EP2171818A1

EP2171818A1 - Cable routing device

Info

Publication number: EP2171818A1
Application number: EP08826533A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Frank Chauzu; René CHAUZU
Original assignee: CQFD Composites SARL
Current assignee: CQFD Composites SARL
Priority date: 2007-06-20
Filing date: 2008-06-16
Publication date: 2010-04-07
Also published as: FR2917912A1; RU2010101678A; CN101689756B; IN2009DN08246A; US20100181438A1; JP2010530728A; CA2691035A1; FR2917912B1; RU2479901C2; WO2009013399A1; CN101689756A; BRPI0813155A2

Abstract

The invention relates to a cable routing device intended, in particular, for the routing and distribution of electric cables, having an elongate structure (1) with a U-shaped cross-section, formed by the assembly of two side posts (3) forming the arms of the U and a base (2) forming the base of the U. The side posts (3) and the base (2) are made substantially from a composite material and/or a reinforced plastic material and at least one side post (3) is pivot-mounted to the base (2) about an axis of rotation (30) by means of at least one hinge (4). The invention also includes snap-coupling means and abutment means capable of locking the side post perpendicularly to the base (2) by rotational force.

Description

Cable routing device

The present invention has for objec a cable routing device for more paruculiiemeπc the routing and distribution of electric cables.

Current cable runs include; an elongated U-shaped cross-sectional structure, inside which the cables are laid and possibly fixed, and made either from an assembly of metal elements forming a bottom and lateral uprights, commonly called "ladders". cables', intended to support cables weighing approximately 100 kg / m with support distances of the order of 3 to 4 meters, either in the form of a single-piece structure made of solid or perforated sheet metal or still well in welded mesh, commonly called "cable trays", intended to support cables with a weight of the order of 30 kg / m with support distances of the order of 1 to 2 meters.

These structures consist of several constituent elements connected end-to-end, installed generally horizontally and having a sufficient rigidity to support the weight of the cables, without excessive bending.

However, these cable routing devices occupy a large volume during storage and transportation to the area of their installation, resulting in high logistical costs. To overcome these drawbacks, lattice metal cable tray devices are known, the lateral uprights of which are hinged to the bottom of the structure so as to be able to place the cable tray in a flat or L-shaped configuration for its stack storage. structures on top of each other or in a U-shaped configuration, that is to say with the uprights perpendicular to the bottom for its installation on site. However, in order to maintain the articulated cable path in its U configuration for installation on site, it is necessary to manually place or operate blocking elements at right angles or in the form of rings at each mesh of the trellis between them. side uprights and the bottom which makes the operation tedious and expensive in assembly time.

In addition, the wire rope routing devices have a high weight and may have sharp edges, after cutting, which damage the cables or injure the installers. Moreover, they are electrically conductive, which requires connecting each element of the cable routing device to the ground which greatly increases the installation costs. The present invention aims to overcome these disadvantages by providing a cable routing device for easily and quickly transform the cable tray device from a planar configuration or L of interest for its manufacture or for its storage and its transport to a U-configuration for on-site installation.

The cable routing device according to the present invention is intended more particularly for the routing and distribution of electrical cables and has an elongate U-shaped cross section formed of an assembly of two lateral uprights forming the branches of the U and a bottom forming the base of the U and is essentially characterized in that the lateral uprights and the bottom are made substantially from a composite material and / or a reinforced plastic material and in that at least one lateral upright is pivotally mounted being articulated at the bottom around an axis of rotation by means of at least one hinge and in that it comprises means for snapping and abutment means capable of immobilizing said lateral upright perpendicular to said bottom under the action of its rotation.

According to the present invention the cable routing device will comprise at least one locking stop constituting an obstacle to the rotation of the pivoting lateral upright prohibiting its rotation beyond an angle of

90 ° with the bottom and at least one non-return stop snapping into engagement and preventing rotation of the lateral post opening.

Still in accordance with the present invention the locking stop may also come into latching engagement. In this case and in a first embodiment of the latching means the latter consist of lugs each intended to cooperate by snapping at the same time with a locking stop and a non-return stop.

In a second embodiment of the snap-fastening means, these consist of notches intended to snap into each other as the pivoting lateral jamb blocking in the opening is rotated, that is, that is to say towards the outside of the cable tray, at each index of rotation, said lateral upright pivoting in an angular position.

In a third embodiment of the latching means, these consist of at least one flexible tongue in flexion so that when the pivoting lateral upright is rotated, when it is at an angle of about 90.degree. bottom, said tongue undergoing, without rupture, an elastic deformation and is engaged by snapping its free edge against the surface of a non-return stop. The tongue may be positioned relative to its free edge so as to work in compression or traction

Still in accordance with the present invention the articulation between the bottom and the lateral pivotable upright can be achieved through a plurality of hinges each forming a hinge point about the axis of rotation common or not to all of said hinges.

A hinge will consist of a lateral extension of the bottom enclosed in a window made in the lateral upright, joined together around the axis of rotation, allowing rotation of the lateral pivoting post.

A lateral extension may have a hook shape intended to engage on the axis of rotation during assembly of the cable tray.

In a first embodiment of a lateral amount, it will be made in one piece by profiling.

In a second embodiment of a lateral upright, it will be made from an assembly of at least two rods rigidly connected to each other by connecting pieces and the connecting pieces may be overmoulded on the rods or welded around the stems.

The rods will preferably be made by profiling from a composite material reinforced with continuous fibers while the connecting pieces will be made by molding from a plastic material reinforced or not with staple fibers.

Advantageously, one of the two rods of the pivoting lateral upright will form the axis of rotation of the pivoting lateral upright. Each connecting piece may include a window which will be extended by an inverted U-shaped cage whose branches will be flared and enclose the lateral extensions so that the phase of engagement of the lateral extensions in the cage is done with play and that the tightening between said branches and the lateral extensions increases as the rotation of the lateral pivoting pillar increases to become total and without play when the angle of the lateral pivotable upright is close to 90 ° with the bottom corresponding to the angle of snap blocking the pivoting amount perpendicular to said bottom.

In a first embodiment of the bottom, it is an assembly made in one piece, solid or openwork. In a second embodiment of the bottom, it consists of a succession of bars perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the cable tray and the lateral extensions of the bottom are formed by the free ends of said bars. The bars may be made in one piece by compression molding or by injection or assembly of a body portion and at least one reported end portion forming the lateral extension. The bars advantageously include orifices for fixing the cables

The bars may include lateral stabilizers bearing on a surface of the lateral pivoting upright for locking the bars perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the cable tray and to avoid any longitudinal deformation of the latter during use. The bars may have an omega cross section, the two lateral legs may advantageously be at the end of the bars bearing surfaces intended to come into contact with a surface of the lateral upright.

The advantages and characteristics of the present invention will emerge more clearly from the description which follows and which refers to the appended drawings, which represent non-limiting embodiments thereof.

FIG. 1 represents a perspective view of a cable routing in one embodiment of the lateral amounts by assembly according to the present invention.

- Figure 2 shows a perspective view of a cable path according to the present invention in the embodiment of Figure 1 in the assembly situation.

FIG. 3 represents a perspective view of a bar constituting the bottom of the cable routing according to the present invention; FIG. 4 represents a cross-sectional view of a cable routing according to the present invention as represented in FIG. 1

FIG. 5 represents a perspective view of a bar in the inverted position of a cable tray according to the present invention provided with notches at its free ends in the form of a hook; FIG. 6 represents a cross-sectional view of a path; of cables according to the present invention provided with a bar described in Figure 5 - Figure 7 shows a perspective view of a lateral amount of a cable tray according to the present invention in one embodiment of the side uprights made in one piece. FIG. 8 represents a cross-sectional view of the cable tray according to the present invention shown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 represents a perspective view of the cable tray described in FIG. 8 in an assembly situation

FIG. 10 represents a perspective view of a cable tray described in FIG. 7 in a variant of one of the longitudinal edges of the lateral uprights;

- Figure 11 shows a perspective view of a bar provided with a latching lug at each of its free ends. Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, it can be seen that a cable routing device according to the present invention has an elongate structure 1 of U cross-section and comprises a bottom 2 and two lateral uprights 3 made substantially from a composite material or a reinforced plastics material.

The lateral uprights 3 are pivotally mounted about an axis of rotation 30, parallel to the longitudinal axis 1 'of the cable tray, defining the junction line between the bottom 2 and the lateral uprights 3. To ensure the pivoting of the uprights 3 lateral to the bottom 2 of the hinges 4 are secured along the lateral sides of the bottom 2 - and constitute a multiplicity of points of articulation between the lateral uprights 3 and the bottom 2.

It can be seen that the bottom 2 consists of a succession of bars 20, spaced regularly, perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 1 of the cable path 1 27 and the axes of rotation 30, which bars 20 are secured to the lateral uprights 3 by their free ends 20 '.

A lateral upright 3 consists of two parallel rods 31 made preferably of composite material and interconnected by connecting pieces 32 of generally rectangular shape spaced regularly and located in the plane formed by the two rods 31 straight. A connecting piece 32 is made from a reinforced plastic material and has at each of its ends a transverse orifice 33 intended to receive respectively the rods 31 straight, one of which materializes the axis of rotation 30 of the lateral upright 3 with the bottom 2

It can also be seen that each connecting piece 32 comprises, at the level of the transverse orifice intended to be traversed by the rod 31 forming the axis of rotation 30 of the lateral upright 3, a window 34 making it possible to enclose the free end 20 'of a bar 20 in the window 34 around the rod 31 so as to ensure the articulation between the bottom 2 and the lateral upright 3.

Note that the connecting pieces 32 advantageously have a recessed geometry to save material while providing preferred areas of attachment for fixing electrical accessories such as junction boxes. They have not elsewhere a width, in the longitudinal direction of the cable routing, sufficient to provide a rigid connection, little deformable between the rods 31 and which has the effect of reducing the distance between two connecting pieces 32 consecutive thus limiting the deformations undergone by the rods 31 when the cable routing is in charge.

Referring now to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, it can be seen that a bar 20 comprises two hook-shaped free ends 20 'intended to be engaged during assembly, as can also be seen in FIG. 2, in the window 34 of the corresponding connecting piece 32 about the axis of rotation 30 represented by FIG. a rod section 31 passing through the window 34 of the connecting piece 32. The unclosed space 21 'of the hook 20' will be determined so as to allow engagement on the section of the axis of rotation 30 passing through the window 34 by snap-fastening in order to reinforce the fastening of the bars 20 to the lateral uprights 3 during their assembly.

One end 20 'comprises two lateral stabilizers 21 capable of bearing against the connecting piece 32 on either side of the window 34 in annular grooves 34' preventing any lateral inclination of the bar 20, in particular under the effect of external constraints during the introduction and pulling of the electrical cables which avoids any longitudinal deformation of the cable routing 1 installed.

It can also be seen that the upper outer face of one end 20 'of a bar 20 has two internal stops 22 and outer 23, the outer stop 23 consisting of a vertical wall 23' perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the bar 20 and the plane containing the bottom 2 and the inner abutment 22 consisting of a horizontal surface 24 parallel to the longitudinal axis of the bar 20 and a vertical surface 24 'reinforcing the abutment function of the horizontal surface 24.

The internal stop 22 constitutes an obstacle to the rotation of the lateral upright 3 preventing its rotation beyond a 90 ° angle with the bottom 2 when a bearing surface 36 of the connecting pieces 32 abuts against the surface horizontal 24 of the internal stop 22. The external abutment 23 constitutes a non-return abutment intended to snap-fit when the lateral upright 3 pivots towards the bottom 2 and is in an angular position of approximately 90 ° with the bottom 2, a bearing surface 37 d a connecting piece 32 preventing the rotation of the lateral upright 3 opening with the bottom 2 that is to say towards the outside of the cable path as indicated by A.

The bearing surface 37 is formed by the end surface of a tongue 35 flexibly flexural and resistant to buckling, formed in the window 34 of a connecting piece 32 substantially perpendicular to the plane of the connecting piece 32 The tongue 35 is intended to engage by snapping on the outer stop 23.

It can also be seen that a window 34 made in a connecting piece 32 is extended by an inverted U-shaped cage 5 and whose limbs 50 are flared and enclose the side walls 25, which are also flared at an identical inclination. 20 'ends of the bars 20 so that the phase of engagement of the ends of the bars in the cage is done with clearance and that the clamping between said branches 50 and the side walls 25 is progressive during the rotation of the lateral upright 3 for become total and without play when the angle of the latter is close to 90 ° with the bottom 2 at the time of snapping of the tongue 35 thus eliminating any lateral movement of the bars 20 after snapping.

The tongue 35 is secured at one of its ends to the front edge of the base of the U forming the roof 52 of the cage 5, the outer surface of the front edge 51 constituting an abutment surface intended to come into contact with the vertical surface. 24 'of the inner abutment 22 of the corresponding bar 20 to reinforce the locking of the rotation beyond a 90 ° angle between the lateral upright 3 and the bottom 2. A lateral upright 3 thus forms, from a mechanical point of view, because of the properties of the various materials chosen, the composite and the reinforced plastics material, their geometry and their positioning, a rigid recessed beam in vertical bending having a much higher inertia than the sum of the inertia of the elements composing it. An amount thus achieved retains a relative lateral flexibility allowing the cable paths to adapt by slight deformation to the constraints of installation on site. Furthermore, this combination of materials resulting from different manufacturing processes makes it possible to obtain both flexible zones 35 that are adapted to deform by snapping while at the same time generally maintaining high rigidity of the lateral uprights 3 because of the straight rods 30 made from a pultruded composite material and located at the locations of the most important mechanical stresses experienced by the path of cables in charge.

Referring to Figure 5 and Figure 6 can be seen a bar 20 whose ends 20 'hook-shaped are engaged on a round rod 31 and have on their inner side a series of notches 26 for cooperating with complementary notches 36 made on the outer face of the axis of rotation 31 so as to form a circular rack whose notches 23,36 are snapped into each other as the rotation of the lateral upright 3 inwardly of the structure 1, in the direction of B, blocking at each index of rotation said lateral upright 3 in a given angular position until the angle between the lateral upright 3 pivoting and the bottom 2 is equal at about 90 °. It can also be seen that a window 34 made in a connecting piece 32 has at its upper edge a ruler 38 which extends perpendicularly to the connecting piece 32 and which is intended to abut against the outer surface of the bottom. 2 when the lateral amount 3 reaches an angle of 90 ° with the bottom 2 preventing the lateral upright 3 from pivoting beyond this angle towards the inside of the structure 1 while the notches 26, 37 prevent the lateral upright 3 from pivoting in the opposite direction towards the outside the structure 1.

FIG. 7, FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 show a structure 1 comprising two lateral uprights 6 made in one piece by profiling, each of which is in the form of an elongated rectangular panel comprising windows 60 intended to receive the free ends. 20 'hook-shaped bars 20 constituting the bottom 2 of the structure 1.

One 61 of the longitudinal edges of each lateral upright 6 is rounded and forms the axis of rotation 30 around which pivots the lateral upright 6. The lateral edge 61 delimits one of the sides of the windows 60, on which the ends are engaged. free 20 'of the bars 20 of the bottom 2 locked in the windows 60 so as to secure the lateral uprights 6 to the bottom 2, as can be seen in Figure 9, and to allow the pivoting of the lateral uprights 6 about the axis of rotation 30 relative to the bottom 2.

Maintaining the lateral uprights 6 in an angular position perpendicular to the bottom 2 is achieved by a tongue 63 secured perpendicularly and longitudinally to the inner face of the lateral uprights 6 to snap, when the lateral upright 6 is an angle of about 90 ° with the bottom 2, by its longitudinal free edge 64 on a non-return stop 27 made in a block 28 surmounting the outer face of the free ends 20 'of the bars 20 and preventing the lateral upright 6 from pivoting outwards towards the outside of the structure 1.

The block 28 further comprises a locking stop formed by a wall 29 perpendicular to the bar 20 against which abuts the inner wall of the lateral upright 6 when it is at a 90 ° angle with the bottom 2 preventing the latter to pivot in closing beyond this angle towards the interior of the structure 1. It can also be seen the bars 20 have in a variant of their embodiment an omega cross section integrating the stabilizers 21 at their free ends 20 ', which stabilizers 21 have a rounded shape to fit the circular shape of the longitudinal edge 61 of a lateral amount 6 on which they come in support to strengthen the stability of the structure.

Figure 10 shows a variant of the side posts 6 made in one piece, one of which 62 longitudinal edges forming the axis of rotation is semi-circular inside the structure 1 of the cable tray.

Referring now to FIG. 11, it can be seen that in a variant of the lateral upright 6 described in FIG. 7 and abutment and detent means, a free end 20 'of a bar 20 is surmounted by a block 28 consisting of a wall 29 perpendicular to the bar 20 and provided with a lug 7 having on the underside of its free edge a flange 70 beveled and intended to engage by snapping into a slot, not shown, practiced in the wall of the lateral upright 6 so that the edge of the slot is inserted between the rim 70 and the vertical wall 29 'which has the effect of blocking the lateral upright 6 in a position perpendicular to the bottom.

Claims

claims

1) Cable routing device intended more particularly for the routing and distribution of electrical cables having an elongate structure (1) of U cross section consisting of an assembly of two lateral uprights (3) forming the branches of the U and d a bottom (2) forming the base of the U characterized in that the lateral uprights (3) and the bottom (2) are made substantially from a composite material and / or a reinforced plastic material and that less a lateral upright (3) is pivotally mounted by being hinged to the bottom (2) around an axis of rotation (30) by at least one hinge (4) and in that it comprises latching means (35,26,63,7) and abutment means (22,23,38,29,27) capable of immobilizing said lateral upright perpendicular to said bottom (2) under the action of its rotation.

2) cable management device according to claim 1 characterized in that it comprises at least one locking stop (22,38,29) constituting an obstacle to the rotation of the lateral post (3) pivoting prohibiting its rotation beyond at a 90 ° angle to the bottom (2) and at least one non-return stop (23,26,27,70) snap-engaged and preventing rotation of the lateral post (3) in opening. 3) Cable routing device according to claim 2 characterized in that the locking stop also engages by latching.

4) A cable routing device according to claim 3 characterized in ^• that the latching means consist of lugs (7) each intended to cooperate by snapping at the same time with a locking stop and a non-return stop. 5) Cable routing device according to claim 2 characterized in that the latching means consist of a plurality of notches (26,37) intended to snap into each other as the rotation the lateral amount (3) pivoting blocking in opening at each index of rotation said lateral amount (3) pivoting in an angular position.

6) Cable routing device according to claim 2 characterized in that the latching means consist of at least one tongue (35) flexibly flexible so that when rotating the lateral post (3) pivoting, when the it makes an angle of about 90 ° with the bottom (2), said tongue (35) undergoing, without rupture, an elastic deformation and is engaged by snapping its free edge against the surface of a non-return stop (23).

7) Cable management device according to claim 6 characterized in that the tongue (35) will be positioned relative to its free edge so as to work in compression or traction

8) Cable management device according to any one of the preceding claims characterized in that the articulation between the bottom (2) and the lateral amount (3) pivoting is achieved through a plurality of hinges (4) each forming a point of articulation about the axis of rotation (30) common or not to all of said hinges (4).

9) Cable management device according to claim 8 characterized in that a hinge (4) consists of a lateral extension of the bottom (2) enclosed in a window formed in the lateral upright (3), joined together around the axis of rotation (30), allowing rotation of the lateral post (3) pivoting. 10) Cable management device according to claim 9 characterized in that a lateral extension

(20 ') has a hook shape intended to engage on the axis of rotation (30) during assembly of the cable tray (1).

11) Cable routing device according to any one of claims 1 to 10 characterized in that a lateral upright (3) is formed from an assembly of at least two rods (31) rigidly connected to each other by connecting pieces (32).

12) Cable routing device according to claim 11 characterized in that the connecting pieces (32) are overmolded on the rods (31) or welded around the rods (31). 13) Cable routing device according to claim 11 or claim 12 characterized in that the rods (31) are formed by profiling from a composite material reinforced with continuous fibers while the connecting pieces (32) are made by molding from a plastic material reinforced or not with staple fibers.

14) Cable routing device according to any one of claims 11 to 13 characterized in that one of the two rods (31) of the lateral amount (3) pivoting forms the axis of rotation (30).

15) Cable routing device according to any one of claims 10 to 14 characterized in that each connecting piece (32) comprises a window (34) which is extended by an inverted U-shaped cage (5) whose branches (50) are flared and enclose the lateral extensions so that the phase of engagement of the lateral extensions in the cage (5) is done with play and that the tightening between said legs (50) and the lateral extensions increases as the rotation of the lateral upright (3) pivots to become total and without play when the angle of the lateral upright (3) pivots close to 90 ° with the bottom (2) corresponding to the snap angle blocking the pivoting post (3) perpendicular to said bottom (2).

16) Cable routing device according to any one of the preceding claims characterized in that the bottom (2) is an assembly made in one piece, solid or openwork.

17) Cable routing device according to any one of claims 9 to 15 characterized in that the bottom (2) consists of a succession of bars (20) perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (1 ') of the path of cable (1) and in that the lateral extensions (20 ') of the bottom (2) are formed by the free ends of said bars (20).

18) Cable routing device according to claim 17 characterized in that the bars (20) are formed in one piece by compression molding or injection.

19) Cable routing device according to claim 18 characterized in that the bars (20) have orifices for fixing the cables. 20) A cable management device according to claim 17 characterized in that the bars (20) are made by assembling a body portion and at least one reported end portion forming the lateral extension. 21) Cable routing device according to any one of claims 17 to 20 characterized in that the bars comprise lateral stabilizers coming in bearing on a surface of the lateral pivotable upright for locking the bars (20) perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the cable tray and to avoid any longitudinal deformation of the latter during use. 22) Cable Trailer according to claim 21 characterized in that the bars (20) have a cross section omega whose two side legs (21) are at the end (20 ') of the bars (20) surfaces of support intended to come into contact with a surface of the lateral upright (3).