Patent Application
20090310892
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a linear motion guide apparatus, and more particularly to a linear motion guide apparatus including one or more dust wipers or sealing members changeably attached to or disengaged from the linear motion guide apparatus for forming different or changeable sealing structures and for changeably sealing the linear motion guide apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Typical linear motion guide devices comprise a slider or slide block slidably attached onto a guide rail, and normally, a ball bearing device disposed between the slider and the guide rail for facilitating the sliding movement between the slider and the guide rail and for allowing the slider and the guide rail to be smoothly moved relative to each other.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,854,741 to Mottate et al. discloses one of the typical linear motion rolling guide units comprising a slider or slide block slidably attached onto a guide rail, and a number of holding plates attached or secured onto the slide block with fasteners and each having a soft rubber member for engaging with the guide rail and for making a tight seal between the slide block and the guide rail and for wiping off the dust or particles or the like that may be engaged into the space formed between the slide block and the guide rail.
However, the holding plates are solidly attached or secured onto the slide block with the fasteners and may not be easily and quickly changed to the other holding plates, or may not be easily and quickly changed to the other sealing structures or sealing conditions.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,209,575 to Ohtake, U.S. Pat. No. 5,360,271 to Agari, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,030,124 to Moseberg et al. disclose three further typical linear motion rolling guide units each also comprising a slider or slide block slidably attached onto a guide rail, and two seals or wiper devices attached onto the two sides of the slide block or the end caps and having a soft rubber lips or lip portions for engaging with the guide rail and for making a tight seal between the slide block and the guide rail and for wiping off the dust or particles or the like that may be engaged into the space formed between the slide block and the guide rail.
However, similarly, the dust proof wiper devices or seals are also solidly secured onto the end cap or the slide block and may not be easily and quickly changed to the other holding plates, or may not be easily and quickly changed to the other sealing structures or sealing conditions.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional linear motion guide devices.
The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a linear motion guide apparatus including one or more dust wipers or sealing members changeably attached to or disengaged from the linear motion guide apparatus for forming different or changeable sealing structures and for changeably sealing the linear motion guide apparatus.
The other objective of the present invention is to provide a linear motion guide apparatus including two pairs of dust wipers or sealing members changeably attached to or disengaged from the end caps for allowing the end caps and the sealing members to be easily and quickly manufactured in a mass production and to be easily and quickly assembled together in order to reduce or decrease the manufacturing cost for the linear motion guide apparatus.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a linear motion guide apparatus comprising a guide rail, a slider slidably attached onto the guide rail for moving along the guide rail, two end caps attached to two ends of the slider respectively, and each end cap including a channel formed between two legs, two first sealing members selectively attached to the legs and located at two opposite side portions of the guide rail, and each first sealing member including a wiping member for engaging with the guide rail, and two second sealing members selectively and changeably attached to the legs and located at two opposite side portions of the guide rail, and each second sealing member including a wiping member for engaging with the guide rail, and the first sealing members being located closer to the guide rail than the second sealing members, the first and the second sealing members may be selectively and changeably attached to the legs, or may be attached to the legs simultaneously for forming different or changeable sealing structures and for changeably sealing the guide rail.
The end caps each include a first anchoring slot formed in each of the legs and communicating with the channel of the end cap for attaching the first sealing members, and a second anchoring slot formed in each of the legs and communicating with the channel of the end cap for selectively attaching the other or the second sealing members.
The first sealing members each include at least one catch for detachably engaging with the first anchoring slots of the end caps, and the second sealing members each include at least one catch for detachably engaging with the second anchoring slots of the end caps and for detachably anchoring the first and the second sealing members to the end caps.
The end caps each include a first extension for forming the first anchoring slot of the end cap, and a second extension for forming the second anchoring slot of the end cap, and the first extension is preferably extended closer to the guide rail than the second extension.
The first extension is preferably located between the first and the second anchoring slots of the end caps for engaging with the first sealing members.
Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.
Referring to the drawings, and initially to
Two end caps 20 are disposed on the two ends or end portions or outer portions of the slider 13 and attached or secured to the slider 13 with such as fasteners or latches (not shown) or the like. The end caps 20 each include a channel 21 formed in the lower portion thereof (FIGS. 1 and 3-6) for slidably receiving or engaging onto the guide rail 10, and each include two legs 22, 23 for forming the channel 21 or having the channel 21 formed between the legs 22, 23 for stably engaging onto the guide rail 10. The above-described structure including the ball bearing device 80 and the slider 13 and the guide rail 10 is not related to the present invention and will not be described in further details.
The linear motion guide apparatus 1 in accordance with the present invention further includes a wiper or sealing structure or device 3 having two pairs of dust wipers or sealing members 30, 31; 32, 33 (
For example, the end caps 20 each include two or more anchoring slots 24, 25 formed in each of the legs 22, 23 and facing toward the channel 21 of the end cap 20 and/or communicating with the channel 21 of the end cap 20, and each include one or more extensions 26, 27 extended therefrom for forming the anchoring slots 24, 25 thereof and for engaging with the sealing members 30, 31; 32, 33 and for stably anchoring or positioning the sealing members 30, 31; 32, 33 to the end caps 20, and the extension 26 is preferably formed or located between the anchoring slots 24, 25 of the end caps 20. The sealing members 30, 31; 32, 33 each may include one or more ears or flaps or catches 35 formed or provided therein for engaging with the anchoring slots 24, 25 of the end caps 20 and for anchoring or positioning the sealing members 30, 31; 32, 33 to the end caps 20 respectively.
In operation, as shown in
As shown in
It is to be noted that the extensions 26, 27 in each of the legs 22, 23 of the end caps 20 include different lengths, as best shown in
In operation, as shown in
It is further to be noted that the sealing members 30, 31; 32, 33 may be easily and quickly assembled to the end caps 20 without additional tools, fasteners and the like, in addition, the end caps 20 and the sealing members 30, 31; 32, 33 may be easily and quickly manufactured in a mass production and may be easily and quickly assembled together such that the manufacturing cost for the linear motion guide apparatus 1 may be decreased.
Accordingly, the linear motion guide apparatus in accordance with the present invention includes one or more dust wipers or sealing members changeably attached to or disengaged from the linear motion guide apparatus for forming different or changeable sealing structures and for changeably sealing the linear motion guide apparatus.
Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.
