Modular Clean Room Cable Conduit for Low-Particle Maintenance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional line guide devices for clean room applications, such as those used in semiconductor manufacturing and medical equipment, face challenges with particle release due to abrasive wear and complex maintenance processes, including the need for complete replacement of line guides when individual lines or support chains fail, which is costly and inefficient.

Innovation Solution

A line protective guide with a compact, flexible encasement featuring releasable fixing strips that allow for the selective replacement of individual encasing units and support chains, enabling partial replacement of lines or support chains without dismantling the entire system, and incorporating dust-sealing closure profiles for easy insertion and removal of lines transversely to the longitudinal direction.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If conventional link chains with rotary joints are used for line guidance, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but particle release occurs due to abrasive wear during operation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of manufactureVSAvoidparticle release

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The encasement is divided into multiple separable encasing units that can be individually replaced. Each unit contains receiving means for lines and is connected to adjacent units via releasable fixing strips, allowing modular maintenance without replacing the entire system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The encasement uses a flexible tubular structure made of soft-elastic or flexurally elastic plastic that can bend and flex during operation without generating abrasive particles, unlike rigid link chains with rotary joints.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

2Object-generated harmful factors

If dust-tight encasement is implemented to prevent particle release from lines, then particle release is minimized, but maintenance becomes complex requiring complete replacement of the entire line guide assembly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveparticle releaseVSAvoidease of repair

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-generated harmful factorsVSEase of repair

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Lines are nested within the encasement units, which themselves are nested within the overall line guide system. The closure profiles allow access to nested lines while maintaining the dust-tight enclosure, enabling line replacement without dismantling the entire encasement.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

3Reliability

If complete replacement of line guide assembly is required for maintenance, then system integrity is maintained, but operational costs and time increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem integrityVSAvoidmaintenance time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Only the specific encasing unit containing the failed line or support chain is replaced, while other functional units are recovered and reused. This selective replacement reduces waste and maintenance time compared to replacing the entire assembly.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

4Loss of time

If individual lines are to be replaced without complete dismantling, then maintenance time is reduced, but the structure becomes more complex requiring releasable connections

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemaintenance timeVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The fixing strips and closure profiles are pre-designed with releasable connections that allow easy assembly and disassembly. This preliminary design of detachable interfaces enables quick maintenance operations without requiring complex field modifications or complete dismantling.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS11811154B2Compact protective cable conduit for clean room applications and encasing unit and arrangement with support chain for same

Publication Date: 2023.11.07 IGUS SE & CO KG

AI summary

A protective cable conduit for lines in a clean room application, with a flexible encasement which is movable back and forth for routing a line. Each receptacle extends in channel-like fashion from a first end to a second end. The encasement comprises at least one encasing unit, which forms the at least one receptacle for a line. The encasing unit has a first fastening strip on one longitudinal side and a second fastening strip on the other longitudinal side. The first and the second fastening strip are designed for releasable connection by interlocking engagement and/or frictional engagement, for example with a cooperating hook profile and claw profile, and are connectable to one another in a connection direction transverse to the longitudinal direction. A plurality of encasing units can thus be fastened to one another releasably using mating fastening strips by connecting the fastening strips in a connection direction transverse to the longitudinal direction. An arrangement of a protective cable conduit with support chains, wherein each support chain is routed in an associated encasing unit which accommodates only the associated support chain(s), such that this is replaceable separately from lines routed in the encasement.