Roller retainer, direct-acting guide device and roller screw using the roller retainer

A roller retainer assembly, comprising:

• a plurality of roller retainers for individually correspondingly retaining a plurality of rollers circulating in a roller circulation path inclusive of linear and curved races;
• wherein each of said roller retainers is made thin to hold said opposite side surfaces of said roller and either one of front and rear surfaces of said roller in a direction of movement of said roller;
• wherein a linear guide portion and a curve guide portion which are different in inclination angle from each other are formed in one end surface of said roller retainer in a direction of movement of said roller retainer;
• and
• wherein said linear guide portion of said roller retainer comes into contact with an adjacent roller in said linear race and said curve guide portion of said roller retainer comes into contact with said adjacent roller in said curved race.

A direct-acting guide device comprising:

• a race shaft containing a roller rolling surface;
• a slide member including a roller circulation path containing a load rolling surface corresponding to said roller rolling surface, said slide member being fitted to said race shaft so as to be freely movable relative to said race shaft;
• a plurality of rollers arranged and received in said roller circulation path so as to circulate in accordance with movement of said slide member relative to said race shaft;
• and
• a plurality of roller retainers for holding said plurality of rollers individually and correspondingly so that said plurality of rollers are rotatable/slidable;
• wherein said plurality of rollers are arranged and received so that axes of adjacent rollers are kept approximately parallel to each other;
• wherein each of said roller retainers is made thin to hold opposite side surfaces of corresponding one of said rollers and front and rear surfaces of said roller in a direction of movement of said roller;
• wherein a linear guide portion and a curve guide portion which are different in inclination angle from each other are formed in each of opposite end surfaces of said roller retainer in a direction of movement of said roller retainer;
• and
• wherein said linear guide portion of said roller retainer comes into contact with an adjacent roller retainer in a linear race and said curve guide portion of said roller retainer comes into contact with said adjacent roller retainer in a curved race.

A direct-acting guide device comprising:

• a race shaft containing a roller rolling surface;
• a slide member including a roller circulation path containing a load rolling surface corresponding to said roller rolling surface, said slide member being fitted to said race shaft so as to be freely movable relative to said race shaft;
• a plurality of rollers arranged and received in said roller circulation path so as to circulate in accordance with movement of said slide member relative to said race shaft;
• and
• a plurality of roller retainers for holding said plurality of rollers individually and correspondingly so that said plurality of rollers are rotatable/slidable;
• wherein said plurality of rollers are arranged and received so that axes of adjacent rollers are kept approximately parallel to each other;
• wherein each of said roller retainers is made thin to hold opposite side surfaces of corresponding one of said rollers and either one of front and rear surfaces of said roller in a direction of movement of said roller;
• wherein a linear guide portion and a curve guide portion which are different in inclination angle from each other are formed in one end surface of said roller retainer in a direction of movement of said roller retainer;
• and
• wherein said linear guide portion of said roller retainer comes into contact with an adjacent roller in a linear race and said curve guide portion of said roller retainer comes into contact with said adjacent roller in a curved race.

A roller screw comprising:

• a race shaft containing a helical roller rolling surface;
• a slide member including a roller circulation path containing a helical load rolling surface corresponding to said roller rolling surface, said slide member being fitted to said race shaft so as to be freely movable relative to said race shaft;
• a plurality of rollers arranged and received in said roller circulation path so as to circulate in accordance with movement of said slide member relative to said race shaft;
• and
• a plurality of roller retainers for holding said plurality of rollers individually and correspondingly so that said plurality of rollers are rotatable/slidable;
• wherein said plurality of rollers are arranged and received so that axes of adjacent rollers are kept approximately parallel to each other;
• wherein each of said roller retainers is made thin to hold opposite side surfaces of corresponding one of said rollers and front and rear surfaces of said roller in a direction of movement of said roller;
• wherein a linear guide portion and a curve guide portion which are different in inclination angle from each other are formed in each of opposite end surfaces of said roller retainer in a direction of movement of said roller retainer;
• and
• wherein said linear guide portion of said roller retainer comes into contact with an adjacent roller retainer in a linear race and said curve guide portion of said roller retainer comes into contact with said adjacent roller retainer in a curved race.

A roller screw comprising:

• a race shaft containing a helical roller rolling surface;
• a slide member including a roller circulation path containing a helical load rolling surface corresponding to said roller rolling surface, said slide member being fitted to said race shaft so as to be freely movable relative to said race shaft;
• a plurality of rollers arranged and received in said roller circulation path so as to circulate in accordance with movement of said slide member relative to said race shaft;
• and
• a plurality of roller retainers for holding said plurality of rollers individually and correspondingly so that said plurality of rollers are rotatable/slidable;
• wherein said plurality of rollers are arranged and received so that axes of adjacent rollers are kept approximately parallel to each other;
• wherein each of said roller retainers is made thin to hold opposite side surfaces of corresponding one of said rollers and either one of front and rear surfaces of said roller in a direction of movement of said roller;
• wherein a linear guide portion and a curve guide portion which are different in inclination angle from each other are formed in one end surface of said roller retainer in a direction of movement of said roller retainer;
• and
• wherein said linear guide portion of said roller retainer comes into contact with an adjacent roller in a linear race and said curve guide portion of said roller retainer comes into contact with said adjacent roller in a curved race.