Flexible rope supporting and guiding device

Abstract

The present invention provides a flexible support and guide device (1) includes a movable cable holder (4) wound around a pair of pulleys (2, 2) bendable supported on opposite ends of a support rod (3). The cable holder is comprised of a looped belt (6) trained around the pulleys, and a pair of flexible tubes (7, 7) carried on an outer circumferential surface of the belt with ends of the tubes confronting each other mutually, the tubes accommodating within them cables (8). The cable holder has a movable end (11) formed jointly by one pair of mutually confronting ends of the two tubes for enabling connection of the cables to a mobile machine or a movable machine part. A fixed end (12) formed jointly by the other pair of mutually confronting ends of the tubes for enabling connection of the cables to a fixed external power source.

Description

Technical field [0001] The present invention relates to a flexible cable supporting and guiding device used to safely and reliably support and guide flexible pipes such as cables, optical cables, and liquid supply hoses. These flexible pipes are used to transfer energy, such as electrical energy or working fluid. Supply machine tools, electrical equipment, industrial robots, transportation machines or their movable parts. Background technique [0002] The cable supporting and guiding device for supplying electric energy or working fluid to the movable parts of the machine or the cable of the moving machine and accommodating the cable therein is well known, for example, in Japanese Patent No. 2-40135 and Japanese Patent Application No. Hei-10 -Disclosed by No. 28310. [0003] The cable supporting and guiding device disclosed in Japanese Patent No. Hei-2-40135 is a flexible chain composed of a series of U-shaped links connected together by hinges. Each U-shaped link has two opposit...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

As a result, repeated use of cable supports and guides may cause deformation of the pivots of the links, the holes that accommodate the pivots, and the inclination limiters due to wear or fatigue

This will cause unintentional separation of the chain links, making the cable support and guide system as a whole useless

[0006] There is also a problem with the cable support and guide device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei-10-28310. Since the device is an elastically deformable molded structure, when a heavy weight is applied to the bent or flexed portion from above, The hollow part may buckle at this point under the load, so that the exact radius of curvature of the curved part cannot be maintained

Furthermore, the hollow casing molded by synthetic resin is easily deformed, it is difficult to support a heavy cable, and it may become unstable; and it may cause torsion when the weight of the cable is unevenly distributed; When transported along a long straight path, it may cause bending; when transported along a curved path, it is prone to tipping due to insufficient stiffness

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