Patent Application
20080066821
A folding type cable protection and guide device, which is an example according to the present invention, will be described with reference to
Here,
The folding assembly type cable protection and guide device of the present example is used for connecting a movable section and a stationary section of a device and supplying the device with energy such as electric power or compressed air. Examples may include: a semiconductor device, a pharmacy developing testing device, a vehicle door opening/closing device, a vehicle slide seat, or a vehicle motor sunroof. The folding assembly type cable protection and guide device safely and reliably guides and protects a cable (cables) C such as an electric cable, which transmits and supplies electric signals and a hose, which supplies pressure liquid or pressure gas.
The device can exhibit a linear position or a flexing position. As shown in
Namely, the above-mentioned synthetic resin tape 100 includes an outer circumferential wall formation section 120, a pair of right and left side wall formation sections 130, 130, and a pair of right and left inner circumferential wall formation sections 140, 140. The outer circumferential wall formation sections 120 adjacently engage with each other in a longitudinal direction of the tape during linear movement and separate from each other to open at predetermined pitches in the longitudinal direction of the tape during flexional movement. The outer circumferential wall formation section 120 has a pair of right and left folding sections 110, 110 located on both the sides. A pair of right and left side wall formation sections 130, 130, are located adjacent to the pair of right and left folding sections 110, 110. Further, the pair of right and left side wall formation sections 130, 130 are adjacently engaged with each other in the longitudinal direction of the tape during linear movement and separate from each other to open at predetermined pitches in the longitudinal direction of the tape during flexional movement.
Finally, the pair of right and left inner circumferential wall formation sections 140, 140, are respectively disposed to the pair of right and left side wall formation sections 130, 130 in a vertical L-shape. The circumferential wall formation sections 140, 140, are perpendicular to the pair of right and left side wall formation sections 130, 130 Additionally, the pair of right and left inner circumferential wall formation sections 140, 140, when folded form one side of the the cable accommodating space R. The pair of right and left inner circumferential wall formation sections 140, 140 are located opposite the outer circumferential wall formation section 120. The pair of right and left inner circumferential wall formation sections 140, 140, overlap each other along the longitudinal direction of the tape in the assembled folding type cable protection and guide device.
The above-mentioned folding section 110 includes an opening groove such as an arc-shaped groove 111a to suppress folding distortion on the inside of the cable accomodating space. The opening groove is folded in the longitudinal direction of the tape as shown in
The above-mentioned outer circumferential wall formation sections 120, the side wall formation sections 130, and the inner circumferential wall formation sections 140 are molded of polypropylene and are easily processed by extrusion or punching (which will be described later in detail). These sections provide rigidity to the folding section 110, so that, the dimensional stability of the cable accommodating space R is sufficiently ensured.
Further, the folding section 110 is molded of polyester or thermoplastic olefin elastomer. The folding section 110 exhibits greater flexibility than the outer circumferential wall formation sections 120, the side wall formation sections 130, and the inner circumferential wall formation sections 140. As a result, there is less resilience at the time of folding.
Further, as shown in
Therefore, multi-color extrusion may be used to form the device of different sections comprising different materials. For example, the outer circumferential wall formation section 120 and the side wall formation section 130 can be formed of one material such as polypropylene, the inner circumferential wall formation section 140 of can be formed of another material such as a more flexible polypropylene (more flexible than the outer circumferential wall formation section 120 and the side wall formation section 130), and the folding section 110 of still another material such as polyester or thermoplastic olefin elastomer.
Further, the cable accommodating space R is able to accommodate cables of a variety of lengths. Even if the cable is a long body, the synthetic resin tape 100 may be cut as a continuing integrated body in accordance with the length of the long body. As a result, the cable accomodating space is sufficiently adaptable.
Further, a splitting slit 150 separates the outer circumferential wall formation sections 120 and the pair of right and left side wall formation sections 130, 130 from each other at a predetermined pitch in a longitudinal direction of the tape during flexional movement. The splitting slit 150 is formed by punching into the extruded resin synthetic tape. The splitting slit 150 crosses the folding section 110 at a predetermined pitch and at the same time splits the folding section while leaving the pair of right and left inner circumferential wall formation sections 140, 140 intact.
A punching interval that forms the above-mentioned splitting slit 150 in the synthetic resin tape 100 can be appropriately selected. A flexing pitch can be easily changed to variety of different intervals for forming the cable accommodating space R.
Further, a concave portion/convex portion engagement mechanism 160 is provided at adjacent positions of the above-mentioned outer circumferential wall formation sections 120 on opposite the sides of the splitting slit 150. The concave portion/convex portion engagement mechanism 160 comprises a trapezoid tongue piece-shaped convex portion 161 and an inverse trapezoid-shaped concave portion 162, which engages with the trapezoid tongue piece-shaped convex portion 161. The concave portion/convex portion engagement mechanism 160 restricts lateral shifts of the adjacent outer circumferential wall formation sections 120 within the splitting slit 150 during linear movement. Smooth linear movement of the device is maintained and snaking movement is avoided.
Further, a circular open window 170 is located at a cross position of side wall formation section 130 and the inner circumferential wall formation section 140 and the splitting slit 150. The circular open window 170 is provided for folding the above-mentioned folding section 110. The circular open window 170 is formed by punching and penetrates into the cable accommodating space R.
This circular open window 170 absorbs the distortion of the cable accommodating space R likely to occur by an internal movement of the cable C during both linear movement and during flexional movement. Excellent shape retention is ensured. Further, this construction contributes to weight reduction and allows viewing of the cable in the cable accommodating space R through the circular open window 170.
In the folding type cable protection and guide device of the first example a cable C is accommodated into the cable accommodating space R. In the case that cable C is long body, the cable accomodating space is cut as a continuing integrated body in accordance with the length of the cable. A cable accommodating space R is adapted to the length of the cable. Optimum length of the cable accomodating space R is easily ensured. Further, assembly is simplified. Connecting a number of individual link plates as in a conventional protection and guide chain to provide a specific length is not necessary. Further, even synthetic resin film tape 100 of increased length can be easily manufactured. As a result, various sizes of metal molds in injection molding or casting in accordance with the length of a cable C are not required.
The synthetic resin tape 100 can be easily folded through a folding section 110. The pair of right and left inner circumferential wall formation sections 140, 140 and the side wall formation sections 130, 130 have already been disposed in a fixed vertical L-shape at the time of extrusion. A rectangularly shaped cable accommodating space R can be uniformly and reliably assembled to a predetermined size along the longitudinal direction of the tape. Further, a synthetic resin tape can be easily assembled by enclosing the cable with a connector on both sides along the longitudinal direction of the tape. As a result, a cable with a connector does not have to be inserted through a hollow integrated type cable protection and guide device which has an opening/closing arm as in a conventional case. Instead, the cable with a connector on both sides may be enclosed in a synthetic resin tape along the longitudinal direction of the tape.
Further, in the folding type cable protection and guide device of this example, since the outer circumferential wall formation section 120, the side wall formation section 130, and the inner circumferential wall formation section 140 are molded of polypropylene, the extrusion and punching are easily carried out. The sections of this device molded of polypropylene are rigid relative to the folded sections enabling the form of the cable accomodating space to be maintained more easily.
The folded section is molded of polyester or thermoplastic olefin elastomer. The folding section 110 exhibits greater flexibility relative to the outer circumferential wall formation section 120, the side wall formation section 130, and the inner circumferential section 140, so that resilience generated at the time of folding is reduced. Thus, the folding load also can be reduced. Therefore, the benefits are very significant.
Those skilled in the art will readily recognize that the invention has been set forth by way of example only and that many changes may be made to the invention without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims below.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-254637 | Sep 2006 | JP | national |
