Recirculating Ball Sliding Support Sealing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing re-circulating ball sliding support assemblies lack mechanisms to prevent dirt ingress and retain lubricant within the ball paths, leading to potential contamination and lubricant loss.
Innovation Solution
A sliding support assembly with sealing members integrated into the slide cassette, including a widened upper portion and end pieces that form a seal with the elongate rail, preventing dirt ingress and lubricant escape, and utilizing materials like stainless steel, aluminium, or polymers for corrosion resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the slide cassette is made from polymer or resin components, then ease of manufacture and corrosion resistance are improved, but sealing effectiveness against dirt ingress and lubricant retention deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The slide cassette combines polymer or resin components with stainless steel or nitrided steel elements to achieve both ease of manufacture and effective sealing. The composite construction allows the polymer body to provide corrosion resistance and ease of fabrication, while metal sealing surfaces ensure reliable sealing against dirt ingress and lubricant retention.
2Device complexity
If the slide cassette width is reduced to fit within the rail, then device complexity is reduced, but sealing contact area with the rail decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The slide cassette features localized sealing surfaces with enhanced contact area specifically at the regions where sealing is required. The sealing members are positioned to make contact with specific portions of the rail, concentrating the sealing function in critical areas while maintaining an overall compact cassette design that fits within the rail boundaries.
3Reliability
If sealing members are added to prevent dirt ingress, then reliability is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing members are integrated into the slide cassette structure, merging the sealing function with the existing cassette components. This integration approach allows the sealing elements to be formed as part of the cassette manufacturing process, reducing the number of separate parts and assembly steps while maintaining effective sealing against dirt ingress and lubricant loss.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The present invention provides a re-circulating ball sliding support (10) comprising an elongate rail (20) and a slide cassette (30). The slide cassette (30) includes structure that interacts with the rail (20) to seal the sliding support assembly (10) such that the ingress of dirt into the slide cassette (30) is prevented, and any lubricant for the balls (60) is retained within the slide cassette (30).