DE20209957U1 - Back-stiffened chain has hinging limiting device comprising stop shoulder on inner generated face of sleeve and complementary stop contour on outer generated face of hinge pin - Google Patents

Abstract

The back-stiffened chain (1) has outer chain links (3) with spaced apart outer link plates (7) interconnected by link pins, the inner chain links (2) have inner link plates (5) interconnected by bushes (6), each link pin extends through a corresponding bush to form a joint (4), and a hinging limiting device comprises a stop shoulder on the inner generated face of the sleeve and a complementary stop contour on the outer generated face of the hinge pin.

Description

GRÜNECKER KINKELfDTsrSTO^KM'AIR &· ¹ SCHyVANHÄUSSER

L ? ss _# g««i &egr; ? at.

GKS & S MAXIMILIANSTRASSE 58 D-80538 MUNICH GERMANY

Applicant:

Joh. Winklhofer & Söhne GmbH and Co. KG

Albert-Roßhaupter-Str. 53 81369 Munich

LAWYERS

MUNICH

DR. HELMUT EICHMANN

GERHARD BARTH

DR. ULRICH BLUMENRÖDER, LLM.

CHRISTA NIKLAS-FALTER

DR. MAXIMILIAN KINKELDEY, LLM.

DR. KARSTEN BRANDT

MICHAEL J. FRANKE, LLM.

UTE STEPHANI

DR. BERND ALLEKOTTE, LL.M.

DR. ELVIRAPFRANG, LLM.

KARIN LOCHNER

BABETT ERTLE

PATENT ATTORNEYS PATENT ATTORNEYS

EUROPEAN PATENT ATTORNEYS EUROPEAN PATENT ATTORNEYS

MUNICH

DR. HERMANN KINKELDEY PETER H. JAKOB WOLFHARD MEISTER HANS HILGERS DR. HENNING MEYER-PLATH ANNELIE EHNOLD THOMAS SCHUSTER DR. KLARA GOLDBACH MARTIN AUFENANGER GOTTFRIED KLITZSCH DR. HEIKE VOGELSANG-WENKE REINHARD KNAUER DIETMAR KUHL DR. FRANZ-JOSEF ZIMMER BETTINA K. REICHELT DR. ANTON K. PFAU DR. UDO WEIGELT RAINER BERTRAM JENS KOCH, M.S. (U of PA) M.S.

BERND ROTHAEMEL DR. DANIELA KINKELDEY DR. MARIA ROSARIO VEGA LASO THOMAS W. LAUBENTHAL DR. ANDREAS KAYSER DR. JENS HAMMER DR. THOMAS EICKELKAMP

YOUR REF.

OUR REF.

BERLIN

PROF. DR. MANFRED BÖNING

DR. PATRICKERK, M.S. (MIT)

COLOGNE

DR. MARTIN DROPMANN

CHEMNITZ MANFRED SCHNEIDER

OF COUNSEL PATENT ATTORNEYS

AUGUST GRÜNECKER DR. GUNTER BEZOLD DR. WALTER LANGHOFF

DR. WILFRIED STOCKMAIR (-1996)

DATE

G4816-142/oe 27.06.2002

Back stiff chain

GRÜNEECKER KINKELDEY
STOCKMAIR & SCHWANHÄUSS^
MAXIMILIAN STREET 58 : '.

D-80538 MUNICH '. '.

GERMANY

PHONE +49 89 2123 50

_> ..FA^.(GR _f 31+4?.89 22.02.8J. ....

&igr; SttpJjwwwIgruseckVrJie "1 Il **e-rfi3if ^jostrflcfster&jCjrunecWr.d?·· ^# DEUTSCHE BANK MUNICH

No. 17 51734 JBLZ7O0 70O1O ! SWIFT: DEUTDE MM

Back stiff chain

The present invention relates to a back-stiff chain with outer and inner chain links alternately connected to one another via a chain joint, and limiting devices which limit pivoting of the outer and inner chain links about the chain joints to a predetermined angular dimension, whereby the outer chain links and the inner chain links can be transferred from a normal position to a back-stiff position.

Such a chain is described, for example, in GB-A-439196. In one embodiment, this chain comprises inner chain links made up of two plates arranged next to one another, each of which has a protruding, outwardly curved tab on one long side. The outer chain links each have two plates arranged at a parallel distance from one another, which also have an arched tab on one long side, but which is curved inwards. The chain links are each connected to one another via rivet bolts on the outer chain links, with corresponding openings in the inner and outer plates being aligned with one another. The curved tabs ensure that the chain is stiffened in one direction so that pressure forces can also be transmitted, while it remains flexible in the other direction.

In the state of the art, there are a number of different designs for stiffening chains. For example, DE 735715 discloses a link chain in which a halved cylinder sleeve, which is arranged around the chain pin, and corresponding recesses in the links, limit the pivoting around the chain links. In addition to the fact that three different links are used in this type of chain, a halved sleeve must also be used to achieve the stiffening function. Other designs of stiffenable chains work

ten, for example, in the manner of a zipper system (see DE 876627 for an example). The use of curved slots in the outer flaps and pins on the inner flaps that engage in these are also known from DE 212083, for example. Although some of these designs have proven to be very effective, efforts are still being made to find solutions that are easy to implement and can transfer considerable forces when stiffened.

It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a back-stiffening chain of the type mentioned at the beginning, which brings about the back stiffening by means of a construction that is as simple as possible.

For this purpose, it is provided that the outer chain links comprise outer plates arranged at a distance from one another and connected to one another via hinge pins, the inner chain links comprise inner plates connected to one another via hinge sleeves, a hinge pin in each case extends through an associated hinge sleeve to form a chain joint and the limiting devices comprise a stop shoulder on the inner circumferential surface of the hinge sleeve and a complementary stop contour on the outer circumferential surface of the hinge pin.

The advantage of this arrangement is that, apart from the special design of the inner contour of the sleeves and the outer contour of the bolts, a conventional link chain structure or roller chain structure can otherwise be used. Accordingly, the common, partly standardized dimensions can also be used, so that special parts can be avoided. In addition, no additional component is required to achieve the stiffening function, as is necessary, for example, in DE 735715 (there the combination of hinge pin and halved sleeve) and DE 212083 (there the additional pivot limiting pin). Such additional components can be omitted to achieve the stiffening function according to the present invention.

&lgr; ··

A particularly optimized force transmission, especially in the stiffened state, is achieved if, according to one embodiment, the stop shoulder extends over the entire length of the joint sleeve and the stop contour over the entire engaged length of the joint pin. For the sake of simplicity, the joint pin will in most cases also have this contour over its entire length. However, it is not absolutely necessary, at least for attachment to the outer links. The force distribution is extremely favorable with this variant and correspondingly large thrust forces can be transmitted when the chain is stiffened. The force introduction is also evenly distributed and there are no load peaks, e.g. on the links, as in the known designs.

Furthermore, a stop shoulder can be designed on the inner surface of the joint sleeve for each pivoting direction of the chain joint and the outer surface of the joint bolt can have a complementary stop contour. In principle, this stiffens the chain in two positions. The chain can move freely between these two positions. Depending on the design, the pivoting range in between can be adapted to the respective application.

Advantageously, the stop shoulder can be formed by a projection with a circular ring-shaped cross-section in an otherwise cylindrical joint opening of the joint sleeve and the stop contour can be formed by a recess with a circular ring-shaped cross-section on the otherwise cylindrical joint bolt. In this embodiment, geometrically simple structures are used, which are particularly easy to produce in terms of manufacturing technology. In particular, if the end faces of the circular ring-shaped projections or recesses are aligned towards the center of the circular ring, optimal stop conditions are obtained in the case of stiffening.

Preferably, the limiting devices can be designed to limit the pivoting of a joint sleeve and a joint pin relative to each other to a pivoting angle of 40 to 50°, preferably 45°. For most applications, the limitation to this range should result in both rotation around a sprocket and stiffening in another position.

In a further embodiment, the stop shoulder and the stop contour are aligned with each other in such a way that in the back-stiff position, adjacent chain links are arranged essentially in a line. In most cases, it will be preferable to transfer a thrust force to the chain when it is in the stretched state. In this position, the chain can be supported on one side so that it does not buckle, or a slightly overstretched position can be achieved so that the thrust force can be easily transferred in an arc.

It is particularly advantageous if, according to one variant, the joint sleeves are manufactured using a primary forming or forming process. A wide variety of manufacturing methods can be used here, from injection molding to sintering, flow molding and extrusion. These manufacturing techniques have the advantage that they can be used to create the desired contours in both the sleeve and the joint pin without any problems.

Advantageously, the entire inner chain link can be made in one piece from a primary forming or forming process. Due to the fact that rigid chains are often used as actuators for opening and closing processes, they can also be made of plastic, for example, due to the stress that occurs during such processes. The entire inner chain link could then be replaced by a

·

in a single injection molding process. But sintered components for highly demanding applications are also conceivable.

According to a further embodiment, the outer chain link can be constructed from two identical L-shaped outer chain parts and each outer chain part can comprise a hinge pin and an outer link plate formed in one piece by a primary forming or forming process. This has the advantage that the entire outer chain link is constructed from two identical components. If this construction is used in conjunction with a one-piece inner chain link, the entire chain can be constructed with just two different components. It goes without saying that this construction and method of production can also be transferred to other, simple link chains.

In the following, an embodiment of the present invention is explained in more detail with reference to a drawing. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 a back-stiff chain in plan view,

Fig. 2 the back-stiff chain from Fig. 1 in full section,

Fig. 3a an outer chain link of the back-stiff chain from Fig. 1 in full section,

Fig. 3b shows a detail of Fig. 3a in enlargement,

Fig. 4a an inner chain link of the back-stiff chain from Fig. 1 in full section,

Fig. 4b shows a detail of Fig. 4a in enlargement,

Fig. 5 shows the back-stiff chain from Fig. 1 in full section as it rotates around a sprocket.

• t · t ··· &igr; ·

·

•••t ·

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of an inner chain link of a back-stiff chain, with hidden lines shown in dashed lines.

The back-stiff chain 1 shown in Fig. 1 comprises alternating inner chain links 2 and outer chain links 3. The inner chain links 2 and outer chain links 3 are alternately pivotally connected via a chain joint 4.

The inner chain links 2 comprise two plate-shaped inner plates 5 arranged parallel to one another, which are connected to one another via two joint sleeves 6 arranged perpendicularly thereto. The outer chain links 3 comprise outer plates 7 arranged at a parallel distance from one another, which are connected to one another via joint pins 8 arranged perpendicularly thereto. The joint pins 8 each extend coaxially through an associated joint sleeve 6 of the inner chain link 2.

The joint sleeve 6 is designed in the shape of a cylinder jacket on its outer circumference. The joint opening 9 of the joint sleeve 6 is also largely designed in the shape of a cylinder inner jacket, but has a projection 10 in one place that is in the shape of a circular ring section in cross section. Accordingly, the projection 10 is designed in the form of a cylinder sleeve section. The angle that this projection 10 describes between its first stop shoulder 11 and its second stop shoulder 12 is 90° in the present case. The projection 10 is aligned symmetrically to the longitudinal axis of the inner chain link 2. The projections 10 on the two joint sleeves 6 of an inner chain link are each arranged on the inward-facing side of the joint openings 9 and are essentially at the minimum possible distance from one another. The stop shoulders 11 and 12 intersect the axis of the respective joint openings 9 in an extension. The surfaces of the projections 10

•* · ■

' 8th

extend over the entire length of the joint openings 9 and the height of the projection 10 corresponds essentially to one third of the radius.

The hinge pin 8 is designed to match the hinge opening 9. The hinge pin 9, which has a cylindrical jacket shape in terms of its base body, has a recess 13 on one side that is in the shape of a circular ring section in cross section. The recess 13 therefore has the shape of a cylinder sleeve section. The recess 13 spans an angular range of 135° in the present embodiment, so that there is an angle difference of 45° compared to the projection 10 in a hinge opening 9. The first stop surface 14 is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the outer chain link 3 and the second stop surface is diagonally upwards and outwards. The stop surfaces 14 and 15 intersect the axis of the hinge pin 8 in an extension. The depth of the recess 13 is selected such that both the outer jacket surface of the hinge pin 8 and the base of the recess 13, which is in the shape of a cylindrical jacket section, are pushed into the associated hinge opening 9 of the inner chain link 2 with little play. From Fig. 3a it can be seen that the recess 13 of the two hinge pins 8 each point outwards and thus away from each other. The corresponding cross-section of the inner chain link 2 is shown in Fig. 4,4a. As can be seen from the difference between Fig. 4,4a and Fig. 5, it is in principle possible to arrange the projection 10 at a location offset by 180°. In principle, provided the projections 10 and the recess 13 are coordinated with each other, they can be arranged at any location in order to achieve different swivel limits for a wide variety of purposes.

The mode of operation of the back-stiff chain 1 is now explained in more detail with reference to Fig. 5.

From the assembly drawing (see Fig. 2) it can be seen that there is a pivoting play of 45° between the recess 13 of the outer chain link 3 and the projections 10 of the inner chain links 2. In the position shown in Fig. 2, the upper stop surface 15 strikes the upper stop shoulder 11 and further pivoting is no longer possible. The chain 1 is now able to transmit thrust forces in this position. To prevent the chain from buckling in the direction not at the stop, a support can be provided on one side. Support on the other side is not necessary because of the stop or limiting device. However, such a support can also be dispensed with if the force is offset or introduced in the form of a moment in such a way that this moment or force counteracts buckling in the direction not at the stop. If one assumes a clockwise direction of rotation according to Fig. 5, the chain 1 runs rigidly from the chain wheel 16. The chain wheel 16 can thus transfer a thrust force to the chain 1, which can then be used as an actuating element, for example. Based on the inner chain links 2 resting further on the chain wheel 16, it can be seen that the deflection around the chain wheel 16 is not a problem due to the angle difference between the projection 10 and the recess 13. In the upper area, it can be seen that with the chain wheel 16 in question, only about half of the swivel angle amount provided is required from chain joint 4 to chain joint 4.

The special thing about this chain is that, provided that normal riveting is carried out on the outer plates 7 at the end of the joint pin 8, it is essentially impossible to tell from the outside that it is a back-stiff chain 1. This means that, because of its dimensional uniformity compared to normal plate or roller chains, this chain can use many components, in particular sprockets etc., that are used for "normal" chains.

·· ft·» f · » 4

10

Particularly in cases where such a chain 1 is used as an actuator, it may be completely sufficient if the inner chain link is made from one piece by molding or forming. In the second embodiment, the inner chain link 2 is made from one piece of plastic by injection molding according to Fig. 6. At least the hinge pins 8 can also be manufactured in a similar way.

An outer chain link can also be formed, consisting of a hinge pin 8 with an outer plate 7 arranged in one piece (e.g. by injection molding or sintering). The outer chain link then has an approximately L-shape and two identical outer chain parts are joined together to form an outer chain link 3. The entire chain can therefore be constructed from just two different components (one-piece inner chain link and L-shaped outer chain part).

Claims (9)

1. Back-stiff chain ( 1 ) with outer and inner chain links ( 2 , 3 ) alternately connected to one another via a chain joint ( 4 ) and limiting devices which limit pivoting of the outer and inner chain links ( 2 , 3 ) about the chain joints ( 4 ) to a predetermined angular dimension, wherein the outer chain links ( 3 ) and the inner chain links ( 2 ) can be transferred from a normal position into a back-stiff position, characterized in that the outer chain links ( 3 ) comprise outer plates ( 7 ) arranged at a distance from one another and connected to one another via hinge pins ( 8 ), the inner chain links ( 2 ) comprise inner plates ( 5 ) connected to one another via hinge sleeves ( 6 ), a hinge pin ( 8 ) extends through an associated hinge sleeve ( 6 ) to form a chain joint ( 4 ), and the Limiting devices comprise a stop shoulder ( 11 , 12 ) on the inner surface of the joint sleeve ( 6 ) and a complementary stop contour ( 14 , 15 ) on the outer surface of the joint pin ( 8 ). 2. Back-stiff chain ( 1 ) according to claim 1, characterized in that the stop shoulder ( 11 , 12 ) extends over the entire engaged length of the hinge pin ( 8 ). 3. Back-stiff chain ( 1 ) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a stop shoulder ( 11 , 12 ) is designed on the inner circumferential surface of the joint sleeve ( 6 ) for each pivoting direction of the chain joint ( 4 ) and the outer circumferential surface of the joint pin ( 8 ) has a complementary stop contour ( 14 , 15 ). 4. Back-stiff chain ( 1 ) according to claim 3, characterized in that the stop shoulders ( 11 , 12 ) are formed by a projection ( 10 ) with a circular ring-shaped cross-section in an otherwise cylindrical joint opening ( 9 ) of the joint sleeve ( 6 ) and the stop contour ( 14 , 15 ) is formed by a recess ( 13 ) with a circular ring-shaped cross-section on the otherwise cylindrical joint pin ( 8 ). 5. Back-stiff chain ( 1 ) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the limiting devices are designed to limit pivoting of a joint sleeve ( 6 ) and a joint pin ( 8 ) relative to one another to a pivoting angle of 40 to 50°, preferably 45°. 6. Back-stiff chain ( 1 ) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a stop shoulder ( 11 , 12 ) and the stop contour ( 14 , 15 ) are aligned with each other such that in the back-stiff position adjacent chain links ( 2 , 3 ) are arranged substantially in a line. 7. Back-stiff chain ( 1 ) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the joint sleeves ( 6 ) are produced by a primary forming or forming process. 8. Back-stiff chain ( 1 ) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the entire inner chain link ( 2 ) is manufactured in one piece from a primary forming or forming process. 9. Back-stiff chain ( 1 ) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the outer chain link ( 2 ) is constructed from two identical L-shaped outer chain parts and each outer chain part comprises a hinge pin ( 8 ) and an outer plate ( 7 ) integrally formed thereon by a primary forming or forming process.