Linear Guideway Connector with Variable Cross Section Pin
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional connectors for linear guideways cause noise due to equidistant spacing of rolling elements, leading to resonance issues, and the manufacturing process is complicated for longer connectors due to pin sticking during mold assembly.
Innovation Solution
A connector with ring-shaped portions of varying radial thicknesses and an elongated connecting portion is used, allowing for non-equidistant spacing of rolling elements, and a pin with a variable cross section is employed to ease mold assembly, ensuring different frequencies for friction noises and reducing resonance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If the length of the connector increases, then the spacing between rolling elements increases, but the pin sticking during mold assembly makes production more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The pin cross-sectional dimensions are changed along its length, creating a variable cross-section pin that is thinner at the injection molding cavity end and thicker at the other end. This parameter change allows the pin to be easily withdrawn from the molded connector while maintaining sufficient structural strength, resolving the contradiction between connector length and manufacturing ease.
2Device complexity
If rolling elements are spaced equidistantly, then the connector structure is simple, but friction noises occur at the same frequency causing resonance
Solution Approach 1:
The connector uses ring-shaped portions with different radial thicknesses at different positions, creating non-equidistant spacing between rolling elements. This asymmetric design causes friction noises to occur at different frequencies, preventing resonance while maintaining a relatively simple connector structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the connector have different local properties - the ring-shaped portions have varying radial thicknesses tailored to specific positions. This local quality variation achieves non-equidistant rolling element spacing to prevent resonance, while keeping other portions of the connector simple in structure.
3Device complexity
If the pin cross section is uniform, then the pin structure is simple, but sticking occurs during pin retraction from the mold assembly
Solution Approach 1:
The pin cross-sectional dimensions are varied along its length, being thinner at the injection molding cavity end and thicker at the other end. This parameter change prevents sticking during retraction while maintaining sufficient structural strength, resolving the contradiction between pin structure simplicity and retraction reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A connector for a linear guideway is integrally formed by injection molding. The mold assembly of making the connector includes an upper mold, a lower mold and a pin. The variable cross section design of the pin enables the connector to have a plurality of ring-shaped portions with more than two different radial thicknesses, so that the distances between the respective rolling elements are different, and the frequencies of the respective rolling elements are also different, and as a result, the resonance sound pressure caused by the linear guideway and the machine are reduced. In addition, the variable cross section design of the pin reduces the manufacturing difficulty of making a relatively long connector.