Sliding Linear Guide Carriage With Lubricant-Pocket Sliding Members

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing sliding linear motion guide devices face challenges in achieving improved load bearing, straightness, and damping while minimizing vibration and noise, particularly when adhering sliding members to moving bodies like machine tool tables or spindle heads.

Innovation Solution

A sliding linear motion guide device is designed with a rail featuring a main guiding surface and inclined guiding surfaces, along with a carriage having corresponding sliding surfaces. Thin plate-shaped sliding members with lubricant pockets and convex parts are adhered to these surfaces, and a method involving jigs is used for precise adherence. This configuration allows for efficient lubricant supply and discharge, enhancing the guide device's performance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If a sliding member is directly attached to a moving body and the guiding surface is formed directly on the support body, then the structure is simple, but it is difficult to adhere the sliding member and form lubricant passages in the moving body

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of adhering sliding memberVSAvoidstructural complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The device is divided into separate components: the carriage with sliding surfaces and the sliding member with lubricant pockets. This segmentation allows the sliding member to be independently manufactured and then adhered to the carriage, avoiding the difficulty of forming passages directly in the moving body while maintaining structural simplicity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The sliding member acts as an intermediary component between the carriage and the guiding surface. It includes convex parts that contact the guiding surface and lubricant pockets that receive lubricant, mediating the interaction between the moving body and support body while simplifying the manufacturing process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If a rolling linear motion guide is used, then the compactness and ease of handling are improved, but the ball generates vibration and noise due to rolling

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of handlingVSAvoidvibration and noise

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the rolling ball mechanism with a sliding contact mechanism. Instead of balls rolling between races, convex parts of the sliding member slide along the guiding surface of the rail, eliminating the vibration and noise generated by rolling while maintaining compactness and ease of handling.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a lubricant supply system with lubricant pockets, supply passages, and discharge passages. Lubricant is supplied to the sliding surfaces through these passages, reducing friction and wear while eliminating the harmful effects of rolling contact, providing a quiet and smooth sliding motion.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #29Pneumatics and hydraulics

3Strength

If a sliding member is adhered to the carriage with lubricant pockets, then the load bearing and damping are improved, but the manufacturing precision is reduced due to adherence process

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveload bearing capacityVSAvoidpositioning precision

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The sliding member is pre-formed with lubricant pockets and convex parts before being adhered to the carriage. The lubricant pockets are created in advance, and the convex parts are precisely formed on the sliding member. This preliminary preparation allows for high manufacturing precision in the critical sliding surfaces while the adherence process only needs to position the pre-formed component.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution improves vibration damping, quietness, load bearing capacity, straightness, and damping properties of the sliding linear motion guide device while maintaining the compactness and ease of handling associated with rolling linear motion guides.

Implementation Method 1

a lubricant pocket composed of a recess having a perimeter surrounded by a land part, and a plurality of convex parts which contact the first and second guiding surfaces of the rail

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectLubrication: Lubrication

Data Source

PatentUS12222000B2Sliding linear motion guide device and method for attaching sliding member to carriage of sliding linear motion guide device

Publication Date: 2025.02.11 MAKINO MILLING MASCH CO LTD

AI summary

A sliding linear motion guide device that is to be provided between a supporting body and a movable body is provided with: a rail (300) having a first guiding surface (302) and second guiding surfaces (304, 306) which are inclined; a carriage (200) having a receiving recess for receiving at least part of the rail and having a first sliding surface (204) facing the first guiding surface of the rail and second sliding surfaces (206, 208) facing the respective second guiding surfaces; and sliding members (10) each of which is a thin plate attached to one of the sliding surfaces. The sliding members each have a lubricant pocket (14) which is a recess surrounded by a land part (12).