Sliding unit with sealing means

A sliding unit having sealing means for closing gaps between a track rail and a dustproof cover. The sealing means is comprised of expansible sealing members that permit flanges for mounting an object on a sliding element to move through the sealing means. The flanges extend laterally through the gaps between the dustproof cover and side walls of the track rail. The expansible sealing members are arranged at the widthwise-opposing sides of the track rail so as to close the gaps around the flanges, resulting in keeping the sliding unit from the contamination of foreign bodies such as dust and dirt. The expansible sealing members face to the lateral extensions of the flanges in a sliding contact manner so as to help ensure the unobstructed movement of the flanges.

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What is claimed is:

1. A sliding unit with sealing means, comprising a track rail having a pair of lengthwise side walls opposing to each other widthwise of the tack rail, a sliding elementmoveable on the track rail, a dustproof cover arranged extending lengthwise of the track rail over both the track rail and sliding element, flanges for supporting thereon an object to be loaded on the sliding element, the flanges being formed integrallywith the sliding element so as to extend through gaps between the confronting surfaces of the dustproof cover and the side walls of the track rail, and elastically expansible sealing members arranged to close the gaps, the sealing members being eachsecured at one lengthwise edge thereof to any one of the dustproof cover and the associated side wall of the track rail and kept at the other edge thereof in sliding contact with the flanges constantly whenever the sliding element moves on the track railwhereby the sailing members are subject to the elastic expansile and collapsed deformation as the flanges pass through the gaps on the movement of the sliding element along the track rail,

wherein the expansible sealing members are each comprised of at least one pair of confronting folding bellows having folds extending in parallel with the moving direction of the sliding element.

2. A sliding unit with sealing means, constructed as defined in claim 1 wherein the expansible sealing members are secured at the lengthwise edges thereof to top surfaces of the side walls of the track rail while brought at the other edgesthereof into contact with an undersurface of the dustproof cover and kept in sliding contact with undersides of the flanges.

3. A sliding unit with sealing means, constructed as defined in claim 1 wherein the expansible sealing members are secured at the lengthwise edges thereof to the undersurface of the dustproof cover while brought at the other edge thereof intocontact with the top surfaces of the side walls of the track rail and kept in sliding contact with upper sides of the flanges.

4. A sliding unit with sealing means, constructed as defined in claim 1 wherein any one of the expansible sealing members is composed of at least one pair of expansible sealing sub-members, one of which is secured at one lengthwise edge thereofto any one of the dustproof cover and the side wall of the track rail, the other sub-member being secured at one lengthwise edge thereof to the other of the dustproof cover and the side wall of the track rail, and the flanges are movable between thesealing sub-members along the track rail in a sliding contact with the confronting free edges of the sealing sub-members.

5. A sliding unit with sealing means, constructed as defined in claim 1 wherein the flanges are each provided with fore-and-aft tapered ends at which surfaces being in contact with the expansible sealing members are inclined with respect to themoving direction of the flanges, whereby the expansible sealing members may collapse and expand successively and gradually with the movement of the flanges on the track rail.

6. A sliding unit with sealing means, constructed as defined in claim 1 wherein the expansible sealing members comprising said at least one pair of confronting folding bellows are connected at lengthwise edge thereof with each other by means ofa pair of sheets. lengthwise edge thereof with each other by means of a pair of sheets.

7. A sliding unit with sealing means, constructed as defined in claim 6 wherein a fluid is contained in each space defined by the folding bellows-like members and the sheets for the expansible sealing members.

8. A sliding unit with sealing means, constructed as defined in claim 6 wherein any one of the sheets of the expansible sealing member, being in sliding contact with the flanges, is applied with an antifriction tape to reduce the slidingresistance between the flanges and the expansible sealing members.

9. A sliding unit with sealing means, constructed as defined in claim 8 wherein the antifriction tape is made of magnetic tape while the side walls of the track rail and the dustproof cover contain magnetic substance so as to be brought into adetachable contact with the antifriction tape by the action of magnetic attraction.