Linear guide apparatus and method for assembling the same

A linear guide apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of rolling elements;
• a guide rail having a first ball rolling groove for the rolling elements formed on each widthwise opposite surface;
• and
• a slider including a pair of leg portions respectively disposed on widthwise opposite sides of the guide rail, and a horizontal portion disposed on one thicknesswise end side of the guide rail and connecting the leg portions, each of the leg portions having a second ball rolling groove provided on an inner side surface and disposed in face-to-face relation to the first ball rolling groove of the guide rail where a ball rolling path for the rolling elements is formed by the first ball rolling groove and the second ball rolling groove, a return path for the rolling elements, and a pair of direction changing paths for allowing the return path and the ball rolling path to communicate with each other,
• wherein one of the guide rail and the slider linearly moves relative to another one thereof as the rolling elements roll in a circulating path, the circulating path being formed by the ball rolling path, the return path and the direction changing path,
• wherein the slider includes a metallic main body, a synthetic resin-made frame which is detachably fitted to outer sides of the main body, and a pair of synthetic resin-made end caps which are fixed to the main body through the frame,
• the frame including a pair of outer legs each constituting a widthwise outer portion of the leg portion, and a pair of frame horizontal portions each constituting an opposite end portion, as viewed in a linearly moving direction, of the horizontal portion, each of the outer legs having the return path, an inside groove of the direction changing path and a first protrusion provided on an inner side of the outer leg,
• the main body including a pair of inner legs each constituting a widthwise inner portion of the leg portion and a main body horizontal portion constituting a major portion of the horizontal portion, each of the inner legs having the second ball rolling groove and a first recessed portion corresponding to the first protrusion of the frame provided on an outer side of the inner leg, the main body and the frame being adapted to be integrated as the first protrusion is fitted to the first recessed portion,
• each of the end caps including a pair of end legs each constituting an end portion, as viewed in the linearly moving direction, of the leg portion, and an end cap horizontal portion constituting an extreme end portion, as viewed in the linearly moving direction, of the horizontal portion, each of the end legs having an outside groove of the direction changing path provided on a frame side of the end leg, and
• wherein the slider includes a filler disposed in a boundary portion between the main body and the frame and a boundary portion between the frame and each of the end caps.