# US 2021/0276600 A1 · Guide module and driving device having the same

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- Number: US 2021/0276600 A1
- Document ID: US20210276600A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/324,683
- Filed: 2018-01-23
- Published: 2021-09-09
- Earliest claimed: 2017-03-14
- Assignees: Sejin-Igb Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Sejin-Igb Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Sun Ho LIM
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210276600A1

## CPC

- B61B 13/02: Rack railways
- B60L 13/00: Electric propulsion for monorail vehicles, suspension vehicles or rack railways; Magnetic suspension or levitation for vehicles ({tracks for Maglev-type trains E01B25/30;} electromagnets per se H01F7/06; linear motors per se H02K41/00)
- B61B 13/127: {the propulsion device consisting of stationary driving wheels}
- B61C 11/04: tractive effort applied to racks
- B65G 49/06: for fragile sheets, e.g. glass
- G02F 1/13: based on liquid crystals, e.g. single liquid crystal display cells
- H10P 72/30: for conveying, e.g. between different workstations
- H10P 72/3202: {Mechanical details, e.g. rollers or belts}
- B61B: RAILWAY SYSTEMS; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (lifts or hoists, elevators, escalators, moving walkways B66B)
- B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
- B61C: LOCOMOTIVES; MOTOR RAILCARS (vehicles in general B60; frames or bogies B61F; special railroad equipment for locomotives B61J, B61K)
- B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D)
- G02F: OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

Disclosed is a guide module and a driving device having the guide module. The driving device includes a moving unit mounted on a pinion interacting with a rack and moving with the pinion along a trajectory of the rack, and a guide module arranged at at least any one side of the rack, connected to the moving unit, and guiding a movement of the moving unit that moves with the pinion along the trajectory of the rack.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A driving device comprising:
a moving unit mounted on a pinion interacting with a rack and moving with the pinion along a trajectory of the rack; and
a guide module arranged at at least any one side of the rack, connected to the moving unit, and guiding a movement of the moving unit that moves with the pinion along the trajectory of the rack.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The driving device of claim 1, wherein the guide module comprises:
a module rail forming the same trajectory as the rack at one side of the rack; and
a running portion comprising a plurality of running wheels guided to run on a side wall of the module rail, and a running wheel connection block arranged across the module rail and connected to the plurality of running wheels.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The driving device of claim 2, wherein the guide module further comprises a front steering portion connected to the running portion in front of the running portion, and
the front steering portion comprises:
a plurality of front steering wheels steered and guided to run on the side wall of the module rail when passing a curved section of the module rail; and
a front steering wheel connection block arranged across the module rail and connected to the plurality of front steering wheels.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The driving device of claim 3, wherein the guide module further comprises a rear steering portion symmetrically arranged to the front steering portion and connected to the running portion at the back of the running portion, and
the rear steering portion comprises:
a plurality of rear steering wheels steered and guided to run on the side wall of the module rail when passing the curved section of the module rail; and
a rear steering wheel connection block arranged across the module rail and connected to the plurality of rear steering wheels.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The driving device of claim 4, wherein the guide module further comprises:
a front relative rotation connection portion connecting the running portion with the front steering portion to rotate relative to each other; and
a rear relative rotation connection portion connecting the running portion with the rear steering portion to rotate relative to each other.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The driving device of claim 5, wherein the front relative rotation connection portion comprises:
a front link member having one end portion arranged on the module rail between the plurality of front steering wheels and the other end portion placed in a first side recess portion of the running wheel connection block;
a first steering bearing integrally coupled to the front steering wheel connection block and the front link member in an area of one end portion of the front link member; and
a second steering bearing coupled to the other end portion of the front link member.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The driving device of claim 6, wherein the rear relative rotation connection portion comprises:
a rear link member having one end portion arranged on the module rail between the plurality of rear steering wheels and the other end portion placed in a second side recess portion of the running wheel connection block;
a third steering bearing integrally coupled to the rear steering wheel connection block and the rear link member in an area of one end portion of the rear link member; and
a fourth steering bearing coupled to the other end portion of the rear link member.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The driving device of claim 7, wherein the guide module further comprises a supporting block supporting the moving unit, the supporting block being coupled to the moving unit and the running wheel connection block between the moving unit and the running wheel connection block.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The driving device of claim 8, wherein a plurality of bearing holes where the second steering bearing and the fourth steering bearing are respectively seated are formed in the supporting block.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The driving device of claim 8, wherein the guide module further comprises a plurality of dowel pins, each having one end portion coupled to the supporting block across a lengthwise direction of the module rail and the other end portion connected to the moving unit by passing through the supporting block.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The driving device of claim 10, wherein the pinion is arranged on a virtual connection line connecting the plurality of dowel pins.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The driving device of claim 1, wherein the rack comprises:
a linear type rack allowing the pinion to perform a linear motion;
a curved type rack allowing the pinion to perform a curved motion by interaction with the pinion; and
a linear/curve converting rack connected to the linear type rack and the curved type rack between the linear type rack and the curved type rack, and converting the linear motion and the curved motion of the pinion.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The driving device of claim 12, wherein the linear/curve converting rack comprises:
a linear portion having a linear type tooth connected to the linear type rack; and
a linear/curved converting portion having a linear/curve converting tooth, wherein one side of the linear/curve converting tooth is connected to the linear portion and the other side of the linear/curve converting tooth is connected to the curved type rack.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The driving device of claim 13, wherein the linear portion and the linear/curved converting portion are integrally formed,
the linear type tooth comprises a plurality of linear type teeth on the linear portion, and
the linear/curve converting tooth comprises one or two linear/curve converting teeth on the linear/curved converting portion.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The driving device of claim 13, wherein tooth profiles of both sides surfaces of the linear/curve converting tooth are asymmetrical with respect to a center line,
a curvature of a first tooth profile of one side surface of the linear/curve converting tooth matches tooth profile curvatures of teeth formed on the curved type rack, and
a curvature of a second tooth profile of the other side surface of the linear/curve converting tooth matches tooth profile curvatures of teeth formed on the linear type rack.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The driving device of claim 1, wherein the pinion has an arrangement structure of a circular shape and comprises a plurality of power transfer pins rotating mutually corresponding to a tooth profile of the rack, and
a pinion driving portion that drives the pinion for rotation of the pinion is connected to the pinion.

### Claim 17

A guide module which is arranged at at least any one side of a rack that interacts with a pinion, connected to a moving unit that moves with the pinion along a trajectory of the rack, and guides a movement of the moving unit, the guide module comprising:
a module rail forming the same trajectory as the rack on one side of the rack; and
a running portion comprising a plurality of running wheels guided to run on a side wall of the module rail, and a running wheel connection block arranged across the module rail and connected to the plurality of running wheels.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The guide module of claim 17, further comprising a front steering portion connected to the running portion in front of the running portion,
wherein the front steering portion comprises:
a plurality of front steering wheels steered and guided to run on the side wall of the module rail when passing a curved section of the module rail; and
a front steering wheel connection block arranged across the module rail and connected to the plurality of front steering wheels.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The guide module of claim 18, further comprising a rear steering portion arranged symmetrically to the front steering portion and connected to the running portion at the back of the running portion,
wherein the rear steering portion comprises:
a plurality of rear steering wheels steered and guided to run on the side wall of the module rail when passing a curved section of the module rail; and
a rear steering wheel connection block arranged across the module rail and connected to the plurality of rear steering wheels.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The guide module of claim 19, further comprising:
a front relative rotation connection portion connecting the running portion with the front steering portion to rotate relative to each other; and
a rear relative rotation connection portion connecting the running portion with the rear steering portion to rotate relative to each other.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The guide module of claim 20, wherein the front relative rotation connection portion comprises:
a front link member having one end portion arranged on the module rail between the plurality of front steering wheels and the other end portion placed in a first side recess portion of the running wheel connection block;
a first steering bearing integrally coupled to the front steering wheel connection block and the front link member in an area of one end portion of the front link member; and
a second steering bearing coupled to the other end portion of the front link member.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The guide module of claim 21, wherein the rear relative rotation connection portion comprises:
a rear link member having one end portion arranged on the module rail between the plurality of rear steering wheels and the other end portion placed in a second side recess portion of the running wheel connection block;
a third steering bearing integrally coupled to the rear steering wheel connection block and the rear link member in an area of one end portion of the rear link member; and
a fourth steering bearing coupled to the other end portion of the rear link member.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The guide module of claim 22, further comprising a supporting block supporting the moving unit, the supporting block being coupled to the moving unit and the running wheel connection block between the moving unit and the running wheel connection block,
wherein a plurality of bearing holes where the second steering bearing and the fourth steering bearing are respectively seated are formed in the supporting block.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The guide module of claim 23, further comprising a plurality of dowel pins, each having one end portion coupled to the supporting block across a lengthwise direction of the module rail and the other end portion connected to the moving unit by passing through the supporting block.

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

The guide module of claim 24, wherein the pinion is arranged on a virtual connection line connecting the plurality of dowel pins.