Long object protection guide device

Abstract

The long object protection guide device (11) comprises: a protection guide part (12) having a plurality of chain links (14) connected in series and a connecting shaft (15) that connects the chain links adjacent to each other in the arrangement direction of the chain links in a rotatable manner to form a storage space capable of storing the long object; and a guide component (12) that guides the protection guide part while moving it back and forth. The guide component comprises a guide groove (21) having a straight groove part (21a) and a curved groove part (21c). The chain link comprises a chain link body (24), an arm (34) extending from the chain link body, and a roller (35) provided at the front end of the arm in a manner engaged with the guide groove. The connecting shaft comprises a first connecting shaft located on the first side of each chain link body in the arrangement direction and a second connecting shaft located on the second side. The roller is located at a position in the arrangement direction that is biased toward the first side or the second side relative to the intermediate position (CP) between the first connecting shaft (15) and the second connecting shaft (15).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a long object protection and guiding device, which protects and guides the long object in coordination with the movement of a moving body in, for example, a machine tool, etc. The long object includes a flexible cable or hose for supplying power or liquid to the moving body. Background Art

[0002] In the past, such a long object protection and guide device is known, for example, as described in Patent Document 1. The device comprises: a long protection and guide portion; and a guide rail that guides the protection and guide portion and moves it back and forth. The protection and guide portion has a storage space that can store the long object in an extended state. The guide rail displaces a curved portion formed in the middle of the length direction of the protection and guide portion, and moves the first end of the length direction of the protection and guide portion back and forth along one direction.

[0003] The guide rail includes a guide groove having a pair of straight groove portions and a curved groove portion. The pair of straight groove portions extend in parallel along a direction in which the first end of the protective guide portion moves back and forth. The curved groove portion connects the opposite ends of a straight groove portion and another straight groove portion to each other in a U-shape. The protective guide portion has a plurality of chain links arranged in series, and has the following structure: the ends of adjacent chain links are connected to each other in a rotatable manner. Each chain link includes an arm and a snap-fit ​​portion. When moving along the curved groove portion of the guide groove, the arm will assume a posture extending from the outer peripheral side of the curved groove portion toward the inner peripheral side. The snap-fit ​​portion is composed of a roller or the like which is provided at the front end of the arm and can be snap-fitted with the guide groove.

[0004] Furthermore, a movable body that moves back and forth in a machine tool is connected to the first end of the protection guide portion. When the first end of the protection guide portion moves with the movement of the movable body, the engaging portion is guided to move along the linear groove portion and the curved groove portion of the guide groove.

[0005] Prior art literature

[0006] Patent Literature

[0007] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-89848 Summary of the invention

[0008] Technical issues to be solved by the invention

[0009] However, in the above-mentioned long object protection and guiding device, when it is desired to achieve compactness, the curvature radius of the curved groove portion in the guide groove is sometimes reduced. However, if the curvature radius of the curved groove portion is reduced, the engaging portions of two adjacent links at the curved portion of the plurality of links constituting the protection and guiding portion may collide with each other in the curved groove portion when they move in the curved groove portion. As a result, the device may malfunction.

[0010] The object of the present disclosure is to provide a long object protection and guiding device, which can realize compactness of the device without causing malfunction of the device.

[0011] Technical solutions adopted to solve technical problems

[0012] The elongated object protection guide device of one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises an elongated protection guide part and a guide component, the protection guide part comprises a plurality of chain links arranged in series and a connecting shaft which rotatably connects the chain links adjacent to each other in the arrangement direction of the chain links, so as to form a storage space capable of storing the elongated object in an extended state, and the guide component is configured to guide the protection guide part while moving it back and forth, and the guide component is configured to displace a bent portion formed by bending the protection guide part midway in the length direction while moving the first end of the protection guide part in the length direction back and forth in one direction, the guide component comprises a guide groove, the guide groove comprises a straight groove part and a curved groove part, the straight groove part extends in the one direction, the curved groove part is connected to the end of the straight groove part, and the curved groove part is connected to the end of the straight groove part. The chain link includes a chain link body, an arm and a locking portion, the chain link body being constructed as follows: when observed from the curvature center of the above-mentioned curved groove portion, the above-mentioned chain link body moves along the above-mentioned curved groove portion at a position closer to the outside in the radial direction than the above-mentioned curved groove portion, the above-mentioned arm extends from the above-mentioned chain link body in a manner of extending in a direction intersecting the above-mentioned curved groove portion when moving along the above-mentioned curved groove portion, the above-mentioned locking portion is provided at the front end portion of the above-mentioned arm in a manner of locking with the above-mentioned guide groove, the above-mentioned connecting shaft includes a first connecting shaft and a second connecting shaft, the above-mentioned first connecting shaft is located on the first side of the above-mentioned each chain link body in the above-mentioned arrangement direction, the above-mentioned second connecting shaft is located on the second side of the above-mentioned each chain link body in the above-mentioned arrangement direction, and the above-mentioned locking portion is located in the above-mentioned arrangement direction at a position biased towards the first side or the second side of the above-mentioned each chain link body than the intermediate position of the above-mentioned first connecting shaft and the above-mentioned second connecting shaft.

[0013] According to this structure, compared with the case where the engaging portion of the chain link is located in the middle position between the first connecting axis and the second connecting axis, the risk of the engaging portion of the preceding chain link in the curved groove portion colliding with the engaging portion of the subsequent chain link when the moving direction of the chain link changes from the direction along the straight groove portion to the direction along the curved groove portion can be reduced.

[0014] The long object protection and guide device may be formed such that the arm extends from the link body in a direction obliquely intersecting a straight line connecting the first connecting shaft and the second connecting shaft.

[0015] According to this structure, compared with the case where an engaging portion is provided at the front end portion of the arm extending in a direction perpendicular to the straight line connecting the first connecting shaft and the second connecting shaft, the device can be easily made compact in a direction perpendicular to the straight line connecting the first connecting shaft and the second connecting shaft.

[0016] The above-mentioned long object protection and guiding device can also be formed as follows: the above-mentioned arm has a recessed portion, and the above-mentioned recessed portion is configured to allow a part of the above-mentioned engaging portion of the other above-mentioned arms adjacent to the above-mentioned arrangement direction to enter.

[0017] According to this structure, when the engaging portions of each link continuously move in the curved groove portion with a small curvature radius, the engaging portion of one link among the adjacent links in the moving direction enters the gap of the concave portion of the arm of the other link, thereby avoiding collision. Therefore, it is possible to avoid contact between the engaging portions and the arms of the adjacent links in the moving direction.

[0018] The above-mentioned long object protection and guiding device can also be formed as follows: the above-mentioned chain link body has a plurality of chain link plates and a connecting portion, the plurality of the chain link plates are arranged at a distance in a width direction orthogonal to the above-mentioned length direction, the connecting portion connects the plurality of the chain link plates to each other and constitutes the bottom wall of the above-mentioned storage space, and at least the surface of the above-mentioned connecting portion facing the above-mentioned storage space is an arc surface curved along the outer peripheral shape of the above-mentioned curved groove portion.

[0019] According to this structure, unlike the case where the surface of the connecting portion facing the storage space is a flat surface, the bottom wall of the storage space formed by the connecting portion of the plurality of links constituting the curved portion is less likely to form a sharp edge. Therefore, the risk of the portion of the long object located in the storage space of the curved portion rubbing against the connecting portion constituting the bottom wall of the storage space and being worn can be reduced.

[0020] The above-mentioned long object protection and guiding device can also be formed as follows: the above-mentioned chain link body has a plurality of chain link plates, and the plurality of chain link plates are opposite to each other at a distance in a width direction orthogonal to the above-mentioned length direction, and the above-mentioned chain link plates have an inner peripheral side end face and an outer peripheral side end face extending along the moving direction of the above-mentioned chain link body. When the above-mentioned chain link body moves along the above-mentioned curved groove portion, the above-mentioned inner peripheral side end face moves at a position closer to the center of curvature of the above-mentioned curved groove portion than the above-mentioned outer peripheral side end face, and the above-mentioned inner peripheral side end face is an arc surface curved along the outer peripheral shape of the above-mentioned curved groove portion.

[0021] According to this structure, compared with the case where the inner peripheral end surface of the end surface of the link plate is flat, the curvature radius of the movement trajectory when the link body moves along the curved groove portion can be reduced. As a result, the long object protection and guide device can be made compact.

[0022] The elongated object protection and guiding device may be formed such that the engaging portion has a center located outside a triangular region connecting the center of curvature of the curved groove portion, the center of the first connecting shaft, and the center of the second connecting shaft.

[0023] According to this configuration, the risk of the engagement portion of the preceding link colliding with the engagement portion of the succeeding link in the curved groove portion when the moving direction of the link changes from the direction along the linear groove portion to the direction along the curved groove portion can be further reduced. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 It is a perspective view showing a state in which the long object protection and guide device is located at the forward limit position in one embodiment.

[0025] Figure 2 It means that Figure 1 A three-dimensional diagram showing a portion of a strip protection guide device being exploded.

[0026] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 An exploded perspective view of the chain links constituting the protection and guiding portion of the long object protection and guiding device.

[0027] Figure 4 It is a magnified representation Figure 1 A side view of a portion of a strip protection guide device.

[0028] Figure 5 Yes means Figure 1 A three-dimensional diagram of the state of the long object protection guide device when it is located at the rear limit position.

[0029] Figure 6 It is a side view schematically showing the positional relationship of the engaging parts in the links constituting the protection guide part in the elongated object protection guide device of the comparative example.

[0030] Figure 7 It simply means Figure 1 A side view of the positional relationship of the engaging parts in the chain links constituting the protection guide part in the long object protection and guide device.

[0031] Figure 8 It is a side view showing a part of the elongated object protection and guiding device of the comparative example.

[0032] Fig. 9 Yes means Figure 1 A side view of a portion of a strip protection guide device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a protection and guiding device for a long object will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0034] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the long object protection guide device 11 includes a long protection guide portion 12 that moves along the length direction X and a guide member 13 that guides the protection guide portion 12. The protection guide portion 12 is configured to form a curved portion W in the middle of the length direction X and present a bent state. The guide member 13 displaces the curved portion W of the protection guide portion 12 while moving the first end of the protection guide portion 12 in the length direction X back and forth in one direction. At this time, the guide member 13 guides the protection guide portion 12 while moving it back and forth.

[0035] The protection guide part 12 has a plurality of links 14 arranged in series. The protection guide part 12 connects the ends of two adjacent links 14 in the arrangement direction of the links 14 to each other in a rotatable manner through a connecting shaft 15, thereby forming a long strip. The protection guide part 12 has a storage space SK inside, and the storage space SK can accommodate a long object TK in an extended state. The first end of the protection guide part 12 is connected to a movable body possessed by a machine tool, etc. through a connector 16 (not shown in the figure). In this way, the first end of the protection guide part 12 moves back and forth in one direction together with the movable body. On the other hand, the second end of the protection guide part 12 in the longitudinal direction X is fixed to a predetermined position of the device body by a fixture 17 in an immovable manner.

[0036] The guide member 13 is composed of a pair of rectangular plates. The pair of plates are separated and opposed to each other in the width direction Y which is orthogonal to the direction in which the first end of the protection guide portion 12 moves back and forth on the horizontal plane. Through holes 18 are formed at multiple locations in the long side direction of the guide member 13. In addition, the engaging protrusions 20 formed at both ends of the connecting block 19 are engaged with the through holes 18 of the two paired guide members 13 in the width direction Y, so that the pair of guide members 13 are assembled in a manner that they are opposed to each other at a predetermined distance in the width direction Y.

[0037] A guide groove 21 is formed on the inner surface sides facing each other in a pair of guide members 13. The guide groove 21 has a pair of straight groove portions 21a and 21b and a curved groove portion 21c that connects the ends of the straight groove portions 21a and 21b to form a U-shape. The straight groove portions 21a and 21b extend in parallel along a direction in which the first end of the protection guide portion 12 moves back and forth. The upper straight groove portion 21a and the lower straight groove portion 21b maintain a predetermined distance in the height direction Z that is orthogonal to both the length direction X and the width direction Y. The curved groove portion 21c of the guide groove 21 connects the ends of the straight groove portions 21a and 21b in the long side direction to each other, that is, connects the ends on the side where the curved portion W of the protection guide portion 12 is located to each other.

[0038] The long object TK may be, for example, an electric cable or optical cable for supplying power or transmitting signals to a mobile body (not shown) such as a machine tool, a hose for supplying gas (such as air) or liquid (such as water or oil) to the mobile body, or a long multi-jointed member that can be flexibly bent, etc. In other words, the long object TK is a member that can be stored in the storage space SK of the protection guide portion 12 in an extended state along the longitudinal direction X of the protection guide portion 12, that is, a flexible long member.

[0039] like Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 1 , the link 14 is formed of, for example, a synthetic resin material. The link 14 includes a link body 24. The link body 24 includes a pair of link plates 22 facing each other in the width direction Y and a plate-shaped connecting portion 23. The connecting portion 23 connects the two link plates 22 in the middle of the length direction X and at Figure 3 The lower end position in the height direction Z is connected. Figure 2 As shown, when the protection guide portion 12 is guided by the guide member 13 and moves in the longitudinal direction X, the link body 24 moves along the curved groove portion 21c at a position outside the curved groove portion 21c when viewed from the curvature center C of the curved groove portion 21c. Figure 3 As shown, in the middle of the two link plates 22 in the length direction X and in Figure 3 At the upper end positions in the height direction Z, rod-shaped mounting portions 25 are formed along the length direction X. In addition, the two mounting portions 25 that form a pair in the width direction Y are detachably mounted with both ends of a band-shaped connecting member 26 along the width direction Y. In this way, the connecting member 26 connects the upper ends of the two link plates 22 to each other in the mounted state.

[0040] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, when the corresponding link 14 forms a part of the curved portion W in the protective guide portion 12 as the protective guide portion 12 moves, the connecting portion 23 is located on the inner peripheral side of the curved portion W, that is, on the inner side in the radial direction. At this time, the connecting portion 23 forms a curved bottom wall in the storage space SK. At this time, the cross-sectional shape of the connecting portion 23 perpendicular to the Y direction is an arc shape along the curved shape of the curved portion W. In other words, at least the surface of the connecting portion 23 facing the storage space SK is an arc surface along the outer peripheral shape of the curved groove portion 21c. In this way, the bottom surface shape of the curved storage space SK formed by the curved portion W is a smooth arc surface.

[0041] like Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, the link plate 22 is a plate having a long side direction that is consistent with the length direction X of the protective guide portion 12. An outer step surface 27 is formed on the outer side surface of the first side in the long side direction of the link plate 22, and the thickness of the outer step surface 27 is approximately half of the thickness of the plate in the width direction Y. The shape of the outer step surface 27 is circular when viewed from the width direction Y. As a result, an arc surface 28 extending along the periphery of the outer step surface 27 is formed on the outer side surface of the first side in the long side direction of the link plate 22. The arc surface 28 is a concave surface. In addition, the above-mentioned connecting shaft 15 is formed at the center position of the outer step surface 27, and the connecting shaft 15 is used to connect the ends of the links 14 adjacent to each other in the arrangement direction in a rotatable manner. The connecting shaft 15 is a roughly cylindrical convex portion. In order to facilitate understanding of the accompanying drawings, Figure 4 A pair of guide members 13 are arranged in Figure 4 The illustration of the guide member 13 on the front side in the depth direction is omitted.

[0042] On the other hand, an inner step surface 29 is formed on the inner side surface of the second side in the long side direction of the link plate 22, and the thickness of the inner step surface 29 is approximately half of the plate thickness in the width direction Y. The shape of the inner step surface 29 is circular when viewed from the width direction Y. As a result, an arc surface 30 is formed on the inner side surface of the second side in the long side direction of the link plate 22, and the arc surface 30 extends along the periphery of the inner step surface 29. The arc surface 30 is a concave surface. In addition, a through hole 31 is formed at the center position of the inner step surface 29, and the through hole 31 allows the connecting shaft 15 in the link plate 22 of the other adjacent link 14 to be inserted in a rotatable manner.

[0043] In addition, the long side direction of the link plate 22 is also the moving direction of the link body 24 when the protection guide portion 12 moves back and forth. The link plate 22 has a pair of end faces extending along the long side direction of the link plate 22, that is, the inner circumferential side end face 22a and the outer circumferential side end face. The inner circumferential side end face 22a is an arc surface curved along the outer circumferential shape of the curved groove portion 21c. When the link body 24 moves along the curved groove portion 21c, the inner circumferential side end face 22a moves to a position closer to the curvature center C of the curved groove portion 21c than the outer circumferential side end face.

[0044] In addition, a first stopper surface 32 is formed on the end surface of the link plate 22 on the first side in the longitudinal direction at a position directly above the top of the outer step surface 27 in the height direction Z. The first stopper surface 32 is formed along a virtual plane including the axis of the connecting shaft 15 and the top of the outer step surface 27. On the other hand, a second stopper surface 33 is formed on the end surface of the link plate 22 on the second side in the longitudinal direction at a position directly above the top of the inner step surface 29 in the height direction Z. The second stopper surface 33 is formed along a virtual plane including the axis of the through hole 31 and the top of the inner step surface 29. When the plurality of links 14 constituting the protection guide portion 12 moves along the linear groove portions 21a and 21b of the guide member 13, the first stopper surface 32 of each link plate 22 abuts against the second stopper surface 33 of the other adjacent link plates 22. In this way, the first blocking surface 32 and the second blocking surface 33 make the protection guide part 12 in a straight posture along one direction. On the other hand, when the plurality of links 14 move along the curved groove 21c of the guide member 13, the first blocking surface 32 of each link plate 22 separates from the second blocking surface 33 of the other adjacent link plates 22 in the circumferential direction of the connecting shaft 15. In this way, the first blocking surface 32 and the second blocking surface 33 make the protection guide part 12 in a curved posture.

[0045] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown in FIG. 1 , the link 14 includes a pair of arms 34 extending from the connection portion 23. The pair of arms 34 face each other in the width direction Y on the inner side of the pair of link plates 22. The pair of arms 34 extend from the connection portion 23 in such a manner that they extend from the link body 24 to a direction intersecting the curved groove portion 21c when moving along the curved groove portion 21c. The connection shaft 15 located on the first side of each link body 24 in the arrangement direction of the link 14 serves as the first connection shaft, and the connection shaft 15 located on the second side of each link body 24 in the arrangement direction of the link 14 serves as the second connection shaft. The arm 34 of each link 14 extends from the link body 24 in a direction obliquely intersecting with the straight line L connecting the first connection shaft 15 and the second connection shaft 15. A roller 35 as an example of an engaging portion is rotatably provided at the front end portion of the arm 34, and the roller 35 is configured to engage with the guide groove 21. The diameter of the roller 35 is slightly smaller than the groove width of the guide groove 21. A recess 36 is formed on the oblique side of the arm 34, and a part of the roller 35 and a part of the arm 34 in other adjacent links 14 in the arrangement direction can enter from the side.

[0046] When the long object protection guide device 11 is viewed from the side, the roller 35 of each link 14 is located at a position closer to the first side or the second side of the link body 24 than the middle position CP between the first connecting shaft 15 and the second connecting shaft 15 (or the through hole 31) in the arrangement direction of the link 14. Figure 4In the embodiment, the left side of the link body 24 is defined as the first side and the right side of the link body 24 is defined as the second side in the arrangement direction of the plurality of links 14. In this case, the roller 35 is located on the second side biased toward the link body 24. In addition, the roller 35 is located outside the triangular region A formed by connecting three points of the center of curvature C of the curved groove portion 21c, the center of the first connecting shaft 15, and the center of the second connecting shaft 15.

[0047] Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

[0048] The long object protection guide device 11 is configured such that when the first end of the protection guide portion 12 moves back and forth in the length direction X together with a moving body such as a machine tool, since the second end of the protection guide portion 12 cannot move, the protection guide portion 12 is moved back and forth in the length direction X while the curved portion W of the protection guide portion 12 is displaced. For example, the long object protection guide device 11 moves the first end of the protection guide portion 12 so that the protection guide portion 12 and the guide member 13 are moved from Figure 1 The position shown becomes Figure 5 Position shown.

[0049] like Figure 5 As shown in FIG. 1 , when the first end of the protection guide portion 12 is located near the curved groove portion 21c, the first end of the protection guide portion 12 is located at the retreat limit position. In the retreat limit position, the first end of the protection guide portion 12 is restricted and cannot move in the direction close to the curved groove portion 21c. On the other hand, Figure 1 As shown in FIG. 1 , when the first end of the protection guide portion 12 is located at the position farthest from the curved groove portion 21c, the first end of the protection guide portion 12 is located at the forward limit position. In the forward limit position, the first end of the protection guide portion 12 is restricted and cannot move further away from the curved groove portion 21c. In other words, the long object protection guide device 11 is Figure 1 The advance limit position shown is the same as Figure 5 The protection guide 12 is moved back and forth between the illustrated retreat limit positions.

[0050] Furthermore, in the above manner, when the first end of the protection guide 12 moves back and forth, the long object TK accommodated in the accommodation space SK of the protection guide 12 in an extended state is guided in the moving direction and the displacement direction while being protected by the protection guide 12. At this time, in the long object protection guide device 11, as the curved portion W of the protection guide 12 moves back and forth, the plurality of chain links 14 connected in series repeatedly rotate between a straight posture along the straight groove portions 21a, 21b of the guide groove 21 and a curved posture along the curved groove portion 21c.

[0051] In addition, in the long object protection guide device 11, when the protection guide part 12 moves back and forth in the length direction X, each roller 35 of the plurality of chain links 14 will rotate along the guide groove 21 of the guide member 13. In addition, when the long object protection guide device 11 moves from the forward limit position to the backward limit position, the plurality of rollers 35 of the upper straight groove portion 21a in the guide groove 21 will sequentially move from the upper straight groove portion 21a through the curved groove portion 21c while rotating toward the lower straight groove portion 21b. At this time, each roller 35 will squeeze the inner surface (concave surface) of the outer peripheral side of the curved groove portion 21c. The squeezing force of each roller 35 at this time causes the guide member 13 to move toward the backward limit position. In other words, the guide member 13 will move toward the backward limit position as the protection guide part 12 moves toward the backward limit position.

[0052] On the other hand, when the strip protection guide device 11 moves from the backward limit position to the forward limit position, the plurality of rollers 35 of the lower linear groove portion 21b in the guide groove 21 will rotate in sequence from the lower linear groove portion 21b through the curved groove portion 21c to the upper linear groove portion 21a. At this time, each roller 35 will squeeze the inner surface (convex surface) of the inner circumference of the curved groove portion 21c. The squeezing force of each roller 35 at this time causes the guide member 13 to move toward the forward limit position. In other words, the guide member 13 will move toward the forward limit position as the protection guide portion 12 moves toward the forward limit position.

[0053] As described above, when the first end of the protection guide 12 is moved while the curved portion W is displaced, the following phenomenon occurs in the link 14 that forms a part of the curved portion W by changing the moving direction from the direction along the linear grooves 21a and 21b to the direction along the curved groove 21c among the plurality of links 14. That is, the restriction roller 35 of the link 14 is displaced in a direction other than the direction along the curved groove 21c engaged at the above point in time. On the other hand, the connecting shaft 15 that rotatably connects the adjacent link bodies 24 to each other in the moving direction of the link 14 is not engaged with the curved groove 21c, and therefore, the connecting shaft 15 is allowed to be displaced in a direction other than the direction along the curved groove 21c.

[0054] like Figure 6 and Figure 7As shown in the figure, for example, the two connecting shafts 15 on the rear and front sides of the link 14 moving from the upper straight groove portion 21a to the curved groove portion 21c are respectively set as connecting shafts 15A and 15B. One of the connecting shafts 15A and 15B is equivalent to the first connecting shaft, and the other is equivalent to the second connecting shaft. Of the connecting shafts 15A and 15B, the connecting shaft 15A on the rear side is squeezed by other subsequent links 14 and slightly displaced in the direction intersecting the curved groove portion 21c in the direction away from the curvature center C of the curved groove portion 21c. In other words, the connecting shaft 15A on the rear side is displaced in the direction intersecting the curved groove portion 21c. Figure 6 and Figure 7 The direction indicated by the bold arrow D1 is slightly displaced.

[0055] Then, in conjunction with the displacement of the rear connecting shaft 15A, the front connecting shaft 15B is slightly displaced in a direction intersecting with the curved groove 21c and approaching the curvature center C of the curved groove 21c. Figure 6 and Figure 7 The chain link 14 slightly displaces in the direction indicated by the bold arrow D2 in the middle. Here, the chain link 14 that changes its moving direction from the direction along the upper straight groove portion 21a to the direction along the curved groove portion 21c to form a curved portion W is referred to as a chain link 14 with a changed direction. In this case, in the chain link body 24 of the chain link 14 with a changed direction, the portion on the rear side in the moving direction is displaced to the outside of the curved groove portion 21c in the direction intersecting the curved groove portion 21c. On the other hand, in the chain link body 24 of the chain link 14 with a changed direction, the portion on the front side in the moving direction is displaced to the inside of the curved groove portion 21c in the direction intersecting the curved groove portion 21c.

[0056] As a result, in the link 14 that has changed direction, the rear and front portions of the link body 24 in the moving direction change in opposite directions and tilt. The roller 35 in the link 14 that has changed direction is slightly displaced in the curved groove 21c toward the roller 35 of the subsequent link 14. In other words, the roller 35 in the link 14 that has changed direction is displaced toward the roller 35 of the subsequent link 14. Figure 6 and Figure 7 The direction indicated by the bold arrow D3 is slightly displaced along the curved groove portion 21c.

[0057] Figure 8 This is a comparative example showing that the roller 35 of the link 14 is located at the middle position CP between the first connecting shaft 15 and the second connecting shaft 15. In this case, if the curvature radius R of the curved groove portion 21c is reduced in order to make the device more compact, the following problem is likely to occur. That is, if Figure 8As shown, the roller 35B of the preceding link 14 is displaced by the tilting motion caused by the change of direction toward the roller 35A of the following link 14 in the curved groove 21c. This has the risk that the roller 35B will collide with the roller 35A of the following link 14 and stop moving, resulting in malfunction of the device.

[0058] In contrast, Fig. 9 As shown, in the present embodiment, the position of the roller 35 of the link 14 is offset to the front or rear side from the middle position CP of the pair of connecting shafts 15 located at the front and rear sides in the moving direction. Therefore, even if the roller 35 of the preceding link 14 in the curved groove portion 21c is slightly displaced in the direction of approaching the roller 35 of the following link 14 in the curved groove portion 21c, the risk of the roller 35 of the preceding link 14 colliding with the roller 35 of the following link 14 can be reduced.

[0059] Next, the effects of this embodiment will be described.

[0060] (1) Compared with a case where the roller 35 of the link 14 is located at the middle position CP between the front connecting shaft 15 and the rear connecting shaft 15, when the moving direction of the link 14 changes from along the straight groove portions 21a, 21b to along the curved groove portion 21c, the risk of the roller 35 of the preceding link 14 in the curved groove portion 21c colliding with the roller 35 of the subsequent link 14 can be reduced.

[0061] (2) Compared with the case where the roller 35 is provided at the front end portion of the arm 34 extending in a direction perpendicular to the straight line L connecting the first connecting shaft 15 and the second connecting shaft 15, it is possible to easily achieve compactness of the device in a direction perpendicular to the straight line L connecting the first connecting shaft 15 and the second connecting shaft 15.

[0062] (3) When the rollers 35 of the links 14 continuously move in the curved groove portion 21c having a smaller curvature radius R, the rollers 35 of one of the links 14 adjacent in the moving direction enter the gap between the recessed portion 36 of the arm 34 of the other link 14, thereby avoiding collision. Therefore, it is possible to avoid contact between the rollers 35 and the arm 34 of the links 14 adjacent in the moving direction.

[0063] (4) Unlike the case where the surface of the connecting portion 23 facing the storage space SK is a flat surface, the bottom wall of the storage space SK formed by the connecting portions 23 of the plurality of links 14 constituting the curved portion W is less likely to form a sharp edge. Therefore, the risk of the portion of the long object TK located in the storage space SK of the curved portion W rubbing against the connecting portion 23 constituting the bottom wall of the storage space SK and being worn can be reduced.

[0064] (5) Compared with the case where the inner peripheral end surface 22a of the end surface of the link plate 22 is flat, the curvature radius of the movement path of the link body 24 when moving along the curved groove 21c can be reduced. As a result, the long object protection and guide device 11 can be made more compact.

[0065] (6) In particular, in the present embodiment, the center of the roller 35 is located outside the triangular region A connecting three points of the center of curvature C of the curved groove portion 21c, the center of the first connecting shaft 15, and the center of the second connecting shaft 15. Therefore, when the moving direction of the link 14 changes from the direction along the linear groove portions 21a and 21b to the direction along the curved groove portion 21c, the risk of the roller 35 of the preceding link 14 colliding with the roller 35 of the following link 14 in the curved groove portion 21c can be further reduced.

[0066] The above-mentioned embodiment can also be modified as shown below. In addition, the structure included in the embodiment and the structure included in the following modification can be arbitrarily combined, and the structures included in the following modification can be arbitrarily combined with each other.

[0067] The engaging portion in the link 14 is not limited to the roller 35 rotatably provided at the front end of the arm 34 as long as it is a structure that can engage with the linear groove portions 21a, 21b and the curved groove portion 21c of the guide groove 21 and move. For example, a sphere or a cylinder may be integrally formed at the front end of the arm 34, and its surface may be smoothly abutted against the guide groove 21.

[0068] ·For example Figure 7 The center of the roller 35 of the middle link 14 may not be located outside the triangular region A connecting the three points of the curvature center C of the curved groove portion 21c, the center of the first connecting shaft 15, and the center of the second connecting shaft 15. For example, the center of the roller 35 may be located outside the triangular region A. Figure 7 On a side connecting the center of curvature C of the curved groove portion 21 c and the center of the second connecting shaft 15 .

[0069] Furthermore, the center of the roller 35 may be located inside the region A as long as it is located closer to the first or second side of the link body 24 than the intermediate position CP between the first connecting shaft 15 and the second connecting shaft 15 .

[0070] The entire cross-sectional shape of the connection portion 23 need not be an arc shape along the curved shape of the curved portion W. In other words, the connection portion 23 only needs to have an arc surface curved along the outer peripheral shape of the curved groove portion 21 c in the guide groove 21 at least on the surface facing the storage space SK.

[0071] The connection portion 23 may be integrally formed with the pair of link plates 22 or may be fixed to the pair of link plates 22. In addition, at least one of one end and the other end of the connection portion 23 in the longitudinal direction may be detachable from the corresponding link plate 22.

[0072] The connecting member 26 connects the upper ends of the two link plates 22 to each other by attaching both ends of the connecting member 26 to the attachment portions 25 provided at the upper ends of the pair of link plates 22 in the link 14. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and it is also possible to configure such that one end of the connecting member 26 in the longitudinal direction is attachable to and detachable from the corresponding link plate 22, and the other end of the connecting member 26 in the longitudinal direction is fixed to the corresponding link plate 22.

[0073] The connecting member 26 may be formed integrally with the pair of link plates 22 , or both ends of the connecting member 26 may be fixedly connected to the upper ends of the pair of link plates 22 .

[0074] The recessed portion 36 is not necessarily formed on the side of the oblique arm 34 .

[0075] As long as the roller 35 as the engagement portion provided at the front end of the arm 34 is located closer to the first or second side of the link body 24 than the intermediate position CP between the first connecting shaft 15 and the second connecting shaft 15 , the arm 34 does not necessarily extend obliquely from the link body 24 .

[0076] Explanation of symbols

[0077] 11 Long object protection guide device

[0078] 12 Protective guide

[0079] 13 Guide components

[0080] 14 links

[0081] 15, 15A, 15B Connecting shaft

[0082] 21 Guide groove

[0083] 21a, 21b Linear groove

[0084] 21c Bending groove

[0085] 22 Link Plate

[0086] 23 Connection

[0087] 24 Link body

[0088] 34 Arm

[0089] 35, 35A, 35B Roller (as an example of an engaging portion)

[0090] 36 recess

[0091] A Region

[0092] C Center of curvature

[0093] CP Middle position

[0094] L Straight Line

[0095] SK Storage Space

[0096] TK Long

[0097] W Bend

[0098] X length direction

[0099] Y width direction

Claims

1. A long object protection and guiding device, comprising a long protection and guiding portion and a guiding member, The protection guide portion includes a plurality of chain links arranged in series and a connecting shaft that rotatably connects the chain links adjacent to each other in the arrangement direction of the chain links, forming a storage space capable of storing an elongated object in an extended state. The guide member is configured to guide the protection guide portion while moving it back and forth. The guide member is configured to move a first end of the protection guide portion in the longitudinal direction back and forth in one direction while displacing a curved portion formed by bending the protection guide portion in the middle of the longitudinal direction. The guide member has a guide groove. The guide groove has a straight groove portion and a curved groove portion, The linear groove portion extends along the one direction, The curved groove portion is connected to the end of the straight groove portion, The link comprises a link body, an arm and a locking portion, The link body is configured to move along the curved groove portion at a position radially outward of the curved groove portion when viewed from the center of curvature of the curved groove portion, The arm extends from the link body in a manner such that when moving along the curved groove portion, the arm assumes a posture extending in a direction intersecting the curved groove portion. The engaging portion is provided at the front end of the arm in a manner of engaging with the guide groove. The connecting shaft includes a first connecting shaft and a second connecting shaft, The first connecting axis is located on a first side of each of the link bodies in the arrangement direction. The second connecting shaft is located on the second side of each of the link bodies in the arrangement direction. The engaging portion is located at a position closer to the first side or the second side of each link body than a middle position between the first connecting shaft and the second connecting shaft in the arrangement direction.

2. The long object protection and guiding device according to claim 1, wherein: The arm extends from the link body in a direction obliquely intersecting a straight line connecting the first connecting shaft and the second connecting shaft.

3. The long object protection and guiding device according to claim 2, wherein: The arm has a recessed portion configured to allow a portion of the engaging portion of another arm adjacent to the arrangement direction to enter.

4. The long object protection and guiding device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The link body comprises a plurality of link plates and a connecting portion. The plurality of link plates are arranged at intervals in a width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. The connecting portion connects the plurality of link plates to each other and constitutes a bottom wall of the storage space. At least a surface of the connection portion facing the storage space is an arc surface curved along the outer peripheral shape of the curved groove portion.

5. The long object protection and guiding device according to claim 4, wherein: The link plate has an inner peripheral side end surface and an outer peripheral side end surface extending along the moving direction of the link body. When the link body moves along the curved groove, the inner peripheral end surface moves to a position closer to the center of curvature of the curved groove than the outer peripheral end surface. The inner peripheral end surface is an arc surface curved along the outer peripheral shape of the curved groove portion.

6. The long object protection and guiding device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The link body includes a plurality of link plates, and the plurality of link plates are opposed to each other with a distance therebetween in a width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. The link plate has an inner peripheral side end surface and an outer peripheral side end surface extending along the moving direction of the link body. When the link body moves along the curved groove, the inner peripheral end surface moves to a position closer to the center of curvature of the curved groove than the outer peripheral end surface. The inner peripheral end surface is an arc surface curved along the outer peripheral shape of the curved groove portion.

7. The long object protection and guiding device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: The engaging portion has a center located outside a triangular region connecting a center of curvature of the curved groove portion, a center of the first connecting shaft, and a center of the second connecting shaft.

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