Patent Publication Number: US-2023142733-A1

Title: Vertical guide channel

Description:
FIELD 
     The invention relates to a guide channel-type device for guiding an energy chain, consisting of links that are movably connected to one another, along a vertical line or a line running with a vertical component, wherein flexible supply lines which connect a connector arranged at a fixed height to a vertically movable device or a machine are guided in the energy chain, and wherein the energy chain is guided between lateral delimiting walls. 
     BACKGROUND 
     A guide channel for energy chains is known (EP 2546546 B1), which is also suitable for vertical operation. The energy chain is retained within the guide channel magnetically. For this, the chain links are in each case provided, on the outer surfaces of their webs, with a permanent magnet, which interacts with a steel plate embedded in the base of the guide channel. Aside from the fact that the guide channel can only receive a single strand and is only suitable for specifically adapted energy chains, such an arrangement is relatively expensive. Details of how the guide channel can be fastened to vertical walls are not contained in this published document. 
     Another known device (U.S. Pat. No. 5,178,247), which is provided exclusively for horizontal operation, consists substantially of a U-shaped guide channel for energy chains, wherein the side walls of the guide channel have, at their lower and upper end, protrusions bent inwards by 90°. In the case of this guide channel bent out of sheet metal, the side walls are connected to one another via a base moulded in one piece. The channel is fastened on a flat, horizontal support via screws which reach through the base. 
     Furthermore, a guide channel for energy chains is known (DE 202011100313 U1), which is likewise provided for horizontal operation. The guide channel is formed U-shaped and can be fastened to a smooth, vertical wall with the aid of lateral retainers. 
     SUMMARY 
     The object of the invention is to provide a vertical guide, for energy chains known per se, which can be produced with little outlay and can be conveniently fastened to a vertical wall. 
     According to the invention, this object is achieved by the fact that: 
     the lateral delimiting walls are formed by separate guide plates, which are arranged opposite one another; 
     the two guide plates have smooth sliding surfaces on their sides facing the energy chain; 
     the sliding surfaces are provided with guide flanges protruding at a right angle in their lateral edge regions; 
     the guide plates are retained in brackets, which can be fastened at intervals, with a height offset, to a supporting wall; 
     the brackets are formed U-shaped, wherein the exterior side of the U web of the bracket rests against the supporting wall; and 
     the guide plates can be fastened to the interior sides of the U legs of the bracket. 
     A completely new guide system, which does not require a guide channel formed in the conventional sense, is created by the invention. It is merely the case that elongated, separate guide plates, which have smooth sliding surfaces on their sides facing the energy chain, are provided as lateral delimiting walls. In order to retain the energy chain between the guide plates, the latter have guide flanges protruding at a right angle in their edge regions. Together with the brackets arranged at intervals, with a height offset, the guide plates are held in their position, with the result that a good guideway for an energy chain is guaranteed between the guide plates. 
     The device according to the invention can receive two strands of an energy chain connected to one another by a deflection region, wherein the guide flanges running in the lateral edge regions of the sliding surfaces delimit the space in which the two strands of the energy chain move. This results in a very compact design, which has only a very small space requirement. 
     Catch means, which can engage in one another and thus provide a firm hold over the entire length of the guide channel, are preferably provided on the rear sides of the guide plates facing the U legs of the brackets and on the interior sides of the U legs. 
     The catch means provided on the rear sides of the guide plates are protrusions, expediently provided in pairs, with undercut lugs, wherein the lugs of a pair of protrusions point in opposing directions. Correspondingly, counter-protrusions, formed in pairs, with undercut lugs which likewise point in opposing directions, are formed on the U legs of the brackets, wherein, when the guide plates are pressed against the interior sides of the U legs, the lugs formed on the protrusions and counter-protrusions snap in behind one another through slight elastic deformation of the protrusions and counter-protrusions. This makes a good seat possible, which also withstands relatively large vibrations. 
     In order to achieve a sufficiently reliable hold across the width of the guide plates, in each case two pairs of protrusions and counter-protrusions can be arranged on the rear sides of the guide plates and on the interior sides of the U legs. 
     The protrusions and counter-protrusions are expediently formed as continuous ribs and the undercut lugs provided on the ribs also extend continuously over the entire length of the ribs. 
     The protrusions and counter-protrusions formed as ribs preferably run in the vertical direction. An optimal and stable hold is thereby achieved. 
     The protrusions formed as ribs on the rear sides of the guide plates expediently extend over the entire length of the guide plates. As a result, the guide plates gain additional stiffening, with the result that the guide plates also gain sufficient stability in the free regions between two brackets, in which there is no support. 
     Nubs which jut out beyond the level of the rib-shaped protrusions can be provided on the sides of the rib-shaped counter-protrusions provided on the bracket which rest against the rib-shaped protrusions of the guide plates in the engaged state. This guarantees a better hold of the protrusions and counter-protrusions snapped into one another and creates a reliable securing against a displacement of the parts relative to one another. 
     For the exact positioning of the guide plates, at least two stops are provided on the brackets, with the result that an optimal dimensional accuracy is guaranteed for receiving the strands between the guide plates. 
     The stops are formed such that the inner stop is formed as a continuous stop bar on the interior side of the U web and the outer stop is formed as an inwardly bent tip of the respective U leg of the bracket. 
     The brackets can be formed as one-piece plastic parts. Preferably, PVC or PE is used for the production of the brackets. 
     The guide plates, as one-piece parts, can also consist of PVC or PE, wherein of course it also appears to be possible to produce the guide plates from metal. 
     The guide plates and the brackets can be extruded or also injection moulded. 
     The web and the two U legs of the bracket preferably consist of two plates running at a distance from one another, which are connected to one another by ribs arranged truss-like. A considerable material saving is thereby possible during the production of the brackets, without the stability of the brackets being adversely affected. 
     Protruding fastening flanges, via which the respective bracket can be connected to the supporting wall with the aid of fastening elements, can be provided on both sides of the U web of the bracket. 
     Furthermore, retainers for lines to be laid in a fixed manner can be arranged on the exterior side of the U legs of the brackets. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention is illustrated by way of example in the drawing and described in detail in the following with reference to the drawing. 
       There are shown in: 
         FIG.  1    a view of an embodiment example of the vertical guide channel according to the invention; 
         FIG.  2    a side view of the guide channel according to  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  3    the section III from  FIG.  1    on a greatly enlarged scale; 
         FIG.  4    the section according to  FIG.  3    in a perspective representation; 
         FIG.  5    a view of the bracket from above with the inserted guide plates; and 
         FIG.  6    a partial section along the line VI from  FIG.  5    on an even further enlarged scale. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In  FIGS.  1  and  2    of the drawing, a guide channel  1  for the vertical guiding of energy chains is represented. Such a guide channel  1  can also advantageously be used when the guiding is to be effected over a line which merely has a vertical component, thus runs over an incline. In the present case, the energy chain is used for guiding flexible supply lines which connect a connector arranged at a fixed height to a vertically movable device or a machine. 
     The energy chain is guided between lateral delimiting walls, which are formed by separate guide plates  4  and  5  in the device according to the invention. The guide plates  4  and  5  are retained in brackets  12 , which are described in more detail in the following. 
     The section III marked in  FIG.  1    is represented in detail on an enlarged scale in  FIGS.  3 ,  4  and  5   . 
     As is revealed by these figures, the two guide plates  4  and  5  that are arranged opposite one another have smooth sliding surfaces  6  and  7 , which are provided with guide flanges protruding at a right angle in their lateral edge regions, on their sides facing the receiving space for the energy chain, wherein the guide plate  4  has guide flanges  8  and  9  and the guide plate  5  has guide flanges  10  and  11 . 
     As can be seen in particular from  FIG.  5   , the space between the two sliding surfaces  6  and  7  of the guide plates  4  and  5  serves as space for receiving two strands  16  and  17  of the energy chain  3  that are connected to one another by a deflection region and in each case consist of links  2  that are movably connected to one another. 
     The two guide plates  4  and  5  are held and fixed in their position exclusively by the brackets  12  that are arranged vertically offset. 
     The brackets  12  are formed U-shaped, wherein the exterior side of the U web  13  can be fastened to a smooth supporting wall. The guide plates  4  and  5  are in each case fastened to the interior sides of the U legs  14  and  15  of the respective bracket  12 . 
     Catch means, which can engage firmly in one another, are provided on the rear sides of the guide plates  4  and  5  facing the U legs  14  and  15  of the brackets  12  and on the interior sides of the U legs  14  and  15 . 
     The catch means provided on the rear sides of the guide plates  4  and  5  consist in each case of two pairs of protrusions  18  and  19 , which are provided with undercut lugs  20  and  21 . The undercut lugs  20  and  21  of a pair of protrusions  18  and  19  point in opposing directions, namely away from one another. 
     Corresponding counter-protrusions  22  and  23 , formed in pairs, with undercut lugs  24  and  25  are formed on the U legs  14  and  15  of the brackets  12 , wherein the lugs of each pair of protrusions point in opposing directions, namely towards one another in the present case. 
     When the guide plates  4  and  5  are pressed against the respective interior sides of the U legs  14  and  15 , the lugs  18 ,  19 ,  22  and  23  formed on the protrusions  18  and  19  and counter-protrusions  22  and  23  snap in behind one another through slight elastic deformation of the protrusions and counter-protrusions. The respective pairs of protrusions  18  and  19  of the guide plates  5  and  6  reach between the pairs of protrusions  22  and  23  of the U legs  14  and  15  of the brackets  12 , with the result that the lugs of the protrusions pointing in opposing directions engage behind one another. 
     As is revealed in particular by  FIG.  5   , in each case two pairs of protrusions  18  and  19 , which cooperate in each case with two pairs of counter-protrusions  22  and  23  arranged on the U legs  14  and  15  of the brackets  12 , are arranged on the guide plates  4  and  5 . 
     The protrusions  18  and  19  and counter-protrusions  22  and  23  are formed as continuous ribs, wherein the undercut lugs  20 , 21  and  24 , 25  formed on the ribs also run continuously. The protrusions  18  and  19  and counter-protrusions  22  and  23  formed as ribs are arranged in the vertical direction. 
     The protrusions  18  and  19  formed as ribs on the rear sides of the guide plates  4  and  5  extend over the entire length of the guide plates  4  and  5  and thereby provide them with a particularly good stiffness, with the result that the guide plates  4  and  5  are also equipped with sufficient stiffness in the regions between two brackets  12  and guide the two strands of the energy chain reliably. 
     As represented in  FIG.  6   , individual protruding nubs  33 , which increase the sliding resistance between the protrusions  18  and  19  and counter-protrusions  22  and  23  and thus improve the overall stability of the guide channel, are formed on the sides of the rib-shaped counter-protrusions  22  and  23  provided on the bracket  12  which rest against the rib-shaped protrusions  18  and  19  of the guide plates  4  and  5  in the engaged state. 
     For the exact positioning of the guide plates  4  and  5  between the U legs  14  and  15  of the brackets  12 , in each case two stops  26  and  27  are provided on the brackets  12 . The inner stop  26  is formed as a continuous stop bar on the interior side of the U web  13  and the outer stop  27  is formed as an inwardly bent tip of the respective U leg  14  or  15 , respectively, of the bracket  12 . Through this measure, an exact distance between the sliding surfaces  6  and  7  of the guide plates is set. 
     The brackets  12  are formed as one-piece plastic parts made of PVC or PE. The same also applies to the guide plates  4  and  5 . Both the guide plates  4  and  5  and the brackets  12  are extruded or injection moulded, wherein the extrusion process advantageously lends itself at least to the elongated guide plates  4  and  5 . 
     The brackets  12  have an extremely lightweight construction, namely the respective U web  13  and the two U legs  14  and  15  in each case consist of two plates  28  and  29  running at a distance from one another, which are connected to one another by ribs  30  arranged truss-like. 
     Protruding fastening flanges  31  are provided on both sides of the U web  13  for fastening the brackets  12  for example to a smooth supporting wall. The flanges are provided with cutouts or drilled holes through which fastening elements, for example screws, can be fed. 
     In the embodiment example represented in the drawing, additional retainers  32 , to which lines to be laid in a fixed manner can be fastened, are provided on the exterior sides of the U legs of the brackets. 
     The vertical guide channel according to the invention has various advantages compared with the state of the art. It consists of few individual parts, which can preferably be produced inexpensively from plastic. Through the clever architecture of the brackets and guide plates, a remarkable stiffness of the overall device is achieved in spite of a low material outlay, with the result that a reliable operation is guaranteed. 
     LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS 
     
         
           1  guide channel 
           2  links 
           3  energy chain 
           4  guide plate 
           5  guide plate 
           6  sliding surface 
           7  sliding surface 
           8  guide flange 
           9  guide flange 
           10  guide flange 
           11  guide flange 
           12  bracket 
           13  U web 
           14  U leg 
           15  U leg 
           16  strand 
           17  strand 
           18  protrusions 
           19  protrusions 
           20  undercut lug 
           21  undercut lug 
           22  counter-protrusion 
           23  counter-protrusion 
           24  undercut lug 
           25  undercut lug 
           26  stop 
           27  stop 
           28  plates 
           29  plates 
           30  ribs 
           31  fastening flanges 
           32  retainers 
           33  nubs