Cable drag chain and cable drag chain assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9570895-B2
Application number	US-201514804701-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 21, 2015
Priority date	Nov 21, 2014
Publication date	Feb 14, 2017
Grant date	Feb 14, 2017

Abstract

A cable drag chain includes a number of first coupling members, a number of second coupling members engaging with the first coupling members, a number of latching members each including at least one mounting portion, a first fixing member and a second fixing member engaged with opposite ends of the first and second coupling members, and a sliding member slidably coupled to the first fixing member and including a latching portion. When the sliding member slides from the first fixing member to the second fixing member, the latching portion urges against the at least one mounting portion of each latching member to engage each latching member with corresponding first and second coupling members for holding a cable.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cable drag chain for holding a cable, the cable drag chain comprising:
a first chain having a front end and a rear end and comprising a plurality of first coupling members each defining an engaging hole, the plurality of first coupling members sequentially coupled one by one to form the first chain;
a second chain having a front end and a rear end and comprising a plurality of second coupling members each defining a through hole, wherein the plurality of second coupling members is sequentially coupled one by one to form the second chain and is engaged with the plurality of first coupling members for receiving the cable;
a plurality of latching members each comprising a base pivotably coupled to a front side of a corresponding first coupling member, a post located on the base, and at least one mounting portion located on the base;
a first fixing member engaged with the front ends of the first chain and the second chain;
a second fixing member engaged with the rear ends of the first chain and the second chain; and
a sliding member comprising a latching portion and slidably coupled to the first fixing member and configured to slide along the first chain, the second chain, and the second fixing member;
wherein, when the sliding member is slid over at least one first coupling member, the latching member pivotably coupled to the at least one first coupling member, and the second coupling member engaged with the at least one first coupling member from the first fixing member to the second fixing member, the latching portion of the sliding member urges against the at least one mounting portion of the latching member to make the post of the latching member extend through the through hole of the second coupling member and be engaged in the engaging hole of the at least one first coupling member for holding the cable.

2. The cable drag chain of claim 1 , wherein the sliding member further comprises two sliding bars located on the latching portion, two rails are located on each of the first fixing member, the second fixing member, the plurality of first coupling members, and the plurality of the second coupling members, and the two sliding bars are configured to slide along the rails.

3. The cable drag chain of claim 2 , wherein each sliding bar comprises an inner side face facing to the other sliding bar and an outer side face opposite to the inner side face, two sliding slots for the rails sliding along are defined in the two inner side faces, two engaging holes are defined in the outer side face of the sliding bar, a protrusion configured to be engaged in a corresponding engaging hole of the sliding member is located on each of the two rails of the first fixing member and the two rails of the second fixing member.

4. The cable drag chain of claim 2 , wherein the latching portion comprises a top wall, two extending walls located at opposite sides of the top wall, two urging walls located at two bottom sides of the two extending walls, and two coupling walls located at two sides of the two urging walls away from the top wall and coupled to the two sliding bars, and each latching member comprises the two mounting portions located at two sides of the base and configure to be urged against by the two urging walls.

5. The cable drag chain of claim 4 , wherein each urging wall comprises an urging portion and a guiding portion which urge against two corresponding mounting portions successively.

6. The cable drag chain of claim 2 , wherein a releasing plate extends from each sliding bar, and when the sliding member slides from the second fixing member to the first fixing member, the two releasing plates of the two sliding bars urge up against two corresponding mounting portions.

7. The cable drag chain of claim 6 , wherein each releasing plate comprises an urging face at the top and a guiding face extending slantingly and down from a front end of the urging face, and when the sliding member slides from the second fixing member to the first fixing member, the two guiding faces and the two urging faces urge up against the two corresponding mounting portions successively.

8. The cable drag chain of claim 2 , wherein each latching member further comprises a latch located on the base, a notch is defined in a rear side face of the mounting plate, the latching member is rotated to engage the latch in the notch.

9. The cable drag chain of claim 1 , wherein each first coupling member comprises a base plate and two mounting plates located on the base plate, each second coupling member comprises a base board and two mounting boards located on the base board, the two mounting boards are engaged with the two mounting plates, and each base is pivotably coupled to a front side of a corresponding mounting plate, and the engaging hole is defined in the corresponding mounting plate, the through hole is defined in each mounting board engaged with the corresponding mounting plate.

10. A cable drag chain assembly comprising:
a cable;
a first chain having a front end and a rear end and comprising a plurality of first coupling members each defining an engaging hole sequentially coupled one by one to form the first chain;
a second chain having a front end and a rear end and comprising a plurality of second coupling members each defining a through hole, wherein the plurality of second coupling members is sequentially coupled one by one to form the second chain and is engaged with the plurality of first coupling members to receive the cable;
a plurality of latching members each comprising a base pivotably coupled to a front side of a corresponding first coupling member, a post extending from the base, and at least one mounting portion located on the base;
a first fixing member engaged with the front ends of the first chain and the second chain;
a second fixing member engaged with the rear ends of the first chain and the second chain; and
a sliding member slidably coupled to the first fixing member and configured to slide along the first chain, the second chain, and the second fixing member, the sliding member comprising a latching portion;
wherein, when the sliding member slides over at least one first coupling member, the latching member pivotably coupled to the at least one first coupling member, and the second coupling member engaged with the at least one first coupling member from the first fixing member to the second fixing member, the latching portion of the sliding member urges against the at least one mounting portion of the latching member, to make the post of the latching member extend through the through hole of the second coupling member and be engaged in the engaging hole of the at least one first coupling member for holding the cable.

11. The cable drag chain assembly of claim 10 , wherein the sliding member further comprises two sliding bars located on the latching portion, two rails are located on each of the first fixing member, the second fixing member, the plurality of first coupling members, and the plurality of the second coupling members, and the two sliding bars are configured to slide along the rails.

12. The cable drag chain assembly of claim 11 , wherein each sliding bar comprises an inner side face facing to the other sliding bar and an outer side face opposite to the inner side face, two sliding slots for the rails sliding along are defined in the two inner side faces, two engaging holes are defined in the outer side face of the sliding bar, a protrusion configured to be engaged in a corresponding engaging hole of the sliding member is located on each of the two rails of the first fixing member and the two rails of the second fixing member.

13. The

Assignees

• Hon Hai Prec Ind Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lu Hung-Chun

Classifications

• H02G3/0475 Primary

  formed by a succession of articulated units · 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