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US 5,845,996 AGranted
Linear guide unit
AssigneeDeutsche Star GmbH
InventorsRoland Greubel, Bernhard Keller
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A linear guide unit comprises a hollow elongated member of rectangular cross section, two parallel guide rails mounted on one wall of the elongated member, and at least one runner supported for movement on each of the guide rails. At least one wall of the elongated member other than the one on which the guide rails are mounted has a plurality of T-section grooves, which serve for the fastening of attachments. The runners are U-shaped, straddle the respective guide rails, and are carried on the said guide rails by closed rolling-member circuits. The elongated member may be combined with a variety of linear drive units of different types.
Claims39
A linear guide unit, comprising:
- an elongated member having a longitudinal axis and a generally rectangular external cross section, first and second longitudinal external side surfaces of said elongated member being adjacent each other and generally perpendicular to each other;
- at least one runner assembly carried by the elongated member over the first side surface for movement relative to the elongated member parallel to the longitudinal axis;
- a toothed drive means for moving the runner assembly relative to the elongated member, the toothed drive means including a longitudinal toothed rack connected to the second side surface of the elongated member and extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the elongated member, said toothed rack including a plurality of teeth having a root-to-tip orientation generally parallel to said second side surface, said toothed drive means further including a toothed wheel carried by the runner assembly and meshing with the teeth of the longitudinal toothed rack and having a wheel axis substantially perpendicular to the second side surface of the elongated member;
- a rotary drive unit for rotatably driving the toothed wheel about said wheel axis, the rotary drive unit being connected to the runner assembly for common linear movement therewith along said longitudinal axis and positioned next to and spaced apart from the second side surface of the elongated member in the direction of said wheel axis so as to define a space between said second side surface and the adjacent side of said rotary drive unit;
- the toothed wheel and the longitudinal toothed rack both being positioned in the space between the rotary drive unit and the second side surface of the elongated member, with a gap in the axial direction of said wheel axis between said second side surface and the adjacent side of said toothed wheel;
- and
- means for encapsulating the teeth of the longitudinal toothed rack and the teeth of the toothed wheel, the encapsulating means including a first lateral encapsulating wall generally parallel to the second side surface of the elongated member and located within said gap between the second side surface and the toothed wheel, said wall being part of a cover structure covering the toothed wheel and connected to the runner assembly for common linear movement therewith along said longitudinal axis.
4 more elements
A linear guide unit, comprising:
- an elongated member having a longitudinal axis and a rail system with at least two guide rails arranged outside on the elongated member with rail axes parallel to one another and to the longitudinal axis;
- at least one runner assembly carried for longitudinal displacement on the rail system;
- the elongated member being an extruded hollow section with an outer shell and an inner shell substantially surrounded by said outer shell, said outer shell having a substantially rectangular external cross-sectional configuration composed of four outer shell-external configuration walls, said inner shell having a substantially round cross-sectional configuration, said inner shell being secured to said outer shell by a plurality of bracing ribs extending between said inner shell and said outer shell, said inner shell having a geometrical center located substantially halfway between a first one and a second one of said outer shell-external configuration walls, said geometrical center of said inner shell having different distances from a third one and a fourth one of said outer shell-external configuration walls, said fourth outer shell-external configuration wall having a greater distance from said geometrical center than said third outer shell-external configuration wall;
- each of said guide rails having a fastening surface, a head face remote from the fastening surface, and two side faces adjoining the head face;
- said runner assembly comprising at least one substantially U-shaped runner on each of said guide rails, each said U-shaped runner having a transverse portion located adjacent to the head face of its associated guide rail and two arm portions interconnected by said transverse portion and located adjacent to said side faces of the associated guide rail;
- said fastening surfaces of said at least two guide rails being located adjacent to the respective lateral ends of said fourth outer shell-external configuration wall and substantially in parallel to said fourth outer shell-external configuration wall;
- and
- said fourth outer shell-external configuration wall being set back toward said geometrical center of said inner shell in a region lying between said lateral ends of said fourth outer shell-external configuration wall.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.