Guide trough

Electricity: transmission to vehicles – Flexible extensions – Reels

Reexamination Certificate

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Details

C384S026000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06796409

ABSTRACT:

The invention relates to a guide trough for energy guiding chains, where the guide trough has parallel lateral guide elements and bottom guide elements, between or on which the energy guiding chain can be deposited, and a support structure with support elements which support the guide elements and on which the guide elements are mounted, where mounting devices for mounting the support elements on an essentially vertical surface are provided.
Generic guide troughs are available for specific applications in which the guide troughs must be mounted on essentially vertical surfaces, such as walls, beams or the like. Conditions of this kind exist, for example, when energy guiding chains are used in crane systems—without being restricted to this application—where the energy guiding chains are deposited in loop-shaped fashion, forming an upper strand, a lower strand and a deflection zone.
Up to now, guide troughs have been mounted on the vertical surface by first mounting a support structure on the vertical surface, which projects outwardly from the side of the wall or beam, and whose width is at least equal to that of the guide trough. A conventional guide trough, the bottom of which can be mounted on a base structure, is then screwed to the support structure. The mounting of guide troughs of this kind is very time-consuming and work-intensive, because both the support structure must be screwed tight on the vertical surface and the guide trough on the support structure in a time-consuming procedure. Moreover, both the support structure and the guide trough must be aligned in relation to the envisaged travel path of the energy guiding chain.
Consequently, the object of the invention is to devise a guide trough which is of simple design and can be mounted on a vertical surface with minimal assembly.
The object is solved in that corresponding means for the preferably detachable mounting of the guide elements are integrally moulded on the support elements and on the lateral and/or bottom guide elements. These means are integrally moulded on at least one, but preferably all guide elements of the guide trough. The mounting means integrally moulded on the support and guide elements greatly simplify assembly. In this context, the mounting means are preferably designed such that the assembly of the support elements already aligns the mounting areas for the guide elements and defines their position relative to the vertical surface.
The support elements preferably have at least one, essentially vertical rest for at least one of the lateral guide elements, thus already providing one lateral mount for the guide trough and further simplifying mounting and alignment of the guide elements.
The length of the support elements in the longitudinal direction of the guide trough is preferably small compared to the length of the guide elements, and particularly preferably small compared to the width of the guide trough. However, the length of the support elements can also be in the region of the length of the guide elements, or also exceed it. The length of the guide elements preferably amounts to a multiple of the width of the guide trough. The width of the support elements is preferably equal to that of the guide trough, so that the support elements support the guide elements over their entire width. However, the width of the support elements can also be smaller.
The support elements can be mounted indirectly or directly on the vertical surface.
The support structure preferably has multiple, preferably 3 to 5 or more, support elements, which are each associated with one guide element, arranged to face one another, and spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the guide trough. The width of the support elements can be essentially equivalent to, or smaller than, the width of the mounting areas associated with the vertical surface. In particular, the support elements can be created by shortening a long profile, where only the mounting areas associated with the vertical surface, e.g. through-holes or blind holes, must be moulded.
The support elements are preferably of one-part design, although they can also be of multi-part design, if necessary, and have separate vertical rests, for example. In this case, the means for connecting the parts of the support elements to one another are preferably integrally moulded on them. In order to adapt the support elements to different dimensions of the energy guiding chain (e.g. width and/or height of the same) and/or different inclinations of the essentially vertical mounting surfaces, the support elements can have adjustors for changing the dimensions and/or geometry of the same, or suitable adapters or spacers.
It should be understood here that the mounting means for connecting the support elements to the guide elements, and/or the parts of the support elements to one another, preferably consist exclusively of mounting means that are integrally moulded on them.
The at least one vertical rest on the support elements for the guide elements can be provided on the side of the support elements facing towards or away from the vertical surface. Vertical rests for the guide elements facing towards and away from the vertical surface are preferably provided, which are preferably integrally moulded on the support element, without being restricted to this.
The support elements preferably have a mounting area, which is at an angle to the support area located underneath the guide elements, is used to fix the support element to the vertical surface, advantageously extends in the direction of the guide elements, and preferably also forms a lateral rest for the at least one, associated guide element. Thus, the support element is preferably of essentially L, Z or U-shaped design, meaning that the support element preferably has one or two side legs, where one of the end legs can be mounted on the vertical surface.
In the case of a support element with a U-shaped profile, in particular, but also in the case of other profiles with two side legs, the two side legs can be of different heights. The longer side leg is preferably provided with mounting means for mounting the support element on the vertical surface. Mounting means of this kind can be designed, for example, as through-holes or blind holes for accommodating separate mounting means, such as screws or the like, where other suitable mounting means can also be provided.
Regardless of the shape of the support element, one or both of its lateral rests for the guide elements can be lower than the guide trough. Thus, the lateral guide elements of the guide trough are preferably higher than the side legs of the support elements. The vertical rests preferably extend over more than half, e.g. ⅔ or more, of the height of the guide elements.
The mounting means for the guide elements on the support elements are preferably designed as corresponding projections and recesses. For example, the mounting means can be designed as positive and/or non-positive connectors, particularly as snap elements, where mounting can be achieved by inserting the guide elements into the support elements. The direction in which the elements are to be moved towards one another for mounting can correspond to the longitudinal direction of the guide trough, or a direction perpendicular to it, without being restricted to this. If necessary, the guide elements can also be mounted on the support elements by means of (e.g. lateral) pivoting motion, where the projections are inserted into the corresponding recesses by means of this motion and can thus be mounted on the support elements in detachable fashion. If necessary, the mounting means can also be designed in some other suitable manner. The means for mounting the support and guide elements to one another can simultaneously ensure the non-shift positioning of the guide elements on the support elements or, if necessary, separate anti-shift elements can be provided.
The guide elements are preferably provided with externally arranged projections protruding from the sides and/or bottom, which engage corresponding r

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