Rolling Guide Circulation Path Using Elastic Balls for Stable Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional rolling guide apparatuses face assembly challenges and operational instability due to spacer misalignment and frictional issues, leading to potential malfunction and failure.
Innovation Solution
The use of elastic balls with specific hardness and design features, such as spherical shape and deformable materials, positioned at intervals within the circulation path to absorb jostling forces and maintain smooth operation, eliminating abrupt frictional force generation and fluctuations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If spacers are used to prevent rolling body unit congestion, then operational stability is improved, but assembly complexity increases due to intricate arranging requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the spacer component entirely from the system and replaces it with elastic balls that perform the same congestion-prevention function. The elastic balls are simply dropped into the circulation path without requiring intricate arrangement, eliminating assembly complexity while maintaining operational stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses simple, inexpensive elastic balls instead of precision-spaced components. The elastic balls are basic spherical objects that can be easily manufactured and assembled without complex positioning requirements, reducing both component cost and assembly complexity.
2Stability of the object's composition
If spacers are alternately arranged with rolling body units, then spacer falling down is prevented, but assembly time increases due to intricate arranging operation
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the spacer component entirely and replaces it with elastic balls that naturally maintain position through their elasticity and spherical shape. The elastic balls are simply deposited into the circulation path without requiring alternating arrangement patterns, eliminating the time-consuming assembly operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic balls self-organize within the circulation path through their elastic properties and spherical geometry, automatically maintaining stable positions without requiring precise manual arrangement. The system performs its own positioning function, eliminating the need for intricate assembly operations.
3Strength
If conventional spacers are used in gaps between rolling path and circulation path, then structural support is provided, but spacers fall down causing operational locking
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces precision spacers with simple elastic balls that can tolerate minor positional variations. The elastic balls maintain structural support through their elastic deformation, and even if they shift position, they do not fall out of the circulation path, preventing operational locking.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical state of the support element from rigid (spacer) to elastic (elastic ball). The elastic balls can deform to accommodate gaps and positional variations, maintaining structural support while preventing the falling-out problem that occurs with rigid spacers.
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
This configuration facilitates easy assembly, prevents operational failures, and ensures stable operation by effectively managing frictional forces and maintaining the load capacity and rigidity of the guide apparatus.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of elastic balls 5b are loaded as the rolling bodies 5 into the guide path G... the frictional force abruptly augments, resulting in an apprehension of causing a malfunction and a failure... elastic balls... to absorb jostling forces
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A rolling guide apparatus is disclosed, which has a first member 1, a second member 2 and a rolling body unit 5 disposed between the first member 1 and the second member 2, the second member being movable along the first member 1 upon rolling of the rolling body unit 5, the apparatus including: a guide path G of the rolling body unit 5 being configured to have: a rolling path R configured to have a rolling groove 1a formed in the first member 1 and a rolling groove 3a, formed in the second member 2, in a face-to-face relationship with the rolling groove 1a of the first member 1; and a circulation path C provided in the second member 2 and allowing communication between a start point and an end point of the rolling path R, the rolling body unit 5 being configured to have a plurality of first rolling bodies 5a and a plurality of second rolling bodies 5b each composed of an elastic material, at least one second rolling body 5b being always positioned in the circulation path C. The rolling guide apparatus easy to be assembled and capable of performing stable operations is thereby provided.