SLIDE FOR A LINEAR GUIDE, AND LINEAR GUIDE COMPRISING SUCH A SLIDE

Abstract

The invention relates to a slide for a linear guide which comprises the slide and a rail element with two running surfaces facing each other. The slide has a main part and a plurality of rolling bodies, and the plurality of rolling bodies are received on the main part such that the plurality of rolling bodies can roll at least on the two running surfaces or carry out a sliding movement relative to the two running surfaces. The main part defines the position of each one of the plurality of rolling bodies in a pull-out direction relative to the main part, wherein the slide additionally has two slide elements and a spring element, and each of the two slide elements is mounted on the main part such that it can move in a vertical direction perpendicular to the pull-out direction so that each of the two slide elements can be brought into frictional engagement with a respective running surface, said spring element being supported on the main part such that the spring element biases the two slide elements away from each other in the vertical direction.

Claims

1. Slide (31) for a linear guide (1) which comprises the slide (31) and a rail element (2) having two running surfaces (5, 6) which face one another, wherein the slide (31) comprises a main part (7), and a plurality of rolling bodies (9), wherein the plurality of rolling bodies (9) is received on the main part (7) such that the plurality of rolling bodies (9) can roll at least on the two running surfaces (5, 6) or carry out a sliding movement relative to the two running surfaces (5, 6), wherein the main part (7) defines a position of each one of the plurality of rolling bodies (9) in a pull-out direction (11) relative to the main part (7), characterised in that the slide further comprises two slide elements (15, 16), and a spring element (20), wherein each of the two slide elements (15, 16) is mounted on the main part such that it can move in a vertical direction (14) perpendicular to the pull-out direction (11) so that each of the two slide elements (15, 16) can be brought into frictional engagement with a respective running surface (5, 6), and wherein the spring element (20) is mounted on the main part (7) such that the spring element (20) biases the two slide elements (15, 16) away from one another in the vertical direction.

2. The slide (31) according to claim 1, wherein the spring element (20) is mounted on the main part (7) in a floating manner in the vertical direction (14).

3. The slide (31) according to claim 1, wherein each of the two slide elements (15, 16) is disposed in the pull-out direction (11) between two rolling bodies (9).

4. The slide (31) according to claim 1, wherein each of the two slide elements (15, 16) comprises a T-shaped portion, wherein a crossbar of the T-shaped portion can be brought into frictional engagement with a running surface (5, 6) of the rail element (2) and a vertical bar receives the spring element.

5. The slide (31) according to claim 1, wherein each of the two slide elements (15, 16) comprises at least one guide pin (17), wherein the guide pin (17) engages in a respective guide bushing (18) in the main part (7) of the slide (31), so that each of the two slide elements (15, 16) is guided in the pull-out direction (11) while it is mounted in a floating manner in the vertical direction (14).

6. The slide (31) according to claim 1, wherein the spring element (20) is a spiral spring.

7. The slide (31) according to claim 1, wherein the main part (7) is made of plastic.

8. Linear guide (1) comprising a rail element (2) having two running surfaces (5, 6) which face one another, and a slide (31), comprising a main part (7), and a plurality of rolling bodies (9), wherein the plurality of rolling bodies (9) is received on the main part (7) such that the plurality of rolling bodies (9) can roll at least on the two running surfaces (5, 6) or carry out a sliding movement relative to the two running surfaces (5, 6), wherein the main part (7) defines a position of each one of the plurality of rolling bodies (9) in a pull-out direction (11) relative to the main part (7), characterised in that the slide further comprises two slide elements (15, 16), and a spring element (20), wherein each of the two slide elements (15, 16) is mounted on the main part such that it can move in a vertical direction (14) perpendicular to the pull-out direction (11) so that each of the two slide elements (15, 16) can be brought into frictional engagement with a respective running surface (5, 6), and wherein the spring element (20) is mounted on the main part (7) such that the spring element (20) biases the two slide elements (15, 16) away from one another in the vertical direction; wherein the plurality of rolling bodies (9) is received on the main part (7) such that the plurality of rolling bodies (9) rolls on the two running surfaces (5, 6) or carries out a sliding movement relative to the two running surfaces (5, 6), so that the slide (31) and the rail element (2) can be moved linearly relative to one another in the pull-out direction (11), wherein each of the two slide elements (15, 16) is respectively in frictional engagement with one of the running surfaces (5, 6).

9. The linear guide (1) according to claim 8, wherein the rail element (2) comprises a projection (30) and the main part (7) comprises a latching element (35), wherein the projection (30) is disposed and configured such that it projects into an intermediate space (29) between the two running surfaces (5, 6), wherein the latching portion (35) is elastically deformable in a direction perpendicular to the pull-out direction (11), and wherein the latching portion (35) is disposed such that it is in frictional engagement with the projection (30) in a position of the slide (31) in the pull-out direction (11) relative to the rail element (2).

10. The linear guide (1) according to claim 8, wherein at least the rail element (2) comprises a retaining tab (27, 39) at least on a first end in the pull-out direction (11), and the main part (7) of the slide (31) comprises a recess (12, 26) in an end surface (22, 23) of the main part (7), wherein the retaining tab (27, 39) projects into the intermediate space (29) between the two running surfaces (5, 6), and wherein the retaining tab (27, 39) and the recess (12, 26) are configured and disposed such that the retaining tab (27, 39) engages in the recess (12, 26) in the main part (7) of the slide (31) when the slide (31) reaches the first end, so that the slide (31) cannot be disengaged from the rail element (2) in a direction perpendicular to the pull-out direction (11) and perpendicular to the vertical direction (14) or, at least at the first end, the rail element (2) comprises a tab (25) which extends perpendicular to the pull-out direction (11) of the rail element (2), wherein the tab (25) comprises a notch (24) and, on its end surface (22, 23), the slide (31) comprises a projection (33) which corresponds to the notch (24), and wherein the notch (24) and the projection (33) are configured and disposed such that the projection (33) engages in the notch (24) in the tab (25) when the slide (31) reaches the first end, so that the slide (31) cannot be disengaged from the rail element (2) in a direction perpendicular to the pull-out direction (11) and perpendicular to the vertical direction (14).

11. The linear guide (1) according to claim 8, wherein the rail element (2) comprises a rail back (2), wherein the rail element (2) comprises a retaining tab (27, 39) at least on a first end in the pull-out direction (11), wherein the retaining tab (27, 39) is bent relative to the rail back (2) such that the retaining tab (27, 39) projects into the intermediate space (29) between the two running surfaces (5, 6), wherein the retaining tab (27, 39) and the main part (7) are configured and disposed such that the main part (7) strikes the retaining tab (27, 39) when it reaches the first end, and wherein the retaining tab (27, 39) is bent relative to the rail element (2), such that the retaining tab (27, 39) includes an angle of less than 90° with the rail element (2).

12. The linear guide (1) according to claim 10, wherein p1 a stop tab (38) is provided on the first end of the rail element (2) in addition to the retaining tab (27, 39), wherein an elastically deformable damping element is provided on the slide (31) or on the stop tab (38), wherein the slide (31), the damping element and the stop tab (38) are configured and disposed such that, upon reaching the first end, the slide (31) comes into engagement with the damping element and the damping element comes into engagement with the stop (38), so that a pull-out movement of the slide (31) relative to the rail element (2) is braked, and wherein the slide (31), the damping element, the stop tab (38) and the retaining tab (27, 39) are configured and disposed such that the slide (31) comes into engagement with the retaining tab (27, 39) only when a force predetermined by the damping element is exceeded.

13. The slide (31) according to claim 3, wherein each of the two slide elements (15, 16) is disposed symmetrically between two rolling bodies (9).

14. The slide (31) according to claim 5, wherein each of the two slide elements (15, 16) comprises at least one cylindrical, guide pin (17)

15. The slide (31) according to claim 5, wherein the guide pin (17) engages in a respective-hollow cylindrical, bearing bushing (18))

16. The linear guide (1) according to claim 8, wherein the spring element (20) is mounted on the main part (7) in a floating manner in the vertical direction (14).

17. The linear guide (1) according to claim 8, wherein each of the two slide elements (15, 16) is disposed in the pull-out direction (11) between two rolling bodies (9).

18. The linear guide (1) according to claim 8, wherein each of the two slide elements (15, 16) comprises a T-shaped portion, wherein a crossbar of the T-shaped portion can be brought into frictional engagement with a running surface (5, 6) of the rail element (2) and a vertical bar receives the spring element.

19. The linear guide (1) according to claim 8, wherein each of the two slide elements (15, 16) comprises at least one guide pin (17), wherein the guide pin (17) engages in a respective bearing bushing (18) in the main part (7) of the slide (31), so that each of the two slide elements (15, 16) is guided in the pull-out direction (11) while it is mounted in a floating manner in the vertical direction (14).

20. The linear guide (1) according to claim 8, wherein the spring element (20) is a spiral spring.

Description

[0042] Further advantages, features, and possible applications of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of embodiments and the associated figures. In the figures, the same elements are identified with the same reference signs.

[0043] FIG. 1 is a schematic isometric view of an embodiment of a linear guide according to the invention.

[0044] FIG. 2 is a schematic side plan view onto the linear guide of FIG. 1.

[0045] FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the slide of FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0046] FIG. 4 is a schematic isometric view of another embodiment of a linear guide according to the invention.

[0047] FIG. 5 is a schematic isometric view of another embodiment of a rail element for a linear guide according to the invention.

[0048] FIG. 6 is a schematic isometric view from the rear onto a main part of a slide according to the invention.

[0049] FIG. 1 is a schematic isometric view of an embodiment of a linear guide 1 comprising a rail element 2 and a slide 31. The same linear guide is shown in a side plan view in FIG. 2. FIG. 3 shows slide 31 in an exploded view.

[0050] The slide 31 and the rail element 2 are mounted on one another such that they can be moved relative to one another. The rail element 2 is C-shaped in cross-section. The rail element 2 comprises two legs 3, 4. Each of the two legs 3, 4 comprises a respective running surface 5, 6, whereby the two running surfaces 5, 6 face one another. The two legs 3, 4 are connected to one another by a rail back 28. The slide 31 comprises a main part 7 which, in the shown embodiment, is made of plastic by injection moulding. Holes 8 are provided in the main part 7 for screwing elements that do not belong to the actual linear guide, such as a drawer in a motor vehicle, to the main part 7 of the slide 31.

[0051] In order to enable a displacement movement of the slide 31 relative to the rail element 2 with as little friction as possible, a total of four balls 9 are received as rolling bodies in corresponding recesses 10 on the main part 7. In the assembled state, these bearing balls 9 roll on the running surfaces 5, 6 of the two legs 3, 4 of the rail element 2 or slide on said running surfaces 5, 6. The balls 9 are received on the main part 7 of the slide 31 in the manner of a rolling element cage or ball cage. In other words, the main part 7 defines the position of the balls 9 in the pull-out direction 11. In the shown embodiment, the balls 9 are received within the recesses 10 in holes 12 in the lateral wall surfaces 13 of the main part 7, so that the balls 9 have at most a circular line contact with the main part 7 on their right and left sides, but no full-surface frictional engagement with the main part 7. As a result of this design, the balls roll on the running surfaces 5, 6 of the rail element 2 with little rolling friction despite their guidance on the slide 31. However, this mounting of the balls 9 on the main part 7 of the slide 31 also results in the balls 9 having play in the vertical direction 14, so that the position of the slide 31 in the vertical direction is not completely fixed. The vertical direction 14 is understood to be a direction parallel to the rail back 28 and perpendicular to the pull-out direction 11.

[0052] To counteract this and to additionally provide a defined frictional force between the slide 31 and the rail element 2, the slide 31 comprises two slide elements 15, 16.

[0053] Each of the two slide elements 15, 16 comprises a sliding surface 32 which, when the slide 31 is installed, respectively slides on one of the running surfaces 5, 6 of the rail element 2 and provides a defined sliding friction between the slide 7 and the rail element 2. Each slide element 16 further comprises two cylindrical guide pins 17. These guide pins 17 engage in two hollow cylindrical bearing bushings 18 in the main part 7 of the slide 31. The slide elements 15, 16 are thus mounted on the main part 7 of the slide 31 such that they can be moved in the vertical direction 14, while the combination of guide pins 17 and bearing bushings 18 provides guidance in the pull-out direction 11. Each of the slide elements 15 further comprises a spring receptacle 19 in the form of a cylindrical pin.

[0054] A spring element in the form of a spiral spring 20 is provided on the slide 31 as well. This spiral spring 20 is received in a guide bushing 21 in the side wall of the main part 7 of the slide 31, whereby the guide bushing 21 for the spiral spring 20 extends in the vertical direction 14 of the slide 31. The guide bushing 21 guides the spiral spring in a direction parallel to the pull-out direction.

[0055] In the vertical direction 14, on the other hand, the spiral spring 20 is mounted in a floating manner in the bushing 21. In the assembled state, the receiving pin 19 engages in the spiral spring 20. The spiral spring 20 therefore biases the two slide elements 15 with exactly the same spring force toward the two running surfaces 5, 6 of the rail element 2. The spring force that acts on the slide elements and thus on the running surfaces 5, 6 of the rail element 2 is independent of the exact position of the slide 31 in the vertical direction 14 relative to the rail element 2.

[0056] Two cylindrical disengagement locks or projections 33 are provided on each of the two end surfaces 22, 23 of the main part 7 of the slide 31. When the slide 31 reaches the one or the other end of the rail element 2, the disengagement locks 33 engage in corresponding hollow cylindrical notches 24 in end stop tabs 25 of the rail element 2. In both end positions, the slide 31 is secured by the engagement of the disengagement locks 33 in the complementary notches 24 in the tabs 25.

[0057] The linear guide 1 according to FIGS. 1 to 3 further comprises a catch, wherein the catch consists of a projection 34 on the rail element 2 and a latching element 35. The latching element 35 is shown in the rear view of a main part 7 of a slide 31 of FIG. 6. The latching element 35 is disposed on the side of the main part 7 of the slide 31 facing the rail back 28. The latching element 35 is a projecting plastic section of the main part 7 of the slide 31. The latching element 35 is disposed in the vertical direction 14 in the same position as the projection 30 on the rail back 28. The projection 30 is configured such that it projects into the intermediate space 29 formed between the running surfaces 5, 6. If the slide 31 now comes into a position in the pull-out direction 11 at which the projection 30 comes into frictional engagement with the latching element 35, the projection 30 elastically deforms the latching element 35 and, in cooperation, the projection 30 and the latching element fix the position of the slide 31 in the pull-out direction 11 by latching. The slide 31 can only be moved further by the user when the latching force provided by the latching element is overcome.

[0058] FIG. 4 shows an alternative embodiment of the linear guide 1, which differs from the embodiment according to FIGS. 1 to 3 by the configuration of the disengagement protection means.

[0059] In this case, the disengagement protection means is formed by two L-shaped recesses 26 in each of the end surfaces 22, 23 of the main part 7 of the slide 31. The rail element 2 in turn comprises two L-shaped retaining tabs 27 at each end as part of the disengagement protection means. The retaining tabs 27 fit complementarily into the recesses 26 in the main part 7 of the slide 31.

[0060] In the shown embodiment, the rail element 2 is made of a bent steel sheet, so that the retaining tabs 27 are created by partially punching or cutting out and bending the retaining tabs 27 relative to the rail back 28. The retaining tabs 27 are bent such that they project into the intermediate space 29 between the running surfaces 5, 6 of the rail element 2. A first leg 36 of the L-shaped retaining tab 27 extends substantially perpendicular to the rail back 28 and a second leg 37 extends substantially parallel to the rail back 28. In the vertical direction 14, the retaining tabs 27 on the one hand and the notches 26 in the main part 7 of the slide 31 on the other hand are disposed such that, when the respective end of the rail element 2 is reached, the retaining tabs 27 engage in the recesses 26 and the legs 37 of the retaining tabs 27 which are parallel to the rail back 28 thus effectively prevent disengagement of the slide 31 from the rail element 2 in a direction perpendicular to the pull-out direction 11 and perpendicular to the vertical direction 14. The interaction of the retaining tabs 27 with the recesses 26 also creates an end stop for the slide when it reaches the end positions on the rail element 2.

[0061] FIG. 5 shows an alternative embodiment of the rail element 2 without a disengagement protection means but with an end stop for the slide when it reaches the end position of the slide. On the rail side, the end stop is formed by a stop in the form of a stop tab 38 which is bent perpendicular relative to the rail back. A cap (not shown) made of an elastically deformable material is placed onto this stop tab. Impact of the slide against the stop tab 38 is thus dampened. In the typical operating situation, the stop tab 38 can absorb all of the forces introduced by the slide. However, overload situations can occur, in which the forces introduced by the slide onto the stop tab 38 in the pull-out direction 11 would lead to bending of the stop tab 38. Therefore a pair of retaining tabs 39 are disposed at each end of the rail element 2 in addition to the stop tab 38. The retaining tabs, too, are partially punched out of the material of the rail element and bent relative to the rail back.

[0062] The retaining tabs 39 include an angle of less than 90° with the rail back 28 and their bent ends point toward the slide. Due to this design, the retaining tabs 39 can absorb significantly higher forces than the stop tabs 38 aligned at an angle of about 90° to the rail back 28. The stop tabs with their respective damper provide a pleasant, damped feel when the end of the displacement movement of the slide relative to the rail element 2 is reached. To ensure that the retaining tabs 39 and the impact of the slide on said tabs does not interfere with this feel in the normal operating situation, the slide 2, the damping element, the stop tab 38 and the retaining tabs 39 are positioned and shaped such that the slide 31 strikes the retaining tabs 39 only when a force predetermined by the damping element is exceeded. Therefore the slide 31 strikes the rail element 2 hard only in the event of an overload.

[0063] For the purpose of the original disclosure, it should be noted that all of the features as they become apparent to a person skilled in the art from the present description, the drawings and the claims, even if they have been specifically described only in connection with specific other features, can be combined both individually and in any combination with other features or groups of features disclosed here, insofar as this has not been expressly excluded or technical circumstances make such combinations impossible or pointless. A comprehensive, explicit presentation of all conceivable combinations of features is omitted here solely for the sake of brevity and legibility of the description.

[0064] Although the invention has been presented and described in detail in the drawings and the foregoing description, this representation and description is merely an example and is not intended to limit the scope of protection as defined by the claims. The invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments.

[0065] Modifications 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 “comprise” 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 preclude their combination. Reference signs in the claims are not intended to limit the scope of protection.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0066] 1 Linear guide [0067] 2 Rail element [0068] 3, 4 Legs [0069] 5 Running surface [0070] 6 Running surface [0071] 7 Main part [0072] 8 Holes [0073] 9 Balls [0074] 10 Recesses [0075] 11 Pull-out direction [0076] 12 Holes [0077] 13 Wall surfaces [0078] 14 Vertical direction [0079] 15, 16 Slide element [0080] 17 Guide pin [0081] 18 Bearing bushing [0082] 19 Spring receptacle [0083] 20 Spiral spring [0084] 21 Guide bushing [0085] 22, 23 End surface [0086] 24 Notch [0087] 25 End stop tab [0088] 26 Recess [0089] 27 Retaining tabs [0090] 28 Rail back [0091] 29 Intermediate space [0092] 30 Free end [0093] 31 Slide [0094] 32 Sliding surface [0095] 33 Disengagement lock [0096] 34 Projection [0097] 35 Latching element [0098] 36 First leg [0099] 37 Second leg [0100] 38 Stop tab [0101] 39 Retaining tabs