Sealing for a piston chamber
A rodless slide assembly is provided having first and second longitudinally extending chambers. A piston assembly is disposed in the first longitudinally extending chamber and is movable relative thereto. A slide assembly is disposed in the second longitudinally extending chamber and also movable relative thereto.
The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent apploication Ser. No. 11/062,042 filed on Feb. 18, 2005, entitled Rodless Slide Assembly, which is related to and claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/706,155 filed on Nov. 12, 2003, entitled Rodless Slide Assembly, which is related to and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application, Ser. No. 60/426,521, filed on Nov. 15, 2002, entitled Dual Chamber Rodless Slide. The subject matter disclosed in that provisional application is hereby expressly incorporated into the present application.
TECHNICAL FIELDThe present disclosure relates to slide mechanisms, and more particularly, to rodless slide assemblies and improvements thereto.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARYTypical rodless slide assemblies include an elongated chamber having a movable saddle disposed thereon. A piston assembly is located within the chamber and is moveable reciprocally under fluid pressure within the chamber. The slide assembly is “rodless” because there is no piston rod attached to the piston assembly. Conventional rodless slide assemblies include a portion of the piston assembly extending through a slot disposed in the chamber. This portion of the piston assembly is coupled externally to the saddle which moves with the piston assembly. It is upon this saddle that a tool or a work piece can be mounted or secured for use in manufacturing facilities or workstations, for example.
The piston assembly is sealed from the saddle by means of a sealing strip or band located over the periphery of the slot. Conventionally, the portion of the piston assembly that extends through the slot does so between the periphery of the slot and the sealing strip. When the piston assembly moves, a portion of the sealing strip is separated from the periphery of the slot. After the piston passes, the strip or band is resiliently repositioned over the slot to seal the same from the exterior.
It would be beneficial to provide a rodless slide assembly as an alternative configuration to perform the above-described and other functions of rodless slide assemblies.
Accordingly, an illustrative embodiment of a rodless slide assembly is provided herein comprising first and second longitudinally extending chambers. The second longitudinally extending chamber is located adjacent the first longitudinally extending chamber and is in communication therewith. A piston assembly is disposed in the first longitudinally extending chamber and is movable relative thereto. A slide assembly is disposed in the second longitudinally extending chamber and is movable relative thereto. The piston assembly is coupled to the slide assembly.
In the above and other illustrative embodiments, the rodless slide assembly may also comprise: a longitudinally extending slot located between first and second longitudinally extending chambers; a slot providing communication between chambers; a linear seal being positioned between first and second longitudinally extending chambers; a piston seal being located in a first longitudinally extending chamber; a piston seal having a cavity that is complimentarily shaped and engages a portion of a linear seal; a first longitudinally extending chamber receiving first and second piston seals with a piston assembly located therebetween; a second longitudinally extending chamber having a longitudinally extending channel disposed therein; a slide assembly comprising a bearing member extending therefrom; a bearing member being located in a longitudinally extending channel and being configured for movement therein; the bearing member being a bearing rail; a grommet being attachable to a piston assembly and coupling to a slide assembly so that actuation of a piston assembly causes the slide assembly to move; a longitudinally extending opening being disposed through a second longitudinally extending chamber; a longitudinally extending cover being positioned over the opening; a portion of a slide assembly extending from an opening, and receiving a portion of the cover and attaching to an outer cap; a slide assembly comprising a bearing member extending therefrom and engaging the inner surface of a second longitudinally extending chamber; a slide assembly comprising a plurality of bearings, each configured to engage the inner surface of a second longitudinally extending chamber; a slide assembly comprising a body that is selectively expandable and contractible to adjust tolerance between a plurality of bearings and the inner surface of a second longitudinally extending chamber; and expandability of a slide assembly being accomplished by at least one slot and one fastener wherein the fastener can either separate or contract the slot to either selectively expand or contract the slide assembly.
Another illustrative embodiment provides a rodless slide assembly comprising a piston assembly, a longitudinally extending chamber and a slide assembly. The slide assembly is located and moveable within the longitudinally extending chamber. The piston assembly is in communication with the slide assembly and is located exterior of the longitudinally extending chamber.
In the above and other illustrative embodiments, the rodless slide assembly may also comprise: a piston assembly being located in another longitudinally extending chamber; a slide assembly being connected to a saddle located exterior of the longitudinally extending chamber; a piston assembly being spaced apart from a slide assembly; a slide assembly being movable in a plane that is located substantially parallel to a piston assembly; a slide assembly being connected to a saddle located exterior of the longitudinally extending chamber; a longitudinally extending chamber being located in a housing and being positioned substantially parallel to another longitudinally extending chamber that receives a piston assembly; and a housing having a slot disposed therein which provides communication between piston and slide assemblies.
Another illustrative embodiment provides a rodless slide assembly comprising a piston and a slide. Both the piston and slide are located within a housing. The piston is actuated for reciprocal movement and the slide is attached to the piston for concurrent movement therewith. In addition, the slide and piston are located in separate chambers.
In the above and other illustrative embodiments, the rodless slide assembly may also comprise: the chambers being located substantially parallel to each other; and a saddle being attached to a slide and located exterior of a housing.
Another illustrative embodiment provides a rodless slide assembly comprising first and second longitudinally extending chambers, a piston assembly, a slide assembly, an arm, a carriage and a saddle. The second longitudinally extending chamber is located adjacent the first longitudinally extending chamber. The chambers have a slot located therebetween. The piston assembly is located in the first longitudinally extending chamber and is moveable relative thereto. The slide assembly is located in the second longitudinally extending chamber and is movable relative thereto. The arm is located in the slot and is attached to the piston assembly and to the slide assembly. The second longitudinally extending chamber includes a longitudinally extending opening. The carriage extends from the longitudinally extending opening. The saddle is attached to the carriage and is located exterior of the second longitudinally extending chamber.
Another illustrative embodiment provides a rodless slide assembly comprising first and second longitudinally extending chambers. The first chamber comprises a powered actuation means, and the second chamber comprises a slide means. The slide means engages the actuation means as well as an attachment means located exterior of the rodless slide assembly.
Additional features and advantages of the rodless slide assembly will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of the illustrated embodiment exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the dual chamber rodless slide assembly as presently perceived.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGSThe present disclosure will be described hereafter with reference to the attached drawings which are given as non-limiting examples only, in which:
A perspective view of a dual chamber rodless slide assembly 2 is shown in
An exploded view of one illustrative embodiment of a dual chamber rodless slide assembly 40 is shown in
It is appreciated that body 42 may be made from either one or a plurality of extruded aluminum sections and may be anodized to protect its surface. The extrusion may incorporate the bore of the cylinder or chamber, the geometry for mounting the slide block rail, and the grooves in the slide chamber for the bearing members. Again, it is appreciated that body 42 may be composed of one or more components. For example, separate extrusions can be made for the piston chamber 48 and the slide chamber 50, with the two attached to form a complete body.
Grommet 64 is illustratively fitted into a pocket 72 formed in piston 56, illustratively, between slot portions 70. It is appreciated that grommet 64 provides support and guidance for linear seal 66, as well as allowing piston assembly 44 to float in alignment with slide assembly 46. (See, also,
It is appreciated that piston 56 can be made from aluminum tubing, for example, with piston caps 58 pinned thereto with fasteners 62. It is further appreciated that piston assembly 44, or even piston 56 itself, can be machined to accept any array of optional switches, switch magnets, or sensors. It is also contemplated that piston caps 58 can be machined with radius and angles to guide linear seal 66 during assembly and automatic cycling.
Piston seals 60 may illustratively be made from a polyurethane or other plastic or rubber-like material. The edges of seals 60 may be rounded to keep the seal from removing any grease lubrication located on the periphery of piston chamber 48. (See, also,
A slide assembly 46 is configured to be received within slide chamber 50. In this illustrative embodiment, slide assembly 46 comprises slide blocks 74, 75, and a carriage 76. In this illustrative embodiment, slide block rail 77 is attached to the underside of slide blocks 74 and 75. A longitudinally extending nut 78 is configured to be fitted within rail slot 80. (See, also,
Nut 78 is configured to attach rail 77 in chamber 50. It is appreciated that nut 78 can alternatively be a plurality of nuts located in slot 80. It is further appreciated that rail 77 can be attached to chamber 50 in any variety of ways as an alternative to nut 78 and fasteners 82. In this illustrative embodiment, carriage 76 is located on top of blocks 74, 75, opposite rail 77. Fasteners 84 illustratively attach carriage 76 to blocks 74, 75. It is appreciated, however, that rail 77 can be located anywhere in chamber 50. It is further appreciated that the blocks and rails can be made from any suitable materials, including hardened stainless steel, for example. It is further appreciated that the slide assembly may be used without any rail, and that the slide and carriage may be separate structures. In other illustrative embodiments, however, the slide and carriage may be a unitary structure.
A slot 86 is formed in carriage 76 and is configured to receive a portion of band 16. An arm 88 is attached to assembly 46, as well as connects to piston assembly 44 so that, as fluid powers piston assembly 44, any movement that results thereto translates into movement of slide assembly 46. In this illustrative embodiment, at least a portion of arm 88 is disposed within slot 52 of body 42 in order to connect assemblies 44 and 46 together. For example, arm 88 engages grommet 64 of piston assembly 44, and is located adjacent linear seal 66 so that assemblies 44 and 46 can move concurrently without fluid, that is powering piston assembly 44, leaking from chamber 48 to chamber 50.
Saddle assembly 10 is located exterior of body 42, as previously shown in
Also shown in
Carriage 76 is shown attached at its lower end to blocks 74 and 75. In this illustrative embodiment, carriage 76 includes a neck 114 that extends upwardly through opening 54 to the exterior of body 42. In this illustrative embodiment, carriage 76 flares outwardly from neck 114 to form the extending portions 100 as shown therein. Also shown is slot 86 formed at the upper periphery of carriage 76 and bounded at its top end by the lower portion of saddle 90. Illustratively, locating guide pins 116 are disposed within openings 118 and 120 of carriage 76 and saddle 90, respectively. This arrangement helps ensure proper alignment between the saddle 90 and the carriage 76. Also shown in this view is scraper 94, which engages the upper surface of assembly 40, again, to prevent excessive contaminants from affecting the operation of the assembly. It is appreciated that scraper 94 can be made from a flexible material, such as polyurethane. Additionally, shown at the periphery of opening 54 are magnetic strips 98 which are configured to engage and hold band 16. (See, also,
An exploded view of another illustrative embodiment of a dual chamber rodless slide assembly 130 is shown in
A cross-sectional view of the dual chamber rodless slide assembly 130 is shown in
Further assisting in providing the proper tolerance between slide assembly 132 and slide chamber 140 is the ability of sizing slots 144 and 146 to be adjustable, as previously discussed. For example, set screw 148 can be disposed within bore 150 and engage slot 144. Disposing set screw 148 further within slot 144, block 134 will be caused to expand. Conversely, retracting set screw 148 from slot 144 causes block 134 to contract. Similarly, another set screw 148, located within another bore 150, can be disposed into slot 146 such that, as the set screw 148 tightens, it too expands the space 156, thereby expanding the cross-sectional area of block 134. Depending on the adjustments made to set screws 148, the proper tolerances between block 134, bearing members 136, and longitudinally extending arcuate channels 152 of chamber 140 can be optimized to allow proper movement of assembly 132 within chamber 140. Locking bolts 190 are disposed in bores 192 to lock the size of block 134. (See, also,
It is appreciated that in
A top, cross-sectional view of the interior of dual chamber rodless slide assembly 40 is shown in
Also depicted in
Fluid ports 170 and 172, which are in fluid communication with fluid controls 24 and 26, respectively, are shown in
Conversely, to move piston assembly 44 in direction 12, fluid is supplied into fluid port 172 which deposits the same in bore 178. Stud 180, extending from piston cap 58, begins to move in response to the force created by the increasing amounts of fluid entering thereto. In this case, the fluid entering chamber 48 between seals 60 and 104, too, requires additional space and, therefore, forces piston assembly 44 in direction 12. As also previously discussed, the slide assembly being attached to piston assembly 44 via arm 88, as well as carriage 76 and saddle assembly 10 being attached to slide assembly 46, will all move concurrently with the movement of piston assembly 44 in direction 12. Seals 105 are illustratively located about the periphery of studs 176 and 180.
Perspective, partially cut-away views of dual chamber rodless slide assembly 40 are shown in
A perspective, partially cut-away view of dual chamber rodless slide assembly 130 is shown in
Perspective, partially cut-away views of dual chamber rodless slide assembly 130 are also shown in
A detail, sectional view of a portion of dual chamber rodless slide assembly 40 and 130 is shown in
Perspective, cut-away and detail views of dual chamber rodless slide assembly 130 are shown in
Partially cut-away, perspective views of dual chamber rodless slide assembly 40 are shown in
Several views illustrating how linear seal 66 maintains its sealing effect at the peripheries of piston assembly 44 are shown in
A detailed exploded perspective view of piston seal 60 and a portion of linear seal 66 is shown in
A channel 224 is formed in piston seal 60 to provide an outward bias to the seal 60 against the walls of chamber 48. This is accomplished by fluid entering the channel 224 which attempts to expand the walls of the channel. This puts expansive pressure on the periphery of the seal. The channel sizes formed within piston seal 60 can vary, however. For example, in
A top, cross-sectional view of a portion of dual chamber rodless slide assembly 40 is shown in
In order to prevent an excess build up of pressure within the portion of chamber 48 shown in
The illustrative embodiment shown in
Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to particular means, materials and embodiments, from the foregoing description, one skilled in the art can easily ascertain the essential characteristics of the present disclosure and various changes and modifications may be made to adapt the various uses and characteristics without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the following claims.
Claims
1. (cancel)
2. A rodless piston chamber assembly comprising:
- a body having a longitudinally extending chamber defined by an inner wall disposed within the body, and a longitudinally extending slot extending from the inner wall of the longitudinally extending chamber;
- wherein the slot provides communication interiorly and exteriorly of the longitudinally extending chamber;
- a piston seal located within the longitudinally extending chamber and engagable with the inner wall of the longitudinally extending chamber; and
- a longitudinally extending band seal located at the longitudinally extending slot and configured to provide a barrier between the interior and exterior of the longitudinally extending chamber;
- wherein the band seal is characterized by a convex-shaped head directed toward the longitudinally extending chamber, and configured to engage a corresponding concave-shaped cavity in the piston seal to allow the piston seal to move with respect to the band seal.
3. The rodless piston chamber assembly of claim 2, wherein longitudinally spaced apart legs extend from the band seal and into the slot.
4. The rodless piston chamber assembly of claim 3, wherein the spaced apart legs are configured with a bias that causes the legs to oppose each other.
5. The rodless piston chamber assembly of claim 3, wherein the longitudinally extending slot is defined by opposing spaced apart walls, and the legs of the band seal further comprise feet extending therefrom each configured to engage one of the opposing spaced apart side walls.
6. The rodless piston chamber assembly of claim 5, wherein the feet assist retaining the legs in the slot, and the legs are each located adjacent but spaced apart from their respective sidewall of the slot.
7. The rodless piston chamber assembly of claim 6, wherein the feet assist keeping the band seal longitudinally centered in the longitudinally extending slot.
8. The rodless piston chamber assembly of claim 2, wherein a corner of the concave-shaped cavity in the piston seal engages a corner of the band seal adjacent the convex-shaped head which engages the inner wall of the longitudinally extending chamber.
9. A rodless piston chamber assembly comprising:
- a body having a longitudinally extending chamber defined by an inner wall disposed within the body, and a longitudinally extending slot extending from the inner wall of the longitudinally extending chamber;
- wherein the slot provides communication interiorly and exteriorly of the longitudinally extending chamber;
- a piston seal located within the longitudinally extending chamber and engagable with the inner wall of the longitudinally extending chamber; and
- a longitudinally extending band seal located at the longitudinally extending slot and configured to provide a barrier between the interior and exterior of the longitudinally extending chamber;
- wherein the band seal is characterized by a convex-shaped head directed inwardly toward the longitudinally extending chamber.
10. The rodless piston chamber assembly of claim 9, wherein longitudinally spaced apart legs extend from the band seal and into the slot.
11. The rodless piston chamber assembly of claim 10, wherein the spaced apart legs are configured with a bias that causes the legs to oppose each other.
12. The rodless piston chamber assembly of claim 11, wherein the longitudinally extending slot is defined by opposing spaced apart walls, and the legs of the band seal further comprise feet extending therefrom each configured to engage one of the opposing spaced apart side walls.
13. The rodless piston chamber assembly of claim 12, wherein the legs are each located adjacent but spaced apart from their respective sidewall of the slot.
14. The rodless piston chamber assembly of claim 13, wherein the feet assist keeping the band seal longitudinally centered in the longitudinally extending slot.
15. A rodless piston chamber assembly comprising:
- a body having a longitudinally extending chamber defined by an inner wall disposed within the body, and a longitudinally extending slot extending from the inner wall of the longitudinally extending chamber;
- wherein the slot has opposing spaced-apart sidewalls, and provides communication interiorly and exteriorly of the longitudinally extending chamber;
- a piston seal located within the longitudinally extending chamber and engagable with the inner wall of the longitudinally extending chamber; and
- a longitudinally extending band seal located at the longitudinally extending slot and configured to provide a barrier between the interior and exterior of the longitudinally extending chamber;
- wherein the band seal is characterized by spaced-apart legs that comprise feet extending therefrom;
- wherein each foot is configured to engage one of the opposing spaced-apart sidewalls.
16. The rodless piston chamber assembly of claim 15, wherein the feet assist retaining the legs in the slot, and the legs are each located adjacent but spaced apart from their respective sidewall of the slot.
17. The rodless piston chamber assembly of claim 15, wherein the band seal is made from a resilient material.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 8, 2005
Publication Date: Nov 10, 2005
Inventors: Glen Morr (Churubusco, IN), Larry Keeling (Fort Wayne, IN), Scott Shepherd (Hoagland, IN)
Application Number: 11/147,817