Actuator Guide Rail Design to Reduce Operating Resistance and Weight
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional actuators with guide rails made of light metal materials face issues with rigidity near ball grooves, leading to increased operating resistance when the guide rails become bent or warped, and struggle with size and weight reduction.
Innovation Solution
The actuator design incorporates circular arc grooves formed by body and slider guide rails, with the slider side guide rails being larger in the vertical direction, allowing balls to circulate and reducing the size and weight of the actuator while maintaining low operating resistance even if the guide rails become bent or warped.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If guide rails are made of light metal material to reduce weight, then the weight of the actuator is reduced, but the rigidity near ball grooves becomes insufficient causing increased operating resistance when guide rails become bent or warped
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses a composite structure combining light metal material for the guide rail body with a rigid coating layer on the surface. This allows the guide rail to maintain low weight while the coating provides enhanced rigidity and resistance to bending near the ball grooves, preventing increased operating resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies local reinforcement at critical areas of the guide rail, specifically near the ball grooves where bending occurs. By concentrating rigidity-enhancing features only where needed rather than throughout the entire guide rail, the design maintains overall light weight while preventing deformation at stress points.
2Strength
If Gothic arch grooves are formed by guide rails to provide structural support, then the guide rails need sufficient rigidity, but this increases the size and weight of the actuator
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the cross-sectional parameters of the guide rails, using an I-shaped or channel-shaped profile that provides high structural support capability per unit weight. This allows the guide rails to maintain sufficient rigidity for Gothic arch groove formation while minimizing material usage and overall weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs composite material construction where a light metal base material is combined with a rigid surface coating or reinforcement layer. This composite structure achieves the necessary structural support for Gothic arch grooves without requiring excessive material, thus controlling the weight of the actuator.
3Length of moving object
If guide rails are made smaller to reduce actuator size, then the size and weight of the actuator are reduced, but the rigidity near ball grooves becomes insufficient leading to increased operating resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies local reinforcement specifically at the ball groove areas of the guide rails through coating or surface treatment. This allows the overall guide rail dimensions to be reduced for compact actuator size while maintaining sufficient rigidity at the critical ball groove locations to prevent bending and excessive operating resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses composite material construction with a light metal core and rigid surface layer. This enables the guide rails to be made smaller overall while the reinforced surface layer at critical areas maintains sufficient rigidity near the ball grooves, preventing deformation and excessive operating resistance despite the reduced size.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design effectively suppresses the increase in operating resistance and allows for a reduction in the size and weight of the actuator, ensuring smooth operation and reduced material usage.
Implementation Method 1
Ball grooves having a substantially semicircular cross section perpendicular to the direction of movement of the slider are formed respectively in the body and the slider, and balls made of bearing steel or the like are fitted in the ball grooves. By the balls rolling within the ball grooves, the slider moves smoothly.
Implementation Method 2
The slider is provided with circulation passages for allowing the balls to circulate therein. The balls that have completed rolling inside the ball grooves are returned again to the ball grooves through the circulation passages.
Data Source
AI summary
An actuator is equipped with a body and a slider. Body side rail grooves are formed in side wall portions that constitute the body. On the other hand, slider side rail grooves are formed in the slider. Body side guide rails and slider side guide rails are provided in the body side rail grooves and the slider side rail grooves, respectively. Circular arc grooves serving as ball grooves are formed by body side ball receiving portions of the body side guide rails, and slider side ball receiving portions of the slider side guide rails.