Cable guiding and protecting chain

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016258509-A1
Application number	US-201615016471-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 5, 2016
Priority date	Feb 6, 2015
Publication date	Sep 8, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A cable guiding-protecting chain comprises a plurality of chain members connected in series. Each chain member comprises two connection plates which face each other and are spaced apart from each other and a first link plate and a second link plate which each connect the two connection plates. The two connection plates, the first link plate and the second link plate cooperate to define a passing space penetrating from the front to the rear. Each connection plate has an inner link portion at a front segment thereof, an outer link portion at a rear segment thereof and an outer step portion. The outer link portion has a rear end edge which is arcuate in shape and a thinned portion which is close to the rear end edge and is thinned in thickness at a side adjacent to the passing space.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A cable guiding-protecting chain, comprising:
a plurality of chain members connected in series, each chain member comprising two connection plates which face each other and are spaced apart from each other and a first link plate and a second link plate which each connect the two connection plates, face each other and are spaced apart from each other, the two connection plates, the first link plate and the second link plate cooperating to define a passing space penetrating from the front to the rear, each connection plate having an inner link portion at a front segment thereof, an outer link portion at a rear segment thereof and an outer step portion, a width between two opposite outside surfaces of the two inner link portions being less than a width between two facing inside surfaces of the two outer link portions, the outer link portion having a rear end edge which is arcuate in shape and a thinned portion which is close to the rear end edge and is thinned in thickness at a side adjacent to the passing space, the outer step portion being positioned between an outside surface of the connection plate and an outside surface of the inner link portion and having a recessed portion rearwardly recessed; in every two chain members pivot to each other in series, the two outer link portions of the two connection plates of the chain member at the front being respectively rotatably pivot to the two inner link portions of the two connection plates of the chain member at the rear and being respectively positioned outside of the two inner link portions, and each thinned portion of the chain member at the front cooperating with the corresponding outside surface of the inner link portion of the chain member at the rear to define a first insertion space, and each rear end edge of the outer link portion of the chain member at the front being spaced apart from the corresponding recessed portion of the chain member at the rear and cooperating with the corresponding recessed portion of the chain member at the rear to define a second insertion space, the first insertion space and the second insertion space at the same side being communicated.

2 . The cable guiding-protecting chain according to claim 1 , wherein each connection plate of the plurality of chain members further has a first pivot unit provided to the outer link portion and a second pivot unit provided to the inner link portion, and one of the first pivot unit and the second pivot unit is a pivot hole, and the other of the first pivot unit and the second pivot unit is a pivoting shaft, every two chain members connected in series are pivotally connected to each other by the two pivoting shafts being respectively engaged with the two pivot holes.

3 . The cable guiding-protecting chain according to claim 2 , wherein the first pivot unit is a pivot hole and the second pivot unit is a pivoting shaft.

4 . The cable guiding-protecting chain according to claim 2 , wherein a front edge of the second link plate of each chain member extends forwardly beyond a front edge of the first link plate, and a rear edge of the second link plate and a rear edge of the first link plate are flushed with each other.

5 . The cable guiding-protecting chain according to claim 4 , wherein the front edge of the second link plate of each chain member is positioned close to the front relative to an axial center of the second pivot unit.

6 . The cable guiding-protecting chain according to claim 4 , wherein the front edge of the second link plate of each chain member is formed with a notch.

7 . The cable guiding-protecting chain according to claim 1 , wherein each connection plate of each chain member further has an inner step portion formed between an inside surface of the connection plate and the inside surface of the outer link portion, and a front end edge of the inner link portion is formed with an arcuate chamfer and a first stopping portion, the arcuate chamfer is close to the first link plate relative to the first stopping portion, the first stopping portion is close to the second link plate relative to the arcuate chamfer, wherein, when every two chain members connected in series are arranged in a straight line, the two first stopping portions of the two connection plates of the chain member at the rear respectively abut against the two inner step portions of the two connection plates of the chain member at the front, wherein in operation the chain member at the rear is restricted so that the chain member at the rear cannot rotate toward a position where the second link plate of the chain member at the front is present, but the two arcuate chamfers of the two connection plates of the chain member at the rear can respectively pass through the two inner step portions of the two connection plates of the chain member at the front, so that the chain member at the rear can rotate toward a position where the first link plate of the chain member at the front is present.

8 . The cable guiding-protecting chain according to claim 7 , wherein the outer step portion of each connection plate further has a second stopping portion close to the first link plate, in every two chain members connected in series, wherein, when the chain member at the rear rotates to a maximum rotation angle toward a position where the first link plate of the chain member at the front is present, the two second stopping portions of the two connection plates of the chain member at the rear respectively abut against two side edges of the two outer link portions of the two connection plates of the chain member at the front.

9 . The cable guiding-protecting chain according to claim 8 , wherein a rear edge of the first link plate of each chain member forms a stopping edge, and an outside surface of the front edge of the first link plate forms a third stopping portion, in every two chain members connected in series, wherein, when the chain member at the rear rotates to the maximum rotation angle toward the position where the first link plate of the chain member at the front is present, the third stopping portion of the first link plate of the chain member at the rear abuts against the rear edge of the first link plate of the chain member at the front.

10 . The cable guiding-protecting chain according to claim 7 , wherein a first portion of the plurality of chain members connected in series are connected so that all the first link plates of the some chain members are positioned at the same side, and a second portion of the plurality of chain members connected in series are connected in a manner that one chain member of the some other chain members is reversed and the first link plate of the one chain member and the second link plates of the remaining chain members of the some other chain members are positioned at the same side, wherein the first portion and second portions have different rotation directions.

11 . The cable guiding-protecting chain according to claim 10 , wherein when the two chain members connected in series are connected in a manner that one of the two chain members is reversed so as to allow that the first link plate of the chain member at the front and the second link plate of the chain member at the rear are positioned at the same side, a rear edge of the second link plate of the chain member at the front forms a stopping edge, and wherein, when the chain member at the rear rotates to a maximum rotation angle toward a position where the first link plate of the chain member at the front is present, the third stopping portion of the first link plate of the chain member at the rear abuts against the rear edge of the second link plate of the chain member at the front.

12

Assignees

• Molex Llc

Inventors

• Tseng Ting-Chang

Classifications

• F16G13/16 Primary

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

• H02G11/006

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

• H02G3/04

  Protective tubing or conduits, e.g. cable ladders or cable troughs · CPC title