Guide carriage of a linear guide

Abstract

A guide carriage of a linear guide, which guide carriage has a back (1) and legs (2) bent away from the back (1) and disposed along a longitudinal axis of the guide carriage for engaging over a guide rail (7), the two legs (2) are each provided with a longitudinal seal (5) having rod-shaped bodies (12) each of which has a sealing lip (8) on sides facing one another. The rod-shaped body (12) is supported on an abutment (9a) of the leg (2) provided along the longitudinal axis, wherein the rod-shaped body (12) is retained on the guide carriage together with the two axial rod ends (13, 15, 18) of the rod-shaped body (12) and is spring-loaded against the abutment (9a) by means of the inherent spring force of the rod-shaped body (12).

Claims

1. A guide carriage of a linear guide, said guide comprising a back side and two legs that are angled away from the back side and arranged along a longitudinal axis of the guide carriage for gripping around a guide rail, the two legs are each provided with a longitudinal seal having rod-shaped bodies which each have a sealing lip on sides facing each other, the rod-shaped bodies are each supported on an abutment of the leg provided along the longitudinal axis, and each of the rod-shaped bodies is held with two axial rod ends thereof on the guide carriage and is spring-loaded with an internal spring force against the abutment, wherein the rod-shaped bodies are formed to have an arc-shape when no external forces are applied.

2. The guide carriage according to claim 1, further comprising a carrier body and head pieces arranged on both ends of the carrier body set in a direction of the longitudinal axis, and each of the longitudinal seals is held with the two axial rod ends thereof on the head pieces.

3. The guide carriage according to claim 2, wherein each of the sealing lips is integrally connected to a corresponding one of the rod-shaped bodies, and both of the axial rod ends of each of the rod-shaped bodies are free from the sealing lip.

4. The guide carriage according to claim 2, wherein the carrier body includes the two legs, and a supporting groove is formed along the longitudinal axis for holding the rod-shaped body on each of the two legs, the supporting groove is provided with first and second supporting surfaces that are arranged at an angle to each other and are extended along the longitudinal axis and on which the rod-shaped body is supported, and the first supporting surfaces of the two bearing grooves are directed toward a bottom side of the guide carriage and the second supporting surfaces face each other.

5. A method for producing a longitudinal seal for a guide carriage according to claim 1, in which the rod-shaped bodies are each provided with a sealing lip arranged along the longitudinal axis, the method comprises: injection molding of the rod-shaped body with the sealing lip being integrally formed along an arched, curved rod axis, with rod ends of the rod-shaped body being injection molded along a straight axis, and the arched, curved rod body produced is bent in a direction toward a straight rod axis under elastic shape changes to the rod body.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the longitudinal seal is made from a thermoplastic elastomer.

7. The guide carriage according to claim 1, wherein an entire length of the rod-shaped body is planar when the longitudinal seal is held with the two axial rod ends thereof on the guide carriage.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to three embodiments shown in a total of eleven figures. Shown are:

(2) FIG. 1 a guide carriage according to the invention in perspective view,

(3) FIG. 2 an assembly step for producing the guide carriage according to FIG. 1,

(4) FIG. 3 a cross section through the guide carriage according to the invention according to FIG. 1,

(5) FIG. 4 the longitudinal seal of the guide carriage according to the invention according to FIG. 1 as an individual part in a first view,

(6) FIG. 5 the longitudinal seal from FIG. 4 in another view,

(7) FIG. 6 the guide carriage as in FIG. 2, shown in a side view,

(8) FIG. 7 a cross section through the guide carriage according to the invention according to FIG. 1 in the area of the head piece,

(9) FIG. 8 a cut-out of a variant according to the invention in a section as in FIG. 7,

(10) FIG. 9 another variant according to the invention,

(11) FIG. 10 an injection molding tool for producing a longitudinal seal according to the invention, and

(12) FIG. 11 the arc-shaped, curved and then straightened longitudinal seal.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(13) FIG. 1 shows the guide carriage according to the invention in perspective view. The guide carriage has a back side 1 and legs 2 that are angled away from the back side 1 and arranged along a longitudinal axis of the guide carriage for gripping around a not-shown guide rail. The guide carriage has a carrier body 3 and head pieces 4 arranged on two ends of the carrier body 3 set in the direction of the longitudinal axis. Both legs 2 are provided on their free ends with a longitudinal seal 5 that forms a sealing contact on the not-shown guide rail.

(14) FIG. 2 clearly shows the longitudinal seals 5 that engage with their one end in pockets 6 of the head piece 4 not shown in more detail. The ends of the longitudinal seal 5 detached from the guide carriage in FIG. 2 can be inserted under elastic bending of the longitudinal seal 5 into the corresponding pockets 6 of the opposing head piece 4, wherein, in this installed situation, the longitudinal seal 5 is elastically pretensioned and supported elastically on the carrier body 3.

(15) FIG. 3 shows a cross section through a linear guide with the guide carriage according to the invention from FIG. 1. In this figure, a guide rail 7 is shown that is wrapped around by the guide carriage, wherein the longitudinal seal forms a sealing contact on the guide rail 7 with its sealing lip 8.

(16) From this figure it can be clearly seen that both legs 2 are provided on their free ends with a supporting groove 9 that extends over the entire length of the carrier body 3. The supporting grooves 9 formed on both legs 2 have supporting surfaces 10, 11 that are arranged at an angle to each other and are extended along the longitudinal axis and on which the longitudinal seal 5 is supported. The first supporting surfaces 10 are directed downward in the figuretoward the bottom side of the carriagethe two other supporting surfaces 11 face each other.

(17) FIGS. 4 and 5 show the longitudinal seal 5 that has a rod-shaped body 12 with the sealing lip 13 formed integrally on the rod-shaped body 12. FIG. 4 clearly shows that the longitudinal seal 5 is curved in an arc shape when the longitudinal seal 5 is removed from the guide carriage. The two rod ends 13 are straight and attach tangentially to the arc-shaped axis of the arc-shaped, curved rod-shaped body 12. These straight rod ends 13 engage in the pockets 6 of the guide carriage formed in the head pieces 4.

(18) In FIG. 4, the supporting surface 10 of the supporting groove 9 is shown with dashed lines, against which the longitudinal seal is applied with its rod-shaped body 12. In this figure, the longitudinal seal 5 is curved in an arc shape and unloaded. In the installed state, the longitudinal seal 5 is in the plane of the supporting surface 10, wherein the longitudinal seal is deflected from the arc-shaped curvature into the plane under elastic deformation of the longitudinal seal 5. In FIG. 4, if the two rod ends 13 of the rod-shaped body 12 are arranged in the plane of the supporting surface 10, the longitudinal seal 5 exerts a pressure against the supporting surface 10 of the supporting groove 9 with its internal spring force. In this way, downward sagging of the longitudinal seal is reliably prevented.

(19) FIG. 6 shows the guide carriage as in FIG. 2, but not in a perspective view, but in a view wherein the arc-shaped, curved section of the rod-shaped body 12 is bent from here toward the free end by the spring path S in the direction toward the guide carriage.

(20) FIG. 7 clearly shows the pocket 6 formed in the head piece 4 for holding the rod end 13 of the rod-shaped body 12. This pocket 6 is formed on an insert part 14 that is fastened to the head piece 4. It can be seen in this figure that the rod end 13 is inserted into this pocket 6 perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the guide carriage.

(21) FIG. 8 shows, in a cut-out enlargement, a variant with a modified rod end 15 of the rod-shaped body 12. On the head piece 4 there is a conical head 16. On the rod end 15 there is a corresponding conical hole 17. The conical head engages behind the conical hole 17 when the rod end 15 is mounted.

(22) FIG. 9 shows another alternative construction of a rod end 18 that is provided with an opening 19 in which a two-part tenon projection 20 engages. The tenon projection 20 is fastened to the head piece and provides for a problem-free fixing of the rod end 18 on the guide carriage.

(23) FIG. 10 shows the longitudinal seal 5 with its rod-shaped body 12 and the rod ends 13 freed from the sealing lips in an unloaded position in which the longitudinal seal 5 is bent by approximately 180 degrees, so that its two rod ends 13 point in a common direction. Next to it on the right, the loaded longitudinal seal 5 can be seen in which the rod-shaped body 12 is bent into a plane. In this loaded situation, the longitudinal seal 5 develops an internal spring force that supports a pressing of the rod-shaped body against the guide carriage.

(24) For all of the guide carriages according to the invention, the ends of the longitudinal seals according to the invention are supported without a problem on the head piece. The arc-shaped curvature of the longitudinal seal 5 should be a single, continuous curve. The straight shape of the rod ends of the rod-shaped body of the longitudinal seal simplifies the fastening to the head pieces of the guide carriage. Depending on the selected material for the longitudinal seal and the desired spring force that should develop internally in the longitudinal seal in the installed state, the angle of curvature a is selected. From a tool perspective, it is expedient to select no angle of curvature greater than 180 degrees. For angles 180 degrees, the seal can be produced with a simple injection molding tool.

(25) FIG. 11 shows an injection molding tool 21 that has an upper tool half 22 and a lower tool half 23. On its facing sides, the two tool halves 22, 23 are each provided with a die half 24, 25 for the longitudinal seal. The two die halves 24, 25 both extend along a curved axis. FIG. 11 shows the situation after injection molding of the two die halves 24, 25 and opening the injection molding tool 21 with the finished, injection-molded longitudinal seal 5. It can be clearly seen that the longitudinal seal 5 is curved in an arc shape between its two rod ends 13 due to the shape of the injection molding tool 21.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

(26) 1 Back side 2 Leg 3 Carrier body 4 Head piece 5 Longitudinal seal 6 Pocket 7 Guide rail 8 Sealing lip 9 Supporting groove 9a Abutment 10 Supporting surface 11 Supporting surface 12 Rod-shaped body 13 Rod end 14 Insert part 15 Rod end 16 Conical head 17 Conical hole 18 Rod end 19 Opening 20 Tenon projection 21 Injection molding tool 22 Upper tool half 23 Lower tool half 24 Die half 25 Die half