US 12,085,146 B2
Separator for an energy chain
Stefan Strack, Koenigswinter (DE); and Dominik Barten, Meckenheim (DE)
Assigned to IGUS GMBH, Cologne (DE)
Appl. No. 17/041,645
Filed by IGUS GMBH, Cologne (DE)
PCT Filed Mar. 26, 2019, PCT No. PCT/EP2019/057643
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jan. 11, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/185662, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 3, 2019.
Claims priority of application No. 20 2018 101 686.5 (DE), filed on Mar. 26, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0131527 A1, May 6, 2021
Int. Cl. F16G 13/16 (2006.01); H02G 3/04 (2006.01); H02G 11/00 (2006.01)
CPC F16G 13/16 (2013.01) 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. At least one separator for an energy guiding chain comprising a plurality of pivotably interconnected chain links which each have two side plates, wherein at least one of the plurality of chain links comprises two transverse bars and defines a guide passage for at least one line, in which the at least one separator is arrangeable between the transverse bars and is arrestable at at least one of the transverse bars and at least one plate-like compartment bottom is arrangeable perpendicularly to the at least one separator,
wherein the at least one separator has a plurality of recesses in each of which the at least one compartment bottom is holdable, respectively, and wherein provided at a lateral end of each recess is a continuous rigid support region and at an opposite lateral end of each recess is a respective insertion opening to insert the at least one compartment bottom and wherein each respective insertion opening is provided with a respective resilient tongue element to partially close the respective insertion opening and to secure the at least one compartment bottom in the respective recess,
wherein each respective resilient tongue element extends from the respective insertion opening to the support region of the at least one separator,
wherein one end of each respective resilient tongue element is connected to an edge of the respective insertion opening and an other end of each respective resilient tongue element is connected to the support region,
wherein on a side of each respective resilient tongue element that is facing away from the recess is a respective free space into which the respective resilient tongue element is elastically deflectable during insertion and removal of the at least one compartment bottom, and
wherein, in a longitudinal direction of the chain, a main dimension of the respective free space is larger than a corresponding main dimension of the respective recess.
 
12. An energy guiding chain comprising:
a plurality of pivotably interconnected chain links which each have two side plates, wherein at least one of the plurality of chain links comprises two transverse bars and defines a guide passage for at least one line,
a plurality of vertical separators which are arranged between the transverse bars and are arrested at at least one of the transverse bars, wherein each of the vertical separators has a plurality of recesses,
a plurality of horizontal plate-like compartment bottoms which are each holdable in one of the recesses of each of the vertical separators, respectively,
wherein provided at a lateral end of each recess of each vertical separator is a continuous rigid support region and at an opposite lateral end of each recess of each vertical separator is a respective insertion opening to insert the respective compartment bottom and wherein each respective insertion opening is provided with a respective resilient tongue element to partially close the respective insertion opening and to secure the respective compartment bottom,
wherein
each respective resilient tongue element extends from the respective insertion opening to the support region of each vertical separator, respectively,
one end of each respective resilient tongue element is connected to an edge of the respective insertion opening and another end to the support region,
on a side of each respective resilient tongue element that is facing away from the recess is a respective free space into which the respective resilient tongue element is elastically deflectable upon insertion and removal of one of the compartment bottoms, and
wherein, in a longitudinal direction of the chain, a main dimension of the respective free space is larger than a corresponding main dimension of the respective recess.