Ball Screw Circulating Assembly Separator Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ball screw circulating assemblies require the helical groove to extend to the shoulder portion of the screw shaft, leading to uneven axial load distribution and potential damage to bearing seats, and have a complex, time-consuming assembly process.
Innovation Solution
A circulating assembly comprising a cassette and a separator, where the fitting hole of the cassette facilitates ball installation, and the separator's sub-return path cooperates with the main return path to guide ball circulation, eliminating the need for the helical groove to extend to the shoulder portion and simplifying assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the helical groove extends to the shoulder portion of the screw shaft to facilitate ball installation, then the ball circulation is enabled, but the axial load distribution becomes uneven and bearing seats may be damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the ball circulation system into separate components: the helical groove is segmented from the shoulder portion, and the ball return path is segmented into a circulation channel and a return channel. This allows the helical groove to terminate before the shoulder portion while still enabling complete ball circulation through the separate return path, thus preventing uneven axial load distribution while maintaining ball installation functionality.
2Ease of manufacture
If the conventional axial assembly method is used with sleeve insertion, then balls can be installed in the helical groove, but the assembling process becomes complicated and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the intermediate sleeve component from the assembly process. By designing the circulation cassette with a circulation channel that opens directly to the helical groove and a return channel that provides direct ball return, the system allows balls to be installed and circulate without requiring sleeve insertion or removal, significantly simplifying the assembly process and reducing assembly time.
3Ease of operation
If the helical groove extends to the shoulder portion for ball circulation, then balls can be guided into the nut, but the integrality of the abutting surface diameter is damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the ball guidance function from the shoulder portion by creating a dedicated circulation channel that terminates before the shoulder portion. The ball return function is separately provided through the return channel that connects the circulation channel to the ball supply. This segmentation allows the helical groove to receive balls without extending to the shoulder portion, preserving the integrality of the abutting surface diameter while maintaining complete ball circulation capability.
Data Source
AI summary
A circulating assembly for a ball screw comprises a cassette and a separator. The fitting hole of the cassette facilitates the installation of the balls, and the separator is inserted in the fitting hole of the cassette, and the sub-return path in the front end of the separator cooperates with the main return path of the cassette to smoothly guide the circulation of the balls, so that the balls can be installed easily and quickly. And the helical groove of the screw doesn't need to extend to the shoulder portion thereof.