Rotation assistance device, and assistance mechanism position adjustment mechanism for shaft support device

Abstract

A support mechanism (30) for rotatably supporting both axial-direction ends of a screw shaft (21) comprises: a bearing unit (41) having a movement-side bearing housing (51) and a pair of angular ball bearings (33); a support base (43); and a housing position adjustment mechanism (44) provided between the bearing unit (41) and the support base (43). The housing position adjustment mechanism (44) comprises: a support base-side member (61) provided on the support base (43) side; a bearing housing-side member (62) that is provided on the bearing housing (51) side and can move in the axial direction relative to the support base-side member (61); a disc spring (70) disposed in a compressed state between both opposing axial-direction end faces of the support base-side member (61) and the bearing housing-side member (62); and an O-ring (67) disposed between opposing faces of the support base-side member (61) and the bearing housing-side member (62). The foregoing makes it possible to continuously and stably maintain support rigidity in the axial direction and to attenuate oscillation in the axial direction, even if the axial direction-length of a rotary shaft changes due to the impact of heat.

Description

Rotation support device and support mechanism position adjustment mechanism for shaft support device

[0001] The present invention relates to a rotation support device that supports a rotation shaft such as a ball screw feed device or a spindle device, and to a support mechanism position adjustment mechanism for a shaft support device that supports a shaft.

[0002] Ball screw feed devices require high axial rigidity to maintain the feed accuracy of the screw shaft. Conventionally, a common method for providing rigidity to the screw shaft of a ball screw device is to combine and preload multiple angular bearings, place them at one or both ends of the screw shaft, and support the screw shaft in the axial direction. In addition, when thermal expansion of the screw shaft is taken into consideration, a method is used in which axial tension is applied to the screw shaft in advance to elongate it by a predetermined amount. Patent Document 1 describes a method in which tension is applied to the feed screw (screw shaft) in advance by adjusting the axial dimension of a spacer, and further includes a pretensioning mechanism that uses a disc spring or fluid pressure to move the bearing in the axial direction and apply tension to the feed screw when the feed screw elongates beyond the pretension due to temperature rise.

[0003] Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 2573982

[0004] However, in a ball screw feed device, the screw shaft, which has a relatively low rigidity, may vibrate as the nut moves, and there is a problem that the vibration cannot be suppressed when a disc spring such as that described in Patent Document 1 is used. Furthermore, this problem exists not only in ball screw feed devices, but also in rotation support devices, such as spindle devices, in which both axial ends of a rotating shaft are rotatably supported by a pair of support mechanisms.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a rotation support device and a support mechanism position adjustment mechanism for a shaft support device that can continuously and stably maintain axial support rigidity and damp axial vibrations even if the axial length of the rotating shaft changes due to the effects of heat.

[0006] The above object of the present invention is achieved by the following configuration: [1] A rotary support device comprising a rotating shaft and a pair of support mechanisms rotatably supporting both axial ends of the rotating shaft, one of the pair of support mechanisms comprising: a bearing unit comprising a bearing housing and a bearing that rotatably supports the rotating shaft relative to the bearing housing and is capable of supporting an axial load, a support base through which the rotating shaft passes or is arranged around the rotation axis, and a housing position adjustment mechanism arranged between the bearing unit and the support base, wherein the housing position adjustment mechanism comprises: a support base side member provided on the support base side and through which the rotating shaft passes or is arranged around the rotation axis, a bearing housing side member provided on the bearing housing side and through which the rotating shaft passes or is arranged around the rotation axis, and is movable in the axial direction relative to the support base side member, an elastic member arranged in a compressed state between opposing axial end faces of the support base side member and the bearing housing side member, and a damping member arranged between opposing faces of the support base side member and the bearing housing side member. [2] A support mechanism position adjustment mechanism for a shaft support device comprising a shaft and a pair of support mechanisms provided at both axial ends of the shaft to support the shaft, the support mechanism position adjustment mechanism for the shaft support device being provided on one of the pair of support mechanisms, wherein one of the pair of support mechanisms has a support through which the shaft passes or is arranged around the axis, the support mechanism comprising: a first member provided on one of the shaft side and the support side, and through which the shaft can pass or be arranged around the axis; a second member provided on the other of the shaft side and the support side, and through which the shaft can pass or be arranged around the axis, and which is movable in the axial direction relative to the first member; an elastic member arranged in a compressed state between opposing axial end faces of the first member and the second member; and a damping member arranged between opposing faces of the first member and the second member.

[0007] According to the rotary support device of the present invention, even if the axial length of the rotating shaft changes due to the influence of heat, the axial support rigidity can be continuously and stably maintained and vibrations in the axial direction can be damped.

[0008] Furthermore, according to the support mechanism position adjustment mechanism of the shaft support device of the present invention, even if the axial length of the shaft changes due to the influence of heat, the axial support rigidity can be continuously and stably maintained, and vibrations in the axial direction can be damped.

[0009] 8A is a cross-sectional view of a table feed system of a machine tool to which a ball screw feed device according to a first embodiment of the present invention is applied. It is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a support mechanism equipped with the housing position adjustment mechanism shown in FIG. 1. It is a view seen from an arrow A in FIG. 2. It is a view corresponding to FIG. 2 of a ball screw feed device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. It is a view corresponding to FIG. 2 of a modified bearing unit in which a pair of angular contact ball bearings are paired back to back in the first and second embodiments. It is a view corresponding to FIG. 2 of another modified bearing unit in which a pair of angular contact ball bearings are paired in parallel in the first and second embodiments. (a) is a schematic side view showing a first example in which a housing position adjustment mechanism is formed by a plurality of pressure chambers, and (b) is a schematic side view showing a second example in which a housing position adjustment mechanism is formed by a plurality of pressure chambers. (a) is a schematic side view showing a third example in which a housing position adjustment mechanism is formed by a plurality of pressure chambers, and (b) is a schematic side view showing a fourth example in which a housing position adjustment mechanism is formed by a plurality of pressure chambers. It is a schematic side view showing a fifth example in which a housing position adjustment mechanism is formed by a plurality of pressure chambers. It is a cross-sectional view taken along line X-X in FIG. 8A. 21A and 21B are cross-sectional views of a ball screw feed device according to a third embodiment of the present invention, the view corresponding to FIG. 2; a ball screw feed device according to a first modified example of the third embodiment, the view corresponding to FIG. 2; a ball screw feed device according to a second modified example of the third embodiment, the view corresponding to FIG. 2; a sectional view of a table feed system of a machine tool to which a ball screw feed device according to a modified example of the present invention is applied; a sectional view showing a first example of a housing position adjustment mechanism in which a support base is disposed on the axial end side with respect to a bearing unit; a sectional view showing a second example of a housing position adjustment mechanism in which a support base is disposed on the axial end side with respect to a bearing unit; a sectional view showing a third example of a housing position adjustment mechanism in which a support base is disposed on the axial end side with respect to a bearing unit; a sectional view showing a fourth example of a housing position adjustment mechanism in which a support base is disposed on the axial end side with respect to a bearing unit; a sectional view showing a rotation support device according to the present invention; a sectional view showing a rotation support device according to the present invention; a sectional view showing a shaft support device to which a support mechanism position adjustment mechanism according to the present invention is applied; an enlarged view of part XXII of FIG.

[0010] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of a ball screw feed device, which is an example of a rotation support device or a shaft support device according to the present invention, will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0011] (First embodiment) Fig. 1 shows a table feed system of a machine tool to which a ball screw feed device of this embodiment is applied. With reference to Figs. 1 to 3, the axial direction of a screw shaft 21 of a ball screw feed device 20 (the left-right direction in Fig. 1) is defined as the X direction, the direction parallel to the mounting surface 1a of a base 1 and perpendicular to the axial direction of the screw shaft 21 (the direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in Fig. 1) is defined as the Y direction, and the direction perpendicular to the mounting surface 1a of the base 1 (the up-down direction in Fig. 1) is defined as the Z direction. In Fig. 2 and corresponding figures, dotted lines indicate bolt fastening locations.

[0012] The table feed system 10 includes a moving table 11 fixed to a nut 23 of a ball screw feed device 20. The moving table 11 is configured to be movable in the X direction by driving a screw shaft 21 of the ball screw feed device 20 with a drive motor 12. The moving table 11 is provided with a pair of linear guides 13 (only one of which is shown in FIG. 1 ) on both sides of the ball screw feed device 20 in the Y direction. Each linear guide 13 includes a guide rail 15 disposed on the base 1 via a rail mounting base 14 in parallel to the screw shaft 21, and two sliders 16 fixed to the underside of the moving table 11 and mounted across the guide rails 15. When the drive motor 12 rotates the screw shaft 21, the moving table 11 is guided by the pair of linear guides 13 and moves back and forth linearly together with the nut 23.

[0013] The ball screw feed device 20 comprises a screw shaft 21 having a spiral screw groove 21b formed on its outer peripheral surface, a nut 23 arranged around the screw shaft 21, having a spiral screw groove (not shown) formed on its inner peripheral surface, and fitted into a nut housing 22 fixed to the underside of the moving table 11, and a plurality of balls (not shown) arranged so as to roll freely between the screw groove of the nut 23 and the screw groove 21b of the screw shaft 21.

[0014] The screw shaft 21 includes a large-diameter portion 24 formed in the axial center and having a screw groove 21b, and small-diameter portions 25 formed at both axial ends of the large-diameter portion 24. A male thread 25a is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the tip end of the small-diameter portion 25, and a small-diameter shaft portion 27 is provided at the tip end of one side (the right side in the figure) of the screw shaft 21. The small-diameter shaft portion 27 is connected to the rotating shaft 12a of the drive motor 12 via a coupling 28.

[0015] In addition, one side of the screw shaft 21, to which the drive motor 12 is connected, is rotatably supported by a first support mechanism 30, and the other side of the screw shaft 21 (the left side in the figure) is rotatably supported by a second support mechanism 40.

[0016] The first support mechanism 30 includes a fixed-side bearing housing 31 fixed to the base 1, and a pair of angular contact ball bearings 33, 33 arranged in a face-to-face combination to rotatably support the screw shaft 21 relative to the fixed-side bearing housing 31. Each of the pair of angular contact ball bearings 33, 33 includes an outer ring 34 fitted inside the fixed-side bearing housing 31, an inner ring 35 fitted outside the small diameter portion 25 of the screw shaft 21, and a plurality of balls 36 rollably disposed between the outer ring 34 and the inner ring 35 with a contact angle therebetween.

[0017] The pair of angular contact ball bearings 33, 33 has an outer ring 34 of the axially inner angular contact ball bearing 33 abutting against the inward flange 31a of the fixed-side bearing housing 31, and the outer ring 34 of the axially outer angular contact ball bearing 33 fixed by an outer ring holder 37 fastened to the fixed-side bearing housing 31. The inner ring 35 of the axially inner angular contact ball bearing 33 abuts against the step 21a between the large-diameter portion 24 and the small-diameter portion 25 of the screw shaft 21, and the inner ring 35 of the axially outer angular contact ball bearing 33 is fastened by a fastening nut 38a that screws onto the male threads 25a. Therefore, the first support mechanism 30 supports the screw shaft 21 with the axial position of the screw shaft 21 fixed.

[0018] 2 and 3, the second support mechanism 40 includes a bearing unit 41 disposed at the other end of the screw shaft 21, a support base 43 fixed to the base 1 axially centrally of the bearing unit 41, and a housing position adjustment mechanism 60 disposed between the bearing unit 41 and the support base 43. The support base 43 is provided with a through-hole 43a through which the screw shaft 21 passes.

[0019] The bearing unit 41 includes a moving-side bearing housing 51 and a pair of angular contact ball bearings 53, 53 that rotatably support the screw shaft 21 relative to the moving-side bearing housing 51. The pair of angular contact ball bearings 53, 53 include an outer ring 54 that fits inside the moving-side bearing housing 51, an inner ring 55 that fits outside the small diameter portion 25 of the screw shaft 21, and a plurality of balls 56 that are rotatably disposed between the outer ring 54 and the inner ring 55 with a contact angle therebetween.

[0020] In the pair of angular contact ball bearings 53, 53, the outer ring 54 of the axially inner angular contact ball bearing 53 abuts against the inward flange 51 a of the moving-side bearing housing 51, and the outer ring 54 of the axially outer angular contact ball bearing 53 is fastened by an outer ring holder 47 fastened and fixed to the moving-side bearing housing 51, so that each outer ring 54, 54 is positioned axially with respect to the moving-side bearing housing 51. Also, the inner ring 55 of the angular contact ball bearing 53 arranged axially outward is fastened by a fastening nut 38 b that threads onto the male thread 25 a via a spacer 48. In other words, the pair of angular contact ball bearings 53, 53, the moving-side bearing housing 51, and the outer ring holder 47 can be unitized as a bearing unit 41 with a predetermined preload applied to the pair of angular contact ball bearings 53, 53 arranged face-to-face, and this bearing unit 41 can be easily attached to the screw shaft 21 and the housing position adjustment mechanism 60, respectively. In this configuration, the moving-side bearing housing 51 can be integrated with the bearing housing side member 62 as needed.

[0021] The housing position adjustment mechanism 60 is provided on the support base 43 side and includes a support base side member 61 through which the screw shaft 21 passes, and a bearing housing side member 62 provided on the movable-side bearing housing 51 side and movable in the axial direction relative to the support base side member 61. The support base side member 61 and the bearing housing side member 62 face each other in the axial direction.

[0022] The support base side member 61 has an annular portion 61a protruding toward the support base 43 side, which fits into a through hole 43a of the support base 43, and is fixed to the support base 43 with a plurality of bolts (not shown). The bearing housing side member 62 has an annular portion 62a protruding toward the moving-side bearing housing 51 side, which fits into the inward flange 51a, and is fixed to the moving-side bearing housing 51 with a plurality of bolts 63 (see FIG. 3).

[0023] Furthermore, a bottomed annular recess 64 that opens toward the support base side member 61 (one axial side) is provided on the side surface of the bearing housing side member 62 that faces the support base side member 61. Meanwhile, an annular protrusion 65 that protrudes into the annular recess 64 toward the bearing housing side member 62 (the other axial side) is provided on the side surface of the support base side member 61 that faces the bearing housing side member 62. The annular recess 64 and the annular protrusion 65 are slidably fitted together in the axial direction, and an annular pressure chamber 66 is formed between the bottom surface, inward surface 64a, and outward surface 64b of the annular recess 64 and the tip surface of the annular protrusion 65.

[0024] In the pressure chamber 66, elastic members, i.e., multiple disc springs 70, are arranged in a compressed state between the opposing axial end faces of the support base side member 61 and the bearing housing side member 62, i.e., between the bottom surface of the annular recess 64 and the tip surface of the annular protrusion 65. When the multiple disc springs 70 function as series springs, they are arranged overlapping in the axial direction so that the convex surfaces of adjacent disc springs 70 face each other and the concave surfaces face each other, as shown in FIG. 2 . When the multiple disc springs 70 function as parallel springs, although not shown, they are arranged overlapping in the axial direction with the disc springs 70 facing the same direction. Note that the bearing housing side member 62 is provided with intake and deaeration holes (not shown) to allow air to freely enter and exit the pressure chamber 66.

[0025] Furthermore, O-rings 67 serving as damping members are fitted between the opposing surfaces of the support base side member 61 and the bearing housing side member 62, i.e., between the outward surface 65 a of the annular convex portion 65 and the inward surface 64 a of the annular recessed portion 64, and between the inward surface 65 b of the annular convex portion 65 and the outward surface 64 b of the annular recessed portion 64. Specifically, the O-rings 67 are arranged in annular seal grooves 68 formed in the outward surface 65 a and the inward surface 65 b of the annular convex portion 65 and come into sliding contact with the opposing inward surface 64 a and the outward surface 64 b of the annular recessed portion 64 to seal radial gaps between the outward surface 65 a of the annular convex portion 65 and the inward surface 64 a of the annular recessed portion 64, and between the inward surface 65 b of the annular convex portion 65 and the outward surface 64 b of the annular recessed portion 64. Note that the seal grooves 68 may be formed in the inward surface 64 a and the outward surface 64 b of the annular recessed portion 64. Furthermore, although one O-ring 67 and one seal groove 68 are disposed between each opposing surface, multiple O-rings 67 and multiple seal grooves 68 may be disposed between each opposing surface. The O-ring 67 may be subjected to a surface treatment that provides abrasion resistance or the like in order to prevent wear.

[0026] An anti-rotation mechanism 75 is provided between the support base side member 61 and the bearing housing side member 62 to prevent relative rotation therebetween. Specifically, for example, the bearing housing side member 62 has a through-hole 77 formed in at least one location in the circumferential direction, which penetrates radially so that the tip of a positioning pin 76 protrudes from the inward surface 64a of the annular recess 64. The tip of the positioning pin 76 is inserted into an elongated hole 78 formed along the axial direction in the outward surface 65a of the annular protrusion 65 of the support base side member 61 so that the bearing housing side member 62 can move in the axial direction. Note that the positioning pin 76 may be replaced by a rotational positioning key (not shown) having a similar anti-rotation function, which is inserted into the elongated hole 78 so that the bearing housing side member 62 can move in the axial direction.

[0027] In this type of housing position adjustment mechanism 60, after placing multiple disc springs 70 in the pressure chamber 66, the fastening nut 38b is tightened, thereby pushing the bearing housing side member 62 toward the support base side member 61 via the pair of angular ball bearings 53, 53 and the movable side bearing housing 51, compressing the multiple disc springs 70 and applying pressure in the screw axial direction to the multiple disc springs 70.

[0028] On the other hand, since the support base side member 61 is fixed to the base 1 via the support base 43, the bearing housing side member 62 and the movable-side bearing housing 51 are pressed to the left in the figure by the pressure of the multiple disc springs 70 arranged in a compressed state in the pressure chamber 66. This brings about a state in which tension is applied to the screw shaft 21 in advance to the left in Figures 1 and 2.

[0029] Furthermore, the pressure of the multiple disc springs 70 arranged in the pressure chamber 66 can be controlled to any magnitude by adjusting the amount of tightening of the fastening nut 38b. That is, the magnitude of the axial load applied to the screw shaft 21 by the fastening nut 38b can be set to any magnitude.

[0030] Furthermore, the magnitude of the axial load applied to the screw shaft 21 by the multiple disc springs 70 may be set not only by the amount of tightening of the fastening nut 38b, but also by taking into account deformation of the multiple disc springs 70 due to temperature rise during operation of the ball screw feed device 20.

[0031] Next, we will explain the operation of the ball screw feed device 20 of this embodiment. In the ball screw feed device 20, when the screw shaft 21 is rotationally driven by the drive motor 12 and the moving table 11 fixed to the nut 23 is caused to move linearly back and forth, the drive motor 12, angular contact ball bearings 33, 53, nut 23, etc. generate heat in association with this movement, the temperature of the ball screw feed device 20 gradually rises, and the screw shaft 21 extends in the axial direction due to thermal expansion.

[0032] 1, when the screw shaft 21 expands in the axial direction due to thermal expansion, the right end of the screw shaft 21 extends to the left because the right end of the screw shaft 21 is fixed to the fixed-side bearing housing 31 via the angular contact ball bearings 33, 33. When the screw shaft 21 expands in the axial direction (left) due to the influence of heat, the bearing unit 41 and the bearing housing side member 62 move in the same direction, following the axial expansion of the screw shaft 21 due to thermal expansion, due to the pressure of the multiple disc springs 70 arranged in the pressure chamber 66.

[0033] In this embodiment, the disc springs 70 are designed to continue to press the bearing unit 41 and the bearing housing side member 62 to the left even when the screw shaft 21 extends in the axial direction. Therefore, the pair of angular ball bearings 53, 53 can be moved in the axial direction to maintain the axial support rigidity, and the axial rigidity of the ball screw feed device 20 is stabilized.

[0034] The O-ring 67 in this embodiment also functions as a damping mechanism. That is, when a workpiece placed on the movable table 11 is machined, vibrations generated in the movable table 11 tend to cause the screw shaft 21, which has a relatively low rigidity, to vibrate. This vibration of the screw shaft 21 propagates to the bearing housing side member 62 via the pair of angular contact ball bearings 33 and the movable-side bearing housing 51. However, the O-ring 67 between the bearing housing side member 62 and the support base side member 61 damps the vibration of the bearing housing side member 62. Therefore, the vibration of the screw shaft 21 can also be damped, thereby suppressing disturbances in the quality of the machined surface of the workpiece placed on the movable table 11. In this case, the O-ring 67 disposed between the bearing housing side member 62 and the support base side member 61 damps not only the axial vibration of the screw shaft 21 but also the radial vibration of the screw shaft 21.

[0035] Furthermore, when the axial elongation of the screw shaft 21 described above occurs, even if vibration occurs due to elastic deformation when the disc spring 70 returns from a compressed state, the O-ring 67 can damp this vibration.

[0036] Although not shown, the support base side member 61 may be configured integrally with the support base 43 , and the bearing housing side member 62 may be configured integrally with the moving side bearing housing 51 .

[0037] Second Embodiment Next, a ball screw feed device according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 4. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the second support mechanism 40 further includes another housing position adjustment mechanism 160.

[0038] That is, the second support mechanism 40 of the second embodiment further includes another housing position adjustment mechanism 160 disposed adjacent to the housing position adjustment mechanism 60 between the bearing unit 41 and the support base 43. The other housing position adjustment mechanism 160 includes: another support base side member 161 provided on the support base 43 side and through which the screw shaft 21 passes; another bearing housing side member 162 provided on the bearing housing 51 side and through which the screw shaft 21 passes and which is movable in the axial direction relative to the other support base side member 161; and a plurality of disc springs 70 disposed in a compressed state in a pressure chamber 166 formed between the other support base side member 161 and the other bearing housing side member 162. That is, the second support mechanism 40 includes two housing position adjustment mechanisms 60, 160 in a tandem configuration arranged in series in the axial direction.

[0039] As shown in Figure 4, in the other housing position adjustment mechanism 160, the other bearing housing side member 162 has an annular recess 164, and the other support base side member 161 has an annular protrusion 165 that fits axially within the annular recess 164 so as to be able to slide, and multiple disc springs 70 are arranged in a compressed state in a pressure chamber 166 formed between the annular recess 164 and the annular protrusion 165.

[0040] In this embodiment, the other support base side member 161 has an annular portion 161a protruding toward the support base 43 and fitted into a through hole 43a of the support base 43, and is fixed to the support base 43 with a plurality of bolts (not shown). Furthermore, the support base side member 61 of the housing position adjustment mechanism 60 and the other bearing housing side member 162 of the other housing position adjustment mechanism 160 are integrally configured as a single member or by connecting the two.

[0041] In this way, by arranging the two housing position adjustment mechanisms 60, 160 in series in the axial direction, it is possible to stably maintain the axial rigidity of the ball screw feed device 20 even when the extension of the screw shaft is even greater, and it is also possible to improve axial alignment and coaxiality.

[0042] The other housing position adjustment mechanism 160 is not limited to the same configuration as the housing position adjustment mechanism 60 shown in FIG. 4 , and may have any other configuration as long as it has a pressure generating means accommodated in a compressed state in a pressure chamber 166 formed between the other support base side member 161 and the other bearing housing side member 162. For example, the pressure generating means may be a working fluid that has an elastic effect when an external force is applied and whose rigidity has been industrially confirmed and is filled in a compressed state in the pressure chamber 166. Furthermore, the second support mechanism 40 may have two housing position adjustment mechanisms 60, 160, or may have three or more housing position adjustment mechanisms, as long as multiple housing position adjustment mechanisms are arranged in series in the axial direction. The other configurations and operations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

[0043] In the first and second embodiments, the pair of angular contact ball bearings used in the bearing unit of the second support mechanism are arranged in a face-to-face configuration, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, the pair of angular contact ball bearings 53, 53 may be arranged in various support configurations, such as a back-to-back configuration as shown in FIG. 5 or a parallel configuration as shown in FIG. 6. When the pair of angular contact ball bearings 53, 53 are arranged in a back-to-back configuration as shown in FIG. 5, an inner ring spacer 49 may be disposed between the step between the large-diameter portion 24 and the small-diameter portion 25 of the screw shaft 21 and the inner ring 55 of the angular contact ball bearing 53 on the axially inner side. Furthermore, while the pair of angular contact ball bearings 33, 33 of the first support mechanism are also arranged in a face-to-face configuration, they may be arranged in various support configurations, such as a back-to-face configuration or a parallel configuration. Furthermore, although not shown, the angular contact ball bearings 33, 53 do not necessarily have to be composed of two angular contact ball bearings, but may be composed of three or more angular contact ball bearings.

[0044] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the other housing position adjustment mechanism 160 is disposed adjacent to the housing position adjustment mechanism 60 in the axial direction, but this is not limiting, and the other housing position adjustment mechanism 160 may be disposed adjacent to the housing position adjustment mechanism 60 in parallel in the radial direction. This makes it possible to maintain the axial rigidity of the ball screw feed device 20 while suppressing the axial dimension of the ball screw feed device 20 and in a state in which a larger axial load is generated than when a single housing position adjustment mechanism is disposed.

[0045] In the above embodiment, the pressure chamber 66 is formed in an annular shape by the annular recess 64 and the annular protrusion 65, but a plurality of recesses and protrusions may be formed in the circumferential direction to form a plurality of pressure chambers. In this case, an elastic member may be disposed in each of the plurality of pressure chambers, and an O-ring may be disposed between the inner peripheral surface of the recess and the outer peripheral surface of the protrusion.

[0046] For example, as shown in FIG. 7( a), four pressure chambers 66 may be arranged around the screw shaft 21 in the circumferential direction, or as shown in FIG. 7( b), two pressure chambers 66 arranged side by side and adjacent to each other in the radial direction may be arranged at four positions in the circumferential direction, i.e., a total of eight pressure chambers 66 may be arranged around the screw shaft 21. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 8( a), two pressure chambers 66 may be arranged around the screw shaft 21 in the circumferential direction, i.e., the pressure chambers 66 on both sides in the width direction (Y direction) of the screw shaft 21. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 8( b), three pressure chambers 66 arranged side by side and adjacent to each other in the radial direction (the width direction in this example) may be arranged at two positions in the circumferential direction, i.e., a total of six pressure chambers 66 may be arranged around the screw shaft 21. In this case, the height dimensions of the support base side member 61 and the bearing housing side member 62 can be reduced.

[0047] 9, two pressure chambers 66 may be arranged around the screw shaft 21, i.e., pressure chambers 66 on both sides in the upper and lower directions relative to the screw shaft 21. In this case, the width dimensions of the support base side member 61 and the bearing housing side member 62 can be reduced.

[0048] 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line X-X in FIG. 8(a). In this case, the two pressure chambers 66 are each formed of a recess 64x and a protrusion 65x. In the drawing, the protrusion 65x is formed integrally with the base of the support base member 61, but it may also be formed separately from the base and then joined.

[0049] The multiple pressure chambers 66 can be arranged arbitrarily as long as the bearing unit 41 and the bearing housing side member 62 can move stably in the same direction following the axial extension of the screw shaft 21 due to thermal expansion, and specifically, they are preferably arranged point-symmetrically or line-symmetrically on a plane perpendicular to the screw shaft 21. The multiple pressure chambers 66 may also be arranged offset in the axial direction.

[0050] Furthermore, the support base side member 61 and the bearing housing side member 62 are not limited to being formed as a single member, but may be configured as separate members arranged around the screw shaft 21 according to the layout of the pressure chamber 66. Furthermore, the support base side member 61 and the bearing housing side member 62, which are single members, may also be configured with a portion of the circumferential direction being open or divided so as to be arranged around the screw shaft 21. For example, in Figure 8 (b) , two support base side members 61 and two bearing housing side members 62 are configured as separate members in the width direction of the screw shaft 21.

[0051] In addition, similar to the other housing position adjustment mechanisms 160 described above, the pressure generating means in the multiple pressure chambers 66 are not limited to all having the same configuration, i.e., elastic members arranged in a compressed state, but the pressure generating means in any of the pressure chambers 66 may have other configurations, such as a working fluid filled in the pressure chamber 66 in a compressed state.

[0052] Furthermore, the recesses and protrusions that make up the pressure chambers 66 are not limited to being circular in cross section, but may be any shape, such as rectangular. Furthermore, the cross-sectional dimensions and axial dimensions of the multiple pressure chambers 66 can each be configured as desired.

[0053] In the housing position adjustment mechanism 60 of the above-described embodiment and modified example, when the screw shaft 21 extends in the axial direction, the volume of the pressure chamber 66 increases, and the compressed disc springs 70 gradually reduce their pressure while pressing the bearing unit 41 and the bearing housing side member 62 to the left. This causes the pair of angular ball bearings 53 to move in the axial direction, maintaining the axial support rigidity of the screw shaft 21.

[0054] However, in the third embodiment, a housing position adjustment mechanism 60 as shown in FIG. 11 is used to maintain the axial support rigidity of the screw shaft 21. Specifically, when the screw shaft 21 expands in the axial direction, the bearing unit 41 and the bearing housing side member 62 move to the left via the pair of angular contact ball bearings 53, 53 that move together with the screw shaft 21, and the volume of the pressure chamber 66 decreases. Meanwhile, as the pressure of the multiple disc springs 70 gradually increases, the bearing unit 41 and the bearing housing side member 62 are pressed to the right. Therefore, by adjusting the volume of the pressure chamber 66 and the pressure of the multiple disc springs 70 so as to allow the screw shaft 21 to expand in the axial direction, the axial support rigidity of the screw shaft 21 can be maintained.

[0055] In this case, the support base side member 61 has a small-diameter cylindrical portion 61c extending from the small-diameter portion of the annular base portion 61b attached to the support base 43 toward the bearing housing 51, and an outward flange portion 61d extending from the tip of the small-diameter cylindrical portion 61c toward the outer diameter side. The bearing housing side member 62 has a large-diameter cylindrical portion 62c extending from the large-diameter portion of the annular base portion 62b attached to the moving-side bearing housing 51 toward the support base 43, and an inward flange portion 62d extending from the tip of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 62c toward the inner diameter side.

[0056] The outward flange portion 61d of the support base side member 61 is movable axially relative to the annular base portion 62b and the inward flange portion 62d of the bearing housing side member 62, and its outer peripheral surface is in sliding contact with the inner peripheral surface of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 62c via an O-ring 67. The inward flange portion 62d of the bearing housing side member 62 is movable axially relative to the annular base portion 61b and the outward flange portion 61d of the support base side member 61, and its inner peripheral surface is in sliding contact with the outer peripheral surface of the small-diameter cylindrical portion 61c via an O-ring 67. Therefore, the pressure chamber 66 is formed by an annular space partitioned by the small-diameter cylindrical portion 61c and the outward flange portion 61d of the support base side member 61 and the large-diameter cylindrical portion 62c and the inward flange portion 62d of the bearing housing side member 62, and this pressure chamber 66 is filled with a plurality of disc springs 70 in a slightly compressed state. The small diameter cylindrical portion 61 c of the bearing housing side member 62 is provided with air intake and deaeration holes (not shown) so that air can freely enter and exit the pressure chamber 66 .

[0057] By forming the pressure chamber 66 in this manner, when the screw shaft 21 stretches axially due to thermal expansion, the pair of angular ball bearings 53, 53, the bearing housing 51, and the bearing housing side member 62 move to the left in the figure while compressing the multiple disc springs 70 in the pressure chamber 66, thereby maintaining the axial support rigidity of the screw shaft 21.

[0058] In addition, O-rings 67 mounted between the inner peripheral surface of the inward flange portion 62d and the outer peripheral surface of the small-diameter cylindrical portion 61c, and between the outer peripheral surface of the outward flange portion 61d and the inner peripheral surface of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 62c, act as damping mechanisms to damp vibrations occurring in the screw shaft 21.

[0059] The support base side member 61 and the bearing housing side member 62 may each be formed from a single member, but in consideration of ease of assembly, they may each be formed with an O-ring 67 sandwiched between two members 91, 92, 93, 94, as shown in Figure 11. Also, one O-ring 67 and one seal groove 68 are disposed between each opposing surface, but multiple O-rings 67 and multiple seal grooves 68 may be disposed.

[0060] Also, instead of Figure 11, the support base side member 61 may have a large diameter cylindrical portion and an inward flange portion, and the bearing housing side member 62 may have a small diameter cylindrical portion and an outward flange portion to form a pressure chamber.

[0061] Furthermore, in such a housing position adjustment mechanism 60, the pair of angular contact ball bearings 53, 53 may be arranged in a face-to-face configuration as shown in Fig. 11, a back-to-back configuration as shown in Fig. 12, a parallel configuration, or any other supporting configuration. In addition, although not shown, the pair of angular contact ball bearings does not necessarily have to be made up of two angular contact ball bearings, but can also be made up of three or more ball bearings.

[0062] Furthermore, in the housing position adjustment mechanism 60 of the third embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13 , similar to the second embodiment, the second support mechanism 40 may have a tandem configuration in which the housing position adjustment mechanism 60 and another housing position adjustment mechanism 160 are arranged in series in the axial direction between the bearing unit 41 and the support base 43.

[0063] In this case, the other support base side member 161 of the other housing position adjustment mechanism 160 has an annular base portion 161b, a small-diameter cylindrical portion 161c, and an outward flange portion 161d, and the other bearing housing side member 162 has an annular base portion 162b, a large-diameter cylindrical portion 162c, and an inward flange portion 162d. The other support base side member 161 and the other bearing housing side member 162 of the other housing position adjustment mechanism 160 are each composed of two members 191, 192, 193, and 194. The support base side member 61 of the housing position adjustment mechanism 60 and the other bearing housing side member 162 of the other housing position adjustment mechanism 160 are connected to each other and configured as a single unit.

[0064] Also, similar to the second embodiment, the second support mechanism 40 may be configured such that a plurality of housing position adjustment mechanisms are arranged in series in the axial direction, or may be configured such that they are arranged in parallel in the radial direction.

[0065] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and modifications, improvements, etc. are possible as appropriate. Furthermore, the embodiments and modifications described in this specification can be combined and applied within the scope of feasibility. For example, in the above-described embodiment, a disc spring is used as the elastic member, but this is not limiting and a coil spring may also be used.

[0066] Furthermore, the damping member is not limited to the O-ring described in the above embodiment, as long as it is disposed between the opposing surfaces of the support base member and the bearing housing member and is made of a material and configured to have damping capacity. For example, the damping member is not limited to a circular cross section like an O-ring, but may have any appropriate cross-sectional shape, such as a flat rectangular cross section. Furthermore, the damping member is not limited to an annular member like an O-ring, but may be divided circumferentially as long as it is capable of damping. Furthermore, these divided members may be arranged along the axial direction, or may be arranged inclined relative to the axial direction, such as in a spiral shape.

[0067] Furthermore, while the O-ring is generally made of a rubber material, it is not limited to this and may be made of any material having damping capacity, such as resin. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the O-ring is disposed in a seal groove formed in one of the opposing surfaces of the support base member and the bearing housing member, but it may also be disposed directly on the opposing surface without a seal groove. Such a damping member may be integrally formed on one or both of the opposing surfaces of the support base member and the bearing housing member by direct molding or the like.

[0068] Furthermore, the support base may be configured to directly or indirectly support the support base side member of the housing position adjustment mechanism, and is not limited to a configuration in which the rotation axis passes through it as in the above embodiment, but may also be configured to be arranged around the rotation axis, and can be designed into any shape.

[0069] (Application to Other Ball Screw Feeding Devices) In the ball screw feeding device 20 of Fig. 1 , the drive motor 12 is coupled to one side (the right side in Fig. 1 ) of the screw shaft 21 supported by the first support mechanism 30, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, as in the ball screw feeding device 20 of Fig. 14 , the drive motor 12 may be coupled to the other side (the left side in Fig. 14 ) of the screw shaft 21 supported by the second support mechanism 40. In this case, the drive motor 12 is fixed to the base 1 and supported by another support base 85 through which the screw shaft 21 passes. In addition, the tip of the small diameter shaft portion 27 is disposed within the coupling 28 away from the rotating shaft 12a of the drive motor 12 so that the small diameter shaft portion 27 can move in the axial direction when the screw shaft 21 expands axially due to thermal expansion.

[0070] Therefore, the present invention can be used with a high degree of freedom as a ball screw feed device for positioning devices that perform high-precision processing and measurement, such as machine tools (machining centers, lathes, grinding machines, etc.), measuring machines (three-dimensional measuring devices), semiconductor manufacturing equipment (tables for exposure devices, inspection probes, etc.), inspection equipment, etc., and for use in semiconductor manufacturing, etc.

[0071] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the support base 43 is disposed on the axial center side relative to the bearing unit 41, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the support base 43 may be disposed on the axial end side relative to the bearing unit 41. That is, the support base 43 may be disposed on the axial center side relative to the bearing unit 41 or on the axial end side depending on the configuration and function of the housing position adjustment mechanism 60.

[0072] 15 and 16 , for example, the support base 43 is provided closer to the axial end than the bearing unit 41. In this case, the support base side member 61 may be attached directly or indirectly to the support base 43, and the bearing housing side member 62 may be attached directly or indirectly to the bearing housing 51. In addition, the spacer 48a, which is disposed between the inner ring 55 and the fastening nut 38b, passes through the through hole 43a of the support base 43 and the inside of the support base side member 61 and the bearing housing side member 62.

[0073] 17 and 18, the support base 43 is disposed closer to the axial end than the bearing unit 41, and is fixed to a support base side member 61 disposed closer to the axial center than the bearing unit 41 by an outer cylinder portion 43b that extends axially from a main body portion having a through hole 43a and surrounds the periphery of the housing position adjustment mechanism 60. In this case as well, the support base side member 61 may be attached directly or indirectly to the support base 43, and the bearing housing side member 62 may be attached directly or indirectly to the bearing housing 51. In addition, a spacer 48a disposed between the inner ring 55 and the fastening nut 38b passes through the through hole 43a of the support base 43.

[0074] (Applications Other Than Ball Screw Feeder Devices) Although the above-described embodiment describes a ball screw feeder device, the present invention can also be applied to a rotation support device in which both axial ends of a rotating shaft are rotatably supported by a pair of support mechanisms, in addition to the ball screw feeder device. That is, when the axial length of the rotating shaft changes due to the influence of heat, the housing position adjustment mechanism as in the above embodiment can be used to continuously and stably maintain the axial support rigidity of the rotating shaft and to damp vibrations in the axial direction.

[0075] 19, for example, a rotation support device 120 includes a rotating shaft 121 and a pair of support mechanisms 30, 40 that rotatably support both axial ends of the rotating shaft 121. The support mechanism 30 includes a bearing housing 31 fixed to the base 1, and bearings 33, 33 that rotatably support the rotating shaft 121 relative to the bearing housing 31, i.e., a pair of angular contact ball bearings 33, 33 arranged in a face-to-face combination.

[0076] The support mechanism 40 also includes a bearing housing 51, a bearing unit 41 that supports the rotating shaft 121 rotatably relative to the bearing housing 51 and is equipped with bearings 53, 53 that can support axial loads, i.e., a pair of angular ball bearings 53, 53 arranged in a face-to-face combination, a support base 43 that is arranged axially toward the center of the bearing unit 41 and through which the rotating shaft 121 passes, and a housing position adjustment mechanism 60 that is arranged between the bearing unit 41 and the support base 43.

[0077] The housing position adjustment mechanism 60 includes a support base side member 61 provided on the support base 43 side and through which the rotating shaft 121 passes, a bearing housing side member 62 provided on the bearing housing 51 side and through which the rotating shaft 121 passes and which is movable in the axial direction relative to the support base side member 61, an elastic member 70 disposed in a compressed state between the opposing axial end faces of the support base side member 61 and the bearing housing side member 62, and an O-ring (damping member) 67 disposed between the opposing faces of the support base side member 61 and the bearing housing side member 62. Note that in FIG. 19 , components denoted with the same reference numerals as those in the above embodiment are considered to be substantially the same, and their description will be omitted or simplified. The various structures described in the ball screw feed device 20 can also be applied to the rotation support device, and similar effects will be achieved.

[0078] Furthermore, the bearings 33, 53 of the pair of support mechanisms 30, 40 of the rotation support device 120 may be angular contact ball bearings as in the above embodiment, but are not limited to these and may also be roller bearings or plain bearings capable of supporting axial loads. By using such bearings capable of supporting axial loads, the elastic member 70 can be compressed via the bearings, particularly in the support mechanism 40, by tightening the fastening nut 38b as in the above embodiment.

[0079] In addition, in Figure 19, the second support mechanism 40 having the housing position adjustment mechanism 60 is configured to support the end of the rotating shaft 121, but as shown in Figure 20, the second support mechanism 40 having the housing position adjustment mechanism 60 may also be configured to support the rotating shaft 121 at a position closer to another support base 85 that supports the drive motor 12.

[0080] For example, when a rotary support device 120 such as that shown in FIG. 20 is applied to a spindle device that rotates a tool in a machine tool, by attaching a tool to the end of the rotating shaft 121 supported by the support mechanism 30, the axial support rigidity of the rotating shaft 121 is continuously and stably maintained while the axial positioning of the tool is reliably performed, thereby enabling high-precision machining.

[0081] In the rotary support device 120 shown in Figures 19 and 20, the drive motor 12 does not necessarily have to be arranged coaxially with the rotating shaft 121, and the power of the drive motor may be transmitted to the rotating shaft 121 via, for example, a pulley or a gear train.

[0082] In addition, the drive motor 12 is not necessarily limited to a separate motor arranged coaxially with the rotary shaft 121, and may be, for example, a built-in motor directly configured on the rotary shaft 121. Furthermore, the rotation support device 120 may be a housing case in which the bearing housing 31 of the first support mechanism 30 and the support base 43 of the second support mechanism 40 are integrated as a support body.

[0083] In addition, in a rotation support device other than a ball screw feed device, the support base may be disposed on the axial end side of the bearing unit as shown in FIGS.

[0084] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the housing position adjustment mechanism is described as a mechanism for adjusting the axial position of the bearing housing of the bearing that supports the rotating shaft, but the present invention is not limited to this and can be applied as a support mechanism position adjustment mechanism for a shaft support device. That is, the shaft is not limited to a rotating shaft, and the support mechanism is not limited to a configuration including a bearing. The shaft support device may be configured to include a shaft and a pair of support mechanisms provided at both axial ends of the shaft to support the shaft, one of the pair of support mechanisms including a support body (e.g., support base 43 in the above embodiment) through which the shaft passes or around which the shaft is disposed.

[0085] Therefore, the support mechanism position adjustment mechanism of the shaft support device may include a first member (e.g., support base member 61 in the above embodiment) provided on one of the shaft side and the support side, through which the shaft can pass or which can be arranged around the shaft, a second member (e.g., bearing housing member 62 in the above embodiment) provided on the other of the shaft side and the support side, through which the shaft can pass or which can be arranged around the shaft, and which can move axially relative to the first member, an elastic member arranged in a compressed state between the opposing axial end faces of the first member and the second member, and a damping member arranged between the opposing faces of the first member and the second member. The support mechanism position adjustment mechanism of such a shaft support device can be configured to have the same effect as the housing position adjustment mechanism described in connection with the ball screw feed device 20.

[0086] 21 and 22 show a rigid-jointed structure 200 as a shaft support device in which a support mechanism position adjustment mechanism is provided on one of a pair of support mechanisms that support a shaft. The rigid-jointed structure 200 includes two parallel steel supports 231, 243 that are fixed vertically to a base 1. Concentric through-holes 231a, 243a are formed in the supports 231, 243, and a shaft 221 that constitutes a beam member is inserted through these through-holes. The supports 231, 243 may be pillars, beams, support plates, or the like, and may be made of any material and shape that can support a shaft.

[0087] In this example, the flange portion 226 on one axial end of the shaft 221 abuts against the small diameter step portion 231b of the through hole 231a of the support body 231, and one end of the shaft 221 is positioned and fixed to the support body 231 by the other support mechanism that attaches the pressing lid 232 to the large diameter step portion 231c of the through hole 231a.

[0088] The other axial end of shaft 221 passes through a through-hole 243a of support 243, protrudes to the opposite side from support 231, and is supported by support 243 via a shaft guide member 250, a housing 251, and a support mechanism position adjustment mechanism 260, which constitute one of the support mechanisms. The cross-sectional shape of the central part of shaft 221 is arbitrary, and may be made of a square steel pipe, an H-shaped steel, or the like.

[0089] The shaft guide member 250 is a member configured to surround the shaft 221, guides the small diameter portion 225 of the shaft 221, and has both outer diameter ends sandwiched and integrated between the housing 251 and a pressing member 247 fixed to the housing 251.

[0090] As in the above embodiment, the housing 251 is attached to the support body 243 via a support mechanism position adjustment mechanism 260. That is, a first member 261 corresponding to the support base side member 61 in the above embodiment is fitted into a through hole 243a of the support body 243 and fixed to the support body 243, and a second member 262 corresponding to the bearing housing side member 62 in the above embodiment is fitted into an inward flange 251a of the housing 251 and fixed to the housing 251.

[0091] Therefore, when the shaft guide member 250 is tightened by the fastening nut 38b that is threaded onto the male screw 225a via the spacer 48, a reaction force acts on the shaft guide member 250, and the shaft guide member 250 is subjected to an axial load. Therefore, a predetermined rigidity is provided between the supports 231, 243 and the shaft 221.

[0092] Furthermore, in such a rigid-jointed structure 200, even if axial elongation occurs in the shaft 221, the support mechanism position adjustment mechanism 260 operates to move the shaft guide member 250 and the housing 251 in the same direction in response to the axial elongation of the shaft 221. Therefore, the axial force acting on the shaft 221 can be maintained, and the rigidity of the rigid-jointed structure 200 can be maintained.

[0093] In this example, the housing 251 and the second member 262 of the support mechanism position adjustment mechanism 260 may be integrally configured, and the shaft guide member 250 may be disposed on the integrated member. Alternatively, the housing 251 may be omitted, and the shaft guide member 250 may be directly fixed to the second member 262 of the support mechanism position adjustment mechanism 260. The shaft support device is not limited to a rigid joint structure as in this example, and may have a brace structure in which the support mechanisms on the shaft side and the support body side are pin-jointed. In this case, the shaft 221 may be disposed at an angle depending on the configuration of the brace structure. Furthermore, in a shaft support device such as a rigid structure, both support mechanisms may have a support mechanism position adjustment mechanism.

[0094] As described above, the present specification discloses the following: (A1) A ball screw feed device comprising: a screw shaft having a helical thread groove formed on its outer peripheral surface; a nut having a helical thread groove formed on its inner peripheral surface; a plurality of balls arranged to roll freely between the thread groove of the screw shaft and the thread groove of the nut; and a pair of support mechanisms rotatably supporting both axial end portions of the screw shaft, one of the pair of support mechanisms comprising: a bearing unit including a bearing housing and an angular contact ball bearing each including an outer ring fitted inside the bearing housing, an inner ring fitted outside an axial end portion of the screw shaft, and balls arranged to roll freely between the outer ring and the inner ring; a support base arranged axially centrally from the bearing unit and through which the screw shaft passes; and a housing position adjustment mechanism arranged between the bearing unit and the support base, the housing position adjustment mechanism comprising: a support base side member arranged on the support base side and through which the screw shaft passes; a bearing housing side member arranged on the bearing housing side and through which the screw shaft passes and which is movable axially relative to the support base side member. a ball screw feed device comprising: an elastic member disposed in a compressed state between the opposing axial end faces of the support base member and the bearing housing member; and a damping member disposed between the opposing faces of the support base member and the bearing housing member. With this configuration, even if the axial length of the screw shaft changes due to the influence of heat, it is possible to continuously and stably maintain axial support rigidity and damp axial vibration.

[0095] (A2) The ball screw feed device according to (A1), wherein one of the support base member and the bearing housing member has an annular recess that opens to one axial side, the other of the support base member and the bearing housing member has an annular protrusion that protrudes toward the other axial side and is axially slidably fitted within the annular recess, and the elastic member is a plurality of disc springs that are arranged in a compressed state between a bottom surface of the annular recess and a tip surface of the annular protrusion. With this configuration, the plurality of disc springs can be arranged in a compressed state in the space (pressure chamber in this embodiment) formed between the annular recess and the annular protrusion, preventing wear powder generated from the disc springs from leaking out and foreign matter from entering from the outside, and also allowing a housing position adjustment mechanism having the disc springs and a damping member to be configured compactly around the screw shaft.

[0096] (A3) The ball screw feed device according to (A2), wherein the damping member is at least one O-ring mounted between the inward surface of the annular recess and the outward surface of the annular protrusion, and between the outward surface of the annular recess and the inward surface of the annular protrusion, respectively. With this configuration, the O-rings can damp vibrations generated in the screw shaft.

[0097] (A4) A ball screw feed device as described in (A1), wherein one of the support base side member and the bearing housing side member has a small-diameter cylindrical portion extending to one axial side and an outward flange portion extending from a tip of the small-diameter cylindrical portion toward the outer diameter side, and the other of the support base side member and the bearing housing side member has a large-diameter cylindrical portion extending to the other axial side and having an inner circumferential surface with which the outer circumferential surface of the outward flange portion slides, and an inward flange portion extending from the tip of the large-diameter cylindrical portion toward the inner diameter side and having an inner circumferential surface in sliding contact with the outer circumferential surface of the small-diameter cylindrical portion, and the elastic member is a plurality of disc springs arranged in a compressed state in an annular space partitioned by the small-diameter cylindrical portion, the outward flange portion, the large-diameter cylindrical portion, and the inward flange portion. With this configuration, multiple disc springs can be arranged in a compressed state in the annular space, preventing wear powder generated from the disc springs from leaking out and foreign matter from the outside from entering, and also allowing the housing position adjustment mechanism having the disc springs and damping members to be configured compactly around the screw shaft.

[0098] (A5) The ball screw feed device according to (A4), wherein the damping member is at least one O-ring mounted between the inner peripheral surface of the inward flange portion and the outer peripheral surface of the small-diameter cylindrical portion, and between the outer peripheral surface of the outward flange portion and the inner peripheral surface of the large-diameter cylindrical portion, respectively. With this configuration, the O-rings act as a damping mechanism to damp vibrations generated in the screw shaft.

[0099] (A6) The ball screw feed device according to (A1), wherein one of the pair of support mechanisms further includes another housing position adjustment mechanism arranged adjacent to the housing position adjustment mechanism in series or parallel between the bearing unit and the support base, the other housing position adjustment mechanism including: another support base side member provided on the support base side and through which the screw shaft passes; another bearing housing side member provided on the bearing housing side and through which the screw shaft passes and which is axially movable relative to the other support base side member; and a pressure generating means arranged in a compressed state between the opposing axial end faces of the other support base side member and the other bearing housing side member. With this configuration, in the case of a series arrangement, the axial rigidity of the ball screw feed device can be maintained even when the screw shaft elongates more significantly, and the centering and coaxiality of the screw shaft can be improved. Furthermore, in the case of a parallel arrangement, a larger axial load can be generated and axial rigidity can be maintained compared to when a single housing position adjustment mechanism is arranged.

[0100] (A7) A ball screw feed device comprising: a screw shaft having a helical thread groove formed on its outer peripheral surface; a nut having a helical thread groove formed on its inner peripheral surface; a plurality of balls arranged to roll freely between the thread groove of the screw shaft and the thread groove of the nut; and a pair of support mechanisms rotatably supporting both axial end portions of the screw shaft, one of the pair of support mechanisms comprising: a bearing unit including a bearing housing and an angular contact ball bearing each including an outer ring fitted inside the bearing housing, an inner ring fitted outside an axial end portion of the screw shaft, and balls arranged to roll freely between the outer ring and the inner ring; a support base through which the screw shaft passes; and a housing position adjustment mechanism attached to the bearing unit and the support base, wherein the housing position adjustment mechanism comprises: a support base side member attached to the support base and through which the screw shaft passes; a bearing housing side member attached to the bearing housing and through which the screw shaft passes and which is movable axially relative to the support base side member. a ball screw feed device comprising: an elastic member disposed in a compressed state between the opposing axial end faces of the support base member and the bearing housing member; and a damping member disposed between the opposing faces of the support base member and the bearing housing member. With this configuration, even if the axial length of the screw shaft changes due to the influence of heat, it is possible to continuously and stably maintain axial support rigidity and damp axial vibration.

[0101] (A8) A rotary support device comprising a rotating shaft and a pair of support mechanisms rotatably supporting both axial ends of the rotating shaft, one of the pair of support mechanisms comprising: a bearing unit comprising a bearing housing and a bearing that rotatably supports the rotating shaft relative to the bearing housing and is capable of supporting an axial load; a support base that is arranged axially centrally from the bearing unit and through which the rotating shaft passes; and a housing position adjustment mechanism that is arranged between the bearing unit and the support base, wherein the housing position adjustment mechanism comprises: a support base side member that is arranged on the support base side and through which the rotating shaft passes; a bearing housing side member that is arranged on the bearing housing side and through which the rotating shaft passes and is movable axially relative to the support base side member; an elastic member that is arranged in a compressed state between opposing axial end faces of the support base side member and the bearing housing side member; and a damping member that is arranged between the opposing faces of the support base side member and the bearing housing side member. With this configuration, even if the axial length of the rotating shaft changes due to the influence of heat, the axial support rigidity can be continuously and stably maintained, and vibrations in the axial direction can be damped.

[0102] (A9) A rotary support device comprising a rotating shaft and a pair of support mechanisms rotatably supporting both axial ends of the rotating shaft, one of the pair of support mechanisms comprising: a bearing housing, a bearing unit comprising a bearing that rotatably supports the rotating shaft relative to the bearing housing and is capable of supporting an axial load; a support base through which the rotating shaft passes; and a housing position adjustment mechanism attached to the bearing unit and the support base, wherein the housing position adjustment mechanism comprises: a support base side member attached to the support base and through which the rotating shaft passes; a bearing housing side member attached to the bearing housing, through which the rotating shaft passes and which is movable axially relative to the support base side member; an elastic member arranged in a compressed state between opposing axial end faces of the support base side member and the bearing housing side member; and a damping member arranged between the opposing faces of the support base side member and the bearing housing side member. With this configuration, even if the axial length of the rotating shaft changes due to the influence of heat, the axial support rigidity can be continuously and stably maintained, and vibrations in the axial direction can be damped.

[0103] (A10) In a shaft support device including a shaft and a pair of support mechanisms provided at both axial ends of the shaft to support the shaft on a base, a support mechanism position adjustment mechanism for the shaft support device provided on one of the pair of support mechanisms, comprising: a first member provided on one of the support mechanism side and the base side, through which the shaft can pass, a second member provided on the other of the support mechanism side and the base side, through which the shaft can pass and which is movable in the axial direction relative to the first member, an elastic member disposed in a compressed state between opposing axial end faces of the first member and the second member, and a damping member disposed between opposing faces of the first member and the second member. With this configuration, even if the axial length of the shaft changes due to the influence of heat, it is possible to continuously and stably maintain axial support rigidity and to damp vibrations in the axial direction.

[0104] (A11) In a shaft support device including a shaft and a pair of support mechanisms provided at both axial ends of the shaft to support the shaft on a base, a support mechanism position adjustment mechanism for the shaft support device provided on one of the pair of support mechanisms, comprising: a first member attached to one of the support mechanism and the base and through which the shaft can pass, a second member attached to the other of the support mechanism and the base, through which the shaft can pass and which is movable in the axial direction relative to the first member, an elastic member disposed in a compressed state between opposing axial end faces of the first member and the second member, and a damping member disposed between opposing faces of the first member and the second member. With this configuration, even if the axial length of the shaft changes due to the influence of heat, it is possible to continuously and stably maintain axial support rigidity and to damp vibrations in the axial direction.

[0105] (A12) A rotary support device comprising a rotating shaft and a pair of support mechanisms rotatably supporting both axial ends of the rotating shaft, one of the pair of support mechanisms comprising: a bearing unit comprising a bearing housing and a bearing that rotatably supports the rotating shaft relative to the bearing housing and is capable of supporting an axial load; a support base through which the rotating shaft passes; and a housing position adjustment mechanism arranged between the bearing unit and the support base, wherein the housing position adjustment mechanism comprises: a support base side member provided on the support base side and through which the rotating shaft passes or is arranged around the rotation axis; a bearing housing side member provided on the bearing housing side and through which the rotating shaft passes or is arranged around the rotation axis, and which is movable axially relative to the support base side member; an elastic member arranged in a compressed state between opposing axial end faces of the support base side member and the bearing housing side member; and a damping member arranged between the opposing faces of the support base side member and the bearing housing side member. With this configuration, even if the axial length of the rotating shaft changes due to the influence of heat, the axial support rigidity can be continuously and stably maintained, and vibrations in the axial direction can be damped.

[0106] (A13) The rotation support device according to (A12), wherein one of the support base side member and the bearing housing side member has a plurality of recesses opening to one axial side, and the other of the support base side member and the bearing housing side member has a plurality of protrusions protruding toward the other axial side and respectively fitting within the plurality of recesses so as to be slidable in the axial direction, and the plurality of pressure chambers are respectively formed between the plurality of recesses and the plurality of protrusions. With this configuration, the layout of the housing position adjustment mechanism can be freely configured using the plurality of pressure chambers.

[0107] (A14) The rotation support device according to (A13), wherein the plurality of pressure chambers are arranged on both sides of the rotation shaft in the width direction. With this configuration, the height dimension of the housing position adjustment mechanism can be reduced.

[0108] (A15) The rotation support device according to (A13), wherein the elastic member is disposed in each of the plurality of pressure chambers, and the damping member is disposed between opposing surfaces of the plurality of convex portions and the plurality of concave portions. With this configuration, the plurality of pressure chambers can be configured in common.

[0109] (A16) The rotation support device according to (A12), which is a ball screw feed device, further includes: a screw shaft having a spiral thread groove formed on its outer peripheral surface; a nut having a spiral thread groove formed on its inner peripheral surface; and a plurality of balls rollably disposed between the thread groove of the screw shaft and the thread groove of the nut. With this configuration, a ball screw feed device can be configured that can continuously and stably maintain axial support rigidity even if the axial length of the rotation shaft changes due to the influence of heat.

[0110] (A17) In a shaft support device including a shaft and a pair of support mechanisms provided at both axial ends of the shaft to support the shaft on a base, a support mechanism position adjustment mechanism for the shaft support device provided on one of the pair of support mechanisms, comprising: a first member provided on one of the support mechanism side and the base side, through which the shaft can pass or which can be arranged around the axis, a second member provided on the other of the support mechanism side and the base side, through which the shaft can pass or which can be arranged around the axis and which is movable in the axial direction relative to the first member, an elastic member disposed in a compressed state between opposing axial end faces of the first member and the second member, and a damping member disposed between opposing faces of the first member and the second member. With this configuration, even if the axial length of the shaft changes due to the influence of heat, it is possible to continuously and stably maintain axial support rigidity and to damp vibrations in the axial direction.

[0111] (B1) A rotary support device comprising a rotating shaft and a pair of support mechanisms rotatably supporting both axial ends of the rotating shaft, one of the pair of support mechanisms comprising: a bearing unit comprising a bearing housing and a bearing that rotatably supports the rotating shaft relative to the bearing housing and is capable of supporting an axial load; a support base through which the rotating shaft passes or is arranged around the rotation axis; and a housing position adjustment mechanism arranged between the bearing unit and the support base, wherein the housing position adjustment mechanism comprises: a support base side member provided on the support base side and through which the rotating shaft passes or is arranged around the rotation axis; a bearing housing side member provided on the bearing housing side and through which the rotating shaft passes or is arranged around the rotation axis, and which is movable in the axial direction relative to the support base side member; an elastic member arranged in a compressed state between opposing axial end faces of the support base side member and the bearing housing side member; and a damping member arranged between the opposing faces of the support base side member and the bearing housing side member. With this configuration, even if the axial length of the rotating shaft changes due to the influence of heat, the axial support rigidity can be continuously and stably maintained, and vibrations in the axial direction can be damped.

[0112] (B2) The rotation support device according to (B1), wherein one of the support base member and the bearing housing member has an annular recess that opens to one axial side, the other of the support base member and the bearing housing member has an annular protrusion that protrudes toward the other axial side and is slidably fitted within the annular recess in the axial direction, and the elastic member is a plurality of disc springs that are arranged in a compressed state between the bottom surface of the annular recess and the tip surface of the annular protrusion. With this configuration, the plurality of disc springs can be arranged in a compressed state in the space (pressure chamber in this embodiment) formed between the annular recess and the annular protrusion, preventing wear powder generated from the disc springs from escaping to the outside and foreign matter from entering from the outside, and allowing a housing position adjustment mechanism having the disc springs and a damping member to be configured compactly around the rotation shaft.

[0113] (B3) The rotation support device according to (B2), wherein the damping member is at least one O-ring mounted between the inward surface of the annular recess and the outward surface of the annular protrusion, and between the outward surface of the annular recess and the inward surface of the annular protrusion, respectively. With this configuration, the O-rings can damp vibrations generated in the rotating shaft.

[0114] (B4) A rotation support device as described in (B1), wherein one of the support base side member and the bearing housing side member has a small-diameter cylindrical portion extending to one axial side and an outward flange portion extending from a tip of the small-diameter cylindrical portion toward the outer diameter side, and the other of the support base side member and the bearing housing side member has a large-diameter cylindrical portion extending to the other axial side and having an inner circumferential surface with which the outer circumferential surface of the outward flange portion slides, and an inward flange portion extending from the tip of the large-diameter cylindrical portion toward the inner diameter side and having an inner circumferential surface in sliding contact with the outer circumferential surface of the small-diameter cylindrical portion, and the elastic member is a plurality of disc springs arranged in a compressed state in an annular space partitioned by the small-diameter cylindrical portion, the outward flange portion, the large-diameter cylindrical portion, and the inward flange portion. With this configuration, multiple disc springs can be arranged in a compressed state in the annular space, preventing wear powder generated from the disc springs from leaking out and foreign matter from entering from the outside, and also allowing the housing position adjustment mechanism having the disc springs and damping members to be configured compactly around the rotating shaft.

[0115] (B5) The rotation support device according to (B4), wherein the damping member is at least one O-ring mounted between the inner peripheral surface of the inward flange portion and the outer peripheral surface of the small-diameter cylindrical portion, and between the outer peripheral surface of the outward flange portion and the inner peripheral surface of the large-diameter cylindrical portion, respectively. With this configuration, the O-rings act as a damping mechanism to damp vibrations generated in the rotating shaft.

[0116] (B6) The rotary support device according to (B1), wherein one of the pair of support mechanisms further includes another housing position adjustment mechanism arranged adjacent to the housing position adjustment mechanism in series or parallel between the bearing unit and the support base, the other housing position adjustment mechanism including: another support base member provided on the support base side and through which the rotation shaft passes or around which the rotation shaft is arranged; another bearing housing member provided on the bearing housing side and through which the rotation shaft passes or around which the rotation shaft is arranged, and which is movable axially relative to the other support base member; and a pressure generating means arranged in a compressed state between the opposing axial end faces of the other support base member and the other bearing housing member. With this configuration, in the case of a series arrangement, the axial rigidity of the rotary support device can be maintained even when the extension of the rotation shaft is greater, and the alignment and coaxiality of the rotation shaft can be improved. Furthermore, in the case of a parallel arrangement, a larger axial load can be generated and axial rigidity can be maintained compared to when a single housing position adjustment mechanism is arranged.

[0117] (B7) The rotation support device according to (B1), wherein one of the support base side member and the bearing housing side member has a plurality of recesses opening to one axial side, and the other of the support base side member and the bearing housing side member has a plurality of protrusions protruding toward the other axial side and respectively fitting within the plurality of recesses so as to be slidable in the axial direction, and the plurality of pressure chambers are respectively formed between the plurality of recesses and the plurality of protrusions. With this configuration, the layout of the housing position adjustment mechanism can be freely configured using the plurality of pressure chambers.

[0118] (B8) The rotation support device according to (B7), wherein the plurality of pressure chambers are arranged on both sides of the rotation shaft in the width direction. With this configuration, the height dimension of the housing position adjustment mechanism can be reduced.

[0119] (B9) The rotation support device according to (B7), wherein the elastic member is disposed in each of the plurality of pressure chambers, and the damping member is disposed between opposing surfaces of the plurality of convex portions and the plurality of concave portions. With this configuration, the plurality of pressure chambers can be configured in common.

[0120] (B10) The rotation support device according to any one of (B1) to (B9), wherein the bearing of the bearing unit includes a pair of angular contact ball bearings each including an outer ring fitted inside the bearing housing, an inner ring fitted outside an axial end of the rotating shaft, and balls disposed so as to roll between the outer ring and the inner ring. With this configuration, even if the axial length of the rotating shaft changes due to the influence of heat, it is possible to continuously and stably maintain axial support rigidity and to damp axial vibrations.

[0121] (B11) The rotation support device according to any one of (B1) to (B10), which is a ball screw feed device, further comprising: a rotating shaft that is a threaded shaft having a helical thread groove formed on its outer circumferential surface, a nut having a helical thread groove formed on its inner circumferential surface, and a plurality of balls disposed so as to roll between the thread groove of the threaded shaft and the thread groove of the nut. With this configuration, a ball screw feed device can be configured that can continuously and stably maintain axial support rigidity even if the axial length of the rotating shaft changes due to the influence of heat.

[0122] (B12) A support mechanism position adjustment mechanism for a shaft support device including a shaft and a pair of support mechanisms provided at both axial ends of the shaft to support the shaft, the support mechanism position adjustment mechanism for the shaft support device being provided on one of the pair of support mechanisms, wherein one of the pair of support mechanisms has a support through which the shaft passes or is arranged around the shaft, the support mechanism comprising: a first member provided on one of the shaft side and the support side, through which the shaft can pass or be arranged around the axis, a second member provided on the other of the shaft side and the support side, through which the shaft can pass or be arranged around the axis and which is movable in the axial direction relative to the first member, an elastic member arranged in a compressed state between opposing axial end faces of the first member and the second member, and a damping member arranged between opposing faces of the first member and the second member. With this configuration, even if the axial length of the shaft changes due to the influence of heat, it is possible to continuously and stably maintain axial support rigidity and to damp vibration in the axial direction.

[0123] (B13) The support mechanism position adjustment mechanism for a shaft support device according to (B12), wherein the shaft is a rotating shaft, one of the pair of support mechanisms further comprises a bearing unit including a bearing housing and a bearing that rotatably supports the rotating shaft relative to the bearing housing and is capable of supporting an axial load, the support mechanism position adjustment mechanism is a housing position adjustment mechanism disposed between the bearing unit and the support, the first member is a support-side member provided on the support side and through which the rotating shaft can pass or which can be arranged around the rotating shaft, and the second member is a bearing-housing-side member provided on the bearing housing side and through which the rotating shaft can pass or which can be arranged around the rotating shaft and is movable in the axial direction relative to the support-side member. With this configuration, even if the axial length of the rotating shaft changes due to the influence of heat, axial support rigidity can be continuously and stably maintained and vibration in the axial direction can be damped.

[0124] (B14) A support mechanism position adjustment mechanism for a shaft support device according to (B12) or (B13), wherein one of the first member and the second member has an annular recess that opens to one axial side, the other of the first member and the second member has an annular protrusion that protrudes toward the other axial side and is slidably fitted within the annular recess in the axial direction, and the elastic member is a plurality of disc springs that are arranged in a compressed state between a bottom surface of the annular recess and a tip surface of the annular protrusion. With this configuration, the plurality of disc springs can be arranged in a compressed state in the space (pressure chamber in this embodiment) formed between the annular recess and the annular protrusion, preventing wear powder generated from the disc springs from leaking out and foreign matter from entering from the outside, and also allowing the support mechanism position adjustment mechanism having the disc springs and the damping member to be configured compactly around the shaft.

[0125] (B15) The support mechanism position adjustment mechanism for a shaft support device according to (B14), wherein the damping member is at least one O-ring mounted between the inward surface of the annular recess and the outward surface of the annular protrusion, and between the outward surface of the annular recess and the inward surface of the annular protrusion. With this configuration, the O-rings can damp vibrations generated in the shaft.

[0126] (B16) A support mechanism position adjustment mechanism for a shaft support device described in (B12) or (B13), wherein one of the first member and the second member has a small-diameter cylindrical portion extending to one side in the axial direction and an outward flange portion extending from a tip of the small-diameter cylindrical portion toward the outer diameter side, and the other of the first member and the second member has a large-diameter cylindrical portion extending to the other side in the axial direction and having an inner circumferential surface with which the outer circumferential surface of the outward flange portion slides, and an inward flange portion extending from the tip of the large-diameter cylindrical portion toward the inner diameter side and having an inner circumferential surface with which the outer circumferential surface of the small-diameter cylindrical portion slides, and the elastic member is a plurality of disc springs arranged in a compressed state in an annular space partitioned by the small-diameter cylindrical portion, the outward flange portion, the large-diameter cylindrical portion, and the inward flange portion. With this configuration, multiple disc springs can be arranged in a compressed state in the annular space, preventing wear powder generated from the disc springs from leaking out and foreign matter from entering from the outside, and also allowing the support mechanism position adjustment mechanism having the disc springs and damping members to be configured compactly around the shaft.

[0127] (B17) The support mechanism position adjustment mechanism for a shaft support device according to (B16), wherein the damping member is at least one O-ring mounted between the inner peripheral surface of the inward flange portion and the outer peripheral surface of the small-diameter cylindrical portion, and between the outer peripheral surface of the outward flange portion and the inner peripheral surface of the large-diameter cylindrical portion. With this configuration, the O-ring acts as a damping mechanism to damp vibrations occurring in the shaft.

[0128] (B18) The support mechanism position adjustment mechanism for a shaft support device according to (B12) or (B13), wherein one of the pair of support mechanisms further includes another support mechanism position adjustment mechanism arranged adjacent to the support mechanism position adjustment mechanism in series or parallel between the bearing unit and the support base, the other support mechanism position adjustment mechanism including: an other first member provided on the support base side and through which the shaft passes or around which the shaft is arranged; an other second member provided on the bearing housing side and through which the shaft passes or around which the shaft is arranged, and which is movable in the axial direction relative to the other first member; and pressure generating means arranged in a compressed state between the opposing axial end faces of the other first member and the other second member. With this configuration, in the case of a series arrangement, the axial rigidity of the shaft support device can be maintained even when the shaft elongates even more, and the shaft alignment and coaxiality can be improved. Furthermore, in the case of a parallel arrangement, a larger axial load can be generated and axial rigidity can be maintained compared to when a single support mechanism position adjustment mechanism is arranged.

[0129] (B19) The rotation support device according to (B12) or (B13), wherein one of the first member and the second member has a plurality of recesses opening to one axial side, and the other of the first member and the second member has a plurality of protrusions protruding toward the other axial side and respectively fitting within the plurality of recesses so as to be slidable in the axial direction, and the plurality of pressure chambers are respectively formed between the plurality of recesses and the plurality of protrusions. With this configuration, the layout of the support mechanism position adjustment mechanism can be freely configured using the plurality of pressure chambers.

[0130] (B20) The rotation support device according to (B19), wherein the plurality of pressure chambers are arranged on both sides of the shaft in the width direction. With this configuration, it is possible to reduce the height dimension of the support mechanism position adjustment mechanism.

[0131] (B21) The rotation support device according to (B19), wherein the elastic member is disposed in each of the plurality of pressure chambers, and the damping member is disposed between opposing surfaces of the plurality of convex portions and the plurality of concave portions. With this configuration, the plurality of pressure chambers can be configured in common.

[0132] In addition, this application is a Japanese patent application filed on October 28, 2022 (Patent Application No. 2022-173760), a Japanese patent application filed on July 21, 2023 (Patent Application No. 2023-118994), and a Japanese patent application filed on August 22, 2023 (Patent Application No. 2023-134634), the contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application.

[0133] 20 Ball screw feed device (shaft support device, rotation support device) 21 Screw shaft (shaft, rotating shaft) 21b Thread groove 23 Nut 30 First support mechanism (support mechanism) 31 Fixed side bearing housing 33, 53 Angular contact ball bearing (bearing) 34, 54 Outer ring 35, 55 Inner ring 36, 56 Balls 38a, 38b Fastening nut 40 Second support mechanism (support mechanism) 41 Bearing unit 43 Support base (support body) 51 Moving side bearing housing (bearing housing) 51a Inward flange 60 Housing position adjustment mechanism (support mechanism position adjustment mechanism) 61 Support base side member (first member) 62 Bearing housing side member (second member) 64 Annular recess 65 Annular protrusion 66 Pressure chamber 67 O-ring (damping member) 68 Seal groove 70 Disc spring (elastic member) 120 Rotation support device 121 Rotation shaft 160 Other housing position adjustment mechanism (other support mechanism position adjustment mechanism) 161 Other support base side member 162 Other bearing housing side member

Claims

1. A rotary support device comprising a rotary shaft and a pair of support mechanisms that rotatably support both axial ends of the rotary shaft, One of the pair of support mechanisms is, A bearing unit comprising a bearing housing and a bearing that rotatably supports the rotary shaft with respect to the bearing housing and is capable of supporting an axial load, A support base through which the rotary shaft passes or disposed around the rotary shaft, A housing position adjustment mechanism disposed between the bearing unit and the support base, Comprising, The housing position adjustment mechanism is, A support base side member provided on the support base side, through which the rotary shaft passes or disposed around the rotary shaft, A bearing housing side member provided on the bearing housing side, through which the rotary shaft passes or disposed around the rotary shaft, and axially relatively movable with respect to the support base side member, An elastic member disposed in a compressed state between opposing axial end faces of the support base side member and the bearing housing side member, A damping member disposed between opposing surfaces of the support base side member and the bearing housing side member, Comprising, One of the support base side member and the bearing housing side member has an annular recess opening axially on one side, The other of the support base side member and the bearing housing side member has an annular protrusion protruding axially toward the other side and fitting slidably axially within the annular recess, The elastic member is a plurality of disc springs disposed in a compressed state between the bottom surface of the annular recess and the tip surface of the annular protrusion. The rotary support device.

2. The damping member is at least one O-ring respectively mounted between the inner-facing surface of the annular recess and the outer-facing surface of the annular protrusion, and between the outer-facing surface of the annular recess and the inner-facing surface of the annular protrusion. The rotary support device according to claim 1.

3. One of the support base side member and the bearing housing side member has a small-diameter cylindrical portion extending axially on one side and an outward flange portion extending radially outward from the tip of the small-diameter cylindrical portion, The other of the support base side member and the bearing housing side member has a large-diameter cylindrical portion extending axially toward the other side and having an inner peripheral surface in sliding contact with the outer peripheral surface of the outward flange portion, and an inward flange portion extending radially inward from the tip of the large-diameter cylindrical portion and having an inner peripheral surface in sliding contact with the outer peripheral surface of the small-diameter cylindrical portion. The rotary support device according to claim 1, wherein the elastic member is a plurality of disc springs arranged in a compressed state in an annular space partitioned by the small-diameter cylindrical portion, the outward flange portion, the large-diameter cylindrical portion, and the inward flange portion.

4. The rotary support device according to claim 3, wherein the damping member is at least one O-ring respectively mounted between the inner peripheral surface of the inward flange portion and the outer peripheral surface of the small-diameter cylindrical portion, and between the outer peripheral surface of the outward flange portion and the inner peripheral surface of the large-diameter cylindrical portion.

5. One of the pair of support mechanisms further includes another housing position adjustment mechanism arranged in series or in parallel adjacent to the housing position adjustment mechanism between the bearing unit and the support base, wherein the other housing position adjustment mechanism is provided on the support base side and includes another support base side member through which the rotary shaft passes or is arranged around the rotary shaft, is provided on the bearing housing side and includes another bearing housing side member through which the rotary shaft passes or is arranged around the rotary shaft and is axially relatively movable with respect to the other support base side member, and pressure generating means arranged in a compressed state between the opposing axial end faces of the other support base side member and the other bearing housing side member. The rotary support device according to claim 1.

6. One of the support base side member and the bearing housing side member has a plurality of recesses opening on one side in the axial direction, the other of the support base side member and the bearing housing side member has a plurality of protrusions protruding toward the other side in the axial direction and slidably fitting into the plurality of recesses in the axial direction, and the plurality of pressure chambers are respectively formed between the plurality of recesses and the plurality of protrusions. The rotary support device according to claim 1.

7. The rotary support device according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of pressure chambers are arranged on both sides in the width direction with respect to the rotary shaft.

8. The elastic member is respectively arranged in the plurality of pressure chambers, and the damping member is respectively arranged between the opposing surfaces of the plurality of protrusions and the plurality of recesses. The rotary support device according to claim 6.

9. The bearing of the bearing unit includes a pair of angular ball bearings each having an outer ring fitted inside the bearing housing, an inner ring fitted outside the axial end of the rotary shaft, and balls arranged to be freely rotatable between the outer ring and the inner ring. The rotary support device according to claim 1.

10. The rotary support device The rotating shaft is a screw shaft having a spiral thread groove formed on its outer peripheral surface, and a nut having a spiral thread groove formed on its inner peripheral surface, and a plurality of balls rotatably disposed between the thread groove of the screw shaft and the thread groove of the nut. The rotary support device according to claim 1, which is a ball screw feed device.

11. In a shaft support device including a shaft and a pair of support mechanisms provided at both axial ends of the shaft for supporting the shaft, a support mechanism position adjustment mechanism of the shaft support device provided on one of the pair of support mechanisms, One of the pair of support mechanisms has a support body through which the shaft passes or is disposed around the shaft. A first member provided on one of the shaft side and the support body side, through which the shaft can pass or can be disposed around the shaft. A second member provided on the other of the shaft side and the support body side, through which the shaft can pass or can be disposed around the shaft, and axially movable relative to the first member. An elastic member disposed in a compressed state between opposing axial end faces of the first member and the second member. A damping member disposed between opposing surfaces of the first member and the second member. Comprising: One of the first member and the second member has an annular recess opening axially on one side. The other of the first member and the second member has an annular protrusion protruding axially toward the other side and slidably fitted in the annular recess in the axial direction. The elastic member is a plurality of disc springs disposed in a compressed state between the bottom surface of the annular recess and the tip end surface of the annular protrusion, and is a support mechanism position adjustment mechanism of the shaft support device.

12. The shaft is a rotating shaft. One of the pair of support mechanisms further includes a bearing unit including a bearing housing and a bearing that rotatably supports the rotating shaft with respect to the bearing housing and can support an axial load. The support mechanism position adjustment mechanism is a housing position adjustment mechanism disposed between the bearing unit and the support body. The first member is a support body side member provided on the support body side, through which the rotating shaft can pass or can be disposed around the rotating shaft. The second member is a bearing housing side member provided on the bearing housing side, through which the rotating shaft can pass or can be disposed around the rotating shaft, and is axially movable relative to the support body side member. The support mechanism position adjustment mechanism of the shaft support device according to claim 11.