Linear motion guide device
AssigneeNtn Corporation
InventorsTomoyuki Owada, Masaki Kagami
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A linear motion guide device has a high rigidity, a good linear motion guiding accuracy, and as little rattling as possible. The linear motion guide device prevents sand, water or other contaminants from entering its actuator main body, and features low maintenance requirement. A linear motion member of the linear motion guide device includes a plurality of axially divided segments. Each of these segments supports a plurality of guided members which make contact with two, mutually paired, guide surfaces of a housing. A preload can be applied between the guide surfaces and the guided member. The housing has a sealed structure, with a pressure inside the housing higher than an external pressure, for preventing external sand and water from entering the housing.
Claims6
A linear motion guide device comprising:
- a housing;
- a threaded shaft rotatably supported by the housing about a center axis so as to be axially immovable;
- and
- a linear motion member including a nut threaded around the threaded shaft, the linear motion member configured to move axially with respect to the threaded shaft by rotation of the threaded shaft;
- wherein the housing includes a plurality of guide surfaces extending along an axial direction of the threaded shaft, the guide surfaces being formed of two pairs of guide surfaces, the two guide surfaces in each pair of guide surfaces being non-parallel with each other and facing away from each other;
- wherein the linear motion member includes a plurality of segments arranged axially with respect to the linear motion member and connected to each other, the plurality of segments being adjustably connected together to allow adjustment of relative angular positions of the segments around the threaded shaft, each of the segments including a support portion supporting a plurality of guided members each configured to contact a respective one of the guide surfaces, and trunnion shafts extending radially with respect to the threaded shaft;
- and
- wherein the segments are configured such that a center axis of each of the trunnion shafts intersects a center axis of the threaded shaft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.