Linear drive system

A linear drive system, comprising:

• a frame for structural support;
• a synchronous belt having belt teeth on at least one side, the belt teeth forming belt grooves, the belt further comprising an elongated V-shaped tongue centered on the belt parallel to its longitudinal axis;
• a drive carriage comprising a drive motor having a drive shaft for generating a rotary force, a drive sprocket to be driven by the drive shaft for engaging with the synchronous belt to translate the rotary force of the drive motor to a linear force on the belt, at least one tensioning roller for tensioning the synchronous belt, the tensioning roller attached to at least one support plate, one or more fixed idler rollers parallel to the tensioning roller, the synchronous belt in contact with the tensioning roller and the idler rollers, and the drive carriage further comprising an entrance point and an exit point;
• a linear rail connected to the support plate by bearing blocks;
• a rigid gear rack aligned with the synchronous belt, the rack comprising a square tube having four sides, one side of the rack having gear teeth and rack grooves machined to mate with the belt grooves and belt teeth, the linear rail mounted within the rack and bolted to the frame, the toothed side of the rack further defining a slot parallel to the longitudinal axis of the rack so that the tongue of the belt is press-fit into the slot of the rack when the belt is mated with the rack;
• at least two pressure pads mounted above the synchronous belt wherein one pressure pad is positioned proximate the entrance point of the drive carriage and a second pressure pad is positioned proximate the exit point of the drive carriage so that the pressure pads forcibly mate the belt teeth into the rack grooves as the belt enters or exits the drive carriage thereby transferring the linear force to the rack and evenly distributing the linear force onto all the belt teeth under the pressure pads.

A linear drive system for converting rotary motion to linear motion in gantry robots comprising:

• a frame for structural support;
• a linear synchronous belt having belt teeth on at least one side, the belt teeth forming belt grooves, the synchronous belt further comprising an elongated v-shaped tongue centered on the belt parallel to its longitudinal axis;
• a drive carriage having a drive motor mounted on the frame for generating a rotary force, the synchronous belt engaging with the drive motor to translate the rotary force to a linear force on the belt, at least one tensioning roller for tensioning the synchronous belt, one or more fixed idler rollers parallel to the tensioning roller, the synchronous belt in contact with the tensioning roller and the idler rollers, and the drive carriage further comprising an entrance point and an exit point;
• a rigid gear rack in linear alignment with the synchronous belt, the rack comprising a square tube having four sides, one side of the rack having gear teeth and rack grooves machined to mate with the belt grooves and belt teeth;
• the linear rail mounted within the rack and bolted to the frame, the toothed side of the rack defining a slot parallel to the longitudinal axis of the rack so that the tongue of the belt is press-fit into the slot of the rack when the belt is mated with the rack;
• at least two pressure pads mounted above the synchronous belt on either side of the drive carriage wherein the pressure pads forcibly mate the belt teeth into the rack grooves as the belt enters or exits the drive carriage evenly distributing the linear force onto all the belt teeth under the pressure pads, the pressure pads further comprising air fittings, and
• an air knife system attached to the air fittings for propelling compressed air between pressure pads and the synchronous belt.