JP2005354772A - Cable support device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To facilitate the processing of a cable in a slide unit or the like. <P>SOLUTION: This cable support device for supporting the cable laid between a drawing part and an accommodation part comprises two arms that support the cable, and an elastic connecting member that connects the two arms. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a support device for a cable extending between a drawer portion and a storage portion used for storing an electronic device or the like.

  A structure as shown in FIGS. 9 to 11 is used as a rack, a slide unit or the like for storing an electronic device or the like.

  9 and 10, the slide unit 110 has a drawer part (drawer movable part) 101 and a storage part (drawer non-movable part) 102. An electronic device 105 is disposed in the drawer portion 101, and the electronic device 105 can be pulled out by sliding the drawer portion 101 relative to the storage portion 102.

  In order to lead out the cable 108 of the electronic device 105 from the back surface of the storage unit 102 to the outside, the cable 108 needs to pass through the storage unit 102. However, when the cable 108 is disposed alone in the storage portion 102, the cable 108 may be sandwiched between the drawer portion 101 and the storage portion 102, and may be damaged or disconnected. Therefore, the normal cable 108 is supported by a cable surplus length processing device 111 as a cable support.

  The cable surplus length processing device 111 includes metal plates 104 and 104 and a pin 106. The two metal plates 104 and 104 are attached to each other via pins 106. The metal plates 104 and 104 are rotatably attached to bearings 103 and 103 provided in the drawer portion 101 and the storage portion 102, respectively.

  As the drawer portion 101 slides into the storage portion 102, the cable surplus length processing device 111 is rotated and folded at a total of three locations corresponding to the two bearings 103 and 103 and the pin 106. Following the deformation of the cable surplus length processing device 111, the cable 108 is also bent, and accidents such as pinching of the cable 108 between the drawer portion 101 and the storage portion 102 are prevented.

  FIG. 11 shows another example of the cable surplus length processing device 111. A hinge 107 is used in place of the pin 106 in FIGS. The operation of the cable surplus length processing device 111 is the same as that of FIGS.

JP-A-10-093256 JP 2000-068664 A JP 2003-263242 A

  In the structure shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, the extra length L is usually provided in advance in the curved portion of the cable 108. This extra length L is provided in the portion of the cable corresponding to the pin 106 or the hinge 107. If there is no extra length, the cable may be pinched by the pin 106 or the hinge 107 when the drawer portion 101 is pulled out or stored, and the cable may be damaged or disconnected. Further, since the cable surplus length processing device 111 is bent at a specific location corresponding to the pin 106 or the hinge 107, if there is no surplus length, the cable 108 is almost one point when the drawer portion 101 is stored in the storage portion 102. This is because the stress is concentrated due to bending in the cable, which may lead to cable breakage or disconnection.

  However, the operation of assembling the slide unit in a state where the cable is previously provided with an extra length is complicated. In addition, interference between the extra length and other members must be newly taken into account by providing the extra length.

  Further, in the structure shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, the connecting structure of the plates 104 and 104 is complicated, the number of parts is increased, and the manufacturing cost may be increased.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a cable support device that facilitates cable processing in a slide unit or the like.

  The cable support device of the present invention is disposed between the drawer portion and the storage portion for storing the drawer portion, and supports the cable extending between the drawer portion and the storage portion. The cable support device includes first and second arms that support the cable, and an elastic connection member that connects the first and second arms.

  The elastic connecting member is preferably a bendable member, particularly preferably a coil spring. The coil spring connects the first end of each of the first and second arms, and more preferably, the first end of at least one of the first and second arms is connected to the coil spring. An external thread portion having a pitch substantially matching the pitch is provided. More preferably, the diameter of the valley of the male threaded portion is larger than the inner diameter of the coil spring by the machining tolerance of the male threaded portion.

  The elastic connecting member may be constituted by a hollow tube.

  An internal thread part can be provided in the 2nd end part on the opposite side to the 1st end part of at least one arm of the 1st and 2nd arm. The female screw portion is a head having a diameter larger than the diameter of the one arm in a state where the second end portion is housed in a bearing attached to at least one of the drawer portion and the housing portion. It may be screwed with a male screw having

  Further, a groove is formed in the second end portion accommodated in the bearing, and an E-ring is inserted into the groove with the second end portion accommodated in the bearing, and at least one of the first and second arms is inserted. The arm is preferably used to be positioned with respect to the bearing.

  A slide unit can be configured by the above-described drawer portion, storage portion, and cable support device. An electronic device can be placed in the drawer. Further, the drawer part itself may be an electronic device. This slide unit can also be applied to a general storage rack or the like.

  With the cable support device of the present invention, it is possible to facilitate cable processing in a slide unit or the like.

  Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  1 and 2 show a slide unit 10 in which the cable support device 11 of the present invention is used. The slide unit 10 includes a drawer portion (drawer movable portion) 1, a storage portion (drawer non-movable portion) 2, and a cable support device 11. An electronic device 12 is arranged in the drawer 1, and the electronic device 12 can be pulled out of the storage 2 or stored in the storage 2 by sliding the drawer 1 relative to the storage 2. is there.

  In order to lead the cable 8 of the electronic device 12 outward from the back surface of the storage unit 2, the cable 8 needs to pass through the storage unit 2. However, when the cable 8 is disposed alone in the storage portion 102, the cable 8 may be sandwiched between the drawer portion 1 and the storage portion 2, and may be damaged or disconnected. Therefore, the cable 8 is normally supported by the cable support device 11.

  The cable 8 passes through the storage portion 2 after passing through the through hole 13 provided in the drawer portion 1, and is led out from the through hole 14 provided in the storage portion 2. In the storage portion 2, the cable 8 is supported by the cable support device 11 over substantially the entire length thereof. That is, the cable 8 is disposed substantially along the cable support device 11. The cable 8 is fixed to the cable support device 11 with a cable clamp material 9 such as vinyl tape. The two arms 4 and 4 serve to support the cable 8.

  The cable support device 11 includes two arms 4 and 4 (first and second arms) and a coil spring 5 as a bendable elastic connecting member that connects the two arms. The coil spring 5 is attached to the first end portion 4a provided with the male screw portion of the arm 4 (FIG. 4A). As shown in FIG. 5, the pitch P <b> 1 of the male screw portion substantially coincides with the pitch P <b> 2 of the coil spring 5, and the diameter D <b> 1 of the thread valley of the male screw portion is slightly larger than the inner diameter D <b> 2 of the coil spring 5. For example, it is preferable to make D1 larger than D2 by the machining tolerance of the male screw portion (D1-D2 = machining tolerance). By adopting such a configuration, the coil spring 5 can be attached to the arm 4 only by screwing without a tool, and the assembling work can be simplified. Further, it is possible to prevent the coil spring from being pulled out of the arm by generating a tightening force on the arm 4 of the coil spring 5 after screwing.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the cable support device 11 is accommodated with the drawer portion 1 so that the two arms 4 and 4 are not arranged in a straight line in a state where the drawer portion 1 is pulled out to the maximum with respect to the storage portion 2. Arranged between the parts 2.

  Further, the arm 4 is bent at a substantially right angle at the bent portion 4c. Moreover, the internal thread part is given to the 2nd end part 4b on the opposite side to the 1st end part 4a (FIG.4 (b)). Further, a groove 4d is formed in the second end portion 4b in the circumferential direction.

  On the other hand, a bearing 3 is attached to each of the drawer portion 1 and the storage portion 2. As shown in FIG. 8, after the second end portion 4b of the arm 4 is accommodated in the bearing 3, the screw 6 is screwed to the female screw portion of the second end portion 4b. In addition, after the second end 4b is stored in the bearing 3, the E-ring 7 is inserted into the groove 4d and attached. Since the E-ring 7 has a planar shape as shown in FIG. 7, the insertion into the groove 4d is easy, and after the insertion, the E-ring 7 is stably fixed to the groove 4d. Therefore, the arm 4 rotates with respect to the drawer part 1 or the storage part 2 around the bearing 3 while preventing the arm 4 from coming off the bearing.

  In the above configuration, since the diameter of the head 6 a of the screw 6 is larger than the diameter of the arm 4, the arm 4 can be prevented from coming off from the bearing 3. Further, the E-ring 7 is inserted into the groove 4d and mounted, whereby the arm 4 is positioned relative to the bearing 3. Since positioning is possible with only one E-ring, the structure and assembly can be simplified.

  In the configuration described above, when the drawer portion 1 is housed in the housing portion 2 from the state in which the drawer portion 1 is pulled out from the housing portion 2 (FIG. 2), the two arms 4, 4 are moved as shown in FIG. While rotating around the two bearings 3 and 3, the coil spring 5 is bent and deformed, and the cable support device 11 is folded. Since the connecting member is a coil spring, extreme bending deformation at one or more specific locations does not occur, and the connecting member is deformed into a curved shape having a gentle arc (arch shape). In this embodiment, the coil spring 5 can be bent continuously over substantially the entire length thereof. In other words, it is not bent at a specific point but can be bent in the entire longitudinal direction. It may be considered that the bending point is infinite in the longitudinal direction. Following the deformation of the coil spring 5, the cable 8 is also deformed into a curved shape having a gentle arc, so that it is possible to prevent a specific portion of the cable 8 from being stressed and causing breakage or disconnection.

  In this embodiment, since the cable 8 is deformed into a curved shape having a gentle arc, it is not necessary to provide the extra length L as shown in FIG. 9 in advance. Therefore, the work of assembling the slide unit is facilitated. Further, it is not necessary to consider interference between the extra length and other members. Furthermore, the number of parts can be reduced, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

  Moreover, in the said Example, the coil spring 5 was used as a 1st and 2nd arm connection member. However, a hollow tube 15 made of an elastic material such as rubber or plastic as shown in FIG. That is, the connecting member can connect the first and second arms, and may be an elastic body, and is not limited to a specific part.

    Since the hollow tube 15 of FIG. 6 can be bent like the coil spring 5, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of stress on a specific portion of the cable 8 when the drawer portion 1 is stored in the storage portion 2.

  Further, when an elastic body such as the hollow tube 15 is used, it is not essential that the connecting member is bent when the cable support device 11 is folded. That is, when the rigidity of the hollow tube 15 is low, it can be assumed that the hollow tube 15 is bent at a specific location when the drawer portion 1 is stored in the storage portion 2, but the cable 8 is curved independently of the hollow tube 15. This is because it is possible to prevent the cable from being broken or disconnected if possible. In addition, although it can be assumed that the cable is caught in the bent portion of the hollow tube 15, unlike the case of a pin or a hinge, the cable is not damaged or disconnected, and the drawer part 1 is pulled out from the storage part 2. This is because the cable is considered to be restored to its original shape. That is, even if the connecting member of the arm does not bend in an arch shape and bends at a specific location, any elastic body that does not break or break the cable is included in the present invention.

  A slide unit 10 is composed of the drawer portion 1, the storage portion 2, and the cable support device 11. In the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the electronic device 12 is disposed in the drawer 1 and the slide unit is an electronic device device is employed. However, the drawer unit 1 itself may be an electronic device. Furthermore, the slide unit can be applied to a general storage rack or the like. For example, a keyboard may be disposed in the drawer 1 and the cable support device of the present invention may be applied to the keyboard cable. The cable support device of the present invention is applicable to all cases where it is necessary to extend a cable between the drawer portion and the storage portion.

  The arm is not limited to that of this embodiment. The arm 4 of the embodiment is a rod-shaped member having a circular cross section and a bent portion. However, the cross section of the arm can be deformed into various polygonal shapes such as a quadrangle, and is not limited to a polygon, and any other arbitrary shape. It can also be shaped. The bent portion 4c is not an essential requirement. In the embodiment, the two arms 4 and 4 are the same, but two different arms may be used. A hollow arm may be used. Various materials other than metals can also be used. In addition, it is not essential to employ a male screw part and a female screw part.

  The elastic connecting member is not limited to that of this embodiment. In the embodiment, the coil spring 5 and the hollow tube 15 are used, but any one can be adopted. For example, when the arm is hollow, a solid elastic tube may be inserted into the arm. Various materials other than metal, rubber and plastic can also be used.

  The configuration of the bearing is not limited to that of this embodiment. Various things can be adopted according to the shape of the second end of the arm. Further, it is not essential to employ the screws 6 and the E-ring 7.

  With the cable support device of the present invention, it is possible to prevent breakage and disconnection of the cable in the slide unit or the like, and facilitate cable processing. In particular, the present invention demonstrates its effect on cables that are vulnerable to bending, such as optical cables. Also, the number of parts can be reduced.

  Although various embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the matters shown in the above-described embodiments, and those skilled in the art will be able to understand based on the claims and the description of the specification and well-known techniques. Such changes and applications are also within the scope of the present invention, and are included in the scope for which protection is sought.

  The cable support device of the present invention facilitates the processing of the cable extended between the drawer and the storage portion in the assembly of the slide unit having the configuration including the drawer and the storage portion.

It is a perspective view of a slide unit using the cable support device of the present invention, and shows the state where especially the drawer part was stored in the storage part. It is a perspective view of the slide unit using the cable support apparatus of this invention, and shows the state by which especially the drawer | drawing-out part was pulled out from the accommodating part. It is an exploded view of the slide unit using the cable support apparatus of this invention. 4 (a) is a side view of the arm, and FIG. 4 (b) is an enlarged view of a portion A in FIG. 4 (a). It is an enlarged view of a male screw part and a coil spring. It is a side view in the state where the hollow tube was connected to the arm as a connecting member. It is a top view of an E ring. It is explanatory drawing which showed the procedure which accommodates an arm in a bearing. It is a perspective view of the slide unit using the cable surplus length processing apparatus. It is an exploded view of a slide unit using a cable surplus length processing apparatus. It is an exploded view of a slide unit using a cable surplus length processing apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Pull-out part 2 Storage part 3 Bearing 4 Arm 5 Coil spring 6 Screw 7 E ring 8 Cable 9 Cable clamp material 10 Slide unit 11 Cable support device 15 Hollow tube L Extra length

Claims (12)

A cable support device disposed between a drawer portion and a storage portion for storing the drawer portion, for supporting a cable extending between the drawer portion and the storage portion,
A first arm that supports the cable;
A second arm that supports the cable;
A cable support device having an elastic connecting member for connecting the first and second arms.   The cable support device according to claim 1, wherein the elastic connecting member is bendable.   The cable support device according to claim 2, wherein the elastic coupling member is a coil spring.   The coil spring connects a first end of each of the first and second arms, and the first end of at least one of the first and second arms is the coil spring. The cable supporting device according to claim 3, wherein the cable supporting device has a male screw portion having a pitch substantially matching the pitch of the first screw.   The cable support device according to claim 4, wherein a diameter of the valley of the male screw portion is larger by a processing tolerance of the male screw portion than an inner diameter of the coil spring.   The cable support device according to claim 1, wherein the elastic connecting member is a hollow tube. A second end opposite to the first end of at least one of the first and second arms has a female thread;
The female screw portion is housed in a male screw having a head having a diameter larger than the diameter of the one arm, and a bearing in which the second end portion is attached to at least one of the drawer portion and the housing portion. The cable support device according to claim 1, wherein the cable support device is screwed in a state.   A groove is formed in the second end portion accommodated in the bearing, and an E-ring is inserted into the groove in a state where the second end portion is accommodated in the bearing, and at least one of the first and second arms. The cable support apparatus according to claim 7, wherein one arm is positioned with respect to the bearing.   A slide unit having the drawer portion, the storage portion, and the cable support device according to claim 1.   The electronic device apparatus which has a slide unit of Claim 9 with which the electronic device was arrange | positioned in the said drawer | drawing-out part.   The electronic device apparatus having a slide unit according to claim 9, wherein the drawer portion is an electronic device. A storage rack comprising the slide unit according to claim 9.

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