Patent ID: 6200031
Filing Date: 2001-03-13
Classification: B23Q,F16C

Abstract:
A linear guide arrangement, comprising:a guide rail having an axis and at least one guide carriage, movable on the guide rail in the direction of the axis, which runs on the guide rail with intermediacy of at least one endless rolling-element circuit;said rolling-element circuit including a bearing row of rolling elements in simultaneous engagement with a bearing rolling-element raceway of the guide rail and a bearing rolling-element raceway of the guide carriage, a returning row of rolling elements in a rolling-element return guide of the guide carriage and curved rows of rolling elements which connect the bearing row of rolling elements and the returning row of rolling elements together at their ends and run in curved rolling-element guides of the guide carriage;said guide carriage including a guide carriage housing and a carriage member made separately from and accommodated within the guide carriage housing; said guide carriage housing comprising at least one side panel adjacent to the rolling-element circuit and substantially parallel to the axial direction, and at least one end plate adjacent to one of the curved rows of rolling elements and substantially orthogonal to the axial direction;said bearing row of rolling elements running on the carriage member;a reversing body, made separately from the carriage member and the guide carriage housing, inserted axially between the carriage member and the end plate, said reversing body participating in establishing a respective one of said curved rolling-element guides, the reversing body and the carriage member being held together in correct position by the guide carriage housing;a positioning well being confined by said guide carriage housing for accommodating said carrige member and said reversing body, said positioning well having lead-in surfaces defining a direction of insertion for said carriage member and said reversing body,said reversing body and said carriage member having respective positioning surfaces, which are effective to secure a correct operational position of said reversing body with respect to said carriage member, andat least one snap element securing said carriage member and said reversing body in a correct operational position with respect to said guide carriage housing in response to insertion movement along said direction of insertion, said snap element maintaining mutual engagement of said positioning surfaces.