Guide carriage of a linear guide and method for producing a head piece of a guide carriage

Abstract

A guide carriage (1) of a linear guide includes a circulation channel (8) for rolling bodies (2), which is formed from a load section (3), two deflection sections (5) and a return section (4). A valve (16) arranged in a lubricant channel (10) to prevent the back flow of lubricant from the circulation channel (8) is arranged at a supply point (13) for supplying lubricating agent to one of the deflection sections (5), and the deflection section (5) is delimited by a deflection shell (9) located in an end piece (7). The valve (16) is formed integrally with at least one of the elements deflection shell (9) and end piece (7).

Claims

1. A guide carriage of a linear guide, the guide carriage comprising: a circulation channel for rolling bodies, the circulation channel is formed from a load section, two deflection sections and a return section; a supply point configured for supplying lubricating agent from a lubricant channel to one of the deflection sections; a valve to prevent the back flow of lubricant from the circulation channel arranged in a deflection shell that delimits one of the deflection sections, the deflection shell being located in an end piece; and the valve is formed integrally with at least one of the deflection shell or the end piece, wherein the valve is surrounded by an annular sealing section which is formed as an integral component of the deflection shell.

2. The guide carriage according to claim 1, wherein the valve is formed integrally with the deflection shell.

3. The guide carriage according to claim 1, further comprising an annular extension formed by the deflection shell, wherein the annular sealing section is formed on an axial end surface of the annular extension.

4. A guide carriage of a linear guide, the guide carriage comprising: a circulation channel for rolling bodies, the circulation channel is formed from a load section, two deflection sections and a return section; a supply point configured for supplying lubricating agent from a lubricant channel to one of the deflection sections; a valve to prevent the back flow of lubricant from the circulation channel arranged in a deflection shell that delimits one of the deflection sections, the deflection shell being located in an end piece; and the valve is formed integrally with at least one of the deflection shell or the end piece, wherein the valve is surrounded by an annular extension formed by the deflection shell, and an annular sealing section is formed radially outside the annular extension and projects axially into abutment with the deflection shell.

5. The guide carriage according to claim 4, wherein the annular sealing section and the annular extension are spaced apart from each other in a radial direction.

6. A guide carriage of a linear guide, the guide carriage comprising: a circulation channel for rolling bodies, the circulation channel is formed from a load section, two deflection sections and a return section; an end piece with a supply point configured for supplying lubricating agent from a lubricant channel to one of the deflection sections; a valve to prevent the back flow of lubricant from the circulation channel arranged in the end piece or in a deflection shell that delimits one of the deflection sections, the deflection shell being located in the end piece; and the valve is formed integrally with at least one of the deflection shell or the end piece, and the valve is surrounded by an annular sealing section which formed as an integral component of the deflection shell.

7. The guide carriage according to claim 6, wherein the valve is surrounded by an annular extension of the deflection shell, and the annular sealing section is formed on an axial end surface of the annular extension.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In the following, several exemplary embodiments of the disclosure are explained in more detail by means of a drawing. In the figures:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a section of a guide carriage of a linear guide,

(3) FIG. 2 shows a detail of the arrangement according to FIG. 1,

(4) FIG. 3 shows a modified design of the arrangement according to FIG. 2,

(5) FIG. 4 shows, in a view analogous to FIG. 2, a detail of another guide carriage of a linear guide,

(6) FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of an end piece of the guide carriage according to FIG. 4,

(7) FIGS. 6 to 8 show different variants of valves in guide carriages,

(8) FIG. 9 shows a head piece of a further guide carriage of a linear guide, and

(9) FIG. 10 shows a detail of the arrangement according to FIG. 9.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(10) Unless otherwise stated, the following explanations relate to all exemplary embodiments. Parts that correspond to each other or have basically the same effect are marked with the same reference symbols in all figures.

(11) A guide carriage 1 is part of a linear guide, with regard to the function of which reference is made to the prior art cited at the outset. Rolling bodies 2 roll between a guide rail of the linear guide and the guide carriage 1 in a plurality of closed circulation channels 8, which are largely formed within the guide carriage 1.

(12) Each circulation channel 8 is composed of a load section 3, a return section 4 and two deflection sections 5, which connect the load section 3 to the return section 4. In addition to the guide carriage 1, the rolling bodies 2 contact the guide rail exclusively in the load section 3. A support body of the guide carriage 1 is denoted by 6. End pieces 7, in which the deflection sections 5 are formed, are fixed to the end faces of the support body 6. Each deflection section 5 is delimited on the outside by a deflection shell 9 and on the inside by an inner deflector 12. Here, an outer deflection 11 is formed by the deflection shell 9. The deflection section 5 can be supplied with lubricant from the outside via a lubricant channel 10 which runs through the end piece 7.

(13) A supply point via which the lubricant can be introduced from the lubricant channel 10 into the deflection shell 9 is denoted by 13. After the lubricant has passed the supply point 13, it flows through a passage opening 14 in the deflection shell 9 into the deflection section 5. A valve 16 at the supply point 13 prevents lubricant from flowing back.

(14) The subassembly or structural unit made up of deflection shell 9 and end piece 7 is referred to as head piece 26 in the present cases, irrespective of the manufacturing design. The head piece 26 is closed on the end face of the guide carriage 1 by a cover 17. A seal 15 is inserted between the cover 17 and the head piece 26, which seals the guide carriage 1 with respect to the guide rail.

(15) In the exemplary embodiment according to FIGS. 1 and 2, the valve 16 is formed directly by the deflection shell 9. Radially outside of the valve 16 there is a ring-shaped, circumferential, bead-like sealing section 22, which is also formed directly by the deflection shell 9. The sealing section 22 rests against a planar sealing surface 18 of the end piece 7.

(16) In the embodiment according to FIG. 3 modified in comparison to FIG. 2, a separate sealing ring in the form of a commercially available O-ring is inserted between the deflection shell 9 and the end piece 7. An annular sealing section formed by the deflection shell 9 is omitted in this case.

(17) In the embodiment according to FIGS. 4 and 5, the geometric design of the valve 16 corresponds to the design according to FIGS. 1 and 2 and the design according to FIG. 3. According to FIGS. 4 and 5, however, the valve 16 is not integrated into the deflection shell 9, but into the end piece 7. Correspondingly, the annular sealing section 22 is also formed directly by the end piece 7 in this case. The valve 16 has conical walls 19, which are shown in FIG. 4 as well as in FIG. 2 and in FIG. 3 in the closed state.

(18) Further design options for the valve 16 are outlined in FIGS. 6 to 8. Each of these designs is suitable for the guide carriage 1 according to FIG. 1 and for the guide carriage according to FIG. 4 as well as for the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 9. In FIGS. 6 to 8 can be seen slots 20, slot walls 21, walls 23 and a valve opening 24 formed by the respective valve 16. The various openings 20, 23 are produced either during the plastic injection molding process or subsequently by piercing.

(19) To be able to produce the total of four valves 16 within the end piece 7 by injection molding technology in the variant according to FIGS. 4 and 5, the inside of the end piece 7 is provided with connecting webs 25 through which material, i.e., plastic, can flow during the injection molding process.

(20) The embodiment according to FIGS. 9 and 10 differs from the embodiments according to FIGS. 1 to 5 in that the guide carriage 1 has two head pieces 26 on the end faces thereof, each of which combines the functions of a deflection shell 9 and an end piece 7.

LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

(21) 1 Guide carriage 2 Roll body 3 Load section 4 Return section 5 Deflection section 6 Support body 7 End piece 8 Circulation channel 9 Deflection shell 10 Lubricant channel 11 Outer deflection 12 Internal deflection 13 Supply point 14 Passage opening 15 Seal 16 Valve 17 Cover 18 Sealing surface 19 Conical wall 20 Slot 21 Slot wall 22 Annular sealing section 23 Wall 24 Valve opening 25 Connecting web 26 Head piece 27 Sealing ring