Cable Drag Chain Rollers for Reduced Friction and Part Variety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Energy guiding chains face challenges in achieving improved running behavior and adaptability to varying radii of curvature while being efficiently producible, with existing designs often requiring complex manufacturing and multiple parts.
Innovation Solution
Providing only the outer link plates with rollers, which are embedded in the side brackets to prevent collisions, and using a fixed pivoting angle within the outer link, with the inner plates determining the minimum radius of curvature, allowing for a smaller variety of parts and easier adaptation to different radii.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If rollers are provided on all link plates to improve running behavior, then the running behavior is improved, but the manufacturing complexity and part variety increase
Solution Approach 1:
The chain is divided into inner link plates and outer link plates, with rollers only installed on the outer link plates. This segmentation allows the rolling function to be implemented where needed while keeping the inner link plates simple, thereby improving running behavior without requiring all plates to have rollers.
Solution Approach 2:
Rollers are selectively installed only on the outer link plates that contact the running surface, rather than on all link plates. This local application of the rolling function improves running behavior at the contact points while avoiding the complexity of equipping all plates with rollers.
2Adaptability or versatility
If different link plate designs are used to adapt to different radii of curvature, then adaptability is improved, but the manufacturing complexity and part variety increase
Solution Approach 1:
The chain achieves adaptability to different radii of curvature through dynamic adjustment of the pivoting angle between link plates, rather than requiring different rigid link plate designs. The outer link plates can pivot at various angles to accommodate different curvature requirements while maintaining the same basic link plate structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of changing the physical design of link plates for different radii, the system changes the pivoting angle parameter between link plates. This allows the same link plates to adapt to different radii of curvature by adjusting their relative orientation, avoiding the need for multiple link plate variants.
3Reliability
If rollers are embedded in side brackets to prevent collisions, then reliability is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The rollers are embedded within recesses in the outer link plates, nesting the roller components inside the link plate structure. This prevents collisions between rollers and guide elements while integrating the rollers into the existing link plate design, avoiding the need for separate mounting brackets or complex external structures.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution enhances the running behavior of energy guiding chains, allows for efficient production with fewer parts, and enables easy adaptation to varying radii of curvature, while maintaining reliable operation and compatibility with existing chain designs.
Implementation Method 1
the side plates are provided with rollers that can roll on a running surface formed by the narrow sides of the side plates of the stretched opposite strand
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a cable drag chain (1) for guiding hoses, cables and the like, comprising a number of chain links that are hingedly interlinked and are formed by parallel lateral link plates (11, 12) and crosspieces (21) connecting the lateral link plates, the respective lateral link plates being linked to form parallel lateral link plate strings. The lateral link plates can pivot relative to one another about a pivot axis that is common to two adjacent lateral link plates. The cable drag chain (1) can move in such a way as to form a loop having an upper strand, a lower strand, and a deflection zone connecting the two strands, thus defining an inner face and an outer face of the chain links in relation to the loop. The upper strand lies on the lower strand in such a way as to at least partially touch the inner faces of chain links. At least some of the chain links are provided with rollers (16) which are inserted in the lateral link plates, are exposed on the inner face, and can roll off a running surface formed by the narrow faces of the lateral link plates (11, 12) of the opposite strand in the tight state of the chain, the lateral link plates of each lateral link plate string being formed by alternating inner link plates (14) and outer link plates (11, 12). At least some of the outer link plates are provided with rollers (16), and only the inner link plates have stops which delimit the pivot angle between adjoining link plates.