Compact conduit for clean room applications, and casing and clamping fixtures for said conduit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12438300-B2
Application number	US-202418741914-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 13, 2024
Priority date	Jan 14, 2019
Publication date	Oct 7, 2025
Grant date	Oct 7, 2025

Abstract

A conduit for lines, such as cables or hoses, particularly in a clean room application. The conduit has an elongate, flexible casing which can be moved to and fro, particularly while forming a deflecting bend between two runs, and at least one receptacle for guiding at least one line, with each receptacle extending in the form of a channel in a longitudinal direction from a first end to a second end. One feature of the invention consists in the fact that the casing has, to the side on at least one receptacle, at least one functional zone extending in a longitudinal direction, which functional zone forms a seal with two interacting sealing profiles to ensure a dust-tight closure of an open state, in which open state a line can be inserted into or removed from the receptacle transversely to the longitudinal direction. A further feature consists in the fact that the individual casing has a fastening profile extending on another longitudinal side in the longitudinal direction for a detachable connection to a corresponding fastening profile of a further casing. The invention further relates to a special clamping device for connecting the end of the casing, which clamping device comprises a deformable pressure piece which protrudes at the end beyond a clamping piece and forms a corner protection.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An encasing unit of plastic for an elongate flexible encasement of a protective line guide, wherein the encasing unit comprises a plurality of receiving channels extending in a longitudinal direction from a first end to a second end for separate guidance of respectively at least one line, said at least one line comprising at least one of a cable and a hose,
wherein at least one receiving channel of the plurality of receiving channels has a functional region for opening and closing the at least one receiving channel, wherein the functional region extends in the longitudinal direction from the first end to the second end, wherein the functional region has an opened state and a closed state, and the functional region includes two co-operating closure parts for closing the opened state of the functional region,
wherein in the opened state of the functional region, the at least one line can be introduced transversely to the longitudinal direction into the at least one receiving channel, or removed transversely to the longitudinal direction from the at least one receiving channel and wherein in the closed state of the functional region, the at least one receiving channel is dust-tightly closed transversely to the longitudinal direction,
wherein the encasing unit is made of elastic plastic and/or the encasing unit is configured to be formed into a direction-changing arc between a movable run having one end connectable to a movable connection and a stationary run having one end connectable to a stationary connection.

2. An encasing unit according to claim 1 wherein the encasing unit is a one-piece encasing unit with subdivision means and the two co-operating closure parts are in one piece with the encasing unit.

3. An encasing unit according to claim 1 wherein each receiving channel of the plurality of receiving channels has a pair of co-operating closure parts in one piece with the encasing unit.

4. An encasing unit according to claim 1 , wherein the encasing unit is of a cross-section which remains the same in the longitudinal direction.

5. An encasing unit according to claim 1 wherein each of the two cooperating closure parts is a closure profile having a cross-section which is the same throughout in the longitudinal direction, wherein the two cooperating closure parts co-operate in interengaging relationship.

6. An encasing unit according to claim 5 wherein the two cooperating closure parts include a hook profile and a claw profile which co-operate or include two profile elements that cooperate as a press closure or toothless sliding zip closure.

7. An encasing unit according to claim 1 wherein the encasing unit at least one longitudinal side includes a fixing strip extending in the longitudinal direction for a releasable connection to a further encasing unit.

8. An encasing unit according to claim 1 wherein the encasing unit comprises at least one a tubular encasement that extends in the longitudinal direction and has a larger free cross-section than each of the plurality of receiving channels, the tubular encasement being configured for encasing a support chain for supporting the encasing unit in the at least one a tubular encasement.

9. A clean room protective line guide for lines, comprising:
an elongate flexible encasement which is displaceable reciprocatingly with a formation of a direction-changing arc between a movable run having one end connected to a movable connection and a stationary run having one end connected to a stationary connection;
the elongate flexible encasement having at least one receiving channel for receiving at least one line, said at least one line comprising at least one of a cable and a hose, wherein the at least one receiving channel extends in a longitudinal direction from a first end to a second end;
wherein the at least one receiving channel has a functional region for opening and closing the at least one receiving channel, wherein the functional region extends in the longitudinal direction from the first end to the second end;
wherein the functional region has an opened state and a closed state, and the functional region includes two co-operating closure parts for closing the opened state of the functional region, wherein in the opened state of the functional region, the at least one line can be introduced transversely to the longitudinal direction into the at least one receiving channel, or removed transversely to the longitudinal direction from the at least one receiving channel, and wherein in the closed state of the functional region, the at least one receiving channel is dust-tightly closed transversely to the longitudinal direction.

10. A clean room protective line guide according to claim 9 wherein the elongate flexible encasement is closable at the first end and the second end by a respective clamping device against escape from the elongate flexible encasement of particles generated due to wear of lines.

11. The clean room protective line guide according to claim 9 wherein the at least one receiving channel includes a plurality of receiving channels.

12. The clean room protective line guide according to claim 11 wherein the elongate flexible encasement includes a one-piece encasing unit with subdivision means and the encasing unit comprises the plurality of parallel receiving channels for receiving at least one line.

13. The clean room protective line guide according to claim 11 wherein the elongate flexible encasement includes a plurality of encasing units and each encasing unit of the plurality of encasing units is made in one piece, comprises at least one receiving channel of the plurality of receiving channels, and is provided with two fixing strips which are in opposite relationship on both sides and which are in one piece with the encasing unit, respectively, and wherein adjacent encasing units of the plurality of encasing units are connectable together in parallel relationship by the fixing strips.

14. The clean room protective line guide according to claim 11 wherein each receiving channel of the plurality of receiving channels has a pair of co-operating closure parts.

15. The clean room protective line guide according to claim 9 , wherein the encasement is made of elastic plastic and/or is of a cross-section which remains the same in the longitudinal direction.

16. The clean room protective line guide according to claim 9 wherein each of the two co-operating closure parts is a closure profile having a cross-section which is the same throughout in the longitudinal direction, wherein the two cooperating closure parts cooperate in interengaging relationship for closing the at least one receiving channel.

17. The clean room protective line guide according to claim 16 wherein the two cooperating closure parts include a hook profile and a claw profile which co-operate or include two profile elements that cooperate as a press closure or toothless sliding zip closure.

18. The clean room protective line guide according to claim 9 wherein the receiving channels are connected together in parallel relationship by strip-shaped intermediate regions which predetermine the neutral fibre of the direction-changing arc.

19. The clean room protective line guide according to claim 9 wherein the clean room protective line guide comprises two support chains, each support chain of the two support chains being accommodated in a tubular encasement.

20. The clean room protective line guide according to claim 19 wherein each support chain of the two support chains compr

Assignees

• Igus Gmbh

Inventors

• Hermey Andreas
• Barten Dominik

Classifications

• H02G11/006 Primary

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

• H02G3/0462

  Tubings, i.e. having a closed section · CPC title

• F16L3/26

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

• F16L3/015

  using articulated- or supple-guiding elements · CPC title

• F16G13/16

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