ENERGY CHAINS FOR LONG TRAVELS, IN PARTICULAR WITH ROLLERS
Energy chains for guiding lines, such as cables, hoses or the like. In roller chains, rollers are provided on at least some chain links for moving the energy chain in a rolling manner, in particular on chain links of the opposite run, the rotational axis of one roller in each case coinciding with the common pivot axis of a pair of side parts of the chain links. Each of the two strands consists of alternatingly successive first and second side parts, wherein the first side parts are forked with two fork regions which oppose each other in the longitudinal direction and each have a pair of laterally spaced side walls with a plate receptacle therebetween, and wherein the second side parts are plate-like with two plate regions which oppose each other in the longitudinal direction and each engage in a plate receptacle of an adjacent first side part.
1 - 22 . (canceled)
23 . An energy chain for guiding lines, wherein the energy chain is movable such that the energy chain forms an upper run, a lower run and a deflection region connecting the upper and lower runs, the energy chain comprising:
a plurality of side parts which are connected in a longitudinal direction to form two strands, the two strands being parallel to each other;
cross bars connecting the two strands to each other;
wherein each two side parts of the plurality of side parts neighbouring in the longitudinal direction constitute in each case a pair of side parts pivotable with respect to each other about a common pivot axis, wherein:
the plurality of side parts includes first and second side parts, wherein each of the two strands consists of the first and the second side parts succeeding each other in an alternating manner, wherein the first side parts each have two fork regions, which are opposite in the longitudinal direction, wherein each fork region has a pair of laterally spaced-apart side walls with a plate receiver in between, and wherein the second side parts each have two plate regions, which are opposite in the longitudinal direction and which in each case engage in a plate receiver of a neighbouring one of the first side parts; or
each side part of the plurality of side parts comprises, opposite in the longitudinal direction, a fork region, which has a pair of laterally spaced-apart side walls with a plate receiver in between, and a plate region, which engages in a plate receiver of a neighbouring side part of the plurality of side parts, wherein:
in relation to one of the pairs of side parts, one side part of the pair of side parts forms a guide groove between the side walls of the fork region, wherein the guide groove has laterally opposite transverse guide surfaces, wherein the plate region of the other side part of the pair of side parts comprises at least one guide protrusion, which has counterfaces for guiding on the transverse guide surfaces, wherein the at least one guide protrusion engages in the guide groove.
24 . The energy chain according to claim 23 , comprising an arc-shaped damping bridge, which is produced in one part with the guide protrusion and/or which protrudes in the radial direction from the guide protrusion, wherein the damping bridge cooperates with approach surfaces of a corresponding depression in the guide groove.
25 . The energy chain according to claim 23 , wherein guide groove and guide protrusion are arranged centrally relative to the longitudinal centre plane of the side parts.
26 . The energy chain according to claim 23 , wherein the energy chain comprises rollers at at least some of the pairs of side parts for rolling the upper run on the lower run.
27 . The energy chain according to claim 23 , wherein each side part of the plurality of side parts in each case has an inner narrow side facing the respectively other run and an outer narrow side facing away,
wherein a distance from the pivot axis to the inner narrow side is smaller than a distance from the pivot axis to the outer narrow side.
28 . The energy chain according to claim 26 , wherein:
the rollers are in each case received in receivers between the side parts of the pair of side parts and protrude partially or only slightly beyond narrow sides of the side parts; and/or
an axis of rotation of a roller coincides with the common pivot axis of the respective pair of side parts.
29 . The energy chain according to claim 28 , wherein each one of the rollers is arranged in a respective plate receiver between a side wall of a fork region and a plate region engaging in the plate receiver, wherein in each case one roller is provided on each side of the plate region in the plate receiver on the respective pair of side parts.
30 . The energy chain according to claim 29 , wherein the guide groove and the guide protrusion are arranged between the rollers.
31 . The energy chain according to claim 23 , wherein the side parts of the plurality of side parts in each strand are in each case connected to each other by a separate hinge pin.
32 . The energy chain according to claim 31 , wherein the two side walls of each fork region and the plate region in each case have a continuous receiving opening for a separate hinge pin and are connected to each other in a relatively pivotable manner by an inserted hinge pin.
33 . The energy chain according to claim 31 , wherein:
at least one pin part of the separate hinge pin is connected in a torque-proof manner to the plate region, and/or the two side walls are mounted on the separate hinge pin pivotable about the pivot axis by means of their receiving openings of the fork region; and/or
the rollers are in each case mounted rotatably on the hinge pin.
34 . The energy chain according to claim 23 , wherein each side part of the plurality of side parts is produced in one part from plastic.
35 . The energy chain according to claim 23 , wherein the first side parts in both strands are identically constructed and the second side parts in both strands are identically constructed.
36 . The energy chain according to claim 35 , wherein the first side parts are designed mirror-symmetrical with respect to their respective transverse center plane and each have two guide grooves arranged mirror-symmetrical with respect to the respective transverse center plane; and the second side parts are designed mirror-symmetrical with respect to their respective transverse center plane and each have two guide protrusions arranged mirror-symmetrical with respect to the respective transverse center plane.
37 . The energy chain according to claim 23 , wherein, in relation to a pair of side parts, one of the two side parts has a draw hook which, in an extended pivot position of the pair of side parts, engages in a cutout on the other one of the two side parts for the purposes of tensile force transmission.
38 . An energy chain for guiding lines, wherein the energy chain is movable such that the energy chain forms an upper run, a lower run and a deflection region connecting the upper and lower runs, the energy chain comprising:
a plurality of side parts which are connected in a longitudinal direction to form two strands, the two strands being parallel to each other;
cross bars connecting the two strands to each other;
wherein each two side parts of the plurality of side parts neighbouring in the longitudinal direction constitute in each case a pair of side parts pivotable with respect to each other about a common pivot axis, the pivot axis extending in a transverse direction;
wherein the plurality of side parts includes first and second side parts, wherein each of the two strands consists of the first and the second side parts succeeding each other in an alternating manner, wherein the first side parts each have two fork regions, which are opposite in the longitudinal direction, wherein each fork region has a pair of laterally spaced-apart side walls with a plate receiver in between, and wherein the second side parts each have two plate regions, which are opposite in the longitudinal direction and which in each case engage in a plate receiver of a neighbouring one of the first side parts; or
each side part of the plurality of side parts comprises, opposite in the longitudinal direction, a fork region, which has a pair of laterally spaced-apart side walls with a plate receiver in between, and a plate region, which engages in a plate receiver of a neighbouring side part of the plurality of side parts;
wherein, in relation to a pair of side parts, one of the two side parts has a draw hook which, in an extended pivot position of the pair of side parts, engages in a cutout on the other one of the two side parts for the purposes of tensile force transmission.
39 . The energy chain according to claim 38 , wherein the first side parts in both strands are identically constructed and the second side parts in both strands are identically constructed, wherein the first side parts are designed substantially mirror-symmetrical with respect to their respective transverse center plane and the second side parts are designed substantially mirror-symmetrical with respect to their respective transverse center plane; wherein the second side parts are provided with two draw hooks each and the first side parts are provided with two cutouts each, wherein:
each of the two plate regions of the respective second side part is provided with one of the two draw hooks; and
each of the two fork regions of the respective first side part is provided with one of the two cutouts for interaction with one of the two draw hooks of the neighbouring one of the first side parts.
40 . The energy chain according to claim 38 , wherein the draw hook extends in the transverse direction over an entire width of the plate region of the one of the two side parts, and the cutout on the other one of the two side parts extends in the transverse direction over an entire width of the plate receiver.
41 . The energy chain according to claim 38 , wherein:
in an extended pivot position of the energy chain each draw hook engages in a respective cutout on one of the side parts neighbouring in the longitudinal direction for purposes of tensile force transmission; and/or
each draw hook is formed on or by a stop tongue or a stop protrusion, which at the same time forms a stop surface to cooperate with a counterstop surface of one of the side parts neighbouring in the longitudinal direction.
42 . A crane system comprising the energy chain according to claim 23 .