CABLE ROUTING DEVICE

Abstract

A cable routing device for connecting a line strand to a carrier element which can be moved with respect to the vehicle, wherein the cable routing device has a carrier element, fastened pivotably to the vehicle, and a cable store, in which at least part of the line strand is accommodated. Based on the problem of providing a cable routing device of compact design which is suitable for ensuring low sag of a line strand with a large diameter, the problem is solved by virtue of the fact that a spring element is arranged between the carrier element and the cable store, by which spring element, the line strand is supported loosely.

Claims

1. A cable routing device for connecting a line strand to a carrier element which can be moved with respect to a vehicle, wherein the cable routing device has the carrier element, fastened pivotably to the vehicle, and a cable store, in which at least part of the line strand is accommodated, wherein a spring element is arranged between the carrier element and the cable store, by which spring element the line strand is supported loosely, and wherein the line strand is supported by the spring element in such a way that only the sliding friction resulting from its weight has to be overcome for axial movement.

2. The cable routing device according to claim 1, wherein the spring element is attached to the carrier element and/or to the cable store.

3. The cable routing device according to claim 1, wherein the line strand is inserted in the cable store as a loop.

4. The cable routing device according to claim 3, wherein regardless of the relative position of the carrier element, the direction of the loop is always the same.

5. The cable routing device according to claim 3, wherein in a straight-ahead position of the carrier element, the loop within the cable store has a maximum loop length (I.sub.max).

6. The cable routing device according to claim 3, wherein in a cornering position of the carrier element, the loop within the cable store has a minimum loop length (I.sub.min).

7. The cable routing device according to claim 1, wherein the spring element is attached to the carrier element with a front guidance console and/or the spring element is attached to the cable store with a rear guidance console.

8. The cable routing device according to claim 7, wherein the front and/or rear guidance console is mounted by a pivot bearing about a vertical pivot axis (z) in the installed position.

9. The cable routing device according to claim 7, wherein guiding elements which diverge outwards are arranged on opposite sides of the front and/or rear guidance console.

10. The cable routing device according to claim 9, wherein the guiding elements protrude backwards and/or forwards in the installed position with respect to the front and/or rear guidance console.

11. The cable routing device according to claim 9, wherein mutually facing inner sides of the guiding elements are designed with a curvature in opposite directions.

12. The cable routing device according to claim 1, wherein the line strand comprises a plurality of supply lines, which are encased and/or held together by at least one protective hose.

13. The cable routing device according to claim 1, wherein on the carrier element a carrier element plug-element and/or on or adjacent to the cable store a cable store plug-element is provided.

14. A combination of the cable routing device according to claim 1, with a vehicle designed as a semi-trailer, wherein the carrier element is a wedge pivot frame which can be pivoted about a king pin.

15. The combination according to claim 14, wherein the cable store is arranged under a trailer floor of the semi-trailer.

16. The combination according to claim 14, wherein the cable store is attached to an underside of the trailer floor, a chassis component or an attachment of the semi-trailer.

17. The combination of a cable routing device according to claim 1 with a vehicle designed as a trailer, wherein the carrier element is a connector console which is movably mounted to a drawbar.

18. The combination according to claim 17, wherein the cable store is attached to or mounted stationary to the drawbar of the trailer.

19. A combination of the cable routing device according to claim 1 with a vehicle designed as an articulated vehicle, the articulated vehicle having a first and second vehicle part separated from one another by a swivel joint, wherein the carrier element is a collecting console arranged on the first vehicle part.

20. The combination according to claim 19, wherein the cable store is attached to or mounted stationary to the second vehicle part.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] For better understanding, the invention is explained below using 12 Figures showing in:

[0037] FIG. 1: a side view of a vehicle in form of a semi-trailer with a cable routing device arranged on it;

[0038] FIG. 2: a top view of a fifth wheel coupling with retracted carrier element as a wedge pivot frame and cable routing device in a straight-ahead position;

[0039] FIG. 3: a top view according to FIG. 2 in a cornering position;

[0040] FIG. 4: a top view of the wedge pivot frame, line strand with spring element and covered cable store in a straight-ahead position;

[0041] FIG. 5: a perspective view of a covered cable store with a line strand located therein and a connected spring element in a straight-ahead position;

[0042] FIG. 6: a top view of a covered cable store with a line strand located therein in a cornering position;

[0043] FIG. 7: a longitudinal section through a line strand with a spring element and a front and rear guidance console attached to it;

[0044] FIG. 8: a perspective view of a front or rear guidance console;

[0045] FIG. 9: a longitudinal section through a spring element attached to the front or rear guidance console;

[0046] FIG. 10: a perspective view of a housing of the cable store with rear guidance console and cable store plug-element;

[0047] FIG. 11: a perspective view of a drawbar of a trailer with a cable store mounted on it and a carrier element in form of a connector console; and

[0048] FIG. 12: a top view of an articulated vehicle with a carrier element mounted on the first vehicle part in form of a collecting console and the cable store mounted on the second vehicle part.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0049] FIG. 1 shows a side view of a vehicle 10 in the form of a semi-trailer 10a, which can be driven into a fifth wheel coupling 16, shown schematically in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, of a towing vehicle not shown here, by means of a king pin 15 projecting downwards in relation to a bottom 12 of a semi-trailer floor 11 and can be locked to the fifth wheel coupling 16. The fifth wheel coupling 16 has at its end facing the semi-trailer 10a during coupling a V-shaped widened entry opening 17, through which the king pin 15 is guided laterally during a further approach of the towing vehicle and semi-trailer 10a and is finally locked in its end position.

[0050] The king pin 15 is located in a section adjacent to the front 14 of the semi-trailer 10a. Typically, the trailer floor 11 is supported by two longitudinal beams 13a running in the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, wherein the longitudinal beams 13a form chassis components 13 together with further cross beams which have been omitted for reasons of clarity.

[0051] A carrier element 40 in the form of a wedge pivot frame 40a is mounted on the semi-trailer 10a so as to be pivotable about the king pin 15, wherein an electrical and a pneumatic connection to the towing vehicle is established via the wedge pivot frame 40a, particularly during an automatic coupling process.

[0052] When the king pin 15 is retracted into the fifth wheel coupling 16, the wedge pivot frame 40a also enters the entry opening 17 of the fifth wheel coupling 16 and is supported laterally in it due to its shape, which is complementary to the entry opening 17.

[0053] A line strand 20 runs from the wedge pivot frame 40a in the rearward direction x of the semi-trailer 10a to a cable store 50 which is fixed in place on the trailer floor 11 or one of the chassis components 13. Depending on the relative position of the semi-trailer 10a to the fifth wheel coupling 16, the cable store 50 takes up part of the line strand 20 or releases part of the line strand 20, thereby preventing the line strand 20 from sagging during straight-ahead travel.

[0054] A straight-ahead position of the towing vehicle and semi-trailer 10a can be seen in FIG. 2. The wedge pivot frame 40a, the line strand 20 and the cable store 50 are essentially aligned in the longitudinal axis of the vehicle of the semi-trailer 10a. In this position, the line strand 20 has to bridge a comparatively small distance between the wedge pivot frame 40a and the cable store 50. Due to its rigidity, the line strand 20 has been partially pressed into the cable store 50 by the wedge pivot frame 40a. A spring element 21 is arranged between the wedge pivot frame 40a and the cable store 50, which encases the line strand 20 over the entire distance. The spring element 21 has its shortest axial length between the wedge pivot frame 40a and the line strand 50.

[0055] FIG. 3 shows an extreme cornering position, as can occur particularly when maneuvering. The wedge pivot frame 40a has swung out counterclockwise by approximately 90? and has pulled part of the line strand 20 out of the cable store 50. The cable store 50 thereby prevents the line strand 20 from being torn off from the wedge pivot frame 40a. The spring element 21 has correspondingly extended its axial length due to the pivoting path carried out by the wedge pivoting frame 40a. However, the movement of the line strand 20 takes place independently of the expansion of the spring element 21, since they are not connected to one another. The line strand 20 only rests on the spring element 21 with its weight, but is otherwise not kinematically coupled to the spring element 21.

[0056] In FIG. 4, the wedge pivot frame 40a is aligned in a straight-ahead position. When the semi-trailer is coupled to a towing vehicle, a wedge pivot frame plug-element 41 is connected to a complementary plug element of the towing vehicle, whereby at least one electrical and pneumatic connection is established. The wedge pivot frame plug-element 41 is electrically connected to the line strand 20, which comprises a total of six supply lines 23a, 23b, 23c, 23d, 23e, 23f, of which four supply lines 23a, 23b, 23c, 23d are electrical lines and two supply lines 23e, 23f are designed as pneumatic lines. The always several supply lines 23a, 23b, 23c, 23d, 23e, 23f are inserted together into a protective hose 24, which, in addition to a mechanical protective function for the supply lines 23a, 23b, 23c, 23d, 23e, 23f, also has a particularly smooth surface, which reduces sliding friction between the line strand 20 and a spring element 21 surrounding it.

[0057] In the exemplary embodiment shown, the spring element 21 is a cylindrical helical spring, which is attached with its end sections to both the wedge pivot frame 40a and the cable store 50. In the straight-ahead position, the spring element 21 is in a contracted, short position. The line strand 20 runs loosely through the interior of the spring element 21 and only rests on the spring element 21 with its underside under gravity. The line strand 20 is attached to the wedge pivot frame 40a with the aid of a strain relief means 42 in order to keep tensile forces of the line strand 20 away from the permanent connection to the wedge pivot frame plug-element 41.

[0058] As can be seen particularly clearly in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the cable store 50 comprises a box-shaped housing 51 with a bottom wall 52 and side walls 53 projecting thereon, which in the assembled position according to FIG. 1 rest against the front of the trailer floor 11 or a chassis component 13. The spring element 21 is fastened centrally on the side wall 53 of the housing 51 facing the wedge pivot frame 40a and the line strand 20 entering the housing 51 with its incoming section 25 through an opening 55 (see FIG. 5) formed in the side wall 53. For a particularly smooth entry and exit of the line strand 20 into and from the cable store 50, a support roller 56 is rotatably mounted within the housing 51 laterally offset and adjacent to the opening 55, wherein the support roller 56 ensures uniform movement of the line strand 20, particularly when the incoming section 55 moves out.

[0059] Within the housing 51 of the cable store 50, the line strand 20 is stored in a single loop 22 in one plane, in particular on the bottom wall 52 of the housing 51.

[0060] In the straight-ahead position of the wedge pivot frame 40a, the loop 22 has a maximum length I.sub.max. An outgoing section 26 of the line strand 20 is connected to a cable store plug-element 54, via which the cable store 50 can in turn be connected to the on-board electrical system of the semi-trailer 10a. The cable store plug-element 54 is also inserted into the side wall 53 of the housing 51 facing the wedge pivot frame 40a. In the straight-ahead position, the incoming section 25 and the outgoing section 26 lie on opposite sides of the bottom wall 52, adjacent to their nearest side wall 53.

[0061] FIG. 6 illustrates a situation of the line strand 20 pulled out of the cable store 50 in a cornering position, in which the loop 22 has moved to the left in the image plane in the direction of the side wall 53 facing the wedge pivot frame 40a. The radius of the loop 22 has been reduced, as has the length, which has now reached a minimum loop length I.sub.min.

[0062] FIG. 7 shows a longitudinal section of the line strand 20 with the spring element 21 surrounding it. The spring element 21 is attached to the wedge pivot frame 40a by means of a front guidance console 30 and to the housing 51 of the cable store 50 by means of a rear guidance console 31. The front guidance console 30 is designed to be identical to the rear guidance console 31. The front and rear guidance consoles 30, 31 are each mounted about a vertical pivot axis z with the aid of a pivot bearing 32 (see FIG. 8). The pivot bearing 32 of the front guidance console 30 engages the wedge pivot frame 40a. The rear guidance console 31 is inserted into the opening 55 of the housing 51 of the cable store 50 and is mounted relative to the housing 51 by means of the associated pivot bearing 32.

[0063] In addition, guiding elements 34 are formed on opposite sides 33 of the front and rear guidance consoles 30, 31, which are curved laterally and outwards in the rearward direction x and protrude relative to the front and rear guidance consoles 30, 31. In the top view, each guiding element 34 or its inner side 35 of the front or rear guidance console 30, 31 completes an arc of approximately 90?, opposite one another with opposite senses of direction. On the front and rear guidance consoles 30, 31, guiding elements 34 curved laterally and outwards in pairs are also provided opposite to the rear direction x.

[0064] In a straight-ahead position of the wedge pivot frame 40a, the guiding elements 34 are arranged at a distance from the spring element 21 and therefore have no function. However, as soon as a cornering position occurs, the wedge pivot frame 40a moves laterally outwards relative to the cable store 50 and the spring element 21 would be subject to an irreversible buckling load in the area of the wedge pivot frame 40a or in the area of the opening 55 of the housing 51. With the help of the front and rear guidance console 30, 31, this initially rotates together with the attachment of the spring element 21. In an even tighter cornering position, the spring element 21 nestles against the inner side 35 of the respective guiding element 34 on the inside of the curve, whereby buckling load is largely avoided.

[0065] FIG. 8 shows an enlarged perspective view of a front or rear guidance bracket 30, 31 and FIG. 9 its exemplary attachment to the spring element 21 by means of a spring element fastener 36. The spring element fastener 36 comprises bracket openings 36b formed in the opposite sides 33 of the front or rear guidance bracket 30, 31, through which a U-shaped bracket 36a is inserted and secured against loss, in particular by a safety pin 36c. The bracket 36a can, for example, be inserted from the inside first through the turns of the spring element 21 and then through the bracket openings 36b. The associated safety pin 36c passes through the free legs of the bracket 36a outside the front or rear guidance console 30, 31.

[0066] It is also possible to provide the two ends of the bracket 36a with a thread, instead of using a safety pin 36c, to screw a nut onto the thread and to pre-tension the bracket 36a in this way, so that the spring element 21 is pressed from the inside against the wall of the front or rear guidance console 30, 31 and held there in a clamping manner.

[0067] In FIG. 10, the housing 51 of the cable store 50 can be seen in a perspective view. In the side wall 53 facing the wedge pivot frame 40a, there is an opening 55 in a central position, into which the rear guidance console 31 is inserted and through which the line strand 20 in turn enters the cable store 50. Directly to the side of the opening 55 and next to the rear guidance console 31, the cable store plug-element 54 is inserted into the same side wall 53, with the help of which the cable store 50 can be connected to the on-board electrical system of the semi-trailer 10a.

[0068] FIG. 11 shows the front end of a vehicle 10 in the form of a trailer 10b, which can be coupled to a towing vehicle, not shown here, by means of a drawbar 18. On the top of the drawbar 18, a carrier element 40 is arranged as a connector console 40b, which is inserted into a complementary shaped plug socket of the towing vehicle to establish an electrical and pneumatic connection. The connector console 40b can be pivoted about its vertical axis relative to the drawbar 18 in order to be able to pivot with the plug socket of the towing vehicle when cornering and to ensure a constant connection of the connector console 40b to the plug socket on the towing vehicle side.

[0069] The change in position of the connector console 40b in relation to the drawbar 18 is compensated for by means of the fixed cable store 50 attached to the drawbar 18, into which the line strand 20 engaging the connector console 40b runs. The cable store 50 structurally corresponds to the design explained in FIGS. 1 to 10.

[0070] In this embodiment, too, the line strand 20 is completely surrounded in the circumferential direction by the spring element 21, which is attached to both the connector console 40b and the cable store 50. With the help of the spring element 21, the line strand 20 is guided in the axial direction, can escape from the cable store 50 when cornering and can be pushed back into the cable store 50 when driving straight ahead due to its flexural rigidity. In the illustration of FIG. 11, the carrier element 40 in the form of the connector console 40b is in a straight-ahead position, in which the spring element 21 is compressed and a maximum section of the line strand 20 is accommodated by the cable store 50.

[0071] FIG. 12 illustrates in a further exemplary embodiment the attachment of the cable routing device to a vehicle 10 in the form of an articulated vehicle 10c or to its frame components. The articulated vehicle 10c has a first vehicle part 10c1 and a second vehicle part 10c2, which are connected to one another via a swivel joint 19 arranged between them. In the illustration according to FIG. 12, the articulated vehicle 10c is in a cornering position in which the first vehicle part 10c1 is angled towards the second vehicle part 10c2 at the swivel joint 19.

[0072] The line strand 20 runs from the first vehicle part 10c1 via the swivel joint 19 to the second vehicle part 10c2. Since the relative position of the first and second vehicle parts 10c1, 10c2 changes constantly during driving, it is necessary to also adapt the line strand 20 to the respective bending position of the first and second vehicle parts 10c1, 10c2. This adjustment is carried out by means of the cable store 50. The line strand 20 is attached to the carrier element 40 in the form of a collecting console 40c, placed on one side on the outer circumference of the swivel joint 19 and runs from there into the cable store 50. The line strand 20 is held by the spring element 21 along the entire route from the cable store 50 to the collecting console 40c and is loosely stored in it. Due to the bending position of the first and second vehicle parts 10c1, 10c2, the spring element 21 is in a stretched position, which is released when returning to the straight-ahead position.

[0073] In this embodiment, too, the line strand 20 passes in sections out of and into the cable store 50 exclusively due to its bending rigidity, kinematically decoupled from the spring element 21, which only supports the line strand 20 and prevents it from sagging.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0074] 10 vehicle [0075] 10a semi-trailer [0076] 10b trailer [0077] 10c articulated vehicle [0078] 10c1 first vehicle part articulated vehicle [0079] 10c2 second vehicle part articulated vehicle [0080] 11 trailer floor [0081] 12 bottom [0082] 13 chassis component [0083] 13a longitudinal beam [0084] 14 front semi-trailers [0085] 15 king pin [0086] 16 fifth wheel coupling [0087] 17 Fifth wheel coupling entry opening [0088] 18 drawbar [0089] 19 swivel joint [0090] 20 line strand [0091] 21 spring element [0092] 22 loop [0093] 23a-f supply lines [0094] 24 protective hose [0095] 25 incoming section [0096] 26 outgoing section [0097] 30 front guidance console [0098] 31 rear guidance console [0099] 32 pivot bearing [0100] 33 opposite sides guidance console [0101] 34 guiding elements [0102] 35 inner side guiding element [0103] 36 spring element fastener [0104] 36a bracket [0105] 36b bracket openings [0106] 36c safety pin [0107] 40 carrier element [0108] 40a wedge pivot frame [0109] 40b connector console [0110] 40c collecting console [0111] 41 carrier element plug-element or wedge pivot frame plug-element [0112] 42 strain relief means [0113] 50 cable store [0114] 51 housing [0115] 52 bottom wall housing [0116] 53 side walls housing [0117] 54 cable store plug-element [0118] 55 opening [0119] 56 support roller [0120] I.sub.max maximum loop length [0121] I.sub.min minimum loop length [0122] x rearward direction [0123] Z pivot axis guidance console