Linear guide device

Abstract

A linear guide device includes a track (2) having a first traveler (8) extending in a longitudinal direction (L); a carriage (3) displaceable relative to the track (2) in the longitudinal direction (L) and having a second traveler (9) extending in the longitudinal direction (L); a retainer (4) displaceable relative to the track (2) and the carriage (3) in the longitudinal direction (L); and a coupling (6) wherein the coupling (6) is designed to simultaneously engage the first traveler (8) and the second traveler (9) so as to cause movement of the retainer (4) relative to the track (2) and / or the carriage (3) when the carriage (3) travels relative to the track (2) in the longitudinal direction (L). The coupling member (6) has at least one protrusion (43, 44) that interacts with the stop surfaces (13a, 14, 35a, 36) formed on the track and / or carriage to hold the coupling member (6) in the linear guide device (1).

Description

Linear guiding device The present invention relates to a linear guiding device. Linear guiding devices are used in many different application areas, for example, profile guides, measuring systems, linear worktables, roller worktables, positioning systems, etc. A linear guiding device is also referred to as a linear guide, which generally includes, for example, a fixedly mountable guide rail and a slide or carriage or worktable that linearly reciprocates in the longitudinal direction of the linear guiding device by means of rolling elements rotatably mounted on a cage. The rolling elements provided on the cage are in rolling contact with the track and in contact with the carriage, so that during the movement of the carriage relative to the guide rail, the cage can move relative to the track and relative to the carriage by a specified amount or stroke. In this case, the cage stroke ideally corresponds to half of the corresponding worktable stroke or carriage stroke. However, what actually occurs is that the cage stroke deviates from this ideal value, that is, the cage shifts, which is also referred to as cage creep. Therefore, during the execution of the stroke movement, the cage usually creeps continuously in one direction, that is, mainly downward in the vertical installation of the linear guiding device, and creeps in small increments each time. This cage creep will seriously affect the guiding function of the linear guiding device. Especially due to cage creep, the optimal load distribution may no longer be achieved. If a full stroke is required after multiple smaller strokes, the cage abuts against the end of the linear guiding device and can no longer extend smoothly, which results in the guide only being able to achieve additional displacement with an increased force consumption. This may cause damage such as wear of the sliding surface on the track or the rolling elements or deformation of the cage, and may even cause the rolling elements to fall off, the end to bend or break, and damage to the drive elements. Cage creep is also promoted by other factors, such as inaccurate guide rails, the geometry of the track and rolling elements, the vertical installation of the linear guiding device, uneven prestress (installation error), generated acceleration, adverse duty cycle, temperature difference, connection structure, and uneven load distribution. Cage creep can be prevented by providing active cage control, which is also referred to as restrictive cage guiding, and making the cage always move half of the stroke. DE 10 2015 205 922 A1 discloses a linear drive having a drive carriage which is movably mounted on a drive housing by means of rolling guides for a stroke movement. A coupling roller is rotatably mounted on a cage body of the rolling guides, and the coupling roller simultaneously abuts on rolling surfaces of the drive housing and the drive carriage. An outer surface of the coupling roller or one of the rolling surfaces is elastically soft, so that the coupling roller is prestressed against the two rolling surfaces and simultaneously achieves tolerance compensation. US 5,076,715 discloses a linear guide unit having a U-shaped workbench and a U-shaped track, and a mounting seat having rolling elements in the form of balls for achieving a relative linear movement between the workbench and the track. In order to prevent sliding, gears meshing with racks of the workbench and the track are provided on the mounting seat. One object of the present invention is to provide an alternative or improved linear guide device which can prevent cage creep and / or can simplify the assembly and installation of the linear guide device. This object is achieved by a linear guide device as described in claim 1. Further improvements of the present invention are defined in the dependent claims. The present invention relates to a linear guide device comprising a track having a first traveling device extending in a longitudinal direction; a carriage movable relative to the track in the longitudinal direction and having a second traveling device extending in the longitudinal direction; a cage movable relative to the track and the carriage in the longitudinal direction; and a coupling member designed to simultaneously engage the first traveling device and the second traveling device so as to cause the cage to move relative to the track and / or the carriage when the carriage travels relative to the track in the longitudinal direction. The coupling member has at least one protrusion which interacts with a stop surface formed on the track and / or the carriage to hold the coupling member in the linear guide device. In the linear guide device, the coupling member is preferably not fixed to the cage, so that the coupling member is mounted in a floating (not fixed) manner. At least one protrusion of the coupling member preferably abuts on the stop surface of the track and / or the carriage in a spaced-apart manner, especially when the carriage moves relative to the track in the longitudinal direction, which movement is also referred to as a stroke movement. The at least one protrusion of the coupling member preferably forms a shoulder which is designed to prevent an undesired displacement of the coupling member. For example, when the carriage moves relative to the track, the at least one protrusion can contact the stop surface and thereby laterally hold the coupling member in a traction manner. The at least one protrusion and the stop surface enable the coupling member to be held in the linear guide device in a form-fitting or spaced-apart manner, for example. Preferably, the coupling member is fixedly installed or held in the linear guiding device only through the interaction between the at least one protrusion and the stop surface. Preferably, the coupling member is not connected to the cage and / or the linear guiding device does not include a mounting member for holding or fixing the coupling member on the cage. In other words, the interaction between the at least one protrusion and the stop surface can preferably prevent movement from occurring at least in a direction transverse to, preferably perpendicular to, the longitudinal direction of the linear guiding device. At the same time, the linear guiding device allows the coupling member to move in the longitudinal direction relative to the guide rail and / or the carriage. Therefore, the coupling member is floatingly installed in the linear guiding device. In this case, the coupling member preferably serves as a driver, which causes the movement of the cage during the travel (stroke movement) of the carriage relative to the track, and this movement is also referred to as the cage stroke. In this way, active cage control or restricted cage guidance can be achieved. In particular, the linear guiding device can be a micro linear guiding device. For example, the assembly of the linear guiding device, especially the micro linear guiding device, can be simplified due to the non-installation of the coupling member, that is, it is not necessary to hold the coupling member on the cage through its shaft or protrusion. The coupling member is preferably implemented in the form of a gear, which is rotatably arranged in the linear guiding device about a rotation axis, wherein the rotation axis extends transverse to, preferably perpendicular to, the longitudinal direction, and the at least one protrusion extends away from the gear in the direction of the rotation axis. Additionally or alternatively, the first and / or second travel structures are preferably implemented in the form of racks. The design of the coupling member in the form of a gear and / or the design of the travel structure in the form of a rack enable, for example, easy implementation and / or cost-effective active cage control or restricted cage guidance. The cage preferably has a recess through which the coupling member extends, and the protrusion of the coupling member abuts on the boundary of the recess to cause the movement of the cage relative to the track and / or the carriage. This enables, for example, easy combination of the movement of the cage (cage stroke) with the movement of the carriage and / or the track. Preferably, at least one protrusion of the coupling member is substantially designed to be cylindrical, wherein the diameter of the cylindrical protrusion is smaller than the diameter of the coupling member. Furthermore, preferably, the cylindrical axis of the cylindrical protrusion extends parallel to, especially the same as, the rotation axis of the coupling member. For example, during the relative movement of the cage and the carriage and / or the track, the cylindrical protrusion can cause the protrusion to slide or traction move on the stop surface, and / or reduce the friction-related losses. The stop surface is preferably the boundary of the carriage and / or the track facing the cage, in particular the lower side of the carriage and / or the upper side of the track, so as to prevent the coupling member from moving in the direction of the track and / or the carriage. The radial circumferential surface of the cylindrical protrusion preferably abuts on the stop surface. This makes it possible, for example, to prevent the vertical movement of the coupling member respectively or to hold the coupling member stably in the vertical direction. Additionally or alternatively, the track and / or the carriage preferably have grooves, in particular grooves extending along the longitudinal direction and / or laterally of the first or second traveling device, and the stop surface is formed by the wall of the groove so as to prevent the coupling member from moving parallel to the carriage and / or the track. In particular, the groove can be realized in the form of a recess formed in the lower side of the carriage and / or the upper side of the guide rail, wherein one side surface of the groove preferably serves as the stop surface. This makes it possible, for example, to prevent the horizontal movement of the coupling member respectively or to hold the coupling member stably in the horizontal direction. The axial boundary of the cylindrical protrusion preferably abuts on the stop surface. It is also preferred that the coupling member has at least a first protrusion abutting on the groove of the track and / or the carriage and a second protrusion abutting on the boundary of the carriage and / or the track facing the cage, wherein the size of the first protrusion, in particular the diameter, is preferably larger than the size of the second protrusion, in particular the diameter. For example, the first protrusion and / or the second protrusion can be formed as shoulders, which can prevent the undesired displacement of the coupling member in the horizontal and / or vertical directions, that is, the displacement generally perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. During the movement of the carriage relative to the track, the at least one protrusion (shoulder) can respectively contact the groove or the boundary facing the cage, and thereby hold the coupling member in a laterally pulling manner. The cage is preferably arranged between the track and the carriage. Preferably, the cage optionally or also has a plurality of rolling elements, and the rolling elements respectively abut on the carriage and the track in a rollable manner. This makes it possible, for example, to easily realize the rolling element guidance for the movement of the carriage relative to the track. The rolling elements, also called rolling elements, are preferably rotatably mounted in the cage, and each rolling element abuts on the guide rail of the carriage and the guide rail of the track in a rollable manner at the same time. This makes it possible, for example, to move the cage relative to the track and relative to the carriage during the stroke movement of the carriage relative to the track in the longitudinal direction, in particular during half of the stroke. The carriage is preferably supported on the rolling elements perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and the cage is supported on the track via the rolling elements. The cage preferably has a body, preferably a substantially flat body, and two legs extending away from the body, preferably extending vertically, wherein the legs are designed to receive the track in an intermediate space formed between the inner legs. Additionally or alternatively, the carriage is designed in a substantially U-shaped manner in a plane extending perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, wherein the legs of the U-shaped carriage are designed to receive the cage in an intermediate space formed between the two legs. This makes it possible, for example, to provide a cage that is substantially U-shaped. Preferably, recesses are provided in the body of the cage, through which the coupling members extend, and / or the rolling elements are arranged on the legs of the cage. The legs of the carriage preferably have guide rails on their inner sides, along which the rolling elements can move. The track preferably has guide rails along which the rolling elements can move. Preferably, the carriage has a body, in particular a substantially planar body, on which the legs are arranged. The second traveling device and / or the stop surface are preferably arranged on the body of the carriage. The linear guiding device can also be designed conversely, that is, the legs of the cage can be designed to receive the carriage in an intermediate space formed between these legs, and the track can be designed in a U-shaped manner and receive the cage in an intermediate space formed between its legs. Preferably, the linear guiding device further includes a limit stop that restricts the movement of the cage relative to the track and / or the carriage in the longitudinal direction, wherein the limit stop is preferably implemented in the form of an oblong hole formed in the cage and a screw, pin or another protruding geometry that extends through the hole and is fastened to the track or the carriage. This makes it possible, for example, to easily restrict the movement of the cage in the longitudinal direction. Furthermore, preferably, the linear guiding device further includes a driver that is designed to drive the carriage so that it can move relative to the track in the longitudinal direction. Embodiments of the linear guiding device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8. The linear guiding device 1 has a track 2, a slider or carriage 3, and a cage 4 arranged between the track 2 and the carriage 3. The track 2, the carriage 3, and the cage 4 have a common longitudinal axis L. A plurality of rolling elements 5 are arranged on the cage 4, wherein the rolling elements respectively abut against the carriage 3 and the track 2 in a rollable manner. Therefore, the cage 4 is arranged on the track 2 so as to be able to move in the longitudinal direction L, and the carriage 3 is arranged on the cage 4 so as to be able to move in the longitudinal direction L. As shown in FIG. 1, the cage 4 is covered by the carriage 3. The linear guide device 1 also has a coupling in the form of a gear 6 which extends through a recess 7 formed in the cage 4 in order to engage corresponding travel devices of the track 2 and the carriage 3, wherein the travel devices are embodied in the form of racks 8, 9. In this embodiment, the track 2 has upper sides 11 which face the cage 4 and the carriage 3, respectively. The track 2 also has two side faces 12, each of which faces one of the legs 22a, 22b of the cage 4 which will be described in further detail below. The track 2 has a rack 8 which meshes with the gear 6 on its upper side 11. The rack 8 extends on the upper side 11 of the track 2 in the longitudinal direction L. The rack 8 is arranged non - centrally with respect to the central axis of the track 2 which extends in the longitudinal direction L. In other words, the rack 8 is offset in the direction of one side of the carriage with respect to the central axis. The track 2 also has two grooves 13 (see FIGS. 6 and 8) which extend in the longitudinal direction L on its upper side 11. In this embodiment, the grooves 13 are arranged on the sides of the rack 8 on the upper side 11 of the track 2. The grooves 13 are designed to open in the direction of the cage 4, i.e., to open upwards in this embodiment. They are designed to receive a first projection 43 of the gear 6 which will be described in further detail below. In this case, the side walls 13a of the grooves serve as stop surfaces for the first projection 43 of the gear (see FIGS. 6 and 8). Corresponding depressions 14 are optionally provided in the upper side 11 on the sides of the grooves 13 (reference FIGS. 6, 8), wherein, as will be described in detail below, the depressions serve as stop surfaces for a second projection 44 of the gear 6. Alternatively, the upper side 11 may also not have the depressions 14 and the second projection 44 of the gear 6 may directly abut on the upper side 11, in which case the upper side 11 forms the stop surface. Corresponding guide rails 15 which extend in the longitudinal direction L are provided on the side faces 12 of the track 2, wherein the rolling elements 5 of the cage 4 abut on the guide rails in a rollable manner. In FIGS. 1 and 2, the guide rails 15 are respectively embodied in the form of protrusions which are provided on the side surfaces 12 and on which the rolling elements rest. The cage 4 is supported on the guide rails 15 of the track by means of its rolling elements 5. The track 2 is preferably mounted in a fixed manner, for example, in a machine tool, a measuring system, etc. The cage 4 is designed substantially in a U-shape in a cross-section that passes through the linear guide 1 perpendicular to the longitudinal direction L. Specifically, the cage 4 includes a base body or substrate 21 that is designed substantially in a planar form in this embodiment, and two legs 22a, 22b that extend away from the substrate 21, preferably perpendicularly away. The legs 22a, 22b are designed to form an intermediate space between the legs that can at least partially accommodate the track 2. In this embodiment of the linear guide 1, the cage 4 is attached to the track 2 in an inverted U-shape (i.e., the substrate 21 faces upward and the U-shaped opening faces downward). The substrate 21 of the cage 4 has the above-mentioned recess 7 through which the gear 6 extends. In addition, the substrate 21 of the cage 4 also has an opening 25 (see FIG. 2), which is designed in the form of an oblong hole in the longitudinal direction L of the linear guide 1. A screw 10 (refer to FIGS. 1 and 7) fastened to the track 2 or the carriage 3 extends through the opening 25. The ends of the oblong hole 25 form limit stops in the longitudinal direction L to limit the movement of the cage 4 relative to the track 2 and / or the carriage 3 in the longitudinal direction L. The rolling elements 5 of the cage 4 are respectively arranged on the legs 22a, 22b of the cage. For this purpose, the rolling elements 5 are rotatably mounted in the legs 22a, 22b of the cage 4 and are spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction L, preferably at equal intervals. For example, the rolling elements 5 can be realized in the form of balls and / or rollers. They project from the legs 22a, 22b towards the inside and outside of the U-shaped cage 4 such that they are in rolling contact with the guide rails 15, 33 of the track 2 and the carriage 3. Therefore, the cage 4 is arranged to be movable relative to the track 2 and thus also relative to the carriage 3 in the longitudinal direction L. Similar to the cage 4, the carriage 3 is designed substantially in a U-shape in a cross-section that passes through the linear guide 1 perpendicular to the longitudinal direction L. Specifically, the carriage 3 includes a base body or substrate 31 that is designed substantially in a planar manner in this embodiment, and two legs 32a, 32b that extend away from the substrate 31, preferably perpendicularly. The legs 32a, 32b are designed to form an intermediate space between the legs that can at least partially accommodate the cage 4. In the embodiment of the linear guide 1 as shown in the figure, the carriage 3 is attached to the cage 4 in an inverted U-shape (i.e., the substrate 31 faces upward and the U-shaped opening faces downward). The carriage 3 has a rack 9 (see FIGS. 6 and 8) engaged with the gear 6 on the lower side 34 of the base plate 31, that is, on the boundary of the base plate 31 facing the cage 4 and the track 2. The rack 9 extends longitudinally along the longitudinal direction L on the lower side 34 of the base plate 31. The rack 9 is arranged non-centered relative to the central axis of the carriage 3 extending in the longitudinal direction L. In other words, the rack 9 is offset in the direction of one side of the carriage relative to the central axis. The lower side 34 of the base plate 31 also has two grooves 35 extending in the longitudinal direction L (see FIGS. 6 and 8). In this embodiment, the grooves 35 are respectively arranged on the sides of the rack 9 on the lower side 34 of the base plate 31. The grooves 35 are designed to open in the direction of the cage 4, that is, to open towards the bottom in this embodiment. They are designed to receive the first protrusion 43 of the gear 6 which will be described in further detail below. In this case, the side walls 35a of the grooves serve as the stop surfaces for the first protrusion 43 of the gear (refer to FIGS. 6 and 8). Corresponding depressions 36 (refer to FIGS. 6 and 8) may be optionally provided on the lower side 34 of the base plate 31 on the sides of the grooves 35, wherein, as will be described in detail below, the depressions serve as the stop surfaces for the second protrusion 44 of the gear 6. Alternatively, the lower side 34 of the base plate 31 may also be implemented without the depressions 36, and the second protrusion 44 of the gear 6 may directly abut on the lower side 34 of the base plate 31, in which case this lower side forms the stop surface. The carriage 3 has guide rails 33 extending in the longitudinal direction L on the inner side surfaces of the legs 32a and 32b, that is, on the side of the legs facing the cage 4, wherein the rolling elements 5 of the cage 4 are in rolling contact with the guide rails. The carriage is supported on the rolling elements 5 of the cage 4 through the guide rails 33. In addition, the linear guiding device 1 also has a drive (not shown in detail in the figures) which is designed to drive the carriage 3 such that the carriage 3 can move relative to the track 2 in the longitudinal direction L. The gear 6 will be described in more detail below with reference to FIG. 4. The gear 6 is arranged in the linear guiding device 1 so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis A, wherein the rotation axis A extends perpendicular to the longitudinal direction L (also see FIG. 2). The gear 6 includes a plurality of teeth 41 which are spaced apart from each other by gaps 42 in the circumferential direction and are designed to be engaged with the teeth 8 and 9 of the track 2 and the carriage 3 (see FIGS. 2, 5 - 8). The bottom of the gap 42 defines the first diameter D1 of the gear 6. The gear 6 further has a first protrusion 43 and a second protrusion 44. Among them, the first protrusion 43 is designed to be adjacent to the groove 13 of the track 2 and the groove 35 of the carriage 3 simultaneously, and the second protrusion 44 is designed to be adjacent to the upper side 11 of the track 2 or the recess 14 formed therein and simultaneously adjacent to the lower side 34 of the carriage 3 or the recess 36 formed therein. In this embodiment, the first protrusion 43 and the second protrusion 44 are respectively designed to be cylindrical, and the rotation axis A of the gear is a cylindrical axis of the cylinder. Specifically, each protrusion 43, 44 has a circumferential surface 43a, 44a forming the side area of the cylindrical protrusion and an end face 43b, 44b forming the bottom area of the cylindrical protrusion. Observed perpendicular to the rotation axis A, the first protrusion 43 has a second diameter D2 smaller than the first diameter D1 of the gear 6. Observed perpendicular to the rotation axis A, the second protrusion 44 has a third diameter D3 smaller than the first diameter D1 of the gear 6, and in this embodiment, the third diameter D3 is also smaller than the second diameter D2 of the first protrusion 43. The first protrusion 43 is arranged on the gear 6 and extends away from the gear 6 in the direction of the rotation axis A. The second protrusion 44 is arranged on the first protrusion 43 and extends away from the first protrusion 43 in the direction of the rotation axis A. The width of the first protrusion 43 in the direction of the rotation axis A is selected such that when the gear is arranged in the linear guiding device 1, the end face 43b of the first protrusion is adjacent to or substantially adjacent to the side wall 13a of the groove 13 of the track 2 and adjacent to or substantially adjacent to the side wall 35a of the groove 35 of the carriage 3. The third diameter D3 of the second protrusion 44 is selected such that when the gear 6 is arranged in the linear guiding device, the circumferential surface 44a of the second protrusion 44 is adjacent to the recess 14 on the upper side 11 of the track 2 or adjacent to the upper side 11 itself, and adjacent to the recess 36 on the lower side 34 of the carriage 4 or adjacent to the lower side 34 of the carriage itself. Therefore, the side walls 13a, 35a of the grooves 13, 35 serve as the stop surfaces for the first protrusion 43 or its end face 43b, while the recesses 14, 36 or the upper side 11 of the track 2 and the lower side 34 of the carriage 3 serve as the stop surfaces for the second protrusion 44 or its circumferential surface 44a. In this embodiment, the gear has two first protrusions 43 and two second protrusions 44, which are arranged in pairs on opposite sides of the gear 6 along the rotation axis A. As shown in FIG. 4, the rear protrusions are partially shielded by the gear. The recess 7 in the base plate 21 of the cage 4 will be described in more detail below in connection with FIGS. 3 and 4, in which the gear 6 extends through the recess 7. The recess 7 has a first recess section 51 and a second recess section 52, wherein the first recess section 51 and the second recess section 52 are each designed in an oval manner and intersect perpendicularly or crosswise with each other. The first recess section 51 is designed to receive a first protrusion 43 provided on the gear 6, while the second recess section 52 is designed to receive a second protrusion 44 of the gear 6. Specifically, the first recess section 51 extends a length M1 in the longitudinal direction L of the linear guiding device 1, and this length M1 is greater than the width N1 of the first recess section 51 perpendicular to the longitudinal direction L. The length M1 of the first recess section 51 is greater than the maximum diameter of the gear 6, wherein this maximum diameter of the gear 6 is defined by the free ends of the teeth 41 of the gear, such that when the gear 6 is arranged in the recess 7, it can rotate freely about its axis of rotation A. The width N1 of the first recess section 51 is greater than or equal to the width of the gear 6 between the end faces 43b of the first protrusion 43, wherein the end faces 43b of the first protrusion 43 are arranged on opposite sides of the gear 6 along the axis of rotation A. The second recess section 52 extends a length M2 perpendicular to the longitudinal direction L of the linear guiding device 1 (i.e., along the axis of rotation A of the gear 6), and this length M2 is greater than the width N2 of the second recess section 52 in the longitudinal direction L. The length M2 of the second recess section 52 is greater than the total width of the gear 6 between the end faces 44b of the second protrusion 44 (see FIG. 4), wherein the end faces 44b of the second protrusion 44 are arranged on opposite sides of the gear 6 along the axis of rotation A. The width N2 of the second recess section 52 is greater than or equal to the third diameter D3 of the second protrusion 44 of the gear 6. The second recess section 52 is designed such that the second protrusion 44 of the gear 6 arranged therein can abut against the wall, i.e., the boundary, of the second recess section 52 in the longitudinal direction L of the linear guiding device 1, so as to transmit the movement of the gear 6 in the longitudinal direction L to the cage 4. In other words, the gear 6 serves as a driver during the movement of the cage 4 in the longitudinal direction. In this embodiment of the linear device 1, the gear 6 is not fastened to the cage 4. In fact, due to the interaction between the protrusions 43, 44 and the corresponding stop surfaces formed in the tracks 2 and the carriage 3, the gear 6 is held or fastened in a floating manner in the linear guiding device 1. Specifically, FIGS. 6 and 8 show that the end faces 43b of the two first protrusions 43 of the gear 6 are adjacent to or adjacently spaced from the side walls 13a, 35a of the grooves 13, 35 formed in the track 2 and the carriage 3. This prevents the gear 6 from moving perpendicular to the longitudinal direction L and parallel to the track 2 and the carriage 3, that is, the lateral movement of the gear 6 in this embodiment. In addition, the circumferential surfaces 44a of the two second protrusions 44 are adjacent to the depressions 14, 36 formed in the lower side 34 of the carriage 3 and the upper side 11 of the track. This prevents the gear 6 from moving perpendicular to the longitudinal direction L and in the direction of the track 2 or in the direction of the carriage 3, that is, the vertical movement of the gear 6 in this embodiment. In other words, the gear 6 is held in the linear guide 1 in a floating and fixed manner relative to the movement perpendicular to the longitudinal direction L through the stop surfaces in the form of the side walls 13a, 35a of the grooves 13, 35 and the depressions 14, 36 (or the lower side 34 of the carriage 3 and the upper side 11 of the track 2 itself). There is no need to additionally provide a gear on the cage. During the operation of the linear guide, a drive not shown applies a driving force to the carriage 3, such that the carriage 3 moves a defined amount in the longitudinal direction L relative to the track 2, and this defined amount is also referred to as the stroke. During this process, the gear 6 rolls between the racks 8, 9 along the longitudinal direction L relative to the track 2 by half of the stroke of the carriage 3 (half stroke). During the movement of the gear 6, its protrusions 43, 44 roll in a traction manner on the stop surfaces of the carriage 3 and the track 2. This can prevent the gear 6 from moving perpendicular to the longitudinal direction L, that is, the movement in the vertical and lateral directions of the linear guide. The circumferential surface 44a of the second protrusion contacts the wall of the second recess section 52 of the recess 7 of the cage 4, causing the cage 4 and the gear 6 to move together relative to the track 2 along the longitudinal direction L by half of the stroke of the carriage 3 (half stroke). Therefore, the movement of the cage 4 along the longitudinal direction L is combined with the movement of the carriage 3 along the track 2. In other words, the gear serves as a drive during the movement of the cage 4 in the longitudinal direction L. Additionally or alternatively, an oblong hole 25 interacting with the screw 10 is provided, and the end of the oblong hole 25 in the longitudinal direction L forms a limit stop for the movement of the cage 4 relative to the track 2 and / or the carriage 3 in the longitudinal direction L. The limit stop can also be achieved by designing corresponding grooves 13, 35. For example, the groove has a protrusion that limits the movement in the longitudinal direction L, and the gear 6 contacts the protrusion to limit the movement of the gear 6 in the longitudinal direction L. The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments of the linear guiding device as shown in the accompanying drawings. In fact, modifications to the linear guiding device are possible. For example, the individual components may deviate from the described components in terms of their dimensions and / or shape. For example, the shape of the first protrusion 43 and / or the second protrusion 44 may not be cylindrical. Different coupling members may also be used instead of the gear, which are designed to simultaneously engage with the track and the first and second traveling devices of the carriage, so as to cause the movement of the cage relative to the track and / or the carriage during the movement of the carriage relative to the track. Therefore, the design of the traveling device may also be different from the above-described rack. For example, the coupling member may be designed as a rotational traveling device for interacting with the traveling device, wherein the rotational axis of the coupling member preferably extends perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the track and / or the rotational axis is preferably fixed relative to the track and the carriage. 1: Linear guiding device 2: Track 3: Carriage 4: Cage 5: Rolling element 6: Gear, coupling member 7: Recess 8: First traveling device, rack 9: Second traveling device, rack 10: Screw 11: Upper side 12: Side 13, 35: Groove 13a, 35a: Side wall 14, 36: Depression 15, 33: Guide rail 22a, 22b: Leg 21, 31: Substrate 22a, 22b, 32a, 32b: Leg 25: Opening, oblong hole 34: Lower side 41: Tooth 42: Gap 43: First protrusion 43a, 44a: Circumferential surface 43b, 44b: End face 44: Second protrusion 51: First recess section 52: Second recess section A: Rotational axis B: Mark D1: First diameter D2: Second diameter D3: Third diameter L: Longitudinal axis Other utilities of the present invention can be obtained from the description of the exemplary embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of a linear guiding device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 shows a schematic perspective view of the linear guiding device shown in FIG. 1 without a carriage; FIG. 3 shows a schematic enlarged perspective view of the area of the linear guiding device identified by the reference sign B in FIG. 2; FIG. 4 shows a schematic perspective view of the coupling member provided in the linear guiding device shown in FIGS. 1 to 3; FIG. 5 shows a schematic view of the linear guiding device shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 in the form of a front top view; FIG. 6 shows a schematic enlarged view of the area of the linear guiding device identified by the reference sign C in FIG. 5; FIG. 7 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the linear guiding device shown in FIGS. 1 - 6 along the line F-F in FIG. 1; and FIG. 8 shows a schematic enlarged view of the area of the linear guiding device identified by the reference sign E in FIG. 7. 1: Linear guiding device 2: Track 4: Cage 5: Rolling element 6: Gear, coupling member 7: Recess 8: First traveling device 11: Upper side 12: Side surface 15: Guide rail 21: Substrate 22a, 22b: Leg 25: Elongated hole A: Axis of rotation B: Mark L: Longitudinal axis

Claims

1. A linear guiding device, comprising: A track (2) having a first traveling device (8) extending in the longitudinal direction; a carriage (3) displaceable relative to the track (2) in the longitudinal direction and having a second traveling device (9) extending in the longitudinal direction; a retainer (4) displaceable relative to the track (2) and the carriage (3) in the longitudinal direction; and a coupling member (6) designed to simultaneously engage the first and second traveling devices so as to cause movement of the retainer (4) relative to the track (2) and / or the carriage (3) when the carriage (3) travels relative to the track (2) in the longitudinal direction; characterized in that: the coupling member (6) has at least one protrusion (43, 44) interacting with a stop surface formed on the track and / or the carriage to retain the coupling member (6) in the linear guide device (1); wherein: the linear guide device (1) does not mount the coupling member (6) on the retainer (4), thereby mounting the coupling member (6) in a floating manner.

2. The linear guiding device as claimed in claim 1, wherein: The coupling element is implemented in the form of a gear (6) in the linear guide device (1) that is rotatable about a rotation axis (A), wherein the rotation axis (A) extends transversely to the longitudinal direction, and the at least one protrusion (43, 44) extends away from the gear (6) in the direction of the rotation axis (A).

3. The linear guiding device as claimed in claim 1, wherein: The axis of rotation (A) extends perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

4. The linear guiding device as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein: The retainer (4) has a recess, and the coupling member (6) extends through the recess, wherein the protrusions (43, 44) of the coupling member abut the boundary of the recess to cause movement of the retainer (4) relative to the track (2) and / or the carriage (3).

5. The linear guiding device as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein: At least one protrusion (43, 44) of the coupling element is designed to be substantially cylindrical, wherein the diameter (D2, D3) of the cylindrical protrusion is smaller than the diameter (D1) of the coupling element.

6. The linear guiding device as claimed in claim 1, wherein: The stop surface is the boundary of the carriage (3) and / or the track (2) facing the cage (4) to prevent the coupling member (6) from moving along the track (2) and / or the carriage (3).

7. The linear guide device as claimed in claim 6, wherein: The stop surface is the upper side of the carriage (3) and / or the lower side of the track (2).

8. The linear guiding device as claimed in claim 1, wherein: The track (2) and / or the carriage (3) have grooves (13, 35), wherein the stop surface is formed by the wall of the groove to restrict the movement of the coupling member (6) parallel to the carriage (3) and / or the track (2).

9. The linear guide device as claimed in claim 8, wherein: The groove extends in the longitudinal direction and / or is disposed on the side of the first or second traveling device (8, 9).

10. The linear guiding device as described in claim 6 or 8, wherein: The coupling member (6) has at least one first protrusion (43) adjacent to the groove (13, 35) of the track and / or the carriage and at least one second protrusion (44) adjacent to the boundary (11, 14, 34, 36) of the carriage and / or the track facing the retainer (4).

11. The linear guiding device as claimed in claim 10, wherein: The size of the first protrusion (43) is larger than the size of the second protrusion (44).

12. The linear guiding device as claimed in claim 10, wherein: The diameter (D2) of the first protrusion (43) is greater than the diameter (D3) of the second protrusion (44).

13. The linear guiding device as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein: The retainer (4) is disposed between the track (2) and the carriage (3).

14. The linear guiding device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein: The cage (4) has a plurality of rolling elements (5) that are respectively adjacent to the carriage (3) and the track (2) in a rolling manner.

15. The linear guiding device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein: The retainer (4) includes a base (21) and two legs (22a, 22b) extending away from the base (21), the two legs (22a, 22b) being designed to accommodate the track (2) within an intermediate space formed between the two legs.

16. The linear guiding device as claimed in claim 15, wherein: The base (21) is a planar base, and / or the two legs (22a, 22b) extend away from the base (21) perpendicular to it.

17. The linear guiding device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein: The carriage (3) is designed in a substantially U-shape in a plane extending perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and the legs (32a, 32b) of the U-shaped carriage are designed to accommodate the cage (4) in the intermediate space formed between the two legs.

18. The linear guiding device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein: It also includes a limiting stop that restricts the movement of the cage (4) relative to the track (2) and / or the carriage (3) in the longitudinal direction.

19. The linear guide device as claimed in claim 18, wherein: The limiting stop is implemented in the form of an elongated hole (25) on the retainer (4) and a screw (10) extending through the elongated hole and fastened to the track (2) or carriage (3).

20. The linear guiding device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein: The first traveling device (8) and / or the second traveling device (9) are implemented in the form of a rack.

21. The linear guiding device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein: It also includes a driver designed to drive the carriage (3) in a displaceable manner relative to the track (2) along the longitudinal direction.

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