Linear motion guide system with highly-tight sealing units

Abstract

A linear motion guide system is disclosed in which a clearance between a slider and a guide rail is closed truly to clear foreign matter away from entering inside the system through any end of the slider traveling on the guide rail. Thus, the linear motion guide system is befitting to severe working environment where much foreign matter occurs. A highly-tight sealing unit is provided which is comprised of a cassette constituted with a front panel and an enclosure, a sealing plate stowed into the cassette, and a rear panel to close an open edge of the enclosure. The sealing plate is composed of an intermediate spongy medium flanked by skin layers, and lubricant is forcibly absorbed in pores or cells in the intermediate layer.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a partially cut away view in front elevation of a preferred embodiment of a linear motion guide system with highly-tight sealing units according to the present invention:

FIG. 2 is a view in side elevation of the linear motion guide system of FIG. 1:

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the highly-tight sealing unit installed on any one of forward and aft ends of the linear motion guide system of FIG. 1:

FIG. 4 is an exploded view in perspective of the highly-tight sealing unit to be incorporated into the linear motion guide system of FIG. 1:

FIG. 5 is a view in front elevation of a sealing plate to be used in the highly-tight sealing unit of FIG. 4:

FIG. 6 is views explanatory of the sealing plate of FIG. 5, in which FIG. 6(A) is a view in side elevation of the sealing plate and FIG. 6(B) is a fragmentary enlarged view of a portion encircled by (C) in FIG. 6(A):

FIG. 7 is a view in rear elevation of a cassette used in the highly-tight sealing unit of FIG. 4:

FIG. 8 is a view in transverse section of the cassette, the view being taken on a plane lying on the line I-I of FIG. 7:

FIG. 9 is an enlarged photo-view in side elevation under microscope to visualize an intermediate medium of the sealing plate shown in FIG. 6(B): and

FIG. 10 is an enlarged photo-view in front elevation under microscope to visualize a skin layer of the sealing plate of FIG. 5.

Claims

1. A linear motion guide system, comprising a guide rail made with a lengthwise raceway groove, a slider moving on the guide rail in a sliding manner by virtue of more than one roller, and a highly-tight sealing unit mounted on any one of forward and aft ends of the slider to come into close sliding-contact with lengthwise outward surfaces around the guide rail, making sure of highly sealing effect to keep any foreign matter away from entering inside the slider; wherein the highly-tight sealing unit includes therein at least one sealing plate of three-layer structure that is composed of skin layers of rubbery texture to constitute epidermal layers and an intermediate medium of spongy texture lying between the epidermal layers.

2. A linear motion guide system constructed as defined in claim 1 wherein lubricant is forcibly absorbed into pores in the spongy texture in the sealing plate.

3. A linear motion guide system constructed as defined in claim 1 wherein the sealing plate is composed of mechanical froth urethane foam of low foam ratio, which is formed by frothing mechanically a raw liquid mixed with air.

4. A linear motion guide system constructed as defined in claim 1 wherein the highly-tight sealing unit is comprised of a cassette constituted with a front panel, an enclosure integral with the front panel at any one of edges thereof, the sealing plate stowed into the cassette, and a rear panel to close an open edge of the enclosure.

5. A linear motion guide system constructed as defined in claim 4 wherein the front panel of the cassette has a raised portion reaching the raceway groove on the guide rail and a locating pin planted on the raised portion to locate the sealing plate in a recessed space inside the cassette, while the sealing plate has a raised portion reaching the raceway groove on the guide rail and a locating hole made at the raised portion to fit over the locating pin on the front panel, thereby keeping the raised portion of the sealing plate in positive tight relation against the associated raceway groove on the guide rail.

6. A linear motion guide system constructed as defined in claim 1 wherein a lower seal is provided to extend across an overall length of an underneath of the slider inclusive of an underneath of the highly-tight sealing unit to closely seal the slider against the guide rail.

7. A linear motion guide system constructed as defined in claim 1 wherein the slider is comprised of a carriage made thereon with a raceway groove to allow more than one roller to run through there, an end cap secured to any one of forward and aft ends of the carriage and provided therein with a turnaround passage to get the roller turning round in rolling direction, a lubricating plate secured on an outward surface of the end cap to apply lubricant around the roller, and an end seal attached on an outward end of the lubricating plate, and wherein the highly-tight sealing unit is further mounted on an outward surface of the end seal through a spacer.