Rolling Apparatus, Method of Manufacturing Thereof and Method of Use Thereof

3:

• The rolling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, for the transfer path that has said region that allows a friction force acting between one of the transfer grooves of the transfer path and the rolling elements to be greater than the friction force acting between another one of the transfer grooves of the transfer path and the rolling elements, the rigidity in a direction perpendicular to the transfer direction is smaller than the other portion of the transfer path, or the distance between the transfer grooves is greater than the other portion to have a non-load region that allows the rolling elements to be slightly held between the transfer grooves.

4:

• The rolling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the contact portions of the contact-angle changing path with the rolling elements is rougher than the surface of the contact portions of the opposite transfer groove with the rolling elements.

5:

• The rolling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the shape of the contact-angle changing path in the transfer direction is curved in such a direction as to have the contacting surface with the rolling elements be the inner surface.

6:

• The rolling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a ferromagnetic material is used as the material of the rolling elements and magnetic force is applied to the contact-angle changing path.

7:

• The rolling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the contact angle at a center of the contact-angle changing path is greater than the contact angle of any one of the other portion of the transfer path and the circulation path, and is gradually decreased towards the opposite ends thereof

8:

• The rolling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a means for deforming the transfer grooves to change the contact angle relative to the transfer direction of the rolling elements in the contact-angle changing path is provided in an external structure of the transfer grooves.

9:

• A method of forming a transfer groove that has a concave surface in cross section taking in a direction perpendicular to the transfer direction of a rolling apparatus that has rolling elements interposed therein, comprising forming a transfer groove having a uniform cross sectional shape while elastically deforming a region of a rolling-element contacting portion along a direction in which the rolling elements of the transfer groove are transferred, in such a direction as to allow the curvature of the concave surface to be greater than the other portion, and then releasing the elastic deformation, thereby allowing the curvature of the groove of said region of the transfer groove to be smaller than the other portion.

10:

• A method of using a rolling apparatus that has a transfer path made up of at least one pair of transfer grooves and plural rolling elements interposed in the transfer path in such a manner as to be capable of freely rolling, and at least one of the transfer grooves has a concave surface in cross section taken in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the rolling elements are transferred, wherein said rolling apparatus is used while being deformed in such a direction as to allow the curvature of the concave surface of the transfer groove in a region that is subjected to smaller load from the rolling elements than the other region does to be smaller than the other portion.

11:

• The rolling apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the shape of the contact-angle changing path in the transfer direction is curved in such a direction as to have the contacting surface with the rolling elements be the inner surface.

12:

• The rolling apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a ferromagnetic material is used as the material of the rolling elements and magnetic force is applied to the contact-angle changing path.

13:

• The rolling apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the contact angle at a center of the contact-angle changing path is greater than the contact angle of any one of the other portion of the transfer path and the circulation path, and is gradually decreased towards the opposite ends thereof.

14:

• The rolling apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a means for deforming the transfer grooves to change the contact angle relative to the transfer direction of the rolling elements in the contact-angle changing path is provided in an external structure of the transfer grooves.

15:

• The rolling apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the surface of the contact portions of the contact-angle changing path with the rolling elements is rougher than the surface of the contact portions of the opposite transfer groove with the rolling elements.

16:

• The rolling apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the shape of the contact-angle changing path in the transfer direction is curved in such a direction as to have the contacting surface with the rolling elements be the inner surface.

17:

• The rolling apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a ferromagnetic material is used as the material of the rolling elements and magnetic force is applied to the contact-angle changing path.

18:

• The rolling apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the contact angle at a center of the contact-angle changing path is greater than the contact angle of any one of the other portion of the transfer path and the circulation path, and is gradually decreased towards the opposite ends thereof.

19:

• The rolling apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a means for deforming the transfer grooves to change the contact angle relative to the transfer direction of the rolling elements in the contact-angle changing path is provided in an external structure of the transfer grooves.