Sliding unit with sealing means
AssigneeNippon Thompson Co., Ltd.
InventorMasataka Katoh
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A sliding unit having sealing means for closing gaps between a track rail and a dustproof cover. The sealing means is comprised of expansible sealing members that permit flanges for mounting an object on a sliding element to move through the sealing means. The flanges extend laterally through the gaps between the dustproof cover and side walls of the track rail. The expansible sealing members are arranged at the widthwise-opposing sides of the track rail so as to close the gaps around the flanges, resulting in keeping the sliding unit from the contamination of foreign bodies such as dust and dirt. The expansible sealing members face to the lateral extensions of the flanges in a sliding contact manner so as to help ensure the unobstructed movement of the flanges.
Claims9
A sliding unit with sealing means, comprising a track rail having a pair of lengthwise side walls opposing to each other widthwise of the tack rail, a sliding element moveable on the track rail, a dustproof cover arranged extending lengthwise of the track rail over both the track rail and sliding element, flanges for supporting thereon an object to be loaded on the sliding element, the flanges being formed integrally with the sliding element so as to extend through gaps between the confronting surfaces of the dustproof cover and the side walls of the track rail, and elastically expansible sealing members arranged to close the gaps, the sealing members being each secured at one lengthwise edge thereof to any one of the dustproof cover and the associated side wall of the track rail and kept at the other edge thereof in sliding contact with the flanges constantly whenever the sliding element moves on the track rail whereby the sailing members are subject to the elastic expansile and collapsed deformation as the flanges pass through the gaps on the movement of the sliding element along the track rail,
- wherein the expansible sealing members are each comprised of at least one pair of confronting folding bellows having folds extending in parallel with the moving direction of the sliding element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.