Ball Nut Guiding Device Anchoring and Machining
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ball nuts face difficulties in drilling holes in the middle portion due to their rounded outer peripheral surface, making it challenging to align and machine holes that align with the threads, as the threads are not visible during drilling or machining.
Innovation Solution
A ball nut design featuring a nut member with a bore, inner thread, recess, and opening, which allows for easy machining and anchoring of a guiding device with return channels, including anchoring bars and securing devices like fasteners or retaining rings, to securely position the guiding device and form endless passages for rollers or balls.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If holes are drilled in the middle portion of the nut member to engage guiding members, then the ball nut can function properly with rollers or balls, but the rounded outer peripheral surface makes it difficult to drill and align holes with the threads
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the nut member into distinct functional zones: a rounded outer peripheral surface for smooth operation, and a flattened portion with machinable surfaces for hole drilling and guiding member engagement. This segmentation allows each zone to serve its specific purpose without compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a purely cylindrical geometry to a composite geometry that includes a flattened portion with reduced radial dimension. This dimensional change creates accessible surfaces for machining while maintaining the overall rounded shape where needed, enabling both proper ball nut functionality and ease of manufacturing.
2Ease of operation
If the nut member maintains a rounded outer peripheral surface for smooth operation, then operational performance is improved, but visibility and alignment of threads during machining deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The nut member is segmented into a rounded outer peripheral surface for operational smoothness and a flattened portion with machinable surfaces for machining accessibility. This allows the rounded surface to maintain operational performance while the flattened portion provides visible, accessible surfaces for thread alignment during manufacturing.
Solution Approach 2:
The flattened portion acts as an intermediary zone between the rounded operational surface and the internal threads. It provides a machinable interface that facilitates thread alignment and guiding member engagement without interfering with the rounded surface's operational smoothness.
3Device complexity
If conventional guiding members are used without proper anchoring structures, then device complexity is reduced, but the guiding device cannot be securely anchored to prevent relative movement
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the anchoring function with the guiding device structure itself. The guiding device includes integrated anchoring features such as engagement surfaces and retaining structures that are combined with the return channel geometry, eliminating the need for separate anchoring components while ensuring secure attachment.
Solution Approach 2:
The nut member includes pre-formed flattened portions and machinable surfaces that are prepared in advance during manufacturing. These preliminary structural features facilitate subsequent guiding device installation and anchoring, ensuring proper positioning and secure attachment without requiring complex additional operations.
Data Source
AI summary
A ball nut includes a nut member having an inner thread formed in a bore for threading with a screw member, the nut member includes a recess and an opening communicating with the bore of the nut member for forming one or more anchoring surfaces. A guiding device includes a shank received in the recess of the nut member, and one or more return channels formed in the shank for aligning with the inner thread of the nut member, and an anchoring bar on one end of the shank and engaged in the opening of the nut member. The anchoring bar has one or more end portions for engaging with the anchoring surface of the nut member and for securing the guiding device to the nut member.