Toothed Rail Lip Structure for Fine Positioning and High Load Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing rail designs face a trade-off between achieving high force transmission and maintaining a small tooth width for precise positioning, as narrower teeth compromise the force transfer capabilities.
Innovation Solution
The rail design features a two-part toothing system where the first section is on the inside and the second section extends on the end face of the rail lip, with inclined tooth bases, allowing for increased tooth length and depth, enabling higher force transfer while maintaining a small tooth width.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the tooth width is reduced to achieve smaller pitch for precise positioning, then positioning precision is improved, but force transmission capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The toothing is extended from a single-plane configuration to a two-dimensional configuration that wraps around the rail lip, utilizing both the inner surface and end face. This dimensional extension increases the effective tooth length and load-bearing surface area without requiring larger tooth width, thereby maintaining small pitch for precise positioning while improving force transmission capability through increased contact area and load distribution.
2Force
If the tooth depth is increased to improve force transmission, then force transmission capability is improved, but the width available for positioning is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The toothing configuration utilizes three-dimensional space by extending teeth along both the inner surface and end face of the rail lip. This allows increased effective tooth depth and load-bearing area without consuming additional width in the positioning direction, thereby achieving improved force transmission while preserving positioning capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The toothing is divided into two functional sections: one section on the inner surface for primary load transmission, and another section on the end face for additional load bearing and positioning reference. This segmentation allows each section to be optimized independently, with the combined effect providing both high force transmission and precise positioning.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
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AI summary
A rail (1) has a back (2), two longitudinal sides (3), and two lips (4). The lips (4) project towards each other from the longitudinal sides (3). The back (2), the longitudinal sides (3), and the lips (4) define an interior space (8) of the rail. Each lip (4) has an inner surface (6) facing the interior space (8) and an outer surface (5) facing away from the interior space (8). The lips (4) have end faces (7) that define a longitudinal slot (9) extending along the longitudinal direction (10) of the rail (1). At least one lip (4) has a toothing (11) on its inner surface (6), which extends to the end face (7). A first section (12) of the toothing (11) is arranged on the inner surface (6).The toothing (11) has at least one second section (14) which extends on the face (7) and in which the tooth root (15) forms an angle (α) of more than 30° with the outer surface (5) of the rail lip.