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US 5,431,498 AGranted
Linear motion bearing
AssigneeThomson Industries, Inc.
InventorGregory S. Lyon
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A linear motion bearing assembly is provided having a rail assembly with a flexible base portion and a bearing carriage assembly with flexibly depending legs configured for longitudinal movement along the rail assembly on rolling elements. A plurality of load bearing inserts are positioned on the rail assembly and/or carriage assembly and define load bearing tracks with rolling elements therebetween. The flexible rail and carriage assemblies permit optimization of the contact angle between the load bearing inserts and the rolling elements when the linear motion bearing assembly is under load.
Claims18
A linear motion bearing assembly comprising:
- a rail assembly including an elongate base member having a pair of substantially vertical arms, said vertical arms having respective inner surfaces and outer surfaces, said vertical arms being flexible with respect to said base member;
- a bearing carriage assembly including a bearing carriage, a pair of depending legs extending therefrom, said depending legs having respective facing and opposing sides, said facing sides defining a longitudinal channel for accommodating said rail assembly, said depending legs being flexible with respect to said bearing carriage;
- a plurality of load bearing inserts, each of said inserts defining a portion of at least one load bearing track thereon, said inserts being positionable on said facing sides of said depending legs to define a plurality of load bearing tracks between said vertical arms and said depending legs;
- and
- a plurality of rolling elements disposed in said load bearing tracks.
2 more elements
A linear motion bearing assembly comprising:
- an elongate rail assembly including an aluminum base member having a pair of substantially parallel arm members extending the longitudinal length of said rail assembly, said arm members having respective inner surfaces and outer surfaces, said inner surfaces defining a longitudinal groove, said outer surfaces defining rail assembly insert receiving structure;
- a plurality of rail assembly load bearing inserts, said inserts having an outer surface and an inner surface, said outer surface having a plurality of parallel grooves formed therein defining a portion of a plurality of load bearing tracks, said rail assembly load bearing inserts being disposed in said insert receiving structure formed in the outer surfaces of said parallel arm members;
- a bearing carriage assembly including an aluminum bearing carriage, a pair of depending legs extending therefrom, said depending legs having respective facing and opposing sides, said facing sides defining a longitudinal channel for accommodating said rail assembly, said facing sides further including carriage assembly insert receiving structure;
- a plurality of carriage load bearing inserts, each of said inserts including a plurality of parallel grooves formed therein defining a portion of a plurality of load bearing tracks, said carriage load bearing inserts being disposed in said carriage assembly insert receiving structure of said facing sides of said depending legs;
- and
- a plurality of rolling elements disposed in said load bearing tracks such that upon loading of the bearing carriage assembly, the load bearing inserts are flexible into an optimized contact angle with respect to said rolling elements.
3 more elements
A linear motion bearing assembly comprising:
- a rail assembly including a base member having a pair of arm members extending the longitudinal length of said rail assembly, said arm members having respective inner surfaces and outer surfaces, said inner surfaces defining a longitudinal groove, said outer surfaces defining rail assembly insert receiving structure;
- a plurality of rail assembly load bearing inserts, said inserts having an outer surface and an inner surface, said outer surface having at least one groove formed therein defining a portion of a plurality of loading bearing tracks, said rail assembly load bearing inserts being disposed in said insert receiving structure formed in the outer surfaces of said arm members;
- a bearing carriage assembly including a bearing carriage, a pair of depending legs extending therefrom, said depending legs having respective facing and opposing sides, said facing sides defining a longitudinal channel for accommodating said rail assembly, said facing sides further including carriage assembly insert receiving structure;
- a plurality of carriage load bearing inserts, each of said inserts including at least one groove formed therein defining a portion of a plurality of load bearing tracks, said carriage load bearing inserts being disposed in said carriage assembly insert receiving structure of said facing sides of said depending legs;
- and
- a plurality of rolling elements disposed in said load bearing tracks.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.