Linear Guide Seal Member with Radial Lip and Reinforcing Members
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional linear guide bearing devices are inadequate in preventing foreign matter entry and lubricant leakage, leading to increased manufacturing costs and limited flexibility in seal member attachment directions.
Innovation Solution
A seal member configuration with a lip part and reinforcing members that can be freely adjusted in direction, allowing for multiple seal members with varying lip part lengths to be superposed on the slider, enhancing sealing efficacy while reducing production costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple lubricant feed members are arranged in the axial direction, then sealing ability is improved, but contact pressure of sliding parts against rolling element rolling grooves becomes weaker
Solution Approach 1:
The invention transitions from arranging seal members only in the axial direction to a two-dimensional arrangement combining axial and radial directions. Multiple seal members are arranged in the axial direction with at least one having a lip part extending in the radial direction, creating a multi-directional sealing barrier that maintains contact pressure while improving sealing ability.
2Ease of manufacture
If clearances are provided between lubricant feed members, then ease of assembly is improved, but foreign matter can enter inside the slider
Solution Approach 1:
The invention adds radial direction sealing components (lip parts) to the existing axial arrangement of seal members. The lip parts extend radially to bridge clearances between axially arranged seal members, preventing foreign matter entry while maintaining assembly ease through the modular structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The lip parts are integrated into the seal member structure, with the lip part extending from the main body of the seal member. This nested configuration allows the lip part to effectively seal the clearance between seal members while maintaining a compact overall structure that is easy to assemble.
3Manufacturing precision
If seal members are designed with fixed lip part direction, then manufacturing precision is improved, but adaptability of attachment direction is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The seal member is designed with asymmetric features - the lip part extends in the radial direction from an otherwise axially-oriented seal member body. This asymmetric design allows the same seal member to function effectively regardless of its rotational orientation, providing attachment direction flexibility while maintaining manufacturing precision through a standardized design.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal member with radially extending lip part serves multiple functions and can be attached in various directions. The same seal member design can be used for different attachment orientations, making it a universal component that adapts to different installation requirements without requiring precision-specific variations.
4Device complexity
If conventional side seal member alone is used, then device complexity is reduced, but sealing efficacy against swarf and foreign matter is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing function is segmented into multiple components working together: the main seal member body providing axial sealing and the radially extending lip part providing radial sealing. This segmentation allows each component to specialize in a particular sealing direction, improving overall sealing efficacy against swarf and foreign matter while maintaining manageable device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal member combines different functional elements - the main body structure for axial positioning and the radially extending lip part for radial sealing. This composite structure integrates multiple sealing functions into a single component, enhancing sealing efficacy without proportionally increasing device complexity.
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 effectively prevents foreign matter entry and lubricant leakage, reduces manufacturing costs, and increases the flexibility of seal member attachment, ensuring efficient operation without material changes.
Implementation Method 1
a seal body provided with a lip part which slides against the rolling element rolling grooves of the guide rail
Implementation Method 2
reinforcing members provided at both sides of the seal body
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a linear guide bearing device, and a seal member used for the same, in which the entry of foreign matter to the inside the slider and leakage of lubricant from the inside of the slider are prevented and the manufacturing costs are reduced. For this end, a linear guide bearing device 1 is configured with multiple seal members (31, 32, 33) arranged in an axial direction of a slider (20) are provided at end portions of a slider (20) so as to slide against rolling element rolling grooves (11) of a guide rail (10). The multiple seal members (31, 32, 33) are provided with: seal main bodies (31a, 32a, 33a) respectively having lip parts (31b, 32b, 33b) sliding against the rolling element rolling grooves (11); and reinforcing members (31c, 32c, 33c) arranged on both daces of the seal main bodies (31a, 32a, 33a), respectively.