SLIDE-STOP DEVICE

Abstract

A slide-stop device designed and adapted for wedge engagement with opposing internal sur-faces of a linear motion slide track having an essentially C-shaped cross-sectional profile. The slide-stop device includes two lateral engagement sections extending essentially parallel to the longitudinal direction on opposite sides of the slide-stop device and having engagement surfaces facing outwardly in opposite transverse directions of the slide-stop device, two flex-ion elements being arranged on opposite sides with respect to the longitudinal direction of the slide-stop device. Each of the two flexion elements have one or more strips extending between and connecting the end regions of the lateral engagement sections, each strip being curved or bent to point outwardly with respect to the longitudinal direction of the slide-stop device. At least the strips of the flexion elements are made of elastic material.

Claims

1. A slide-stop device designed and adapted for wedge engagement with opposing internal surfaces of a linear motion slide track having an essentially C-shaped cross-sectional profile, the slide-stop device comprising two lateral engagement sections extending essentially parallel to the longitudinal direction (L) on opposite sides of the slide-stop device and having engagement surfaces facing outwardly in opposite transverse directions of the slide-stop device, two flexion elements being arranged on opposite sides with respect to the longitudinal direction of the slide-stop device, wherein each of the two flexion elements consists of one or more strips extending between and connecting the end regions of the lateral engagement sections, each strip being curved or bent to point outwardly with respect to the longitudinal direction of the slide-stop device, and wherein at least the strips of the flexion elements are made of elastic material.

2. The slide-stop device according to claim 1, wherein the curve peak or bending position of each of the curved or bent strips of the flexion elements lies on or near the longitudinal central plane of the slide-stop device.

3. The slide-stop device according to claim 1, wherein each of the two angles enclosed by the transverse direction of the slide-stop device and the straight lines through the curve peak or bending position of each strip and through the points where the strip is connected to the end regions of the lateral engagement sections is within the range from 5 to 40 degrees.

4. The slide-stop device according to claim 1, wherein each flexion element consists of two, three or four curved or bent strips extending between and connecting the end regions of the lateral engagement sections.

5. The slide-stop device according to claim 1, further comprising at least two handles with at least one handle being arranged on each of the two lateral engagement sections on the opposite side of the outwardly facing engagement surface of the respective lateral engagement section and with the at least two handles being arranged facing each other and at a distance to allow for approaching the handles in the transverse direction of the slide-stop device.

6. The slide-stop device according to claim 5, wherein the at least two handles are shaped for manual or finger engagement by an operator.

7. The slide-stop device according to claim 1, wherein the strips of the flexion elements are provided with holes, bores and/or cut-outs.

8. The slide-stop device according to claim 1, wherein the engagement surfaces of the lateral engagement sections have a friction increasing profile.

9. The slide-stop device according to claim 1, wherein the entire slide-stop device is made in one piece of elastic material.

10. The slide-stop device according to claim 1, wherein the slide-stop device is manufactured by extrusion moulding, injection moulding or additive manufacturing methods.

11. The slide-stop device according to claim 3, wherein each of the two angles enclosed by the transverse direction of the slide-stop device and the straight lines through the curve peak or bending position of each strip and through the points where the strip is connected to the end regions of the lateral engagement sections is within the range from 10 to 30 degrees.

12. The slide-stop device according to claim 3, wherein each of the two angles enclosed by the transverse direction of the slide-stop device and the straight lines through the curve peak or bending position of each strip and through the points where the strip is connected to the end regions of the lateral engagement sections is within the range from 15 to 20 degrees.

13. The slide-stop device according to claim 6, wherein the at least two handles are loop-shaped, D-shaped or blind hole shaped.

14. The slide-stop device according to claim 1, wherein the engagement surfaces of the lateral engagement sections have protrusions, naps, pinches, teeth, spikes, edges, or combinations thereof.

15. The slide-stop device according to claim 9, wherein the elastic material is silicone or polyamide.

Description

FIGURES

[0031] Further advantages, features and possible applications of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of an embodiment according to the invention and the associated figures.

[0032] FIG. 1 shows a top view of an embodiment of the slide-stop device of the present invention.

[0033] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the slide-stop device of FIG. 1.

[0034] FIG. 3 shows a top view of the slide-stop device of FIG. 1 wedge engaged with a linear motion slide track having an essentially C-shaped cross-sectional profile.

[0035] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of the arrangement of FIG. 3 with the slide-stop device of FIG. 1 wedge engaged with a linear motion slide track having an essentially C-shaped cross-sectional profile.

[0036] FIGS. 1 and 2 show views a preferred embodiment of the slide-stop device 1 of the present invention made in one piece of silicone rubber in a selective laser sintering process. FIGS. 3 and 4 show views of a linear motion slide track 10 having an essentially C-shaped cross-sectional profile with a carriage 9 inserted and with the slide-stop device 1 of FIGS. 1 and 2 wedge engaged with the track 10.

[0037] The embodiment of the slide-stop device 1 shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 is essentially mirror symmetric with respect to its longitudinal central plane. The two lateral engagement sections 2 of the slide-stop device 1 extend parallel to the longitudinal direction L on opposite sides of the slide-stop device 1 and have engagement surfaces 3 facing outwardly in opposite transverse directions T of the slide-stop device 1. The engagement surfaces 3 of the lateral engagement sections 2 have a surface profile of teeth-like protrusions providing numerous edges to increase the friction when the engagement surfaces 3 are in wedge engagement or contact with the opposing internal surfaces of the track 10.

[0038] Each of the two flexion elements 4 arranged on opposite sides with respect to the longitudinal direction L of the slide-stop device 1 consist of three strip 5, 5, 5 extending between and connecting the end regions of the lateral engagement sections 2. Each strip 5, 5, 5 is bent with the bending position 6, 6, 6 of each of the strips 5, 5, 5 lying on the longitudinal central plane of the slide-stop device 1, such that each strip 5, 5, 5 points outwardly with respect to the longitudinal direction L of the slide-stop device 1.

[0039] In this embodiment of the slide-stop device 1 the two angles enclosed by the transverse direction T of the slide-stop device 1 and the straight lines through the bending positions (6, 6, 6) of each strip (5, 5, 5) and through the points where the strips are connected to the end regions of the lateral engagement sections 2 are about 17.5 degrees.

[0040] The slide-stop device further comprises two D-shaped handles 7 one handle being arranged on each of the two lateral engagement sections 2 on the opposite side of the outwardly facing engagement surface 3 of the respective lateral engagement section 2. The D-shaped handles 7 are designed and provided for finger engagement by an operator to allow for manual compression or squeezing of the slide-stop device during installation to and/or removal from a track without the need of any tools.

[0041] For the purposes of the original disclosure, it is pointed out that all features, as they appear to a person skilled in the art from the present description, the drawings and the claims, even if they have been described specifically only in connection with certain specific further features, can be combined both individually and in any combination with other features or groups of features disclosed here, unless this has been expressly excluded or technical circumstances make such combinations impossible or pointless. A comprehensive, explicit description of all conceivable combinations of features is omitted here only for the sake of brevity and readability of the description.

[0042] While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and the foregoing description, this description of the invention is given by way of example only and is not intended to limit the scope of protection as defined by the claims. The invention is not limited to the embodiments shown.

[0043] Variations of the disclosed embodiments will be obvious to those skilled in the art from the drawings, the description and the appended claims. In the claims, the word comprising does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article a does not exclude a plurality. The mere fact that certain features are claimed in different claims does not exclude their combination. Reference signs in the claims are not intended to limit the scope of protection.

REFERENCE LIST

[0044] 1 slide-stop device [0045] 2 lateral engagement sections [0046] 3 lateral engagement surfaces [0047] 4 flexion elements [0048] 5, 5, 5 strips of flexion elements [0049] 6, 6, 6 curve peaks bending positions of strips [0050] 7 finger handles [0051] 8 cut-out in strip [0052] 9 carriage [0053] 10 track [0054] T transverse direction [0055] L longitudinal direction