Telescopic Strut for a Device for Lifting Loads

Abstract

A telescopic strut, in particular for a device for lifting loads, in particular for a hanger for vehicles or vehicle parts, wherein the telescopic strut consists of an outer tube and an inner tube guided therein, wherein the inner tube is movable longitudinal direction in the outer tube, where a number of sliding shoes are attached to the outer tube to guide the inner tube, where the sliding shoes have each been introduced from the outside into an opening in the wall of the outer tube and protrude inwardly to guide the inner tube such that the telescopic strut, which is structurally simple and therefore inexpensive to produce, has good sliding properties, has little guide play and is easy to maintain.

Claims

1.-12. (canceled)

13. A telescopic strut for a stabilizer for a device for lifting loads, the telescopic strut comprising: an outer tube; an inner tube guided in said outer tube, the inner tube being movable in a longitudinal direction in the outer tube; and a plurality of sliding shoes attached to the outer tube for guiding the inner tube, each of the plurality of sliding shoes being introduced from an outside into an opening in a wall of the outer tube and protruding inwardly for guiding the inner tube; wherein the plurality of sliding shoes each have a substantially T-shaped cross section, wherein a small-area part of each sliding shoe of the plurality of sliding shoes is led through an opening of the outer tube from the outside; wherein an overhanging wide part of each sliding shoe of the plurality of sliding shoes, as a bearing surface, bears against the outer tube from the outside and is connected in screwed manner to the outer tube in a region of a bearing surface, and wherein a spacer is introduced in each case between an outer side of the outer tube and the bearing surface of each sliding shoe of the plurality of sliding shoes.

14. The telescopic strut as claimed in claim 13, wherein the inner tube is composed of a metallic material and each sliding shoe of the plurality of sliding shoes is composed substantially of plastic.

15. The telescopic strut as claimed in claim 13, wherein the plurality of sliding shoes are grouped into two spaced-apart regions of the outer tube and, in each of the region two spaced-apart regions, at least four sliding shoes of the plurality of sliding shoes are arranged in an annularly distributed manner around a periphery of the outer tube.

16. The telescopic strut as claimed in claim 14, wherein the plurality of sliding shoes are grouped into two spaced-apart regions of the outer tube and, in each of the region two spaced-apart regions, at least four sliding shoes of the plurality of sliding shoes are arranged in an annularly distributed manner around a periphery of the outer tube.

17. The telescopic strut as claimed in claim 15, wherein the outer tube and the inner tube each have a substantially rectangular cross section, wherein, in each of the regions, two sliding shoes of the plurality of sliding shoes are arranged adjacent to one another at each wide side of the outer tube; and wherein one sliding shoe is arranged at each of the narrow side of the outer tube.

18. The telescopic strut as claimed in claim 13, wherein the plurality of sliding shoes have a bevel at least in a sliding direction at a contact surface with respect to the inner tube.

19. The telescopic strut as claimed in claim 13, wherein the spacer is exchangeable so as to at least one of (i) set a guide clearance of the telescopic strut and (ii) compensate for wear of the sliding block.

20. The telescopic strut as claimed in claim 13, wherein the spacer comprises a metal sheet or a plastics plate.

21. The telescopic strut as claimed in claim 13, wherein the spacer is screwed to the sliding piece and the outer tube.

22. The telescopic strut as claimed in claim 21, wherein the spacer and the sliding shoe have congruent bores, and screws used for fastening the sliding shoe to the outer tube are led through the bores of the spacer.

23. The telescopic strut as claimed in claim 13, wherein the spacer is clamped between the bearing surface of the sliding shoe and the outer tube.

24. The telescopic strut as claimed in claim 13, wherein the stabilizer comprises a hanger for vehicles or vehicle parts.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] An exemplary embodiment of the telescopic strut according to the invention will be discussed below on the basis of the drawings, in which:

[0020] FIG. 1 shows a sectional illustration of a telescopic strut in accordance with the invention;

[0021] FIG. 2 shows two perspective illustrations (bottom side, top side) of the telescopic strut of FIG. 1;

[0022] FIG. 3 shows a detail illustration of a region with three sliding shoes in accordance with the invention;

[0023] FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional illustration of the outer tube with installed sliding shoes in accordance with the invention; and

[0024] FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional illustration of the outer tube with installed sliding shoes and the inner tube in accordance with the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

[0025] FIG. 1 shows a multi-sectional illustration of a telescopic strut T (“telescope”) in accordance with the invention having an outer tube AR and an inner tube IR, where sliding shoes are arranged annularly around the outer periphery of the outer tube AR in two guide regions FB1, FB2. The guide regions FB1, FB2 are spaced apart from one another to a certain extent to prevent tilting of the inner tube IR in the outer tube AR. At the same time, however, both guide regions FB1, FB2 are arranged close enough to the open end of the outer tube AR such that, even when the inner tube IR has been almost fully extended, the inner tube is guided in both guide regions FB1, FB2, and reliable, tilting-free guidance thus continues to be ensured.

[0026] FIG. 2 shows the telescopic strut in accordance with the invention in a perspective view, on the one hand from a first, upper side, and on the other hand from a second, lower side. The reference designations already introduced in FIG. 1 also apply to FIG. 2 and to all subsequent figures. In addition to the illustration from FIG. 1, FIG. 2 illustrates the sliding shoes G, which are fastened in the wall of the outer tube AR from the outside via in each case 6 screws. By contrast to FIG. 1, in which the inner tube IR has been pushed into the outer tube AR from the left-hand side in the illustration, it is the case in FIG. 2 that the inner tube IR has been pushed into the right-hand end of the outer tube AR. Correspondingly, in FIG. 2, the guide regions FB1, FB2 with the sliding shoes G are situated at the right-hand, open end of the outer tube AR.

[0027] FIG. 3 shows a detail illustration of the installed sliding shoes G in the vicinity of the open end of the outer tube AR. Here, it is possible to see the substantially T-shaped cross section of the sliding shoes G, where the 6 screws via which the sliding shoe G is fastened are screwed into an overhanging region that bears against the outer tube AR from the outside, and where an integrally formed relatively small, cylindrical or rectangular part of the sliding shoe G projects through a corresponding opening of the outer tube AR in each case into the interior region of the outer tube AR and, via the bottom side, guides the inner tube IR. FIG. 3 also shows spacers D (distancing plates, “shims”) which, via their thickness, each define the depth to which the sliding shoe G penetrates into the interior region of the outer tube AR.

[0028] FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional illustration, transversely with respect to the longitudinal direction of the outer tube AR, in the region of the installed sliding shoes G. The inner tube is not illustrated in this illustration. It can be seen here that the sliding shoes G are encirclingly beveled, in the region of their sliding surface, with a bevel F. Otherwise, the guide surfaces of the sliding shoes G, i.e., the contact surfaces with respect to the inner tube IR, are substantially smooth in this exemplary embodiment. In other embodiments, in which a (preferably PTFE-based) lubricant is additionally used, the sliding surface may also have a texture, in the depressions of which the lubricant can adhere.

[0029] FIG. 5 likewise shows a cross-sectional illustration of the outer tube AR in the region of six installed sliding shoes G, with the inner tube IR also being illustrated in this illustration. A guide clearance SP (clearance) is indicated at the sliding shoes G of the narrow sides of the outer tube AR. The guide clearance is set by virtue of spacers D of greater or lesser thickness being introduced to shim the bearing surfaces of the outer tube AR in the region of the contact surfaces of the sliding shoe G.

[0030] A plastic, in particular based on a pure, ultra-high-molecular-weight, low-pressure polyethylene, has proven successful as a material for the sliding shoes in interaction with an inner tube IR composed of metal.

[0031] The sliding shoes proposed here are easy to manufacture, for example, by cutting machining. By virtue of the fact that a roller configuration with roller blocks can be omitted, welding distortion of the outer tube during the production process is reduced. As a result, the outer tube can be manufactured more exactly and is less expensive to produce. The configuration proposed here has the effect that the sliding shoes can be easily set or adjusted and can also be easily exchanged.

[0032] Thus, while there have been shown, described and pointed out fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the devices illustrated, and in their operation, may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, it is expressly intended that all combinations of those elements which perform substantially the same function in substantially the same way to achieve the same results are within the scope of the invention. Moreover, it should be recognized that structures and/or elements shown and/or described in connection with any disclosed form or embodiment of the invention may be incorporated in any other disclosed or described or suggested form or embodiment as a general matter of design choice. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the claims appended hereto.