Hybrid energy guide chain for large cantilevered lengths and a separating web for an energy guide chain

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12331809-B2
Application number	US-202117593095-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 9, 2020
Priority date	Mar 9, 2019
Publication date	Jun 17, 2025
Grant date	Jun 17, 2025

Abstract

An energy guide chain including two plate comprising successive chain plates which respectively partially overlap with each other in overlap regions. A respective side part of plastic is associated with each second chain plate. The chain plates are made from a different material from the side parts and have through apertures in their overlap regions. In its two end regions each side part has a plurality of projections which respectively engage through the overlapping apertures in the associated chain plate and the respectively adjoining chain plate to limit the relative pivotal angle of successive chain plates and/or to connect same. In addition there is proposed a two-part separating web for an energy guide chain, wherein the first part has at least one securing pin and the second part has at least one securing receiving means so that the two parts can be connected and released in a direction perpendicular to the main plane of the separating web.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An energy guide chain for at least one line, the energy guide chain having chain links and further comprising:
two lateral plate lines, each plate line includes a plurality of chain plates which are connected together pivotably relative to each other in a longitudinal direction and which each have a first overlap region and a second overlap region, and a plurality of side parts of plastic which each have two end regions;
the plurality of chain plates are made from a different material, of higher strength and/or stiffness, than the plurality of side parts;
at least in a portion of each of the plate lines, successive chain plates of the plurality of chain plates have through apertures in the first overlap region and through apertures in the second overlap region;
the through apertures of two of the successive chain plates of the plurality of chain plates at least partially overlap; and
said portion of each of the plate lines includes alternating first and second chain plates, and associated with each second chain plate is one of the side parts which, in each of the two end regions, has one or more projections, with which each end region of the side part engages through one of the first and the second overlap regions of the associated second chain plate, respectively, wherein the one or more projections of each end region of the side part engages through overlapping through apertures of the associated second chain plate and an adjoining first chain plate in order to limit the relative pivotal angle of the successive chain plates and/or to connect the successive chain plates;
wherein the successive chain plates comprise inner and outer chain plates which occur in succession alternately in laterally displaced relationship.

2. The energy guide chain according to claim 1 , wherein in said portion of each of the plate lines each side part connects the associated second chain plate in the first overlap region of the associated second chain plate to an adjacent first chain plate and in the second overlap region of the associated second chain plate to another adjacent first chain plate.

3. The energy guide chain according to claim 1 , wherein in said portion of each of the plate lines each of the chain plates in both the first and the second overlap regions have at least two first through apertures distributed around a respective pivot axis whose end regions abut at abutment surfaces of a corresponding first projection engaging therethrough to limit the pivotal angle.

4. The energy guide chain according to claim 1 , wherein in said portion of each of the plate lines each of the chain plates in both the first and the second overlap regions have a circular through aperture concentrically on a respective pivot axis, into which aperture a projection of the side part coaxially engages which provides a rotary joint connection of the successive chain plates.

5. The energy guide chain according to claim 1 , wherein the side parts are produced in one piece.

6. The energy guide chain according to claim 1 , wherein the chain plates are produced from metal sheet or from fibre composite material.

7. The energy guide chain according to claim 1 , wherein each of the side parts include a central region between the two end regions, wherein the central region has oppositely disposed narrow sides and at at least one of the narrow sides a projecting fixing pin for at least one transverse bar.

8. The energy guide chain according to claim 7 , wherein two side parts are connected by two transverse bars and a fixing pin projects through a corresponding opening in the associated chain plate.

9. The energy guide chain according to claim 1 , wherein all the chain plates and all the side parts are of substantially congruent external contours and/or are in a form of flat components without a cranked configuration or offset.

10. The energy guide chain according to claim 1 , wherein the chain plates each have two oppositely disposed narrow sides and at at least one narrow side there is provided a transversely disposed stiffening region.

11. The energy guide chain according to claim 1 , wherein the projections project from the side part with a dimension which is at least twice a plate thickness of a chain plate in the first or the second overlap region.

12. The energy guide chain according to claim 1 , wherein provided at an end of the one or more projections for limiting the pivotal angle in each end region is at least one transverse extension, behind which a chain plate is engageable.

13. The energy guide chain according to claim 1 , wherein at least one aperture is provided for limiting the pivotal angle in each of the first and the second overlap regions of the plurality of chain plates, wherein the at least one aperture has abutment-operative shaped edge or end regions, and/or shaped edge regions serving to form a rotary joint connection.

14. The energy guide chain according to claim 1 , wherein the energy guide chain further comprises a first run, a second run and therebetween a direction-changing region, wherein the first run is fixed with an end region to an entrainment member of a relatively moveable connecting location, wherein a portion of each of the plate lines extends from the end region at the entrainment member over at least a third of an overall length of the energy guide chain.

15. The energy guide chain according to claim 1 , wherein the two lateral plate lines have structurally identical chain plates, the first chain plates being structurally identical to the second chain plates, and wherein the two lateral plate lines have structurally identical side parts between respective end regions.

16. The energy guide chain according to claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of chain plates are each made of metal; and
wherein the plurality of side parts are each made of plastic.

17. An energy guide chain for at least one line, the energy guide chain having chain links and further comprising:
two lateral plate lines, each plate line includes a plurality of chain plates which are connected together pivotably relative to each other in a longitudinal direction and which each have a first overlap region and a second overlap region, and a plurality of side parts of plastic which each have two end regions;
the plurality of chain plates are made from a different material, of higher strength and/or stiffness, than the plurality of side parts;
at least in a portion of each of the plate lines, successive chain plates of the plurality of chain plates have through apertures in the first overlap region and through apertures in the second overlap region;
the through apertures of two of the successive chain plates of the plurality of chain plates at least partially overlap; and
said portion of each of the plate lines includes alternating first and second chain plates, and associated with each second chain plate is one of the side parts which, in each of the two end regions, has one or more projections, with which each end region of the side part engages through one of the first and the second overlap regions of the associated second chain plate, respectively, wherein the one or more projections of each end region of the side part engages through overlapping through apertures of the associated second chain plate and an adjoining first chain plate in order to limit the relative pivotal angle of the successive chain plates and/or to connect the successive chain plates;
wherein in said portion of each of the plate lines each of the chain plates in both the first and the second overlap regions have at least two fi

Assignees

• Igus Gmbh

Inventors

• Hermey Andreas
• Yilmaz Bilal

Classifications

• H02G11/006 Primary

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

• F16L3/015

  using articulated- or supple-guiding elements · CPC title

• F16G13/14

  built up from readily-separable links · CPC title

• F16G13/16 Primary

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