Cable protection and guide apparatus

摘要

There is provided a cable protection and guide apparatus that improves efficiency of cable insertion and maintenance when a connecting arm attached to a link plate by a hinge structure is disconnected. In order to removably connect the connecting arm to the link plate, the guide apparatus has the hinge structure composed of a hinge stem and a hook that is rotatably engaged with the hinge stem. The hinge structure has a disengagement preventing portion that prevents the hook from disengaging from the hinge stem and a rotation restricting portion that restricts the rotation of the connecting arm in the disconnected condition. The rotation restricting portion is composed of a link-side engagement element and an arm-side engagement element. In the rotation restricting condition effected by engagement of the link-side and arm-side engagement elements, a rotational angle of the connecting arm is an obtuse angle.

主权项

1. A cable protection and guide apparatus, comprising:
a link row group; said link row group includes a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction; said link row group includes a plurality of link rows; said plurality of link rows are connected in a longitudinal direction of said guide apparatus; each link row includes a pair of link plates laterally and separately disposed from each other in a transverse direction of said guide apparatus; each of said pair of link plates includes left and right link plates; each of said left and right link plates are articulately and bendably connected to each other in a longitudinal direction enabling the link plates to form a flexional circumferential bend having a flexional inner circumferential side and flexional outer circumferential side during bending; each of said link plates includes a flexional inner circumferential side residing during bending on said flexional inner circumferential side of said bend; each of said link plates includes a flexional outer circumferential side residing during bending on said outer flexional circumferential side of said bend; a plurality of first and second connecting arms; each said link row includes one of said first connecting arms and one of said second connecting arms configured to crosslink said left and right link plates respectively on said flexional inner and outer circumferential sides, respectively; a cable, said cable is inserted through said link rows between a stationary end and a mobile end; each of said left and right link plates includes a link-side hinge portion, each of said link-side hinge portions includes a hinge stem, each of said hinge stems is oriented in said longitudinal direction, and each of said hinge stems includes an axis of rotation oriented in said longitudinal direction; each of said first connecting arms includes a first end and a second end; said first end of each of said first connecting arms includes an arm-side hinge portion, said arm-side hinge portion of said first end includes a hook portion; said second end of each of said first connecting arms includes an arm-side hinge portion, said arm-side hinge portion of said second end includes a hook portion; said hook portion of said first end of one of said first connecting arms engages said hinge stem of said right link plate and said hook portion of said second end of said one of said first connecting arms engages said hinge stem of said left link plate when said one of said first connecting arms is in a connected condition; when said one of said first connecting arms is disconnected from said right side link plate, said hook portion of said first end of one of said first connecting arms does not engage said hinge stem of said right link plate and said hook portion of said second end of said one of said first connecting arms engages said hinge stem of said left link plate rotatably such that said one of said first connecting arms rotates centering on said axis of rotation of said hinge stem extending in said longitudinal direction; each of said left and right link plates includes a rotation restricting portion, each said rotation restricting portion of said left and right link plates includes return restricting engagement portions of said hinge stem; each of said first and second ends of said first connecting arms includes a rotation restricting portion, each said rotation restricting portion of said first and second ends of said connecting arms includes a projection extending from said hook portion thereof; said projection extending from said hook portion of said second end of said one of said first connecting arms engaging said return restricting portion of said hinge stem, a restricting rotation angle, and, said restricting rotation angle of said first connecting arm is an obtuse angle; an accommodating space, said accommodating space formed by said pair of link plates of each link row of said link row group and by said first and second connecting arms connecting said pair of link plates of the link row; and, said cable residing within said accommodating space.