Linear Slide Circulation Maintaining Device Stiffness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional circulation maintaining devices for linear slide assemblies have poor stiffness and tolerance issues due to small end face connections, leading to deformation and interference, and require additional costly components to enhance strength and reduce mold costs.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates top and bottom boards with integrated maintaining plates, half separation plates, and tubes forming loaded and unloaded paths, along with half mediate plates with stops and recesses for enhanced connection strength and precise positioning, reducing the need for extra parts and molds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the connection portion is located at the two ends of the roller maintaining plate using pins, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the area of the end face is too small resulting in poor stiffness and easy deformation
Solution Approach 1:
The connection portion is moved from the end face (2D surface) to the side face (1D edge extended to 2D area), increasing the connection area from a small end surface to a larger side surface, thereby improving stiffness without complicating the manufacturing process
Solution Approach 2:
The side face of the roller maintaining plate is copied to form the connection surface, creating an additional connection area that mirrors the structural simplicity while providing enhanced stiffness through increased contact area
2Quantity of substance
If the connection position is located at the ends of the roller maintaining plate, then the structure is compact, but tolerance between the unloaded path and returning path causes interference when rolling members move between paths
Solution Approach 1:
The connection portion is repositioned from the end (1D location) to the side face (2D surface), providing additional spatial room to accommodate tolerance variations and prevent interference between unloaded and returning paths
3Strength
If a long and high rigid plate such as a steel plate is used to support the roller maintaining plate, then the stiffness is increased, but the cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The roller maintaining plate and connection portion are merged into a single integrated structure, eliminating the need for separate steel plates or additional supporting components, thereby maintaining stiffness while reducing material cost and part quantity
Data Source
AI summary
A circulation maintaining device for a linear slide assembly includes two top boards, four half mediate plates, two third half tubes, two bottom boards, and two end caps. Each of the above mentioned parts is manufactured integrally by way of injection molding and needs only one set of molds. These parts are connected to the slider symmetrically. Each of the half mediate tubes provides a second half tube and a half mediate plate. The second half tubes are inserted into the top holes and the bottom holes from two ends of the slider. The two half maintaining plates each have stops and recessed areas in longitudinal direction thereof so as to form restriction in transverse direction. The half maintaining plats each have ribs which are engaged with the grooves in the slider to provide positioning effect in a vertical direction.