Flexible or portable closure – partition – or panel – Plural strip – slat – or panel type – Roll type
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-10
2001-08-21
Purol, David M. (Department: 3634)
Flexible or portable closure, partition, or panel
Plural strip, slat, or panel type
Roll type
C160S122000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06276427
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a slatted apron and in particular to a slatted apron used as a movable protective cover for machines.
2. Description of Related Art
In the prior art, various types of movable covers for machines are known. These covers are used to, e.g., protect the machine against the chips produced in processing and against coolant required in processing, in order to enhance the service life of the machine, prevent damage to sensitive parts of the machine, ensure reliability of the machine, prevent excessive soiling of the machine, etc.
One type of a movable protective cover for a machine is a telescopic cover. This telescopic cover may be used for various purposes in various constructional types.
For example, a telescopic cover
10
in the configuration shown in
FIG. 6
may be used as a spindle cover for a spindle
20
which is movable in the direction of arrows Y in
FIG. 6
, or may be used in the configuration shown in
FIG. 7
as a foundation plate cover movable in the direction of arrows X in FIG.
7
.
A like telescopic cover
10
does, however, present various drawbacks. For one thing, the telescopic cover
10
is generally comprised of steel so as to present a very high weight if used for large machines requiring a large-size protective cover, thus resulting in an increased expenditure of force on the moving mechanism of, for example, spindle
20
. (Telescopic covers are customarily also only used at low moving speeds owing to their weight.) This additional expenditure of force must be taken into consideration when designing the moving mechanism of spindle
20
in order to eliminate additional sources of malfunction, and results in excessive energy input of the moving mechanism of spindle
20
, resulting in increased operational costs of the machine. In order to reduce the expenditure of force, the telescopic covers
10
are generally guided or held, respectively, by sliders or rollers (not shown).
In order to prevent chips or the like from penetrating between the individual components
10
a
of the telescopic cover
10
, it is moreover necessary to provide at one end
10
b
of components
10
a
a stripper (not shown) preventing such penetration of chips or the like. It is furthermore difficult to use these telescopic covers
10
in cases where it is required to move, for example, a spindle
20
not only in one but in two directions. Finally the manufacturing expenditure is comparatively high owing to the many different components, e.g., the variously sized single components
10
a
of the telescopic cover
10
, the sliders or rollers etc., and the telescopic cover
10
is thereby altogether rendered expensive.
Another possibility of a protective cover for a machine is shown in
FIGS. 8 and 9
. This configuration is a so-called slatted apron
30
. This slatted apron
30
is comprised only of two different single components, a slat or link
30
a
, and a link connector
30
b
. This slatted apron
30
presents various advantages over the above mentioned telescopic cover
10
. For example, the slatted apron
30
, the links
30
a
of which are preferably comprised of aluminum and the link connectors
30
b
thereof preferably of polyurethane, have a lower weight in comparison with the telescopic cover
10
. Moreover in the case of the slatted apron
30
there is the possibility of simply deflecting it by means of a deflection device
40
(cf. FIG.
9
). Moreover the slatted apron
30
may just as easily be rolled up by means of a reeling device
50
. Accordingly, the slatted apron
30
quite readily offers the option of adapting it to the respective demands put to a protective cover, and it is also very easily possible in the case of the slatted apron
30
to provide a protective cover for a machine, which is suitable for two different directions of movement of, for example, a spindle of the machine. Articulated aprons
30
equally allow for very high moving velocities of up to 100 m/min as a result of their comparatively low weight
The slatted apron
30
as shown in
FIGS. 8 and 9
does, however, present the following drawbacks.
Due to an intermediary zone
60
(cf.
FIG. 8
) between respective adjacent links
30
a
, there is the possibility of chips or the like accumulating on surfaces of the link connector
30
b
connecting the links
30
a
. In particular, there accordingly exists the possibility of chips or the like entering into a connection zone
70
of a link
30
a
and a link connector
30
b
and jamming or becoming wedged therein. As a result of the chips or the like, the useful life of the slatted apron
30
is reduced because, for example, the link connector
30
b
may be damaged by the chips etc. Moreover there is a possibility—where the slatted apron
30
is designed such that the links
30
a
and the link connector
30
b
extend in the vertical direction and the direction of movement of the slatted apron
30
is in the horizontal direction—of chips entering into guide means (not shown) attached to the bottom side in the direction of movement of the slatted apron
30
and also becoming jammed or wedged there, with the result that jolting movements of the slatted apron
30
may occur, or in a worst case the movement of the slatted apron
30
will be inhibited entirely.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is the object of the present invention to solve the above mentioned problems in the prior art and to furnish a slatted apron which permanently maintains reliable movability at low resistance during operation.
According to the invention, this object is attained by means of a slatted apron in accordance with claim
1
.
Further advantageous configurations of the present invention are the subject matters of the subclaims.
According to the invention, a slatted apron is provided wherein two respective links of a plurality of links are connected in an articulated manner. In addition, links having a rectilinear relative orientation are arranged such that portions of their lateral surfaces are contiguous. Accordingly, the slatted apron in accordance with the invention presents the advantage that as a result of the mutually contiguous or immediately adjacent portions of the lateral surfaces, accumulation of chips in an intermediary zone between adjacent links may be prevented thanks to the absence of such an intermediary zone. In consequence, in the case of this link chain there is moreover no possibility of chips etc. becoming jammed or wedged in a zone between links of the slatted apron and causing damage to the slatted apron.
The configuration of the slatted apron may be realized such that the slatted apron may be deflected at a predetermined radius, resulting in very easy adaptability of the slatted apron to various applications.
The lateral surfaces may contact each other by portions adjacent to major surfaces serving as cover surface portions, so that the individual major surfaces of the links are flush in the extended position.
The Individual links of the slatted apron preferably form a smooth overall surface In the extended position. Where vertical mounting is such that the links extend in a vertical direction and the direction of movement of the slatted apron is a horizontal one, chips may thus be prevented from dropping into guide means mounted downwardly in the moving direction of the slatted apron inasmuch as gaps do not exist between the slatted apron and the guide means, whereby Jamming or wedging of chips in the guide means may be prevented.
The slatted apron may moreover include a stripping device which may be a fixed stripper or a brush for stripping matter such as, for example, chips present on the slatted apron, to thereby ensure even better reliability of the slatted apron in operation.
The slatted apron may moreover be designed such as to be reelable on a reeling device, enabling simple adaptability to various applications, wherein the reeling device may be accommodated within a cover.
The stripping device may preferably be mounted in such a way that chips are removed prior to
EITEC Fuhrungsbahnschutz-Systeme GmbH
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
Purol David M.
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