Elongated Structure with Varying Rigidity Sheath for Cable Movement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional protective guide structures for cables and tubes in industrial apparatuses suffer from wear and noise issues due to repeated abutment of bend-regulating units, leading to inefficiencies and operational hindrances.
Innovation Solution
An elongated structure with a synthetic resin sheath member having varying rigidity regions, allowing operational linear elements to be arranged in parallel and bent without the need for a protective guide, reducing meandering and noise generation by maintaining a stable curvature and eliminating the need for additional protective structures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a protective guide structure with bend-regulating units is used to contain cables and tubes, then the movement area for cables and tubes is regulated, but the bend-regulating units are abutted against each other causing wear and noise
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the bend-regulating units from the protective guide structure. Instead of using separate bend-regulating units that abut against each other, the sheath member itself is designed with inherent bend regulation capability through its flat belt-like configuration and rigidity, removing the source of wear and noise while maintaining movement regulation functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the functions of cable containment and bend regulation into a single integrated sheath member. The sheath member simultaneously provides protective enclosure and inherent bend control through its structural design, eliminating the need for separate bend-regulating units that cause wear and noise
2Ease of operation
If a protective guide structure is used to regulate cable movement, then cables are contained, but additional protective structures are needed increasing device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The invention combines multiple functions (cable containment, bend regulation, and structural support) into a single sheath member. This integration eliminates the need for separate protective guide structures and bend-regulating units, reducing device complexity while maintaining all necessary functions
Solution Approach 2:
The sheath member is designed as a multi-functional component that simultaneously provides cable containment, bend regulation, and structural support. This universal component replaces multiple separate structures, reducing overall device complexity while achieving the same protective and regulatory functions
Data Source
AI summary
In an elongated structure for a movable section, a plurality of operational linear elements such as conductive wires are arranged in parallel in a belt-like sheath member, and an outer region of the sheath member, which is defined by a bend of the sheath member, has a larger rigidity than that of an inner region of the sheath member, which is defined by the bend of the sheath member. When the sheath member 2 have the regions exhibiting the different rigidities, and when an external force is exerted on the elongated structure 1 for the movable section, it is apt to bend toward the side of the sheath member having the small rigidity, and the bent portion is maintained at a given curvature which is determined by the entire rigidity of the sheath member 2. Therefore, the elongated structure 1 for the movable section cannot easily meander while the movable end thereof is moved. Also, while the position of the bent portion is shifted, it is possible to stably carry out the movement of the movable end and the shift of the bent portion. In addition, a protective guide structure is not needed, and not only can an installing space for the elongated structure 1 for the movable section become smaller, but also it is possible to cut down a cost necessary for such a protective guide structure.