Patent ID: 7329196

Claim:
A guide for a transmission device comprising: an elongated slide rail, said slide rail having a surface facing in a first direction, for sliding engagement with a traveling, endless, flexible transmission medium, and also having two opposite side walls; and a rail support, integral with the slide rail, said rail support being elongated in the direction of elongation of the slide rail and extending substantially perpendicular to the slide rail in a direction opposite to said first direction; wherein said slide rail is composed of a wear-resistant polymer resin, and said rail support comprises a core composed of a glass fiber-reinforced, high strength, polymer resin and a skin layer composed of the same wear-resistant, polymer resin of which said slide rail is composed; wherein the core layer, the skin layer and the slide rail are sandwich molded, said skin layer and said rail support are unitary, and a plurality of hollow cavities extend inwardly from both sides of said slide rail in directions transverse to the direction of elongation of the slide rail, the hollow cavities comprising at least one series of cavities, the cavities in each said series being distributed substantially uniformly throughout substantially the entire length of the slide rail, and each of said hollow cavities having at least one opening at one of said side walls of the slide rail, said hollow cavities forming surfaces for dissipating internal heat generated in the slide rail toward the sides of the slide rail; and wherein said core layer is entirely within said rail support, said hollow cavities are entirely within said slide rail, and said hollow cavities are spaced from said rail support.