1. A linear guide comprising at least two stationarily supported guide bars mounted to a base frame, and a guide block, wherein the guide block is mounted on the guide bars and is longitudinally displaceable relative to the guide bars,
the guide block comprising a driving unit to generate a relative movement with respect to the guide bars, the driving unit comprising a pinion which meshes with teeth of a toothed rack that extends in parallel with the guide bars, the toothed rack comprising a front end and a rear end, wherein only the front end of the toothed rack and the rear end of the toothed rack are mounted to the base frame and the toothed rack is suspended in-between;
and a first guiding element, assigned to the pinion, is mounted to the guide block so as to be displaceable in the longitudinal direction of the toothed rack on which it is supported in a form-locking manner, the first guiding element engaging over the toothed rack at a region opposite the mesh between the pinion and the teeth.
2. The linear guide of claim 1, wherein the toothed rack is located at a level of height, in the region of mesh with the pinion, corresponding to the level of height of the front end and rear end mounting locations of the toothed rack.
3. The linear guide of claim 2 wherein a second guiding element is mounted to the guide block at a predetermined distance in the longitudinal direction of the toothed rack from the first guiding element, the second guiding element also displaceable along the toothed rack and supported on the toothed rack in a form-locking manner.
4. The linear guide of 3, wherein the first and second guiding elements are provided on the bottom surface of the guide block.
5. The linear guide of claim 4, wherein the first guiding element and its assigned pinion are mounted in a housing to which the driving unit rotating the pinion is also mounted.
6. The linear guide of claim 5, wherein each guiding element has a substantially U-shaped cross-section, whose connecting leg is supported on the toothed rack, and whose lateral legs are supported on lateral flanks of the toothed rack, wherein the lateral legs comprise, at their free ends, a projection which is directed to the respective other lateral leg and engages in a form-locking manner in a longitudinal groove provided on the lateral flank of the toothed rack facing the projection.
7. The linear guide of claim 6, wherein the guiding elements are supported on the toothed rack in direct sliding contact with a top surface of the toothed rack.
8. The linear guide as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first and second guiding elements are each provided with a friction-reducing layer, preferably a PTFE layer, the friction-reducing layer facing the top surface of the toothed rack.
9. The linear guide of claim 6, wherein the guiding elements are supported on a top surface of the toothed rack via roller bearings or supporting rolls.
10. The linear guide of claim 1, wherein the toothed rack comprises a guide bar with toothed rack segments mounted to the bottom surface of the guide bar.
11. The linear guide of claim 1, wherein the toothed rack is a round toothed rack.
12. The linear guide of claim 1, wherein a bending robot or a rotary gripper is mounted to the guide block.
13. The linear guide of claim 1, wherein the base frame is the base frame of a pipe- or wire-bending machine.
14. A linear guide comprising at least two stationarily supported guide bars mounted to a base frame, and a guide block, wherein the guide block is mounted on the guide bars and is longitudinally displaceable relative to the guide bars; and
a toothed rack comprising a guide bar with toothed rack segments mounted to the bottom surface of the guide bar, wherein the toothed rack extends in parallel with the guide bars; the toothed rack further comprising a front end and a rear end, wherein only the front end of the toothed rack and the rear end of the toothed rack are mounted to the base frame and the toothed rack is suspended in-between.
15. The linear guide of claim 14 wherein the guide block comprises a driving unit to generate a relative movement with respect to the guide bars, the driving unit comprising a pinion which meshes with teeth of the toothed rack.
16. The linear guide of claim 15 comprising:
a first guiding element assigned to the pinion and mounted to the guide block so as to be displaceable in the longitudinal direction of the toothed rack on which it is supported in a form-locking manner, wherein the first guiding element engages over the toothed rack at a region opposite the mesh between the pinion and the teeth; and
a second guiding element mounted to the guide block at a predetermined distance in the longitudinal direction of the toothed rack from the first guiding element, wherein the second guiding element is also displaceable along the toothed rack and is supported on the toothed rack in a form-locking manner.
17. The linear guide of claim 16 wherein the first and second guiding elements each have a substantially U-shaped cross-section, whose connecting leg is supported on the toothed rack, and whose lateral legs are supported on lateral flanks of the toothed rack, wherein the lateral legs comprise, at their free ends, a projection which is directed to the respective other lateral leg and engages in a form-locking manner in a longitudinal groove provided on the lateral flank of the toothed rack facing the projection.
18. The linear guide of claim 17, wherein the first and second guiding elements are supported on a top surface of the toothed rack.
19. The linear guide of claim 18 wherein the toothed rack is located at a level of height, in the region of mesh with the pinion, corresponding to the level of height of the front end and rear end mounting locations of the toothed rack.
20. The linear guide of claim 19 wherein the base frame is the base frame of a pipe- or wire-bending machine.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An electric machine comprising:
a housing including an outer surface and an inner surface defining an interior zone;
a solenoid mounting section provided on the housing, the solenoid mounting section including a shift lever opening that extends from the outer surface through the inner surface; and
a solenoid tower mounted to the housing, the solenoid tower extending from a first end detachably coupled to the solenoid mounting section to a second end configured to receive a solenoid, the first end including an opening that registers with the shift lever opening, wherein at least one of the solenoid mounting section and the solenoid tower includes a seal.
2. The electric machine according to claim 1, wherein the seal is provided on the solenoid mounting section.
3. The electric machine according to claim 2, wherein the solenoid mounting section includes a groove that surrounds the opening, the seal being provided in the groove.
4. The electric machine according to claim 3, further comprising:
a plurality of threaded openings formed in the housing outwardly of the groove; and
a plurality of openings formed in the solenoid tower that registers with the plurality of threaded openings formed in the housing.
5. The electric machine according to claim 1, wherein the housing includes a motor portion and a gear portion, the solenoid mounting section being provided on the gear portion.
6. The electric machine according to claim 1, further comprising: a solenoid mounted to the second end of the solenoid tower.
7. The electric machine according to claim 6, further comprising: a shift lever extending though the shift lever opening in the solenoid mounting section, the shift lever extending from a first end operatively connected to the solenoid to a second end positioned in the interior zone.
8. The electric machine according to claim 7, further comprising: a gear assembly arranged in the interior zone, the second end of the shift lever being operatively connected to the gear assembly.
9. A method of assembling an electric machine, the method comprising:
installing a shift lever through a shift lever opening in a solenoid mounting section of a housing;
providing a seal on a mating surface of one of the solenoid mounting section and a solenoid tower; and
mounting the solenoid tower to the housing through the solenoid mounting section.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein providing the seal includes installing the seal in a groove that extends about the shift lever opening.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein installing the seal includes inserting an O-ring into the groove.
12. The method of claim 9, wherein mounting the solenoid tower to the housing includes installing mechanical fasteners through the openings in the solenoid tower into threaded openings in the housing.
13. A motor vehicle comprising:
a body including an engine compartment and a passenger compartment; and
an internal combustion engine mounted in the engine compartment, the internal combustion engine including a motor starter comprising:
a housing including an outer surface and an inner surface defining an interior zone;
a solenoid mounting section provided on the housing, the solenoid mounting section including a shift lever opening that extends from the outer surface through the inner surface; and
a solenoid tower mounted to the housing, the solenoid tower extending from a first end detachably coupled to the solenoid mounting section to a second end configured to receive a solenoid, the first end including an opening that registers with the shift lever opening, wherein at least one of the solenoid mounting section and the solenoid tower includes a seal.
14. The motor vehicle according to claim 13, wherein the solenoid mounting section includes a first mating surface and the first end of the solenoid tower defines a second mating surface abutting the first mating surface, the seal being provided on the first mating surface.
15. The motor vehicle according to claim 14, further comprising: a groove formed in the first mating surface surrounding the opening, the seal being provided in the groove.
16. The motor vehicle according to claim 15, further comprising:
a plurality of threaded openings formed in the housing outwardly of the groove; and
a plurality of openings formed in the solenoid tower that register with the plurality of threaded openings formed in the housing.
17. The motor vehicle according to claim 15, wherein the seal comprises an O-ring.
18. The motor vehicle according to claim 13, wherein the housing includes a motor portion and a gear portion, the solenoid mounting section being provided on the gear portion.
19. The motor vehicle according to claim 13, further comprising: a solenoid mounted to the solenoid mounting section.
20. The motor vehicle according to claim 18, further comprising: a shift lever extending though the shift lever opening in the solenoid mounting section, the shift lever extending from a first end operatively connected to the solenoid to a second end operatively connected to a gear assembly arranged in the housing.