Thin Slide Unit Ball Plate Direct Connection
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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 smooth circulation and reciprocation challenges, as well as elevated sliding resistance and reduced stiffness.
Innovation Solution
A thin slide unit design where two ball plates with track-like ball grooves are directly connected without a guide plate, forming an endless circulation path for balls, eliminating the need for guide claws and rivets, which reduces deformation, abrasion, and assembly complexity, while enhancing the stiffness of the guide rail.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a guide plate with guide claws is used to enable balls to circulate in the endless circulation path, then the slider can move along the guide rail, but the guide claws deform and wear out in the early stage 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 is achieved through the相互配合 of the two ball plates' ball grooves and the guide rail's rolling groove, directly removing the source of deformation and wear problems
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the guiding function into the ball plates themselves. The ball grooves in the ball plates are designed to work in conjunction with the guide rail's rolling groove, combining the support and guiding functions into the main structural components rather than requiring a separate guide plate
2Ease of operation
If a guide plate is used to form the endless circulation path, then balls can be guided into the circulation path, but the number of parts and assembly complexity increases due to rivets and guide plate
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes the guide plate as a separate component from the system. The guiding function is achieved through the integrated design of the ball plates and guide rail, eliminating the need for additional parts and simplifying the overall structure
Solution Approach 2:
The ball plates serve multiple functions: they provide structural support for the slider, contain the balls through their ball grooves, and guide the balls into and out of the circulation path through the配合 with the guide rail's rolling groove
3Ease of operation
If a guide plate is sandwiched between ball plates to form the endless circulation path, then balls can circulate smoothly, but manufacturing cost increases due to additional parts and assembly steps
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the guide plate component, reducing the number of parts that need to be manufactured, purchased, and assembled. This directly reduces manufacturing costs while maintaining the ball circulation function through the integrated ball plate and guide rail design
Solution Approach 2:
The invention discards the unnecessary guide plate component that adds cost without providing sufficient benefit. The simplified design using only the ball plates and guide rail achieves the same functional results with fewer components, reducing overall manufacturing expenditure
4Ease of operation
If a clearance groove is formed in the guide rail for guide claws, then guide claws can move, but the stiffness of the guide rail decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes the guide claws and their associated clearance grooves from the guide rail. Without guide claws, the clearance groove is unnecessary, allowing the guide rail to maintain its full stiffness and structural integrity while still enabling ball circulation through the ball plate design
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 design ensures long-term smooth ball circulation and slider reciprocation, reduces manufacturing costs, and extends the lifespan of roll forming dies, improving the overall performance and efficiency of the slide unit.
Implementation Method 1
a guide rail formed with a rolling groove for the balls in a longitudinal direction thereof, and a slider mounted to the guide rail via a large number of balls, in which the balls are allowed to circulate in the endless circulation path, and the slider freely reciprocates along the guide rail
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.