This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority of the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2017-220738 filed on Nov. 16, 2017, the contents of which are incorporated by reference into the present specification.
The present disclosure relates to a lubricant supplying device for supplying a lubricant to a rail on which a moving member moves, and to a guiding device that uses this lubricant supplying device.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2007-271003 discloses a technique of, by adding on afterwards a lubricant supplying device to a moving member that moves along a rail, supplying a lubricant to between rolling bodies, which are provided at the moving member, and rolling surfaces of a rail on which the rolling bodies roll.
By the way, in the lubricant supplying device disclosed in JP-A No. 2007-271003, supply paths and supplying portions of the lubricant are formed integrally with a mounted member that is mounted to the moving member. The supplying portions have discharge openings for the lubricant. In order for the lubricant to be supplied to the rolling surfaces of the rail through these discharge openings, the discharge openings project out toward vicinities of the rolling surfaces. Therefore, the interval between the pair of supplying portions is narrower than the width of the rail, and the mounted member cannot be placed on the rail from a side. Thus, in a case of adding the lubricant supplying device afterwards to the moving member that is on the rail, the mounted member must be moved from an end portion of the rail to the moving member.
In view of the above-described circumstances, the subject of the present disclosure is the provision of a lubricant supplying device, which can be added later from a side of a rail to a moving member that is on the rail, and a guiding device that uses this lubricant supplying device.
A lubricant supplying device of one aspect of the present disclosure has: a mounted member that is mounted to a moving member, which moves along a rail, and that is disposed with an interval between the mounted member and concave portions that are provided in the rail along a length direction of the rail; and a supply path unit that is removably attached to the mounted member, wherein the supply path unit has an introducing port into which a lubricant is supplied from an exterior, supplying members that project out from the mounted member toward the concave portions and supply the lubricant to rolling surfaces of the concave portions on which rolling bodies that are provided at the moving member roll, and a tubular member that connects the introducing port and the supplying members, and the mounted member has an accommodating portion that is concave and accommodates the supply path unit from the length direction of the rail.
In accordance with the present disclosure, there can be provided a lubricant supplying device, which can be added later from a side of a rail to a moving member that is on the rail, and a guiding device that uses this lubricant supplying device.
Forms for embodying the present disclosure are described in detail hereinafter. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described hereinafter.
As shown in
As shown in
Concave portions 26 are respectively formed in both side surfaces 22A in the rail width direction (the left and right side surfaces in
As shown in
Note that the track rail 22 of the present embodiment is an example of the rail in the present disclosure.
The moving block 24 is a member that is structured so as to be able to move along the track rail 22. This moving block 24 has a block main body portion 30, non-loaded rolling body rolling paths 32, the rollers 28 that are examples of the rolling bodies, and a pair of cover members 34 (see
As shown in
The non-loaded rolling body rolling paths 32 are through-holes that pass-through the block main body portion 30 along the moving direction of the moving block 24 (the same direction as the rail length direction), and are formed at positions that face the side wall surfaces 38A of the projecting portions 38. A lubricant is filled within these non-loaded rolling body rolling paths 32. Plural rollers, which are held by roller holding bands that are described later, are transferred within the non-loaded rolling body rolling paths 32.
The plural rollers 28 are connected in a series via the roller holding bands, and are structured so as to circulate on endless circulating paths while being held by the roller holding bands. Note that what are called the endless circulating paths (not illustrated) here are structured by the loaded rolling body rolling paths 40, the non-loaded rolling body rolling paths 32, and a pair of direction turnaround paths (not illustrated) that are described later.
As shown in
Further, in the present embodiment, a plurality of the moving blocks 24 are disposed on the track rail 22. These moving blocks 24 support a table 42. Concretely, the table 42 is fixed to the moving blocks 24 in a state in which the table 42 is placed on supporting surfaces 24A (the top surfaces in
As shown in
As shown in
The case 52 is substantially U-shaped, and has a pair of vertical wall portions 60, which are respectively disposed at the outer sides of the both side surfaces 22A of the track rail 22, and a lateral wall portion 62 that spans over the track rail 22 and connects the pair of vertical wall portions 60. Further, the shape of the case 52, including the accommodating portion 58, is a left-right symmetrical shape. Note that what is called left-right symmetrical shape here means that the shape of the case 52 has left-right symmetry with respect to a straight line that passes-through the rail width direction center of the lateral wall portion 62.
As shown in
Further, as shown in
Moreover, interval S3, which runs along the rail width direction from one of the vertical wall portions 60 (the vertical wall portion 60 at the left side in
Further, fit-together portions 66, into which base portions 64 of the supplying members 54 are fit, are formed in the vertical wall portions 60. In the state in which the case 52 is disposed on the track rail 22, due to the supplying members 54 being fit into the fit-together portions 66, the projecting portions 68 of the supplying members 54 are positioned within the concave portions 26. Note that the fit-together portions 66 structure portions of the accommodating portion 58.
Further, plural through-holes 70 that pass-through in the thickness direction are formed in the case 52. These through-holes 70 are provided at positions that correspond to unillustrated screw holes of the moving block 24 and to unillustrated through-holes of the cover member 34. The case 52 is mounted to the moving block 24 via the cover member 34 due to screw members 71 (see
For example, metal materials and resin materials are examples of the material that forms the case 52.
As shown in
The introducing port 72 is the portion into which lubricant is introduced from the exterior. For example, a supply tube that extends from an unillustrated lubricant reservoir portion is connected thereto. Lubricant is sent continuously or periodically from this lubricant reservoir portion through the supply tube to the introducing port 72.
The distributing portion 74 is provided midway along the tube 76, and is a member that distributes the lubricant.
The tube 76 is a tubular member for sending the lubricant from the introducing port 72 to the supplying members 54. This tube 76 has a first tube 76A that connects the introducing port 72 and the distributing portion 74, and second tubes 76B that connect the distributing portion 74 and the supplying members 54. Note that the tube 76 of the present embodiment is an example of the tubular member in the present disclosure.
It is preferable to use an elastic material as the material that forms the tube 76. For example, rubber, thermoplastic elastomers, and nylon are examples of this elastic material.
The supplying members 54 have the base portions 64, which are fit into the fit-together portions 66 of the vertical wall portions 60, and the projecting portions 68 that project out from the vertical wall portions 60 in the state in which the base portions 64 are fit into the fit-together portions 66. The tube 76 (the second tubes 76B that are described later) are connected to these base portions 64. The lubricant is sent from the base portions 64 through internal flow paths 78 (see
The projecting portions 68 are formed in shapes (substantially trapezoidal shapes) that correspond to the concave portions 26 of the track rail 22. The supply ports 80 of the lubricant are respectively formed in both side wall surfaces 68A of the projecting portions 68. In the state in which the supply path unit 56 is attached to the case 52 that is placed on the track rail 22 (hereinafter appropriately called “attached state of supply path unit 56”), the projecting portions 68 project out from the vertical wall portions 60 toward the concave portions 26, and the side wall surfaces 68A face the side wall surfaces 26B, and the lubricant is supplied from the supply ports 80 to the aforementioned rolling body rolling surfaces. Concretely, in the attached state of the supply path unit 56, the side wall surfaces 68A of the projecting portions 68 are disposed so as to face the aforementioned rolling body rolling surfaces of the track rail 22 with intervals therebetween, and lubricant is supplied from the supply ports 80 to the aforementioned rolling body rolling surfaces.
For example, metal materials and resin materials are examples of the material that forms the supplying members 54 and the distributing portion 74.
Further, at the supply path unit 56, the flow path lengths from the distributing portion 74 to the pair of supplying members 54 are the same. Namely, the length of the second tube 76B, which connects the distributing portion 74 and one of the supplying members 54, and the length of the second tube 76B, which connects the distributing portion 74 and the other of the supplying members 54, are the same length.
Operation and effects of the present embodiment are described next.
At the lubricant supplying device 50, the shape of the case 52 is a shape that is substantially U-shaped and at which the pair of vertical wall portions 60 are disposed with intervals between themselves and the concave portions 26, i.e., is a shape in which the interval S1 between the pair of vertical wall portions 60 is larger than the rail width W1 of the track rail 22. Therefore, even if the case 52 is not placed on the track rail 22 by being inserted in from an end portion of the track rail 22, the case 52 can be placed on the rail by passing the track rail 22 between the pair of vertical wall portions 60 from a side of the track rail 22. Then, the supply path unit 56 is accommodated, from the rail length direction, into the accommodating portion 58 of the case 52 that is on the track rail 22, and the supply path unit 56 is attached to the case 52. Thereafter, due to the case 52 being mounted to the moving block 24 with the accommodating portion 58 side facing the moving block 24, the lubricant supplying device 50 can be added afterwards to the moving block 24. Due thereto, the lubricant supplying device 50 can be added afterwards even to the moving block 24 that is positioned in the middle among the plural moving blocks 24 that are disposed on the track rail 22. Therefore, there is no need to, after temporarily removing the moving block 24 from the end portion of the track rail 22, mount the lubricant supplying device 50 to the moving block 24 that is positioned in the middle, and thus, the mounting workability of the lubricant supplying device 50 improves.
Further, with respect to the moving blocks 24 that support the table 42 among the plural moving blocks 24, the thickness T of the case 52 is made to be smaller than the interval between the table 42 and the track rail 22 in the lubricant supplying device 50. Therefore, as shown in
In the lubricant supplying device 50, the supply path unit 56 that has the supplying members 54 can be attached to the case 52 by the simple operation of accommodating the supply path unit 56 in the accommodating portion 58. Concretely, by accommodating the introducing port 72, the tube 76 and the distributing portion 74 into the accommodating portion 58 of the case 52, and fitting the supplying members 54 into the fit-together portions 66 of the vertical wall portions 60, the side wall surfaces 68A of the projecting portions 68 can be disposed so as to face the aforementioned rolling body rolling surfaces of the track rail 22 within predetermined intervals therebetween.
Further, in the lubricant supplying device 50, the flow path lengths from the distributing portion 74 to the pair of supplying members 54 are made to be the same length. Therefore, the supplied amount of the lubricant, which is supplied from the supply ports 80 of the supplying members 54 to the aforementioned rolling body rolling surfaces of the track rail 22, can be made to be close to uniform.
Moreover, in the lubricant supplying device 50, for the track rail 22 that has a shape in which the concave portions 26 are provided at the both side surfaces 22A respectively, the case 52 can be placed on the track rail 22 from a side of the track rail 22.
Further, at the guiding device 20, lubricant is supplied to the aforementioned rolling body rolling surfaces of the track rail 22 from the lubricant supplying device 50 that is mounted to the moving block 24. Therefore, frictional resistance between the rollers 28 and the aforementioned rolling body rolling surfaces can be reduced. Due thereto, the moving block 24 can move smoothly on the track rail 22 over a long period of time.
Further, an unillustrated sealing member that contacts the track rail 22 may be provided at the outer side in the moving direction of the lubricant supplying device 50 that is mounted to the moving block 24. Entry of dust and the like into the moving block 24 from the exterior can be suppressed by making a sealing member contact the track rail 22. Note that a scraper that is made of metal, or the like, may be provided together with the sealing member.
A lubricant supplying device 90 of a second embodiment is shown in
As shown in
Operation and effects of the lubricant supplying device 90 of the present embodiment are described next. Note that description of operation and effects that are the similar to the operation and effects obtained in the first embodiment is omitted appropriately.
In the lubricant supplying device 90 of the present embodiment, the pressure within the distributing portion 74 is detected by the pressure sensor 92, and the detected value is transmitted wirelessly from the sensor unit 94. The amount of lubricant supplied from the supply ports 80 of the supplying members 54 can be obtained by receiving the detected value that has been transmitted.
Note that there may be a structure in which, for example, the detected value that is transmitted is received at the control section of an unillustrated lubricant reservoir portion, and the amount of lubricant that is supplied via the supply tube is adjusted in accordance with the amount of lubricant supplied from the supply ports 80.
The guiding device 20 of the first embodiment is structured such that the lubricant supplying devices 50 are respectively mounted to both sides in the moving direction of the moving block 24. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this structure, and may be structured such that the lubricant supplying device 50 is mounted to only one side in the moving direction of the moving block 24. Note that the structure in which the lubricant supplying device is mounted to only one side of the moving block 24 may be applied to the second embodiment. Further, there may be a structure in which the lubricant supplying device 50 is mounted to one side in the moving direction of the moving block 24, and the lubricant supplying device 90 is mounted to the other side.
The guiding device 20 of the first embodiment is structured such that the table 42 is supported by the plural moving blocks 24, but the present disclosure is not limited to this structure. For example, there may be a structure in which the base portion of a device or equipment or the like is supported by the plural moving blocks 24. Note that the structure in which the base portion of a device or equipment or the like is supported by the plural moving blocks 24 may be applied to the second embodiment.
The guiding device 20 of the first embodiment is structured such that the rollers 28 are used as an example of the rolling bodies of the moving block 24, but the present disclosure is not limited to this structure. For example, there may be a structure in which balls are used as an example of the rolling bodies of the moving block 24. Note that the structure in which balls are used as an example of the rolling bodies of the moving block 24 may be applied to the second embodiment.
Moreover, although the guiding device 20 of the first embodiment is structured such that the track rail 22 extends rectilinearly, the present disclosure is not limited to this structure. For example, there may be a structure in which the track rail 22 extends in a curved shape, or there may be a structure in which the track rail has a rectilinear portion that extends rectilinearly and a curved portion that extends in a curved shape. Note that the structure in which the track rail extends in a curved shape, and the structure in which the track rail 22 has a rectilinear portion and a curved portion, may be applied to the second embodiment.
Still further, in the lubricant supplying device 50 of the first embodiment, the interval S3, which runs along the rail width direction from one of the vertical wall portions 60 to the supplying member 54 that is attached to the other vertical wall portion 60, is made to be smaller than the rail width W1. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this structure. For example, the interval S3 may made to be greater than or equal to the rail width W1. In this case, the case 52 can be placed on the track rail 22 even in a state in which the supply path unit 56 is attached in advance to the case 52 and the supplying member 54 is removed from one of the vertical wall portions 60. Then, the lubricant supplying device 50 can be added afterward to the moving block 24 by attaching the supplying member 54 to the aforementioned one of the vertical wall portions 60 and by mounting the case 52 to the moving block 24. Note that the structure of making the interval S3 greater than or equal to the rail width W1 may be applied to the second embodiment.
In the guiding device 20 of the first embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the track rail 22 is made to be substantially quadrangular, and the case 52 that is an example of the mounted member is made to be a shape that spans over the track rail 22. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this structure. For example, as in a guiding device 100 that is shown in
Although forms for embodying the present disclosure have been described by using the embodiments as examples, these embodiments are examples, and the present disclosure can be embodied by being modified in various ways within a scope that does not depart from the gist thereof. Further, it goes without saying that the scope of the right of the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments.
All publications, patent applications, and technical standards mentioned in the present specification are incorporated by reference into the present specification to the same extent as if such individual publication, patent application, or technical standard was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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JP2017-220738 | Nov 2017 | JP | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/JP2018/041745 | 11/9/2018 | WO | 00 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
WO2019/098146 | 5/23/2019 | WO | A |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
6257766 | Agar | Jul 2001 | B1 |
8147141 | Fumoto | Apr 2012 | B2 |
9816559 | Chiu | Nov 2017 | B2 |
Number | Date | Country |
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2000-145769 | May 2000 | JP |
2007-271003 | Oct 2007 | JP |
Entry |
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International Search Report dated Feb. 12, 2019, issued in counterpart application No. PCT/JP2018/041745 (2 pages). |
Written Opinion dated Feb. 12, 2019, issued in counterpart application No. PCT/JP2018/041745 (4 pages). |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20200386273 A1 | Dec 2020 | US |