JPH0151715B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] Industrial Application Field The present invention is applicable to robots, machine tools, other mechanical equipment, etc., where the movable and fixed parts of equipment, or between movable parts, are connected by power, control signals, gas, water, oil, etc. This invention relates to a flexible support for cables, etc., that supports, protects and guides one or more cables, hoses, etc. for supplying water.

Conventional technology Conventionally, flexible supports such as cables that supply energy to moving parts in machine tools, etc.
The ones shown in FIGS. 8 to 10 have been implemented.
This flexible support body 100 for cables, etc. is constructed by alternately combining hollow inner frames 200 and enclosing pieces 300 between the fixed end and the movable end, and stores and supports the cables, etc. 400 in a tube that can be bent within a certain range. It is meant to guide you. Inner frames 200 having two grooves of a constant width are arranged at equal intervals, and are connected to each other by spanning over enclosing pieces 300 having flanges at both ends that fit into the grooves.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, the flexible supports such as cables shown in FIGS. 8 to 10 are capable of horizontal (or vertical) plane bending, but cannot be moved in any direction. Can not. In other words, although it can be used for moving objects that move in a straight line as shown in FIG. 10, it cannot be applied to objects that move freely such as robots. Furthermore, it was completely impossible to supply energy by branching off this flexible support in the middle.

Means for Solving the Problems The means of the present invention provides a flexible support for a cable or the like in which the cable or the like is housed in a tube formed by knitting hollow links in a chain shape. By smoothly connecting the outer surface of the convex sphere and allowing the link to bend freely in any direction, and by providing a stopper to limit bending beyond a certain angle, a constant bending radius is achieved as a whole. Furthermore, the link is a flexible support body for cables or the like that can be branched by having a fitting part that is open in at least three directions.

Effect Since the flexible support such as a cable of the present invention has adjacent links loosely connected to each other by the uneven spherical surface, it bends in accordance with the movement of the movable body, and stops when the bending angle reaches a certain size. The mechanism works.

Therefore, when one link rotates to the maximum bending angle θ degrees, the next link sequentially rotates to form a constant bending radius. Since the series of links can be rotated by θ degrees in any direction on the spherical surface, they can be bent three-dimensionally while maintaining a constant bending radius. In a link having fitting portions in three or more directions, the links of flexible supports such as cables play with each other on the uneven spherical surface, so that it is possible to branch and freely bend in three dimensions at the same time.

Embodiment FIGS. 1 to 3 are explanatory diagrams of a first embodiment of the present invention. A flexible support 1 for a cable or the like according to this embodiment is formed by continuously connecting links 2 which are hollow and have uneven spherical surfaces on the left and right sides. The end portion of the support 1 is provided with flanged fittings a, 3 having a convex spherical surface and flanged fittings b, 4 having a concave spherical surface.

The link 2 has an offset shape and has a small diameter protrusion 8 having an inner surface of a concave spherical surface 6 on one cylindrical large diameter portion 5 and an outer surface of a convex spherical surface 7 on the other side, and has a diameter smaller than each of the above-mentioned spherical surfaces in the longitudinal direction. It has a cylindrical hole 9. Each link is inserted into and engaged with an adjacent link with a concave and convex spherical surface. When the flexible support 1 of this embodiment is bent, the adjacent concave and convex spherical surfaces of each link are loosely interlocked with each other, so that they slide smoothly against each other and rotate by θ degrees. When they are rotated by θ degrees, they come into contact with either or both of the contacts a and 10 on the outer diameter portion or the contacts b and 11 on the inner diameter portion, and the stopper mechanism is activated. In addition, the inner surface of link 2 is finished smoothly to prevent damage to cables, hoses, etc.
The corners are chamfered. When each link 2 rotates up to θ degrees as the movable body moves, the adjacent links 2 sequentially rotate to form a constant bending radius. Furthermore, since each link 2 can rotate by θ degrees in any direction on the spherical surface, it can be bent three-dimensionally while maintaining a constant bending radius.

The fitting in each opening of the T-shaped link 2t having openings in three directions is achieved by the looseness of the concave and convex spherical parts, and the T-shaped link 2t smoothly slides by θ degree with respect to the adjacent link 2. Therefore, the flexible support such as the cable of this embodiment can be branched at this T-shaped link 2t and can be bent in any direction.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a second embodiment of the present invention, which has a link 2y that can branch into a Y shape.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a third embodiment of the present invention, which has multidirectional branches 2x and small-diameter links 2' that fit into each other.

FIGS. 6 and 7 are explanatory diagrams of a fourth embodiment of the present invention, which is a flexible support for cables and the like arranged in double rows using L-shaped links 2l and 2'l.

Effects of the Invention The present invention has the above configuration and has the following effects.

(1) Since the flexible support such as the cable of the present invention can be smoothly bent in any direction, it can easily follow objects in which movable parts move freely, such as robots and automatic labor-saving machines.

It is capable of responding to all movements of FA (Factory Automation) equipment aimed at unmanned operation of factories in response to the needs of recent industrial technology, and dramatically increases the utility value of flexible supports such as cables. It is.

(2) It is a sealed body and has a dust-proof structure, which prevents foreign matter from entering from the outside and protects the housed wiring, hoses, etc. In addition, wiring, hoses, etc. are not visible from the outside, giving it a beautiful appearance.

(3) Wiring can be compacted because it bends with a certain curvature.

(4) If the link is made of an elastic material such as resin or rubber, it will be lightweight and generate less noise during use.

(5) Mass production effects can be expected due to the small number of parts and integral molding.

(6) Links are easy to connect and assembly is easy (cutting and joining is also easy) (7) Being branchable allows energy to be supplied from one stationary part to multiple movable parts at once. (Wiring etc. can be organized extremely compactly.) (8) By using multiple rows, lateral rigidity can be increased.

(9) The shape of the branch link is L type, T type, Y type,
It can be manufactured in various shapes such as a cross shape, and can be used to meet various specifications.

(10) Flexible supports such as cables can be fixed to the machine body, supported, suspended, etc. using the branch parts.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1...Explanatory diagram of the first embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2
Figure... A partial enlarged view of the straight section in Figure 1, Figure 3...
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged view of the branching portion in FIG.
Explanatory diagram of the embodiment, Fig. 6...Front view of the fourth embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 7...Side view of Fig. 6, Fig. 8...
. . . A conventional flexible support such as a cable, FIG. 9 . . . A partially enlarged view of FIG. 8, and FIG. 10 . . . Example of use of the flexible support such as a cable shown in FIG. 1...Flexible support such as cable, 2, 2', 2
t, 2y, 2x, 2l, 2'l...link, 6...
... Concave spherical surface, 7... Convex spherical surface.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A cable having a supporting part at the end, connecting a hollow link continuously and swingably between the supporting parts,
A flexible support for accommodating a hose, etc., wherein one of the links and the adjacent link has a spherical recess on the inner surface, the other link has a spherical convex portion on the outer surface, and A flexible support body, such as a cable, in which a concave part and a convex part are fitted together so as to be able to swing a certain amount in any direction, and the link has a fitting part that is open in at least three directions.