Inner Circulation Ball Screw Assembly With Ball Discharge Path
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional inner circulation ball screws face difficulties in assembly due to balls getting stuck in ineffective sections, leading to high operational resistance and damage to accessories, as existing solutions do not effectively address the issue of balls falling between return grooves.
Innovation Solution
The inner circulation ball screw design includes a return member with ball-discharging channels and a ball-discharging hole, allowing ineffective balls to exit through a guided path, and a cover to secure the hole post-assembly, preventing re-entry and reducing assembly time and accessory damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the return member has an interrupted-thread design to avoid damaging due to thin wall thickness, then the structural integrity is improved, but the assembly process becomes difficult and time-consuming due to balls getting stuck in ineffective sections
Solution Approach 1:
The return member is divided into multiple return grooves that are interrupted (discontinuous), creating separate effective sections. This segmentation allows the structure to maintain strength while providing multiple pathways for ball circulation, reducing the likelihood of balls getting stuck in ineffective sections.
Solution Approach 2:
A ball discharge hole is introduced as an intermediary element that provides a dedicated exit path for balls in ineffective sections. This mediator component resolves the conflict by offering an alternative route that prevents assembly difficulties while maintaining the interrupted-thread design for structural integrity.
2Strength
If the return member has an interrupted-thread design, then the structural integrity is improved, but balls may fall into ineffective sections causing high operational resistance and damage to accessories
Solution Approach 1:
The return grooves are segmented into effective sections separated by ineffective sections. This segmentation allows the structure to maintain strength while creating controlled areas where balls can be contained and directed, preventing them from causing damage in critical areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The ball discharge hole acts as an intermediary that captures and redirects balls from ineffective sections before they can cause damage. This mediator ensures that balls are safely evacuated from areas where they would otherwise create operational resistance or damage accessories.
3Strength
If the return member has an interrupted-thread design, then the structural integrity is improved, but the assembly time increases due to difficulty in removing stuck balls
Solution Approach 1:
The return grooves are segmented to create distinct effective and ineffective sections. This segmentation allows for more predictable ball movement patterns, making it easier to manage ball placement during assembly and reducing time spent dealing with stuck balls.
Solution Approach 2:
The ball discharge hole serves as a mediator that provides a predetermined exit path for balls during assembly. This intermediary element eliminates the need for complex removal procedures, significantly reducing assembly time while maintaining the structurally sound interrupted-thread design.
Data Source
AI summary
An inner circulation ball screw includes a screw shaft, a nut, and a return member. The nut is disposed on the screw shaft to form a load path with the screw shaft. The return member is disposed in an accessory slot of the nut to form a non-load path connected with the load path to form a circulation path for circulation of balls. The return member has a ball-discharging channel provided with one end connected with an ineffective thread section of the nut and the other end communicating with a ball-discharging hole of the nut. Therefore, the balls are allowed to move to the outside of the nut through the ball-discharging channel and the ball-discharging hole for preventing the balls from being stuck in the ineffective thread section, thereby solving the problems of high resistance and damaging to related accessories.