Bearings – Linear bearing – Combined with seal or guard
Reexamination Certificate
2001-10-04
2003-02-04
Hannon, Thomas R. (Department: 3682)
Bearings
Linear bearing
Combined with seal or guard
C384S045000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06513976
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
The invention relates to a linear guide arrangement with an elongated guide rail and a guide carriage that can travel thereon in lengthwise direction of the guide rail, in which a surface of the guide rail facing the guide carriage is covered by means of a cover band and in which, furthermore, a band securing element is placed in the vicinity of each of the two longitudinal ends of the guide rail.
The guide rails of such types of linear guide arrangements are normally fastened by means of screws to a main modular unit, for example, a linear guide casing or a mounting table. The fastening screws—as seen from the surface facing the guide carriage—are inserted in bore holes of the guide rail. In order to rule out the obstruction in the movement of the guide carriage as a result of these bore holes, as well as to avoid contaminating the interior space of the carriage due to dirt accumulation on the guide rail, and particularly in the fastening bore holes, the holes are covered with a cover band. In order to protect the operating personnel from injury, on the one hand, and to ensure a secure hold of the cover band on the guide rail, on the other hand, in particular to prevent an axial shifting of the cover band, i.e., a shifting in the lengthwise direction of the guide rails, band securing elements, for example in the form of covering caps, are provided on both ends of the guide rail. The caps cover the band ends and are screwed down frontally with the guide rail. Reference is made in this regard to the brochure “STAR Ball Rail Systems” of the assignee of the present application, with Identification Number “RD 82 201/07.99.” The band securing elements known from DE 38 12 505 A1 are also screwed down with the guide rail.
The above-discussed screw connection of the band securing element with the guide rail raises difficulties, particularly in the so-called “miniature guide rails,” whose cross-sectional area can have values of less than 10 mm×10 mm. These guide rails are normally made of a completely hardened material so that the necessary, front-end thread bore hole must be placed in the hard material. This means costly production.
But even for guide rails with larger cross-sectional area, for which only the areas of the tracks for the rolling elements of the rolling element circuits of the guide carriage are normally hardened, putting in the thread bore hole necessary for the screwed connection between the band securing elements and the guide rail is an additional processing step to be executed on the guide rail, which is quite awkward to handle because of its length.
Reference is also made to U.S. Pat. No 5,297,873, JP-A-62-255612 and JP-A-2-300517 for the state of the art. These three publications all deal with guide rails without cover band and, in particular, with stoppers, which are used to limit the track of the guide carriage on the guide rail.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In comparison with the prior art, it is the object of the invention to specify for a linear guide arrangement of the type mentioned at the start band securing elements for the cover band of the guide rail, which ensure a secure fastening of the band end to the guide rail without requiring costly processing operations on the rail. This object, previously unknown from prior art, is solved according to a first aspect of the invention through a linear guide arrangement with an elongated guide rail and a guide carriage that can travel thereon in lengthwise direction of the guide rail—wherein a surface of the guide rail facing the guide carriage is covered by means of a cover band, a band securing element is placed in the vicinity of each longitudinal end of the guide rail, which two band securing elements jointly secure the cover band to the guide rail at least with respect to its displacement in the lengthwise direction of the guide rail, and each of the band securing elements at least impedes a movement of the cover band relative to the guide rail, with such movement to be directed to the other band securing element.
While in the linear guide arrangements of the prior art, the band securing elements screwed on with the guide rail served as stoppers for the cover band, wherein each of these band securing elements prevented axial movement of the cover band beyond the longitudinal end of the guide rail, to which the respective band securing element is also fastened, an entirely different solution is now provided according to the invention. According to the invention, each of the band securing elements prevents axial movement of the cover band beyond the longitudinal end of the guide rail on which the other band securing element is arranged.
This is made possible by a positive-fitting interactive connection between the band securing element and the cover band as well as a non-positive engagement between the band securing element and the guide rail or a positive-fitting engagement of a stopping face of the band securing element with a counter stopping face of the guide rail. As a result, a screw connection between the band securing element and the guide rail can be dispensed with.
The positive-fitting interactive connection between the band securing element and the cover band may be prepared, for example, by providing at least one projection on one of the parts, i.e., the band securing element or the cover band, which engages in a corresponding recess provided on the other part, i.e., the cover band, or the band securing element.
In order to modify the previous production of the cover band as little as possible, it is suggested that the cover band, preferably roughly in its transverse center, exhibit at least a recess into which a projection of the band securing element can engage in a direction essentially orthogonal to the band plane. In such case, the cover band already conventionally used need only be subjected to a further processing step, for example, drilling, punching, or the like, in order to form the recess in it.
The projection mentioned may be integrally formed in one piece on the band securing element. It is nevertheless likewise basically possible for the projection to be made separately from a base part of the band securing element, for example, as an engaging or connecting pin.
Alternatively to the preferably centrally-located recess, the cover band may nevertheless also have at least a recess at the side, into which a projection of the band securing element engages essentially crosswise to the cover band. In both embodiments, the projection can be connected with the band securing element through a flexible web, so that it can engage in a snapping manner in the recess of the cover band to produce the interactive contact between the band securing element and the cover band. In this case, the snap connection may advantageously be designed as a detachable snap connector.
To provide the previously mentioned non-positive engagement of the band securing element and the guide rail, at least a clamping projection may be provided on the band securing element. This clamping projection may engage at the side of the guide rail, for example, preferably engaging in longitudinal grooves provided in the side faces of the guide rail in which the tracks for the rolling elements of the rolling element circuits of the guide carriage are formed. At least two such clamping projections are preferably formed on the band securing element, with the clamping projections being arranged on both sides of the guide rail. This can increase the clamping effect on the guide rail held between these clamping projections and, consequently, the hold of the band securing element on the guide rail.
To provide the previously mentioned positive-fitting engagement of the band securing element and the guide rail, which is active at least with respect to a movement of the band securing element under consideration, to be directed to the other band securing element, the band securing element under consideration may have a flange extending essentially orthogonal to the lengthwise direction of the guide rail, with the fl
Blaurock Günter
Dütsch German
Haub Alfred
Kirchner Herbert
Maiss Harald
Hannon Thomas R.
Rexroth Star GmbH
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