The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 25, 2000
Filed:
Feb. 17, 1998
Toshio Takahashi, Osaka-fu, JP;
Katsutoshi Shibayama, Osaka-fu, JP;
Tsutomu Iwami, Osaka-fu, JP;
Takayuki Matsuda, Osaka-fu, JP;
Tsubakimoto Chain Co., , JP;
Abstract
In a guide and support chain for flexible tubes, noises generated from stoppers and stopper surfaces for maintaining a straight-line attitude, and the rigidity in the case where the straight-line attitude tends to be changed into flexing is improved. A guide and support chain 10 is constituted such that link parts 12 having a pair of left and right side plates 14, 14 are rotatably connected. A straight-line attitude maintaining stopper and a straight-line attitude maintaining stopper surface comprise first stage straight-line attitude maintaining stoppers 21a, 23a and first straight-line attitude maintaining stopper surfaces 21b, 23b, and a second stage straight-line attitude maintaining stopper 22a and straight-line attitude maintaining stopper surfaces 22b. The stoppers 21a, 23a and the stopper surfaces 21b, 23b are provided at a position small in radius, and the stopper 22a and the stopper surface 22b are provided at a position large in radius. When the stoppers 21a, 23a and the stopper surfaces 21b, 23b start to contact with each other, the stopper 22a is parted from the stopper surface 22b with a predetermined clearance A.