JP2012039845A - Cable guide - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a cable guide in which a cable can be easily arranged, hardly generates dust, and can be manufactured at low cost.
A side wall 2 having at least a tip portion inclined or bent inward is formed along both edges in the width direction of a bottom portion 1 extending in one direction, and a cable housing portion 3 is constituted by the bottom portion 1 and the side wall 2. . At that time, the front ends of the opposing side walls 2 are spaced apart at a constant interval, and the bottom 1 and the side walls 2 are integrally formed of a thermoplastic elastomer composition, and at least the inner surface of the bottom 1 and the side walls 2 of the housing 3 The static friction coefficient measured according to the method defined in JIS K 7125 is 0.7 or less and the dynamic friction coefficient is 0.5 or less.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a cable guide that accommodates a cable. More specifically, the present invention relates to a cable guide that moves following the operation of a device to which a cable is connected and guides a cable that is accommodated.

  In robot arms, machine tools, game machine cranes, surveillance cameras, etc., the cable (wiring) also moves following the operation of the device, but at that time, cable entanglement or damage / disconnection due to contact with other members In order to prevent this, a cable guide is used.

  The cable guide that protects and guides the cable as described above is generally configured to connect a plurality of units (link plates) using a joint, a pin material, or the like in order to ensure follow-up performance ( For example, see Patent Documents 1 and 2.) Conventionally, a cable guide having a configuration in which a plurality of cylindrical bodies having a rectangular cross section are connected by a flexible wire has also been proposed (see Patent Document 4).

  On the other hand, there is also a cable guide in which the side plate and the upper surface are integrally formed to reduce the number of parts and reduce the manufacturing cost (see Patent Document 5). Furthermore, a cable guide in which all of the bottom part, the side wall, and the lid part (upper surface) are integrally formed with a synthetic resin has also been proposed (see, for example, Patent Documents 5 to 8). In the cable guides described in Patent Documents 5 to 8, cuts are formed in the lid portion and the side wall in order to enable bending movement.

JP 2003-83473 A JP 2005-147233 A JP 2009-264501 A JP 2003-106381 A JP 2009-273250 A JP-A-10-28310 JP 2000-227145 A JP 2008-25775 A

  However, the conventional techniques described above have the following problems. That is, the cable guide having a structure in which a plurality of units are connected as described in Patent Documents 1 to 3 has advantages such as being strong and adjustable in length. There is a problem that noise due to contact between each other is likely to occur. For this reason, these cable guides are not suitable for use in a clean environment such as a clean room from the viewpoint of generation of frictional dust, and cause deterioration of the work environment from the point of noise. In particular, the cable guide having such a configuration has a problem that the manufacturing cost increases because the number of parts and the number of processes are large.

  Further, the cable guide described in Patent Document 4 in which the cylindrical members are connected by a wire has a problem that all the force is applied only to the penetrating flexible wire, and the wire is easily broken by repeated movement. Furthermore, the cable guide described in Patent Document 4 also has a problem that contact wear between the tubular members or between the tubular member and the wire is likely to occur.

  On the other hand, as described in Patent Documents 5 to 8, when a part or the whole is integrally formed of synthetic resin, the manufacturing cost can be reduced and contact wear is less likely to occur. There is a problem that installation, additional arrangement and replacement are difficult. Further, the cable guides of Patent Documents 5 and 8 also have a problem that a separate assembly process is required after molding.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a cable guide that can be easily provided with a cable, is less likely to generate dust, and can be manufactured at low cost.

The cable guide according to the present invention has a cable housing portion that includes a bottom portion that extends in one direction and side walls that are provided along both edges in the width direction of the bottom portion and at least a tip portion thereof is inclined or bent inward. In the cable housing portion, the tips of the opposite side walls are spaced apart from each other at a predetermined interval, and the bottom portion and the side walls are integrally formed of a thermoplastic elastomer composition. Static friction obtained from the maximum static frictional force and dynamic frictional force when a sliding piece with a weight of 200 g is placed on a 6.3 cm square shape and the entire bottom surface is covered with felt, and the sliding piece is pulled at a speed of 50 mm / min. The coefficient is 0.4 or less, and the dynamic friction coefficient is 0.3 or less.
Another cable guide according to the present invention is a cable configured by a bottom portion extending in one direction, and a side wall that is provided along both edges in the width direction of the bottom portion and at least a tip portion is inclined or bent inwardly. The cable housing portion is formed by a thermoplastic elastomer composition integrally forming the bottom portion and the side wall, and at least the inner surfaces of the bottom portion and the side wall are The static friction coefficient measured according to the method specified in JIS K 7125 is 0.7 or less, and the dynamic friction coefficient is 0.5 or less.
In the present invention, since the tips of the opposing side walls are spaced apart at a constant interval and the upper surface is open, it is easy to put in and out the cable. Further, since at least the tip of the side wall is inclined or bent inward, the side wall is excellent in cable holding performance, and the cable does not fall off during movement. In addition, the bottom and side walls are integrally formed of a thermoplastic elastomer composition, and both the static friction coefficient and the dynamic friction coefficient of the inner surface are lowered to reduce the friction with the cable. Therefore, generation of dust and noise is also prevented. Furthermore, it can be easily manufactured at low cost by extrusion.
The inner surfaces of the bottom and side walls of this cable guide can have, for example, an arithmetic average roughness Ra of 0.10 μm or less and a ten-point average roughness Rz of 1.0 μm or less.
Moreover, the said bottom part and a side wall are formed with the thermoplastic elastomer composition which mix | blended graphite powder: 0.1-5 mass part and / or silicone oil: 0.1-5 mass part with respect to 100 mass parts of elastomers. You can also. In that case, it is good also considering the quantity of graphite powder and / or silicone oil as 0.5-5 mass parts with respect to 100 mass parts of elastomers.

  According to the present invention, since the upper surface is open, the cable can be easily taken in and out, and the bottom portion and the side wall are integrally formed of the thermoplastic elastomer composition, and the static friction coefficient and the dynamic friction coefficient of the inner surface thereof are low. Generation of dust and noise during movement can be prevented, and production can be performed at low cost.

It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the cable guide which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a side view which shows the state at the time of use of the cable guide 10 shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the cable guide which concerns on the 1st modification of embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the cable guide which concerns on the 2nd modification of embodiment of this invention. It is a side view which shows the state at the time of use of the cable guide 20 shown in FIG. It is a schematic diagram which shows the measuring method of the static friction coefficient prescribed | regulated to JISK7125, and a dynamic friction coefficient.

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a cable guide according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side view showing the state in use.

  The cable guide 10 of the present embodiment is one in which cables are accommodated in one or more stages, and as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the side walls 2 are formed along both widthwise end edges of the bottom 1 extending in one direction. Is provided. The bottom portion 1 and the side wall 2 constitute a cable housing portion 3.

  Moreover, the upper part of the side wall 2 of the cable guide 10 according to the present embodiment is inclined inward, and the inclined portion 2a prevents the cable accommodated in the cable accommodating portion 3 from falling off. Furthermore, in this cable guide 10, the front-end | tip of the opposing side wall 2 is spaced apart by the fixed space | interval, and the cable accommodating part 3 becomes a structure which the upper surface opened. Thereby, a cable can be easily taken in and out from this opening part.

  On the other hand, in the cable guide 10 of the present embodiment, the bottom 1 and the side wall 2 are integrally formed of a thermoplastic elastomer composition. And at least the inner surface of the bottom portion 1 and the side wall 2, that is, the inner surface of the housing portion 3, has a static friction coefficient measured according to a method defined in JIS K 7125 of 0.7 or less and a dynamic friction coefficient of 0.5 or less. Alternatively, the maximum static frictional force when a sliding piece having a weight of 200 g and having a bottom surface of 6.3 cm in a square shape and the entire bottom surface covered with felt is placed and pulled at a speed of 50 mm / min. The static friction coefficient obtained from the dynamic friction force is 0.4 or less and the dynamic friction coefficient is 0.3 or less.

  Thus, if the friction coefficient of the inner surface of the bottom part 1 and the side wall 2 is lowered, it is possible to reduce the friction with the cable at the time of movement, particularly during the repeated repetitive movement, so that the generation of dust and noise is prevented. be able to. However, with respect to the inner surface of the bottom 1 and the side wall 2, the static friction coefficient measured according to the method specified in JIS K 7125 exceeds 0.7, or the sliding piece whose bottom is covered with felt is a speed of 50 mm / min. If the static friction coefficient obtained from the maximum static frictional force when pulled with a value exceeds 0.4, the degree of noise generation at the time of initial movement and the probability of occurrence of movement trouble due to malfunction or overload increase.

  Moreover, about the inner surface of the bottom part 1 and the side wall 2, the dynamic friction coefficient measured in accordance with the method prescribed | regulated to JISK7125 exceeds 0.5, or the speed | velocity | rate is 50 mm / min for the sliding piece by which the bottom face was covered with the felt. When the dynamic friction coefficient obtained from the dynamic friction force when pulled with a value exceeds 0.3, the degree of occurrence of noise and dust generation during continuous movement, and the occurrence probability of movement trouble due to malfunction and overload increase. In the cable guide 10 of the present embodiment, the static friction coefficient and the dynamic friction coefficient may be set to the above-described ranges not only on the inner surface of the bottom portion 1 and the side wall 2 but also on these outer surfaces.

  Examples of the thermoplastic elastomer that is a main component of the thermoplastic elastomer composition forming the bottom 1 and the side wall 2 include thermoplastic polyester-based elastomer (Thermoplastic-Polyester-Elastomer: TPEE) and thermoplastic polyamide-based elastomer (Thermoplastic-Polyamid-). Elastomer (TPAE), Thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer (Thermoplastic-Polyurethane-Elastomer: TPU), Thermoplastic polystyrene elastomer (Thermoplastic-Polystyrene-Elastomer: TPS), Thermoplastic polyvinyl chloride elastomer (Thermoplastic-Poly (vinyl chloride) -Elastomer: TPVC), thermoplastic-polyolefinelastomer (TPO), and the like.

  This thermoplastic elastomer preferably has an MFR (melt flow rate) in the range of 0.5 to 5 g / 10 min in any of the ranges of 170 to 250 ° C. When a thermoplastic elastomer having an MFR of 0.5 g / 10 min or less is used, production may be difficult due to low fluidity. On the other hand, when a thermoplastic elastomer having an MFR of 5 g / 10 min or more is used, the fluidity may be too high to be molded. Further, although it depends on the use environment, the softening temperature is preferably 80 ° C. or higher and the glass transition temperature is preferably 0 ° C. or lower.

  Furthermore, the flexural modulus of the thermoplastic elastomer is preferably in the range of 20 to 300 MPa. When the bending elastic modulus of the thermoplastic elastomer is 20 MPa or less, deformation such as bending or lateral deflection is likely to occur, and thus the capacity of the cable is lowered. In addition, there is a case where the amount of deformation at the time of movement becomes too large, causing problems such as contact between the cable guides or each part of the apparatus using the cable guide. On the other hand, when the bending elastic modulus of the thermoplastic elastomer is 300 MPa or more, it is difficult to deform, and it may be difficult to follow the bending movement or the operation of the apparatus.

  By using these thermoplastic elastomers, the bending characteristics are improved, so that the bending movement is possible without forming a cut in the side wall 2. As a result, it is possible to prevent bending and lateral shake when moving following the operation of the apparatus.

  Also, the thermoplastic elastomer composition forming the bottom 1 and the side wall 2 includes hydrocarbon lubricants such as liquid paraffin, paraffin wax and synthetic polyethylene wax, silicone oil lubrication in order to reduce the dynamic friction coefficient and static friction coefficient. Agents, fatty acid lubricants such as stearic acid, higher alcohols such as stearyl alcohol, fatty acid amides such as stearic acid amide, oleic acid amide and erucic acid amide, alkylene such as methylene bis stearic acid amide and ethylene bis stearic acid amide Fatty acid amides, lead stearate, zinc stearate, calcium stearate, stearic acid metal salts such as magnesium stearate, fatty acid esters of alcohol such as stearic acid monoglyceride, stearyl stearate Solid lubricants such as powders of graphite, graphite, molybdenum disulfide, tungsten disulfide, graphite fluoride, boron nitride, copper, nickel, lead, tin, silver, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyimide, high-density polyethylene Can also be blended.

  In addition, although these additional components may be mix | blended independently, it is also possible to mix and mix multiple types. In particular, it is preferable to use a solid lubricant such as graphite powder or a liquid lubricant such as silicone oil, and a combination of both can also be used. As a result, the friction coefficient can be kept low over a long period of time. Moreover, the masterbatch by which these additional components are previously mix | blended with the thermoplastic elastomer can also be used.

  Furthermore, the compounding quantity of the additive component mentioned above is not specifically limited, It can set suitably according to the property etc. of a thermoplastic elastomer and an additive component. For example, when blending graphite powder or silicone oil, it is preferably 0.1 to 5 parts by mass, more preferably 0.5 to 5 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the thermoplastic elastomer. Thereby, both a static friction coefficient and a dynamic friction coefficient can be reduced, and generation | occurrence | production of the dust and noise by friction with a cable can be prevented.

  Although the method of shape | molding the cable guide 10 using such a thermoplastic elastomer composition is not specifically limited, For example, extrusion molding can be applied. Thereby, since a long cable guide can be shape | molded continuously, manufacturing cost can be reduced compared with a conventional product. In this case, the long cable guide 10 can be used by being cut into an arbitrary length by the user.

  In addition, since the cable guide 10 of this embodiment should just have the low friction coefficient of the inner surface of the bottom part 1 and the side wall 2, the bottom part 1 and the side wall 2 differ in an inner part and another part, for example. It is also possible to have a laminated structure formed of materials.

  Further, in the cable guide 10 of the present embodiment, the surface roughness of the inner surface of the bottom portion 1 and the side wall 2 is 0.10 μm or less in arithmetic average roughness Ra and 1.0 μm or less in ten-point average roughness Rz. Is preferred. Thereby, the effect which suppresses generation | occurrence | production of the dust generation by the friction with a cable, noise, and a fine vibration improves.

  Furthermore, the cable guide 10 of the present embodiment may include a plate material or a wire material made of fiber reinforced plastic having properties (rigidity or strength) equivalent to spring steel or spring steel in the bottom portion 1 in its longitudinal direction. . Thereby, since a board | plate material and a wire act as a tension member, while being able to improve a repeating bendability further, the bending of a linear part can also be prevented.

  Examples of the spring steel used here include carbon steel and stainless steel. Examples of the fiber reinforced plastic include carbon fiber reinforced plastic, aramid fiber reinforced plastic, silicon carbide fiber reinforced plastic, glass fiber reinforced plastic and polyparaphenylene benzobisoxazole fiber reinforced plastic. Those strengthened in the direction are preferred. Further, a plastic reinforced with a woven fabric of these reinforcing fibers can also be used.

  In addition, the position and the number in which the plate material or the wire material is included are not particularly limited, and one plate material or the wire material may be arranged in the center portion in the width direction of the bottom portion 1. It is also possible to arrange the wire at both ends in the width direction of the bottom, or to arrange three or more wires or wires.

  Thus, when making the bottom part 1 enclose a board | plate material or a wire, it is possible to extrude simultaneously a board | plate material or a wire, and a thermoplastic elastomer, and to make it composite. At that time, an adhesive resin layer may be provided between the plate or wire and the thermoplastic elastomer constituting the bottom 1 to improve the adhesion between the bottom 1 and the plate or wire, but conversely, the thermoplastic elastomer and A space can also be provided between the plate or the wire.

  And the cable guide 10 of this embodiment is normally arrange | positioned so that the outer surfaces of the bottom part 1 may face each other, and the opening part of the cable accommodating part 3 faces the outside. Then, following the operation of the device to which the cable is connected, the cable moves linearly or bends in the longitudinal direction, and guides the cable housed inside.

  As described above in detail, the cable guide 10 of the present embodiment is a conventional product having a cylindrical shape or a lid because the ends of the opposite side walls 2 are spaced apart at a constant interval and the upper surface is open. Compared to the cable, it is easy to put in and out the cable. In the cable guide 10, since the upper part of the side wall 2 is inclined inward, the cable does not fall off even if the upper surface is open. In particular, during the bending movement, the entire side wall 2 is inclined inward, and the cable is sandwiched from both sides, so that the cable retainability is improved.

  Further, in the cable guide 10 of the present embodiment, the bottom 1 and the side wall 2 are integrally formed of a thermoplastic elastomer, and at least the inner surface thereof has both a low static friction coefficient and a low dynamic friction coefficient. No contact wear occurs during Thereby, since dust generation at the time of movement is suppressed, it can be used suitably also in a clean room. In addition, since no rubbing occurs during movement, no contact sound at a noise level or the like is practically generated, and deterioration of the work environment due to noise can be prevented. Furthermore, since this cable guide 10 can be easily manufactured by extrusion molding, it can be manufactured at low cost.

(First modification)
In the embodiment described above, the cable guide 10 in which the inclined portion 2a is provided on the side wall 2 has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the front end portion of the side wall is bent inward. It may be. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a cable guide according to a first modification of the embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the cable guide 11 of the present modification is provided with a bent portion 12 a that bends inward at the top of the side wall 12. Thereby, even when the bending radius is small, for example, it is possible to prevent the cable from dropping off from the cable housing portion 13. Moreover, since each bending part 12a is formed with the elastomer, when it bends, it is pulled and it bends further, and the fall of the cable in a bending part is further suppressed. A cable bundle 14 in which a plurality of cables 4 are integrated is particularly suitable for the cable guide 11.

  Further, the inclined portion 2a and the bent portion 12a do not need to be formed only at the tip portion, and for example, the entire side wall may be inclined inward. Alternatively, the inclined portion 2a and the bent portion 12a can be configured such that the lower portion is gently inclined inward and the upper portion is inclined inward at an angle.

(Second modification)
Moreover, the cable guide of this invention can also provide a rib part in the surface of the outer side of a bottom part. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a cable guide according to a second modification of the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a side view showing the state in use. 4 and 5, the same components as those of the cable guide 10 shown in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the cable guide 20 of the present modification has a thermoplastic elastomer composition in which the rib portion 6 that prevents lateral deflection of the cable guide and sagging of the straight portion is provided on the outer surface of the bottom portion 1. Thus, the bottom portion 1 and the side wall 2 are integrally formed. Similarly to the inner surface of the bottom part 1 and the side wall 2, the surface of the rib part 6 has a static friction coefficient of 0.7 or less and a dynamic friction coefficient of 0.5 or less measured according to the method specified in JIS K 7125, or a bottom surface. Is obtained from the maximum static frictional force and dynamic frictional force when a sliding piece with a weight of 200 g is placed and the entire bottom surface is covered with felt, and the sliding piece is pulled at a speed of 50 mm / min. The static friction coefficient may be 0.4 or less and the dynamic friction coefficient may be 0.3 or less.

Further, the rib portion 6 is formed with a V-shaped notch 6 a at a certain interval in the longitudinal direction of the cable guide 20. The notch 6a width d can be set according to the bending radius. For example, when the semicircular circumference at the center portion in the width direction of the bottom portion 1 of the cable guide 20 is L ₁ , the semicircular circumference at the tip end portion of the rib portion 6 is L ₂ , and the number of notches is x, the following formula (1) is used. Value.

  Thus, by providing the rib portion 6 with the notch 6a corresponding to the bending radius, the rib portion 6 can be bent to a desired bending radius.

  Further, in the cable guide 20, the notches 5 extending in the height direction from the front end of the side wall 2 toward the bottom portion 1 can be formed at regular intervals. By providing such a cut 5, even when the bending radius is small, it can be easily bent without applying excessive stress to the thermoplastic elastomer constituting the side wall 2.

  In that case, it is desirable that the notch 5 of the side wall 2 and the notch 6 a of the rib portion 6 are provided in a matching position in the longitudinal direction of the bottom portion 1, that is, in the longitudinal direction of the cable guide 20. Thereby, the stress concerning the side wall 2 in a bending part can be made small.

  As described above, in the cable guide 20 of the present modification, the rib portion 6 is also formed integrally with the other portion by the thermoplastic elastomer composition, and both the static friction coefficient and the dynamic friction coefficient of the surface thereof are lowered. In addition to preventing shaking and sagging, dust generation and noise during movement can be effectively prevented. Further, the cable guide 20 of the present modification can also be manufactured at low cost because it can be extruded.

  In the cable guide 20 shown in FIG. 4, the cables 4 are accommodated in one stage, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the cables 4 can be accommodated in multiple stages. In that case, the height and the inclination angle of the side wall 2 may be set in accordance with the height of the cable 4, and this also applies to the cable guide 10 shown in FIG. 1 and the cable guide 11 shown in FIG. 2.

  Moreover, in the cable guide 20 shown in FIG. 4, although the rib part 6 is provided along the both edges of the bottom part 1, this invention is not limited to this, For example, the width direction center part of the bottom part 1 Alternatively, the rib portion 6 may be formed more in the width direction than the edge of the bottom portion 1. And by providing the rib part 6 in these places in addition to the edge part of the bottom part 1, the horizontal shaking of a cable guide can be prevented.

  Hereinafter, the effects of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to Examples and Comparative Examples of the present invention. First, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described. In this embodiment, the cable guides of Embodiments 1 to 3 are manufactured within the scope of the present invention, and the “cable disposition”, “dust generation” and “noise” are out of the scope of the present invention. Comparison with one or two cable guides.

  Specifically, first, as Example 1, polyester elastomer (MFR: 1.5 g / 10 min · 220 ° C., softening temperature: 166 ° C., glass transition point: −35 ° C., flexural modulus: 94.1 MPa) 100 A thermoplastic elastomer composition in which 3 parts by mass of a master batch (base polymer: polyester elastomer) containing 20% by mass of slidable graphite is blended in part by mass is extruded, and the cable guide of the second modification shown in FIG. 20 was integrally molded.

  Further, as Example 2, a thermoplastic elastomer composition in which 4 parts by mass of a master batch (base polymer: polyester elastomer) containing 50% by mass of silicone oil was blended with 100 parts by mass of the same polyester elastomer as in Example 1 described above. The cable guide 20 of the second modification shown in FIG. 4 was integrally formed by extrusion molding.

  Furthermore, as Example 3, 4 parts by mass of a masterbatch (base polymer: polyester elastomer) containing 20% by mass of slidable graphite and 50% by mass of silicone oil in 100 parts by mass of the same polyester elastomer as in Example 1 described above. The thermoplastic elastomer composition blended was extruded to form the cable guide 20 of the second modification shown in FIG.

  On the other hand, as Comparative Example 1, only a polyester elastomer was extruded and a cable guide having the same shape as in Examples 1 to 3 was integrally formed. And the friction coefficient of each cable guide of an Example and a comparative example, surface roughness, cable arrangement | positioning property, dust generation | occurrence | production, and noise were evaluated by the method shown below. Further, for comparison, a cable assembly property, dust generation and noise were evaluated in the same manner for a commercially available unit-assembled plastic cable guide (Comparative Example 2).

<Friction coefficient>
The coefficient of friction was measured with reference to the method defined in JIS K 7125. Specifically, on the test piece (sheet) produced using the thermoplastic elastomer having the same composition as the cable guides of Examples 1 to 3 and Comparative Example 1, the weight of the bottom surface covered with felt is 200 g. The sliding piece was placed and pulled at a speed of 50 mm / min, and the maximum static frictional force and dynamic frictional force were measured. At that time, the contact area between the felt (bottom surface of the sliding piece) and the test piece was 6.3 cm (tensile direction and vertical side) × 6.3 cm (tensile direction and parallel side). And from these values, the static friction coefficient and the dynamic friction coefficient shown in the following mathematical formulas (2) and (3) were obtained.

<Surface roughness>
The surface roughness was measured using a surf test SJ-400 manufactured by Mitutoyo Corporation using the test piece described above. At that time, the cutoff was 0.8 mm, the measurement length was 2.4 mm, and the sweep speed was 0.5 mm / second.

<Cable layout>
The cable coverings of the example and the comparative example were provided with a urethane-coated five-unit cable having a diameter of 10 mm, and the time and labor thereof were evaluated relative to each other. And those that could be placed without stress at all ◎, those that required about twice as much time and labor than those of ◎, those that required more than five times time and labor than those of ◎ × It was.

<Dust generation>
The generation of dust was evaluated by performing a sliding test, observing the state of dust generation at that time, and evaluating the result. Specifically, a test piece similar to that used in the above-described friction coefficient and surface roughness was prepared, and a cable jacket (polyurethane) was slid on the test piece under a load of about 200 g. At that time, the sliding length was 200 mm, the sliding cycle was 67 times / minute, and the number of sliding times was 100,000. As a result, the case where dust was not generated at all was rated as ◎, the case where almost no dust was generated (not visible) was marked as ◯, and the case where dust was confirmed visually was marked as Δ.

<Noise>
The evaluation of noise was performed by bending and stretching and moving in the width direction in a state where a urethane-coated five-unit cable having a diameter of 10 mm was accommodated, and the noise generation state at that time was confirmed. As a result, it was ◎ if the sound was hardly heard, it was a non-continuous occurrence, and the volume was low, so it was ◯ if it was not very concerned, but it was a continuous generation, but it was a low volume. The case where the sound was somewhat harsh was indicated by Δ, and the sound was generated continuously and was irritated by x.

  The above results are summarized in Table 1 below.

  As shown in Table 1 above, the static friction coefficient obtained from the maximum static friction force and dynamic friction force when a sliding piece produced within the scope of the present invention and having a bottom surface covered with felt is pulled at a speed of 50 mm / min is The cable guides of Examples 1 to 3 having a coefficient of kinetic friction of 0.4 or less and a coefficient of dynamic friction of 0.3 or less are superior to the cable guides of Comparative Examples 1 and 2 in terms of cable arrangement and generate dust and noise. It was confirmed that the effect to prevent was high.

  Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In this example, for each cable guide of the example and the comparative example, the static friction coefficient and the dynamic friction coefficient measured according to the method specified in JIS K 7125, “cable disposition property”, “dust generation” and “noise”. We investigated the relationship with. At that time, as the cable guides of Examples 1 to 3 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2 evaluated in the first example described above, and Example 4, 100 parts by mass of the same polyester elastomer as Example 1, slidable graphite was added. A thermoplastic elastomer composition containing 1.5 parts by mass of a masterbatch (base polymer: polyester elastomer) containing 20% by mass is extruded and the cable guide 20 of the second modification shown in FIG. 4 is integrally molded. used.

<Friction coefficient>
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a method for measuring a static friction coefficient and a dynamic friction coefficient. In this example, the friction coefficient was measured according to the method defined in JIS K 7125. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, two test pieces (sheets) 30 produced using a thermoplastic elastomer having the same composition as the cable guides of Examples 1 to 4 and Comparative Example 1 were laminated, A weight 32 having a bottom surface covered with felt 31 and having a weight of 200 g was placed thereon. At that time, the contact area between the felt 31 (the bottom surface of the weight 32) and the test piece 30 was 6.3 cm (tensile direction and vertical side) × 6.3 cm (tensile direction and parallel side). Then, the test piece 30 arranged on the upper side is pulled at a speed of 100 mm / min, the maximum static frictional force and the dynamic frictional force are measured, and the static friction coefficient shown in the above formulas (2) and (3) is calculated from these values. The dynamic friction coefficient was obtained.

  On the other hand, the surface roughness, cable disposition properties, dust generation and noise of each cable guide of Examples and Comparative Examples were evaluated by the same method and conditions as in the first example. The above results are summarized in Table 2 below. In Table 2, the evaluation results of a commercially available unit-assembled plastic cable guide (Comparative Example 2) are also shown for comparison.

  As shown in Table 2 above, Examples 1 to 1 having a static friction coefficient of 0.7 or less and a dynamic friction coefficient of 0.5 or less, produced within the scope of the present invention and measured according to the method defined in JIS K 7125. It was confirmed that the cable guide No. 4 was superior to the cable guides of Comparative Examples 1 and 2 in terms of cable disposition, and had a high effect of preventing the generation of dust and noise.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Bottom part 2, 12 Side wall 2a Inclined part 3, 13 Cable accommodating part 4 Cable 5 Notch 6 Rib part 6a Notch 10, 11, 20 Cable guide 12a Bending part 14 Cable bundle 30 Test piece 31 Felt 32 Weight

Claims (7)

A cable housing portion including a bottom portion extending in one direction and a side wall provided at both ends in the width direction of the bottom portion and at least a tip portion inclined or bent inwardly;
In the cable housing portion, the tips of the opposite side walls are spaced apart from each other at a constant interval, and the bottom and side walls are integrally formed of a thermoplastic elastomer composition. A static friction coefficient obtained from the maximum static frictional force and dynamic frictional force when a sliding piece with a weight of 200 g is placed and the bottom surface is covered with felt and is pulled at a speed of 50 mm / min. A cable guide having a coefficient of dynamic friction of not more than 0.4 and a dynamic friction coefficient of not more than 0.3. A cable housing portion including a bottom portion extending in one direction and a side wall provided at both ends in the width direction of the bottom portion and at least a tip portion inclined or bent inwardly;
In the cable housing portion, the front ends of the opposing side walls are spaced apart from each other at a constant interval, and the bottom and side walls are integrally formed of a thermoplastic elastomer composition, and at least the inner surfaces of the bottom and side walls are defined in JIS K 7125. A cable guide having a static friction coefficient of 0.7 or less and a dynamic friction coefficient of 0.5 or less as measured according to the method described above.   The surface roughness of the inner surface of the bottom part and the side wall has an arithmetic average roughness Ra of 0.10 μm or less and a ten-point average roughness Rz of 1.0 μm or less, according to claim 1 or 2. Cable guide.   The said bottom part and side wall are formed with the thermoplastic elastomer composition which mix | blended 0.1-5 mass parts of graphite powder with respect to 100 mass parts of elastomers, The any one of Claim 1 thru | or 3 characterized by the above-mentioned. The cable guide according to item 1.   5. The cable guide according to claim 4, wherein the bottom and the side wall are formed of a thermoplastic elastomer composition in which 0.5 to 5 parts by mass of graphite powder is blended with respect to 100 parts by mass of the elastomer. .   The said bottom part and side wall are formed with the thermoplastic elastomer composition which mix | blended 0.1-5 mass parts of silicone oil with respect to 100 mass parts of elastomers, The any one of Claim 1 thru | or 5 characterized by the above-mentioned. The cable guide according to item 1.   The cable guide according to claim 6, wherein the bottom and the side wall are formed of a thermoplastic elastomer composition in which 0.5 to 5 parts by mass of silicone oil is blended with respect to 100 parts by mass of the elastomer. .

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