Cable guiding member and cable guiding system

Abstract

To make it easy to manage a cable in a device, and to make it possible to increase the number of cables to be installed with space savings and a low cost.SOLUTION: A cable guiding member 21 can be fixed on part of a cable guiding device 11 composed of multiple links 111 which are connected to each other so as to be able to be bent, the cable guiding device guiding a first cable 31 by forming a space storable of at least part of the first cable 31, and the cable guiding member comprises a frame 211 that guides a second cable 32 by forming a space storable of part of the second cable 32.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cable guide member and a cable guide system. [Background technology]

[0002] In order to arrange cables installed inside a device, a Cableveyor (registered trademark) in which a plurality of links are connected is sometimes used (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2012-18975 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When increasing the number of cables installed within a device, it is necessary to either increase the number of cables stored in one cable bear, or to increase the number of cable bears themselves. However, when increasing the number of cables stored in one cable bear, multiple cables are mixed in one cable bear, which can make it difficult to manage each cable. Also, when adding cables later, it is necessary to redo the wiring for each cable bear. On the other hand, increasing the number of cable bears requires securing space to install the cable bears, and the number of parts used increases, increasing costs.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to facilitate management of cables within an apparatus and to increase the number of cables installed in a small space and at low cost. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention, which was completed with this objective in mind, is a cable guide member that can be fixed to part of a cable guide device consisting of a plurality of flexibly connected links, and that guides a first cable by forming a space capable of storing at least a portion of the first cable, and is characterized by having a frame portion that guides a second cable by forming a space capable of storing a portion of the second cable. Here, the frame may be fixed to a part of the cable guide device so that the orientation of the second cable housed in the frame is the same as or approximately the same as the orientation of the first cable. The frame may be fixed in a direction in which the cable guide device can be bent. The frame may be fixed in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the cable guide device can be bent. The frame portions may be connected to each other in a direction in which the cable guide device can be bent. The frame portions may be connected in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the cable guide device can be bent. Furthermore, the sizes of the spaces formed by the multiple connected frame portions do not have to be the same. The present invention also relates to a cable guidance system comprising: a cable guidance device consisting of a plurality of flexibly connected links that guides a first cable by forming a space capable of storing at least a portion of the first cable; and a plurality of cable guidance members that are fixed to the cable guidance device at intervals and have a frame portion that guides a second cable by forming a space capable of storing a portion of the second cable. Here, the cable guide member may be configured not to be connected to the cable guide device having a straight portion and a bent portion at the bent portion. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, the management of cables within an apparatus can be simplified, and the number of cables can be increased while saving space and at low cost. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an example of an external configuration of a cable guide system according to a first embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating an example of an external configuration of a cable guide member constituting a cable guide system, in which (A) is a front view of the cable guide member, (B) is a side view of the cable guide member, and (C) is a plan view of the cable guide member. [Diagram 3] 2 is a diagram showing an example in which the configuration of the cable guide system in FIG. 1 is rearranged. [Figure 4] 11A to 11C are diagrams showing specific examples of arrangement patterns when a cable guide member is fixed to a cable guide device. [Diagram 5] 11A to 11C are diagrams showing specific examples of configuration patterns of a cable guide system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. <First embodiment> (Configuration of cable guidance system) FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of an external configuration of a cable guide system 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 2(A) to (C) are diagrams showing an example of the external configuration of the cable guide member 21 constituting the cable guide system 1. (A) is a front view of the cable guide member 21. (B) is a side view of the cable guide member 21. (C) is a plan view of the cable guide member 21. The front view shown in (A) is a diagram showing the cable guide member 21 as viewed from the direction of the arrow 503 shown in (B) and (C). The side view shown in (B) is a diagram showing the cable guide member 21 as viewed from the direction of the arrow 502 shown in (A) and (C). The plan view shown in (C) is a diagram showing the cable guide member 21 as viewed from the direction of the arrow 501 shown in (A) and (B).

[0010] The cable guide system 1 is composed of a plurality of (four in FIG. 1) cable guide members 21 and a cable guide device 11, which is a device such as a so-called cable bear that can protect and guide a movable cable. As shown in FIG. 1, the four cable guide members 21 are members fixed to a part of the cable guide device 11 that guides the first cable 31 shown by the dashed line. The cable guide device 11 is a cable guide device having one end fixed to a surface 411 on the bottom side in the top-bottom direction of the device side member 41 of the device 400 and the other end fixed to a surface 421 on the top-bottom direction of the device side member 42 of the device 400. The cable guide device 11 has a plurality of bendably connected links 111, a fixing part 112 for fixing one end to the surface 411 of the device side member 41, and a fixing part 113 for fixing the other end to the surface 421 of the device side member 42.

[0011] The method of fixing one end of the cable guide device 11 to the surface 411 of the device-side member 41 and the method of fixing the other end of the cable guide device 11 to the surface 421 of the device-side member 42 are not particularly limited. For example, they are fixed with screws or the like. At least one of the device-side members 41 and 42 of the device 400 may be movable in the left-right direction in FIG. 1, or may not be movable. When at least one of the device-side members 41 and 42 moves in the left-right direction, the cable guide device 11 also deforms in accordance with the movement and moves at least one of both ends in the left-right direction. The device 400 may be any device, for example, an injection molding machine, etc.

[0012] The multiple links 111 constituting the cable guide device 11 form a space capable of accommodating a portion of the first cable 31, and guide the first cable 31. Although the first cable 31 shown in FIG. 1 is depicted as a single cable, multiple cables may be provided. The number of first cables 31 is not particularly limited as long as the number of first cables 31 can fit in the space formed by the multiple links 111. When there are multiple first cables 31, the first cables 31 may be multiple cables having the same diameter, or multiple cables having different diameters.

[0013] As shown in Figs. 2(A) to (C), the cable guide member 21 has a frame portion 211 that forms a space 215 capable of accommodating at least a part of the second cable 32 shown by the dashed line, and guides the second cable 32. Although the second cable 32 shown in Figs. 1 and 2(A) to (C) is illustrated as being one cable, there may be more than one cable. There is no particular limit to the number of second cables 32, and the number may be any number that fits into the space 215 formed by the cable guide member 21. When there are more than one second cable 32, the second cable 32 may be formed by bundling multiple cables having the same diameter, or the second cable 32 may be formed by bundling multiple cables having different diameters.

[0014] As shown in Figs. 2(A) to (C), the cable guide member 21 is configured with a frame portion 211 having coupling holes 212 to 214. The frame portion 211 is a member that forms a space 215 capable of accommodating at least a part of the second cable 32 shown by a broken line, and guides the second cable 32. Among them, the coupling holes 212 and 213 are holes provided on the front side and the back side of the frame portion 211, respectively. The cable guide members 21 can be coupled to each other by aligning the coupling hole 212 of one cable guide member 21 with the coupling hole 213 of another cable guide member 21 and rotatably fixing them by crimping or the like. The cable guide members 21 can also be configured not to be coupled in the longitudinal direction of the second cable 32. In this case, the coupling holes 212 and 213 are unnecessary.

[0015] The connecting holes 214 are holes provided on both the flat surface side and the bottom surface side of the frame portion 211. The connecting holes 214 are used when the cable guide member 21 is fixed to the link 111 of the cable guide device 11 and when the cable guide members 21 are connected to each other. When the cable guide member 21 is fixed to the link 111 of the cable guide device 11, a screw or the like is inserted into the connecting hole 214. In this case, the frame portion 211 is fixed to one or both sides of the bending direction of the cable guide device 11 (see FIG. 1) and such that the first cable 31 and the second cable 32 are in the same or approximately the same direction. When the cable guide members 21 are connected to each other, the connecting holes 214 of one cable guide member 21 and the connecting holes 214 of the other cable guide members 21 are aligned and fixed to each other by inserting a screw or the like.

[0016] In the example of Fig. 1, four cable guide members 21 are fixed at different positions inside a cable guide device 11 bent in a "U" shape. In this way, the cable guide device 11 guides a first cable 31, and the four cable guide members 21 guide a second cable 32. As a result, the first cable 31 and the second cable 32 are arranged independently and in an orderly manner. Note that "inside" here does not mean the space inside the cable guide device 11, but means the area inside the cable guide device 11 bent in a "U" shape.

[0017] Here, the intervals at which the multiple cable guide members 21 are fixed to the cable guide device 11 are not particularly limited, but it is preferable to provide the intervals so that at least one cable guide member 21 is disposed at the bent portion of the cable guide device 11 before and after the cable guide device 11 moves at least one of its two ends while deforming. It is also more preferable to provide the intervals so that at least one cable guide member 21 continues to be disposed at the bent portion of the cable guide device 11 even during the movement process in which the cable guide device 11 moves at least one of its two ends while deforming.

[0018] For example, in the example of Fig. 1, since the bending portion of the cable guide device 11 is composed of four links 111, if the interval between the cable guide members 21 becomes equal to or greater than four links 111, the cable guide members 21 may not be disposed at the bending portion of the cable guide device 11. For this reason, in the example of Fig. 1, the cable guide members 21 are disposed so that the interval between them is equal to or less than four links 111. Also, if the cable guide device 11 becomes longer than the length shown in Fig. 1, this can be easily accommodated by adding cable guide members 21.

[0019] Here, in the example of Figure 1, four cable guiding members 21 are intermittently arranged inside the cable guiding device 11 bent into the letter "U" shape, but multiple cable guiding members 21 connected in the longitudinal direction of the second cable 32 can also be bent into the letter "U" shape and fixed inside the cable guiding device 11.

[0020] However, even if the cable guide members 21 are not connected in the longitudinal direction of the second cable 32, the second cable 32 can be guided by fixing multiple (four in the example of FIG. 1) cable guide members 21 intermittently inside the cable guide device 11. Depending on the length of the radius of the bent portion of the cable guide device 11 having a straight portion and a bent portion, it may not be possible to secure a space inside the bent portion for bending and arranging the cable guide members 21 connected in the longitudinal direction of the second cable. In such a case, the second cable 32 can be guided by fixing multiple cable guide members 21 at different positions on the straight portion of the cable guide device 11 and not fixing the cable guide members 21 to the bent portion or by fixing multiple cable guide members 21 to the bent portion intermittently.

[0021] Each of the above-mentioned cable guide members 21 and cable guide devices 11 can be distributed as an independent product. Also, a combination of a plurality of cable guide members 21 and a cable guide device 11 that allows the plurality of cable guide members 21 to be detachable can be distributed independently as the above-mentioned cable guide system 1.

[0022] When the cable guide system 1 is distributed independently, a user of the cable guide system 1 can freely rearrange the configuration of the cable guide system 1. Specifically, for example, the shape and fixing position of the cable guide device 11 of the cable guide system 1 can be changed, and the number and fixing positions of the cable guide members 21 fixed to the cable guide device 11 can be changed. This allows the cable guide system 1 to be applied to any device equipped with multiple cables.

[0023] (Modification) FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example in which the configuration of the cable guide system 1 in FIG. 1 is rearranged. By rearranging the configuration of the cable guide system 1 in FIG. 1 described above, for example, the cable guide system 1 applied to the device 400 in FIG. 1 can also be applied to the device 700 shown in FIG. 3. In the example of FIG. 3, one end of the cable guide device 11 is fixed to a top surface 711 in the top-to-bottom direction of the device side member 71 of the device 700 via a fixing part 112, and the other end is fixed to a bottom surface 721 in the top-to-bottom direction of the device side member 72 of the device 700 via a fixing part 113. This allows the cable guide device 11 to guide the first cable 61. Note that the first cable 61 shown in FIG. 4 is drawn as a single cable in schematic form, but may be multiple cables as in the example of FIG. 1 described above.

[0024] 3, three cable guide members 21 are fixed at different positions on the outside of a cable guide device 11 bent in a "U" shape. As a result, the cable guide device 11 guides the first cable 61, and the three cable guide members 21 guide the second cable 62, so that the first cable 61 and the second cable 62 are arranged independently and in an orderly manner.

[0025] Here, since the cable guide members 21 can be connected in the longitudinal direction of the second cable 62 as described above, the connected cable guide members 21 can also be fixed to the cable guide device 11. For example, in the example of Fig. 3, three cable guide members 21 are arranged at intervals in the outer region of the cable guide device 11 bent in the shape of the letter "U", but multiple cable guide members 21 connected in the longitudinal direction of the second cable 62 can also be bent in the shape of the letter "U" and fixed to the outer side of the cable guide device 11.

[0026] However, even if the cable guide members 21 are not connected in the longitudinal direction of the second cable 62, the second cable 62 can be guided by fixing a plurality of cable guide members 21 (three in the example of FIG. 3) intermittently to the outside of the cable guide device 11. The example of FIG. 3 differs from the example of FIG. 1 described above in that the cable guide members 21 are intermittently fixed to the outside of the cable guide device 11. In this case, when the cable guide members 21 are connected in the longitudinal direction of the second cable 62 and bent into a "U" shape, the length of the radius of the bent portion becomes larger than the length of the radius of the bent portion of the cable guide device 11. Therefore, the difficulty in arranging the connected cable guide members 21 is reduced compared to the case where they are fixed inside the cable guide device 11.

[0027] (Example of a position for fixing the cable guide member) 4(A) to (C) are diagrams showing specific examples of arrangement patterns when the cable guide members 21 to 23 are fixed to the cable guide device 11. Note that (A) to (C) show cross-sectional images of the cable guide members 21 to 23 and the cable guide device 11 cut in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the first cable 91.

[0028] For example, as shown in the left diagram of FIG. 4(A), assume that four first cables 91 having the same diameter are stored in the link 111 of the cable guide device 11. Assume that three second cables 92 having the same or approximately the same diameter as the first cables 91 are to be arranged on the top side of the cable guide device 11 in the vertical direction. In this case, for example, as shown in the right diagram of FIG. 4(A), a cable guide member 21 having the same size as the link 111 of the cable guide device 11 is fixed to the top side of the cable guide device 11 in the vertical direction, and the three second cables 92 are stored in the cable guide member 21. As a result, the three second cables 92 are arranged in an orderly manner on the top side of the four first cables 91 in the vertical direction without interfering with the four first cables 91.

[0029] Also, for example, as shown in the left diagram of FIG. 4(B), it is assumed that four first cables 91 having the same diameter are stored in the link 111 of the cable guide device 11. Then, it is assumed that four second cables 93 (two types of diameter sizes) having a smaller diameter than the first cables 91 are to be arranged on the top side of the cable guide device 11 in the vertical direction. In this case, for example, as shown in the right diagram of FIG. 4(B), a cable guide member 22 having a smaller size than the link 111 of the cable guide device 11 is fixed to the top side of the cable guide device 11 in the vertical direction, and the four second cables 93 are stored in the cable guide member 22. As a result, the four second cables 93 are arranged in an orderly manner on the top side of the four first cables 91 in the vertical direction without interfering with the four first cables 91.

[0030] 4(C), for example, assume that four first cables 91 having the same diameter are stored in link 111 of cable guide device 11. Then, assume that four second cables 93 having a smaller diameter than the first cables 91 are arranged on the top side of cable guide device 11 in the vertical direction, and further assume that two second cables 94 having a larger diameter than the four second cables 93 and a smaller diameter than the four first cables 91 are to be arranged on the top side of the four second cables 93 in the vertical direction.

[0031] In this case, for example, as shown in the right diagram of FIG. 4(C), a cable guide member 22 smaller in size than the link 111 of the cable guide device 11 is fixed to the top side of the cable guide device 11 in the top-to-bottom direction, and a cable guide member 23 having the same size as the cable guide member 22 is connected to the top side of the cable guide member 22 in the top-to-bottom direction. Then, four second cables 93 are stored in the cable guide member 22, and two second cables 94 are stored in the cable guide member 23. As a result, the four second cables 93 are arranged in an orderly manner on the top side of the four first cables 91 in the top-to-bottom direction without interfering with the four first cables 91. In addition, the two second cables 94 are arranged in an orderly manner on the top side of the four second cables 93 in the top-to-bottom direction without interfering with the four second cables 93 and the four first cables 91.

[0032] In summary, the cable guide member 21 (or the cable guide members 22 and 23) according to the first embodiment of the present invention only needs to have the following configuration, and can take a variety of different embodiments. In other words, the cable guide member 21 in the first embodiment is a cable guide member that can be fixed to a part of a cable guide device 11 consisting of a plurality of flexibly connected links 111, and that guides the first cable 31 by forming a space capable of storing at least a part of the first cable 31 (or the first cable 61), and is characterized by having a frame portion 211 that guides the second cable 32 by forming a space 215 capable of storing a part of the second cable 32 (or the first cable 62).

[0033] Thereby, the cable guide device 11 guides the first cable 31, and the multiple cable guide members 21 fixed to a part of the cable guide device 11 guide the second cable 32. As a result, the first cable 31 and the second cable 32 can be guided independently and in an orderly manner while reducing the number of parts required for guiding the second cable 32. In addition, the cable guide member 21 is easier to attach and remove than the cable guide device 11. Therefore, for example, even if the second cable 32 is to be added later, it is not necessary to redo the wiring. In addition, compared to the case where the cable guide device 11 is used to guide the second cable 32, there is no need to consider how the cable guide device 11 can be deformed, so the degree of freedom in the arrangement pattern of the second cable 32 is increased.

[0034] Furthermore, since the cable guide member 21 is intermittently arranged along the cable guide device 11, the second cable 32 is partially protected. In this case, the protective performance of the second cable 32 is lower than that of the first cable 31 stored in the cable guide device 11. For this reason, for example, a cable that requires high protective performance, a cable with low durability, or a cable that is significantly affected when broken may be stored in the cable guide device 11 as the first cable 31. On the other hand, a cable that has high protective performance or high durability may be stored in the cable guide member 21 as the second cable.

[0035] Here, frame portion 211 may be fixed to a part of cable guide device 11 so that the orientation of second cable 32 stored in frame portion 211 of cable guide member 21 is the same or approximately the same as the orientation of first cable 31. Thereby, the second cable 32 stored in the frame portion 211 of the cable guide member 21 is fixed to the cable guide device 11 so that the orientation of the second cable 32 stored in the frame portion 211 is the same or approximately the same as the orientation of the first cable 31 stored in the cable guide device 11. As a result, the first cable 31 and the second cable 32 extending in the same or approximately the same direction can be guided in an orderly manner while being independent of each other.

[0036] Furthermore, the frame portion 211 of the cable guide member 21 may be fixed in a direction in which the cable guide device 11 can be bent. Thereby, frame portion 211 of cable guide member 21 is fixed in the bending direction of cable guide device 11. As a result, cable guide member 21 is not arranged so as to spread in a direction perpendicular to the bending direction of cable guide device 11, so that the size of the entire device to which cable guide member 21 is applied can be made compact, thereby saving space.

[0037] Furthermore, the frame portions 211 of the multiple cable guide members 21 may be connected in a direction in which the cable guide device 11 can be bent. This allows frame portion 211 of cable guide member 21 to be connected in the bending direction of cable guide device 11. As a result, the space for arranging second cable 32 can be increased without increasing the size of the device in the direction perpendicular to the bending direction of cable guide device 11.

[0038] Furthermore, the sizes of the spaces formed by the frames of the multiple cable guide members 21 do not have to be the same. This allows the second cables 32 to be arranged efficiently by connecting cable guide members 21 of a size that matches the diameter size and number of the second cables 32. As a result, space can be saved.

[0039] Moreover, the cable guide system 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention only needs to have the following configuration, and can take various forms. That is, the cable guidance system 1 according to the first embodiment is a cable guidance system characterized by comprising a cable guidance device 11 consisting of a plurality of flexibly connected links 111 that guide the first cable 31 by forming a space capable of storing at least a portion of the first cable 31, and a plurality of cable guidance members 21 that are fixed at intervals to a portion of the cable guidance device 11 and have frame portions 211 that guide the second cable 32 by forming a space 215 capable of storing a portion of the second cable 32.

[0040] Thereby, the cable guide device 11 guides the first cable 31, and the multiple cable guide members 21 fixed to a part of the cable guide device 11 guide the second cable 32. As a result, the first cable 31 and the second cable 32 can be guided independently and in an orderly manner while reducing the number of parts required for guiding the second cable 32. In addition, the cable guide member 21 is easier to attach and remove than the cable guide device 11. Therefore, for example, even if the second cable 32 is to be added later, it is not necessary to redo the wiring. In addition, compared to the case where the cable guide device 11 is used to guide the second cable 32, there is no need to consider how the cable guide device 11 can be deformed, so the degree of freedom in the arrangement pattern of the second cable 32 is increased.

[0041] Also, the cable guide member 21 may not be connected at the bent portion of the cable guide device 11 having a straight portion and a bent portion. As a result, the cable guide member 21 is not connected to the bent portion of the cable guide device 11, which facilitates the installation of, for example, the second cable 32 having a small radius.

[0042] <Second embodiment> 5(A) to (C) are diagrams showing specific examples of configuration patterns of the cable guide system 2 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Note that (A) to (C) show cross sections of the cable guide members 21 to 23 and the cable guide device 11 constituting the cable guide system 2, cut in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the first cable 91.

[0043] In the cable guide system 1 according to the above-mentioned first embodiment, for example, as shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 3, a plurality of cable guide members 21 are fixed to the top or bottom side of the cable guide device 11 in the vertical direction. In contrast, in the cable guide system 2 according to the second embodiment, a plurality of cable guide members 21 to 23 are fixed to the front or rear side of the cable guide device 11 in the front-rear direction. The method for fixing the cable guide members 21 to the cable guide device 11 is not particularly limited. For example, they are fixed by screws or the like. Figs. 5(A) to (C) show an example in which the cable guide members 21 to 23 are fixed to the front side of the cable guide device 11 in the front-rear direction.

[0044] For example, as shown in the left diagram of FIG. 5(A), assume that four first cables 91 having the same diameter size are stored in the link 111 of the cable guide device 11. Assume that three second cables 92 having the same or approximately the same diameter size as the first cables 91 are to be arranged on the front side of the cable guide device 11 in the front-rear direction. In this case, for example, as shown in the right diagram of FIG. 5(A), a cable guide member 21 having the same size as the link 111 of the cable guide device 11 is fixed to the front side of the cable guide device 11 in the front-rear direction, and the three second cables 92 are stored in the cable guide member 21. As a result, the three second cables 92 are arranged in an orderly manner on the front side of the four first cables 91 in the front-rear direction without interfering with the four first cables 91.

[0045] Also, for example, as shown in the left diagram of FIG. 5(B), assume that four first cables 91 having the same diameter are stored in the link 111 of the cable guide device 11. Then, assume that four second cables 93 having a smaller diameter than the first cables 91 are to be arranged on the front side of the cable guide device 11 in the front-rear direction. In this case, for example, as shown in the right diagram of FIG. 5(B), a cable guide member 22 having a smaller size than the link 111 of the cable guide device 11 is fixed to the front side of the cable guide device 11 in the front-rear direction, and the four second cables 93 are stored in the cable guide member 22. As a result, the four second cables 93 are arranged in an orderly manner on the front side of the four first cables 91 in the front-rear direction without interfering with the four first cables 91.

[0046] 5(C), for example, assume that four first cables 91 having the same diameter are stored in a link 111 of the cable guide device 11. Then, assume that two second cables 94 having a smaller diameter than the first cables 91 are arranged in front of the cable guide device 11 in the front-rear direction, and further assume that four second cables 93 having a smaller diameter than the two second cables 94 and smaller diameter than the four first cables 91 are to be arranged in front of the two second cables 94 in the front-rear direction.

[0047] In this case, for example, as shown in the right diagram of FIG. 5(C), a cable guide member 23 smaller in size than the link 111 of the cable guide device 11 is fixed to the front side of the cable guide device 11 in the front-rear direction, and a cable guide member 22 having the same size as the cable guide member 23 is connected to the front side of the cable guide member 23 in the front-rear direction. Then, two second cables 94 are stored in the cable guide member 23, and four second cables 93 are stored in the cable guide member 22. As a result, the two second cables 94 are arranged in an orderly manner in front of the four first cables 91 in the front-rear direction without interfering with the four first cables 91. In addition, the four second cables 93 are arranged in an orderly manner in front of the two second cables 94 in the front-rear direction without interfering with the two second cables 94 and the four first cables 91.

[0048] In summary, the cable guide member 21 according to the second embodiment of the present invention only needs to have the following configuration, and can take various forms. In other words, the cable guide member 21 in the second embodiment is a cable guide member that can be fixed to a part of a cable guide device 11 consisting of a plurality of flexibly connected links 111, which guides the first cable 91 by forming a space capable of storing at least a part of the first cable 91, and is characterized by having a frame portion that guides the second cable 92 by forming a space capable of storing a part of the second cable 92 (or the second cables 93, 94).

[0049] Here, the frame portion of the cable guide member 21 may be fixed in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the cable guide device 11 can be bent. Thereby, the frame portion of the cable guide member 21 is fixed in a direction perpendicular to the bending direction of the cable guide device 11. As a result, the number of parts required to guide the second cable 92 can be reduced, and the first cable 91 and the second cable 92 can be guided independently and in an orderly manner.

[0050] Furthermore, the frame portions of the multiple cable guide members 21 may be connected in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the cable guide device 11 can be bent. Thereby, the frame portion of the cable guide member 21 is connected in a direction perpendicular to the bending direction of the cable guide device 11. As a result, the space for arranging the second cable 92 can be increased.

[0051] <Comparison of implementation forms> As described above, in the cable guide system 1 according to the first embodiment, a plurality of cable guide members 21 are fixed to the top or bottom side of the cable guide device 11 in the vertical direction. In contrast, in the cable guide system 2 according to the second embodiment, a plurality of cable guide members 21 are fixed to the front or rear side of the cable guide device 11 in the front-rear direction. For this reason, when comparing the cable guide system 1 according to the first embodiment and the cable guide system 2 according to the second embodiment, for example, the following can be said.

[0052] That is, in any of the embodiments, a plurality of cable guide members 21 are fixed to the cable guide device 11 at intervals, and the first cable and the second cable are guided independently. This allows the number of parts to be reduced compared to arranging a plurality of cable guide devices in the vertical or front-to-back direction. In addition, the cable guide member 21 is easy to attach and detach, so it can be flexibly adapted to cases where, for example, a second cable is to be added later. Furthermore, compared to the case where the second cable is guided using a cable guide device, there is no need to consider how the cable guide device can be deformed, so the degree of freedom in the arrangement pattern of the second cable is also increased.

[0053] However, in the cable guide system 2 according to the second embodiment, as shown in, for example, Figures 5(A) to 5(C), it is necessary to secure space for arranging a plurality of cable guide members 21 in the front-rear direction of the cable guide device 11. For this reason, when it is desired to compact the overall size of the device to which the cable guide system 2 is applied and to save space, it is preferable to arrange a plurality of cable guide members 21 in the direction in which the cable guide device 11 bends (the top-bottom direction in Figures 1 and 3), as in the cable guide system 1 according to the first embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 3.

[0054] <Other> In the above embodiment, the cable guide member and the link constituting the cable guide device have substantially the same shape, but the present invention is not limited to this. The cable guide member does not have to have the shape shown in Figures 1 to 3 as long as it is fixed to a part of the cable guide device and can accommodate and guide a part of the second cable. [Explanation of symbols]

[0055] Reference Signs List 1, 2... cable guide system, 11... cable guide device, 21, 22, 23... cable guide member, 31, 61, 91... first cable, 32, 62, 92, 93, 94... second cable, 111... link, 112, 113... fixing portion, 211... frame portion, 212, 213, 214... connecting hole, 215... space

Claims

1. The cable guide device is characterized in that it can be fixed to a part of a cable guide device consisting of a plurality of flexibly connected links, which guides the first cable by forming a space capable of accommodating at least a part of the first cable, and has a frame portion which guides the second cable by forming a space capable of accommodating a part of the second cable. Cable guide member.

2. The frame is fixed to a part of the cable guide device so that the orientation of the second cable stored in the frame is the same or approximately the same as the orientation of the first cable. The cable guide member according to claim 1 .

3. The frame portion is fixed in a direction in which the cable guide device can be bent. The cable guide member according to claim 2 .

4. The frame portion is fixed in a direction perpendicular to a bending direction of the cable guide device. The cable guide member according to claim 2 .

5. A plurality of the frame portions are connected in a bending direction of the cable guide device. The cable guide member according to claim 1 .

6. The plurality of frame portions are connected in a direction perpendicular to a bending direction of the cable guide device. The cable guide member according to claim 1 .

7. The sizes of the spaces formed by the plurality of connected frame portions are not the same. The cable guide member according to claim 5 .

8. a cable guide device including a plurality of bendably connected links that guides the first cable by forming a space capable of accommodating at least a portion of the first cable; a plurality of cable guide members fixed to the cable guide device at intervals and each having a frame portion that guides the second cable by forming a space capable of accommodating a portion of the second cable; A cable guide system comprising:

9. The cable guide member is not connected to the cable guide device at the bent portion having a straight portion and a bent portion. The cable guidance system of claim 8.

Images