Patent ID: 8240916

Claim:
A linear guidance system comprising a guide rail ( 1 ) and a carriage ( 2 ) which is guided displaceably on the guide rail by way of at least two ball bearings ( 3 , 3 ′), wherein the ball bearings respectively comprise a plurality of balls ( 4 ) and a strip-shaped ball cage ( 5 ) and the guide rail ( 1 ) has running surfaces ( 9 , 9 ′) and the carriage ( 2 ) has running surfaces ( 10 , 10 ′) for the rolling movement of the balls ( 4 ) of the ball bearings ( 3 , 3 ′), wherein the ball cage ( 5 ) has a plurality of substantially circular through openings ( 7 ) which are arranged in succession in a row and into which the balls ( 4 ) are inserted, wherein the inside diameter of the through openings tapers conically in the direction from a running surface ( 9 , 9 ′) of the guide rail to the associated running surface ( 10 , 10 ′) of the carriage ( 2 ) to an inside diameter or is constricted by limiting means to an inside diameter which is smaller than the diameter of the balls so that the balls are secured in the through openings ( 7 ) to prevent them from falling out of the through openings ( 7 ) in the direction of the running surface ( 10 , 10 ′) of the carriage, the ball cage ( 5 ) is elastically deformable and is fixed to the guide rail ( 1 ), and the balls ( 4 ) are held by the ball cage ( 5 ) such that they are prestressed against the running surfaces ( 9 , 9 ′) of the guide rail and wherein along at least a portion of a longitudinal extent of the ball cage ( 5 ) at least one torsion groove ( 13 ) is provided which is arranged on a side of the ball cage ( 5 ), that is towards the running surfaces ( 9 , 9 ′) of the guide rail ( 1 ).