| 主权项 |
1. A miniature linear motion guide unit with lubrication system comprising an elongated guide shaft having first raceway grooves extending lengthwise of the guide shaft at locations circumferentially spaced apart from each other and a slider fitting over or conforming to the guide shaft to move along the guide shaft in a sliding manner through rolling elements,
wherein the slider is composed of a carriage having second raceway grooves lying in opposition to the first raceway grooves on the guide shaft to define load-carrying races between the first raceway grooves on the guide shaft and the second raceway grooves on the carriage and further having return passages extending in parallel with the load-carrying races, end caps attached to lengthwise opposite ends of the carriage, the end caps having turnaround passages to connect the load-carrying races with the return passages, and the rolling elements recirculating through looped circuits made up of the load-carrying races, return passages and the turnaround passages, wherein the end caps each have therein a porous compact lubricant applicator impregnated with lubricant to apply the lubricant to the rolling elements while rolling through the turnaround passages and a retainer plate to squeeze the lubricant applicator to seal and secure the lubricant applicator at a preselected location, wherein the retainer plate is kept in the end cap by a snap-fit engagement with the end cap, wherein the end caps each have a first recess and a second recess, the first recess lying in an outward end surface of the end cap to receive the lubricant applicator, the second recess that simply receives the retainer plate, and a circular edge surrounding both the lubricant applicator received in the first recess and the retainer plate received inside the second recess, wherein the end cap is made of elastic synthetic resins and has a locking recess on the circular edge of the end cap and the retainer plate is made of elastic synthetic resins and has a locking nose on a circumferential edge around the retainer plate in opposition to the locking recess and further wherein the locking nose experiences elastic deformation to snap into the locking recess to make the snap-fit engagement between the retainer plate and the circular edge of the end cap, wherein the retainer plate on a front surface thereof is depressed to provide a countersink to receive a head of a fastening bolt to tighten the retainer plate against the carriage and correspondingly raised above a backside thereof to provide a lug, wherein the circular edge on the end cap has a third recess at a location conforming to the lug of the retainer plate to receive the lug of the retainer plate, wherein the retainer plate is set in place with respect to the end cap while the lug of the retainer plate fits into the third recess on the end cap and the retainer plate is locked or held in the end cap with the snap-fit engagement after the lug of the retainer plate has snugly fit into the third recess on the end cap, and wherein the fastening bolt extends past the end cap from the counter sink to fit into the carriage, when tightened, the third recess in the end cap and the lug of the retainer plate are squeezed together or closely pressed against each other to keep in place the lubricant applicator and the retainer plate with respect to the end cap. |
