GB2330618A

GB2330618A - Fixing accessory for a protective grill

Info

Publication number: GB2330618A
Application number: GB9814403A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jean-Paul Goudal; Maurice Pecout
Original assignee: Legrand SA; Legrand SNC
Current assignee: Legrand SA; Legrand SNC
Priority date: 1997-07-04
Filing date: 1998-07-02
Publication date: 1999-04-28
Anticipated expiration: 2018-07-02
Also published as: ES2157728B1; GB9814403D0; FR2765660B1; GB2330618B; ES2157728A1; FR2765660A1

Abstract

A support (11) for fixing a protective grill (12) around an article (10) such as an autonomous security lighting unit comprises a fixing accessory (19) having a base (20) with fixing means (21) suitable for fixing it to the support (11) and a cap (22) which is fitted onto the base (20) by disengageable securing means (23), the cap (22) defining with the base (20) a receiving means (25) by way of which the assembly is capable of locally embracing the protective grill (12) to be fixed while permitting rotary movement of the protective grill (12) around the receiving means (25).

Description

1 2330618 FIXING ACCESSORY FOR A PROTECTIVE GRILL The invention relates to

protective grilles which may be used around any articles to provide protection therefor against shocks and impacts and particularly to fixing accessories for such grilles.

The grilles are usually formed of welded metal wire.

The article to be protected may be a luminary or light unit such as for example an autonomous security lighting unit.

The corresponding protective grill is to be fitted to the same support as such a light unit, around the latter.

To do that it has been proposed to provide two fixing lugs which, being disposed on the same axis or in diagonal relationship, are each apertured with an aperture for the passage therethrough of any fixing means, for example a screw, and which thus permit the protective grill to be fixed directly to the support to which it is to be mounted.

That arrangement was and can still be satisfactory.

It does however suffer from disadvantages in that any maintenance operation on the protected piece of equipment requires the protective grill to be completely removed, at the expense of inevitable complication in terms of the overall assembly.

In addition, even if the aperture through each of the fixing lugs is appropriately elongated in a buttonhole shape, proper positioning in terms of correct vertical alignment which is possible upon fitment can be effected only by rotation about an axis which is perpendicular to the fixing plane, and it may therefore turn out to be inadequate, to the detriment of the aesthetic aspects involved.

i 2 According to the invention there is provided a fixing accessory for a protective grill comprising a base having fixing means suitable for fixing it to a support and a cap fitted onto the base by disengalgeable securing means, the cap defining with the base a receiving means which is capable of locally embracing the protective grill to be fixed while permitting rotary movement of the protective grill with respect to the receiving means.

Thus, instead of the protective grill being fixed directly by means of its fixing lugs, the protective grill is fixed in position by way of at least one fixing accessory capable of forming a pivot mounting for the protective grill.

is Preferably two fixing accessories which are each capable of forming such a pivot mounting are used, being for example disposed on the same axi s, as acentral longitudinal or transverse axis for the protective grill.

However it may be, it is only necessary to provide for freeing the protective grill at one of the ends of such an axis in order then to be able to open the protective grill in the manner of a door by a simple rotary movement around the hinge that is then formed by the fixing accessory which is disposed at the other end of that axis.

Access to a protected article is thus afforded with out the protective grill being in any way completely removed,' which advantageously facilitates the corresponding operations.

Preferably also the disengageable securing means operatively disposed between the cap and the base of the fixing accessory comprise two fixing members disposed at a spacing from 30 each other, for example two screws, in such a way that, when one of those fixing members is disengaged from the base, the cap can pivot about the other and thus free the protective grill.

3 Thus, opening of that protective grill also does not necessitate the removal of the cap of one of its fixing accessories but at most the removal of one of the fixing members which secure that cap to its base.

Preferably also in the housing or receiving means that it forms for the protective grill with the cap which is associated therewith, the base of the fixing accessory compri ses in projecting relationship at least one pair of latching tongue portions suitable for disengageably retaining the protective grill by simple latching engagement therewith.

Thus the protective grill can be secured in the closed position to the base even before the cap associated with the base has been moved into the locking position thereon, which advantageously makes it possible to avoid having to hold the protective grill with one hand until the cap of the fixing accessory has thus been moved into the locking position, and which also therefore advantageously facilitates the corresponding operations.

Preferably the fixing means provided on the base of the fixing accessory --- for effecting fixing thereof to the support to be fitted therewith comprise a plate portion which, is separate from the base and suitably fitted thereto, is movable inits plane in parallel relationship with the lower surface of the base, in a first direction, above an opening passing through the base, and which, for the passage therethrough of any fixing member, for example a screw, is itself apertured with an aperture which is elongate in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction.

It is thus advantageously possible if necessary to provide for relatively substantial positional adjustment of the protective grill in one and/or the other of two orthogonal axes of its fixing plane, to the benefit of the aesthetic considerations involved.

The invention is diagrammatically illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

4 Figure 1 is a view in longitudinal section taken along line I-I in Figure 2 of a protective grill with fixing accessories according to the invention for the closure position of the protective grill; Figure 2 is a partial view in plan on a larger scale of the protective grill of Figure 1 and such a fixing accessory, viewing in the direction of the arrow II in Figure 1; Figure 3 is another partial view on the same scale as Figure 2 in longitudinal section taken along line III-III in Figure 2 of the Figure 2 protective grill and that fixing accessory; Figure 4 is a view on the same scale as Figure 1 from the side of the protective grill, shown separately, viewing in the direction of the arrow IV in Figure 1:

Figure 5 is a partial plan view of the protective grill viewing in the direction of the arrow V in Figure 4; is Figure 6 is an exploded view on the same scale as Figure 3 in transverse section which, in relation to just the base of the fixing accessory of the invention, corresponds to the view in longitudinal section in Figure 3:

Figures 7 and 8 are views on a larger scale illustrating the details of Figure 6 marked by the inset boxes VII and VIII in Figure 6; Figure 9 is a plan view of the base, viewing in the direction of the arrow IX in Figure 6; Figure 10 is an exploded view thereof in cross-section taken along line X-X in Figure 9; Figure 11 is an exploded view in longitudinal section taken along line XI-E in Figure 6; Figure 12 is a partial plan view in section taken along line XII-M in Figure 6; Figure 13 is a view on the same scale as Figure 1 in cross-section which, relating just to the cap of the fixing accessory according to the invention, also corresponds to the view in longitudinal section in Figure 3., Figure 14 i s a view of the cap from below looking along the direction of the arrow XIV in Figure 13; Figure 15 is another view in cross-section taken along line H-H in Figure 14; Figure 16 is an elevational sectional view on the same scale as Figure 1 similar to the view in F igure 1 with the protective grill in the open position; and Figure 17 is a plan view on the same scale as Figure 2 in the direction of the arrow XVII in Figure 16 of the fixing accessory according to the invention opposite to that around which the protective grill is opened. These Figures illustrate by way of example application of the invention to the situation in which an article 10 to be protected is a light unit and more precisely an autonomous security lighting unit. 15 As such an article in itself does not constitute part of the present invention it will not be described herein. It will be sufficient to note that it is in the overall shape of a generally parallelepipedic block and that itcan be fitted onto any flat support 11, for example a wall or a ceiling. 20 A protective grill 12 is also fitted onto the support 11 around the article 10 to protect it in relation to shock and impacts. That protective grill 12 in itself is also not part of the present invention and it will therefore not, be described in all of its details herein. 25 It will be sufficient to note that it is for example made of welded metal wire which is suitably protected by a coating and that its overall configuration is generally homothetic in relation to that of the article 10. In the illustrated embodiment the protective grill 12 is provided at two opposite fixing points P which are disposed on the same line with two fixing lugs 13 which are such as to permit it to be fixed directly to the support 11 if so desired.

6 For example and as illustrated the fixing lugs 13 are disposed on the transverse sides of the protective grill 12 in 'he central region L thereof and therefore along an axis which is a longitudinal central axis for the protective grill 12 and being identical to each other they are each in the f orm of a corner bracket comprising in right-angled relationship as shown in Figures 4 and 5 on the one hand a limb 14 by way of which they are fastened to a bar 15 which, formed by the wire constituting the protective grill 12, extends in parallel relationship to the fixing plane of the grill, being set back with respect to that fixing plane, and, on the other hand, a limb 16 which extends substantially in said fixing plane, being in practice directed inwardly of the protective grill 12 and which has an aperture 17 therethrough, for any fixing member to pass therethrough.

In the illustrated embodiment the protective grill 12 also comprises above the bar 15 a wire portion 18 which is also parallel to its fixing plane.

In practice the wire of which the protective grill 12 is made is of a circular profile in cross-section.

Fixing of the protective grill 12 to the support 11 involves using at least one fixing accessory 19 instead of a fixing lug 13.

In the embodiment, illustrated fixing of the protective grill 12 to the support 11 is effected by two fixing accessories 19 which are identical to each other and which, like the fixing lugs 13, are operatively disposed at two opposite points on the protective grill 12.

More precisely, in this embodiment, the fixing accessories 19 are each operatively disposed at the same respective fixing points P as the fixing lugs 13 in line therewith.

As illustrated in the Figures each fixing accessory 19 generally comprises on the one hand a base 20 which, in accordance with arrangements described in greater detail hereinafter, has fixing means 21 for fixing it to the support 11, Figure 1, and on the 7 other hand a cap 22 which, in accordance with arrangements which are also described in greater detail hereinafter, is mounted on the base 20 by disengageable securing means 23, Figure 3, the cap 22 defining with the base 20 an elongate housing or receiving means 25 by way of which the assembly is capable of locally embracing the protective grill 12 and more precisely a bar 15 thereof, while permitting a rotary movement of the protective grill 12 around the receiving means 25 and more precisely around the axis thereof.

In the illustrated embodiment the lower surface 26 of the base 20 is substantially flat for it to be applied against the support 11 and the fixing means 21 of the base 20 comprise a plate portion 27 which, being separate from the base 20 and appropriately fitted onto same, is mounted movably in its plane in parallel relationship with the lower surface 26 of the base 20 in a first direction D1 above an opening 28 through the base 20 and which, for the passage therethrough of any fixing member 29, for example a simple screw, Figure 1, is itself apertured with an aperture 30 which is elongate in a second direction D2 that is orthogonal to the first direction D].

The two directions D], D2 are diagrammatically shown in broken lines in Figure 9 in which the contour of the plate portion 27 is itself diagrammatically shown in broken lines.

In the illustrated embodiment the plate portion 27 is in engagement with a sliding guide 31 provided for it on the base 20, and it is movable transversely with respect to the receiving means 25 that base 20 forms with the cap 22 for the protective grill 12.

In other words the first direction D] referred to hereinbefore is orthogonal to the receiving means 25.

At the same time the aperture 30 that the plate portion 27 has is elongate in parallel relationship with the receiving means 25.

In other words the second direction D2 referred to hereinbefore is itself parallel to the receiving means 25.

In the illustrated embodiment the base 20 comprises a bottom portion 32 which has its opening 28 and on which the plate portion 27 is mounted 8 movably and the sliding guide 31 with which the plate portion 27 is in engagement is formed between the bottom portion 32 and two ribs 33 which, disposed at the edge of the bottom portion 32, overhang it.

For example and as illustrated the ribs 33 project on two leg portions J5 that the base 20 comprises on respective sides of its bottom portion 32.

The lower surface of the leg portions 35 is level with that of the bottom portion 32, the assembly forming the lower surface 26 of the base 20.

However their upper surface which forms part of the upper surface 36 of the base 20 extends at a higher level than the level of the upper surface of the bottom portion 32.

At the side of the receiving means 25 the leg portions 35 extend beyond the bottom portion 32.

They thus form between them a recess 38 whose width, by virtue of the structure involved, is at least equal to that of the fixing lugs 13 so that, as illustrated, they can extend on respective sides of such a fixing lug 13.

In the embodiment illustrated the base 20 comprises at the edge of the recess 38, for the protective grill 12, a support bar 39 which extends from one of the leg portions 35 to the other, level with the ribs 33, but forwardly of the bottom portion 32 and which, for reasons which will become apparent hereinafter, is elastically deformable.

On the side opposite to the receiving means 25 the leg por tions 35 of the base 20 extend level with the bottom portion 32 and, at -the edge of the latter, they are connected to each other by a back portion 40.

Preferably, and that is the case in the illustrated embodiment, the ribs 33 which overhang the bottom portion 32 of the base 20 have their upper edge chamferred with a chamfer 42 to permit the plate portion 27 to be set in place by simple latching engagement thereof.

The upper surface 36 of the base 20 which is formed by the surface of its leg portions 35 which is joined by the surface of the support bar 39 and the surface of the back portion 40 is substantially parallel to its lower surface 26.

In the illustrated embodiment the base 20 comprises in projecting relationship and, more precisely, in projecting relationship on its upper surface 36, in the receiving means 25 that it forms with the cap 22 for the protective grill 12, at least one pair of latching tongue portions 43A, 43B for disengageably retaining the protective grill 20 by simple latching engagement thereof.

Preferably, and that is the case in the illustrated embodiment, the base 20 comprises two pairs of latching tongue portions 43A, 43B at a spacing from each other and in projecting relationship on its upper surface 36.

In practice those two pairs of latching tongue portions 43A, 43B are each respectively carried by the two leg portions 35 of the base 20 substantially in line with the support bar 39.

They thus extend on respective sides of the recess 38.

The latching tongue portion 43A which, for each of the pairs of latching tongue portions 43A, 438, is closer to the bottom portion 32, is preferably elastically deformable.

The latching tongue portion 43B which is therefore the one that is more remote from the bottom portion 32 is in contrast relatively rigid in the illustrated embodiment.

It does in fact extend lengthwise in parallel relationship with the receiving means 25 and two ribs 44 which are disposed at a spacing from each other are disposed at the back thereof to stiffen it.

In the embodiment illustrated, and as is most clearly s een f rom Figure 7, the latching tongue portions 43A, 43B each have a Tatching ridge 45 facing in the direction of each other along their free edges.

In practice the receiving means 25 that is formed by the base 20 with the cap 22 for the protective grill 12 and more precisely for a bar 15 thereof is open laterally on the side of the protective grill 12 in the manner of a slot, as shown in Figure 3.

By way of i ts 1 ower surf ace 46 the cap 22 i s - i n contact wi th the upper surface 36 of the base 20 and the receiving means 25 extends between the upper surface 36 of the base 20 and a shoulder 48 that the cap 22 has in set-back relationship with respect to its lower surface 46.

In other words, from its lower surface 46, the cap 22 has a portion 49 in cantilever relationship, by means of which it overhangs the base 20, at a spacing from the upper surface of the latter, thus forming with the base 20 the required receiving means 25.

Besides the upper surface 36 of the base 20 and the shoulder 48 of the cap 22 the receiving means 25 is defined by another shoulder 50 of the cap 22 which forms the bottom thereof, as shown in Figures 13 to 15.

In practice that shoulder 50 extends perpendicularly to the shoulder 48 and therefore to the lower surface 46 of the cap 22, being connected to the shoulder 48 by a rounded portion 51 whose radius is substantially equal to that of the circular profile of the wire of which the protective grill 12 is made.

Preferably, and this is the case in the illustrated embodiment, ribs 53 extend inclinedly in the receiving means 25 from one of the shoulders 48, 50 of the cap 22 to the other in order to take account of inevitable manufacturing tolerances which are due in particular to the possible presence of a coating on the surface of the wire making up the protective grill 12, which coating can be different from one protective grill 12 to another.

In the illustrated embodiment the upper surface 54 of the cap 22 is a cylindrical surface of substantially circular section with its axis on the receiving means 25 that the base 20 forms with the cap 22 for the protective grill 12 and, more precisely, on the axis of the receiving means 25.

Finally, in the illustrated embodiment the disengageable securing means 23 for locking the cap 22 to the base 20 comprise two fixing members 55 which are disposed at a spacing from each other so that, when one of the fixing members 55 is released from the base 20, the cap 22 can pivot about the other and thus free the protective grill 12 and more precisely the relevant bar 15 thereof.

In practice those fixing members 55 extend substantially perpendicularly to the mutually facing surfaces with which the cap 22 and the base 20 are in contact with each other and therefore substantially 11 perpendicularly both to the lower surface 46 of the cap 22 and the upper surface 36 of the base 20, and their axes extend in a plane which, being substantially perpendicular to the above-mentioned mutually facing surfaces, is substantially parallel to the receiving means 25.

Preferably, for one at least of the fixing members 55 which thus belong to its disengageable securing means 23 and in practice for each of them, the cap 22 comprises a sleeve portion 56 which projects slightly beyond its lower surface 46 and, at a corresponding position, the base 20 comprises a recess 58, see Figures 8 and 11, for engagement therein of the part of the sleeve portion 56, which projects in the above-indicated manner.

That arrangement thus advantageously provides for positive positioning of the cap 22 on the base 20 when, in the closure position, the cap 22 is precisely superposed on the base 20.

For each of the sleeve portions 56 of the cap 22 the base 20 itself comprises, at a position corresponding to such a sleeve portion 56, a sleeve portion or tub ular portion 59 having an opening 60 which is set back with respect to its upper surface 36.

The corresponding recess 58 is formed on the one hand by the opening 60 and on the other hand by ribs 61 which converge on respective radii towards the sleeve portion 59, the terminal edge of the ribs 61 having a chamfer 62. In the illustrated embodiment the fixing members 55 are simple screws. 25 The sleeve portions 56 of the cap 22 therefore transversely c-omprise a shoulder 63 for the head 64 of the fixing members 55 and a nut 65 for screwingly co-operating with the screw shanks is provided in the sleeve portions 59 of the base 20. For example, and as illustrated, the nut 65 is a shouldered nut, Figure 6.

It therefore comprises a shoulder 66, by way of which it is capable of coming to bear against a shoulder 67 provided for that purpose in the sleeve portions 59 of the base 20, Figure 8, and latching lugs 68 for retaining same also project in the sleeve portions 59 at a spacing from the shoulder 67.

12 The base 20 and the cap 22 of each fixing accessory 19 are for example of synthetic material In order to lighten them they have openings, using the conventional moulding procedures in this respect.

Some of their shoulders are for that reason reduced to the edge of simple ribs.

When the fixing accessories 19 are used their bases 20 are firstly fixed to the support 11 by means of their fixing members 29.

The procedure is such that the distance D which then separates them from each other, measured from the support bar 39 of one to the support bar 39 of the other, as shown in Figure 1, is substantially equal to the distance between the fixing lugs 13 of the protective grill 12, as measured externally of the limb 14 of one of the fixing lugs 13 to the limb 14 of the other thereof.

As will be readily appreciated, by virtue of the floating mounting of the plate portion 27 belonging to the corresponding fixing means 21, it is advantageously possible to achieve a certain degree of positional compensation and correction.

The protective grill 12 is then ' engaged by its fixing lugs 13 between the bases 20 which are thus set in position, by means of the recess 38 in the bases.

The limb 14 of the fixing lugs 13 of the protective grill 12 then comes to bear against the support bar 39 of the bases 20, which advantageously ensures that the protective grill 12 is pos-iii'o'n'"ed in a well-defined and positive fashion.

At the same time the bars 15 of the protective grill 12 come into engagement with the latching lugs 43A, 43B of the bases 20, which is advantageously sufficient for temporarily holding the protective grill 12 in place.

The caps 22 of the fixing accessories 19 are then fitted on to the bases 20 by means of the corresponding disengageable securing means 23 for locking the protective grill 12 in position.

13 To do that, the caps 22 are engaged by means of their cantilever portion 49 over the bars 15 of the protective grill 12, between those bars 15 and the wire portions 18 which overhang them, and at the same time, by way of the projecting part of their sleeve portions 56, they are engaged into the corresponding openings 58 in the bases 20.

When, for access to the article 10 for the purpose for example of performing a maintenance operation thereon, the protective grill 12 has to be opened, it is only necessary to disengage from the base 20 of one of the fixing accessories 19 one of the two fixing members 55 which provide that the corresponding cap 22 is secured to the base 20, and to pivot that cap 22 about the other of those fixing members 55, as diagrammatically indicated by the arrow Fl in Figure 17.

When freed at the side of the fixing accessory 19 which is opened in that way, the protective grill 12 can then pivot about the receiving means 25 of the other of the fixing accessories 19, as diagrammatically indicated by the arrow F2 in Figure 16.

When such a pivotal movement occurs the pivot axis of the protective grill 12 is defined by the bar 15 by way of which it is engaged with the corresponding fixing accessory 19.

In addition, and as will be readily appreciated, the support bar 39 of the base 20 of the fixing accessory 19 which is disposed on the opposite side is temporarily deformed elastically for the passage of the corresponding fixing lug 13.

If desired the protective grill 12 can be held in the position of being opened to 90' by providing in projecting relationship on the upper surface 54 of the cap 22, as diagrammatically illustrated in broken lines in Figures 1, 13, 15 and 16, at least one boss portion 70 capable of forming a hard point for such a protective grill 12.

14

Claims

A fixing accessory for a protective grill comprising a base having fixing means suitable for fixing it to a support and a cap fitted onto the base by disengageable securing means, the cap defining with the base a receiving means which is capable of locally embracing the protective grill to be fixed while permitting rotary movement of the protective grill with respect to the receiving means.
2. A fixina accessory according to claim 1, in which the fixing means of the base comprise a plate portion which is separate from the base and suitably fitted thereto, is mounted movably in its plane in parallel relationship with the lower surface of the base in the first direction above an opening passing through the base and which, for the passage therethrough of any fixing member, is itself apertured with an aperture which is elonaate in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction.

0
3. A fixing accessory according to claim 2, in which the plate portion is engaged with a sliding guide provided for it on the base and is movable transversely with respect to the receiving means and the aperture that it has is elongate in parallel relationship with the receiving means.
4. A fixing accessory according to claim 3, in which the base comprises a bottom portion which has its opening and on which the plate portion is movably mounted and the sliding guide with which said plate portion is in engagement is formed between said bottom portion and two ribs which overhang it.
5. A fixin accessory according to claim 4, in which the ribs overhanging the g In bottom portion of the base have their upper edge provided with a chamfer.
6. A fixing accessory according to any one of claims 1 to 5, in which the receiving means that the base forms with the cap for the protective grill is open laterally at the side thereof and the disengageable securing means for securing the cap to the base comprise two fixing members disposed at a spacing from each other in such a way that, when one of said fixing members is disengaged from the base, the cap can pivot about the other and thus free the protective grill.
7. A fixing accessory according to claim 6, in which, for one at least of the fixing members belonging to its disengageable securing means, the cap comprises a sleeve portion which projects beyond its lower surface and at a corresponding position the base comprises an opening for engagement therein of the part of that sleeve portion, which projects in that way.
8. A fixing accessory according to any one of claims 1 to 7, in which the receiving means that the base forms with the cap for the protective grill extends between the upper surface of the base and a shoulder that the cap has in set-back relationship with respect to its lower surface.
9. A fixing accessory according to claim 8, in which, in the receiving means that it forms with the cap for the protective grill, the base comprises in projecting relationship at least one pair of latching tongue portions suitable for disengageably retaining the protective grill by simple latching engagement thereof.
10. A fixing accessory according to claim 9, in which the base comprises two pairs of latching tongue portions at a spacing from each other 'm proje - cting relationship on its upper surface.
11. A fixing accessory according to claim 4, in which on respective sides of its bottom portion the base comprises two leg portions which form a recess between them.
12. A f ixing accessory according to claim 11, in which at the edge of the recess 30 the base comprises an elastically deformable support bar for the protective grill.

16
13. A fixing accessory according to claim 10, in which the two pairs of latching 0 tongue portions are each respectively carried by two leg portions of the base which form a recess between them.
14. A fixing accessory according to any one of claims 1 to 13, in which the upper surface of the base is substantially parallel to its lower surface.
15. A fixing accessory according to any one of claims 1 to 14, in which the upper surface of the cap is a cylindrical surface of substantially circular section with its axis 10 on the receiving means that the base forms with said cap for the protective grill.
16. A fixing accessory according to claim 15, in which, to form a hard point, the cap has at least one boss portion in projecting relationship on its upper surface.
17. A fixing accessory according to any one of claims 1 to 16, forming part of a lialit unit.

0
18. A protective arill provided with at least one fixing y b, accessory according to an one of claims 1 to 17.
19. A fixing accessory for a protective grill substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.