EP1867023A1

EP1867023A1 - Splice plate for a wire cable tray

Info

Publication number: EP1867023A1
Application number: EP06726052A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Stéphane Quertelet; James Deciry
Original assignee: ICM Group SA
Current assignee: ICM Group SA
Priority date: 2005-03-14
Filing date: 2006-03-09
Publication date: 2007-12-19
Also published as: MX2007011199A; CA2600260A1; WO2006097600A1; RU2007138039A; AU2006224441B2; FR2883108B1; JP4446317B2; AU2006224441A1; US20080179089A1; BRPI0608018A2; RU2400890C2; CN101185213B; FR2883108A1; CN101185213A; US7608786B2; JP2008533970A

Abstract

The invention relates to a splice plate which is used to connect two cable tray sections, whereby each section comprises longitudinal warp wires and transverse weft wires (24). The inventive splice plate comprises: an elongated base (2); a lateral flange, known as the upper flange (4), which extends essentially perpendicularly to the base (2) from a first longitudinal edge of same; and a lateral flange, known as the lower flange (6), which extends essentially perpendicularly to the base (2) from the longitudinal edge opposite the first longitudinal edge. Each of the two flanges (4, 6) is equipped with a notch (8, 14) that opens at the free edge of the corresponding flange (4, 6), said two notches (8, 14) being disposed facing one another. The upper lateral flange (4) comprises coupling means (12) on either side of the notch (8), which are intended to co-operate with a warp wire (26) of a cable tray section (20).

Description

Connection splice for wire raceway

The present invention relates to a splice cable tray son.

In known manner, son cable trays are in the form of a channel consisting of a mesh of son. This mesh comprises on the one hand longitudinal son usually called warp son and which extend in a rectilinear or almost rectilinear way over the entire length of the cable tray and secondly son arranged transversely place in place along the warp threads, these threads being called weft threads. The latter son are generally U-shaped and the cable tray thus comprises generally three panels, namely a bottom panel and two side panels.

Such cable trays are commonly used to accommodate, support and protect flexible conduits, including electrical conductors or the like (cables and / or fibers specific to an information transmission electrical, optical or other).

A cable tray is often made of several sections assembled end to end or at an angle to each other or making a T, X, Y or other derivation. Connecting devices, also called fishplates, are then used to connect the various sections of the cable tray.

It is known to use bolted connection pieces to maintain two sections of cable trays placed end to end. The disadvantage of these connecting parts is that their assembly is tedious. Indeed, during connection, the fitter must both maintain at least one cable tray section and the two male and female parts to bolt. When the cable tray is arranged in height, this connection operation is all the more difficult.

There are also connections without screws or bolts. The documents EP-1 360 749 and EP-1 451 910 each disclose a splice that can be put in place by simple interlocking and / or snapping. Once the splice is in position, locking it to each of the cable tray sections is provided by a folding tab.

These splints of the prior art allow an excellent connection of two sections of cable tray. They come to take place between two sons chain of the same side panel of the cable tray. By resting on these two warp yarns, the splints of the prior art make it possible to give rigidity to the connection made.

However, there are cable trays whose side panels are of low height so that they have only one warp. Knuckles known from the prior art are not suitable for connecting two sections of such a cable tray. A bolted mounting must then be provided for the connection of two cable trays.

The present invention therefore aims to provide a splint for connecting two cable tray sections by giving the connection made a good rigidity even when the cable tray is of low height and has only one warp per panel lateral.

To this end, it proposes a connection splice for cable tray son for connecting two sections end to end of this cable tray, each section of cable tray comprising on the one hand longitudinal warp and d on the other hand transverse weft threads.

According to the invention, this splint comprises an elongated bottom, a lateral wing called upper wing extending substantially perpendicular to the bottom from a first longitudinal edge thereof, and a lateral wing called lower wing extending substantially perpendicular to the bottom from the longitudinal edge opposite the first longitudinal edge; each of the two wings has at least one notch opening into the free edge of the corresponding wing, the two notches facing each other, and the upper lateral wing comprises on either side of its notch attachment means intended for cooperate with a warp of a section of cable tray.

Like all splints, this new splint is intended to connect two ends of sections of cable tray. It is more particularly intended to catch on a wire edge of each section to be connected and the notches come to receive an end weft wire of each of the sections to be connected. A sidewire is a longitudinal warp thread that connects transverse weft thread ends.

The positioning of this new splint is defined on the one hand by the hooking on a longitudinal wire, usually a wire edge, and on the other hand by the positioning of the notches on horseback two end weft son. The bottom the splint ensures the rigidity of the connection made by the splint.

For better positioning of the splice with respect to each of the cable tray sections to be connected, each flange preferably comprises two adjacent notches separated from one another by a spacer tongue. Each of the notches of a wing thus receives an end weft thread of a cable tray section, which ensures a better positioning of the splice with respect to each of the connected sections.

In a splice connection according to the invention, the notches made in the upper and lower wings are preferably substantially centrally positioned relative to the bottom of the splice.

In a preferred embodiment, the attachment means comprise for example a tab extending from the free edge of the upper flange opposite the bottom of the splint curved towards the bottom of the splint, the tongue being bent outwardly of the splint, that is to say on the opposite side to the lower flange.

To increase the rigidity of the connection made by the splice, it is advantageously provided that the attachment means are arranged near the ends of the splice. In this way, the attachment means are remote from the boundary zone between the two cable tray sections to be connected and can thus absorb significant bending forces.

In a preferred embodiment, locking means are associated with a notch. This allows in some cases the splice to be able to adapt to cable trays whose weft son have different diameters. The notch associated with the locking means is advantageously in the lower lateral wing, that is to say the lateral wing not carrying the attachment means. An embodiment of these locking means provides for example that they comprise a foldable locking tab from a first position in which it leaves free access to the notch with which it is associated to a second position in which it closes at least partially said notch. This embodiment of the locking means is suitable for allowing the adaptation of the splice to cable trays made with wires of different diameters. Other locking means can also be used. It may for example be snap-fastening means. Such means can adapt in a limited range to various diameters of threads. These locking means may also be an adaptation of the notch to the size of the weft son so as to maintain the thread in the notch by clamping.

In order not to be aggressive with respect to the cables in the cable tray, the bottom of the splint is advantageously concave in shape, the concavity being on the same side as the wings of the splice. This concave bottom is then advantageously arranged so that the concavity is oriented towards the outside of the cable tray. Thus, when cables are pulled inside the raceway, they slide along the convex side of the bottom and are not assaulted.

Details and advantages of the present invention will emerge more clearly from the description which follows, made with reference to the appended diagrammatic drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fishplate according to the invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of two ends of cable tray sections connected by means of two fishplates according to the invention,

FIG. 3 shows a splint according to the invention during assembly thereof,

FIG. 4 is a detail view showing a top view of the locking of a fishplate according to the invention on an end weft thread of a section of cable tray,

FIG. 5 is a view similar to the view of FIG. 4 with a larger diameter weft yarn,

FIG. 6 is a view corresponding to the views of FIGS. 4 and 5 for an alternative embodiment of a splice according to the invention,

FIG. 7 is a sectional view along section line VII-VII of FIG. 2, and

Figure 8 is a view similar to that of Figure 7 for a cable tray having a larger diameter wire edge. Figure 1 shows a splint according to the invention. The latter comprises a bottom 2, an upper lateral wing 4 and a lower lateral wing 6.

The bottom 2 of the splint has an elongated shape. The upper 4 and lower 6 lateral wings extend substantially perpendicular to the bottom 2 from a longitudinal edge of this bottom. Both wings 4 and 6 are both oriented on the same side of the bottom 2.

The bottom 2 has a concave shape, the concavity being on the same side as the lateral wings 4 and 6. In its center, the bottom 2 has a first zone 2A substantially square and flat. On each side of this first zone 2A extends a lateral zone 2B or 2C. These two lateral zones 2B, 2C are symmetrical with respect to the first zone 2A. Each of these lateral zones 2B, 2C has the shape of a rectangle trapezium. The side of the trapezium perpendicular to the bases of the trapezium is on the side of the upper wing 4. The large base of the trapezium is each time oriented towards the first zone 2A while the small base forms the free end of the bottom 2 of the splint. The lateral zones 2B, 2C are furthermore slightly inclined so as to give a concavity at the bottom 2.

The upper lateral wing 4 is substantially flat. Its width is maximum at the first zone 2A and decreases when approaching the ends of the splice.

Two notches 8 are formed in the upper lateral wing 4 at the first zone 2A of the bottom of the eclipse. Each of these notches 8 opens into the free edge of the upper lateral flange 4 opposite the bottom 2 and extends substantially to the bottom 2. These notches 8 extend transversely with respect to the upper lateral flange 4 and the bottom of the notch is approximately rounded. These slots are intended to receive a weft wire of a cable tray and their shapes and dimensions are adapted to the shapes and dimensions of the son to accommodate.

The two notches 8 of the upper lateral wing 4 define between them a separation tab 10 and spacing.

Note in the accompanying drawings that the upper lateral flange 4 carries, at each end of the splice, a hooking means constituted by a curved tongue subsequently called ear 12. Each of the ears 12 is bent, starting the free edge of the upper lateral flange 4 on the one hand outwardly of the splint and on the other hand towards the bottom 2 thereof. It is considered here that the inside of the splint substantially corresponds to the space delimited by the bottom 2 and the lateral wings 4, 6 of the splice. These lugs 12 are made symmetrically near the two ends of the upper lateral wing 4. The lower side wing 6 follows the corresponding longitudinal edge of the bottom 2 of the eclisse and thus has a substantially bowl-shaped concavity of which is on the same side as the bottom 2 (and the upper side wing 4). Like the upper lateral wing 4, the lower lateral wing 6 has at the level of the first zone 2A of the bottom 2 of the splice two notches 14. The notches 14 are substantially similar to the notches 8 and face those this. There is also between the notches 14 a separation tab 16 and spacing.

Like the upper lateral wing 4, the lower lateral wing 6 has a maximum width in the center of the splice, that is to say at the first zone 2A of the bottom 2 of the splice and a less width at the ends of the splint.

The lower lateral wing 6, that is to say the wing opposite to that carrying the attachment means, carries a locking tongue 18. This tongue is disposed at the edge of a notch 14 and extends, in a first position, substantially perpendicular to this notch 14. Thus, the locking tongue, in this first position, allows free access to the corresponding notch. This tongue 18 can be folded so as to partially close the corresponding notch. FIG. 2 illustrates the use of two fishplates such as that illustrated in FIG. 1. These two fishplates connect two sections 20 of a cable tray. In a conventional manner, each of the sections 20 is in the form of a chute and comprises longitudinal wires called warp yarns 22 and transverse yarns known as weft yarns. In a conventional manner, each section 20 has at its end a weft yarn 24. Similarly, a chain wire 22, also called edge wire 26 connects the ends of all the weft son 24. The ribs are mounted on these edge son 26. This cable tray has a bottom panel and two side panels (or flanks). The side panels are here of low height so that they have only one warp which is the edge wire 26.

In the mounted position, it is noted that the edge son 26 come to take place in the ears 12. The weft son 24 at the ends of the sections 20 of the raceway come for their housing in the notches 8 and 14. The locking tongue 18 is folded so as to close the opening of the corresponding notch 14. The separation tabs 10, 16 maintain a spacing between the weft son 24 placed at the ends of the cable tray sections 20.

Note in Figure 2 that the bottom 2 of the fishplates is inside the cable tray. The curved shape of this bottom is oriented so that the convex portion of the bottom 2 is located inside the raceway.

Thus, when cables are placed in the cable tray, the splice has no aggressive edge vis-à-vis these cables.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example of mounting a splint of FIG. 1 on the ends of two cableway sections 20 placed end to end in order to connect these two sections 20. As illustrated in FIG. 3, when the sections 20 are placed end to end, one in alignment with the other, the ears 12 can be each hooked on a wire 26 so that the ears 12 are oriented towards the inside of the path of cables and that the bottom of the splice is above the cable tray (it is assumed here that the edge wires are in the upper position with respect to the cable tray). Note well in this figure, as well as in Figure 2, how the ears 12 cooperate with the edge son 26 in the manner of a hook. The splint is then pivoted towards the inside of the cable tray, the lugs 12 remaining attached to the edge wires 26. An arrow 28 in FIG. 3 indicates the direction of rotation of the splice. The latter is rotated until the weft yarns 24 at the end of the sections 20 arrive at the bottom of the notches 8 and 14. The locking tab 18 can then be folded to imprison the corresponding weft yarn 24. The splice and put in place makes a connection of great rigidity. It is of course necessary, to obtain this high rigidity, to mount a splice on each side of the cable tray, that is to say on each of the edge wires. The fishplates then prevent any bending of the cable tray sections around a transverse axis. These bends are prevented on the one hand by the support points made at the ears of the splint and on the other hand by the support points at the notches of these splints.

Figures 4 and 5 show in plan view and on an enlarged scale two notches 14 of a splint. Weft yarns 24 are introduced into these notches. Note that the separation tab 16 maintains a minimum spacing corresponding to the width of this tab between the weft son 24. The locking tab 18 is shown in solid lines in its position for the insertion of the weft son 24 in the notches 14 and in dotted lines in its folded position preventing the removal of weft son 24 notches 14. As can be seen, it is sufficient here to lock a single weft thread 24 to keep the splice on the cable tray.

Figure 6 illustrates an embodiment with two locking tabs. The tabs are shown here in their folded locking position. Figure 5 illustrates the use of the splice with weft yarns 24 of greater diameter. The view of Figure 5 corresponds to the view of Figure 4. Note that the tab can not take its fully folded position of locking shown in dashed lines. To allow a good use with these weft son of larger diameter, it is noted that an edge 30 of the locking tongue 18 edge being on the side of the bottom of the corresponding notch 14, is inclined to be able to adapt at various diameters of the weft threads.

Figures 7 and 8 also illustrate how the splice described above can accommodate warp son of different diameters. Figure 7 illustrates the mounting of a splice on a cable tray using wires of a first diameter and Figure 8 is a similar view for a cable tray using wires of larger diameter. It is noted here that the radius of curvature of the curved tongue forming the lug 12 determines the maximum diameter of the longitudinal edge son on which the corresponding splint can be mounted. Similarly, as mentioned above, the notches of the splice define the maximum permissible diameter for the weft son. FIGS. 7 and 8 show that, depending on the diameters of the wires of the cable tray, the bottom 2 of the splice is more or less inclined with respect to the branches of the weft wires 24.

The above description relates to a preferred embodiment of a splint allowing an unscrewed connection of two cable tray sections of reduced height. The splice is here made only with the help of a warp (and of course two weft threads) while guaranteeing good rigidity to the connection made. The installation of the splice can be done without tools. For locking only, a clamp (or other suitable tool) must be provided to fold down the locking tab described.

Such a fishplate, intended essentially to assemble cable trays to a single sidewall, can also be used as splice on a cable tray having several flanks son or as a splint. This splice described above also has the advantage of having no aggressive edge vis-à-vis the cables in the cable tray on which it is mounted. No damage to the cables is therefore to be feared at the splices when they are put in place in the cable tray. The splint described can be described as universal. It has been seen that it adapts on the one hand to sections of cable trays of various heights and on the other hand to cable trays using warp and weft wires of various diameters.

Of course, the present invention is not limited to the preferred embodiment described above by way of non-limiting example. It also relates to all the variants within the scope of those skilled in the art within the scope of the claims below.

Thus, various shapes can be envisaged for the splint. The bottom first can be a flat bottom. Such background may be aggressive vis-à-vis the cables intended to take place in the raceway. A rounded end could solve this problem.

The presence of separating and / or spacing tabs is advantageous, but it would not depart from the scope of the invention by eliminating them. The described splint is substantially symmetrical. A non-symmetrical shape could be just as suitable.

The trapezoidal shape of the lateral parts of the bottom could be replaced by many other forms, rectangular, triangular or other. Other forms may also be envisaged for the attachment means formed by the ears described above.

It is also possible to provide a splice according to the invention for a single wire diameter. In this case, locking means can be deleted. For example, jamming of the weft threads in the corresponding notches.

In cases where locking is performed, other locking means than those described above can also be envisaged. It is thus possible for example to provide a snap of the weft son in the notches.

The splice described above can be made by cutting and folding a sheet. It is made in one piece. A splint in several parts, for example with separate attachment means, may also be considered.

Claims

1. Connecting plate for a cable tray for connecting two sections (20) placed end to end of this cable tray, each section (20) of cable tray comprising on the one hand chain son (22). , 26) longitudinal and second weft son (24) transverse, characterized in that it comprises an elongated bottom (2), a lateral wing said upper wing (4) extending substantially perpendicular to the bottom (2). ) from a first longitudinal edge thereof, as well as a lateral wing, said lower wing (6) extending substantially perpendicularly to the bottom (2) from the longitudinal edge opposite the first longitudinal edge, in that each of the two wings (4, 6) has at least one notch (8, 14) opening in the free edge of the corresponding wing (4, 6), the two notches (8, 14) facing each other, and in that that the upper lateral wing (4) comprises on either side of its notch (8) means of ac stalling (12) for cooperating with a warp yarn (26) of a cable tray section (20).

Connecting splice according to claim 1, characterized in that each flange (4, 6) has two neighboring notches (8, 14) separated from one another by a spacer tongue (10, 16).

Connecting splice according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the notches (8, 14) formed in the upper (4) and lower (6) flanges are substantially in a central position relative to the bottom ( 2) the splint.

4. Connection splice according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the attachment means comprise a tongue (12) extending from the free edge of the upper flange (4) opposite the bottom ( 2) of the splint curved towards the bottom (2) of the splint, the tongue (12) being curved towards the outside of the splice, that is to say the side opposite the wing lower (6).

5. Connecting plate according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the attachment means (12) are arranged near the ends of réclisse.

6. connecting plate according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that locking means (18) are associated with a notch (14).

7. connecting plate according to claim 6, characterized in that said locking means are associated with a notch (14) formed in the lower side wing (6).

8. Connecting plate according to one of claims 6 or 7, characterized in that the locking means comprise a locking tab (18) foldable from a first position in which it leaves free access to the notch (14). ) to which it is associated to a second position in which it at least partially closes said notch (14).

Connecting splice according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the bottom (2) of the splint is of concave shape, the concavity being on the same side as the wings (4, 6) of the splint.