Abstract: A miniature linear motion guide unit is described in which a tubular member for a return passage is installed in an outward open recess cut in the carriage and a covering to bear the tubular member is integral with an end cap major part. This construction helps make the slider compact with cost saving in production. The slider is composed of a carriage made up of an upper portion and side bulges extending downward and having the outward open recesses, end caps having turnaround passages, the tubular members lying on outsides of the side bulges of the carriage, and coverings connected integrally with the end cap major parts to embrace the tubular members in combination with the outsides of the carriage.

Abstract: A buried plug has interference which is made to exert a load or stress less in a widthwise direction of the guide rail than in a lengthwise direction of the guide rail, thereby protect raceways on the guide rail against any deformation such as bulge. The buried plug has a mating zone to press fit into a counterbore of a bolt hole and a leading zone to guide the mating zone into the counterbore. Let assuming a definition that a direction perpendicular to a lengthwise direction of the guide rail is referred to a direction opposed to the raceway surface or the widthwise direction of the guide rail, the interference exerting a force on the counterbore in the widthwise direction is determined less than the interference exerting the force on the counterbore in the lengthwise direction of the guide rail.

Abstract: A three-dimensional sliding system has an X-table and a Z-table, which are actuated to travel independently of each other. The sliding system is simple in construction and adapted to actuate a movable table with less takt time. A bed has a first flat zone extending in a horizontal direction to carry the X-table thereon, a second flat zone extending in a vertical direction to carry the Z-table thereon, and a third flat zone where the first flat zone merges with the second flat zone. The movable table is laid over the third flat zone and linked with the X-table and the Z-table through linear motion guide units, respectively. Actuations of an X-linear motor in an X-direction and actuation of a Z-linear motor in a Z-direction cause the movable table to move into a targeted position with high precision in the X-direction and in the Z-direction.

Abstract: The turning bearing has a separator whose leading and trailing sides are concaved to fit over circular rolling surfaces of the rollers to provide concavities where concaved surfaces lying either in parallel with and in perpendicular to the axis of the roller. The rollers fit in the separator in either of two different directions. The separator can be easier installed into the raceway through a loading hole without the posture of the separator in mind. The separator has a quadrilateral in a transverse cross-section perpendicular to a traveling direction of the separator of which a peripheral surface is in opposition to the outer ring and the inner ring. The separator has a center through-hole. The concaved surfaces in the separator are contoured in arced or curved profiles and bulge gradually closer to a circular edge of the through-hole to form arcing bulges at bottoms of the curved surfaces.

Abstract: A connector plate makes it possible to join together carriages with high rigidity and much load rating no matter lengthwise dimensions of the carriages. The carriage has at leading and trailing ends thereof the connector plates identical in structure. The connector plate on a front surface thereof has a tenon or projection and a mortise which are spaced widthwise from each others. The adjoining carriages are joined together after the connector plates have been placed each other in a relation the their front surfaces have made direct engagement face-to-face with each other with the tenon having fit into the mortise to make the tenon-and-mortise joint.

Abstract: Lubrication for rolling elements is carried out in a turnaround passage in an end cap. An applicator nose to come into touch with the rolling elements has a molding density greater than in a lubricant reservoir plate to ensure proper and steady lubrication, with accompanying sustainable maintenance-free condition for lubrication. The lubricant reservoir plate impregnated with lubricant fits into a concavity inside the end cap. The applicator nose is integral with the lubricant reservoir plate and extends through a hole cut in the end cap to reach a turnaround passage to be exposed at a leading edge thereof to the rolling element to resupply the lubricant around the rolling elements.

Abstract: A covering is easily mounted and/or demounted to envelop an overall sliding device with onboard moving-magnet linear motor. The covering helps improved propulsion, high velocity and response of a table even with small in dimension, compact in construction. End blocks are installed in opposite ends of a bed and a linear motor is placed between the bed and the table. The end blocks are made in solid bodies which are tightened to the bed together with a coil board. The end blocks have butting surfaces which can come into abutment against the ends of the table to protect the table from getting out of the bed. The end blocks have locking recesses which mate with locking jaws on the covering to fasten the covering to the end blocks.

Abstract: The need for a related-art nipple 3 is eliminated to lift restriction on the stroke of the slider S. A tubular protrusion 9 is provided on the face of a seal body H facing an end cap C, and maintains a positional relationship of being inserted into a lubricant supply hole 8 formed in the end cap when the face of the seal body faces the face of the end cap, and it has an insertion portion 9a receiving insertion of a lubricant supply nozzle 10 for a supply of lubricant, and a supply port 9b connected to a rolling-element directing passage 7 via the lubricant supply hole when it is inserted into the lubricant supply hole. A seal element is created on the insertion portion 9a and makes close contact with the lubricant supply nozzle in a process of inserting the lubricant supply nozzle into the insertion portion.

Abstract: The sliding mechanism including rolling elements 3 as a main element is protected against entry of foreign substances. First, second auxiliary lips 14, 15 are formed in positions on inclined faces 9b formed on lips 9 of end seals S facing and making contact with end faces of sealing members 4, 5. Gaps 10, 11 otherwise formed between different levels of the end faces of the sealing members 4, 5 and the inclined faces 9b of the lips 9, are closed with the first, second auxiliary lips 14, 15. Since the gaps 10, 11 are thus closed, foreign substances do not enter the sliding mechanism M through the gaps 10, 11.

Abstract: A loading hole made in either of an outer ring and an inner ring is provided in two rows of raceways defined between the outer ring and the inner ring, one to each raceway. The loading hole is set out of the guide surface and, therefore there is no fear that a closure fitted in the loading hole causes any obstacle to the rolling movement of the rollers. The loading hole extends radially of the bearing at a location that a center line of the loading hole lies set-off or biased from a center of the roller. An opening edge of the loading hole is exposed to the raceway in a location out of the guide surface, so that the rollers are allowed to roll smoothly without touching with the innermost edge of the closure.

Abstract: A rolling-contact bearing has an outer ring, an inner ring or a shaft rotational relative to the outer ring and a full complement of rollers disposed for rotation between the outer ring and the shaft. A semisolid gel-like lubricant composed of a mixture of a gelling agent and lubricating oil is packed into interstices or gaps between the outer ring and the rollers and among the adjacent rollers to retain surely the rollers on a circular inside surface of the outer ring. The gel-like lubricant is composed of the lubricating oil of mineral oil or base oil, and a powdery oil gelling agent based on amino acids.

Abstract: The turning bearing has a separator whose leading and trailing sides are concaved to fit over circular rolling surfaces of the rollers to provide concavities where concaved surfaces lying either in parallel with and in perpendicular to the axis of the roller. The rollers fit in the separator in either of two different directions. The separator can be easier installed into the raceway through a loading hole without the posture of the separator in mind. The separator has a quadrilateral in a transverse cross-section perpendicular to a traveling direction of the separator of which a peripheral surface is in opposition to the outer ring and the inner ring. The separator has a center through-hole. The concaved surfaces in the separator are contoured in arced or curved profiles and bulge gradually closer to a circular edge of the through-hole to form arcing bulges at bottoms of the curved surfaces.

Abstract: Lubrication for rolling elements are made in a turnaround passage in an end cap to ensure proper and steady lubrication by the lubrication system simple in construction, with accompanying sustainable maintenance-free condition for lubrication. The end cap has an inward end surface facing directly towards the end surface of the carriage of the slider and having a concavity which sinks below the inward end surface and has openings communicating with the turnaround passages. A porous compact impregnated with lubricant is fitted into the concavity in a fashion exposed in part to the turnaround passage through the openings so that the rolling elements rolling through the turnaround passages, as coming into rolling-contact with the parts of the porous compact exposed out of the openings, are applied with the lubricant.

Abstract: A loading hole made in either of an outer ring and an inner ring is provided in two rows of raceways defined between the outer ring and the inner ring, one to each raceway. The loading hole is set out of the guide surface and, therefore there is no fear that a closure fitted in the loading hole causes any obstacle to the rolling movement of the rollers. The loading hole extends radially of the bearing at a location that a center line of the loading hole lies set-off or biased from a center of the roller. An opening edge of the loading hole is exposed to the raceway in a location out of the guide surface, so that the rollers are allowed to roll smoothly without touching with the innermost edge of the closure.

Abstract: An effective contact length in race surfaces formed on grooved races cut in an outer ring and an inner ring is made as greater as permitted to improve the load-carrying capacity, and correspondingly guide parts born against axially opposite ends of a roller are made as less as possible in width to reduce frictional contact resistance applied to the axially opposite ends of the roller, thereby preventing a skew of the roller. An inside circular surface on the outer ring is staggered or different in level on opposite sides of a outside grooved race to make greater the race surface than an effective contact length of circular rolling surfaces of the rollers and correspondingly less the guide part in width than the race surface.

Abstract: In a slider of a linear motion guide unit, a carriage in the slider is cut away at undersides thereof to form concaves in which tubular members defining return passages therein are placed. This is in favor of reduced machining cost. The slider is composed of the carriage having an upper portion and side bulges, end caps secured on ends of the carriage, and tubular members installed closely outside the bulges of the carriage in the sliding direction. Sidewise underparts of the carriage is cut away to provide the concaves into which the tubular members fit with tube ends being kept in spigots which communicate with turnaround passages in the end caps.

Abstract: A leaf spring (S) and a lubricating member (L) are combined together and then mounted. The lubricating member (L) has a pair of protrusions (9) protruding from one of the two sides thereof to make contact with an outer ring (2) and a pair of wall faces (13) formed on the other side opposite to the pair of protrusions (9). The leaf spring (S) is formed in a mountain-like shape in cross section and provided with a pair of protruding pieces (14) that protrude from bottom edges of the mountain-like shape and respectively make contact with the wall faces (13) of the lubricating member to pinch the wall faces (13).

Abstract: A circular sleeve is disclosed which fits into a lengthwise bore in a slider to provide a return passage to make sure of smooth rolling in a slider downsized or compact in length. The sleeve is inserted with leaving circular clearances inside the lengthwise bore in the slider. The sleeve has a bridged beam portion and cantilevered beam portions all of which may undergo elastic deformation under urging or impact force caused by rollers while rolling through the return passage. The bridged beam portion is flanked by support beam portions forming the outside circular surface of the sleeve and the cantilevered beam portions are fastened at their inward ends to a middle support beam portion and freed at their outside ends to bend or warp.

Abstract: A porous compact impregnated with lubricant fits into an end cap in a fashion exposed in part to a turnaround passage to apply the lubricant around balls while the balls roll through the turnaround passage, thereby realizing the maintenance-free condition for lubrication. The porous compact is placed in a concavity in an end cap major part and a slot rounded at opposite ends thereof is formed in an outside curved portion of the turnaround passage defined in the end cap major part to communicate the concavity with the turnaround passage. A leading edge of an applicator nose of the porous compact is exposed to the turnaround passage through an opening of the slot. The balls while being guided along edges of the slot come into rolling-contact with a contact area on the exposed surface of the porous compact to be applied or coated with the lubricant.

Abstract: For achievement of a reduction in size, a slider unit comprises a mounting base 1, a rail 2 fixed to a mounting face 1a of the mounting base 1, a slide table 3 moving along the rail, position detection means for detecting the position of the slide table 3, and a driving system for moving the slide table 3. The mounting face 1a of the mounting base 1 has a mounting recess 14 formed therein. A sensor board 16 on which a Hall element 16a is mounted is installed in the mounting recess 14. The slide table 3 has a permanent magnet 19 attached to the face thereof facing the mounting face 1a. The permanent magnet 19 and the Hall elements 16a form the position detection means.