1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to fittings for a linear guideway, and more particularly to a retainer for a linear guideway.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With continuous improvement of precision feed systems, the linear transmission technology and its products have become most important part in many precision machine tools. Various linear mechanisms, such as linear guideways, have come into our daily life, in manufacturing factories and in high-tech equipments. Although the technology for linear mechanisms is developing fast, consumers still expect optimum to come. Therefore, improvement has to be made.
1. During disassembling and assembling process, the retainer can only be disassembled and assembled by removing the end caps first, so the disassembling and assembling process is relatively complicated.
2. Since there is no fixing structure in the middle of the retainer, if the retainer is too long, a radial deformation will occur, causing the disengagement of the rolling elements.
Hence, the conventional retainer cannot achieve the function of quick release, and the problem to be urgently improved is that, since there is no fixing structure in the middle of the retainer, if the retainer is too long, the radial deformation is likely to occur, the rolling elements cannot be retained in the grooves of the guideway, namely, the retainer loses its function of retaining the rolling elements.
In order to solve the above problems, U.S. Pat. No. 6,939,045 disclosed a retainer having a positioning block extended from the middle portion thereof. The positioning block is provided with a positioning pillar. A slide block includes a groove corresponding to the positioning block for disposing the positioning block. The slide block further includes a positioning hole corresponding to the positioning pillar for insertion of the positioning pillar, so as to avoid the radial deformation of the retainer, thus preventing malfunction of the retainer. However, the disadvantage of this conventional technology is that, two machining procedures are required for forming the groove and the positioning hole of the slide block. The first machining procedure is using a milling cutter to form the groove. The second machine procedure is changing the milling cutter into a drill to machine the positioning hole (CNC tool changing generally takes about 20 seconds). Thus, this conventional technology needs two kinds of tools to machine the slide block, and a lot of time will be wasted when performing a mass production of slide blocks, thus virtually increasing the manufacturing cost.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages.
The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a linear guideway with retainers, which can reduce the machining procedures of the slide block (reduce CNC tool changing procedures) and reduce the manufacturing cost.
In order to achieve the above objectives, the linear guideway with retainers of the present invention comprises:
A slide rail is provided with a plurality of rolling grooves at both sides thereof.
A slide block is mounted on the slide rail and provided with a rolling channel corresponding to the rolling grooves of the slide rail, the slide block has a plurality of axial circulating holes and has a positioning groove at each side of a bottom thereof.
Two end caps are installed on both end surfaces of the slide block, and each end cap is provided with a plurality of circulating channels, both ends of the respective circulating channel are linked with the circulating holes, the rolling grooves and the rolling channel.
A plurality of rolling elements is installed between the rolling grooves and the rolling channel.
Two retainers are fixed on the end caps by both ends thereof in such a manner that the retainers are installed to an inside bottom of the slide block, each retainer is provided with a retaining surface and a positioning block, the retaining surface is provided for supporting the rolling elements, the positioning block is a T-shaped structure provided with a semicircle at each end thereof (the semicircle is provided for matching with the profile of the tool and the machining path, so as to reduce the manufacturing cost, and other configurations such as: an ellipse, a straight line segment each end of which is connected with a quarter circle, or a square can also be applied onto the positioning block, but the machining cost is relatively increased). The positioning groove of the slide block is configured and positioned correspondingly to the positioning block, and the positioning block is disposed in the positioning groove for preventing radial deformation of the retainer due to impact of the rolling elements.
It is to be noted that, the positioning block of the retainer and the positioning groove of the slide block are designed to be T-shaped configurations through careful thought. Because the positioning groove of the slide block is the T-shaped structure, the CNC machining only needs one kind of tool (for example, end milling cutter) to finish the machining of the positioning groove. Thus, such a configuration can greatly shorten the machining time of the slide block (being compared to the conventional technology, the present invention can save about 20 seconds). In view of the mass production, much more manufacturing time will be saved, so the present invention relatively reduces the manufacturing cost of the slide block.
The present invention will be clearer from the following description when viewed together with the accompanying drawings, which show, for purpose of illustrations only, the preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention.
Referring to
The slide rail 1 is provided with a plurality of rolling grooves 11 at both sides thereof.
The slide block 2 is mounted on the slide rail 1 and is provided with a rolling channel 21 corresponding to the rolling grooves 11 of the slide rail. Further, the slide block 2 is provided with a plurality of axial circulating holes 23, and is further provided with a positioning groove 22 at each side of the bottom thereof.
The two end caps 3 are installed on both end surfaces of the slide block 2. Each end cap 3 is provided with a plurality of circulating channels 31. Both ends of the respective circulating channels 31 are linked with the circulating holes 23, the rolling grooves 11 and the rolling channel 21.
The plurality of rolling elements D is installed between the rolling grooves 11 and the rolling channel 21.
Both ends of the retainers 4, 4A, 4B are fixed to the end caps 3 in such a manner that the retainers 4, 4A, 4B are installed at the inside bottom of the slide block 2. Each retainer 4, 4A, 4B is provided with a retaining surface 41, 41A, 41B and a positioning block 42, 42A, 42B. The retaining surface 41, 41A, 41B is provided for supporting the rolling elements. The positioning block 42, 42A, 42B is a T-shaped structure. Each end of the T-shaped structure is provided with a semicircle 421, 421A, 421B. The positioning groove 22 of the slide block 2 is configured and positioned correspondingly to the positioning block 42, 42A, 42B. The positioning block 42, 42A, 42B is disposed in the positioning groove 22.
The aforementioned is the summary of the positional and structural relationship of the respective components of the present invention, and the preferred embodiments in accordance with the present invention are described as follows.
Additionally, as for all the embodiments of the present invention, at the time of assembling the slide block, the retainer can be installed after the two end caps are installed to both end surfaces of the slide block. Thus, the assembly time can be shortened, relatively reducing the manufacturing cost. The retainer is made by plastic injection molding, which is suitable for mass production.
While we have shown and described various embodiments in accordance with the present invention, it is clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.