Compact line guide for clean room applications and production method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12480601-B2
Application number	US-202017596430-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 13, 2020
Priority date	Jun 11, 2019
Publication date	Nov 25, 2025
Grant date	Nov 25, 2025

Abstract

A method for producing a conduit for a clean room application, comprising electric cables and an elongate flexible sheath which can be moved back and forth so as to form a deflecting bend between two towers, wherein the flexible sheath has a number of parallel receiving portions, each for at least one cable, wherein each receiving portion extends in the manner of a channel in a longitudinal direction from a first end to a second end; the method comprising the steps of providing at least one cable bundle of contiguous cables and providing the flexible sheath, wherein the sheath is prefabricated and the cable bundle is introduced into a receiving portion of the prefabricated sheath, wherein the prefabricated sheath comprises at least one sleeve unit having two interacting closure profiles of a closure in order to close an open state in a dust-tight manner and the cable bundle is inserted into the opened sheath transversely to the longitudinal direction or the prefabricated sheath comprises at least one sleeve unit which is produced so as to be circumferentially closed and the cable bundle is drawn into the closed sleeve unit in the longitudinal direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for production of a line guide for a clean room application, with electric lines and an elongate flexible enclosure which is reciprocatingly displaceable with formation of a direction-changing arc between two runs, wherein the elongate flexible enclosure has a plurality of parallel receiving means for at least one respective line, wherein each receiving means of the plurality of parallel receiving means extends in a passage in a longitudinal direction from a first end to a second end; the method comprising:
providing at least one line bundle of interrelated lines; and providing the elongate flexible enclosure, wherein the elongate flexible enclosure is prefabricated and the at least one line bundle is introduced into a receiving means of the plurality of parallel receiving means of the prefabricated elongate flexible enclosure, wherein the at least one line bundle includes a wire bundle comprising at least two twisted wires each having its own insulation, wherein the at least one line bundle does not have its own respective outer sheath, and
wherein the prefabricated elongate flexible enclosure comprises at least one enclosure unit having two cooperating closure profiles of a closure for dust-tightly closing an opened state and the at least one line bundle is introduced transversely to the longitudinal direction into the opened enclosure; or
wherein the prefabricated elongate flexible enclosure includes at least one enclosure unit which is produced peripherally closed and the at least one line bundle is drawn into the closed enclosure unit in the longitudinal direction; and
wherein the at least one line bundle includes an outward separating layer comprising a slidable material, which at its outside includes a fluoropolymer.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the outward separating layer is in a form of banding.

3 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the banding has at least one wrapping in opposite directions.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
the at least one line bundle includes at least two highly flexible stranded lines, each of the flexible stranded lines having an individual wire diameter <0.1 mm, and/or being super-fine stranded lines; and/or the at least one line bundle includes at least two stranded lines having an insulation comprising a fluoropolymer; and/or the at least one line bundle includes a tension-resistant core element.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the wire bundle comprises at least six layer-stranded or bundle-stranded wires.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the opened enclosure is dust-tightly closed after introduction of the at least one line bundle by the two cooperating closure profiles.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one enclosure unit is prefabricated and has two fixing strips which are in opposite relationship at both sides and which are in one piece with the at least one enclosure unit,
the at least one enclosure unit comprises a plurality of enclosure units, and connecting the plurality of enclosure units together in parallel.

8 . A line guide for at least one line for a clean room application, comprising:
an elongate flexible enclosure which is reciprocatingly displaceable with formation of a direction-changing arc between two runs, and has a plurality of receiving means for at least one respective line, wherein each receiving means of the plurality of receiving means extends in a passage in a longitudinal direction from a first end to a second end, wherein the elongate flexible enclosure is separately prefabricated, wherein a respective line bundle of interrelated lines is introduced into at least some of the plurality of receiving means, wherein each respective line bundle includes a wire bundle comprising at least two twisted wires each having its own insulation, wherein each respective line bundle does not have its own respective outer sheath, and wherein the elongate flexible enclosure forms an outer sheath of each respective line bundle.

9 . The line guide according to claim 8 , wherein each respective line bundle includes an outward separating layer comprising a slidable material, which at its outside includes a fluoropolymer.

10 . The line guide according to claim 9 , wherein the outward separating layer is in a form of banding.

11 . The line guide according to claim 9 , wherein the banding has at least one wrapping in opposite directions.

12 . The line guide according to claim 8 , wherein:
each respective line bundle includes at least two highly flexible stranded lines, each of the flexible stranded lines having an individual wire diameter <0.1 mm, and/or being super-fine stranded lines; and/or each respective line bundle includes at least two stranded lines having an insulation comprising a fluoropolymer; and/or each respective line bundle includes a tension-resistant core element.

13 . The line guide according to claim 8 , wherein the wire bundle comprises at least six layer-stranded or bundle-stranded wires.

14 . The line guide according to claim 8 , wherein each respective line bundle is replaceably introduced into the at least some of the plurality of receiving means.

15 . The line guide according to claim 8 , wherein the prefabricated enclosure comprises a plurality of enclosure units:
wherein the plurality of enclosure units are respectively produced with cooperating closure profiles; and/or wherein the plurality of enclosure units are produced peripherally closed, and/or wherein the plurality of enclosure units each have two fixing strips which are opposite on both sides and which are in one piece with the enclosure units and by which adjacent enclosure units are connected together in parallel, and/or wherein the plurality of enclosure units are of flexurally elastic plastic, wherein each enclosure unit is of a cross-section which remains the same in the longitudinal direction.

16 . The line guide for a clean room application produced by the method according to claim 1 .

17 . A line guide for at least one line for a clean room application, comprising:
an elongate flexible enclosure which is reciprocatingly displaceable with formation of a direction-changing arc between two runs, and has a plurality of receiving means for at least one respective line, wherein each receiving means of the plurality of receiving means extends in a passage in a longitudinal direction from a first end to a second end, wherein the elongate flexible enclosure is separately prefabricated, wherein a respective line bundle of interrelated lines is introduced into at least some of the plurality of receiving means, wherein at least one respective line bundle includes a wire bundle comprising at least two twisted wires each having its own insulation, wherein the at least one respective line bundle does not have its own respective outer sheath, wherein the elongate flexible enclosure forms the outer sheath of the at least one respective line bundle; and wherein the at least one respective line bundle includes an outward separating layer comprising a slidable material, which at its outside includes a fluoropolymer.

Assignees

• Igus Gmbh

Inventors

• Roessel Rainer
• Hermey Andreas
• Barten Dominik

Classifications

• H02G3/0487

  with a non-circular cross-section (H02G3/0468, H02G3/0475 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01B7/0045

  Cable-harnesses · CPC title

• F16L3/13

  and engaging it by snap action {(F16L3/1203 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• F16G13/16

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

• H02G11/006 Primary

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