material) 21 Flange 21b Inner circumference 23 Lubricant-containing polymer components 23b outer circumference

Claims

1. A lubricant supply body provided at an end of a linear moving body that moves linearly in an axial direction, which supplies lubricant in contact with a lubrication portion, The lubricant-containing polymer member and the synthetic resin fiber member are disposed at least partially adjacent to each other, At least a portion of each of the lubricant-containing polymer member and the synthetic resin fiber member is in contact with the lubricated portion, the synthetic resin fiber member is provided with a flange portion so as to cover an outer periphery of the lubricant-containing polymer member, a lubricant supply body, characterized in that the inner periphery of the flange portion of the synthetic resin fiber member is smaller than the outer periphery of the lubricant-containing polymer member in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the linear moving body;

2. 2. The lubricant supplier according to claim 1, wherein the synthetic resin fiber member initially contains a lubricant.

3. 2. The lubricant supplier according to claim 1, wherein the synthetic resin fiber member does not initially contain a lubricant.

4. 3. The lubricant supplier according to claim 2, wherein the lubricant-containing polymer member and the synthetic resin fiber member are housed in a case.

5. 4. The lubricant supplier according to claim 3, wherein the lubricant-containing polymer member and the synthetic resin fiber member are housed in a case.

6. a guide rail having a rolling element rolling groove extending in the axial direction; a slider having a rolling element rolling groove opposing the rolling element rolling groove of the guide rail and straddling the guide rail so as to be relatively movable in the axial direction; a rolling element incorporated so as to be able to roll freely between both the rolling element rolling grooves; a lubricant supplier attached to an axial end of the slider and in sliding contact with the rolling element rolling groove of the guide rail to supply lubricant; and a sealing material arranged to sandwich the lubricant supplier together with the slider, 6. A linear guide device, wherein the lubricant supplier is the lubricant supplier according to claim 1.

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