AU2014221322A1 - Conduit Member - Google Patents

Abstract

5254C-AU-D1 A conduit member comprises a substantially cylindrical core member having a length extending between a first end and a second end. The first end is configured for releasable engagement with a second end of another cylindrical core member and the second end is configured for releasable engagement with a first end of another cylindrical core member. A pair of wings each extending a predetermined distance from the core member and are equi circumferentially spaced about the core and the wings extend from a proximal end at or adjacent the core to a distal end wherein each wing end is spaced apart by the predetermined distance from the core. The conduit member further comprises a wing hinge engagement means disposed at or adjacent the distal end of each wing, a latching means disposed adjacent each wing hinge engagement means, and hingedly moveable covers having a length substantially corresponding to or less than the core member length and extending between a hinge end and a latching end, the hinge end configured for releasable engagement with a hinge engagement means and the latching end configured to release the latching means wherein each cover is configured to form a substantially enclosed channel extending longitudinally with the cylindrical core. k~si Figure 1

Description

5254C-AU-D1 AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT ORIGINAL Name of Applicant: ELECTRACOM PTY LTD Actual Inventor: Jeremy GRAY Address for Service: FRASER OLD & SOHN Patent Attorneys PO Box 560 MILSONS POINT NSW 1565 Invention Title: Conduit Member Details of Application: 2008 207 548 Dated 26 August 2008 1 5254C-AU-D1 Conduit Member Field of the Invention The present invention relates to cable conduits and, in particular, to a modular cable conduit. The invention has been developed primarily as a ceiling to workstation office cable conduit and will be described hereinafter with reference to this application. However, it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to this particular field of use. Background Art Conventional cable conduit is configured to transport data and electrical cable from a ceiling cavity to a workstation or floor. The conventional cable conduit is formed from a plurality cable conduit members releasably mounted in an end-on-end arrangement. An upper cable conduit member(s) is secured at or adjacent the ceiling or ceiling cavity and a lower cable conduit member(s) secured to or adjacent a workstation. Each conventional cable conduit member comprises a cylindrical core with barbed arms longitudinally extending from one end and apertures disposed in the other. The cable conduit member further comprises three wings which radially extend a pre determined distance and where the wings are equi-circumferentially disposed about the core. The wings extend less than the length of the core. Each end of each wing has integrally formed a cover extending about a part of the core and where each cover extends from the wing on which it is integral to adjacent the end of another wing. Each wing cover is hingedly mounted to a respective wing by favour of the integral formation and a resilient bias is applied to the cover when it is moved relative to the wing. In use, a wing cover of an upper or lower (or indeed other preferred) conventional conduit member is pulled open and cable allowed to extend there through substantially coaxially with the core. The cover is released and moves back its 2 5254C-AU-D1 original position being connected to a wing at one end and adjacent another wing at the other. A plurality of the conventional cable conduit members are longitudinally releasably mounted together and the cable conduit member cores and covers are substantially coaxially aligned. A cable extending from a ceiling or ceiling cavity and desired to extend downward to a workstation is then placed inside a cover of each cable conduit member most usually in a sequential manner starting from the top at or adjacent the ceiling or ceiling cavity. Unfortunately, this process of feeding the cable through each cover individually is time consuming as a channel formed intermediate the cores and covers is filled with a cable or cables one cable conduit member length at a time. It will, of course, be appreciated that from a manufacturing point of view, the conventional cable conduit members are most expedient to form. This is because the members can be formed from any suitable plastic material as a unitary piece or member. This reduces the cost of the conventional cable conduit members commensurately, however, the cost associated with installing the cable (i.e. via a time based service charge) can often exceed the cost of the conduit members themselves. Genesis of the Invention It is an object of the present invention to provide a cable conduit member which will overcome or substantially ameliorate deficiencies of the prior art, or to provide a useful alternative. Summary of the Invention According to the present invention there is provided a conduit member comprising: a core member having a length extending between first and second ends, said first end being configured for releasable engagement with a second end of a like conduit member and said second end being configured for releasable engagement with a first end of another like conduit member; a pair of wings extending from said core member, each of said wings having a proximal end located adjacent said core member and a distal end positioned away from said core member; a pair of covers each having a length less than or equal to the length of said 3 5254C-AU-D1 core member and each being hinged to a distal wing end, and each said cover being hingedly pivotable between a closed position which forms a substantially enclosed channel extending alongside said core member and an open position allowing access to said channel. A plurality of the conduit members can be located in end to end fashion to form a cable conduit. It can therefore be seen that it is advantageously provided a cable conduit member which allows the cable to be disposed adjacent the core thereof over the length of a plurality of cable conduit members releasably mounted end-on-end together so that respective covers on the cable conduit members can be closed once a cable is in place. In this way, an installer does not need to feed any cable one member at a time as adjacent cover members can be opened and a cable placed in and the cover members simply shut. Brief Description of the Drawings A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a cable conduit member according to the preferred embodiment; Fig. 2 is a top view of the member of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a top view of the conduit member of Fig. 1 in a second configuration; and Fig. 4 is a side view of a plurality of cable conduit members of Fig. 1. Detailed Description Referring to the drawings generally, it will be appreciated that like reference numerals are used to denote like components throughout the description of the preferred embodiment. Turning to Fig. 1, there is shown a perspective view of a conduit member 1 according to the preferred embodiment. The conduit member 1 includes a cylindrical core 2. The core 2 extends between a top end 3 and bottom end 4. The distance between ends 3 and 4 defines a core length. 4 5254C-AU-D1 The bottom end 4 includes a pair of arms 5 extending substantially co-axially from the core 2 a predetermined distance. Each arm 5 has a barb 6 on an end distal from the core 2. The top end 3 of each core 2 includes a pair of spaced apart slots 7. The slots 7 are configured to releasably engage with the barb 6 of a core arm 5 therethrough. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a plurality of conduit members 1 releasably mounted longitudinally together. The conduit members together form a cable conduit 8, sometimes termed an umbilical. Each core member 2 includes a pair of wings 9 that are equi-circumferentially spaced about the core 2 (ie substantially 1800 apart about the core 2) and each radially extend substantially the same predetermined distance from the core 2. The wings 9 are mounted to the core 2 at a proximal wing end 10 and each wing extends to a wing distal end 11. The wings 9 and the core 2 are integrally formed from a plastics material. A wing hinge engagement means is disposed adjacent the distal end 11 of each wing 9. A latching means in the form of a slot 12 in the preferred embodiment, is disposed in each wing 9 adjacent the hinge engagement means. A cover 14 is configured for hinged engagement with a hinge engagement means. The cover 14 has a length slightly less than the length of the core member 2 intermediate the core top and bottom ends 3 and 4. The cover 14 is curved between a hinge end 15 and a latching end 16. The cover 14 of the preferred embodiment is curved to form a semi-circle so as to form a part cylinder about the core 2. The hinge end 15 includes a cover hinge engagement means configured for releasable engagement with the wing hinge engagement means. In the preferred embodiment, the hinge end 15 and the wing hinge engagement means are each formed from a portion of a hinge such that once engaged they form a hinge to allow the cover 14 to hingedly move from an open configuration as shown in Figs 1 and 2 to a closed position as shown in Fig. 3. 5 5254C-AU-D1 The latching end 16 of the cover 14 includes a barbed arm 13 configured for releasable engagement with the wing latching means 12 of an adjacent wing 9 to which the cover is mounted. In this way, the cover 14 can be hingedly moved from the open position of Fig. 1 to the closed position of Fig. 3 where the cover 14 substantially encloses one half of the core member 2. In the preferred embodiment, the core 2 includes a support arm 17 disposed intermediate the wings 9 and radially extends from the core 2. As best seen in Fig. 3, two support arms 17 radially extend from the core member 2 to adjacent the cover 14 when in the closed position (see Fig. 1).Whilst providing support to the covers 14, the support arms 17 longitudinally bisect each cover and can be used to define two channels longitudinally extending parallel with the core 2 and the cover 14. When the covers 14 are moved into the closed position (Fig. 3), each portion of the core member 2 covered by the cover 14 forms a longitudinal channel which can be bisected by the support arms 17. Once a plurality of conduit members 1 are releasably engaged to an adjacent conduit member 1, the cable conduit 8 is formed. The cable conduit 8 is formed with the channels covered by each cover 14 on adjacent conduit members 2 which are substantially longitudinally aligned. In use, a plurality of conduit members 1 are engaged to form the cable conduit 8. This is shown in Fig. 4 with the covers 14 closed. An upper end of the conduit can be mounted to, or adjacent to, a ceiling or ceiling cavity (not shown). A lower end of the conduit 8 is mounted to, or adjacent to, a workstation or a floor. Each cover 14 for one or both longitudinal channels is opened on each conduit member 1 of the channel conduit 8. Cabling (electrical power or data, or optical for example) from the ceiling is then placed adjacent the core 2 of each conduit member 1 and the covers are closed so as to retain the cable(s). Advantageously, the cable conduit 8 does not require cable to be fed in one conduit member at a time. This allows cabling to be placed in-situ and the covers subsequently closed. 6 5254C-AU-D1 Although not clearly shown, the core 2 of each cable conduit member 1 is longitudinally hollow so as to permit a locking rod (not illustrated) to be received by the hollow. Once two or more members 1 are longitudinally engaged, insertion of the locking rod in the hollow cores locks the members 1 together by not allowing the barbs 6 to move radially inwardly to disengage from adjacent core slots 7. It will be appreciated that the upper and/or lower ends of the cable conduit 8 can be attached to or adjacent to the ceiling, ceiling cavity, workstation and/or floor by the locking rod if desired. It will be appreciated that three or more wings 9 extending from the core 2, whether equi-circumferentially spaced about the core 2 or not, can be provided. A respective cover member 14 can be hingedly mounted at the distal end 11 of each wing 9 and configured to be at or adjacent an adjacent wing when the cover is moved into the closed position. When each wing is in the closed position, longitudinal channels are formed intermediate each wing. A distal end of each of the three wings is configured to releasably engage with the wing latching means disposed on an adjacent wing. In this way, three or more longitudinal channels are provided for use independently of each other to receive and/or release cable. Furthermore, it will be appreciated that the wings 9 need not be equi-circumferentially spaced about the core member 2 so that different sized longitudinal channels can be formed if desired. The foregoing describes only one embodiment of the present invention and modifications, obvious to those skilled in the art, can be made thereto without departing from the scope of the present invention. The term "comprising" (and its grammatical variations) as used herein is used in the inclusive sense of "including" or "having" and not in the exclusive sense of "consisting only of'. 7

Claims (14)

1. A conduit member comprising: a core member having a length extending between first and second ends, said first end being configured for releasable engagement with a second end of a like conduit member and said second end being configured for releasable engagement with a first end of another like conduit member; a pair of wings extending from said core member, each of said wings having a proximal end located adjacent said core member and a distal end positioned away from said core member; a pair of covers each having a length less than or equal to the length of said core member and each being hinged to a distal wing end, and each said cover being hingedly pivotable between a closed position which forms a substantially enclosed channel extending alongside said core member and an open position allowing access to said channel.

2. A conduit member as claimed in claim 1 wherein said covers include a latch means operable to retain said covers in said closed position.

3. The conduit member as claimed in claim 1 or 2 where said cover latch means is releasable.

4. The conduit member as claimed in any one of claims 1-3 wherein each said cover is hinged to the distal end of a corresponding one of said wings.

5. The conduit member as claimed in any one of claim 2 or claims 3 or 4 when dependent upon claim 2 wherein said cover latch means is engagable with a distal end of a wing.

6. The conduit member as claimed in any one of claims 1-5 wherein said core member is substantially cylindrical. 8 5254C-AU-D1

7. The conduit member as claimed in any one of claims 1-6 wherein each said wing is substantially flat.

8. The conduit member as claimed in any one of claims 1-7 wherein said wings are substantially equally spaced around said core member.

9. The conduit member as claimed in any one of claims 1-8 wherein each said cover is substantially a half hollow cylinder.

10. The conduit member as claimed in any one of claims 1-9 and fabricated in a plurality of pieces.

11. The conduit member as claimed in any one of claims 1-9 wherein said wings and said core member are integrally formed.

12. The conduit member as claimed in any one of claims 1-11 and including at least one support arm extending from said core member.

13. The conduit member as claimed in any one of claims 1-12 wherein said core member is substantially hollow.

14. A cable conduit comprising a plurality of the cable conduit members as claimed in any one of claims 1-13. Dated this 10th day of September, 2014 ELECTRACOM PTY LTD By FRASER OLD & SOHN Patent Attorneys for the Applicants 9