Internal wiring lifting device and height-adjustable furniture
By using a chain guide device and a reset guide element in the lifting device, the problems of large size and high cost caused by spiral cables are solved, achieving space saving and cable length reduction, extending service life, and meeting the needs of hard core cables.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- ZHEJIANG JIECHANG LINEAR MOTION TECH
- Filing Date
- 2025-12-25
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-05
AI Technical Summary
The existing lifting device has a built-in spiral cable, which results in a larger size, increased cable material costs, and incompatibility with rigid core cables, affecting the product's appearance and service life.
A chain-guided device is used, with multiple chain links arranged axially along the tubular component. The cable is attached to the chain-guided device to achieve folding or stretching, reducing space occupation and cable length. Corner sections and reset guide elements are set to ensure smooth cable folding.
It effectively reduces the size of the lifting device, lowers the cost of cable materials, extends the service life of the cable, adapts to hard core cables, simplifies the structure, and improves reliability.
Smart Images

Figure CN121983902A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of furniture technology, and more particularly to internal wiring lifting devices and height-adjustable furniture. Background Technology
[0002] In existing technologies, when a lifting device is used as an accessory for height-adjustable furniture, there are always devices at one or both ends that require communication or power. The conventional approach is to use a cable drag chain to connect the devices requiring power or communication to the outside of the lifting device. When the lifting device extends or retracts, the cable drag chain moves accordingly, ensuring that the devices at the end of the lifting device can function normally or communicate. However, because the cable drag chain is relatively large, its exposed appearance affects the product's aesthetics.
[0003] To address the issues arising from exposed cable chains, existing technologies have disclosed lifting devices that integrate the cable. When the cable is placed inside the lifting device, a spiral cable is typically used to achieve synchronous extension and retraction between the cable and the lifting device. Because the spiral cable is wound in three-dimensional space, it occupies a significant amount of space. Furthermore, to guide the extension and retraction of the spiral cable, a telescopic sleeve is installed inside the lifting device. Whether the telescopic sleeve is fitted onto the outside of the spiral cable or vice versa, the space occupied by both increases, resulting in a larger lifting device size. In addition, the spiral cable has a higher extension ratio (the ratio between the maximum length the cable can be stretched under stress and its minimum length in its natural contracted state), requiring a longer cable length and increasing material costs. Finally, spiral cables are unsuitable for cables with stiff cores that cannot form a stable spiral (such as multi-core ribbon cables and coaxial cables), thus placing higher demands on the cable itself. Summary of the Invention
[0004] To address the technical problems of large size and increased cable material costs caused by the built-in spiral cable in the existing lifting device, the present invention provides an internally routed lifting device and height-adjustable furniture, which can effectively reduce the size of the lifting device and, under the same stretching length, effectively shorten the cable length to reduce cable material costs, while also having lower requirements for the cable.
[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned technical objectives, the internal cable routing lifting device provided by the present invention includes: Telescopic assembly, comprising at least two sets of tubular components; A drive unit for driving at least two tubular components to move axially relative to each other to adjust the telescopic assembly; At least one cable is threaded through the interior of the telescopic assembly; A cable guiding device that guides the extension and retraction of the cable within the telescopic assembly; The cable guiding device is configured as a chain guiding device, including multiple chain links arranged along the axial direction of the tubular component. Adjacent chain links are pivotally connected and can pivot relative to each other around the pivot point, so that the chain guiding device can fold or stretch collaboratively during the extension and retraction of the telescopic component. The cable is attached to the chain guiding device and is adaptively folded or stretched.
[0006] The cable guiding device of this invention is configured as a chain-type guiding device, comprising multiple chain links arranged axially along the tubular component. Adjacent chain links are pivotally connected and can pivot relative to each other around a pivot point. Thus, during the extension and retraction of the telescopic assembly, the chain-type guiding device is cooperatively folded or stretched by driving the chain links to rotate. The cable is attached to the chain-type guiding device and is adaptively folded or stretched. Because the chain-type guiding device has a relatively flat structure, the cable will also be relatively flat after folding, allowing it to be arranged in a relatively flat space, effectively reducing the distance between the innermost part of the telescopic assembly and the drive unit, thereby reducing the volume of the lifting device. Furthermore, if no cable guiding device is provided to guide the cable folding, the cable is prone to excessive bending under the pressure of the tube wall or its own body when it is freely bent after folding, leading to signal attenuation and core wire breakage. Cracks and sheath damage are common problems with cables. Therefore, this invention, by setting a chain-guided device and reasonably limiting the size of the chain links and the included angle between adjacent chain links during folding, can limit the bending angle of the cable after folding to a reasonable range. This avoids excessive bending of the cable at the bend after folding, which could lead to core wire breakage and sheath damage, thus extending the cable's service life. Secondly, because the chain-guided device guides the cable in a reciprocating bending folding motion during folding, compared to folding a spiral cable by multiple turns, the reciprocating bending folding method in this invention can effectively shorten the cable length under the same stretching length, thereby reducing cable material costs. Furthermore, the reciprocating bending folding method is also applicable to cables with stiff cores that cannot form a stable spiral (such as multi-core ribbon cables and coaxial cables), thus reducing the requirements for the cable.
[0007] Preferably, at least one cable is guided within a first channel defined inside the chain link. This design, compared to cables being attached to the surface of the chain link, allows the chain link to physically constrain and protect the cables by having at least one cable pass through the first channel. This transforms the random bending of the cable during folding into a folding motion aligned with the trajectory of the chain guide, eliminating the risk of jamming. Furthermore, the chain link's protection of the cable prevents direct friction between the cable and the inner wall of the tubular component or other moving parts, or prevents the cable from being squeezed by other components, thereby extending the cable's lifespan. In addition, by placing multiple cables within the first channel, a single chain guide can simultaneously guide multiple cables such as power lines, signal lines, optical fibers, and data lines, eliminating the need for an additional chain guide and simplifying the structure of the lifting device.
[0008] Preferably, the link includes two side plates and a base plate bridging the two side plates. The two side plates are spaced apart from each other on the pivot axis of the link, and the two side plates and the base plate together form a first channel for guiding and constraining the cable. This design allows the first channel to form a semi-enclosed structure, which allows direct observation of the cable's condition during assembly, debugging, and maintenance to check for looseness, wear, or twisting. It also facilitates the insertion, removal, or replacement of the cable. Furthermore, the U-shaped link can be manufactured in large quantities, at low cost, and with high precision through extrusion molding (for metals, such as aluminum alloys) or injection molding (for engineering plastics), thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the link.
[0009] Preferably, the first channel has at least one corner portion to guide cable bending, so that the cable is bent by both the corner portion and the pivot portion in adjacent links. If no corner portion is provided to guide cable bending, the cable will only bend significantly at the pivot point between two links after folding. This bending point will generate significant local stress and strain concentration, which can easily lead to cable sheath rupture and core wire breakage over time. By providing at least one corner portion to guide cable bending, the cable can be pre-bent at least once, so that the bending at the pivot point between two links is smaller when the cable is folded, thereby reducing the stress and strain concentration at this bending point and effectively preventing cable sheath rupture and core wire breakage.
[0010] Preferably, the chain link is bent in shape and includes a first guide portion and a second guide portion connected at an angle. In adjacent chain links, the first guide portion of one chain link is pivotally connected to the second guide portion of another chain link. The first guide portion and the second guide portion define a receiving space outside the chain link. When the chain guide device is folded, one of the adjacent chain links is at least partially received in the receiving space of the other chain link. This design, through the angled connection of the first and second guide sections, creates a corner at their connection point to guide cable bending. Simultaneously, the first and second guide sections define a receiving space outside the chain link. When the chain guide device is folded, at least one link of an adjacent chain is partially received within the receiving space of the other, thus creating a nested storage arrangement. This shortens the axial length of adjacent links after folding, effectively reducing the axial height of the chain guide device in its folded state. This allows it to be used in lifting devices with low installation distances, increasing its versatility. Furthermore, during folding, the chain link to be stored is forcibly guided to the correct position by this receiving space, effectively preventing misalignment and ensuring the consistency of the trajectory for each folding and unfolding.
[0011] Preferably, the cable is attached to the outer surface of multiple chain links to form multiple curved structures adapted to the chain guide device, with adjacent curved structures bending in opposite directions. This design eliminates the need for additional processing of the chain links, thereby simplifying the chain link structure. Furthermore, the way the cable is attached to the outer surface of multiple chain links allows the relative rotation of the chain links to directly cause curvature migration or bending wave transmission at the cable bends, without generating excessive sliding friction. This significantly reduces the resistance, wear, and heat generation caused by traditional sliding friction. Moreover, the way the cable is attached to the outer surface of multiple chain links facilitates heat dissipation and inspection of any section of the cable.
[0012] Preferably, at least some links in the chain guide device are reset to a predetermined pivot direction by the guide element. For multiple links arranged axially along the tubular component, the guide element has a predetermined opposite pivot direction for adjacent links, so as to guide the chain guide device to fold in the opposite direction along the stretching trajectory. This design effectively avoids disorderly accumulation caused by the uncertainty of the chain link rotation direction during the folding process, or even interference and jamming with other mechanisms inside the telescopic assembly.
[0013] Preferably, the reset guide element is configured as an angle limiting element, which limits the maximum pivot angle of adjacent links to less than 180°. With this design, if the maximum pivot angle of adjacent links reaches 180°, the two adjacent links will be in a straight line, easily entering a dead position, which could cause the adjacent links to be unable to rotate during folding. Therefore, limiting the maximum pivot angle to less than 180° ensures that adjacent links rotate smoothly in the preset pivot direction of the reset guide element, thus guaranteeing that the chain guide device folds in the reverse direction along the stretching trajectory.
[0014] Preferably, the angle limiting element includes two connecting arms and a stop portion bridging the two connecting arms. The two connecting arms are respectively pivoted to both sides of the pivot axis of the chain link. The stop portion stops adjacent chain links to limit their maximum pivot angle. This design allows the angle limiting element to form a U-shaped limiting frame. The overall rigidity of the U-shaped limiting frame is stronger, thereby making the rigidity of the stop portion stronger and ensuring the reliability of the stop portion in stopping adjacent chain links.
[0015] Preferably, the space enclosed by the two connecting arms and the stop portion forms a second channel for the cable to pass through, and the cable in the second channel is constrained by the angle limiting element. By making full use of the space enclosed by the two connecting arms and the stop portion to form a second channel for the cable to pass through, the angle limiting element can further constrain and protect the cable, thereby reducing the cable from being squeezed or rubbing against other structures, extending the cable's service life, and also making the structure more compact.
[0016] Preferably, the reset guiding element is configured as an elastic preloading element, which applies a torque to adjacent links to induce a folding state. This design ensures that the torque applied to the links by the elastic preloading element during folding causes adjacent links to fold in the opposite direction along the stretching trajectory, guaranteeing a smooth folding process.
[0017] Preferably, the reset guide element is located at the pivot point of adjacent chain links, with at least two chain links between adjacent reset guide elements. This design reduces the number of reset guide elements, thereby simplifying the structure of the chain guide device.
[0018] Preferably, the device further includes a retractable auxiliary guide device, the extension direction of which is consistent with the extension direction of the telescopic component. The chain guide device is forcibly constrained by the auxiliary guide device and folds or stretches along the linear extension direction defined by the auxiliary guide device. With this design, the auxiliary guide device provides absolute external geometric constraint to the flexible chain guide device, forcing its movement trajectory to be completely consistent with the extension direction of the lifting device, thereby completely eliminating any risk of trajectory deviation, lateral swaying, or instability.
[0019] Preferably, the auxiliary guiding device is connected to the upper and lower ends of the telescopic assembly and is driven to extend and retract by the telescopic assembly; or, the auxiliary guiding device is connected to the upper and lower ends of the chain guiding device and is driven to extend and retract by the chain guiding device.
[0020] Preferably, the auxiliary guiding device includes at least two fitted rod-shaped components, and at least some links of the chain guiding device are provided with guide blocks. All guide blocks are constrained to the rod-shaped components and can slide axially relative to the rod-shaped components. Because the guide blocks can only slide along the axial direction of the rod-shaped components, the chain guiding device can only fold or stretch along the linear extension / retraction direction defined by the auxiliary guiding device, resulting in a relatively simple structure.
[0021] Preferably, adjacent links are pivotally connected via a pivot shaft, and the guide block is pivotally connected to this pivot shaft. This design, using the same pivot shaft to pivot adjacent links and the guide block to the links, reduces the number of pivot shafts, thereby reducing the number of parts and simplifying the structure and assembly steps.
[0022] Preferably, the telescopic assembly includes an axial cavity formed by at least two fitted tubular components. The drive unit and the chain guide device are arranged side-by-side in the axial cavity, and the two opposing sidewalls of at least one tubular component are used to limit the lateral bending amplitude of the chain guide device. By utilizing the sidewalls of the tubular components of the telescopic assembly itself to laterally limit the cable guide device, it is unnecessary to set other limiting structures within the axial cavity for lateral limiting of the cable guide device. This further simplifies the structure and volume of the lifting device. Furthermore, by using the two opposing sidewalls of at least one tubular component to limit the lateral bending amplitude of the cable guide device, significant deviations in the movement trajectory of the chain guide device can be avoided, ensuring that its movement is as consistent as possible with the telescopic direction of the lifting device.
[0023] Preferably, the innermost tubular component of the telescopic assembly has a first mounting plate at its end, the outermost tubular component of the telescopic assembly has a second mounting plate at its end, a link at one end of the chain guide device is connected to the first mounting plate, and a link at the other end of the chain guide device is connected to the second mounting plate.
[0024] In addition, the present invention also discloses height-adjustable furniture, including the internal wiring lifting device described in any of the above technical solutions. Attached Figure Description
[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the lifting device in the retracted state in Embodiment 1 of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the lifting device in the retracted state in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Figure 1 ; Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the lifting device in the retracted state in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Figure 2 ; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the cable, chain guide device and auxiliary guide device in the retracted state after assembly in Embodiment 1 of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the connection between two adjacent chain segments and the guide block in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of one of the chain segments in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Figure 1 ; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of one of the chain segments in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Figure 2 ; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the guide block in Embodiment 1 of the present invention; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of three rod-shaped components connected in a single embodiment of the present invention; Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the lifting device in the extended state according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention; Figure 11 A cross-sectional view of the lifting device in the extended state in Embodiment 1 of the present invention; Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the cable, chain guide device and angle limiting element in the retracted state after assembly in Embodiment 2 of the present invention; Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the lifting device in the retracted state in Embodiment 2 of the present invention; Figure 14 This is a cross-sectional view of the lifting device in the extended state in Embodiment 2 of the present invention; Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the cable, chain guide device and angle limiting element in the retracted state after assembly in Embodiment 3 of the present invention; Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the cable, chain guide device and angle limiting element in the extended state after assembly in Embodiment 3 of the present invention.
[0026] In the image, 001 represents the containment space. 100. Telescopic assembly; 110. Tubular component; 120. First mounting plate; 130. Second mounting plate; 200. Drive unit; 300. Cable; 400. Cable guide device; 410. Chain link; 411. First channel; 4110. First channel segment; 4111. Second channel segment; 412. Side plate; 413. Base plate; 414. First guide portion; 415. Second guide portion; 416. Pivot hole; 417. Pivot shaft; 500. Auxiliary guide device; 510. Rod-shaped component; 520. Guide block; 521. Mounting plate; 522. Connecting block; 5221. Through hole; 523. Third channel; 600. Reset guide element; 610. Connecting arm; 620. Stop portion; 630. Second channel. Detailed Implementation
[0027] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be understood that the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "longitudinal," "lateral," "inner," "outer," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," and "bottom," etc., which indicate orientation or positional relationships, are based solely on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are used only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description. They do not indicate or imply that the device / component referred to must have a specific orientation or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as limiting the present invention. Example 1
[0028] Combination Figures 1 to 11As shown, the internal cable lifting device provided in this embodiment includes a telescopic assembly 100, a drive unit 200, a cable 300, and a cable guiding device 400. The telescopic assembly 100 includes at least two sleeved tubular components 110, which are sequentially sleeved from the inside to the outside. Taking the telescopic assembly 100 as having three tubular components 110 as an example, the three tubular components 110 are an inner tube, a middle tube, and an outer tube, respectively. The middle tube is slidably sleeved on the outside of the inner tube, and the outer tube is slidably sleeved on the outside of the middle tube. The drive unit 200 is used to drive the at least two tubular components 110 to move axially relative to each other to adjust the telescopic assembly 100. The drive unit 200 includes a motor and a transmission assembly. The transmission assembly is connected to the telescopic assembly 100. The motor drives the transmission assembly to move so that it drives the at least two tubular components 110 to move axially relative to each other. The specific structure of the transmission assembly can be referred to the prior art CN220694664U for design, and will not be described in detail here. In this embodiment, at least one cable 300 is threaded through the interior of the telescopic assembly 100 to achieve internal wiring. One of the cables 300 can be connected to a motor to supply power to the motor. The cable guiding device 400 guides the extension and retraction of the cable 300 inside the telescopic assembly 100. The cable guiding device is configured as a chain guiding device, including multiple chain links 410 arranged axially along the tubular component 110. Adjacent chain links 410 are pivotally connected and can pivot relative to each other around the pivot point, so that the chain guiding device folds or stretches collaboratively during the extension and retraction of the telescopic assembly 100. The cable 300 is attached to the chain guiding device and is adaptively folded or stretched.
[0029] In this embodiment, the cable guiding device 400 is configured as a chain-type guiding device. During the extension and retraction of the telescopic component 100, the chain link 410 is driven to rotate, causing the chain-type guiding device to fold or stretch in coordination. The cable 300 is attached to the chain-type guiding device and is adaptively folded or stretched. Because the chain-type guiding device has a relatively flat structure, the cable 300 will also be relatively flat after being folded by the chain-type guiding device. This allows it to be arranged in a relatively flat space, effectively reducing the distance between the innermost tubular component 110 of the telescopic component 100 and the driving unit 200, thereby reducing the volume of the lifting device. In addition, if no cable guiding device is provided to guide the folding of the cable 300, the cable 300 is very likely to be excessively bent under the pressure of the tube wall or itself when it is freely bent after folding, resulting in signal attenuation, core wire breakage, and sheath damage. Therefore, this embodiment uses a chain-type guiding device to guide the folding of the cable 300. The guiding device and the reasonable limitation of the size of the chain link 410 and the included angle between adjacent chain links 410 during folding can limit the bending angle of the cable 300 after folding to a reasonable range, avoiding excessive bending of the cable 300 after folding, which could lead to core wire breakage and sheath damage, thereby extending the service life of the cable 300. Secondly, since the chain guiding device guides the cable 300 to perform reciprocating bending folding during folding, compared with the folding of spiral cables when wrapped in multiple turns, the folding method of guiding the cable 300 to reciprocate bending in this embodiment can effectively shorten the length of the cable 300 under the same stretching length, thereby reducing the material cost of the cable 300. At the same time, the reciprocating bending folding method is also applicable to some cables 300 with stiff core wires that cannot form a stable spiral (such as multi-core ribbon cables and coaxial cables), thereby reducing the requirements for the cable 300.
[0030] Specifically, in this embodiment, each link 410 defines a first channel 411, in which at least one cable 300 is guided. This design, compared to the cable 300 being attached to the surface of the link 410, allows the link 410 to physically constrain and protect the cable 300 by having at least one cable 300 pass through the first channel 411. This transforms the random bending of the cable 300 during folding into a folding motion aligned with the trajectory of the chain guide device, eliminating the risk of jamming. Furthermore, the protection provided by the link 410 to the cable 300 prevents direct friction between the cable 300 and the inner wall of the tubular component 110 or other moving parts, or prevents the cable 300 from being squeezed by other components, thereby extending the service life of the cable 300. In addition, by placing multiple cables 300 within the first channel 411, a single chain guide device can simultaneously guide multiple cables 300, such as power lines, signal lines, optical fibers, and data lines, without requiring an additional chain guide device, thus simplifying the structure of the lifting device.
[0031] like Figure 7As shown, in order to form the first channel 411, in this embodiment, the link 410 includes two side plates 412 and a base plate 413 bridging the two side plates 412. The two side plates 412 are spaced apart from each other on the pivot axis of the link 410, and the two side plates 412 and the base plate 413 together form the first channel 411 for guiding and constraining the cable 300. This design allows the link 410 to form a U-shaped link, so that the first channel 411 forms a semi-enclosed structure. The semi-enclosed structure allows the condition of the cable 300 to be directly observed through the open side during assembly, debugging and maintenance to check for looseness, wear or twisting, and also facilitates the insertion, removal or replacement of the cable 300. In addition, the U-shaped link 410 can be manufactured in large quantities, at low cost and with high precision by extrusion molding (for metals, such as aluminum alloys) or injection molding (for engineering plastics) to reduce the manufacturing cost of the link 410.
[0032] It should be noted that the open sides of the first channels 411 on each link 410 are oriented in the same direction. Taking this embodiment as an example, all the open sides of the first channels 411 are oriented downwards.
[0033] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first channel 411 has at least one corner portion to guide the bending of the cable 300, so that the cable 300 is bent by the corner portion and the pivot portion respectively in the adjacent link 410. If no corner portion is provided to guide the bending of the cable 300, the cable 300 will only bend significantly at the pivot (i.e., the pivot portion) of the two links 410 after folding. This bending point will generate a large local stress and strain concentration, which can easily lead to the sheath of the cable 300 breaking and the core wire breaking in the long term. However, by providing at least one corner portion to guide the bending of the cable 300, the cable 300 can be pre-bent at least once, so that the bending at the pivot (i.e., the pivot portion) of the two links 410 is smaller when the cable 300 is folded, thereby reducing the stress and strain concentration at the bending point and effectively avoiding the sheath of the cable 300 breaking and the core wire breaking.
[0034] Taking the first channel 411 having a corner portion as an example, the link 410 in this embodiment is bent in shape as a whole, including a first guide portion 414 and a second guide portion 415 connected at an angle. The first channel 411 includes a first channel segment 4110 and a second channel segment 4111 connected together. The first guide portion 414 internally defines the first channel segment 4110, and the second guide portion 415 defines the second channel segment 4111. The first guide portion 414 and the second guide portion 415 are connected at an angle, which means that the included angle between the first guide portion 414 and the second guide portion 415 is between 0° and 90°, so that the second channel segment 4111 is inclined relative to the first channel segment 4110. At this time, the corner portion is formed at the connection between the second channel segment 4111 and the first channel segment 4110.
[0035] In adjacent links 410, the first guide portion 414 of one link 410 is pivotally connected to the second guide portion 415 of the other link 410. The angled connection of the first guide portion 414 and the second guide portion 415 allows the first guide portion 414 and the second guide portion 415 to define a receiving space 001 outside the link 410 (i.e., on the side of the base plate 413 facing away from the first channel 411). When the chain guide device is folded, one link 410 of the adjacent links 410 is at least partially received in the receiving space 001 of the other link 410 (e.g., ...). Figure 4 (As shown). This design, through the angled connection of the first guide portion 414 and the second guide portion 415, allows the connection point of the first guide portion 414 and the second guide portion 415 to form a corner portion to guide the bending of the cable 300. Simultaneously, the first guide portion 414 and the second guide portion 415 define a receiving space 001 outside the link 410. When the chain guide device is folded, one link 410 of an adjacent link 410 is at least partially received in the receiving space 001 of the other link 410. This creates a nested storage arrangement between adjacent links 410 after folding, thereby shortening the axial length of the adjacent links 410 after folding, i.e., shortening the axial height of the chain guide device in the folded state. This allows it to be used in lifting devices with low installation distances, increasing its versatility. Furthermore, during the folding process, the portion of the link 410 to be stored is forcibly guided to the correct position by this receiving space 001, effectively avoiding misalignment and ensuring the consistency of the trajectory for each folding and unfolding.
[0036] It is understood that in other embodiments of the present invention, by designing the link as having at least three guide portions and connecting adjacent guide portions at an angle, a corner portion can be formed at the connection of adjacent guide portions, thereby making the link have at least two corner portions to perform multiple small-amplitude pre-bending of the cable in the first channel, so that the bending at the pivot point (i.e., the pivot portion) of the two links is smaller when the cable is folded, thereby reducing the stress and strain concentration phenomenon at the bending point.
[0037] In order to pivotally connect the first guide portion 414 of one link 410 to the second guide portion 415 of the other link 410, in this embodiment, the two side plates 412 are provided with pivot holes 416 at the end near the first guide portion 414, and the two side plates 412 are provided with pivot shafts 417 at the end near the second guide portion 415. By rotating the pivot shafts 417 and the pivot holes 416, the adjacent links 410 can be pivotally connected.
[0038] In addition, such as Figures 3 to 4As shown, the lifting device in this embodiment also includes a retractable auxiliary guide device 500. The retraction direction of the auxiliary guide device 500 is consistent with the retraction direction of the telescopic assembly 100. The chain guide device is forcibly constrained by the auxiliary guide device 500 and folds or stretches along the straight retraction direction defined by the auxiliary guide device 500. With this design, the auxiliary guide device 500 provides absolute external geometric constraint for the flexible chain guide device, forcing its movement trajectory to be completely consistent with the retraction direction of the lifting device, thereby completely eliminating any form of trajectory deviation, lateral sway, or instability risk.
[0039] Specifically, such as Figures 3 to 11 As shown, the auxiliary guiding device 500 includes at least two assembled rod-shaped components 510. At least a portion of the chain links 410 of the chain guiding device are provided with guide blocks 520. All guide blocks 520 are constrained to the rod-shaped components 510 and can slide axially relative to the rod-shaped components 510. Because the guide blocks 520 can only slide along the axial direction of the rod-shaped components 510, the chain guiding device can only fold or stretch along the linear extension / retraction direction defined by the auxiliary guiding device 500, resulting in a relatively simple structure.
[0040] The auxiliary guiding device 500 in this embodiment includes three assembled rod-shaped components 510. The three assembled rod-shaped components 510 are, from the inside out, an inner rod, a middle rod, and an outer rod, which are sequentially sleeved together. The inner rod is slidably sleeved with the middle rod, and the middle rod is slidably sleeved with the outer rod. Figure 9 In the direction shown, the upper end of the inner rod is connected to the upper end of the telescopic assembly 100, while the lower end of the outer rod is connected to the lower end of the telescopic assembly 100. Alternatively, the three rod-shaped components 510 can be inverted so that the inner rod is connected to the lower end of the telescopic assembly 100, while the outer rod is connected to the upper end of the telescopic assembly 100.
[0041] Preferably, the innermost tubular component 110 of the telescopic assembly 100 has a first mounting plate 120 at its end, and the outermost tubular component 110 of the telescopic assembly 100 has a second mounting plate 130 at its end. One of the inner rod and the outer rod is connected to the first mounting plate 120, and the other is connected to the second mounting plate 130. Similarly, a link 410 at one end of the chain guide device is connected to the first mounting plate 120, and a link 410 at the other end of the chain guide device is connected to the second mounting plate 130.
[0042] It is understood that, in other embodiments of the present invention, the inner rod and the outer rod may also be connected to the upper and lower ends of the chain guide device respectively and are driven to extend and retract by the chain guide device.
[0043] It is understood that in other embodiments of the present invention, the auxiliary guiding device may further include a telescopic slide rail, and the guide block slides in cooperation with the telescopic slide rail and can slide along the telescopic direction of the telescopic slide rail.
[0044] like Figure 8 As shown, the guide block 520 in this embodiment includes two mounting plates 521 and a connecting block 522 bridging the two mounting plates 521. The two mounting plates 521 are respectively pivotally connected to both sides of the pivot axis of the link 410. Preferably, the two mounting plates 521 are pivotally connected to the pivot shafts 417 on the two side plates 412, so that the guide block 520 is pivotally connected to the link 410, and the pivot portion of the link 410 is located between the two mounting plates 521. This design, using the same pivot shaft 417 to pivot adjacent links 410 and the guide block 520 to pivot with the link 410, can reduce the number of pivot shafts, thereby reducing the number of parts and simplifying the structure and assembly steps. The connecting block 522 is provided with a through hole 5221 for the rod-shaped component 510 to pass through. The through hole 5221 is slidably engaged with the rod-shaped component 510, so that the guide block 520 can be constrained on the rod-shaped component 510 and can slide axially relative to the rod-shaped component 510.
[0045] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the connecting block 522 can also stop adjacent links 410 to limit their maximum pivot angle, which is less than 180°. With this design, if the maximum pivot angle of adjacent links 410 reaches 180°, the two adjacent links 410 will be in a straight line, easily entering a dead position, which could cause adjacent links 410 to be unable to rotate during folding. Therefore, limiting the maximum pivot angle to less than 180° ensures that adjacent links 410 rotate smoothly according to the pivot direction preset by the connecting block 522, thus ensuring that the chain guide device folds in the reverse direction along the stretching trajectory. That is, when the chain guide device is extended, if the link 410 rotates clockwise around the pivot axis 417 pivotally connected to the connecting block 522, the stopping action of the connecting block 522 on the link 410 ensures that it can only rotate counterclockwise around the pivot axis 417 pivotally connected to the connecting block 522 during folding, thereby ensuring that the chain guide device folds in the reverse direction along the stretching trajectory. Preferably, the maximum pivot angle is between 80° and 100°, so that adjacent links 410 can pivot smoothly in a preset direction during folding, so as to guide the chain guide device to fold in the opposite direction along the stretching trajectory.
[0046] Secondly, in this embodiment, the space enclosed by the two mounting plates 521 and the connecting block 522 forms a third channel 523 through which the cable 300 passes. The cable 300 in the third channel 523 is constrained by the guide block 520. By fully utilizing the space enclosed by the two mounting plates 521 and the connecting block 522 to form the third channel 523 through which the cable 300 passes, the guide block 520 can further constrain and protect the cable 300, thereby reducing the phenomenon of the cable 300 being squeezed or rubbing against other structures, extending the service life of the cable 300, and also making the structure more compact.
[0047] To reduce the number of guide blocks 520 and rod-shaped components 510, in this embodiment, when a set of rod-shaped components 510 is provided, it is preferable that some links 410 are provided with guide blocks 520, and all guide blocks 520 are located on the same side of the chain guide device, that is, an even number of links are spaced apart between adjacent guide blocks 520, such as 2, 4, etc. In order to ensure that the chain guide device folds or stretches along the straight extension and retraction direction defined by the auxiliary guide device 500, it is preferable that 2 links are spaced apart between adjacent guide blocks 520.
[0048] It is understood that in other embodiments of the present invention, when two sets of rod-shaped components are provided, all chain links are provided with guide blocks, that is, both ends of the chain links are hinged with guide blocks, thereby providing guide blocks on both sides of the chain guiding device. The guide blocks on both sides are respectively constrained on the two sets of rod-shaped components and can slide axially relative to the rod-shaped components. Example 2
[0049] like Figures 12 to 14 As shown, compared with Embodiment 1, the difference in this embodiment is that, in this embodiment, no auxiliary guiding device is provided. Instead, at least some of the chain links 410 are reset to the preset pivot direction by the guiding element 600. For multiple chain links 410 arranged axially along the tubular component 110, the reset guiding element 600 presets opposite pivot directions for adjacent chain links 410 to guide the chain guide device to fold in the opposite direction along the stretching trajectory. This design effectively avoids the disorderly accumulation caused by the uncertainty of the chain link rotation direction during the folding process, or even interference and jamming with other mechanisms inside the telescopic assembly 100.
[0050] In this embodiment, the reset guide element 600 is configured as an angle limiting element, which restricts the maximum pivot angle of adjacent links 410 to less than 180°. With this design, if the maximum pivot angle of adjacent links 410 reaches 180°, the two adjacent links 410 will be in a straight line, easily entering a dead position, which could cause the adjacent links 410 to be unable to rotate during folding. Therefore, keeping the maximum pivot angle less than 180° ensures that the adjacent links 410 rotate smoothly according to the preset pivot direction of the reset guide element 600, thus ensuring that the chain guide device folds in the reverse direction along the stretching trajectory.
[0051] In this embodiment, the angle limiting element is disposed at the pivot portion of adjacent link 410. The angle limiting element includes two connecting arms 610 and a stop portion 620 bridging the two connecting arms 610. The two connecting arms 610 are respectively pivotally connected to both sides of the pivot axis of the link 410. Preferably, the two connecting arms 610 are pivotally connected to the pivot shafts 417 on the two side plates 412, and the two connecting arms 610 are located outside the pivot portion of the link 410 to realize the pivot connection between the angle limiting element and the link 410. The maximum pivot angle of the adjacent link 410 is limited by stopping the adjacent link 410 through the inner surface of the stop portion 620. This design allows the angle limiting element to form a U-shaped limiting frame. The overall rigidity of the U-shaped limiting frame is stronger, thereby making the rigidity of the stop portion 620 stronger and ensuring the reliability of the stop portion 620 in stopping the adjacent link 410. When the chain guide device is extended, if the chain link 410 rotates clockwise around its pivot axis that is pivotally connected to the connecting arm 610, the stop portion 620 prevents the chain link 410 from rotating counterclockwise around its pivot axis when the chain guide device is folded, thereby ensuring that the chain guide device folds in the reverse direction along the stretching trajectory. Preferably, the maximum pivot angle is between 80° and 100°, so that adjacent chain links 410 can smoothly pivot in a preset direction during folding to guide the chain guide device to fold in the reverse direction along the stretching trajectory.
[0052] Furthermore, the space enclosed by the two connecting arms 610 and the stop portion 620 forms a second channel 630 through which the cable 300 passes. The cable 300 within the second channel 630 is constrained by an angle-limiting element. By fully utilizing the space enclosed by the two connecting arms 610 and the stop portion 620 to form the second channel 630 through which the cable 300 passes, the angle-limiting element can further constrain and protect the cable 300, reducing the cable 300 from being squeezed or rubbing against other structures, extending the cable 300's service life, and also making the structure more compact.
[0053] Preferably, in this embodiment, there is a gap of at least two links 410 between adjacent angle limiting elements, such as... Figure 12 In this embodiment, there are two chain links 410 between adjacent angle limiting elements. Of course, in other embodiments, there may be three or four links between adjacent angle limiting elements. This design can reduce the number of angle limiting elements and simplify the structure of the chain guide device.
[0054] Finally, the telescopic assembly 100 includes an axial cavity surrounded by at least two fitted tubular components 110, in which the drive unit 200 and the chain guide are arranged side-by-side, and at least two opposing sidewalls of the tubular component 110 are used to limit the lateral bending amplitude of the chain guide. Figure 13As shown, when the telescopic assembly 100 includes three tubular components 110, the leftward movement distance of the cable 300 after folding of the chain guide device can be limited by the left side wall of the innermost tubular component 110, and / or the left side wall of the middle tubular component 110, and / or the left side wall of the outermost tubular component 110. Similarly, the right side wall of the innermost tubular component 110, and / or the right side wall of the middle tubular component 110, and / or the right side wall of the outermost tubular component 110 can limit the rightward movement distance of the angle limiting element after folding. This limits the lateral bending amplitude of the chain guide device, preventing significant deviation from its movement trajectory and ensuring it aligns as closely as possible with the telescopic direction of the lifting device. Furthermore, by utilizing the side walls of the tubular components of the telescopic assembly 100 itself for lateral limiting of the chain guide device, it is unnecessary to install other limiting structures within the axial cavity for lateral limiting of the cable guide device, thereby further simplifying the structure and volume of the lifting device.
[0055] The other structures of Embodiment 2 are the same as those of Embodiment 1, and will not be described in detail here. Example 3
[0056] like Figure 15 and Figure 16 As shown, unlike Embodiment 2, in this embodiment, the pivotal parts at both ends of the chain link 410 are pivotally connected to angle limiting elements. By limiting the leftward movement of the left angle limiting element of the chain guide device through the left side wall of at least one tubular component 110 and the rightward movement of the right angle limiting element of the chain guide device through the right side wall of at least one tubular component 110, the lateral bending amplitude of the chain guide device can be limited, avoiding compression of the cable and extending the service life of the cable.
[0057] The other structures of Embodiment 3 are the same as those of Embodiments 1 and 2, and will not be described in detail here. Example 4
[0058] Unlike embodiments one to three, the reset guiding element in this embodiment is configured as an elastic preload element, which is a torsion spring sleeved on the pivot shaft of the chain link. The elastic preload element applies a torque to adjacent chain links 410 to induce a folding state, thereby guiding the chain guide device to fold in the opposite direction along the stretching trajectory. This design ensures smooth folding by using the torque applied to the chain links by the elastic preload element during folding, which in turn causes adjacent chain links to fold in the opposite direction along the stretching trajectory.
[0059] The other structures of Embodiment 4 are the same as those of Embodiments 1 to 3, and will not be described in detail here. Example 5
[0060] Unlike embodiments one through four, in this embodiment, the cable is attached to the outer surface of multiple chain links by binding or snapping to form multiple curved structures adapted to the chain guide device, with adjacent curved structures bending in opposite directions. This design eliminates the need for additional processing of the chain links, thereby simplifying the chain link structure. Furthermore, the way the cable is attached to the outer surface of multiple chain links allows the relative rotation of the chain links to directly cause curvature migration or bending wave transmission at the cable bends, without generating excessive sliding friction. This significantly reduces the resistance, wear, and heat generated by traditional sliding friction. Moreover, the way the cable is attached to the outer surface of multiple chain links facilitates heat dissipation and inspection of any section of the cable.
[0061] The other structures of Embodiment 5 are the same as those of Embodiments 1 to 4, and will not be described in detail here. Example 6
[0062] This embodiment also discloses height-adjustable furniture, such as height-adjustable desks and height-adjustable beds, which include the internal wiring lifting devices described in embodiments one to six.
[0063] In addition to the preferred embodiments described above, the present invention may have other embodiments. Those skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications based on the present invention, and all such changes and modifications should fall within the scope defined in the claims of the present invention, as long as they do not depart from the spirit of the present invention.
Claims
1. Internal cable routing lifting device, including: Telescopic assembly, comprising at least two sets of tubular components; A drive unit for driving at least two tubular components to move axially relative to each other to adjust the telescopic assembly; At least one cable is threaded through the interior of the telescopic assembly; A cable guiding device that guides the extension and retraction of the cable within the telescopic assembly; The cable guiding device is characterized in that it is configured as a chain guiding device, comprising multiple chain links arranged axially along the tubular component, adjacent chain links being pivotally connected and capable of pivoting relative to each other around the pivot point, so that the chain guiding device can be folded or stretched collaboratively during the extension and retraction of the telescopic component, and the cable is attached to the chain guiding device and is adaptively folded or stretched.
2. The internal cable routing lifting device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, At least one cable is guided in a first channel defined inside the link.
3. The internal cable routing lifting device as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The link includes two side plates and a base plate bridging the two side plates. The two side plates are spaced apart from each other on the pivot axis of the link, and the two side plates and the base plate together form a first channel for guiding and constraining the cable.
4. The internal cable routing lifting device as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The first channel has at least one corner portion to guide cable bending, such that the cable is bent by the corner portion and the pivot portion respectively in the guidance of the cable in adjacent links.
5. The internal cable routing lifting device as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The chain link is bent as a whole and includes a first guide portion and a second guide portion connected at an angle. In adjacent chain links, the first guide portion of one chain link is pivotally connected to the second guide portion of another chain link. The first guide portion and the second guide portion define a receiving space outside the chain link. When the chain guide device is folded, one of the adjacent chain links is at least partially received in the receiving space of the other chain link.
6. The internal cable routing lifting device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The cable is attached to the outer surface of multiple chain links to form multiple curved structures adapted to the chain guide device, with adjacent curved structures bending in opposite directions.
7. The internal cable lifting device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, At least some of the chain links in the chain guide device are reset to a preset pivoting direction by the guide element. For multiple chain links arranged axially along the tubular component, the reset guide element is preset to an opposite pivoting direction for adjacent chain links, so as to guide the chain guide device to fold in the opposite direction along the stretching trajectory.
8. The internal cable routing lifting device as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The reset guide element is configured as an angle limiting element, which limits the maximum pivot angle of adjacent links, the maximum pivot angle being less than 180°.
9. The internal cable routing lifting device as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The angle limiting element includes two connecting arms and a stop portion bridging the two connecting arms. The two connecting arms are respectively pivoted to both sides of the pivot axis of the chain link. The stop portion stops adjacent chain links to limit their maximum pivot angle.
10. The internal wiring lifting device as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The space enclosed by the two connecting arms and the stop portion forms a second channel through which the cable passes, and the cable in the second channel is constrained by an angle limiting element.
11. The internal wiring lifting device as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The reset guide element is configured as an elastic preload element, which applies a torque on adjacent links to tend towards a folded state.
12. The internal wiring lifting device as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The reset guide element is disposed at the pivot portion of adjacent links, and there is a gap of at least two links between adjacent reset guide elements.
13. The internal cable routing lifting device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a retractable auxiliary guide device, the extension and retraction direction of which is consistent with the extension and retraction direction of the telescopic component, and the chain guide device is forcibly constrained by the auxiliary guide device to fold or stretch along the straight extension and retraction direction defined by the auxiliary guide device.
14. The internal cable routing lifting device as described in claim 13, characterized in that, The auxiliary guiding device is connected to the upper and lower ends of the telescopic assembly and is driven to extend and retract by the telescopic assembly; or, the auxiliary guiding device is connected to the upper and lower ends of the chain guiding device and is driven to extend and retract by the chain guiding device.
15. The internal cable routing lifting device as described in claim 13, characterized in that, The auxiliary guiding device includes at least two assembled rod-shaped components, and at least a portion of the chain links of the chain guiding device are provided with guide blocks. All guide blocks are constrained to the rod-shaped components and can slide axially relative to the rod-shaped components.
16. The internal cable routing lifting device as described in claim 15, characterized in that, Adjacent links are pivotally connected via a pivot shaft, and the guide block is pivotally connected to the pivot shaft.
17. The internal wiring lifting device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The telescopic assembly includes an axial cavity formed by at least two suited tubular components, in which the drive unit and the chain guide are arranged side by side, and at least two opposing sidewalls of the tubular component are used to limit the lateral bending amplitude of the chain guide.
18. The internal wiring lifting device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The innermost tubular component of the telescopic assembly has a first mounting plate at its end, and the outermost tubular component of the telescopic assembly has a second mounting plate at its end. One link of the chain guide device is connected to the first mounting plate, and the other link of the chain guide device is connected to the second mounting plate.
19. Height-adjustable furniture, characterized in that, Includes the internal wiring lifting device as described in any one of claims 1 to 18.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Lifting stand column and electric lifting table
CN220694664U