Patent · US Expired

Ball chain

US6116783A · kind A · utility

14Cited by
1References
3Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 2, 1998
Grant dateSep 12, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 2, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
  • CPC primaryF16C2300/02
  • WIPO fieldMechanical elements
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

The present invention relates to a ball chain used by being integrated to, for example, a ball endless track of a linear guide device for endless sliding in which a number of balls are arranged in one row and rollably held, particularly to a ball chain which is most pertinent to a linear guide device having a ball rolling groove in a shape of a Gothic arch. According to the ball chain, the number of balls are arranged in one row and the balls are held rollably, each of the balls is pinched by a pair of spherical seats and the spherical seats are connected to each other by flange portions to thereby constitute a ball holding unit and a plurality of the ball holding units are connected in a shape of a rosary by a flexible connecting portion. Further, the spherical seats and the flange portions are molded by a resin material whereas the connecting portion is formed by a material having a tensile strength larger than that of the resin material.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.