A support member includes a flexible member and a plurality of support elements linearly attached to the flexible member, each support element including first and second contact portions, the support elements being positioned on the flexible member such that the first contact portion of each support element faces the second contact portion of a corresponding adjacent support element. The support member is movable between a straight configuration in which the first contact portion of each support element is received in the second contact portion of the corresponding support element such that the first contact portion and the second contact portion cooperate to restrict bending of the support member in a first direction, and a curved configuration in which the first contact portion of each support element and the second contact portion of the corresponding support element are spaced apart to permit the flexible member to bend in a second direction.

Disclosed is a variable-geometry sealed coupling of the type of that connecting together two elements each arranged with a passage hole, the sealed coupling including two hollow bodies preformed to form a pivot connection, with the axis of this pivot connection making it possible to switch the axes of the passage holes from a straight position to a bent position, remarkable in that at least one of the bodies is preformed in such a way that the axis of the passage hole of the element with which it cooperates is offset with respect to the axis of the pivot connection, and is therefore not secant nor is it confounded with the axis of the pivot connection that it forms with the other body in such a way that the rotation of the bodies together is facilitated due to the out-of-roundness of the axes.

A fiber optic cable assembly includes a fiber optic cable and a fiber optic connector. The fiber optic cable has an outer surface that includes a plurality of annular grooves spaced apart from one another in an axial direction of the fiber optic cable, and a plurality of axial grooves that extend in the axial direction. The plurality of axial grooves being spaced apart from one another in a circumferential direction of the fiber optic cable, the plurality of axial grooves are configured to divide the outer surface in a circumferential direction of the linear member into separate section, the separate sections are configured to hinge against each other such that the linear member is bendable to a predetermined bend radius, the fiber optic connector includes an axial ridge configured to be received by one of the plurality of axial grooves, and cooperative engagement between the axial ridge of the fiber optic connector and the one of the plurality of axial grooves of the fiber optic cable prevents rotation of the fiber optic cable relative to the fiber optic connector.

The invention concerns an active line guide like for example an energy guiding chain with detection of deterioration. An apparatus for detection of deterioration in a critical region of at least one portion of the line guide is in the form of a radio circuit and is distinguished by a transponder and at least one detector element which cooperates with the transponder and which is so arranged that the detector element changes the behaviour of the transponder at a predetermined amount of deterioration wear in the critical region. In that way a change due to wear, for example due to abrasion wear, cracking and/or fatigue breakage, can be detected wirelessly, that is to say in contact-less fashion. A corresponding system and a method as well as a detection module for original fitment or retro-fitment to an active line guide having a function for detection of deterioration are proposed. A radio circuit is also disclosed for particularly reliable detection of deterioration.

An energy chain comprising rollers on a number of chain links of the upper strand and/or of the lower strand. The rollers project, at least to a slight extent, beyond narrow sides of the lateral plates in the direction of the respectively opposite strand, in order to allow for rolling action when the energy chain is displaced. The invention provides for the rollers to comprise a wheel body made of plastic and having a hub, a rim and a radial region, which connects the hub and rim. The material thickness of the radial region is reduced in comparison with the rim such that radial impacts during the course of the rolling action can be damped by elastic deformability of the radial region of the roller itself. This significantly reduces the development of noise and vibration caused by rollers located opposite one another coming into contact with one another. The invention also proposes a roller subassembly and/or a chain link made up of two opposite lateral plates with corresponding rollers and, as a further aspect, a special way of fastening the rollers on successive lateral plates.

A cable manager includes one or more cable manager units. Each cable manager unit includes a pair of side cable guides, each comprised of a plurality of finger-like projections extending forwardly from a support column. At least one of the pair of support columns has a socket arranged at a side thereof. Each cable manager unit further includes a separate midsection member capable of insertion into the socket for interconnecting the pair of side cable guides.

Provided is a shape maintaining tool for maintaining the shape of the plate-shaped metal wire when the metal wire is routed. The shape maintaining tool includes a first member that has a first holding portion for holding the metal wire and also has a first coupling portion that is to be fixed to the first holding portion. A second member has a second holding portion for holding the metal wire and a second coupling portion that is to be fixed to the second holding portion. The first coupling portion and the second coupling portion are rotatably coupled so as to rotate at least the width direction of the metal wire that is held by both the first holding portion and the second holding portion.

A line routing device for guiding a plurality of lines, such as cables, hoses, or the like, particularly for hanging applications, such as supplying a vertically traveling power head of a drill. The line routing device has a flexible carrying strand and a plurality of guide bodies arranged one behind the other in the longitudinal direction of the carrying strand. According to the invention, adjacent guide bodies can be deflected spatially toward each other and each guide body has a central part having a center axis, which extends coaxially to the carrying strand, and an outer part having at least one circumferential element. The outer part delimits a receiving region, which is open in the axial direction, for the lines, radially to the outside.

A wire harness routing device has a wire harness, one end of which is connected to a slider that is slidably attached to a rail and the other end of which is drawn out from the rail, a folding guide part that curves the wire harness that is drawn out from the rail and folds it in the direction along the rail, and an accommodation part that has a bottom wall and a side wall that rises up from the side edges of the bottom wall. The wire harness has a straight line-shaped linear part that is disposed along the rail, and a curved part that is further folded back to conform to the opposed side of the folding guide part of the linear part, a slidable holding member, and a separation guide part that separates the linear part from the side wall is provided on the slidable holding member.

A cable protector including a series of generally cylindrical shells, with adjacent shells pivotable relative to each other; and a support member extending through the shells. The support member holds the shells so that the shells cannot be separated from each other. The support member includes arm sections, corresponding to the shells, connected by flexible linear sections extending along a central axis of the shells. Each arm section includes a base connected to the linear section, and a plurality of arms extending radially outward at equal angles. Each arm has a first end connected to the base, and a second end connected to a surface of the shell toward the central axis.