Device for guiding long object

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9695910-B2
Application number	US-201415035169-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2014
Priority date	Nov 11, 2013
Publication date	Jul 4, 2017
Grant date	Jul 4, 2017

Abstract

Links constituting a device for guiding a long object are each provided with a pair of link portions, a first coupling portion for coupling the pair of link portions to each other, and a second coupling portion for coupling the pair of link portions at a position opposite to the first coupling portion. A long object is accommodated in an accommodation space defined by the link portions, the first coupling portions, and the second coupling portions. The first coupling portion constitutes a mounting member detachably attached to mounting portions of the pair of link portions. The first coupling portion has a hinge shaft at a first end and a hook portion at a second end. The mounting portion of each link portion has a bearing portion that supports the hinge shaft to be freely rotational while restricting movement thereof, and an engaging hole that is engaged with the hook.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for guiding a long object, wherein
one link is constituted by a pair of link portions opposed to each other along a first axis,
a first coupling portion which couples the pair of link portions to each other, and a second coupling portion which couples the pair of link portions to each other at a position opposite to the first coupling portion,
a plurality of the links are arranged along a second axis, which is orthogonal to the first axis, and at least two adjacent links are coupled to each other in a freely rotational manner,
the link portions of the links, the first coupling portions, and the second coupling portions define an accommodation space configured to accommodate a long object,
the device being configured so as to guide the long object in accordance with movement of one of the links located at an end portion,
at least either of the first coupling portion and the second coupling portion includes a mounting member,
the mounting member is detachably mounted on each pair of link portions and extends along the first axis,
each pair of link portions includes mounting portions configured to be mountable with the mounting member,
each mounting member includes a hinge shaft on a first end on the first axis and a hook on a second end on the first axis opposite to the first end, the hinge shaft extending along the second axis,
each of said pair of link portions includes a first link portion, wherein the mounting portion of the first link portion includes a bearing portion and a hook engaging portion,
wherein the bearing portion is configured to support the hinge shaft in a freely rotational manner while restricting movement of the hinge shaft along a third axis which is orthogonal to both the first axis and the second axis, and the hook engaging portion is configured to be engageable with the hook, and
the mounting portion of a second link portion of each pair of link portions includes the bearing portion and the hook engaging portion.

2. The device for guiding a long object according to claim 1 ,
each mounting portion includes a first engaging portion, and
each mounting member includes a second engaging portion configured to be engageable with the first engaging portion on the first axis when the hook is engaged with the hook engaging portion in a state in which the hinge shaft is supported by the bearing portion.

3. The device for guiding a long object according to claim 1 , wherein each mounting portion includes a restricting portion configured to restrict the hinge shaft from moving along the first axis when the mounting member is rotated with the hinge shaft supported by the bearing portion.

4. The device for guiding a long object according to claim 1 , wherein each hook is configured to engage with the associated hook engaging portion from an inner side of the associated link toward an outer side of the link.

5. The device for guiding a long object according to claim 1 , wherein
each mounting member includes a cutout portion at each of both ends, and
each mounting portion includes a notch engaging portion configured to be engageable with the cutout portion.

Assignees

• Tsubakimoto Chain Co

Inventors

• Komiya Shoichiro

Classifications

• H02G11/006

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

• H02G3/0475

  formed by a succession of articulated units · CPC title

• F16G13/18

  Chains having special overall characteristics · CPC title

• F16G13/16 Primary

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