Segmented Ball Screw Circulating Assembly for Small Nuts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ball screws with circulating assemblies face limitations in being applied to nuts with smaller outer diameters and screw shafts where the helical groove does not extend to the shoulder portion, leading to reduced service life and incompatibility with nuts of special specifications.
Innovation Solution
A ball screw design featuring a circulating assembly divided into first and second circulating blocks with angled surfaces and specific height relationships, allowing assembly without interference and accommodating nuts with smaller diameters by positioning the blocks in a recessed nut structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the circulating element is axially installed into the end surface of the nut with a nail portion protruding to connect the outer helical groove, then the balls can be guided into the circulating hole for endless circulation, but the outer helical groove must extend to the shoulder portion of the screw shaft, reducing service life
Solution Approach 1:
The circulating assembly is divided into a first circulating block and a second circulating block along the axial direction. The first circulating block includes a nail portion that connects to the outer helical groove, while the second circulating block provides structural support. This segmentation allows the nail portion to be positioned without requiring the helical groove to extend to the shoulder portion, thus preserving the screw shaft service life while maintaining ball circulation functionality.
2Device complexity
If the circulating assembly uses planar parallel surfaces, then the structure is simple, but it cannot be assembled on nuts with smaller outer diameters without interference
Solution Approach 1:
The circulating assembly combines simple planar surfaces in the first circulating block with a specific angular surface in the second circulating block. The planar top surface and the angular bottom surface create distinct local qualities that serve different functions: the planar surface provides simple assembly interface while the angular surface enables proper fitting in European standard nuts with smaller outer diameters. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between structural simplicity and adaptability.
Data Source
AI summary
A ball screw with a circulating assembly is disclosed. The circulating assembly of the ball screw is divided into a first circulating block and a second circulating block and can be assembled on the ball screw in such a method that the first and the second circulating blocks are assembled separately, so that the circulating assembly is applicable to the screw shaft whose helical groove doesn't extend to the shoulder portion thereof. In addition, the circulating assembly is limited in terms of an angle, and the relation between the first circulating block and the second circulating block is especially limited, so that the ball screw is applicable to the nuts with smaller outer diameter. Hence, the ball screw can be applied to both the nuts with smaller diameter and the screw shafts whose helical groove doesn't extend to the shoulder portion thereof.