The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 21, 1998
Filed:
Feb. 04, 1997
Hiromitsu Kondo, Kuwana, JP;
Tokumasa Nakamura, Kwana, JP;
Hiroshi Yamada, Kuwana, JP;
Masahiro Nobutomo, Fukuroi, JP;
Michiyoshi Ishimaru, Kuwana, JP;
NTN Corporation, Osaka, JP;
Abstract
A ball screw for a vacuum apparatus which includes a screw shaft having a spiral inner raceway formed on an outer peripheral surface thereof, a ball nut having a spiral outer raceway formed on an inner peripheral surface thereof, a plurality of balls disposed in a spiral space defined between the inner raceway and the outer raceway, and circulating members connecting ends of the spiral space to each other to define a continuous ball circulating passage. The plurality of balls are first balls formed of high polymer material containing polytetrafluoroethylene as a main component and second balls formed of either a metallic material or a ceramic material. The first balls circulate through the circulating passage together with the second balls. The second balls have lubricating films of crystalline polytetrafluoroethylene formed on the surface thereof.