GB2324203A

GB2324203A - Cable duct with T-shaped cable securing members

Info

Publication number: GB2324203A
Application number: GB9803954A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Horst Besserer; Gianmaria Petrotta
Original assignee: Rittal Werk Rudolf Loh GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Rittal Werk Rudolf Loh GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 1997-03-04
Filing date: 1998-02-26
Publication date: 1998-10-14
Anticipated expiration: 2018-02-26
Also published as: DE19708715C1; GB9803954D0; IT1298937B1; ITMI980348A1; GB2324203B

Abstract

A cable duct (10) for receiving and distributing cables for a switchgear cabinet or in switching systems, comprises a U-shaped receiving member, which is formed from a base portion (11) and two lateral portions (12). The base portion has a line of openings (36) and a line of punched-out parts (37) each with a line of T-shaped cable securing members (38) The lateral portions of the receiving member are provided with a line of open cable retaining slots (18, 19) and have a line of mounting slots (16, 17), which are aligned with one another, for cable supporting webs and mounting bores which interconnect the lateral portions. The T-shaped cable securing members may be bent down to secure the cables.

Description

2324203 CABLE DUCT FOR SWITCHGEAR CABINETS AND SWITCHING SYSTEMS The

invention relates to a cable duct for receiving and distributing cables for a switchgear cabinet or in switching systems, said duct including a U-shaped receiving member, which is formed from a base portion and two lateral portions, and a cover, which closes the receiving member, at least the receiving member being provided with openings, or being able to be provided with openings, for the insertion and removal of the cables.

Such cable ducts are known, wherein the receiving member is formed from plastics material, and the lateral portions are successively divided into strips which, if required, can be broken-off for the insertion or removal of cables. In the case of these cable ducts, an opening for the insertion or removal of cables can be made at desirable locations in the longitudinal direction of the receiving member. During cable laying, however, the cables are not sufficiently retained in the receiving member, with the result that the wiring work is repeatedly impaired by cables becoming detached from the receiving member.

According to the present invention there is provided, a cable duct for receiving and distributing cables for a switchgear cabinet or in switching systems, said duct including a U-shaped receiving member, which is formed from a base portion and two lateral portions, and a cover, which closes the receiving member, at least the receiving member being provided with openings, or being able to be provided with openings, for the insertion and removal of the cables, characterised in that the base portion of the receiving member is provided with a line of openings and a line of punched-out parts, a line of Tshaped cable securing members being provided in each punched-out part, and in that the lateral portions of the receiving member are provided with a line of open cable retaining slots and have a line of mounting slots, which are aligned with one another, for cable supporting webs and mounting bores which interconnect the lateral portions.

In this embodiment, cables can be inserted and removed at a plurality of locations along the base portion and the lateral portions by using the openings and cable retaining slots. The introduced cables can be connected to the T-shaped cable securing members of the base portion of the receiving member by means of commercially available cable connectors and can thus be reliably retained in the receiving member. The laying of the cables is further simplified by using the cable supporting webs, since such webs prevent the cables from falling from the open side of the receiving member even prior to the cables being connected to the T-shaped cable securing members. The cable duct can be attached to supporting rails, assembly plates and the like by means of the mounting bores in the lateral portions.

According to a preferred embodiment, the cable retaining slots of the lateral portions are also aligned with one another and inclined from top to bottom. In consequence, in the longitudinal direction of the receiving member, one side can be used for the insertion of cables and the oppositely situated side can be used for the removal of cables at the same location, the inclination of the cable retaining slots permitting the inserted cables to be already retained therein because of their inherent weight. This is especially achieved when the embodiment is such that the cable retaining slots extend over the substantial part of the height of the lateral portions of the receiving member. Sufficiently large openings in the base portion can be provided when the openings in the base portion of the receiving member are configured as elongate slots orientated transversely relative to the longitudinal direction of the cable duct.

- 3 If the mounting slots have a rectangular crosssection and are orientated with their longitudinal dimensions in the longitudinal direction of the cable duct, if the width of the mounting slots is adapted to the thickness of the plate-like cable supporting webs, and if the cable supporting webs are provided with retaining hooks at their ends, not only can the cable supporting webs be produced easily and economically, but they can also be rapidly mounted on the receiving member. So that the cover can rapidly and easily be connected to the receiving member, one embodiment provides that the lateral portions are securedly interconnected at the ends of the receiving member by means of connecting brackets, and that the connecting brackets are provided with mounting receivers for mounting means for the mounting of the cover. An additional simplification is thereby achieved when the cover is provided on the rear surface of its lower end with a retaining member, which can be slipped over the lower connecting bracket of the receiving member, and when the cover is screw-connectable to the upper connecting bracket of the receiving member.

The receiving member and the cover are preferably produced as stamped and bent sheet metal component parts and painted. Cable ducts, which can be produced economically, are created in this manner.

Advantageously according to the invention, a cable duct is provided in which during laying, the cables can already be retained and secured in the receiving member, and there are sufficient openings for the insertion and removal of the cables.

The invention is explained more fully, by way of example, with reference to one embodiment illustrated in the drawings, in which:- - 4 Fig. 1 is an exploded view of the parts of a cable duct according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the receiving member of the cable duct; and Fig. 3 is a view into the open side of the receiving member.

As Fig. 1 illustrates, a cable duct including a receiving member 10, which has a U-shaped cross-section with a base portion 11 and two lateral portions 12 and 13 and forms a sufficiently large receiving area for cables. As can be seen especially from Fig. 3, openings 36 of a sufficient width are configured as transverse elongate slots and are provided as cable inserts and cable outlets in the longitudinal direction of the base portion 11, preferably at regular intervals. A line of punched-out parts 37 is provided between these openings 36, and said parts also form a line with a regular spacing therebetween. These punched- out parts 37 are such that the punched-out parts 37 produce a plurality of T-shaped cable connecting members 38 - four in the embodiment. These cable connecting members 38 can also be easily bent into the receiving area of the receiving member 10. The cables, which are inserted into the receiving member 10, can be attached to these cable connecting members 38 by means of commercially available cable connectors.

As Fig. 2 clearly shows, the cable retaining slots 18 and 19 in the lateral portions 12 and 13 are inclined from top to bottom and extend over the largest/major part of the height of the lateral portions 12 and 13. The cables, which are introduced in a cable retaining slot 18 or 19, are then already retained in this cable retaining slot by their inherent weight.

- A line of mounting slots 16 and 17, of rectangular cross-section, is additionally introduced in the lateral portions 12 and 13 in the longitudinal direction of the receiving member. These mounting slots 16 and 17 are introduced in the vicinity of the free longitudinal edges of the lateral portions 12 and 13 and are orientated with their longitudinal dimension in the longitudinal direction of the receiving member 10. The mounting slots 16 and 17 are adapted, in respect of their width, to the thickness of plate-like cable supporting webs 25, which may have retaining hooks 26 and 27 on their ends and may be provided with an additional mounting bore 28. These cable supporting webs 25 can easily be retained on the receiving member 10 and may be used as additional retaining means when laying the cables, such retaining means preventing the cables from falling out of the receiving member 10.

The lateral portions 12 and 13 of the receiving member 10 are provided with mounting bores 14, which are aligned with one another and are situated at a small spacing from the base portion 11 in the embodiment. The cable ducts are secured to an assembly rail 40, an assembly plate or the like by means of screws 41 and washers 42 and 43 as well as by means of nuts 44, so as to occupy mounting bores 14.

The cover 30 has a U-shaped cross-section and covers the lateral portions 12 and 13 of the receiving member 10 with the lateral edges 31 and 32, which are angled at the base portion 33. In the region of the lower end face, the base portion 33 has on its rear side a retaining web 34 or the like, which can be slipped over a connecting bracket 20. This connecting bracket 20 securedly interconnects the lateral portions 12 and 13 at the lower free corners. The upper free corners of the lateral portions 12 and 13 of the receiving member 10 are securedly interconnected with a connecting bracket 20 in - 6 the same manner. The connecting brackets 20 have square mounting receivers 21, into which square clip-in nuts 22 are insertable. The cover 30 has mounting bores 35 for mounting screws 24 in the upper end region of the base portion 33. Retaining discs 23, which the mounting screw 24 non-detachably retains on the cover 30, are included in the screw connections, which are preferably configured as bayonet-type connections. In consequence, the cover 30 is placed upon the lower connecting bracket 20 and only screwconnected at the upper end to the receiving member 10, i. e. the upper connecting bracket 20. The receiving member 10 and the cover 30 are produced as stamped and bent sheet metal component parts and painted. The same applies to the connecting brackets 20 and the cable supporting webs 25, the painting of the receiving member 10 only being effected when the connecting brackets 20 are mounted on the receiving member 10, while the cable supporting webs 25 are produced as separate component parts and painted.

7 -

Claims

1. A cable duct for receiving and distributing cables for a switchgear cabinet or in switching systems, said duct including a U-shaped receiving member, which is formed from a base portion and two lateral portions, and a cover, which closes the receiving member, at least the receiving member being provided with openings, or being able to be provided with openings, for the insertion and removal of the cables, characterised in that the base portion (11) of the receiving member (10) is provided with a line of openings (36) and a line of punchedout parts (37), a line of Tshaped cable securing members (38) being provided in each punched-out part, and in that the lateral portions (12, 13) of the receiving member (10) are provided with a line of open cable retaining slots (18, 19) and have a line of mounting slots (16, 17), which are aligned with one another, for cable supporting webs (25) and mounting bores (14) which interconnect the lateral portions (12, 13).

2. A cable duct as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cable retaining slots (18, 19) of the lateral portions (12, 13) are also aligned with one another and inclined from top to bottom.

3. A cable duct as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the cable retaining slots (18, 19) extend over the major or substantial part of the height of the lateral portions (12, 13) of the receiving member (10).

4. A cable duct as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the openings (36) in the base portion (11) of the receiving member (10) are configured as elongate slots orientated transversely relative to the longitudinal direction of the cable duct.

5. A cable duct as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the mounting slots (16, 17) have a rectangular cross-section and are orientated with their longitudinal dimensions in the longitudinal direction of the cable duct, the width of the mounting slots (16, 17) is adapted to the thickness of the plate-like cable supporting webs (25), and the cable supporting webs (25) are provided with retaining hooks (26, 27) at their ends.

6. A cable duct as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the lateral portions (12, 13) are securedly interconnected at the ends of the receiving member (10) by means of connecting brackets (20), and the connecting brackets (20) are provided with mounting receivers (21) for mounting means (22) for the mounting of the cover (30).

7. A cable duct as claimed in claim 6, wherein the cover (30) is provided on the rear surface of its lower end with a retaining member (34), which can be slipped over the lower connecting bracket (20) of the receiving member (10), and the cover (30) is screwconnectable to the upper connecting bracket (20) of the receiving member (10).

B. A cable duct as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7, wherein the receiving member (10) and the cover (30) are configured, produced and painted as stamped and bent sheet metal component parts.

9. A cable duct substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.