Chain – staple – and horseshoe making – Chains – Conduit
Utility Patent
1999-09-13
2001-01-02
Jones, David (Department: 3725)
Chain, staple, and horseshoe making
Chains
Conduit
C059S900000, C248S049000, C248S075000
Utility Patent
active
06167689
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present application relates to a chain link used in the fabrication of a flexible energy guide chain for supporting energy conduits, and which has a cover which is moveable between two different stable positions.
To protect energy lines or conduits, in particular supply lines which are laid between a stationary attachment point and a movable consumer load, use is made of flexible guide chains which have a passage which is suitable for receiving the energy lines or conduits. Such chains are fabricated from a plurality of chain links which are hingedly connected together.
The state of the art discloses numerous examples of the design configuration of such energy guide chains. In general terms each chain link has a passage portion which is defined by two spaced-apart, mutually oppositely disposed side walls or plates which are connected by a base wall, and a cover. The cover is hingedly connected to a side plate and extends to the oppositely disposed side plate, when the passage portion is in the closed condition. Such a chain link is known for example from DE 43 13 075 A1 which shows a cover that is releasably connected to a side plate by means of a hinge, and which can be latched to the oppositely disposed side plate. For that purpose the cover has retaining or latching means which co-operate with corresponding retaining or latching means on the side plate. To provide for the pivotal connection of the cover to the side plate, DE 43 13 075 proposes a hinge comprising mounting pins formed on the cover and mounting openings in the side plates for retainingly receiving and guiding the mounting pins. That design configuration for the hinges permits a pivotal movement of the cover through 180°, in which case the cover can be removed in any desired pivotal position.
A further configuration of a chain link is known from DE 33 18 365 C2, wherein two spaced-apart, mutually opposite disposed side plates are connected together by way of a cover. The cover is pivoted to a side plate with a releasable hinge and is lockable to the other side plate by means of an elastic hook. DE 33 18 365 C2 proposes, in regard to the configuration of the hinge connection between the cover and the side plate, that it comprises a hinge axis portion which is formed in an exposed condition in the free edge of the side plate, with the hinge axis portion being of a cross-section which is flattened off perpendicularly to the side plates, and with rounded-off narrow sides, and the hinge further comprises a cut-off, part-circular opening which is formed in the end of the cover and which is provided with portions of an undercut configuration. The advantage of that form of the hinge connection is that, after the cover has been fitted onto the hinge axis portion and after pivotal movement in a direction towards the opposite side plate, the cover is braced to the hinge axis portion in force-locking and positively locking relationship therewith. Such a cover can be pivoted at one side.
DE 44 13 355 C1 discloses a non-releasable hinge connection between a cover and a side plate of a chain link. In regard to the configuration of the non-releasable connection, DE 44 13 355 C1 proposes that the cover be designed with an elongate tongue portion. The side plate is provided with a pin around which the tongue portion is formed and then the tongue is fixed.
The most frequent situation of use of chain link is that in which the cover of each chain link is disposed substantially in a horizontal plane. Such covers are also pivotable through more than 90° so that, in the opened condition, the center of gravity of the cover lies outside the passage portion of the chain link. By this arrangement, the cover is prevented from automatically falling closed, by virtue of the force of gravity acting thereon. In the case of the known design configurations of a chain link however, it is not possible reliably to prevent the cover from falling shut. In particular, by virtue of a limited amount of space for installation of the chain, it is not always possible for the cover to be pivoted sufficiently far. Furthermore, vibration or the like can cause the cover to fall into the shut condition. That results in an increased amount of work, particularly when subsequently laying lines or conduits. There is also a need for a further checking operation to check whether the cover has only fallen shut, or whether it has been put into its predetermined position in the proper fashion.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a chain link for an energy guide chain in which the cover is not subject to accidental or unintended pivoting.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The above and other objects and advantages of the present invention are achieved by the provision of a chain link which has a longitudinally extending passage of U-shape in cross section and which is composed of two spaced-apart, parallel side plates, a base wall connected to the side plates, and a cover. The cover is pivotally connected to one of the side plates by a hinge by which the cover can be put into at least two different stable positions. The term stable position is used to denote a position from which the cover can be moved by applying a force so that it is not possible for the cover to pivot accidentally, when a small amount of force is applied to the cover. Preferably the first stable position of the cover is that in which the cover at least partially and preferably entirely exposes or opens the passage of the chain link. The second stable position is the position in which the cover at least partially and preferably entirely closes the passage portion.
In accordance with a further advantageous feature of the invention, the hinge is configured so that the cover can be moved from the one stable position into the other against a spring force. The term “spring force” is to be interpreted in the broadest sense. Spring force in this case also means the force which is necessary to cause elastic deformation of the component parts of the hinge. After elastic deformation, the component parts of the hinge move back into their original configuration.
The hinge preferably has an arm with at least one resilient region. The resilient arm is pivotally connected by its first end to the cover and by its second end to the side plate. The cover is pivotable about a separate hinge axis. In that case the hinge axis is preferably provided on a side plate, and it is positioned to lie between the ends of the resilient arm of the hinge. The hinge is further of such a configuration that the spring force which has to be overcome to move the cover from the one stable position into the other stable position reaches it maximum value when, during the pivotal movement of the cover, the first and second ends of the resilient arm and the hinge axis are on a common straight line. The advantage of this configuration of the hinge is that it gives a snap action. When, during the pivotal movement, the cover has assumed a position in which the spring force has reached its maximum value, then, upon further pivotal movement of the cover, the cover is automatically moved by the resilient arm into the next possible stable position.
The resilient arm can be of a resilient nature overall. However, a preferred embodiment of the resilient arm is one in which the resilient region is formed by a substantially arcuate portion of the arm. The arm can be of an arcuate configuration overall. During the pivotal movement, by virtue of the configuration of the arcuate portion of the arm and the geometrical arrangement of the hinge axis and the pivotal mounting points of the resilient arm on the cover and on the side plate, the arcuate portion deforms into a substantially straight configuration, in the pivotal movement of the cover from the one stable position into the other stable position. In other words, during the pivotal movement, the arcuate portion of the arm is straightened whereby the arm applies a pulling force to the cover. When the force has reached its maximum value during the pivotin
Heidrich Klaus
Klein Lorenz
Weber Willibald
Wehler Herbert
Alston & Bird LLP
Jones David
Kabelschlepp GmbH
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