Energy chains for long travels, in particular with rollers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12584538-B2
Application number	US-202118256787-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 10, 2021
Priority date	Dec 10, 2020
Publication date	Mar 24, 2026
Grant date	Mar 24, 2026

Abstract

Energy chains for guiding lines, such as cables, hoses or the like. In roller chains, rollers are provided on at least some chain links for moving the energy chain in a rolling manner, in particular on chain links of the opposite run, the rotational axis of one roller in each case coinciding with the common pivot axis of a pair of side parts of the chain links. Each of the two strands consists of alternatingly successive first and second side parts, wherein the first side parts are forked with two fork regions which oppose each other in the longitudinal direction and each have a pair of laterally spaced side walls with a plate receptacle therebetween, and wherein the second side parts are plate-like with two plate regions which oppose each other in the longitudinal direction and each engage in a plate receptacle of an adjacent first side part.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An energy chain for guiding lines, wherein the energy chain is movable such that the energy chain forms an upper run, a lower run and a deflection region connecting the upper and lower runs, the energy chain comprising:
a plurality of side parts which are connected in a longitudinal direction to form two strands, the two strands being parallel to each other; cross bars connecting the two strands to each other; wherein each two side parts of the plurality of side parts neighbouring in the longitudinal direction constitute in each case a pair of side parts pivotable with respect to each other about a common pivot axis; wherein rollers are provided at at least some of the pairs of side parts for a rolling movement of the energy chain, wherein an axis of rotation of a roller in each case coincides with the common pivot axis of the pair of side parts, wherein
the plurality of side parts includes first and second side parts, wherein each of the two strands consists of the first and the second side parts succeeding each other in an alternating manner, wherein the first side parts each have two fork regions, which are opposite in the longitudinal direction, wherein each fork region has a pair of laterally spaced-apart side walls with a plate receiver in between, and wherein the second side parts each have two plate regions, which are opposite in the longitudinal direction and which in each case engage in a plate receiver of a neighbouring one of the first side parts; or
each side part of the plurality of side parts comprises, opposite in the longitudinal direction, a fork region, which has a pair of laterally spaced-apart side walls with a plate receiver in between, and a plate region, which engages in a plate receiver of a neighbouring side part of the plurality of side parts.

2 . The energy chain according to claim 1 , wherein each side part of the plurality of side parts in each case has an inner narrow side facing the respectively other run and an outer narrow side facing away,
wherein a distance from the pivot axis to the inner narrow side is smaller than a distance from the pivot axis to the outer narrow side.

3 . The energy chain according to claim 1 , wherein each side part of the plurality of side parts is produced in one part from plastic.

4 . The energy chain according to claim 1 , wherein, in relation to one of the pairs of side parts, one side part of the pair of side parts forms a guide groove between the side walls of the fork region, wherein the guide groove is open towards the plate receiver and has laterally opposite transverse guide surfaces which extend in a circular arc shape about the pivot axis, wherein the plate region of the other side part of the pair of side parts engages in the guide groove with at least one guide protrusion, which has circular-arc-shaped counterfaces for guiding on the transverse guide surfaces.

5 . The energy chain according to claim 1 , wherein, in relation to one of the pairs of side parts, both side parts of the pair of side parts have at least three pairs of cooperating stop surfaces arranged distributed about the pivot axis, wherein the cooperating stop surfaces are in contact in an extended pivot position of the pair of side parts.

6 . The energy chain, according to claim 1 , wherein, in relation to one of the pairs of side parts, one side part of the pair of side parts has a draw hook which, in an extended pivot position of the pair of side parts, engages in a cutout on the other side part of the pair of side parts for the purposes of tensile force transmission.

7 . The energy chain according to claim 1 , wherein the rollers are in each case received in receivers between the side parts of the pair of side parts and protrude partially or only slightly beyond narrow sides of the side parts.

8 . The energy chain according to claim 7 , wherein each one of the rollers is arranged in a respective plate receiver between a side wall of a fork region and a plate region engaging in the plate receiver, wherein in each case one roller is provided on each side of the plate region in the plate receiver on the respective pair of side parts, wherein, on an inner narrow side of the pair of side parts, facing the respectively other run, at least one side wall of the pair of side walls of the fork region and the plate region in each case forms a section of the running surface for one of two rollers.

9 . The energy chain according to claim 1 , wherein side parts of the plurality of side parts in each strand are in each case connected to each other by a separate hinge pin.

10 . The energy chain according to claim 9 , wherein the two side walls of each fork region and the plate region in each case have a continuous receiving opening for a separate hinge pin and are connected to each other in a relatively pivotable manner by an inserted hinge pin.

11 . The energy chain according to claim 9 , wherein:
at least one pin part of the separate hinge pin is connected in a torque-proof manner to the plate region, and/or the two side walls are mounted on the separate hinge pin pivotable about the pivot axis by means of their receiving openings of the fork region; and/or the rollers are in each case mounted rotatably on the hinge pin.

12 . The energy chain according to claim 9 , wherein on the hinge pin in each case a sliding bearing ring is provided for the pivotable mounting of the side walls.

13 . The energy chain according to claim 1 , wherein the first side parts in both strands are identically constructed and the second side parts in both strands are identically constructed, wherein the first and the second side parts are shaped substantially mirror-symmetrical or functionally symmetrical with respect to their transverse centre plane.

14 . The energy chain according to claim 1 , wherein an external diameter of the rollers is at least 50% of a height of any side part of the plurality of the side parts.

15 . The energy chain according to claim 1 , wherein comb-like guide elements, which engage with each other during movement and bring about a lateral offset of the upper run with respect to the lower run, with the result that the rollers roll past each other, are present on the outside on the cross bars which face the respectively other run.

16 . An energy chain for guiding lines, wherein the energy chain is movable such that the energy chain forms an upper run, a lower run and a deflection region connecting the upper and lower runs, the energy chain comprising:
a plurality of side parts which are connected in a longitudinal direction to form two strands, the two strands being parallel to each other; cross bars connecting the two strands to each other; wherein each two side parts of the plurality of side parts neighbouring in the longitudinal direction constitute in each case a pair of side parts pivotable with respect to each other about a common pivot axis; wherein the plurality of side parts includes first and second side parts, wherein each of the two strands consists of the first and the second side parts succeeding each other in an alternating manner, wherein the first side parts each have two fork regions, which are opposite in the longitudinal direction, wherein each fork region has a pair of laterally spaced-apart side walls with a plate receiver in between, and wherein the second side parts each have two plate regions, which are opposite in the longitudinal direction and which in each case engage in a plate receiver of a neighbouring one of the first side parts; or each side part of the plurality of side parts compr

Assignees

• Igus Gmbh

Inventors

• Hermey Andreas
• Steeger Ralf

Classifications

• H02G11/006

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

• F16G13/16 Primary

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