Chain – staple – and horseshoe making – Chains – Conduit
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-13
2001-01-16
Jones, David (Department: 3725)
Chain, staple, and horseshoe making
Chains
Conduit
C059S900000, C248S049000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06173560
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention concerns a chain link and a process for the production of a chain link.
Movable items of equipment and machines are supplied with consumables of all kinds by way of lines which are guided in an energy guide chain. An energy guide chain includes a plurality of pivotably interconnected chain links. It is known for chain links of an energy guide chain to comprise a plastics material. A chain link has two chain side plates which are connected together by at least one transverse portion. The transverse portion can be formed integrally with the chain side plates. To form a pivotal connection between adjacent chain links each chain side plate has a pivotal connecting portion which engages into a corresponding receiving means in a chain side plate of an adjacent chain link. At least one chain side plate has at least one abutment to limit the angle of pivotal movement between adjacent chain links.
During operation of an energy guide chain the parts of the adjacent chain links, which are movable relative to each other, suffer from wear. Wear of the pivotal connecting portion and the receiving means in which the pivotal connecting portion is arranged can result in the function of the energy guide chain being adversely affected.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,625,507 B1 discloses a proposal in regard to the design configuration of an energy guide chain in which, in addition to the surfaces which are in mutual contact between the pivotal connecting portion and the receiving means for same, there is also a support effect between the comparatively large surfaces at the outside edge of a chain link and in the inside edge of an adjacent chain link so that the specific pressures in relation to surface area are reduced. That contributes to a reduction in the amount of wear between the pivotal connecting portion and the receiving means for same.
The individual chain links of an energy guide chain slide on a support arrangement, in operation of the assembly. It is also possible for an upper run of an energy guide chain to slide on the lower run thereof. In that situation considerable wear phenomena and also the production of an unpleasant amount of noise may occur. U.S. Pat. No. 5,020,313 discloses an energy guide chain which proposes that releasably secured sliding skids comprising a slidable and low-wear plastics material with good damping properties are arranged at the narrow sides of the chain side plates. The advantage of that configuration of an energy guide chain is that the chain links can be operated optionally with or without sliding skids, depending on the respective situation of use for which the energy guide chain is intended.
Taking that as its basic starting point, the present invention is based on the problem of so developing the chain link that it has functionally adapted regions. A further object of the invention is to provide a process for the production of a chain link, which is simple to carry into effect.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The above and other objects and advantages of the invention are achieved by the provision of a chain link for an energy conducting guide chain which comprises two spaced apart and parallel side plates composed of a first plastic material and which are connected together by at least one transverse portion. Each chain side plate has a pivotal connecting portion and a receiving means for receiving the pivotal connecting portion, and at least one abutment. The chain link is distinguished by at least one region having an insert which forms at least a part of the surface of the chain link. The insert comprises at least one second plastic material which is different from the first plastic material. The insert is connected to the chain link by way of at least one connecting element in accordance with the multi-component injection molding procedure. The chain link according to the invention has functional regions which are formed by the insert. A suitable selection of a plastic material for the insert can be made in accordance with the requirements on the functional region. The connection of the insert to the chain link is made by way of connecting elements in accordance with the multi-component injection molding procedure, in particular in accordance with the two-component injection molding procedure. That makes it possible to provide for a reliable connection between the insert and the chain link. The multi-component injection molding procedure is a per se known process for the production of plastic parts. The use of a two-component injection molding procedure is known in the field of energy guide chains for the production of flexible transverse webs which provide a locking action for lines guided in an energy guide chain, from DE 195 12 088.
Regarding the configuration of the connecting elements, it is proposed that they are of a substantially web-like or rib-like configuration.
Preferably the connecting elements extend substantially transversely with respect to the force applied to the insert. That configuration for the connecting elements affords the advantage that shearing-off of the insert is reliably prevented, even in consideration of high shearing forces which act on the insert.
In accordance with a further advantageous concept it is proposed that the connecting elements are of a substantially trapezoidal cross-section. As an alternative to a trapezoidal cross-section they may also be of a substantially mushroom-shaped cross-section. That increases the size of the connecting surface between the insert and the chain link. It is also possible for the insert to be of such a configuration, around the chain link, that the connecting line between the chain link and the insert, as considered in cross-section, extends in a corrugated configuration.
In accordance with a further advantageous concept it is proposed that the insert at least partially forms the pivotal connecting portion. In that case the pivotal connecting portion may comprise a low-wear plastic material, in which case it should be borne in mind that the plastic material is also slidable whereby the frictional forces between the pivotal connecting portion and a receiving means for same are reduced.
Besides making the pivotal connecting portion from a second plastic material in the form of an insert for the chain link, the receiving means for the pivotal connecting portion may also be formed by an insert. Suitable pairing of the materials involved, as between the pivotal connecting portion and its receiving means, reduces the wear between them. At the same time high forces can be applied to the pivotal connecting portion and the receiving means therefor so that an energy guide chain which is made up of such chain links can carry greater weights of lines and/or can bridge over greater unsupported lengths.
In accordance with a further advantageous concept it is provided that the chain link has an insert which at least partially forms the surface of an edge extending in the longitudinal direction of at least one chain side plate. That arrangement provides an integral chain link having a sliding skid, which link is easy to produce.
During operation of the energy guide chain the chain side plates of adjacent chain links are pivoted relative to each other about the pivotal connecting portion or portions. Each chain side plate has at least one abutment to limit the angle of pivotal movement. When the abutments of adjacent chain links meet, that results in a not inconsiderable amount of sound being emitted. The abutments are also subjected to a compression loading. In order to ensure that the abutments always permit a defined angle of pivotal movement during operation of the energy guide chain, it is proposed that the insert forms at least in part the surface of an abutment. In that case the insert can comprise a plastic material which has a higher level of resistance to wear than the plastic material of the chain side plate. It is also possible for the insert to be made from a damping plastic material so that the level of sound emission is reduced.
An insert in a chain link
Alston & Bird LLP
Jones David
Kabelschlepp GmbH
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