US 11,955,784 B2
Energy guiding chain with wear detection
Richard Habering, Cologne (DE); Sebastian Krista, Hennef (DE); and Konstantin Schmer, Cologne (DE)
Assigned to igus GmbH, Cologne (DE)
Appl. No. 17/048,964
Filed by igus GmbH, Cologne (DE)
PCT Filed Jan. 18, 2019, PCT No. PCT/EP2019/051216
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Dec. 31, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/201482, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 24, 2019.
Claims priority of application No. 20 2018 102 239.3 (DE), filed on Apr. 21, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0151973 A1, May 20, 2021
Int. Cl. H02G 11/00 (2006.01); F16G 13/16 (2006.01); H02G 3/04 (2006.01)
CPC H02G 11/006 (2013.01) [F16G 13/16 (2013.01); H02G 3/0475 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An energy guide chain (1) with wear detection, comprising a number of chain links, which are configured for protected guidance of lines between a first connection end (F) and a second connection end (M) movable relative thereto, wherein each chain link has at least one link plate (5) and link plates (5) of adjacent chain links are each connected together in the longitudinal direction (L) by an articulated joint with a nominal swivel axis (A), wherein each articulated joint comprises
a pin (6A),
a corresponding receptacle (6B), and
at least one detection unit (10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 120) for detecting wear on at least one chain link, the at least one detection unit (10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 120) comprises
a first electrical component (11, 41, 51, 121), which is attached with a predetermined orientation to a first chain link, and
a second electrical component (12, 42, 52, 122), which is attached with a predetermined orientation to an adjacent second chain link that is articulatedly connected to the first chain link,
wherein the electrical components interact in contactlessly coupled manner to sense a change in the coupling in the event of wear-related occurrence of radial and/or axial play in the articulated joint between two chain links.
 
18. A link plate (5, 5A, 5B) for an energy guide chain (1) with wear detection, with a pin (6A) and a corresponding receptacle (6B) for forming articulated joints each with a nominal swivel axis (A) between successive chain links, wherein a first electrical component is attached in the region of the pin (6A) with a predetermined orientation relative to the nominal swivel axis (A) coaxially with the pin (6A), and a second electrical component is attached in the region of the receptacle (6B) with a predetermined orientation relative to the nominal swivel axis (A) coaxially with the receptacle (6B).
 
19. An arrangement for an energy guide chain (1) with wear detection, the arrangement comprising a pair of chain links of the energy guide chain (1) connected together by an articulated joint, with in each case two link plates, which are held parallel by crosspieces connecting the link plates, and with in each case one internal part (123) attached between the crosspieces (7) in each of the two chain links of the pair,
wherein the two internal parts (123) have interacting conjugate end regions (124, 125) which are arranged opposite one another axially relative to a nominal swivel axis of the articulated joint of the two interconnected chain links,
wherein a first component is attached at one end region (124, 125) of one internal part (123) and a second component is attached at the end region (124, 125) of the other internal part (123),
wherein the components are capacitively or inductively coupled in order to be able to identify a change in the coupling in the event of wear-related occurrence of radial and/or axial play in the articulated joint between the two chain links.