GB2299220A

GB2299220A - Trunking connector

Info

Publication number: GB2299220A
Application number: GB9605655A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Neil George John Hamilton
Original assignee: Thorsman and Co AB
Current assignee: Thorsman and Co AB
Priority date: 1995-03-18
Filing date: 1996-03-18
Publication date: 1996-09-25
Anticipated expiration: 2016-03-18
Also published as: GB2299220B; GB9605655D0; GB9505519D0

Abstract

A component for covering the corner connection of trunking sections comprising a channel section with returned edges 10A, 10B and a cover plate (not shown), comprises side plates 18 and an outer cover plate 16 attachable to the side plates along two adjacent sides, wherein access to the trunking interior is provided from different sides according to the manner in which the sections are connected. Gusseted side plates may be used (Figures 5 to 8), and the outer cover may be flat (Figure 4 & 8), or cover an inside bend (Figure 7), according to the disposition of the channel openings.

Description

TITLE: Trunking DESCRIPTION This invention concerns trunking, especially cable trunking, and, in particular, concerns components for connecting lengths of trunking.

Trunking is generally used as a pathway for cables, so that the cables are both hidden and protected. It is important that the trunking allows inspection of the cables, especially where cables are under stress, say when bent round corners.

To connect lengths of trunking at corners different, special components are provided depending on whether or not the corner is to be gussetted and whether inspection access is to be provided on the inside or outside of the corner or from the side. Thus, for a right angled non-gussetted corner three different components are manufactured and similarly for a gussetted corner.

An object of this invention is to provide a component for connecting lengths of trunking at a corner, whereby inspection access can be provided in different positions from a single basic component.

According to the present invention there is provided a trunking component for connecting sections of trunking at a corner at right angles, whereby access to the trunking interior can be provided from different sides according to the manner in which the trunking sections are connected to the component.

The component of the invention is particularly suitable for square section trunking especially of the type comprising a channel section with returned edges and a cover plate.

The preferred component has a pair of side plates and a cover attachable to the side plates along two adjacent sides thereof. The preferred side plates are generally rectangular, although in one preferred embodiment one corner thereof may be removed to provide an angled side for a gussetted trunking connection. The preferred cover is L-shaped and preferably has turned over sides through which the cover may be attached to the side plates, say by means of screws.

For a gussetted corner connection the component may be provided with an inner cover that is securable to the side plates of the components to be substantially flush with the angled sides of the side plates as mentioned above.

The side plates preferably have tabs extending therefrom, whereby they are securable to a trunking section or cover therefor. The inner and outer covers preferably also have tabs for the same purpose.

The trunking sections may be connected to the components of the invention in different ways. By having the open side of the trunking sections on the outside of the corner, the cover of the component may be used as a removable lid for access to the interior of the trunking. By reversing the trunking sections so that their open side is on the inside of the corner, the trunking covers may be used as removable lids for access to the interior of the trunking. Or in the case of a gussetted component, the inner cover is the removable lid. By having the open-sides of the trunking sections on the same side as a side plate of the component, the component side plate may be used as a removable lid for access to the interior of the trunking.

This invention will now be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a right angle trunking connection with an outside lid; Figure 2 shows the connection of Figure 1 assembled; Figure 3 shows a right angle trunking connection with an inside lid; Figure 4 shows a right angle trunking connection with a top lid; Figure 5 shows a gussetted right angle trunking connection with an outside lid; Figure 6 shows the connection of Figure 5 assembled.

Figure 7 shows a gussetted right angle trunking connection with an inside lid; and Figure 8 shows a gussetted right angle trunking connection with a top lid.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings, two lengths of square section return edge cable trunking 10A and 10B are connected at right angles by a component 12 in such a way that access to the interior of the trunking is possible via the outside corner of the connection. The trunking is shown without its usual cover in both drawings.

The component 12 comprises two side plates 14A and B and a cover 16.

The side plates 14 have a main square section 18 and a pair of tabs 20 extending from adjacent edges of the main section 18. The tabs 20 are slightly offset but parallel to the main section 18. That enables the tabs to be secured inside the trunking with the main section aligned with the trunking faces to which the tabs are secured. The tabs 20 are provided with captive nuts or are tapped to receive fixing screws through the trunking.

The cover 16 has an L-shaped main section 26 and has at opposite ends tabs 28 again slightly offset inwards but parallel to the part of the section 26 from which they extend. Sides of the main section are turned over to provide fixing flanges 30 and 32 on both sides.

The tabs 28 and flanges 30 and 32 all have captive nuts on their inner faces or are tapped to receive fixing screws through, in the case of the tabs 28, covers for the trunking and, in the case of the flanges 30 and 32, the side plates 14.

The cover 16 forms a lid for the trunking junction which is on the outside of the corner. The lid is removable to allow inspection of the interior of the junction from that outside corner.

The component 12 can also be used to form a right angle connection between lengths of return edge cable trunking by fitting the component in a different way.

As shown in Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings, the side plates 14A and 14B of component 12 are fastened to the cover 16 by means of screws to form the same assembly as shown in Figure 1 except that the trunking lengths are fastened to the side plates 14A and 14B the opposite way around. In other words instead of cover plates 42A and 42B for the trunking being on the outside of the junction, they are on the inside.

Inspection of the interior of the junction can, therefore, be carried out from the inside of the cover junction by removal of one or both of the trunking cover plates 42A and 42B.

Turning to Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings, the component 12 can be used to provide a bottom or side lid configuration. In this case trunking lengths 60A and 60B are joined to the component 12 so that their open faces are on the same side as one of the side plates 14A. In other words one of the side plates 14A and the trunking cover plates (not shown) are in the same plane. An additional L-shaped bracket 62 is provided on the inside of the corner to connect the two trunking lengths by means of screws through the trunking into tapped holes of the bracket. This allows the side plate 14A to be removed by taking out the screws securing it to the cover 16 and to the trunking cover plates via tabs 28 either with or without the trunking cover plates removed. Thus, inspection of the interior of the trunking junction is possible from the top, bottom or side of the junction depending on how it is orientated.

Thus, the one component 12 can be used to form three different types of right angle trunking connections with inspection facilities depending on where the trunking connection is to be positioned.

Referring to Figures 5 and 8 of the accompanying drawings, a component 112 is used to form gussetted right angle trunking connections. As with the previous embodiments two lengths of square section return edge cable trunking 100A and 100B are connected by the component 112 in three different ways to provide three different means of inspection.

The component 112 comprises a pair of side plates 114A and 114B and outer cover 116 and an inner cover 118. The side plates 114A and 114B have a main section that is generally rectangular but with one corner removed to provide an angled side 120 joining sides 122 and 124 which are at right angles to each other.

Extending from each of sides 122 and 124 are tabs 126.

The tabs 126 are parallel to and slightly inwards of the plates 114.

The outer cover 116 is generally right-angled and has a tab 128 at each end, which tabs are parallel to and slightly inwards of the cover. Side edges 130 of the cover 116 are turned inwards at right angles.

The inner cover 118 has a main rectangular section 132 with one pair of side edges 134 turned over at right angles thereto. From the other pair of side edges extend tabs 136 that are angled relative to the main section 132, so that when the main section is lined up with the angled sides 120 of the side plates 114, the tabs 136 are in line to be secured to a trunking face or cover. The inner cover 118 forms the corner gussett.

The tabs 128 and 136 and the side edges 130 and 134 have capture nuts on the inner faces or are tapped to receive securing screws.

Trunking sections and the component 112 may be assembled in different ways. In Figures 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings, the assembly has an outer removable lid provided by the outer cover 116 of the component 112. In this case, the trunking sections 100A and 100B are connected to the side plates 114A and B (themselves joined by inner cover 118) with their open sides, to which cover plates (not shown) are usually fitted to the outside of the junction. The outer cover 116 which is secured by screws to the side plates 114A and 114B and to the trunking cover plates may be removed readily by taking out those screws.

Turning to Figure 7 of the accompanying drawings, the trunking sections 100A and 100B are turned round through 1800 relative to the arrangement of Figure 4, so that the inner cover 118 becomes the removable lid for the junction.

Finally, in Figure 8 of the accompanying drawings, the trunking sections are turned through a further 900 relative to the arrangement of Figure 5, so that their open sides are as the same side as a cover plate 114. The cover plate 114 then becomes the removable lid allowing inspection from the side, top or bottom of the junction depending on the orientation thereof.

Thus, for a gussetted right angle cable trunking connection, three different arrangements are possible with the one component.

Claims

1. A trunking component for connecting sections of trunking at a corner at right angles, wherein access to the trunking interior is provided from different sides according to the manner in which the trunking sections are connected to the component.

2. A component as claimed in claim 1, having a pair of side plates and a cover attachable to the side plates along two adjacent sides thereof.

3. A component as claimed in claim 2, wherein the side plates are generally rectangular.

4. A component as claimed in claim 2, wherein the side plates are generally rectangular with one corner removed to provide an angled side for a gussetted trunking connection.

5. A component as claimed in claim 2, 3 or 4, wherein the cover is L-shaped.

6. A component as claimed in claim 5, wherein the cover has turned over sides through which the cover is attachable to the side plates.

7. A component as claimed in claim 4 or 5 or 6 when appendant to claim 4 having an inner cover securable to the side plates to be substantially flush with the angled sides of the side plates.

8. A component as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein the side plates have tabs extending therefrom, whereby they are securable to a trunking section or cover therefor.

9. A component as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 8, wherein the outer cover has tabs extending therefrom, whereby it is securable to a trunking section or cover therefor.

10. A component as claimed in claim 7 or 8 or 9 when appendant to claim 7, wherein the inner cover has tabs extending therefrom, whereby it is securable to a trunking section or cover therefor.

11. A component as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, for connection to square section trunking comprising a channel section with returned edges and a cover plate.

12. A trunking system having a corner comprising a trunking component as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11 and two lengths of trunking connected thereto, wherein the open sides of the trunking lengths are on the outside of the corner.

13. A trunking system having a corner comprising a trunking component as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11 and two lengths of trunking connected thereto, wherein the open sides of the trunking lengths are on the inside of the corner.

14. A trunking system having a corner comprising a trunking component as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11 and two lengths of trunking connected thereto, wherein the open sides of the trunking lengths are on the same side as a side plate of the component.

15. A trunking corner component substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in any one of Figures 1 to 4 or 5 to 8 of the accompanying drawings.

16. A trunking system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in any one of the accompanying drawings.