WO2004092614A1

WO2004092614A1 - Cable chain

Info

Publication number: WO2004092614A1
Application number: PCT/KR2004/000846
Authority: WO
Inventors: Kyeong-Min Kim
Original assignee: Kyeong-Min Kim
Priority date: 2003-04-17
Filing date: 2004-04-12
Publication date: 2004-10-28
Also published as: DE112004000584T5; DE112004000584B4; KR200320548Y1

Abstract

Disclosed is a cable chain, which can improve durability and assembling efficiency by adopting a single type pivot pin, reduce frictional coefficient of a skid and increase coupling efficiency of the skid, improves compatibility and stability of separators by assembling the separators in multiple stages, and allow consumers to check its manufactured year and month.

Description

CABLE CHAIN

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a cable chain, and more particularly, to a cable chain, which can be easily assembled and disassembled with a general tool, provide a slide type chain skid easily assembled and disassembled, improve coupling efficiency by a single pin coupling method, enlarge its life

I time, endure even at a rapid speed by improving a link coupling method, and allow consumers to check its manufactured year and month .

Background Art In general, since a cable chain used for wiring of various industrial machines and robots, which is a 3-pin type, is drooped due to abrasion when load is applied to the chain, the chain is damaged and the internal cable is also damaged.

Furthermore, as a conventional cable chain is a double linking type, a link of the cable chain is separated from the chain when the chain is moved in right and left directions due to a reciprocating motion, and thereby, its durability is deteriorated at a rapid speed.

The conventional cable chain adopting fixed type separators for wiring a cable or hose has several problems in that the separators cannot be stably changed according to the length and diameter of the cable or hose, in that the cable chain is deteriorated in use due to mutual interference between the separators, in that the skid is easily worn, in that it is difficult to assemble and disassemble the components thereof, and in that consumers cannot check its quality as its manufactured year and month are not indicated.

Disclosure of Invention Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved cable chain to solve the above problems.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a cable chain, which can improve durability and assembling efficiency by adopting a single type pivot pin, reduce frictional coefficient of a skid and increase coupling efficiency of the skid, improves compatibility and stability of separators by assembling the separators in multiple stages, and allow consumers to check its manufactured year and month.

Brief Description of Drawings

Further objects and advantages of the invention can be more fully understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cable chain according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the cable chain;

FIG. 3 is a vertically sectional view, in part, showing essential parts of the cable chain;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view of the essential parts of the cable chain; and

FIG. 5 is a bottom perspective view of the cable chain.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

The present invention will now be described in detail in connection with preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings .

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cable chain according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the cable chain. A link 2 of the cable chain 1 is linked with another link 2 by a one-touch coupling using a pivot pin 3.

In more detail, the link 2 includes a coupling part 5 formed on a side thereof and having an opening formed in an end thereof and a first pin hole 4, and a protrusion part 5a formed on the other side thereof in the form of a fork and having a second pin hole 4a. the link 2 is coupled with a neighboring link 2 in such a manner that the fork type protrusion part 5a of the link 2 is fit into the opening of the coupling part 5 of the neighboring link 2, and then, the pivot pin 3 is inserted into the pin holes 4 and 4a by the one-touch coupling. At this time, it is preferable that the protrusion part 5a has a large concave portion to minimize a frictional surface, thereby minimizing generation of dust during operation after the coupling of the links 2. The pivot pin 3 includes a coupling pin 9 having a flange 7, a cylindrical coupling hole 8 and a rounded locking jaw 8a formed on the inner surface of the coupling hole 8, and a fitting pin 12 having a resiliently fitting fragment 10 forcedly fit into the coupling hole 8 of the coupling pin 9 and a flange 11 formed on an end thereof in integration with the fitting fragment 10, the fitting fragment 10 having a rounded locking hole 10a resiliently locked to the locking jaw 8a.

A skid 13 coupled to the lower portion of the link 2 has a concave-convexo type bottom surface 14 to minimize a frictional coefficient. To easily assemble and disassemble the skid 13 using a tool such as a driver, the skid 13 includes: a protrusion portion 15 protruding upwardly from a side thereof and having a slot to be forcedly fit with a coupling fragment 16 formed on the surface of the link 2 corresponding to the protrusion portion 15; and a coupling fragment 17 formed integrally with the other side thereof and having a rectangular coupling hole 18 formed in the coupling fragment 17 horizontally. A resiliently fitting fragment 19 is resiliently fit into the coupling hole 18 and a locking hole 2a of the link 2, so that the skid 13 can be coupled with the link by means of the vertical protrusion portion 15 and the horizontal fitting fragment 19.

Furthermore, the link 2 has a year indicating part 20 and a month indicating part 21 formed on the outer surface thereof and being previously set in a mold when the link 2 is injection- molded to indicate the manufactured year and month of the cable chain 1, so that a consumer can easily manage quality f the cable link 2.

The links 2 connected with each other to face each other in back and forth directions by means of a connection bar 22 have the locking holes 2a respectively to be easily assembled with and disassembled from the connection bar 22, and the connection bar 22 has resiliently fitting fragments 22a formed on both ends thereof, which are resiliently locked to the locking holes 2a of the links 2.

The resiliently fitting fragment 22a has a central cut portion, and so, if a user presses the central cut portions of the fitting fragments 22a using the tool, such as the driver, the resiliently fitting fragments 22a is pulled to the central direction thereof, so that the connection bar 22 can be separated from the locking holes 2a.

The connection bar 22 has a slide groove 22b, and a divider 24 having a protrusion portion 24a resiliently locked to the slide groove 22b is coupled into the slide groove 22b. The divider 24 has a number of coupling holes 23 formed in vertically multiple stages of about 3~7 stages (in the drawings, 5 stages) to realize stability by reducing mutual interference between the cable and a hose, and separators 25 can be selectively fitted into the coupling holes 23. The cable chain 1 having the above structure is generally used for wiring of variously industrial machines and robots. The function and action of the present invention will be described in more detail as follows.

The cable chainl according to the present invention has the fork type links coupled with one another by means of he pivot pin 3 and is assembled and disassembled with the pivot pin 3 by the one-touch coupling, thereby minimizing assembling processes and sharply reducing working time. The above can be achieved by the pivot pin 3 having the coupling pin 9 and the fitting pin 12. That is, under a state where the neighboring links 2 are fit with each other in such a manner that the protrusion part 5a of the link 2 is inserted into the hole of the coupling part 5 of the neighboring link 2, the first pin hole 4 of the link 2 and the second pin hole 4a of the neighboring link 2 are coincided with each other, and then, the coupling pin 9 is fit into the pin holes 4 and 4a. When the resiliently fitting fragment 10 of the coupling pin 9 is forcedly pressed from the opposite side of the rounded locking jaw 8a formed on the inner surface of the hole 8 of the coupling pin 9, the locking hole 10a is resiliently locked to the locking jaw 8a, and the flanges 7 and 11, which are formed ends of the coupling pin 9 and the fitting pin 12 respectively, are in a state where they are caught to the outer side surfaces of the pin holes 4 and 4a of the links 2. As a result, the links 2 continuously coupled in right and left directions by the pivot pin 3 can be easily assembled with each other. To separate the coupled links 2, when the user pushes the fitting pin 12 with a small pressure using the tool such as a straight type driver, the locking hole 10a formed in the resiliently fitting fragment 10 of the fitting pin 12 is separated from the locking jaw 8a of the coupling pin 9, and thereby, the pivot pin 3 can be easily separated from the pin holes 4 and 4a.

The skid 13 connected to the lower portion of the link and having the concave-convexo type bottom surface 14 can minimizes frictional area when the cable chain 1 is mounted on the industrial machine or the robot and slid or collapsed according to operation of the machine or robot, thereby minimizing frictional resistance. If the user wants to replace the skid 13 with a new one due to abrasion of it, when the user pulls back the resiliently fitting fragment 19, which fixes the skid 13 to the link 2, using the tool such as the driver, the resiliently fitting fragment 19 resiliently coupled to the locking hole 2a and the coupling hole 18 is separated, and thereby, the skid 13 can be separated. After that, the protrusion portion 15 vertically formed on the upper portion of the side of the new- skid and having the slot is forcedly fit to the coupling fragment 16 of the link. After that, the resiliently fitting fragment 19 is resiliently fit into the coupling hole 18 of the coupling fragment 17 horizontally formed on the other side of the skid 13, and thereby, the new skid 13 can be easily assembled with the locking hole 2a and the coupling hole 18.

Moreover, since the present invention has the year indication part 20 and the month indication part 21 formed on the outer surface of the link 2, consumers can conveniently manage quality of the product by directly checking the manufactured year and month of the cable chain 1.

The connection bar 22 for connecting the links 2 facing each other can be coupled with the locking holes 2a of the links 2 by the one-touch coupling while the resiliently fitting fragments 22a having the central cut portions are contracted to the center and spread to an original position when the resiliently fitting fragments 22a are forcedly inserted into the locking holes 2a of the links 2. To separate the connection bar 22 from the links 2, when the user presses the centers of the resiliently fitting fragments 22a using the tool, the resiliently fitting fragments 22a are conveniently separated from the locking holes 2a of the links 2.

The divider 24 can be simply and resiliently assembled to the connection bar 22 in such a manner to the protrusion portion 24a of the divider 24 is resiliently locked to the slide groove 22b of the connection bar 22. Under a state where the dividers 24 are resiliently assembled to the connection bar 22, an interval between the dividers 24 can be easily controlled along the slide groove 22b as shown in FIG. 3. Furthermore, to separate the divider 24 from the connection bar 22, when the user pulls the divider 24 with a small power, the protrusion portion 24a of the divider 24 is separated from the slide groove 22b.

In addition, as the divider 24 has the multi-stage coupling holes 23, as shown in FIG. 3, the separators 25 are inserted into the coupling holes 23 of the divider 24 while controlling vertical intervals among the separators 25 according to kinds of the cable or hose (not shown) to be wired, and thereby, the present invention can provide stability by reducing mutual interference of the cables.

Industrial Applicability

As described above, the cable chain 1 according to the present invention can easily assemble and disassemble the links 2, the connection bar 22 for connecting the faced links 2, and the dividers 24 controllably assembled to the connection bar 22 using the pivot pin 3, which is resiliently fit to the cable chain 1 and easily separated from the cable chain 1. Therefore, the present invention can sharply reduce work time when the links 2 are mounted and repaired, prevent drooping of the links 2 by improving coupling force of the links 2, be easily disassembled using a simple tool such as the driver, reduce replacement and repair time of the skid as the skid 13 can be easily assembled and disassembled using the tool such as the driver, and enlarge its lifetime by minimizing the frictional area by providing the skid having the concave-convexo type bottom surface 14.

Moreover, as the present invention has the separators 22 selectively assembled to the divider 24 in a vertically multiple stage type when the cable chain is installed inside the cable or hose, the present invention can reduce the mutual interference of the inner cable or hose, thereby considerably increasing stability in use. In addition, the present invention allows the consumers to check its quality by indicating its manufactured year and month. While the present invention has been described with reference to the particular illustrative embodiments, it is not to be restricted by the embodiments but only by the appended claims. It is to be appreciated that those skilled in the art can change or modify the embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention

Claims

What is claimed is :

1. A cable chain (1), in which links (2) facing each other are connected by a connection bar (22), and neighboring links (2) are coupled by a pin coupling method, wherein the link (2) includes: a coupling part (5) formed on a side thereof and having an opening and a first pin hole (4); and a fork type protrusion part (5a) formed on the other side thereof and having a second pin hole (4a), the protrusion part (5a) of the link (2) is forcedly fit into the opening of the coupling part (5) of the neighboring link (2), and a pivot pin (3) is inserted into the coincided pin holes (4,4a) of the two links (2), and thereby, the neighboring links (2) are coupled with each other by a one-touch coupling, wherein the pivot pin (3) includes: a coupling pin (9) having a flange (7), a cylindrical coupling hole (8) and a rounded locking jaw (8a) formed on the inner surface of the coupling hole (8); and a fitting pin (12) having a resiliently fitting fragment (10) forcedly fit into the coupling hole (8) of the coupling pin (9) and a flange (11) formed on an end thereof in integration with the fitting fragment (10) , the fitting fragment (10) having a rounded locking hole (10a) resiliently locked to the locking jaw 8a, wherein the connection bar (22) includes: resiliently fitting fragments 22a resiliently locked to the locking holes 2a of the links (2) facing each other; and a slide groove (22b) for resiliently locking a divider (24) , wherein a skid (13) is coupled to the lower portion of the link (2), and includes: a concave-convexo type bottom surface (14); a protrusion portion (15) vertically protruding from a side of the upper portion thereof and having a slot to be forcedly fit with a coupling fragment (16) formed on the surface of the link (2) corresponding to the protrusion portion (15) ; and a coupling fragment (17) formed integrally with the other side thereof and having a coupling hole (18) 'horizontally formed therein, so that a resiliently fitting fragment (19) is resiliently fit into the coupling hole (18) and a locking hole (2a), wherein the link (2) further includes a year indication part (20) and a month indication part (21) formed on the outer surface thereof, and wherein the divider (24) includes: a protrusion portion (24a) resiliently locked to the slide groove (22b) of the connection bar (22); and a number of coupling holes (23) formed in multiple stages so that separators (25) can be selectively inserted and coupled into the coupling holes (23) in the vertically multiple stages.