Linear motion rolling contact guide unit using a rod rail
AssigneeNippon Thompson Co., Ltd.
InventorNorimasa Agari
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A linear motion rolling contact guide unit having a rod rail having a substantially circular cross section is provided. The guide unit also includes a slider slidably mounted on the rod rail and a plurality of rolling members interposed between the rod rail and the slider to thereby provide a rolling contact therebetween. The slider is so structured that it surrounds only a part the circumference of the rod rail and thus the slider has a generally U-shaped cross sectional shape. Since the rod rail is not surrounded completely, it may be placed in a V-shaped groove of a bed substantially over its entire stroke.
Claims7
A linear motion rolling contact guide unit, comprising:
- a rod rail having a substantially circular cross section and a pair of inner guide grooves extending in parallel with a longitudinal axis of the rail and formed in a peripheral surface of said rod rail, one of said grooves located substantially diametrically opposite the other of said grooves in a substantially horizontal orientation;
- a slider slidably mounted on said rod rail extending around only a part of a circumference of said rod rail and having a pair of guide grooves, each extending in parallel with and in an opposed relationship with a corresponding one of said inner guide grooves to thereby define a pair of guide channels, said slider including an inner sliding member substantially in sliding contact with a top half of the peripheral surface of said rod rail and an outer cover member covering said inner sliding member;
- and
- a plurality of rolling members provided in each of said guide channels to thereby provide a rolling contact between said rod rail and said slider.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.