Energy guiding chain

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9476480-B2
Application number	US-201414782166-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 27, 2014
Priority date	Apr 5, 2013
Publication date	Oct 25, 2016
Grant date	Oct 25, 2016

Abstract

Energy guiding chain, whose chain links ( 1, 2 ) each consist of two side straps ( 3, 4 ) that are connected to each other by cross-members ( 5, 6 ), where the cross-members display a bearing area ( 7 ) on at least one of their ends and, seen in the longitudinal direction of the side straps ( 3, 4 ), a contact area ( 9 ) outside the bearing area. To avoid the accumulation of foreign bodies, the side ( 11 ) of the contact area of the cross-members facing from the inside of the chain outwards displays a convex curvature or a linear slope towards its contact surface ( 10 ) and encloses an angle of <90° with the inner side ( 3 a, 4 a ) of the respective side strap, such that the contact surface ( 10 ) moves along the inner side of the side strap towards the inside of the chain when the cross-member is pivoted open until a completely opened position is reached.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An energy guiding chain for guiding supply lines from a first connecting point to a second connecting point that moves relative to the first connecting point, comprising:
a plurality of plastic chain links pivotable relative to each other over a pivoting angle,
each plastic chain link of the plurality of chain links comprising two side straps, each side strap of the two side straps having an inner side facing towards an inside of the chain, an outer side facing outwards from the chain and opposing narrow faces arranged perpendicular to the inner side and the outer side and extending in a longitudinal direction of the side strap,
wherein the side straps form opposite strap strands transverse to the longitudinal direction,
wherein at least some of the side straps of the opposite strap strands are connected to each other by a cross-member, wherein at least one end of the cross-member includes a bearing area that interacts with a bearing seat located on a side strap facing towards the end of the cross-member having the bearing area in articulated fashion, for pivoting the cross-member between a closed position and a completely opened position,
wherein the at least one end of the cross-member includes, at least one contact area which, in the longitudinal direction of the side strap, is arranged outside the bearing area, the at least one contact area having a contact surface which lies opposite to the inner side of the side strap when the cross-member is in the closed position and having an outer side facing outwards from the chain,
wherein the outer side of the at least one contact area facing outwards from the chain comprises a convex curvature or a linear slope upto the contact surface, and encloses an angle of <90° with the inner side of the side strap, such that, when the cross-member is pivoted open to the completely opened position, the contact surface is movable along the inner side of the side strap towards the inside of the chain.

2. The energy guiding chain according to claim 1 , wherein the side of the at least one contact area, at the edge of the contact surface which faces outwards from the inside of the chain, encloses an angle of ≦80° with the inner side of the side strap.

3. The energy guiding chain according to claim 1 , wherein the bearing seat projects on the inner side of the side strap, and wherein the at least one contact area of the cross-member extends to the side of the bearing seat.

4. The energy guiding chain according to claim 1 , wherein the bearing seat is on the inner side of the side strap, and offset towards the inside of the chain in relation to a narrow face of an adjacent side strap.

5. The energy guiding chain according to claim 1 , wherein the area of the outer side of the cross-member extending towards the bearing area in a longitudinal direction of the cross-member and the bearing area are offset towards the inside of the chain in relation to the narrow face of an adjacent side strap when the cross-member is in the closed position.

6. The energy guiding chain according to claim 1 , wherein the outer side of the cross-member further comprises an essentially flat surface outside the at least one contact area, the essentially flat surface extending in a longitudinal direction of the cross-member towards the bearing area.

7. The energy guiding chain according to claim 6 , wherein the essentially flat surface is in a form of an essentially flat plate.

8. The energy guiding chain according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one contact area comprises two contact areas located on either side of the bearing area, and each one of the two contact areas has one contact surface.

9. The energy guiding chain according to claim 1 , wherein the end of the cross-member includes a shoulder and two journals lying on one axis located on the shoulder,
wherein each of the journals is insertable into a respective pocket-shaped journal seat located on the inner side of the side strap, and
wherein an edge of the contact surface of the at least one contact area of the cross-member faces outwards from the inside of the chain and lies below, or at the level of, the axis of the journals.

10. The energy guiding chain according to claim 9 , wherein each journal seat has a cylindrical space that corresponds to the journal and is wider in relation to an opening for inserting the journal, such that the journal is snapable into the journal seat.

11. The energy guiding chain according to claim 10 , wherein each journal is essentially cylindrical and has a first flattened section on a lateral surface of the cylinder that lies parallel to the axis of the journals.

12. The energy guiding chain according to claim 11 , wherein a wall of each cylindrical space has a flattened section, where the flattened section and the first flattened section of the journal are positioned such that, in the closed position of the cross-member, the flattened section of the cylindrical space and the first flattened section of the essentially cylindrical journal lie opposite each other.

13. The energy guiding chain according to claim 12 , wherein each journal has a second flattened section, lying parallel to the axis of the journal, where the second flattened section is positioned on the journal such that, in the completely opened position of the cross-member, the second flattened section lies opposite the flattened section of the cylindrical space of the journal seat.

14. The energy guiding chain according to claim 13 , wherein the first flattened section and the second flattened section of the journal are arranged at an angle >90° relative to each other, which is swept during pivoting of the cross-member between the closed position and the completely opened position.

15. Energy guiding chain according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one contact area with the contact surface extends over an entire width of the cross-member outside the bearing area.

Assignees

• Igus Gmbh

Inventors

• Hermey Andreas
• Jaeker Thilo-Alexander
• Strack Stefan

Classifications

• 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

• H02G3/0475

  formed by a succession of articulated units · CPC title

• F16G13/16 Primary

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