Flexible cable guide with two-directional joints

Claim 1

A flexible cable guide for a plurality of electrical conductors, comprising: a plurality of generally I-shaped elements each formed with a central web provided with a throughgoing bore adapted to receive a stiffening cable, curved flanges defining laterally open generally cylindrical spaces adapted to receive respective electrical conductors, and respective pairs of mutually parallel spaced-apart lugs projecting axially from opposite sides of said central web; and annular articulation bodies interconnecting said elements in contiguous end-to-end articulated relationship, said articulation bodies each having two mutually perpendicular pairs of pins projecting radially, said lugs being provided with formations pivotally engageable with said pins, one of the pairs of pins of each articulation body being pivotally engaged with a pair of lugs of a respective one of said elements and the other pair of pins of each articulation body being pivotally engaged with a pair of lugs of a respective other of said elements angularly offset from said one of said elements through 90°, whereby each of said articulation bodies and the pairs of lugs pivotally connected thereto form a Cardan-type bidirectional joint, said joints spacing the flanges of successive ones of said elements apart so that conductors can pass into an out of said guide between said elements.