Flexible rail section
AssigneeSeagate Technology LLC
InventorMichael W Pfeiffer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A flexible rail section on which a carriage can be transported may include a longitudinal slot that is essentially parallel to a direction of carriage travel, wherein the flexible rail section can connect two misaligned rails. The flexible rail section may include transverse slots intersecting the flexible rail section in one or more directions. A flexible rail section on which a carriage can be transported may be made from an elastomer, wherein the flexible rail section can connect two misaligned rails.
Claims23
A rail section on which a carriage is guided comprising:
- A body,
- Wherein the rail section forms multiple transverse slots distributed along the body,
- Wherein the multiple transverse slots are essentially orthogonal to the direction of carriage travel,
- Wherein the multiple transverse slots includes a first set of slots that cut only partially into the body in a first direction and a second set of slots that cut only partially into the body in a second direction, wherein the first direction is not parallel to the second direction,
- Wherein the first set of slots and the second set of slots provide flexibility for the rail section.
A rail section on which a carriage is guided, the rail section comprising:
- A longitudinal slot that is essentially parallel to a direction of carriage travel;
- And
- Multiple transverse slots distributed along the rail section,
- Wherein the multiple transverse slots are distributed in a periodic pattern comprising two lateral slots directly across the rail section from each other followed by two vertical slots directly across the rail section from each other,
- Wherein the rail section can connect two misaligned rails.
A rail section comprising a body, the body consisting of a single part,
- Wherein the body provides a path on which a carriage is guided,
- Wherein the body forms a set of transverse slots,
- Wherein transverse slots in the set of slots are substantially non-parallel to a direction of travel of the carriage,
- Wherein the set of transverse slots includes a first set of slots that extend only partially into the body in a first direction and a second set of slots that extend only partially into the body in a second direction, wherein the first direction is not parallel to the second direction,
- Wherein the first set of slots and the second set of slots provide flexibility for the rail section.
A system comprising:
- A first fixed rail, wherein a carriage is guided along a first longitudinal direction of the first fixed rail
- A second fixed rail, wherein the carriage is guided along a second longitudinal direction of the second fixed rail, wherein the first fixed rail is misaligned with the second fixed rail;
- and
- A flexible rail comprising a body consisting of a single part,
- Wherein the body forms a set of transverse slots,
- Wherein transverse slots in the set of transverse slots are substantially non-parallel to a direction of travel of the carriage,
- Wherein the set of transverse slots includes a first set of slots that extend only partially into the body in a first direction and a second set of slots that extend only partially into the body in a second direction, wherein the first direction is not parallel to the second direction.
- Wherein the first set of slots and the second set of slots provide flexibility for the rail section,
- Wherein the flexible rail includes a first end connected to the first fixed rail and a second end connected to the second fixed rail,
- Wherein the carriage is guided between the first fixed rail and the second fixed rail along a longitudinal path of the flexible rail section provided by the body.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.