GB2307357A

GB2307357A - Support plate for a wire cable duct

Info

Publication number: GB2307357A
Application number: GB9623535A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michel Durin
Original assignee: Metal Deploye SA
Current assignee: Metal Deploye SA
Priority date: 1995-11-15
Filing date: 1996-11-12
Publication date: 1997-05-21
Anticipated expiration: 2016-11-12
Also published as: GB9623535D0; FR2741136B1; GB2307357B; FR2741136A1; CA2190387A1

Abstract

A plate 18 for attachment to a wire cable duct (10 Figures 1 and 2) includes a circular opening 20A which is intersected by another opening 20B of different radius. The plate receives a short length of conduit 19 in one of the openings according to size. Intersecting openings of three sizes may be provided (Figures 13 and 14). The plate comprises lugs 25 which can be bent over to secure the plate to the wires (11) of the duct (Figure 2), and has a line 30 of weakness so that upper portion 29 may be broken off (Figure 15). An auxiliary plate (50 Figures 16 and 17) may be attached to the plate 18 to receive a junction box (41 Figures 16 and 21).

Description

SPECIFICATION Junction suDDort. in Darticular for wire cable ducts The present invention is generally concerned with junction supports of the type used to guide and to protect one or more electrical cables withdrawn locally from a bundle of cables.

It is more particularly, although not exclusively, concerned with the situation in which, the bundle of cables being carried by a wire cable duct, a junction support of this kind is designed to be attached to the cable duct, in practice having its back against one of the side flanges of the latter.

Various arrangements have been used, depending on local practice.

In a first of these arrangements, the junction support is essentially designed to enable the installation, transversely to the cable duct, of a conduit for guiding and protecting the junction cable or cables.

It therefore essentially comprises a generally circular opening the same diameter as the conduit on which the latter can be installed, the conduit being fixed by means of a simple connector of a conventional type.

As a result, it is currently necessary to hold a stock of as many different type junction supports as there are possible conduit diameters, which increases the overall cost both for manufacturers and for installers.

Furthermore, at present junction supports of this type are usually bolted to a wire cable duct, so that the cable ducts have to be suitable for this method of fixing and the installer needs to hold a stock of the necessary nut and bolt and screw fasteners and clamping members.

In a second arrangement corresponding to a different local practice the junction support is essentially designed to allow a box to be fixed to the cable duct and the box is designed to allow the installation of the conduit needed to guide and to protect the diverted cable or cables.

In this case it therefore essentially comprises only a hole for the fixing member needed for fixing the box.

The fixing member, through which the diverted cable or cables must pass, is in practice a connector of the same type as previously referred to but of a distinct size.

Once again this leads to a costly increase in the range of different type junction supports that must be held in stock to cater for one or other of these two arrangements.

A general object of the present invention is to reduce the size of this range.

To be more precise, the present invention consists in a junction support, in particular for wire cable ducts, of the kind including a generally circular opening for installing a conduit that is intersected by at least one other opening having a different radius.

This junction support therefore has the advantage of allowing the mounting of conduits having one or other of two different diameters.

The range of different junction supports that must be held in stock to cater for conduits of different diameters is advantageously reduced commensurately.

Furthermore, for the same overall size, the quantity of material removed from the junction support of the invention to form the openings is advantageously minimised, to the benefit of its mechanical strength.

The junction support of the invention is preferably, although not necessarily, made from sheet metal, in a manner that is known in itself, with an angle-iron shape comprising two flanges, one generally horizontal and adapted to be applied to the bottom of the cable duct and the other generally vertical and adapted to be applied against the side flange concerned of the latter.

At least one flange preferably includes at least one lug adapted to be bent to fix it to the cable duct.

This has the advantage of eliminating all nut and bolt or screw fasteners.

The junction support of the invention is adapted to receive, if required, an auxiliary support which, for the purpose of installing a box, has a hole in it through which is passed a fixing member for fixing said box.

Accordingly, either a conduit or a box can be installed, depending on local practice.

All that is required, is to add the associated auxiliary support of the invention.

The auxiliary support is advantageously fixed to the cable duct by way of the junction support, which simplifies its manufacture and therefore minimises its cost.

Complementary nesting means are preferably provided between the junction support of the invention and the associated auxiliary support, so that the auxiliary support may simply be clipped to the junction support.

As previously, this has the advantage of avoiding the need for nut and bolt and screw fasteners.

The auxiliary support is preferably, but not necessarily, made of sheet metal, and includes a plate that incorporates the necessary hole and, along two opposite edges of said plate, two rims on which the corresponding nesting means are formed.

Apart from their fixing function, these rims, by forming a spacer, have a separation function, i.e. they provide the space between the plate and the junction support needed for the fixing member fixing the box to the plate.

However, regardless of its own construction, the auxiliary support associated in this way and in accordance with the invention with a junction support advantageously provides a very simple way of expanding the field of applications of the junction support, commensurately reducing the range of different type junction supports that it would otherwise be necessary to hold in stock, and so encouraging standardisation of the system, which is economical.

The features and advantages of the invention will emerge from the following description given by way of example with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a partial perspective view of a wire cable duct and a bundle of electrical cables housed therein.

Figure 2 is a locally cut away partial perspective view to a different scale of the cable duct with a junction support of the invention locally attached to it.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the junction support to a larger scale with an exploded view of the conduit to be fixed to it.

Figure 4 is a front elevation view of the junction support of the invention as seen in the direction of the arrow IV in figure 3.

Figure 5 is a side view of it as seen in the direction of the arrow V in figure 4.

Figure 6 is a top view of it as seen in the direction of the arrow VI in figure 4.

Figures 7, 8, 9 and 10 are partial views of it to a larger scale and in cross-section on the respective lines VII-VII, VIII-VIII, IX-IX and X-X in figure 4.

Figure 11 is a partial front elevation view showing to a larger scale the detail XI from figure 4, illustrating the fitting of a conduit to the junction support of the invention.

Figure 12 is a partial front elevation view, similar to that of figure 11, relating to a conduit having a different diameter.

Figures 13 and 14 are partial front elevation views similar to that of figure 11 and each relating to a respective different embodiment.

Figure 15 is a perspective view similar to that of figure 3 showing how the junction support of the invention may be divided.

Figure 16 is a perspective view similar to that of figure 2 showing the addition of an auxiliary support to the junction support of the invention.

Figure 17 is an exploded perspective view of the device.

Figure 18 is a front elevation view of the auxiliary support as seen in the direction of the arrow XVIII in figure 17.

Figure 19 is a side view of it as seen in the direction of the arrow XIX in figure 18.

Figure 20 is a partial view of it to a larger scale and in cross-section on the line XX-XX in figure 18.

Figure 21 is a side view showing the fitting of the auxiliary support to the junction support of the invention.

The figures show, by way of example, the application of the invention to fitting out a wire cable duct 10.

In a manner that is known in itself, the cable duct 10 is in the form of a wire trellis comprising longitudinal wires 11, often called the warp wires, which run longitudinally, for example in a rectilinear or quasi-rectilinear manner, over its full length and, from place to place along the longitudinal wires 11, to which they are appropriately attached, in practice welded, transverse wires 12, often called weft wires, in the general shape of the letter U.

The longitudinal wires 11 are in practice outside the transverse wires 12.

The longitudinal wires 11 and the transverse wires 12 are in practice round metal wires of circular crosssection.

Like a trough, the cable duct 10 has a bottom 13, which is substantially plane, for example, as shown here and, substantially at right angles to the bottom 13, two lateral flanges 14 which may also be substantially plane, as shown here.

The cable duct 10, the bottom 13 of which is shown horizontal here, is used to support, house and protect a bundle 15 of electrical cables 16 of which at least one must be locally diverted laterally from the bundle 15, through one of the mesh openings in one of the side flanges 14, as shown in figure 1.

In a manner that is also known in itself, and as described in more detail below, a junction support 18 is attached externally to the cable duct 10 for this purpose, allowing the installation at the appropriate location of a conduit 19 for guiding, housing and protecting the diverted electrical cable 16.

In the embodiment shown the conduit 19 is a flexible conduit, for example a corrugated conduit.

The cross-section of the conduit 19 has an outside diameter of DA.

In a manner that is known in itself, the junction support 18 includes a generally circular opening 20A for installing the conduit 19, its radius RA being determined accordingly.

The conduit 19 is in practice installed by means of a connector 21 which, in a manner known in itself, comprises two parts 21', 21" that are screwed together to grip the end of the conduit 19 between them, with one of them on a first side of the junction support 18 and the other on its other side.

In accordance with the invention, the opening 20A is intersected by at least one other opening 20B having a radius RB different from its own radius RA.

A shown here, for example, the radius RB is less than the radius RA.

In the embodiment shown, the junction support 18 is made of sheet metal, cut out and bent to shape, and is generally angle-iron shaped.

It therefore comprises two flanges, one flange 22 generally parallel to the bottom 13 of the cable duct 10 and therefore generally horizontal in this example, adapted to bear against the bottom 13 of the cable duct 10, on the inside face of the bottom 13, and a generally vertical flange 24 adapted to bear against the side flange 14 concerned of the cable duct 10, on the outside of the side flange 14.

Each of the two flanges 22, 24 has a four-sided contour, in practice a generally rectangular contour.

At least one of them (in practice each of them) incorporates at least one lug 25 that can be bent over to fix the device to the cable duct 10.

In the embodiment shown the horizontal flange 22 incorporates two spaced lugs 25 of this kind that are generally parallel to each other and both of which extend towards the vertical flange 24.

In the embodiment shown, the vertical flange 24 incorporates four such lugs 25 along its lateral edges, staggered in height, in two rows of two. Generally parallel to each other, they all extend away from the horizontal flange 22.

In the embodiment shown, the lugs 25 on the two flanges 22, 24 of the junction support 18 are formed by punching out openings 26 in the latter.

In the embodiment shown, the openings 20A, 20B are in the vertical flange 24.

For at least one of the openings 20A, 20B (in practice for each of them), the circular arc 27A, 27B defining its contour extends over an angle of more than 1800, possibly cumulatively.

In other words, the angle AA, AB at the centre of subtended by the circular arc 27A, 27B is greater than 1800 (figure 11).

This angle AA, AB at the centre is in practice between 1800 and 2600, for example in the order of 2400.

Be this as it may, the points at which the openings 20A, 20B intersect each other are at a distance from each other less than the diameter of the smaller radius conduit 19, as measured at the thread root, so that the conduit 19 is prevented from escaping laterally from the corresponding opening 20A, 20B.

More generally, the conduit 19 is prevented from escaping laterally from the opening 20A, 20B in which it is engaged.

In the embodiment shown, the junction support 18 of the invention comprises at least two sets J of openings 20A, 20B and at least one of these two sets J is part of a break-off portion 29.

In practice the two sets J of openings 20A, 20B are staggered in height, with a line 30 of weakness between them delimiting two levels of the vertical flange 24, namely a lower level 31 adjacent the horizontal flange 22 and a higher level that forms the break-off portion 29.

The line 30 of reduced strength is generally parallel to the edge 32 between the flanges 22, 24 and extends at substantially mid-height along the vertical flange 24.

As seen better in figure 8, this line 30 of reduced strength is, for example, a groove 33 on the outside face of the vertical flange 24 and having a depth equal to half its thickness.

In the embodiment shown the junction support 18 of the invention has at least two spaced sets J of openings 20A, 20B in each of the levels 31, 29.

As shown here, by way of example, only two sets J of openings 20A, 20B are provided in each level 31, 29.

All the sets J of openings 20A, 20B are identical to each other and have substantially the same orientation.

In practice, for each of them, the centres of the circular arcs 27A, 27B are on a line parallel to the edge 32.

In the embodiment shown, the horizontal flange 22 forms a groove 34 where it joins onto the vertical flange 24, to accommodate the part 21" of a connector 21 when the conduit 19 is fitted to the lower level 31 of the vertical flange 24.

The groove 34 extends between the lugs 25 of the horizontal flange 22 and the vertical flange 24, and the latter forms one of its flanks.

In the embodiment shown, the vertical flange 24 has a tongue 35 projecting obliquely from its inside face for clipping it to a longitudinal wire 11 of the cable duct 10.

In practice, the lug 35 is in the middle area of the lower level 31 of the vertical flange 24 and diverges from the horizontal flange 22 in the direction away from the vertical flange 24.

In practice, the lug 35 is also formed within a stamped out opening 36.

In the embodiment shown, in addition to the openings 20A, 20B, the vertical flange 24 includes various openings 38, 39 such as at least one hole 38 and/or at least one slot 39 for various purposes, for example for any form of auxiliary fixing.

In the embodiment shown, only one hole 38 is provided in practice, in the middle area of the vertical flange 24, with four slots 39 radiating away from the hole 38, two of which are aligned with each other and parallel to the edge 32.

The line 30 of reduced strength passes through at least one of these openings 38, 39.

In practice, in the embodiment shown, it passes through the hole 38 and through the two aligned slots 39 parallel to the edge 32.

It also passes through at least one of the stamped out openings 26 in which the lugs 25 are formed.

In practice two of the lugs 25 are in the lower level 31 of the vertical flange 24. The line 30 of reduced strength cuts transversely across the corresponding two stamped out openings 26.

The branch support connection 18 of the invention may be used in the following manner, for example.

Firstly, the junction support 18 is simply fitted to the cable duct 10 by clipping its vertical flange 24 to one of the longitudinal wires 11 of the side flange 14 concerned of the cable duct 10, using the lug 35 on the vertical flange 24.

In conjunction with the bearing engagement of the horizontal flange 22 with the bottom 13 of the cable duct 10, this clipping is sufficient to support the junction support 18 temporarily on the cable duct 10, which facilitates subsequent operations.

Next, at least some of the lugs 25 are attached to the longitudinal wires 11 of the cable duct 10 by bending the lugs 25 around the longitudinal wires 11.

Finally, the conduit 19 is fitted.

Depending on the outside diameter DA or DB of the cross-section of the conduit 19, the latter is fitted into an opening 20A, as shown diagrammatically in dashed outline in figure 11, or into an opening 20B, as shown diagrammatically in dashed outline in figure 12.

Thus each set J of openings 20A, 20B enables the use of a conduit 19 having one or other of at least two different diameters DA, DB.

If the conduit 19 is fitted into one or other of the openings 20A, 20B in the lower level 31 of the vertical flange 24, the break-off portion 29 forming the upper level of the latter may be removed, as shown diagrammatically in figure 15.

This may be the case if the side flanges 14 of the cable duct 10 are relatively shallow, for example.

In the foregoing description, there are only two openings 20A, 20B in each of the sets J.

In an alternative embodiment there could be more than two openings 20A, 20B, 20C, etc, all intersecting in pairs.

Three openings 2OA, 2OB, 20C may be provided in this way, for example (figures 13 and 14).

In the embodiment shown in figure 13, the three openings 20A, 20B, 20C lie along a straight line.

In the embodiment shown in figure 14 they are disposed in a lobed arrangement.

In all cases, the opening 20B has a radius RB less than that RA of the opening 20A, for example, and the opening 20C has a radius RC less than that RB of the opening 20B, for example.

Note that the circular arc defining an opening may be subdivided.

This is the case for the opening 20A in figure 13, which is the middle opening of the set of three and is accordingly defined by a circular arc divided into two portions.

It is for this reason in particular that it is the cumulative value of the angle subtended at the centre of the openings that is to be considered.

However, as previously indicated, the conduit 19 is prevented from escaping laterally from the opening in which it is engaged.

In the embodiment shown, the junction support 18 of the invention is also adapted to receive, if required, an auxiliary support 40 which, for the purpose of installing a box 41, has a hole 42 in it adapted to receive a fixing member 43 needed to fix the box 41.

In the embodiment shown, complementary nesting means are provided between the junction support 18 and the auxiliary support 40, allowing the auxiliary support 40 to be simply clipped to the junction support 18.

In practice the complementary nesting means comprise, on the junction support 18, at least one slot 44 and, at a distance from the latter, a hook 45 directed towards the slot 44.

They conjointly comprise, on the auxiliary support 40, at least one lug 47 adapted to cooperate with a slot 44 on the junction support 18 and, at a distance from the lug 47, a tongue 48 adapted to cooperate with the hook 45 on the junction support 18 and directed away from the lug 47.

In the embodiment shown, the junction support 18 includes two spaced slots 44 in its vertical flange 24, aligned with each other and substantially parallel to the edge 32 between the vertical flange 24 and the horizontal flange 22, and the auxiliary support 40 includes two lugs 47 in corresponding relationship to them.

In the embodiment shown, the hook 45 is also on the vertical flange 24 of the junction support 18 and is formed in practice by bending over the free edge of the vertical flange 24 in a crook shape so that it projects from the outside face of the vertical flange 24, the slots 44 being near the horizontal flange 22.

In the embodiment shown, the auxiliary support 40 is made of sheet metal and comprises a plate 50 with the opening 42 in its middle part and, along two opposite edges of the plate 50, in this example its top and bottom edges, two rims 51 in which are formed the nesting means 47, 48 adapted to enable the device to be attached to the junction support 18.

To be more precise, the lugs 47 of the nesting means are formed by right-angle lips on one of the rims 51, in this example the lower rim, and the tongue 48 is also formed by a right-angle lip on the other rim 51, in this example the upper rim.

In the embodiment shown, in addition to the hole 42, the plate 50 of the auxiliary support 40 further comprises an array of slots 53.

Two of the slots 53 extend away from the hole 42, aligned with each other along a horizontal diameter of the device.

Four others extend along the lateral edges of the plate 50.

Six others radiate away from the hole 42, starting at a distance from the latter.

The auxiliary support 40 may be used in the following way.

Firstly, the box 41 is attached to the auxiliary support 40 using the fixing member 43.

As shown here, for example, the fixing member 43 comprises two parts 43', 43" which screw together and clamp the bottom 54 of the box 41, one being on a first side of the bottom 54 and of the plate 50 of the auxiliary support 40 and the other on the opposite side of the bottom 54 and the plate 50.

When the box 41 has been fitted to the auxiliary support 40 and the junction electrical support 16 inserted into the box 41 through one of the grommets 55 that the latter has on its side for this purpose, as shown in figure 21, the lugs 47 on the auxiliary support 40 carrying the box 41 are engaged obliquely in the slots 44 of the junction support 18 previously fitted to the cable duct 10 after which, as shown by the arrow F in figure 21, the auxiliary support is tilted on the junction support 18 until, by elastic deformation of the rim 51 carrying the tongue 48, the tongue 48 engages under the hook 45 on the junction support 18, as shown in figure 16.

Of course, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described and shown, but encompasses any variant execution thereof.

Claims

1. A junction support, in particular for wire cable ducts, including a generally circular opening for installing a conduit that is intersected by at least one other opening having a different radius.

2. The junction support claimed in claim 1 wherein the circular arc defining the contour of at least one of the openings extends over more than 1800, possibly cumulatively.

3. The junction support claimed in claim 2 wherein the angle subtended at the centre by the circular arc defining the contour of an opening is between 1800 and 2600.

4. The junction support claimed in claim 2 or claim 3 wherein the circular arc defining the contour of each opening extends over more than 1800.

5. A junction support as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 comprising at least two sets of openings.

6. The junction support claimed in claim 5 wherein at least one of the sets of openings is in a break-off portion.

7. The junction support claimed in claim 6 wherein the two sets of openings are staggered in height with a line of reduced strength between them delimiting two levels, one of which forms the break-off portion.

8. A junction support as claimed in claim 7 comprising at least two spaced sets of openings in each level.

9. A junction support as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8 made from sheet metal, generally angle-iron shaped and comprising two flanges, namely a horizontal flan = and a vertical flange, at least one which includes at least one lug adapted to be bent to fix the device to a cable duct.

10. The junction support claimed in claim 9 wherein each flange includes at least one lug adapted to be bent.

11. The junction support claimed in claim 9 or claim 10 wherein the openings are in the vertical flange.

12. The junction support claimed in any one of claims 9 to 11 wherein the horizontal flange forms a groove where it joins onto the vertical flange.

13. The junction support claimed in any one of claims 9 to 12 wherein the vertical flange has a tongue projecting obliquely from its inside face for clipping it onto a longitudinal wire of the cable duct.

14. The junction support claimed in any one of claims 9 to 13 wherein the vertical flange includes various openings, such as at least one hole and/or at least one slot.

15. The junction support claimed in claim 7 in conjunction with claim 14 wherein the line of reduced strength passes through at least one opening.

16. The junction support claimed in claim 15 wherein at least one of the lugs adapted to be bent in the vertical flange is formed in a stamped out opening in the latter, the line of reduced strength passing through the stamped out opening.

17. A junction support as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 16 adapted to receive, if required, an auxiliary support which, for the purpose of installing a box, has a hole in it through which is passed a fixing member for fixing the box.

18. The junction support claimed in claim 17 having complementary nesting means between it and the auxiliary support enabling the auxiliary support to be clipped to it.

19. The junction support claimed in claim 18 wherein the nesting means include on the junction support at least one slot and a hook at a distance from and directed towards the slot and on the auxiliary support at least one lug adapted to cooperate with the slot and a tongue at a distance from and directed away from the lug adapted to cooperate with the hook.

20. A junction support as claimed in claim 9 in conjunction with claim 18 wherein the slot and the hook are on the vertical flange.

21. The junction support claimed in claim 20 wherein the hook is formed by a lip on a free edge of the vertical flange projecting in a crook shape from the outside face of the vertical flange and the slot is near the horizontal flange.

22. A junction support as claimed in any one of claims 18 to 21 comprising two spaced slots, the auxiliary support having two lugs in corresponding relationship thereto.

23. The junction support claimed in any one of claims 18 to 22 wherein the auxiliary support is made of sheet metal and comprises a plate incorporating the hole and, along two opposite edges of the plate, two rims on which the corresponding nesting means are formed.

24. The junction support claimed in claim 19 in conjunction with claim 23 wherein the lugs of the nesting means are formed by right-angle lips on one of the rims and the tongue of the nesting means is formed by a rightangle lip on the other of the rims.

25. The junction support claimed in any one of claims 17 to 24 wherein the auxiliary support incorporates an array of slots.

26. A junction support substantially as described hereinabove with reference to the accompanying drawings.