Patent Publication Number: US-10329809-B2

Title: Rod guide

Description:
The present application claims priority from PCT Patent Application No. PCT/EP2013/001841 filed on Jun. 21, 2013, which claims priority from German Patent Application No. DE 20 2012 007 098.3 filed on Jul. 21, 2012, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. 
     1 FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention is directed to a rod guide for guiding lock rods at sheet metal cabinet doors or the like, comprising a carrier which can be fixed, e.g., spot-welded, on the inner surface of the door leaf, and a guide element which can be mounted on the carrier, which guide element forms a housing and has a guide surface having an adjustable distance from the inner surface of the door leaf when the rod is assembled, wherein the carrier which is spot-welded to the door leaf is a stud bolt with a circumferential thread, onto which stud bolt an adjusting screw or adjusting nut is screwed or can be screwed, and wherein the adjusting screw or the adjusting nut is rotatably supported at or in the guide element. 
     It is noted that citation or identification of any document in this application is not an admission that such document is available as prior art to the present invention. 
     A rod guide of the type mentioned above is already known, see DE 20 2007 005 424 U1. In this known construction of a rod guide having adjustability, it is disadvantageous that placing a screw or nut on the stud bolt and adjusting the distance of the guide surface from the door wall is laborious. The adjusting screw is arranged next to the rod, which leads to tilting forces. Further, the known rod guide requires a lot of space which is often not available. 
     A further disadvantage consists in that a tool, namely a screw driver, is required for adjusting the adjusting nut. 
     It is noted that in this disclosure and particularly in the claims and/or paragraphs, terms such as “comprises”, “comprised”, “comprising” and the like can have the meaning attributed to it in U.S. Patent law; e.g., they can mean “includes”, “included”, “including”, and the like; and that terms such as “consisting essentially of” and “consists essentially of” have the meaning ascribed to them in U.S. Patent law, e.g., they allow for elements not explicitly recited, but exclude elements that are found in the prior art or that affect a basic or novel characteristic of the invention. 
     It is further noted that the invention does not intend to encompass within the scope of the invention any previously disclosed product, process of making the product or method of using the product, which meets the written description and enablement requirements of the USPTO (35 U.S.C. 112), such that applicant(s) reserve the right to disclaim, and hereby disclose a disclaimer of any previously described product, method of making the product, or process of using the product. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is the object of the invention to avoid these disadvantages and to provide a rod guide which makes it possible to turn the adjusting screw or nut manually with few rotations and without a tool, requires little space and guides the rod coaxial to the carrier such as a welded stud. 
     The above-stated object is met in that the adjusting screw or adjusting nut has a circumferential surface for turning the adjusting nut or adjusting screw manually, which circumferential surface is accessible from the outside and is roughened or knurled or edged. 
     Adjustment is made considerably faster by means of these steps. 
     According to a further development of the invention, the housing forms one or two opposing orifices through which the circumferential surface projects outwards and can easily be gripped by the fingers of an operator. 
     According to a further arrangement, the one orifice, or at least one of the two orifices, is shaped in such a way that it allows the adjusting screw or the adjusting nut to be slid through laterally for assembly. 
     It is advantageous when the adjusting screw or adjusting nut is rotatably supported at both front sides in the housing so as to be fixed with respect to axial displacement. 
     According to yet another further development of the invention, the housing, in addition to being provided with the internal thread for the stud bolt having a first thread pitch (first threaded connection), is provided with a further (second) threaded connection with a second, larger thread pitch between the part of the rod guide forming the guide surfaces and the part of the rod guide which can be screwed on the stud bolt. 
     However, the further threaded connection can also be formed by a guide surface portion with external thread and a stud bolt portion with internal thread. 
     Alternatively, the further threaded connection can be formed by a guide surface portion with internal thread and a stud bolt portion with external thread. 
     The roughened or knurled or prismatic surface can be formed between the guide surface portion and the threaded connection portion. 
     The threads can also be arranged in such a way that they both work in the same direction when the nut is rotated and when the guide surface portion is fixed with respect to relative rotation. 
     Yet another further development is characterized in that the housing forms an undercut receiving space for supporting the adjusting screw or adjusting nut which in turn has a stub shaft which can be inserted laterally into the receiving space and has a protruding ring to be received in the undercut in a tongue-and-groove manner. 
     The receiving space can have a funnel-shaped entrance with flexible funnel walls for guiding the undercut portion of the stub shaft with a circular region adjoining the funnel for rotational support of the undercut portion of the stub shaft forming a circular cross section. 
     Yet another embodiment form of the rod guide is characterized in that a retaining nose which prevents or impedes the stub shaft from sliding out of the bearing support is arranged at the funnel entrance. 
     The housing and/or the adjusting screw or adjusting nut can be made of plastic (particularly PA, polyamide). 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1A  shows an exploded view of a first embodiment form of the rod guide according to the invention; 
         FIG. 1B  shows a side view of the assembled rod guide with inserted rod; 
         FIG. 1C  shows the rod guide according to  FIG. 1B , but in a different setting; 
         FIG. 1D  shows a sectional view along line A-A of  FIG. 1B ; 
         FIG. 1E  shows a sectional view along line B-B of  FIG. 1C ; 
         FIG. 1F  shows an enlarged sectional view along line D-D of  FIG. 1G ; 
         FIG. 1G  shows an enlarged view of the rod guide according to  FIG. 1C ; 
         FIG. 1H  shows a sectional view along line F-F of  FIG. 1G ; 
         FIG. 1I  shows a sectional view along line C-C of  FIG. 1G ; 
         FIG. 1J  shows a view similar to that in  FIG. 1G , but from the other side; 
         FIG. 1K  shows a sectional view along line E-E of  FIG. 1I ; 
         FIGS. 2A to 2E  show views corresponding to  FIGS. 1A to 1E  of a further embodiment form of the invention; 
         FIG. 2F  shows an enlarged illustration of the side view of the rod guide of  FIG. 2B ; 
         FIG. 2G  shows a sectional view along line C-C of  FIG. 2F ; 
         FIG. 2H  shows a sectional view along line D-D of  FIG. 2G ; 
         FIG. 2I  shows yet another enlarged view of the two portions of the arrangement according to  FIG. 2A  in perspective; 
         FIGS. 3A to 3E  show views corresponding to  FIGS. 2A to 2E  of yet a further embodiment form of the invention; 
         FIGS. 3F to 3I  show views corresponding to  FIGS. 2F to 2I ; 
         FIG. 4A  shows an axial sectional view of yet another embodiment form; 
         FIG. 4B  shows the two parts of the rod guide prior to plugging together according to the arrows; 
         FIG. 4C  shows a top view of the housing part; and 
         FIG. 4D  shows a top view of the adjusting nut part. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     It is to be understood that the figures and descriptions of the present invention have been simplified to illustrate elements that are relevant for a clear understanding of the present invention, while eliminating, for purposes of clarity, many other elements which are conventional in this art. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that other elements are desirable for implementing the present invention. However, because such elements are well known in the art, and because they do riot facilitate a better understanding of the present invention, a discussion of such elements is not provided herein. 
     The present invention will now be described in detail on the basis of exemplary embodiments. 
       FIG. 1A  shows a perspective view of an exploded arrangement of a first embodiment form of the rod guide  10  according to the invention which is suitable for guiding a lock rod  12  (round rod) or  14  (flat band), namely at sheet metal cabinet doors  16  or the like, comprising a carrier  18  which can be fixed, e.g., spot-welded, on the inner surface of the door leaf  16 , and a guide element which can be mounted on the carrier  18 , which guide element forms a housing  20  and has a guide surface  22  having an adjustable distance  24 —see  FIG. 1D  showing a sectional view along section line A-A of  FIG. 1B —from the inner surface of the door leaf  16 , wherein the carrier  18  which is welded or spot-welded to the door leaf is a stud bolt with a circumferential thread  28 , onto which stud bolt  18  an adjusting screw or adjusting nut  30  is screwed (see  FIG. 1D ), and wherein the adjusting screw or the adjusting nut  30  is rotatably supported in the guide element or housing  20  as is shown in  FIGS. 1B, 1C, 1D and 1E , wherein  FIG. 1B  shows the working position at a first distance position and  FIG. 1C  shows a working position with a larger distance  24 , wherein the working position is reached by turning the adjusting nut  30 , wherein the adjusting screw has a roughened or knurled or edged circumferential surface  36  which is accessible from the outside for rotating the adjusting nut or adjusting screw  30 . 
     The housing  20  has two opposing orifices  32 ,  34  ( FIG. 1H ) through which the circumferential surface  36  of the adjusting screw or nut  30  is accessible from the outside, e.g., in order to turn by operating the adjusting screw or adjusting nut  30  with the fingers of the operator. 
     As can be seen from  FIGS. 1F to 1I , at least one of the orifices  32 ,  34  is shaped in such a way that it allows the adjusting screw or the adjusting nut  30  to be slid through laterally for assembly thereof. 
     To this end, two axial projections  40 ,  42  emerge from the side walls of the adjusting screw or adjusting nut  30  for rotational support, which axial projections  40 ,  42  are held in a corresponding cavity in the housing  20  by housing walls  38  from which spring legs  44 ,  46  emerge. The spring legs  44 ,  46  flex away when the nut  30  is inserted owing to the conical receiving space  48  formed by them so that, after insertion and after the mounted position is achieved, the spring legs  44 ,  46  along with the side wall projections springingly wrap around the axial projection  40 ,  42  and rotatably support the nut  30  accordingly. The nut  30 , including axial projections  40 ,  42 , is drilled through and provided with an internal thread  50 . This threaded bore hole  50  can receive the bolt with the circumferential thread  28 , wherein the distance of the nut from the support surface of die thin wall  26  can be adjusted by the rotating process at the nut  30 . The adjusting nut is supported on the housing ends by end faces  52 ,  54  and accordingly provides a stable connection between housing  20  and welded stud  18  on the one hand and housing  20  and guide surface  22  on the other hand. 
       FIGS. 2A to 2I  show an embodiment form in which the housing  120 —see particularly the embodiment form shown in  FIG. 2A —is a rod guide  110  in which the housing  120 , aside from being provided with the internal thread  150  for the stud bolt  18  with a first small thread pitch, is provided with a second, larger thread pitch with a further threaded connection between the part  56  forming the guide surfaces  122  and the part  58  which can be screwed onto the threaded bolt or stud bolt  18 . 
     As a result of the different pitches of the two threaded connections, when the component part  130  is rotated, a small axial movement on the stud bolt  18  is realized in relation to a large axial movement of component part  130  on the thread  60  of part  56  in the same direction or in the opposite direction, depending on whether a left-hand thread or right-hand thread is required, resulting in a net displacement which is used to adjust the rod guide with respect to the distance of the rod guide from contact surface  122  and inner surface  26  of door leaf  16  without needing to remove the rod from the guide. 
       FIGS. 2A to 2I  show an embodiment form in which the threaded connection of a guide surface part with external thread and a stud bolt part with internal thread is realized. When component part  130  is rotated, parts  120  and  130  are displaced in the same direction with respect to the stud bolt  18  as can be seen from  FIGS. 2D and 2E . 
     In the embodiment form in  FIGS. 3A to 3I , the threaded connection of a guide surface part with internal thread and a stud bolt part with external thread is formed. 
     In the embodiment form according to  FIGS. 3A to 3I , the threaded connection is formed by a guide surface part with internal thread and a stud bolt part with external thread. The pitches are also different in this case so that there is an approximately three-fold net movement of the part  220  forming the guide surface  222  and the door leaf  26  relative to the movement on the stud bolt  18 , which together results in a four-fold total movement. 
       FIGS. 3B and 3D  show a position with minimal distance, while  FIGS. 3C and 3E  show a certain distance. 
       FIG. 4A  shows an axial sectional view of yet another embodiment form of the rod guide  310  according to the invention which is likewise suitable for guiding a round rod  12  or a flat rod, not shown, or other shape of guide rod. In this case, the housing  356  comprises an undercut receiving space  76 —see  FIG. 4B —which serves to support the adjusting screw or adjusting nut  358  which in turn has a stub shaft  78  which can be inserted laterally into the receiving space  76  and has a protruding ring  80  to be received in the undercut  82  in the manner of a tongue-and-groove joint. Here again, a stud bolt  18  which can be screwed into a suitable threaded bore hole  350  by which the nut  30  can be screwed on serves as carrier. As can be seen from the top view in  FIG. 4C , the receiving space  76  forms a funnel-shaped entrance  348  with flexible funnel walls  344 ,  346 , wherein the flexibility is ensured through the choice of corresponding materials, e.g., PA or polyamide. After snapping into the undercut portion  82  of the stub shaft  78  with a circular region  84  adjoining the funnel  348  for rotational support of the undercut portion  86  of the stub shaft  78  forming a circular cross section, an axially rigid pivot bearing results. 
     A retaining nose  88 —see  FIG. 4C —can be provided at the entrance to the funnel, which retaining nose  88  prevents or impedes the stub shaft  78  from sliding out of the bearing  84  in that it abuts against the edge or ring  80  as can be seen from  FIG. 4C . A similar effect is exhibited by the circular shape of the circular region  84  which extends over an angle of more than 180° and accordingly also forms a narrowing which strives to retain the inserted circular ring  86  and to release it only through a certain pressure such that, for example, it is possible to change the opening direction of the door, which involves a conversion of the lock rod  12 . 
     At the same time, ring  80  in the component  358  forming the rod guide forms a pivot beating so that the nut  330  can be rotated with the fingers because of the rough surface  336 , wherein the distance of the contact surface  322  from the plane  16  of the door leaf  16  is adjusted and it is accordingly possible to adapt to the respective conditions of the lock rod  12 . 
     The invention is commercially applicable in switch cabinet construction, for example. 
     While this invention has been described in conjunction with the specific embodiments outlined above, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the preferred embodiments of the invention as set forth above are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventions as defined in the following claims. 
     LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS 
     
         
           10 ,  110 ,  210 ,  310  rod guide 
           12  lock rod (round) 
           14  lock rod (flat) 
           16  sheet metal cabinet door 
           18  carder 
           20 ,  120  housing 
           22 ,  122 ,  222  guide surface 
           24  distance 
           26  inner surface 
           28  circumferential thread 
           30 ,  130  adjusting screw, adjusting nut 
           32  orifice 
           34  orifice 
           36 ,  136 ,  336  circumferential surface 
           38  housing wall 
           40  axial projection 
           42  axial projection 
           44 ,  344  spring leg 
           46 ,  346  spring leg 
           48 ,  348  funnel aperture 
           50 ,  150 ,  250 ,  350  threaded bore hole 
           52  end trace 
           54  end face 
           56 ,  256 ,  356  first portion (forms the guide surfaces) 
           58 ,  258 ,  358  second portion (can be screwed onto stud bolt) 
           60 ,  260  first thread pitch 
           62  second thread pitch 
           64  external thread 
           66  internal thread 
           68  external thread 
           70  internal thread 
           72  first threaded connection 
           74  second threaded connection 
           76  receiving space, undercut 
           78  stub shaft 
           80  ring 
           82  undercut 
           84  circular region 
           86  undercut area 
           88  retaining nose