Ball screw and method for using the same

• US 10,641,368 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2018
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Feng-Tien Chen
• Original Assignee: Feng-Tien Chen
• Inventors: Chen, Feng-Tien
• Primary Examiner(s): Bollinger, David H
• Application Number:
  US15/979,464
• Publication Number:
  US 20190353231A1
• Time in Patent Office: 721 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 25/2204 with balls
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 25/2214 with elements for guiding the circulating balls
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 25/24 Elements essential to such mechanisms, e.g. screws, nuts F16H25/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 25/2418 Screw seals, wipers, scrapers or the like

Abstract

A ball screw includes a screw having a primary spiral groove. A first nut unit includes a first nut and first balls. The first nut has a first spiral groove. The first balls are located in the first spiral groove and contact the inner surface of the first spiral groove by a first contact angle. A second nut unit includes a second nut and second balls. The second nut has a second spiral groove. The second balls are located in the second spiral groove and contact the inner surface of the second spiral groove by a second contact angle which is different from the first contact angle. When a first wearing trace is formed along the screw by the first balls, the first nut unit is replaced with the second nut unit. A second wearing trace is formed along the screw and not overlapped with the first wearing trace.

Claims

1. A ball screw comprising:

a screw having a primary spiral groove defined in an outer surface thereof;

a first dual nut unit having two first nuts and multiple first balls, the two first nuts being integral with each other, each first nut having a first passage and a first spiral groove defined in an inner surface of the first passage, the first balls located in the first spiral groove and contacting an inner surface of the first spiral groove of each first nut by a first contact angle, the two first contact angles respectively located the two first nuts being in opposite directions;

a second dual nut unit having two second nuts and multiple second balls, the two second nuts being integral with each other, each second nut having a second passage and a second spiral groove defined in an inner surface of the second passage, the second balls located in the second spiral groove and contacting an inner surface of the second spiral groove of each second nut by a second contact angle, the two second contact angles respectively located in the two second nuts being in opposite directions, the first contact angles being different from the second contact angles, and

the first dual nut unit and the second dual nut unit being alternatively cooperated with the screw, when two first wearing traces and two fourth wearing traces are formed along the inner surface of the primary spiral groove by the first dual nut unit, the first dual nut unit is replaced with the second dual nut unit, two second wearing traces and two fifth wearing traces are formed along the inner surface of the primary spiral groove by the second dual nut unit, the first, fourth, second and fifth wearing traces are not overlapped with each other.

2. The ball screw as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a third dual nut unit which includes two third nut and multiple third balls, the two third nuts being integral with each other, each of the third nuts having a third passage, a third spiral groove defined in an inner surface of each of the third passages, the third balls located in the third spiral grooves and contacting an inner surface of the third spiral groove of each third nut by a third contact angle, the third contact angles respectively located in the two third nuts being in opposite directions, the third contact angles being different from the first contact angles and the second contact angles, the third dual nut unit being cooperated with the screw, two third wearing traces and two sixth wearing traces being formed along the inner surface of the primary spiral groove by the third dual nut unit, the first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth wearing traces are not overlapped with each other.

3. A method for using a ball screw, comprising:

a step of having a screw;

the screw having a primary groove;

a step of having a first nut unit;

the first nut unit having at least one first nut and multiple first balls, the at least one first nut having a first passage, the screw extending through the first passage, the first passage having a first spiral groove defined in an inner surface thereof, the first balls located in the first spiral groove, the first balls contacting an inner surface of the first spiral groove by a first contact angle;

a step of having a second nut unit;

the second nut unit having at least one second nut and multiple second balls, the at least one second nut having a second passage, the second passage having a second spiral groove defined in an inner surface thereof, the second balls located in the second spiral groove, the second balls contacting an inner surface of the second spiral groove by a second contact angle which is different from the first contact angle;

a step of replacing the first nut unit with the second nut unit;

when a first wearing trace is formed along the screw by the first balls, the first nut unit is removed from the screw and the second nut unit is connected to the screw, the second nut unit is removed from the screw when a second wearing trace is formed along the screw by the second balls, the first and second wearing traces are not overlapped with each other.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a third nut unit which includes at least one third nut and multiple third balls, the at least one third nut having a third passage, a third spiral groove defined in an inner surface of the third passage, the third balls located in the third spiral groove and contacting an inner surface of the third spiral groove by a third contact angle, the third contact angle being different from the first contact angle and the second contact angle, when the second wearing trace is formed along the screw by the second nut unit, the second nut unit is removed from the screw and the third nut unit being cooperated with the screw, a third wearing trace being formed along the screw by the third nut unit, the first, second and third wearing traces are not overlapped with each other.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the third nut unit is a third dual nut unit and includes two third nuts and the third balls, the two third nuts are integral with each other, the third balls are located in the third spiral grooves of the two third nuts and contact an inner surface of the third spiral groove of each third nut by a third contact angle, the third contact angles that are respectively located in the two third nuts are in opposite directions.

6. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first nut unit is a first dual nut unit and includes two first nuts and the multiple first balls, the two first nuts are integral with each other, the first balls are located in the first spiral grooves of the two third nuts and contact an inner surface of the first spiral groove of each first nut by the third contact angle, the third contact angles that are respectively located in the two first nuts are in opposite directions, the second nut unit is a second dual nut unit and includes two second nuts and the multiple first balls, the two second nuts are integral with each other, the second balls are located in the second spiral grooves of the two second nuts and contact an inner surface of the second spiral groove of each second nut by the second contact angle, the second contact angles that are respectively located in the two second nuts are in opposite directions.