Nippon Thompson Co., Ltd.

Takeshi Matsui

Shigemasa Itabashi

Toyohisa Ishihara

Takashi Yatsu

A linear motion guide unit is disclosed in which a joint tube connects between a turnaround and a return passage of a sleeve made of sintered resinous material to ensure smooth turnabout of rolling elements and further in which lubricant can be supplied to the rolling elements for a prolonged period, thereby refining the durability. A slider is comprised of a sleeve for a return passage held with clearance fit in a through-hole of a carriage in a way lining major area of the through-hole with only forward and aft ends of the through-hole being left naked, a spacer with a lug having a radially inside curved half for a turnaround and an inside part for a joint tube to make up for any one end of the return passage joining with the radially inside curved half, and an end cap having a radially outside half for the turnaround and an outside part for the joint tube to make up for any one end of the return passage joining with the radially outside curved half.

Linear motion guide unit with joint tube between return passage and turnaround

A linear motion guide unit is disclosed in which a slider moves relatively of and along a track rail by virtue of rolling elements of balls or rollers. The rolling elements are allowed to recirculate from a load raceway formed between the track rail and the slider to a non-loaded area composed of a turnaround formed in the slider to communicate with the load raceway, and a return passage formed in the slider to communicate with the turnaround. The return passage is encircled with a sintered resinous member of porous texture. Lubricant absorbed and held in voids in the sintered resinous member can be supplied over a prolonged period to the rolling elements, thereby lubricating the rolling elements to make the frictional resistance less, which might be encountered when the slider moves on the track rail, and ultimately helping ensure the improvement in durability.

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Kanagawa-ken, Japan

Takeshi Matsui