Cable or the like protection and guide device

A cable or the like protection and guide device is disclosed and claimed. The shape of a shoe, which is mounted on the cable or the like protection and guide device, and a structure of a mounting portion on a cable or the like protection and guide device side, are simplified, the collision sound generated when shoes slide on each other is suppressed and the endurance of the shoe is improved whereby a long life is obtained. The above-mentioned problems are solved by a cable or the like protection and guide device, characterized in that a shoe is provided on the flexion inner circumferential side of each link plate, a front end portion and a rear end portion of the shoe and a side wall portion of the shoe having a hook, which engages with a concave portion provided on a side plate of the link plate are molded by a soft resin and a center portion of the shoe having a protrusion portion inserted into an insertion opening provided in a upper end surface of the link plate is molded by a hard resin, that is by use of a two-color molding process.

This patent application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application 2005-183277 filed Jun. 23, 2005.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a cable or the like protection and guide device, which safely, reliably protects and guides a flexible cable(s) or the like such as an electric cable, which connects a movable portion and a stationary portion to each other in an industrial machine and a vehicle to transmit electric signals or supply power, and a hose, which supplies oil pressure or air pressure and the like.

BACKGROUND TECHNOLOGY

This type of the conventional cable or the like protection and guide device has a configuration that a number of link frame bodies each comprising a pair of right and left spaced link plates and connecting plates respectively bridged on a flexion outer circumferential side and a flexion inner circumferential side of the link plate are connected to each other in the longitudinal direction of the device while restricting a flexion radius to a fixed value or more.

And when the cable or the like protection and guide device is used while being folded in the longitudinal direction of the device in a long span, it has been feared that a flexion inner circumferential side of the cable or the like protection and guide device, positioned on a lower side is directly brought into contact with an inner circumferential side of the cable of the like protection and guide device, positioned on a upper side by being folded, so that noise and wear are generated. Thus, a cable or the like protection and guide device in which a flexion inner circumferential side of the link plate is provided with a shoe has been known (see for example Patent Reference 1).

Patent Reference 1 is Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei. 6-23589.

PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

However, the above-mentioned related art needed special design ideas in shapes and structures for structurally mounting the shoe as shown inFIG. 6. Further, it has been feared that the use of a wear resistance-improved resin material hardens the shoe and becomes impossible to deform a hook in an engagement portion so that the shoe is broken at the time of mounting the device or dismounting thereof. Further, since the shoe is hard, it has been feared that collision sound is generated during sliding of the device

Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to provide a cable or the like protection and guide device, in which a shape of a shoe, which is mounted on the cable or the like protection and guide device, and a structure of a mounting portion on a cable or the like protection and guide device side, are simplified, the collision sound generated when shoes slide on each other is suppressed and the endurance of the shoe is improved whereby a long life is obtained.

MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEMS

The invention according-to claim1solves the above-mentioned problems by a cable or the like protection and guide device in which a number of link frame bodies each comprising a pair of right and left spaced link plates and connecting plates respectively bridged on a flexion outer circumferential side and a flexion inner circumferential side of the link plate are connected to each other in the longitudinal direction of the device while restricting a flexion radius to a fixed value or more, characterized in that a shoe is provided on said flexion inner circumferential side of each link plate, a front end portion and a rear end portion of said shoe and a side wall portion of said shoe having a hook, which engages with a concave portion provided on a side plate of said link plate are molded by a soft resin and a center portion of said shoe having a protrusion portion inserted into an insertion opening provided in an upper end surface of said link plate is molded by a hard resin, that is by use of a two-color molding process.

It is noted that the concave portion provided on a side surface of said link plate may be a through hole, which penetrates to an insertion opening provided on an upper end portion of the link plate.

Further, the invention according to claim2solves the above-mentioned problems by a cable or the like protection and guide device in which a number of link frame bodies each comprising a pair of right and left spaced link plates and connecting plates respectively bridged on a flexion outer circumferential side and a flexion inner circumferential side of the link plate are connected to each other in the longitudinal direction of the device while restricting a flexion radius to a fixed value or more, characterized in that a shoe is provided on said flexion inner circumferential side of each link plate, a front end portion and a rear end portion of said shoe and a side wall portion of said shoe having a hook, which engages with a concave portion provided on a side plate of said link plate are molded by a soft resin and a center portion of said shoe having a protrusion portion inserted into an insertion opening provided in an upper end surface of said link plate is insertion-molded by metal.

EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION

According to the invention of claim1, since, in a cable or the like protection and guide device in which a number of link frame bodies each comprising a pair of right and left spaced link plates and connecting plates respectively bridged on a flexion outer circumferential side and a flexion inner circumferential side of the link plate are connected to each other in the longitudinal direction of the device while restricting a flexion radius to a fixed value or more,

a shoe is provided on said flexion inner circumferential side of each link plate, a front end portion and a rear end portion of said shoe and a side wall portion of said shoe having a hook, which engages with a concave portion provided on a side plate of said link plate are molded by a soft resin and a center portion of said shoe having a protrusion portion inserted into an insertion opening provided in an upper end surface of said link plate is molded by a hard resin, that is by use of a two-color molding process, collision sound generated when shoes slide on each other can be suppressed in a low level, resulting in improvement of quietness. Further, since a side wall portion having a hook, which engages with the link of a shoe, is molded by a soft resin, the breakage of the shoe at the engagement, mounting and dismounting are prevented. Further, in the center portion of the shoe a hard resin may be selected without considering easy mounting and dismounting of the shoe portion, whereby flexibility of design is increased.

According to the invention of claim2, since, in a cable or the like protection and guide device in which a number of link frame bodies each comprising a pair of right and left spaced link plates and connecting plates respectively bridged on a flexion outer circumferential side and a flexion inner circumferential side of the link plate are connected to each other in the longitudinal direction of the device while restricting a flexion radius to a fixed value or more, a shoe is provided on said flexion inner circumferential side of each link plate, a front end portion and a rear end portion of said shoe and a side wall portion of said shoe having a hook, which engages with a concave portion provided on a side plate of said link plate are molded by a soft resin and a center portion of said shoe having a protrusion portion inserted into an insertion opening provided in an upper end surface of said link plate is insertion-molded by metal, in addition to the effects exhibited by claim1, the wear of the shoe can be further prevented.

A better understanding of the drawings will be had when reference is made to the Description Of The Invention and Claims which follow hereinbelow.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The best mode for carrying out the invention will be described based on drawings and the description herein.FIG. 1is a perspective view showing one of link frame bodies, which form the present invention. This link frame body has a pair of right and left spaced link plates110aand110b,a connecting plate120bridged on a flexion outer circumferential side and a connecting plate130bridged on a flexion inner circumferential side of the link plate110. Further, a cutout portion112and a convex portion114will be described. Namely, when a link frame body is connected to another link frame body, the cutout portion112is engaged with a convex portion of the another link frame body and the convex portion114is engaged with a cutout portion of another link frame body, whereby the cutout portion112and the convex portion114restrict a flexion radius to a fixed value or more in the longitudinal direction of the device.FIG. 2is a perspective view showing a state where three link frame bodies are connected to each other.

The materials forming the above-mentioned link plates110and the connecting plates120,130are not limited particularly. However, it is preferred that they are molded by use of a glass-fiber-reinforced polyamide resin, which can exhibit excellent strength properties.

Next, the most characteristic shoe200of a cable or the like protection and guide device according to the present invention will be described in detail. The shoes200are mounted on a flexion inner circumferential side of link frame bodies connected as shown inFIGS. 1 and 2.FIG. 3is a perspective view of a shoe200dismounted from the link frame body. This shoe includes a front end portion230, a rear end portion240and a side wall portion210having a hook220, which engages with a concave portion provided on a side surface of the link plate110. And these members are molded by for example a soft elastomeric resin. On the other hand, a center portion250of the shoe200having a protrusion portion260inserted into an insertion opening provided in a upper end surface of the link plate110is molded by a hard resin such as polyamide, polyacetal or the like. And the soft resin and the hard resin are integrated by a two-color molding process.

Further, the center portion250of the shoe200may be molded by metal such as stainless steel, carbon steel or the like in place of the hard resin. And in this case, said soft resin and the metal may be integrated by an insert molding process.

Next, a mounting method of said shoe200onto a link frame body will be described with reference toFIG. 4.FIG. 4is a perspective view showing a state where a part of both a near side link plate110band a connecting plate130is bridged on a flexion inner circumferential side is cut. An end surface of the flexion inner circumferential side of the link plate110bis provided with an insertion opening140into which the protrusion portion260of the shoe200is inserted. And a side surface of the link plate110bis provided with a concave portion150, which engages with a hook220provided on a side wall portion210of the shoe200.

And the side wall portion210of a soft resin is once flexed backward at the mounting of the shoe200so that the hook220is engaged with the concave portion150provided on the side surface of the link plate110bto remove flexion of the side wall portion210. Further, since the hook220itself, which engages with the concave portion150provided in a side surface of the link plate11b,is made of a soft resin and can be sufficiently deformed, the dismounting of the shoe is easy and also the assembly of the cable or the like protection and guide device is easy, and further the breakage of the shoe can be prevented.

FIG. 5is a perspective view showing a state where when a cable or the like protection and guide device is used while being folded in the longitudinal direction of the device in a long span, a flexion inner circumferential side of a cable or the like protection and guide device positioned on a lower side and a flexion inner circumferential side of the cable or the like protection and guide device positioned on a upper side are brought into direct contact with each other. On the flexion inner circumferential side of the cable or the like protection and guide device is mounted a shoe every link frame body as mentioned above. Thus when a cable or the like protection and guide device is used while being folded in the longitudinal direction, the shoes are slid on each other. In this case, since the front end portions230of soft resin shoes200first make sliding contact with each other, collision of hard resin members or metal members at the center portions is prevented and the generation of the collision sound can be suppressed.

DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

Those skilled in the art will readily recognize that the invention has been disclosed by way of example and that many changes may be made to the examples without departing from the spirit and scope of the attached claims.