1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a motion guide device, and more particularly to a motion guide device including a ball bearing device having a number of ball bearing members disposed between two members that are movable relative to each other and having a number of spacers disposed between the ball bearing members for suitably spacing or separating the ball bearing members from each other.
2. Description of the Prior Art Typical motion guide devices, such as linear motion guide devices, ball screw devices, ball bearing devices or the like comprise two members that are movable or slidable relative to each other, a number of ball bearing members disposed between the two sliding members for suitably spacing the two sliding members from each other and for allowing the two sliding members to be smoothly moved or slid relative to each other.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,096,308 to Sundseth discloses one of the typical ball units also comprising a number of ball bearing members disposed between a formed base member and a load-bearing ball for bearing and facilitating the relative sliding movement between the formed base member and the load-bearing ball. However, no spacers have been provided between the ball bearing members such that the ball bearing members may have a good chance to be interfered with each other.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,652,146 to Lee discloses another typical linear motion guide device comprising two offset ball rows disposed between two members that are movable or slidable relative to each other, and a number of spacers disposed between the ball bearing members for suitably spacing or separating the ball bearing members from each other and for preventing the ball bearing members from interfering with each other.
However, the spacers each include only two recesses formed in the opposite sides for receiving or engaging with the ball bearing members, and the spacers may not be suitably engaged with the ball bearing members when the spacing distance between the ball bearing members is increased.
U.S. Application Publication Patent No. US 2004/0000208 A1 to Michioka et al. discloses a further typical motion guide device comprising a nut rotatably attached or engaged or assembled onto a screw shaft, and a number of ball bearing members disposed in a ball rolling passage formed by a ball rolling groove formed to the screw shaft and a loaded ball rolling groove formed to the nut, and a number of spacers disposed between the ball bearing members in the ball rolling passage, and a circulation member for circulating the ball bearing members and the spacers in accordance with a relative motion of the nut with respect to the screw shaft.
However, similarly, the spacers each also include only two recesses formed in the opposite sides for receiving or engaging with the ball bearing members, and the spacers may not be suitably engaged with the ball bearing members when the spacing distance between the ball bearing members is increased.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,263,908 to Osterlanger et al. discloses a still further typical motion guide device comprising a number of ball bearing members for being disposed in a ball rolling passage formed by a ball rolling groove formed to a screw shaft and a loaded ball rolling groove formed to a nut, and a number of spacers disposed between the ball bearing members in the ball rolling passage.
However, the spacers include a non-symmetric structure having only two opposite recesses formed in the opposite sides for receiving or engaging with the ball bearing members, and the spacers may not be suitably engaged with and between the ball bearing members when the other sides are faced and directed and engaged with and between the ball bearing members.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional linear motion guide devices, ball screw devices or ball bearing devices.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional motion guide devices.
The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a motion guide device including a ball bearing device having a number of ball bearing members disposed between two movable members that are movable relative to each other and having a number of spacers disposed between the ball bearing members for suitably spacing or separating the ball bearing members from each other.
The other objective of the present invention is to provide a motion guide device including a ball bearing device having the smaller spacers and the greater bearing members for allowing the spacers to be suitably rotated relative to the bearing members and for preventing the spacers from interfering the movement of the ball bearing members.
The further objective of the present invention is to provide a motion guide device including a ball bearing device having the bearing member engaged with the spacer in four contact points for decreasing the contact area between the spacers and the ball bearing members.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a motion guide device comprising a first member and a second member including a rolling passage formed between the first and the second member, a plurality of bearing members disposed in the rolling passage and engaged between the first and the second members for facilitating a movement between the first and the second members, and a plurality of spacers disposed in the rolling passage and engaged between the bearing members for spacing the bearing members from each other, the spacers including an outer diameter smaller than an outer diameter of the bearing members, wherein the spacers each include a substantially spherical configuration having six sides which include a first side, a second side, a third side, a fourth side, a fifth side, and a six side, the first and the third sides are arranged opposite to each other, and the second and the fourth sides are arranged opposite to each other, and the fifth and the six sides are arranged opposite to each other, and the spacers each include a depression formed in each of the six sides and formed and defined by four tilted and planar surfaces for engaging with the bearing members, and for allowing the spacers to be engaged between the bearing members and for allowing the bearing members to be engaged between the spacers relatively.
A proportion between the outer diameter of the spacers and the outer diameter of the bearing members is ranged between 1˜0.8:1.
The bearing member is engaged with the surfaces of the spacer in four contact points.
The surfaces of the spacers each include a sector-shape. The surfaces of the spacers are identical in structure to each other.
Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.
Referring to the drawings, and initially to
As shown in
It is preferable that the proportion between the outer diameters “d” of the spacers 40 and the outer diameters “D” of the ball bearing members 30 is ranged between 1.about.0.8:1 for allowing the spacers 40 to be suitably rotated relative to the bearing members 30 and for preventing the spacers 40 from interfering the movement of the ball bearing members 30. It is to be noted that the spacing distance between the ball bearing members 30 will be increased or enlarged after use, due to friction or the like, and the spacers 40 may have a good chance to be rotated relative to the ball bearing members 30, and the formation or the provision of the six depressions 47 in each of the spacers 40 allows the ball bearing members 30 to be suitably engaged with the depressions 47 in the opposite sides 41, 43; 45, 46; 42, 44 of the spacers 40 even after the spacers 40 have been rotated relative to the ball bearing members 30, and thus for allowing the bearing members 30 to be suitably disposed or engaged between the spacers 40, or for allowing the spacers 40 to be suitably disposed or engaged between the ball bearing members 30 relatively.
As best shown in
In operation, as shown in
Accordingly, the motion guide device in accordance with the present invention includes a ball bearing device having a number of ball bearing members disposed between two movable members that are movable relative to each other and having a number of spacers disposed between the ball bearing members for suitably spacing or separating the ball bearing members from each other.
Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.
The present invention is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/284,865, filed 25 Sep. 2008, pending and to be abandoned.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 12284865 | Sep 2008 | US |
Child | 13428069 | US |