Abstract:
The present invention relates to the lubrication system of linear guideway. The lubrication system was the three-dimensional route that made the oil flow to a middle portion between the upper and lower rolling ball return ways, and therefore the oil can be averagely distributed to the upper and lower rolling ball return ways. Thereby it can increase the effect of lubricating the ball, and lower the frequency of oil resupply.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to a lubrication system of linear guideway, and more particularly to a lubrication system of linear guideway with three-dimensional (3D) oil route for enabling oil to flow in a 3D manner into respective rolling ball return ways to lubricate rolling balls, and the problem of oil leakage can be prevented.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Prior Arts  
         [0004]     Most of machines are equipped with linear guiding structure, linear guideway is one of the linear guiding structures, and the rolling balls of the linear guideway should be well lubricated, then it can run smoothly and it service life can be maintained.  
         [0005]     Conventionally, oil-flowing route for linear guideway, as shown in  FIG. 10 , has an oiling hole  61  pre-defined on the end cap  60 , on contacting surface of the end cap  60  is pre-defined with oil route  62  so as to form an oil access by incorporating with the end surface of the sliding block. Along the access, the oil is able to flow on the contacting surface of the end cap  60 , and then flow into the upper rolling ball return way  63  and the lower rolling ball return way  64 . Furthermore, the contacting surface of the end cap is normally made into a capping plate in order to save production cost. On the capping plate is defined with oil route for introducing the oil into the rolling ball return way of the end cap. According to the two above-mentioned lubricating methods, it is uneasy to evenly allot the oil to respective rolling ball return ways since the oil flow in a same surface. Such that the rolling balls in the respective rolling ball return ways are unequally lubricated, which leads to different service lives of the rolling balls, thereby the whole service life of the linear way will be shortened. Moreover, the oil route exposed on the contacting surfaces of the end cap and of the sliding block, if there is machining error or the contacting surfaces are uneven, the oil will flow out of the contacting surfaces during oil replenishment.  
         [0006]     The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional lubrication system of linear guideway.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     The primary object of the present invention is to provide a lubrication system of linear guideway capable of averagely allotting the oil to the respective rolling ball return ways of linear guideway.  
         [0008]     The secondary object of the present invention is to provide a lubrication system of linear guideway capable of improving tightness of the oil route.  
         [0009]     The present invention provide a new solution to solve the uneven distribution of oil of the conventional lubrication system of linear guideway, such that the lubrication system in accordance with the present invention is possessed with an ability of allotting the oil averagely.  
         [0010]     The present invention re-design an oil route by taking into consideration of the end cap and the capping plate of the linear guideway. By taking advantage of the spatial relationship, the conventional two-dimensional (2D) oil route structure has been revised to the three-dimensional (3D) oil route structure. The present invention forms 3D spatial oil route based on the cooperation of the end cap and the capping plate so as to enable oil to flow in a 3D manner to a middle portion between upper and lower rolling ball return ways, and then the oil is distributed averagely to respective rolling ball return ways to lubricate rolling balls. Furthermore, since the oil route structure of the present invention is formed in 3D manner, and lubricating part defined on contacting surfaces of the end cap and the capping plate and not on the contacting surfaces of the end cap and of the sliding block, therefore the problem of oil leakage from the contacting surface of the end cap and of the sliding block can be prevented substantially.  
         [0011]     On the other hand, the capping plate of the present invention is additionally provided with a special stopping structure that is used to improve tightness. The stopping structure is disposed in the oiling hole on the contacting surfaces of the end cap and of the sliding block, so as to prevent the oil leakage from the contacting surfaces of the end cap and of the sliding block, such that tightness is improved. In addition, the stopping structure is a detachable structure that allows the oil to be injection in three different directions, so as to improve its applicability.  
         [0012]     The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, which shows, for purpose of illustrations only, the preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]      FIG. 1  is an exploded view of a lubrication system of linear guideway in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0014]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of an end cap in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0015]      FIG. 3  is a front view of the end cap in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0016]      FIG. 4  is a rear view of the end cap in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0017]      FIG. 5  is an assembly view of the end cap and the capping plate in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0018]      FIG. 6  is a cross sectional view of the assembly of the end cap and the capping plate in  FIG. 5 ;  
         [0019]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a lubrication system with oiling holes formed at different sides thereof in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0020]      FIG. 8  is a partial cross sectional view of  FIG. 7 ;  
         [0021]      FIG. 9  is an illustrative view of the stopping piece of the capping plate of the lubrication system in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0022]      FIG. 10  is a cross sectional view of an end cap of conventional lubrication system of linear guideway. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0023]      FIG. 1  is an exploded view of a lubrication system of linear guideway in accordance with the present invention. Wherein an end cap  20  and a capping plate  30  are provided at both ends of a sliding block  10 . The assembly of the end cap  20  and the capping plate  30  forms rolling ball return way provided for circulation of the rolling balls.  
         [0024]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the end cap in  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 3  is a front view of the end cap in  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 4  is a rear view of the end cap in  FIG. 1 . Wherein the end cap  20  has two oiling holes  21  and  24  defined on the end surface and the side surface respectively. When the oil flows into oil-flowing hole  31  of the capping plate  30  from the oiling holes  21 , since stopping piece  35  stops the flow of the oil into the end surface of the sliding block, the oil is introduced to both sides of the sliding block by guide route  32 , and then flows into oil-flowing hole  33 , and through the oil-flowing hole  33  the oil is introduced to the front surface (contacting the sliding block) of the capping plate  30  from the rear surface (contacting the end cap  20 ). After that, through the hole  34  at a center position between upper and lower rolling ball return ways (about the position of threaded hole  26 ) the oil flow back to the rear surface of the capping plate  30  that contacts the curved surface  25  of the end cap  20 , so as to supply the oil to the upper and the lower rolling ball return ways for lubricating the rolling balls properly. Furthermore, if pouring into the oiling hole  24 , the oil will flow into the oil route  22  via the oil-flowing hole  23  and then to be introduced into the oiling hole  21 , and through the same above-mentioned route the oil flows into the upper and the lower rolling ball return ways, so to lubricate the rolling balls smoothly.  
         [0025]      FIG. 5  is an assembly view of the end cap and the capping plate in accordance with the present invention.  FIG. 6  is a cross sectional view of the assembly of the end cap and the capping plate in  FIG. 5 . When the oil is poured in the end cap  20  and introduced by the capping plate  30 , the oil will flow into the hole  34  beside the threaded hole  26  via the oil-flowing hole  33 . And a feed hole  25   a  is formed when the capping plate  30  is assembled with the curved surface  25  of the end cap  20 , and then the oil flow into the feed hole  25   a  via the hole  34 , since the feed hole  25   a  is very small, the oil is able to ooze into the upper and the lower rolling ball return way by capillary action.  
         [0026]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a lubrication system with oiling holes formed at different sides thereof in accordance with the present invention;  FIG. 8  is a partial cross sectional view of  FIG. 7 . The present invention also can pour oil via oiling hole  11  on the top surface of the sliding block  10  besides pouring into the oiling holes  21 ,  24 . The oil flows through the stopping piece  35  via an access  12  after it is poured into the oiling hole  11 , and then to be introduced into the oil-flowing hole  31  and the oiling hole  21  respectively. At this moment, a screw  50  is screwed in the oiling hole  21  so as to close the oiling hole  21 . The oil will flow along the guide route  32  to the feed hole  25   a  via the above-mentioned route, so as to lubricate the rolling balls in the upper and the lower rolling ball return ways.  
         [0027]      FIG. 9  is an illustrative view of the stopping piece of the capping plate of the lubrication system in accordance with the present invention, wherein the stopping piece  35  of the capping plate  30  is installed in the oil-flowing hole  31  (on the contacting surface contacting the sliding block). The stopping piece  35  includes: annular groove  351 , cone-shape recess  352  and annular protrusions  353 . Since the thickness of the stopping piece  35  in the annular groove  351  is reduced and the hardness of the portion in the annular groove  351  is weak, it is easy for the user to separate the portion surrounded by the annular groove  351  from the capping plate  30  just by pushing the cone-shape recess  352  with a cone-shape tool  40 , so as to produce an access on the stopping piece  35 . Furthermore, an annular flange  353  is defined about the oiling hole  11  so as to improve tightness.  
         [0028]     The lubrication system of linear guideway in accordance with the present invention has changed the oil route structure from conventional two-dimensional (2D) structure into 3D structure, so as to enable the oil to flow in a 3D manner to the middle portion between the upper and the lower rolling ball return ways, and then the oil is distributed to the respective rolling ball return ways to lubricate the rolling balls.  
         [0029]     The lubrication system of linear guideway of the present invention has the lubricating part defined on the contacting surfaces of the end cap and of the capping plate, so as to prevent the oil leaking from the contacting surfaces of the end cap and the sliding block.  
         [0030]     The capping plate of the present invention is additionally provided with a stopping piece used to improve tightness, and the stopping piece is designed as having detachable structure so as to improve its applicability.  
         [0031]     While we have shown and described various embodiments in accordance with the present invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.