Linear motion guide unit with means for keeping gage against wandering

Abstract

A liner motion guide unit has a means to keep a cage against wandering, in which a pinion is made up of holder halves that are adapted to squeeze each other against the cage to make sure of keeping a pinion in place with accuracy. The means for keeping the cage against wandering is comprised of a pinion holder fitting into a window cut in the cage, racks lying on sides of the guideway members, one to each side, and a pinion provided with teeth mating with the racks and installed in the cage for rotation. The pinion holder is made up of holder halves, any one of which lies on any one side of the cage at a marginal edge of the cage at the same marginal edge of the window. The holder halves have sidewise extensions to firmly squeeze the cage between them along the marginal edge of the window.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view, partially broken away, showing a preferred embodiment of a finite linear motion guide unit having therein a means for keeping a cage against any wandering according to the present invention:

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the finite linear motion guide unit of FIG. 1:

FIG. 3 is a traverse cross section of the finite linear motion guide unit, taken along the plane lying on the line I-I of FIG. 2:

FIG. 4 is a top plan view, partially cut away, showing a cage assembly for the finite linear motion guide unit of FIG. 1:

FIG. 5 is a front elevation of the cage assembly of FIG. 4:

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view in section of the pinion holder, the view being taken along an area corresponding to the plane lying on the line II-II of FIG. 4:

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the cage assembly of FIG. 4, but the pinion holder being shown removed from there:

FIG. 8 is an exploded view in perspective of a means for keeping the cage against wandering to be installed in the finite linear motion guide unit of FIG. 1:

FIG. 9 is a front elevation of any one of pinion holder halves in the means for keeping the cage against wandering in FIG. 8:

FIG. 10 is a top plan view of the pinion holder half of FIG. 9:

FIG. 11 is a bottom plan view of the pinion holder half of FIG. 9: and

FIG. 12 is a side view in elevation of the pinion holder half of FIG. 9.

Claims

1. A linear motion guide unit; comprising a pair of guideway members lying movable relatively to one another and having confronting raceway grooves on their sides extending in lengthwise direction, a cage made of a cage plate extending the lengthwise direction to retain more than one rolling element in a raceway defined between the raceway grooves on the guideway members, the cage being provided therein with a means for keeping the cage against wandering; wherein the means for keeping the cage against wandering is comprised of a pinion holder fitting into a window cut in the cage plate, racks lying on the guideway members, one to each guideway member, and a pinion provided with teeth mating with the racks and installed in the cage for rotation; andwherein the pinion holder is made up of a first holder half part and a second holder half part, both of which have sidewise extensions coming into engagement with the cage plate on opposite sides to squeeze edges of the cage plate around the window between them to keep the pinion holder on the cage plate.

2. A linear motion guide unit constructed as defined in claim 1, wherein the racks are installed in the lengthwise sides of the guideway members, one to each side, and the first holder half part is placed on any one side of the cage plate while the second holder half part is placed on the other side of the cage plate.

3. A linear motion guide unit constructed as defined in claim 1, wherein the first and second holder halves are snapped engaged together in opposition to each other to complete the pinion holder.

4. A linear motion guide unit constructed as defined in claim 1, wherein the first and second halves have each latches and recesses so that any one latch of any one half part is allowed to snap into the corresponding recess of another half part to make snap-fit between the holder halves, finishing the pinion holder.

5. A linear motion guide unit constructed as defined in claim 1, wherein the first and second holder halves are made identical with one another in shape, but combined together in lengthwise opposite direction to one another.

6. A linear motion guide unit constructed as defined in claim 1, wherein the first and second holder halves have each an opening of rectangular shape to fit the pinion therein.

7. A linear motion guide unit constructed as defined in claim 1, wherein the pinion has a pinion shaft that is carried for rotation in bearing portions recessed in the first and second holder halves.

8. A linear motion guide unit constructed as defined in claim 1, wherein first and second holder halves are each made with a raised portion of a contour adapted to fit snugly into the window cut in the cage plate.

9. A linear motion guide unit constructed as defined in claim 1, wherein any one of the first and second holder half parts has a locating pin while the other has a hole adapted to fit over the locating pin.