EP1523793A1

EP1523793A1 - Appliance for introducing flex into a cable sheath for the subsequent introduction of an electric cable

Info

Publication number: EP1523793A1
Application number: EP03729786A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Markus Zeitler
Original assignee: Zeitler Markus
Current assignee: New Systems AG
Priority date: 2002-07-09
Filing date: 2003-07-01
Publication date: 2005-04-20
Also published as: AU2003240371A1; US20050258411A1; WO2004006399A1

Abstract

The inventive appliance is represented in perspective with a front incline. Said appliance is easy to construct and essentially consists of a blower (1) provided with a blast pipe (2) and a receiving container (3) for a hollow cylindrical reel (4) of flex, said container being arranged around the blast pipe (2). Said reel (4) of flex is visible as the receiving container (3) consists of a polycarbonate tubular section which enables the inside thereof to be seen. The reel (4) of flex consists of cable insertion flex and has a free region (5) along its cylindrical axis, from which the flex (6) can be gradually radially unwound from the inside towards the outside. The receiving container (3) is closed by a flange (8) on the front side thereof, said flange carrying an opening sleeve (10). When in operation, the blower axially transports air through the appliance, such that the flex (6) is carried along, and thus unwound from the reel (4), and transported outwards through the opening sleeve (10) and then through a connected cable sheath of any length, even having a plurality of bends.

Description

Device for pulling a cord into a conduit for the purpose of pulling an electrical cable later

This invention relates to a device for pulling a cord into a cable pipe so that with the help of this cord an electrical cable can later be pulled into the empty cable pipe.

Almost everywhere where electrical lines are to be laid on buildings, plastic conduits are first laid as empty conduits, which are later concreted in or filled in. Only in a later phase in the construction progress, after the building has been erected, are the electrical lines or cables drawn into these cable pipes or empty pipes. The pre-routed plastic pipes are plastic pipes with a few mm diameter, which are installed in versions with a smooth surface, but also in versions with a grooved surface, which are known as flexible pipes. The grooves run around the circumference of the pipe, so that the pipes can be laid around tight radii more easily without the risk of a dent where the pipe is pressed in and which makes it difficult or even impossible to pull a cable through later. The later retraction of an electrical cable prepares for short empty pipes and if these are more or less straight, usually no problems. However, if the empty pipes are particularly long, for example 10 or 20 meters and more, and especially if they lead around many tight radii, the pulling in of the electrical cables often causes problems. Then you first insert a feed tape in the form of a flexible nylon rod of approx. 2 to 3mm thickness and up to 20 meters in length into the empty tube and push it through the empty tube until its tip comes out on the other side. An electrical cable can then be attached to the rear end and then pulled through the conduit by pulling the tip of the nylon rod. Is now a conduit particularly long or does it lead to many radii, or even both apply, the insertion of a rod is ^"no longer possible due to their Into poking from one side. Either its tip hits a small radius or the frictional forces simply become too great for the rod to be pushed into the empty tube from behind until it comes out with its tip at the other end. In this case, a vacuum cleaner has been used so far. This is sealed at one end of the empty pipe and afterwards the air is sucked into the empty pipe. At the other end, a cord is inserted that is caught by the air flow in the empty tube and taken along and is easily pulled along this way over large distances and many radii until its tip arrives in the vacuum cleaner bag. If you continue to suck and give in more string, the front end of the string simply collects in the vacuum cleaner bag. You then separate the vacuum cleaner pipe socket from the empty pipe and you can pull the excess cord out of the vacuum cleaner bag. With the help of this cord, you can either pull the electrical cable directly into the empty tube, or you can first use this cord to pull a nylon rod, the so-called feeder tape, into the empty tube. Once the feeder tape is pulled into the empty tube, pulling in an electrical cable no longer poses any problems. You simply hang it on one end of the rod and pull the rod with the cable from one end through the empty tube. However, the use of a vacuum cleaner is not particularly practical for various reasons. First, the vacuum cleaner is used for vacuuming. This means that it has to be sealed at one end of the empty tube and then the cord must be inserted at the other end of the empty tube so that it can be sucked in by the vacuum cleaner at one end of the empty tube. If the empty pipe in a building now extends around many corners and / or over several floors, the use of a vacuum cleaner is particularly tedious if a single electrician does the assembly work. He must then first connect the vacuum cleaner and go to the other end of the empty pipe to insert the cord there. Then he has to go back to the vacuum cleaner and connect it to the next empty pipe, etc. With many empty pipes, into which a cord is to be pulled, there are therefore many aisles. The fitter must therefore always go back and forth between the two ends of each empty pipe. For this reason, the retraction of the electrical lines is preferably carried out by two fitters. With the use of a vacuum cleaner, you basically have to work from two sides, i.e. from both ends of an empty tube, to pull in a cord. If empty pipes open in poorly accessible places or on a ceiling, connecting a vacuum cleaner pipe socket often causes problems. In addition, a vacuum cleaner is bulky and heavy for this application. After all, it is not designed and intended for pulling cords into empty conduits.

The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a device by means of which the retraction of cables in cable ducts is facilitated. The device is intended to be more practical to work with than the means previously used for pulling in cables. A cord should be able to be pulled in from a single side of the empty tube alone. In addition, the device should be light and handy so that it can also be connected to empty pipe mouths that are not easily accessible. With the use of this device, a cord should be particularly easily and quickly retractable into an empty tube, in order to subsequently pull a cable or rod directly with which an electrical cable can ultimately be pulled into the empty tube. This object is achieved by a device for pulling a cord into a cable pipe for the purpose of later pulling in an electrical cable, which is characterized in that it is an electric blower, a receptacle for receiving a hollow cylindrical cord reel to be unwound from the inside with a central free space and an orifice sleeve, with a tube or rod extending through the receptacle, over which the cord reel inside the receptacle can be pulled with its free space, and that the fan blows air through or outside along the tube or rod and can subsequently be conveyed through the muzzle sleeve, so that this air flow continuously unwinds cord from the cord reel and takes it through the muzzle sleeve.

In the figures, such a device is shown in an exemplary embodiment and then described with reference to these figures, wherein its function is explained and explained.

It shows:

Figure 1: A perspective drawing of the device;

Figure 2: A longitudinal section through the device;

Figure 3: A side view of the device.

Figure 1 shows the device in a perspective view obliquely from the front. The device is very simple in construction and essentially consists of a blower 1 with a blowpipe 2 and a receptacle 3 arranged around the blowpipe 2 for a hollow cylindrical cord reel 4. This cord reel 4 is visible here because the receptacle 3 is made of a transparent polycarbonate or Plexiglas pipe section is made and thus reveals the inside. The cord reel 4 inserted into the receptacle 3 is hollow-cylindrical, so that it is along the cylinder axis has a free space 5, from which the cord 6 is gradually unwound from the inside, that is, layer by layer, radially outwards. This cord reel 4 contains a cable pull cord. The reel has a dimension of approx. 110mm diameter and 100mm length, with a free space of approx. 30mm diameter. At the front end, the tubular receptacle 3 is glued to a flange 7, which forms a radial projection relative to the outer wall of the receptacle 3. Another flange 8 is placed on this projection and screwed to the first flange 7 on the receptacle 3. This outer flange 8 has a central hole which is larger than the diameter of the blowpipe 2. A sleeve 9 is placed on this flange hole, into which a muzzle sleeve 10 is inserted. The blow pipe 2 extends from the blower 1 through the entire receptacle 3 and still protrudes about half into the sleeve 9. On the rear side (not visible here) of the attached flange 8, the flange 8 has a retaining ring 11 spaced from it via supports 12, which retains the cord capsule 4 in the receptacle 3, so that the cord capsule 4 is always initially located on the blower 1. The unwound cord 6 then runs inside the. Cord reel 4 along the outside of the blowpipe 2 and is then guided in the front area of the device between the blowpipe outside and the inside of the sleeve 8 into the inside of the muzzle sleeve 10 and finally exits at the front end of the muzzle sleeve 10 to the outside. An electric cable 13 leads to the blower 1 to supply power to the blower motor and on the outside of the blower 1, that is to say on its housing, a handle 14 is mounted, which here forms two handle knobs opposite one another. A pressure, rocker or toggle switch 20 is arranged on the housing 1 above the handle 14. The handle 14 can be gripped like a pistol grip, as shown with the indicated hand, in which case the switch 20 can be actuated with the index finger. Because the handle is W-shaped, it can be gripped like a pistol grip from both the front and the back. In addition, the bracket formed by him protects the switch 20 from damage.

Figure 2 shows a longitudinal section through this device, taking it now seen from the other side compared to Figure 1. Based on this sectional drawing, the structure of the device can be understood in detail. On the right in the picture you can see the blower 1, which is housed in a hollow cylindrical housing 15. This housing 15 is closed at the rear and front by a closing cover ring 16, 17. The cover ring 16 at the rear of the device has a sleeve-shaped suction nozzle 18 into which a mesh 19 made of, for example, a 1 mm braid is inserted, so that no larger objects, which may be sucked in during operation, can get into the blower. On the other side of the blower there is a central hole on the cover ring 17 there, into which the blow pipe 2 is inserted or screwed in a sealing manner. The actual blower is mounted on the other side of this cover ring 17 and thus inside the housing. It is a commercially available vacuum cleaner fan with an output of 840W, for example. It goes without saying that other blower types can also be used, with higher or lower output. It has only been shown in practice that a vacuum cleaner blower with about this power is completely sufficient.

At the bottom of the housing, the handle 14 is mounted, which forms a handle knob with its two downwardly projecting loops, so that each loop can be gripped and held by a single hand like a pistol grip. A switch 20 is arranged on the housing of the blower, above the handle 14 and in the middle thereof, which can be conveniently operated by the index finger of the holding hand. The switch 20 is advantageously a rocker switch that can be pivoted away from its vertical position in two directions against a spring force and then closes the circuit, so that the fan is energized and the fan motor runs. However, a toggle switch can also be suitable as the switch 20, which remains in its switched-on position when it is actuated and must be actively returned to the zero position. A pressure switch that closes the circuit only by pressure is also conceivable.

About the blowpipe 2 around the hollow cylindrical cord reel 4 is placed in the picture from the left, so that it with its inner space, the blowpipe 2 includes, but leaves a small distance of about 1 to 2 mm between its inside and the blowpipe 2. The cord reel 4 is enclosed by a receptacle 3, which is preferably made of a plexiglass or. Polycarbonate tube section is made because plexiglass clears the inside of the receptacle 3 and can therefore be checked at any time whether the cord reel 4 still has enough cord for another cord retraction. At the front end of the receptacle 3 sits the flange 7, which forms a radial projection protruding from the plexiglass tube. A further flange 8 with a central hole is screwed onto this projection, over which a sleeve 9 sits at the front. On the rear side of the flange 8, a number of supports 12 protrude into the receptacle 3 and carry a retaining ring 11 at their end. This retaining ring 11 ensures that the cord reel 4 is always pushed against the cover 17 on the blower housing. The blow pipe 2 protrudes a bit into this sleeve 9. At the front, an annular groove 25 is recessed from the inner wall of the sleeve 9, in which an O-ring is seated. A muzzle sleeve 10 is inserted into this sleeve 9, which is sealed by the O-ring in the sleeve 9 and forms a funnel-shaped extension 21 on the inside in the area of the blowpipe mouth. Towards the front, the muzzle sleeve 10 contains a straight bore 22 which has a bore 23 with an annular chamber 24 in the region of its front end, into which a sleeve can be inserted in a sealing manner. A helical groove 26 is milled out of the outside of the muzzle sleeve 10. The sleeve 9 is penetrated by a radial bore 27 through which a bolt (not shown here) extends, which protrudes into the groove 26 on the muzzle sleeve 10. By rotating the muzzle sleeve 10, it is therefore more or less screwed or unscrewed into the sleeve 9. When screwed in, the funnel-shaped wall clamps the cord so far that it is no longer transported.

If the electric blower motor is now put into operation, there is a draft through the device. At the rear, at the intake sleeve 19, air is sucked in and it flows through the blower and afterwards through the blow pipe 2 in order to emerge through the muzzle sleeve 10 at its front mouth. The cord 6 of the cord capsule 4 runs as shown from the inside of the Cord reel 4 from along the outside of the blowpipe 2 to its mouth and from there through the muzzle sleeve 10 to the outside. It is entrained by the prevailing draft and is therefore continuously unwound from the cord reel 4 and conveyed to the outside. However, if the muzzle sleeve 10 is rotated clockwise against the device, it is screwed into the sleeve 9 and its funnel-shaped inner wall clamps the cord between itself and the outer edge of the blowpipe mouth somewhat, so that the cord is no longer transported. The clamping is so strong that the prevailing drafts cannot further unwind and convey the cord from the reel 4. This function is sometimes required if you only want to use the device to blow through an empty tube for identification. You then blow air through an empty pipe and on the other side, which is located in another room on another floor of a building, the air escapes, which allows you to identify this empty pipe, if several empty pipes arranged parallel to each other the masonry are guided.

In Figure 3, the device is shown in a view seen from the side. At the front on the muzzle sleeve 10 there is also an articulated tube 28 made of plastic as an adapter. This articulated tube 28 is advantageously a commercially available coolant hose as shown in FIG. Machine tools for the coolant liquid is used. With its pointed mouth, this articulated pipe 28 can also be sealingly connected to empty pipes that are not easily accessible. In a variant, instead of the blow pipe 2, a closed pipe or rod can also pass, which runs through the receptacle 3 and over which the cord reel 4 is placed with its free space. The air is then not blown through the tube itself, but flows outside the tube or rod along the tube or rod in the axial direction through the cord reel. In the embodiment according to FIG. 2, the air could also enter the receiving container 3 from the blower through holes or bores in the plate 17 and then flow through the latter in the axial direction along the tube 2, while the tube 2 would be closed on the inside. In addition, the air does not necessarily have to be blown, but merely conveyed. So it would also be an order conceivable, in which the fan would not be arranged behind, but in front of the receptacle in relation to FIG. 2, so that the air would be sucked in along a central tube or rod or through a central tube which passed through the fan, after which the air would then flow Muzzle sleeve at the end of the fan.

In order to pull a cord into an empty tube, insert the end of the cord protruding from the articulated tube 28 into the empty tube and then hold the device with the mouth of the articulated tube 28 sealingly against the empty tube. Then you operate switch 20 and the cord is blown into the empty tube. It is carried by the resulting air flow through the entire empty pipe, no matter how long it is and how many radii, no matter how narrow. Tests have shown that it can be easily retracted even through a whole roll of empty pipe, how it is stored and sold. The device can also be used to identify installed empty pipes. For this purpose, the muzzle sleeve is twisted so that it forms a cord brake. The device can then be used for pure blowing. It is therefore easy to quickly supply several empty pipe mouths of a whole bundle of empty pipes with blown air one after the other. The empty pipes are best numbered for this, and one blows into each empty pipe with increasing number. An assistant at the opposite mouths of the bundle numbers the mouths one by one, in the order in which they emit air. This allows you to identify which mouths are connected to each other. The device can also be used for vacuuming. For this purpose, a cord is inserted into the empty pipe from the mouth on the other side, and the device is connected to the mouth on this side with the suction sleeve. In this case, the cord is pulled along by the sucked air, which forms an air flow. If it emerges at the mouth on this side, i.e. on the device, it collects in front of the mesh in the intake manifold. As a result, it is almost completely closed after a short time, which is noticeable by an acoustic change in the motor or blower noise. As a result, you know immediately that the cord has reached the device and that the empty tube is completely pulled through by the cord. The device allows a very practical work. A cord can in particular be pulled in from a single side of the empty tube by a single fitter. In addition, the device is light and handy and can therefore be connected to empty pipe openings that are not easily accessible, especially to empty pipes that open onto a building ceiling. With this device, a cord can be pulled particularly easily and quickly into an empty tube, after which either an electrical cable can be pulled directly or a rod, with which an electrical cable can ultimately be pulled into the empty tube.

Claims

claims

1. Device for pulling a cord (6) into a cable tube for the purpose of pulling an electric cable later, characterized in that it is an electric blower (1), a receptacle (3) for receiving a hollow cylindrical cord reel to be unwound from the inside (4) with a central free space and an orifice sleeve (10), a tube (2) or a rod extending through the receptacle (3) via which the cord reel (4) inside the receptacle (3) with it Free space can be pulled over, and that an air flow can be conveyed from the blower (1) through the pipe (2) or outside along the pipe (2) or rod and subsequently through the muzzle sleeve (10), so that this air flow continuously leads the cord from the cord reel (4 ) unwinds and takes them through the muzzle sleeve (10).

2. Device for pulling a cord (6) into a cable pipe according to claim 1, characterized in that the pipe (2) is designed as a blow pipe (2) which runs axially through the free space of an inserted cord reel (4) and through which an air flow can be blown from the blower (1) and can subsequently be conveyed through the muzzle sleeve (10), so that this air flow continuously unwinds cord from the cord reel (4) and takes it through the muzzle sleeve (10).

3. Device for pulling a cord (6) into a cable pipe for the purpose of later pulling in an electrical cable according to claim 2, characterized in that the receptacle (3) is attached to a flat side of a blower housing and consists of a pipe section which on the other side is equipped with a flange (7), the blow pipe (2) measuring through and protruding from the pipe section, and that a flange (8) with a central hole is screwed onto the flange (7) which is on it On the inside carries a spaced retaining ring (11) for supporting the inserted cord reel (4) and on its outside a muzzle sleeve (10) for the cord (6).

4. Device for pulling a cord (6) into a cable tube for the purpose of pulling an electrical cable later according to one of claims 2 to 3, characterized in that the muzzle sleeve (10) is sealingly in a sleeve (9) which on Flange (8) is attached, and that the muzzle sleeve (10) has on its outside a helical groove (26) into which a bolt radially penetrates the sleeve (9).

5. Device for pulling a cord (6) into a cable pipe for the purpose of later pulling in an electrical cable according to one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the blower housing (15) is equipped with a handle (14), which at least forms a handle knob, and an electrical switch (20) which can be actuated by the index finger of a hand encompassing the handle knob.

6. Device for pulling a cord (6) into a cable pipe for the purpose of pulling an electrical cable later according to one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that the blower housing (15) consists of a plastic pipe section and the handle (14) There is a wire loop with two loops projecting obliquely downwards, so that two opposite knob-like handles are formed by the wire loop, the electrical switch (20) being arranged above the handle (14) between the two loops on the housing.

7. Device for pulling a cord (6) into a cable pipe for the purpose of later pulling in an electrical cable according to one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that the back of the blower (1) with a cover ring (16) with a central hole is closed, wherein a suction sleeve (18) is arranged around the central hole, which in its Inside is equipped with a mesh (19).

8. Device for pulling a cord (6) into a cable pipe for the purpose of later pulling in an electrical cable according to one of claims 3 to 7, characterized in that the receiving container (3) is attached to a flat side of a blower housing and from one There is a transparent pipe section, which is equipped on the other side with a flange (7).

9. Device for pulling a cord (6) into a cable pipe for the purpose of later pulling in an electrical cable according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the blower motor is a vacuum cleaner motor with a power of 700 to 1400 watts.

10. Use of a device according to one of the preceding claims for the commercial pulling of a cord (6) into a cable pipe for the purpose of later pulling an electrical cable into the same.