Ball Guide Rail Actuator Structure for Low Resistance and Weight Reduction
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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 guide rails are constructed using composite materials, specifically a resin matrix reinforced with fiber materials (such as carbon fiber or glass fiber). This composite structure provides both the weight reduction benefit of non-metallic materials and the rigidity strength of fiber reinforcement, resolving the contradiction between lightweight design and structural rigidity near the ball grooves
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the material parameters by transitioning from conventional metal or solid resin guide rails to fiber-reinforced composite guide rails. This parameter change in material composition and structure enables simultaneous achievement of reduced weight and maintained rigidity, preventing the guide rails from bending or warping under operational loads
2Reliability
If Gothic arch grooves are formed by guide rails to maintain structure, then the guide rails need sufficient rigidity, but the actuator size and weight cannot be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
By using fiber-reinforced resin composite materials for the guide rails, the invention achieves the necessary structural integrity for Gothic arch groove formation while significantly reducing the weight and size compared to conventional metal guide rails. The composite material provides high strength-to-weight ratio enabling reliable structural performance with reduced mass
Solution Approach 2:
The guide rails are designed with locally optimized composite material distribution, concentrating fiber reinforcement in critical areas such as near the ball grooves and Gothic arch regions where structural integrity is most needed, while using lighter material composition in non-critical areas, thereby achieving reliable structural performance with overall weight reduction
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, enhancing its performance and efficiency.
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.