IP Library Granted Patent US 11,592,089
Granted Patent B2
US 11,592,089 · App. 17/481,444 · Granted Feb 28, 2023

Ball screw and spindle nut therefor

Inventors: Andras Nagypal (Buchs, CH); Stefan Frei (Chur, CH); David Fischlin (Hinterforst, CH); Marijo Zach (Widnau, CH)
Assignee: SFS Group International AG
F16H25/2223
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,592,089
App. No.
17/481,444
Granted
Feb 28, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A spindle nut (S) for a ball screw is conventionally designed as a hollow cylinder with a central-symmetrical middle longitudinal axis (Z). The spindle nut has an internal thread, which is designed as a ball groove (K) arranged on the cylinder inner surface. Pairs of load-relief bores (B) serve as substantially cylindrical channels for guiding the balls out of and into the ball channel (K) through the wall of the spindle nut. Each load-relief bore (B) is distinguished by a generatrix (L), which has an intersection point (C) with the thread base line of the ball channel (K) and constitutes the geometric continuation of the traveling path of a ball from the ball channel (K) into the load-relief bore (B). A tangent (T) to the cylinder surface (G) runs in a parallel manner at a spacing a >0 to the generatrix (L), both T and L being perpendicular to a common normal (R) to the middle longitudinal axis (Z).

Claims (13)

1. A spindle nut (S) for a ball screw, comprising:

a substantially hollow-cylindrical workpiece of metal having an outer lateral surface MA and a central-symmetrical middle longitudinal axis (Z);

a ball groove (K) arranged in a manner of a thread on a cylinder inner surface that is configured to receive balls of diameter d, the inner cylinder surface (G) being defined by a helical thread base line of the ball groove (K);

ball deflections defined as straight, substantially cylindrical load-relief bores (B), that are arranged as a pair installed as channels for guiding the balls out of and into the ball channel (K) through a wall of the spindle nut, each said load-relief bore (B) being distinguished by a generatrix (L), which has an intersection point (C) with the thread base line of the ball channel (K) and constitutes a continuation of a traveling path of a ball from the ball channel (K) into the load-relief bore (B);

a tangent (T) to the cylinder surface (G) runs parallel at a spacing a >0 to the generatrix (L), with both the tangent (T) and the generatrix (L) being perpendicular to a common normal (R) to the middle longitudinal axis (Z); and

a depression in the traveling path of the ball in the ball groove (K) over a traveling distance (l) before the intersection point (C) of the ball channel (K) with the generatrix (L), such that when the ball passes through the traveling distance (l), a radial spacing of the ball from the middle axis (Z) increases by a radial spacing (t), and ⅖ d<1<⅔ d.

2. The spindle nut (S) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein both the tangent (T) and the generatrix (L) are perpendicular to a plane (E) which is defined by the normal (R) and the middle longitudinal axis (Z) of the spindle nut.

3. The spindle nut (S) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein for the spacing (a), ⅕ d<a<⅓ d.

4. The spindle nut (S) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the spacing (a) is 25%+/−3% of the ball diameter (d).

5. The spindle nut (S) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the radial spacing (t) between the ball and the middle axis increases by 1/33 to 1/25 of the ball diameter (d).

6. The spindle nut (S) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein middle axes of two load-relief bores (B) which together comprise a guiding-in and guiding-out channel, form constituent parts of a ball return, and are aligned parallel to one another.

7. A ball screw, comprising the threaded spindle and a spindle nut according to claim 1 , which coaxially at least partially encloses the threaded spindle, and a multiplicity of balls, which circulate in an intermediate space between the threaded spindle and the spindle nut on the helical ball track.

8. The ball screw of claim 7 , wherein there are two pairs of the ball deflections.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 25, 2022
From: SFS INTEC HOLDING AG
To: SFS GROUP INTERNATIONAL AG
Reel/Frame 061328/0559 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 29, 2021
From: NAGYPAL, ANDRAS; FREI, STEFAN; FISCHLIN, DAVID; ZACH, MARIJO
To: SFS INTEC HOLDING AG
Reel/Frame 057958/0431 →
Priority Claims (1)
EP 20197576 · Sep 22, 2020 · regional
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220090660A1 · Mar 24, 2022