Ball Screw Recirculation Member Geometry for Error-Proof Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
In manufacturing ball screw devices with different load specifications on the same production line, there is a risk of erroneous assembly due to similarities in outer appearance, leading to the potential incorrect assembly of deflector components.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates recirculation members with varying mounting dimensions, such as circumferential and axial lengths, to prevent incorrect assembly by ensuring that recirculation members for different ball screw devices interfere with each other's mounting recesses, thus preventing mismatched components from being assembled together.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If ball screw devices with different load specifications are manufactured on the same production line, then production efficiency is improved, but the risk of erroneous assembly increases due to similar outer appearances
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making the recirculation member have different local dimensions (circumferential length and axial length) that correspond to different load specifications. While the outer appearance of the ball screw devices remains similar, the recirculation members have distinct local characteristics that enable identification and prevent erroneous assembly. This allows multiple specifications to be produced on the same line while maintaining assembly accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes specific parameters of the recirculation member (circumferential length and axial length) based on load specification while keeping other parameters constant. This parameter differentiation allows the same production line to manufacture multiple specifications without increasing the risk of erroneous assembly, as the recirculation members can be distinguished by their dimensional parameters.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the outer diameter of the nut is kept constant across different specifications, then design flexibility is improved, but the ability to distinguish between different load specifications deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent maintains constant outer diameter of the nut for design flexibility while introducing local quality differences in the recirculation member dimensions. The circumferential length and axial length of the recirculation member vary according to load specification, providing a means to distinguish between specifications without compromising the uniform outer appearance and design flexibility of the nut.
Data Source
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AI summary
A ball screw device includes a plurality of ball screw devices. In one ball screw device, a recirculation member (50) is larger than the recirculation member (50) in another ball screw device in terms of one mounting dimension of two mounting dimensions selected from a circumferential length of a part at a side of a pick-up opening portion (54) in each pick-up portion, a circumferential length of a part at a side opposite to the pick-up opening portion (54) in each pick-up portion, a circumferential length of a connection passage portion (53) and an axial length of the connection passage portion (53), and the recirculation member (50) is smaller than the recirculation member (50) in the other ball screw device in terms of another mounting dimension of the two mounting dimensions, the other ball screw device being different in a diameter of a screw shaft (20) from the one ball screw device.