Ball Screw Drive Groove for Integrated Nut Stroke Limiting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ball screw devices require a dedicated stopper component to regulate the stroke end of the linear motion element, leading to increased part count and complexity, which can result in reduced controllability and compactness due to potential elastic deformation and misalignment of the screw shaft during rotation.
Innovation Solution
A ball screw device design where the driving member is integrated with an arc-shaped rotating-side engaging groove portion that allows the non-rotating side engaging portion of the nut to be inserted and engaged, eliminating the need for a separate stopper component by using the driving member to regulate the stroke end of the nut, thereby reducing the number of parts and improving controllability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a dedicated stopper component is used to regulate the stroke end of the linear motion element, then the stroke end can be regulated, but the number of parts increases and the device becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the stopper component with the driving member to form an integrated structure. The driving member includes an arc-shaped engaging groove that receives the engaging projection of the nut, eliminating the need for a separate stopper component while maintaining the stroke end regulation function.
Solution Approach 2:
The driving member is designed to perform multiple functions: it provides rotational driving force to the screw shaft and simultaneously regulates the stroke end of the nut through the arc-shaped engaging groove. This multi-functional design reduces the total number of components in the system.
2Reliability
If a dedicated stopper component is used to regulate the stroke end, then the stroke end can be regulated, but the compactness is reduced due to potential elastic deformation and misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
By integrating the stopper function into the driving member, the patent eliminates the need for additional space that would be required for a separate stopper component, thereby improving the compactness of the overall device structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using a separate component to regulate stroke end, the patent inverts the approach by making the driving member itself the regulatory element through its arc-shaped engaging groove, which inherently prevents misalignment and elastic deformation issues.
3Reliability
If a separate stopper component is used, then the stroke end can be regulated, but the controllability is reduced due to potential elastic deformation during engagement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional approach by making the driving member (which is rigid and precisely controlled) the regulatory element instead of using a separate stopper component. This eliminates the controllability issues associated with separate components that may deform or misalign during engagement.
Solution Approach 2:
The arc-shaped engaging groove is pre-formed in the driving member with precise geometry, ensuring that the engaging projection of the nut is guided into the correct position before full engagement occurs. This preliminary guidance action prevents misalignment and ensures precise controllability from the start of the engagement process.
Data Source
AI summary
A ball screw device has: a screw shaft rotationally moving during use, a nut having a protruding non-rotating side engaging portion at an end portion on one side in an axial direction, the nut linearly moving during use, balls arranged between a shaft-side and nut-side grooves, and a driving member fixed to the screw shaft having an arc-shaped rotating-side engaging groove portion into which the non-rotating side engaging portion can be inserted in the axial direction, and which can be engaged with the non-rotating side engaging portion in a circumferential direction.