Linear slide bearing

• US 4,475,776 A
• Filed: 03/17/1983
• Issued: 10/09/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/1982
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: THK Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Hiroshi Teramachi
• Inventors: Teramachi, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Levy, Stuart S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hannon, Thomas R.
• Application Number:
  US06/476,144
• Time in Patent Office: 572 Days
• Field of Search: 308/6 C, 308/6 R, 308/3 A, 308/3 R
• US Class Current: 384/45
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 29/004 Fixing of a carriage or rail, e.g. rigid mounting to a support structure or a movable part
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 29/005 Guide rails or tracks for a linear bearing, i.e. adapted for movement of a carriage or bearing body there along
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 29/0604 of the load bearing section
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 29/0657 with two rows of balls, one on each side of the rail

Abstract

The linear slide bearing comprising: a slide table formed into the shape of letter "C"; a pair of bearing races fitted into the recesses formed on the inner side of each arm of the slide table; a fixing member being drawn up by a bolt passing through the central portion of the slide table to fix the pair of bearing races in their positions; a guide rail fitted into the space defined by the pair of bearing races fixed to the slide table and by the fixing member; a pair of guide covers mounted to the front and rear ends of the slide table; and a number of balls running through endless tracks, the endless tracks being formed by no load ball guide grooves formed in the slide table and the bearing races, by guide grooves formed in the guide covers, by load ball grooves formed in the bearing races and by ball-running grooves formed in the guide rail. The linear slide bearing with the above construction can be manufactured at low cost and when formed with light material it is suited for high speed reciprocating movement.

Claims

1. A linear slide bearing comprising:

a slide table, formed into the shape of a letter "C" in cross section having a central inner side and a pair of arms, the slide table having a horizontal surface at the central inner side of the slide table and recesses formed on inner sides of the arms, the recesses having inclined surfaces on an upper part of the arms, the slide table having no-load ball guide grooves formed in the inclined surfaces;

a pair of bearing races fitted into the recesses, the bearing races having no-load ball guide grooves formed in surfaces facing the inclined surface of the slide table and load ball grooves formed in opposite surfaces;

a fixing member trapezoidal in cross section having inclined surfaces in pressure contact with inclined surfaces of the bearing races having the load ball grooves, the fixing member having screw holes formed at a central portion at certain intervals in a longitudinal direction, the fixing member being drawn upward by a bolt which passes through a central portion of the slide table and screwing into the screw hole formed in the fixing member, the inclined surfaces of the fixing member being pressed against the inclined surfaces of the bearing races as the bolt is tightened, thereby securing the bearing races in the recesses of the slide table;

a guide rail trapezoidal in cross section fitted into a space formed by the fixing member and the bearing races, the guide rail having a ball-rotating groove in the inclined surfaces facing the bearing race inclined surfaces;

guide covers having a guide groove and mounted to front and rear ends of the slide table to connect both ends of the no-load ball guide grooves, load ball grooves and ball-rotating grooves to form endless ball tracks; and

a number of balls placed in the endless tracks.

2. A linear slide bearing as defined in claim 1, wherein the slide table is formed of aluminum extrusion molded material, aluminum casting or molded synthetic resin product.

3. A linear slide bearing as defined in claim 1, wherein the slide table has a preloading mechanism which comprises a screw hole formed in one of the arms of the slide table and a screw, the screw being tightened to tighten the bearing races thereby giving a preload to the bearing.

4. A linear slide bearing as defined in claim 1, wherein the guide rail has inclined surfaces extending down to the lower portion and is secured to a bed by pressing one of the inclined surfaces against an inclined surface of a step of the bed and by pushing an inclined surface of a fixing member against the other inclined surface of the guide rail.