Thin Slide Unit Ball Plate Structure for Smooth Ball Circulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional thin slide units face issues with precise formation of guide claws, deformation, abrasion, and increased manufacturing costs due to the need for a guide plate and rivets, leading to poor ball circulation and slider reciprocation, as well as elevated sliding resistance and reduced stiffness.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves directly connecting two ball plates with track-like ball grooves to form an endless circulation path without a guide plate, eliminating the need for guide claws and rivets, allowing balls to smoothly circulate and the slider to reciprocate along the guide rail.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a guide plate with guide claws is used to enable ball circulation, then ball circulation is achieved, but the guide claws deform and wear early due to poor formation precision
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the guide plate and guide claws from the system. Instead of using a separate guide plate component with guide claws, the ball circulation function is achieved through the direct interaction between the ball groove formed in the slider and the guide rail, removing the source of deformation and wear problems
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the guide claw function into the ball groove structure itself. The ball groove in the slider directly guides the balls without requiring a separate guide plate, combining the support and guidance functions into a single integrated structure
2Reliability
If a guide plate is used between ball plates, then ball guidance is achieved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase due to additional parts and rivets
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the guide plate and rivets from the system, reducing the number of parts. The ball guidance function is achieved through the ball groove formed directly in the slider structure, eliminating the need for additional components
Solution Approach 2:
The invention combines the ball plate and guide plate into a single integrated slider structure. The ball groove is formed directly in the slider, merging the support and guidance functions that were previously separated into different components
3Reliability
If guide claws are used for ball circulation, then ball circulation is enabled, but sliding resistance increases and stiffness decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the guide claws that cause increased sliding resistance. By using a ball groove structure without guide claws, the friction and resistance are reduced, allowing smoother ball circulation with lower force requirements
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using protruding guide claws to guide balls, the invention uses a recessed ball groove structure. This inverted approach reduces interference with ball motion and decreases sliding resistance while maintaining guidance functionality
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 approach ensures long-term smooth ball circulation and slider movement, reduces assembly complexity and manufacturing costs, and enhances the stiffness of the guide rail by eliminating the need for a clearance groove and guide plate, thereby extending the life of the roll forming die.
Implementation Method 1
a slider equipped with a ball carriage moving in the guide path of the guide rail. An inner side surface of each of the side walls of the guide rail is formed with a ball rolling groove. Balls held by the ball carriage are allowed to roll in the ball rolling groove, whereby the slider moves along the guide rail.
Implementation Method 2
two ball plates 100, 100, and a guide plate 101 interveningly mounted between the ball plates 100, in which the two ball plates 100, 100 have identical shapes, and face each other thereby being connected. In each of the ball plates 100, there are formed track-like ball grooves 102, and the ball plates 100 are combined so as to face each other, whereby endless circulation paths in which balls 103 circulates are formed.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a thin slide unit which allows, in a case where two ball plates each formed with a track-like ball groove are combined to thereby construct an endless circulation path for balls, by merely directly connecting the two ball plates without using a guide plate, balls to smoothly circulate, and a slider to smoothly reciprocate with respect to a guide rail. An endless circulation path for the balls of the slider is formed such that the two ball plates each formed with the track-like ball groove are caused to face each other, and that the ball plates are directly connected. Peripheral sides of the two ball plates oppose to each other, to thereby form a load opening portion for causing the balls in the endless circulation path to contact a rolling groove of the guide rail, and form a scooping-up portion for raising the balls from the rolling groove to guide the balls into the endless circulation path.