Support apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11686370-B2
Application number	US-202017634555-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 18, 2020
Priority date	Aug 19, 2019
Publication date	Jun 27, 2023
Grant date	Jun 27, 2023

Abstract

A support apparatus includes: a protective frame connected body to hold a plurality of protection targets flexibly, each protection target being a flexible cable or pipe having one end connected to a fixed-side member and the other end connected to a movable-side member that moves relative to the fixed-side member, the protective frame connected body having a bending portion bent in a middle, an upper side and a lower side of the protective frame connected body overlapped vertically; a lower supporter to support the lower side of the protective frame connected body; and a plurality of upper supporters, each of the plurality of upper supporters supporting the upper side of the protective frame connected body at a predetermined position of the protective frame connected body and being moved by movement of the movable-side member to pass the bending portion without being in contact with the bending portion.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A support apparatus comprising:
a protective frame connected body to hold a plurality of protection targets flexibly, each of the plurality of protection targets being a flexible cable or pipe having one end connected to a fixed-side member and the other end connected to a movable-side member that moves relative to the fixed-side member, the protective frame connected body including a plurality of protective frame bodies connected flexibly in an extending direction that is a direction in which the protection targets extend, each of the plurality of protective frame bodies having a plurality of holes to allow the plurality of protection targets to pass through and having a predetermined length in the extending direction, the protective frame connected body being bent in an arc shape and having a bending portion bent in a middle, an upper side and a lower side of the protective frame connected body being overlapped vertically;
a lower supporter in an arc shape to support the lower side of the protective frame connected body;
a plurality of upper supporters, each of the plurality of upper supporters to support the upper side of the protective frame connected body at a predetermined position of the protective frame connected body, being moved by movement of the movable-side member to pass the bending portion without being in contact with the bending portion, and to intersect the protective frame connected body in the arc shape viewed from above;
a rotation angle acquirer to acquire a rotation angle of the movable-side member; and
an upper supporter opening/closing controller to move each of the plurality of upper supporters being close to the bending portion from a support position for supporting the upper side of the protective frame connected body to an open position that is a position never being in contact with the bending portion when it is detected that any of the plurality of upper supporters is close to the bending portion, based on the rotation angle, and to move the upper supporter in the open position to the support position when it is detected that the upper supporter in the open position is present at a distance from the bending portion, based on the rotation angle.

2. The support apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising two protective frame connected bodies,
wherein the two protective frame connected bodies are arranged such that the bending portions of the two protective frame connected bodies are adjacent to each other.

3. The support apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of upper supporters is to be moved when pushed by the bending portion being in contact with the upper supporter, and to be able to pass the bending portion.

4. A support apparatus comprising:
a protective frame connected body to hold a plurality of protection targets flexibly, each of the plurality of protection targets being a flexible cable or pipe having one end connected to a fixed-side member and the other end connected to a movable-side member that moves relative to the fixed-side member, the protective frame connected body including a plurality of protective frame bodies connected flexibly in an extending direction that is a direction in which the protection targets extend, each of the plurality of protective frame bodies having a plurality of holes to allow the plurality of protection targets to pass through and having a predetermined length in the extending direction, the protective frame connected body being bent in an arc shape and having a bending portion bent in a middle, an upper side and a lower side of the protective frame connected body being overlapped vertically;
a lower supporter in an arc shape to support the lower side of the protective frame connected body;
a plurality of upper supporters, each of the plurality of upper supporters to support the upper side of the protective frame connected body at a predetermined position of the protective frame connected body, being moved by movement of the movable-side member to pass the bending portion without being in contact with the bending portion, and to intersect the protective frame connected body in the arc shape viewed from above;
a rotation angle acquirer to acquire a rotation angle of the movable-side member; and
an upper supporter opening/closing controller to move each of the plurality of upper supporters being close to the bending portion from a support position for supporting the upper side of the protective frame connected body to an open position that is a position never being in contact with the bending portion when it is detected that any of the plurality of upper supporters is close to the bending portion, from the rotation angle, and to move the upper supporter in the open position to the support position when it is detected that the upper supporter in the open position is able to support the upper side of the protective frame connected body by moving to the support position, based on the rotation angle.

5. The support apparatus according to claim 4 , comprising two protective frame connected bodies,
wherein the two protective frame connected bodies are arranged such that the bending portions of the two protective frame connected bodies are adjacent to each other.

6. The support apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein each of the plurality of upper supporters is to be moved when pushed by the bending portion being in contact with the upper supporter, and to be able to pass the bending portion.

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Electric Corp

Inventors

• Kibayashi Yusuke
• Kawaguchi Noboru
• Takaki Junji
• Okada Naoki

Classifications

• F16L3/26

  specially adapted for supporting the pipes all along their length, e.g. pipe channels or ducts · CPC title

• F16G13/16 Primary

  with arrangements for holding electric cables, hoses, or the like · CPC title

• F16L3/23

  for a bundle of pipes or a plurality of pipes placed side by side in contact with each other (F16L3/237 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02G11/006 Primary

  using extensible carrier for the cable, e.g. self-coiling spring (extensible conductors or cables H01B7/06) · CPC title

• H02G11/02

  using take-up reel or drum · CPC title