Adjustable Lubrication Module for Linear Guideway
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional linear guideways face issues with inadequate lubrication when side-mounted, leading to insufficient lubrication of high-lying backflow ducts due to gravity, and existing solutions like Taiwan patent M503492 suffer from oil leakage during operation.
Innovation Solution
An adjustable lubrication module with an end lid and oil scraper, featuring a feed hole and oil-guiding conduit on the end lid's surface away from the slider, and secondary oiling channels with an oil stopping component to adjust oil flow rates, preventing ball loss and oil leakage by allowing oil flow without demounting the end lid.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the linear guideway is side-mounted with conventional oiling channels, then the structure can be mounted in various orientations, but the high-lying backflow ducts receive insufficient lubrication due to gravity causing oil to flow to the lower channel
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an adjustable oil stopping component that can be positioned at different heights within the oiling channel. This dynamic adjustment capability allows the system to adapt to different mounting orientations (horizontal, vertical, side-mounted) by regulating oil flow to ensure both high-lying and low-lying backflow ducts receive adequate lubrication regardless of gravity's direction
Solution Approach 2:
The oil stopping component changes the flow rate parameter of lubrication oil dynamically. By adjusting the oil stopping component's position, the system modifies the oil flow characteristics to compensate for gravitational effects in different mounting orientations, ensuring uniform lubrication distribution to all backflow ducts
2Reliability
If an oiling channel switch plate is used to adjust lubrication distribution, then oil flow can be redirected to different ducts, but lubrication oil flows over the upper junction of the switch plate and slider during operation causing leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the oil flow regulation function from the oiling channel switch plate structure and relocates it to a dedicated oil stopping component positioned within the oiling channel itself. This separation prevents oil from flowing over external junctions during operation, eliminating the leakage problem while maintaining the ability to regulate oil distribution to different backflow ducts
3Device complexity
If the feed hole and oil-guiding conduit are disposed on the junction of the end lid and slider, then the structure is compact, but lubrication oil flows over the gap between the end lid and slider during operation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an oil scraper as an intermediary component between the feed hole/oil-guiding conduit and the external environment. The oil scraper prevents lubrication oil from flowing over the gap between the end lid and slider by containing the oil flow within the lubrication module, thus eliminating leakage while maintaining structural compactness
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
Ensures effective lubrication of linear guideways in various orientations without requiring disassembly, preventing oil leakage and ensuring equal lubrication distribution, even when side-mounted, thus enhancing operational efficiency and ease of assembly.
Implementation Method 1
upon its admission to a feed hole, the lubrication oil goes to the lower oiling channel more than the higher oiling channel under gravity
Data Source
AI summary
An adjustable lubrication module of a linear guideway includes an end lid disposed at a slider and an oil scraper disposed at the end lid. The end lid has therein two opposing backflow-chambers. A feed-hole disposed between the backflow-chambers and an oil-guiding conduit disposed below the feed-hole are disposed on the end lid. Communication between the feed-hole and the oil-guiding conduit is achieved by a primary oiling-channel. Communications between the oil-guiding conduit and the backflow-chambers are achieved by a secondary oiling-channel. Therefore, oiling-channel adjustment performed on the adjustable lubrication module operating in conjunction with the linear guideway does not entail demounting the end lid from the slider, thereby preventing ball missing. The feed-hole and the oil-guiding conduit are not disposed at the junction of the end lid and the slider; hence, lubrication oil is prevented from flowing over the gap between the end lid and the slider.