LINEAR GUIDE WITH SELF-ADJUSTING PLAY REDUCTION

Abstract

The invention concerns a linear guide which is of a simple structure and which can be easily fitted, having self-adjusting play reduction. It includes a slider with slide surfaces and a rail with guide surfaces, wherein the slider is guided with its slide surfaces adapted to the guide slide surfaces in slidingly displaceable reciprocating relationship in a displacement direction (v) at the guide surfaces of the rail. The self-adjusting play reduction of the linear guide has at least one adjusting element which according to the invention has a slide surface forming a portion of one of the slide surfaces of the slider.

Claims

1-17. (canceled)

18. A linear guide having a slider with slide surfaces, a rail with guide surfaces, wherein the slider is guided with its slide surfaces adapted to the guide surfaces in slidingly displaceable reciprocating relationship in a displacement direction (v) at the guide surfaces of the slide rail, and a self-adjusting play reduction of the linear guide with at least one adjusting element, wherein the adjusting element is mounted in the slider in an adjustment direction (e) perpendicular to the displacement direction (v) of the slider and the slider has a receiving seat in which the adjusting element is guided in a slidingly displaceable manner in the adjustment direction (e), wherein the receiving seat opens into an associated one of the adapted slide surfaces and in that the adjusting element has a further slide surface capable of forming a portion of said associated one of the adapted slide surfaces of the slider, wherein in order to reduce play said further slide surface projects by a corresponding amount (b) beyond said associated one of the adapted slide surfaces.

19. The linear guide according to claim 18, wherein for play reduction, the adjusting element is acted upon in the adjustment direction (e) with a constant or almost constant force.

20. The linear guide according to claim 19, wherein the force is a spring force.

21. The linear guide according to claim 18, wherein the adjusting element is arranged integrated in the slider, wherein in a working position it projects beyond the outside contour of the slider at least or precisely by the amount (b) of the play reduction.

22. The linear guide according to claim 18, wherein the self-adjusting play reduction is effected steplessly.

23. The linear guide according to claim 18, wherein the guide surfaces and the slide surfaces are prismatic surfaces.

24. The linear guide according to claim 18, wherein the slider has a slide surface pair having two slide surfaces, of which one is the slide surface associated with the adjusting element, wherein the two slide surfaces of the slide surface pair are arranged convergingly in a wedge-shape and with respect to the displacement direction (v) transversely outwardly in a wedge angle in the displacement direction (e) of the slider in the rail.

25. The linear guide according to claim 24, wherein the receiving seat has a side surface disposed in a plane that is transvers and axial with respect to the displacement direction (v) for slidingly displaceable contact of the adjusting element, wherein said plane is the angle bisector of the wedge angle (?).

26. The linear guide according to according to claim 25, wherein the adjusting element is arranged guided with a limited adjustment travel (w) in the receiving seat, wherein the adjustment travel (w) is limited by way of at least one abutment.

27. The linear guide according to claim 24, wherein the wedge angle (?) is larger than the self-locking wedge angle, at which a self-locking action occurs as a consequence of increased frictional forces upon displacement of the slider.

28. The linear guide according to claim 24, wherein the slider has two slide surface pairs, wherein one of the slide surface pairs has the slide surface associated with the adjusting element and the two slide surface pairs are arranged in a mirror-image symmetrical relationship with each other with respect to a mirror-image plane of symmetry (S) perpendicular to the adjustment direction (e).

29. The linear guide according to claim 18, wherein the slider and the at least one adjusting element are made from the same plastic and cooperate lubricant-free with the rail, wherein the rail is preferably made from metal.

30. The linear guide according to claim 18, wherein there is provided a single adjusting element and said adjusting element is arranged on the slider centrally with respect to the displacement direction (v).

31. The linear guide according to claim 18, wherein there are provided two adjusting elements and they are arranged in an axial end region of the slider and are associated with a common guide surface of the rail.

32. A slider for a linear guide according to claim 18, having a rail with guide surfaces, wherein for its slidingly displaceable guidance in reciprocating relationship in a displacement direction (v), the slider has slide surfaces adapted to the guide surfaces of the rail and has at least one adjusting element for self-adjusting play reduction of the linear guide, wherein the adjusting element is mounted in the slider in an adjustment direction (e) perpendicular to the displacement direction (v) of the slider, and wherein the adjusting element is guided in the slider, wherein the slider has a receiving seat in which the adjusting element is guided in a slidingly displaceable manner in the adjustment direction (e) and which opens into an associated one of the adapted slide surfaces and that the adjusting element has a further slide surface capable of forming a portion of said associated one of the slide surfaces of the slider, wherein in order to reduce play, said further slide surface projects by a corresponding amount (b) beyond said associated one of the adapted slide surfaces.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] Further details and advantages of the invention will be apparent hereinafter, without limitation on the scope of protection, from the description of a preferred embodiment, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0034] FIG. 1 shows a view of a configuration of a linear guide with rail and slider linearly guided therein;

[0035] FIG. 2 shows an end view of the linear guide of FIG. 1;

[0036] FIG. 2a shows an enlarged view of the portion B in FIG. 2;

[0037] FIG. 3 shows a sectional view of the linear guide along section line c-c in FIG. 1;

[0038] FIG. 3a shows an enlarged view of the portion C in FIG. 2;

[0039] FIG. 4 shows a view from below of the slider of FIG. 1;

[0040] FIG. 5 shows a perspective view from below of the slider of FIG. 4; and

[0041] FIGS. 6a and 6b each show an exploded perspective view of the slider of FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] FIGS. 1 to 3 each show a preferred embodiment of a linear guide 1 having a rail 2, a slider 3 guided in the rail 2 and a self-adjusting play reducing means 4 of the linear guide 1 with an adjusting element 41. FIGS. 4 to 6 show various views of the slider 3 with the play reducing means 4.

[0043] Here the rail 2 has four guide surfaces 21 at which the slider 3 is slidingly displaceably mounted and guided in the displacement direction v with here correspondingly four slide surfaces 31. As can be seen in particular from FIG. 4 the adjusting element 41 has a further slide surface 42 forming a portion a of the slide surface 31 at the right in FIG. 4. In this embodiment of the slider 1 all guide surfaces 21 and slide surfaces 31, 42 are in the form of prismatic surfaces extending in the displacement direction v. The guide surfaces 21 and slide surfaces 31, 42 are so matched to each other that, in the installed position of the slider 3 with adjusting element 41 and rail 2, the mutually associated guide surfaces 21 and slide surfaces 31, 42 extend parallel to each other. The linear guide 1 is thus in the form of a prism guide.

[0044] The adjusting element 41 is arranged displaceably in a receiving seat 32 provided on the slider 3 (FIG. 3a) for play reduction in the adjustment direction e perpendicularly to the displacement direction v. The adjusting element 41 is integrated in the slider 3.

[0045] As can be seen in particular from FIGS. 2a and 3a, for play reduction in a working position, that is to say in the installation position of the slider 3 on the rail 2, the adjusting element 41 projects at its end in the adjustment direction e with its slide surface 42 beyond the outside contour of the slider 3, only by a small amount b, in order to bear in surface contact, with its further slide surface 42, against the guide surface 21 opposite thereto of the rail 2. That projecting relationship is also to be observed in regard to the further slide surface 42 of the adjusting element 41, beyond the slide surface 31 of the slider 3, that is associated with the adjusting element. That amount b can be equal to or approximately equal to that of the play reduction or can be set equal thereto. The invention however is not limited to the amount b shown in FIGS. 2a and 3a and under some circumstances can differ considerably therefrom.

[0046] The adjusting element 41 is acted upon radially outwardly with a force in the adjustment direction e with respect to its longitudinal axis 1, the force pressing the adjusting element 41 over an adjustment travel w shown in FIG. 3a against the associated guide surface 21 of the rail 2, and possibly slides against same. In that way it is possible to achieve practically play-free mounting of the slider 3 in the rail 2. As a result of the sliding movement of the slide surfaces 21, 31, 42 against each other, adjustment of the play occurs steplessly.

[0047] As can be seen in particular from FIGS. 3 and 3a the adjusting element 41 has a spring receiving seat 43 with a spring 45 which here is in the form of a coil spring and which is guided in a sleeve 44 to prevent buckling thereof, the spring 45 projecting at both ends out of the sleeve. The spring 45 is arranged in a biased condition in the spring receiving seat 43. It is supported at the drive side against the slider 3 and at the driven side against the adjusting element 41, whereby the adjusting element 41 is urged towards the guide surface 21, associated therewith, of the rail 2. Because of the changes which are slight in themselves in the spring travel in the self-adjusting spring reduction situation in operation of the linear guide the spring force can be assumed to be constant. To avoid creep phenomena which change the spring force as in the case of plastics the spring is made here from steel.

[0048] In contrast the other components of the slider 3 and the adjusting element 41 are preferably made from a tribologically optimised plastic which cooperates lubricant-free with the rail 2. The rail 2 can be made from metal, in particular aluminium, preferably anodised aluminium, for example in the form of an extruded profile. That allows inter alia low-wear metal-plastic sliding friction.

[0049] The rail 2 and the slider 3 each have two slide surface pairs 5, wherein the two slide surface pairs 5 of the rail 2 respectively have two guide surfaces 21 and the two slide surface pairs 5 of the slider 3 each have two slide surfaces 31 (FIG. 2). The guide surfaces 21 and slide surfaces 31 of each of the slide surface pairs 5 are arranged to converge in a wedge configuration with a wedge angle ? perpendicularly and radially outwardly with respect to the displacement direction v. To prevent self-locking the wedge angle ? is greater than the wedge angle at which a self-locking action occurs. Because the guide surfaces 21 and slide surfaces 31 are arranged in a wedge-like configuration the illustrated embodiment is suitable for adjusting a given degree of sluggishness of movement.

[0050] The two slide surface pairs 5 of the rail 2 and the two slide surface pairs 5 of the slider 3 are respectively arranged in mirror-image symmetrical relationship with each other perpendicularly to the adjustment direction e in each case with respect to a central mirror-image symmetry plane S (see FIG. 2). Thus, the inside contour of the rail 2 for receiving the slider 3 and the outside contour of the slider 3 for engagement into the inside contour of the rail 2 converge wedge-shaped in the adjustment direction whereby the slider 3 is arranged mounted non-rotatably in the rail 2 relative to the displacement direction v.

[0051] As provided in the embodiment of the linear guide 1 shown in the Figures here two adjusting elements 41 are provided only at one of the slide surfaces 31, which however is sufficient to adjust the play between the other guide surfaces 21 and slide surfaces 31. Initially only the play relative to one guide surface 21 of the rail 2 is adjusted or reduced by the adjusting element 41. Under the effect of the spring force that reduction in play is further implemented by displacement of the slider 3 in the inside contour of the rail 2 towards the other guide surfaces 21 of the rail 2. In that case the wedge-shaped arrangement of the surfaces 21, 31 promotes a substantial reduction in play as far as producing sluggishness of movement as the slider 3 is wedged in the rail 2 by virtue of the associated surfaces 21, 31, 42 sliding against each other. Moreover, the two adjusting elements 41 are mounted in sliding displaceable relationship at their ends in a respective receiving seat 32 spaced from each other in the longitudinal direction 1.

[0052] The receiving seat 32 for the adjusting element 41 has a side surface 33 which is disposed in a radial-axial plane which is at the same time the angle bisector for the wedge angle ?, wherein the adjusting element 41 is guided against the side surface 33 in slidingly displaceable relationship in the adjustment direction e, that is to say, precisely perpendicularly to the displacement direction v.

[0053] As can be seen from FIGS. 3 and 3a the adjustment travel w of the adjusting element 41 in the receiving seat 32 is limited by abutments 46. For that purpose, the adjusting element 41 bears at the bottom against the receiving seat 32 in opposite relationship to the adjustment direction e. For limiting the adjustment travel w in the adjustment direction e, the adjusting element 41 and the receiving seat 32 each have a set-back portion 47 as an abutment 46, at which they are guided relative to each other.

[0054] The adjusting element 41 is substantially plate-shaped and narrow. Its extent in the displacement direction v is substantially less than its extent in the adjustment direction e. Thus, with a given width of the slider 3, the side surface of the adjusting element, in which it bears slidingly displaceably against the side surface 45 of the receiving seat, is relatively small. Thus, in regard to geometry, the frictional forces upon displacement of the adjusting element 41 in the rail 2 are low so that the spring force of the spring 45, with a simplification in structure and mounting, also only has to be correspondingly low. That therefore permits finer adjustment of the play.

[0055] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 respectively the rail 2 and the slider 3 each have two usual openings 6 for example for fixing the rail 2 to a base or for fixing a structure to the slider 3.

[0056] Further advantages of the invention that are worth mentioning are: [0057] lubricant-free running (without lubricating agent); [0058] stepless smooth sliding of the slider; [0059] good hold for the slider (positional stability); [0060] constant displacement forces; [0061] quiet and rattle-free movement; and [0062] compact structure.

[0063] The linear guide 1 according to the invention is thus suitable for many purposes, in particular for furniture construction, the production of head supports and backrests and armrests for example in the motor vehicle sector, height adjustment in kitchen equipment or the mechanics of 3D printers.

LIST OF REFERENCES

[0064] 1 linear guide [0065] 2 rail [0066] 21 guide surface [0067] 3 slider [0068] 31 slide surface [0069] 32 receiving seat [0070] 33 side surface [0071] 4 play reduction [0072] 41 adjusting element [0073] 42 further slide surface [0074] 43 spring receiving seat [0075] 44 sleeve [0076] 45 spring [0077] 46 abutment travel [0078] 47 set-back portion [0079] 5 slide surface pair [0080] 6 opening [0081] ? wedge angle [0082] b amount [0083] e adjustment direction [0084] l longitudinal direction [0085] v displacement direction [0086] w adjustment travel [0087] S plane of mirror-image symmetry