Linear motion guide unit with lubricating member

A linear motion guide unit;

• comprising an elongated guide rail having widthwise opposed sides each of which has a first raceway surface extending lengthwise of the guide rail, a slider having a second raceway surface extending in opposition to the first raceway surface on the guide rail to define a load-carrying race between the first raceway surface and the second raceway surface, and more than one rolling element rolling through the load-carrying race to move the slider relative to the guide rail;
• wherein the slider includes a carriage, end caps, a lubricant reservoir plate of porous compact, and end seals, the carriage having the second raceway surface and a return passage extending in parallel with the second raceway surface, the end caps being fastened on forward and aft end surfaces of the carriage, one to each end surface, and provided with a turnaround passage to join together the load-carrying race and the return passage, the lubricant reservoir plate being impregnated with lubricant and installed in the end cap to come into engagement with the rolling elements to make application of the lubricant around the rolling elements while rolling through the turnaround passage, and the end seals being installed on the end caps;
• wherein the lubricant reservoir plate is composed of a lubricant reservoir main body installed between the end cap and the end seal to fit in a recess formed in the end cap, and an applicator nose which fits in a through-hole made in the lubricant reservoir main body and extends to communicate with a slot in the turnaround passage;
• wherein the applicator nose is constituted with a basal part and a nose part raised above the basal part to form a circular flat area lying around the nose part, the circular flat area being larger in transverse section than the through-hole to come into abutment around the nose part against the end cap to keep in place the applicator nose, and the nose part being integral with the basal part to fit into the opening in the lubricant reservoir main body to expose an end face of the nose part to the turnaround passage;
• and
• wherein a molded density of the porous compact is less in the lubricant reservoir main body than in the applicator nose whereby as the lubricant soaked in the applicator nose is consumed, the lubricant previously held in the lubricant reservoir main body moves to be resupplied into the applicator nose with capillary action.