Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
ENERGY CONDUIT SUPPORT
The present invention relates to an energy conduit support
between a movable consumer and a stationary connection
comprising narrow tubular members with outwardly directed
outer abutment stops and wide tubular members with inwardly
directed abutment stops which interengage, respectively,
and which can be bent at an angle only in one direction
relative to one another, the narrow tubular members hav;ng
in their central plane a circum~erential central abutment
stop ring forming grooves on both sides thereof towards the
other abutment stops for the engagement of the stops on the
wide tubular members, the wide tubular members being short-
ened on each side in the vicinity of a longitudinal cross-
sectional half by approximately the width of one groove and
each compris7ng two tubular member halves which can be
placed over the narrow tubular members.
From West German Auslegeschr7ft AS 28 05 832 (USA patent
4,228,825) and West German Offenlegungsschrift OS 28 53 715
an energy conduit support of the above--described type is
known. In that energy conduit support the narrow tubular
members are prov7ded 7n the7r central plane w~th a c~rcum-
Ferentlal abutment stop r7ng and are developed symmetrically
wh~le the w7de tubular members are shortened by the w7dth o~
one groove on both s7des as seen 7n the long7tudinal d7rec-
t~on of the energy conduit support so that the energy con-
du7t support can be curved to only one side out of 7ts
~tretched-out flattened position. In the flattened position
the abut~ent stops of the wide tubular members rest (above
the central plane formed by the neutral axis) against the
circumferential abutment stop ring an~ below this central
plane against the outer abutment stops of the narrow tubular
members, over their entire length, since in this flattened
position the abutment stops extend parallel to each other on
the narrow and wide tubular members. In the curved end
position, on the other hand, the abutment stops o~ the wi~e
tubular members rest (above the central plane formed by the
neutral axis) against the outer abutment stops only in their
central region and below sa;d plane on the opposite side
only rest in the central region against the circumferential
abutment stop ring of the narrow tubular member since in
this curved position the abutment stops on the facing side
walls of the energy conduit support extend at an acute angle
to each other. Accordingly the load-bearing capacity of ~he
energy conduit support is reduced in the region of curva-
ture, which region is just the one loaded most strongly by
the weight of the upper flattened course since the flexural
forces which occur need be transmitted solely by the rela-
tively narrow regions of overlap between the abutment stops
~n the central region at the outer and inner sldes.
Proceed~ng herefrom, the object of the present inventlon ~s
to provide an energy condult support of the above-described
type which has improved load-carrylng capacity and a good
latera~ and torsional rigidity and ln which the neutral
axis lies in the center and the abutment stops of the wide
tubular members even in the curved end position come to rest
against the abutment stops or the abutment stop ring of the
narrow tubular members~
A structural solution for this object is proposed that the
central abutment stop ring of the narrow tubular members be
provided in the region of the wide tubular member halves
with parallel flanks and in the region of the narrow tub-
ular member halves on both arms with flanks which extend
apart tapering conically towards the neutral axis, and
that the outer abutment stops of the narrow tubular members
in the region of the wide tubular member halves at both arms
have flanks which taper conically ~rom the outside to the
inside towards the neutra7 axis on the central abutment stop
ring and in the region of the narrow tubular member halves
have flanks which extend parallel to each other.
In one practical embodiment it has been ~ound advisable to
make the width of the grooves on the narrow tubular members
on each side of the central abutment stop ring directly
above and below the neutral axis only just as large as
corresponding to the thickness of the material of the wide
tubular members. Should ~t prove necessary to change the
radlus of curvature oP the energy condu~t support oP a g~ven
s~ze then th~s can be done by chang~ng the width of the
outer abutment stops ~n the reg~on of the wide tubular
member halves and of the abutment stop ring in the region
9~
of the narrow tubular me~ber halves on the narrow tubular
members.
An energy conduit support developed in accordance with the
invention has the advantage that the stops of the wide
tubular members- come to rest even in the curved end position,
over their entire length against the outer abutment stops
and the central abutment stop ring of the narrow tubular
members. In this way the forces to be transmitted by the
narrow overlap regions of the abutment stops at the narrow
and wide tubular members are distributed over a larger
surface and a bending open of the bent edges of the wide
tubular members, particularly in the arcuate parts of the
tubular member halves, is made difficult. An energy
conduit support developed in accordance with the invention
is therefore able to take up greater weights withou~t the
tubular members in the region of curvature breaking apart
or bending,
For a sufficient lateral and torsional rigidit~y with over-
sized lengths it has also proven advantageous to form slots
~27) arranged on the inside at the upper and lower sides of
the narrow tubular members ~A) and to pull bands (28)
~hereln. In spec~al cases n~ use, it can also be meaningFul
to pull ~n addltlonal interlnedlate bands, ~n order to
d~v~de the ~nterior space oF ~he energy condult carrier
into different floors or levels ~or thick and thinner cable
or for cable and flexible tubes so that they can not slip
or slide into one another and/or turn around one another
for use according to its purpose.
- 4 -
S~
The slots suitably should be narrow in the m;ddle and
widened toward the entrance and exit so that the bands are
not bent in the radius oF curvature. The bands themse1ves
can be made of steel as well as of a stiff yet also elastic
synthetic material or plastic.
An energy conduit carrier formed according to the invention
in this embodiment has an exceptionally good lateral and
torsional rigidity with, respectively, one band each
pulled-in at the upper side and at the lower side even with
long lengths. It consequently can extend bridging over a
larger self-supporting length even with loading with heavy
weights.
With the above and other objects and advantages in view,
the present invention will become more clearly understood in
; connection with the detailed description of preferred
embodiments, when considered with the accompanying drawings,
of which:
Fig. l shows several interconnected pipe
members of an energy condult support, seen ln side view;
2q F~g~ 2 shows the same tubular members in
top vlew;
Flg. 3 shows a narroW tubular member in
plan view,
Fig. 4 shows the same tubular member in
bottom view;
,
'~5~
Fig. 5 shows the same tubular member
in top view;
~ ig. 6 shows the same tubular member
in side view;
Fig. 7 is an exploded view of two
narrow tubular members and a still separated wide tubular
member in plan view;
Fig. 8 shows the same exploded view of
Fig. 7 in side view;
Fig. 9 shows two narrow tubular
members connected with each other by a wide tubular
member, seen in side view;
Fig. lO shows a connection for the two
tubular member halves of the wide tubular members using an
expansion rivet shown in cross section;
Fig. 11 (found on the page containing
Figure 4) shows a functional diagram for a self-supporting
energy conduit support between a movable load-consuming
device and a fixed connection;
FIG. 12 is a front plan view of an additional embodiment
of a narrow tubular member with slots for a band which can
; be pulled in; and
FIG. 13 is a front plan view of a modificatlon o~ FIG. 12
o~ a narrow tubular member with several floors or levels
o~ pulled-in bands.
An energy conduit support developed in accordance with the
-- 6 --
~ ~ S~ ~ ~ 6
invention comprises an alternate sequence of narrow tubular
members A and wide tubular members B which are inserted
into each other in form-locked manner and in the flattened
position can be swung mutually relat~ve to each other only
towards one side while they ~orm a ri~id self-supporting
tubular line in the flattened position.
Each narrow tubular member A in the embodiment shown
comprises a ring 1 o~ rectangular cross section which at
the outer periphery forms two grooves 5 and 6 limited by
outwardly directed outer abutment stops 2, 3 and by a
central circumferential abutment stop ring 4. Above and
below a central plane defined by the neutral axis 7, the
two grooves 5 and 6 on the top- ~Fig. 5) and bottom-
(Fig. ~) sides are of the same width, but on the side
walls of the narrow tubular member A they are developed
conically tapered towards each other. In the upper half,
the central stop ring ~ is of narrow ~ormation and has
flanks 8 and 9 extending parallel to each other. In the
lower half, the central stop ring 4 on the other hand is
narrow and developed with flanks 8' and 9' which extend
parallel to each okher only in the central re~ion (Fi~.
5), while on the lateral arms ~Fig. 6) these ~lanks 8',
9' move conically apart ~rom the outside to the inside
towards the neutral axis 7. The outer stops 2 and 3 on
the other hand on the lateral arms are provided in the
lower halP with flanks 10 and 11 which extend parallel to
each other while in the upper half the flanks 10' and 11'
extend from outwards to inwards conically tapered towards
~ ~ S~ 6
the central stop 4 and the neutral axis 7. By this
difference in the formation of the course of the flanks 8
to 11 on the outer stops 2, 3 and on the central stop
ring 4 of the narrow tubular members A on both sides of
the neutral axis 7 there are obtained d;fferent shapes,
the importance of which will be described below in connection
with the shaping of the wide tubular members B.
Each wide tubular member B ~n the embodiment shown is made
of two tubular member halves 12 and 13 of U-shape. The
upper tubular member half 12 is wider b~y an amount equal
to the width of the two grooves 5 and 6 than the lower tubu-
lar member half l3. Due to this the lower tubular member
half 13 is spaced inward on each side by an amount equal
to the width of a groove 5, 6 in the region of the neutral
axis 7. At their edges, the two ~ubular member halves 12
and 13 have inwardly directed abutment stops 1~ and 15
which engage lnto the grooves 5 and 6 on the narrow tub-
ular members A.
On each arm of an outer tubular member half 12 there is
provided an extension 16 over which in inserted condition,
the ends o~ the arms o~ the other member half 13 extend.
The connect~on between the two tubular member halves 12
and 13 ~s e~ected by an expans~on rlvet 17 ~n the overlap
region.
In assembled condition the narrow members ~ and the wide
tubular members B can be sw~ng towards each other by an
- 8 -
amount equal to the width of a groove 5 or 6. In this
connection the abutment stops 14 and 15 of the wide
tubular members B place themselves in the flattened
position shown in the le~t-hand half of Figs. 1 and 2
above the neutral axis 7 aga;nst the flanks 8, 9 o~ the
abutment stop ring 4 which extend parallel to each other
while below the neutral axis 7 they rest against the
flanks 10 and 11 (which are parallel to each other) o~
the abutment stops 2 and 3. In the curved position shown
in the right-hand half of Figs. 1 and 2, on the other
hand, the abutment stops 14 and 15 of the wide tubular
members B place themselves, above ~he neutral axis 7,
against the conically extending flanks 1~' and 11' of the
abutment stops 2 and 3 while below the neutral axls 7 they
rest against the conically extending flanks 8' and 9' of
the abutment stop ring 4. The conical course of the two
grooves 5 and 6 at the two sides of the grooves 5 and
6 of the narrow tubular member A and their different
formation above and below the neutral axis 7 therefore
have the result that the abutment stops 14 and 15 of
the wide tubular members B rest closely over their
entire length in the ~wo end positions against the abut-
ment stops 2, 3 and the abutment stop ring 4 of the narrow
tubular members A respect~vely.
The narrow tubular members A preferably are made of an
insulating material, particularly plastic, so that they
have a smooth and protective coverin~ 18 for energy
conduits 19 on thelr inside. However, it is also possible
to develop ;nward extending holders 20 on the ring 1 of
each narrow tubular member A in order to hold the energy
conduits ~9 in the axis 7 which is neutral upon a swinging
motion, i.e., the length does not change here.
The wide tubular members B are suitably punched and
embossed from a thin metal sheet. In this connection
it is possible to emboss outward protruding beads 21 in
the center of the tubular member halves which beads on the
one hand increase the dimensional stability and on the other
hand serve as resting surface for the energy conduit support
when it is used in accordance with jts purpose. Further-
more, it is possible to stamp openings 22 for ventilation
of the interior into the arms o~ the tubular member halves
12 and 13 so that no heat build-up can take place.
An energy conduit support constructed and assembled in
accordance with the foregoing ~s intended to be used
between a fixed connection 23 and a movable load-consumer
24, for instance the carriage of a machine tool in order
to guide the energy conduits 19 and particularly cable and
tubes for electricity, compressed air and/or coolant, in a
gentle stress-relieved manner~ In thls connection the
energy conduit support must be self-support~ng In its
upper course 25 so that it does not sag and the ener~y
condults 19 do not buckle. Towards ~ts lower side 26 the
energy conduit support should be curved only by a radius
R which corresponds to the permissib~e r~dius of flexure
-- 1 0 --
of the most sensitive energy conduit 19. These condit;ons
for a self-supporting design of the energy conduit support,
the maintaininy of a given radius o~ curvature as well as
the protective stress-relieved guidance of the energy condu-
its 19 are sat;sfied by the shaping of the narrow tubular
members A and the w;de tubular members B in accordance with
the present invent;on.
In the embodiment according to FIG. 12 the ring 1 on the
side walls at the inner side at the top and at the bottom
are provided with slots 27, in which, respectively,
there engages one band 28 with its edges, each band
extending over the entire width of the member. The slots
27 are narrower in the center than at the entrance and
exit, so that the bands 28 cannot be bent during runn~ng
: through the curving area
With the embod;ment of the ring 1 as illustrated ;n FIG.
13 additional slots 27 are provided so that a p1urality of
;ntermed;ate bands 29 can be pulled-;n, which bands
subdiv;de the ;nterior space of the. energy conduit carrier
lnto different levels or floors. In this manner it is
possible to hold different thickness energy conduits 19 as
as well also Por large lengths to carefully separate them
Prom one another so that they do not slide or slip by one
another.
While I have d;sclosed embodiments of my invention ;t is to
be understood that these embodiments are not limiting.
