Ball Screw Deflector With Non-Parallel Guide Grooves
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing ball screw systems experience excessive friction and wear due to the uniform cross-section guide grooves in the return pipe, leading to reduced service life and increased production costs.
Innovation Solution
A deflector with a main body and junction member forming a channel with a first guide groove and two second guide grooves, where the second guide grooves have non-parallel walls, allowing for deformation space and reducing friction, and can be manufactured using plastic injection molding for cost efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If guide grooves with uniform cross-section are used in the return pipe, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the roller chain experiences excessive friction and wear leading to reduced service life
Solution Approach 1:
The guide grooves are designed with varying cross-sectional shapes along their length, specifically with a larger cross-section at the inlet and a smaller cross-section at the outlet. This local variation in geometry allows the roller chain to deform and coordinate with the groove shape changes, reducing friction and wear while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through injection molding
Solution Approach 2:
The guide grooves are designed to dynamically adapt to the roller chain's deformation during movement. The varying cross-sectional geometry allows the groove shape to change along the movement path, enabling the roller chain to smoothly transition through different deformation states and reducing contact friction with the groove walls
2Device complexity
If the roller chain is constrained in uniform cross-section guide grooves, then the structure is simple, but the roller chain cannot coordinate with the groove shape leading to excessive contact and wear
Solution Approach 1:
The guide grooves feature locally varied cross-sectional shapes that match the deformation requirements of the roller chain at different positions. The inlet has a larger cross-section to accommodate the chain entering, while the outlet has a smaller cross-section, creating a coordinated fit that reduces friction and wear without requiring complex overall structure
Solution Approach 2:
The varying cross-sectional shape of the guide grooves acts as an intermediary that mediates between the roller chain's deformation and the structural constraints. This intermediate geometric feature allows smooth transition and coordination, reducing direct harmful contact between the chain and groove walls
Data Source
AI summary
A deflector for use in a ball screw is composed of a main body and a junction member connected with the main body to form a channel having a first guide groove and two second guide grooves formed at two opposite sides of the first guide groove. Each of the second guide grooves has two walls extending outward from the first guide groove. Each two of the walls have a conjunction formed therebetween. The vertical section of the channel can define an extending axis passing through centers of the two conjunctions. At least one of the walls of each second guide groove is not parallel to the extending axis. In light of the above features, the roller chain can avoid wear and tear to prolong its service life thereof. Besides, the mold for forming the deflector can be designed to be structurally subject to mold release, such that the production efficiency can be increased.