GB2372887A

GB2372887A - Rotatable cable clip

Info

Publication number: GB2372887A
Application number: GB0100960A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Yurek Wronski
Original assignee: COTSWOLD ARCHITECTURAL PRODUCTS Ltd; Cotswold Architectural Products Ltd
Current assignee: COTSWOLD ARCHITECTURAL PRODUCTS Ltd; Cotswold Architectural Products Ltd
Priority date: 2001-01-13
Filing date: 2001-01-13
Publication date: 2002-09-04
Also published as: GB0100960D0

Abstract

A cable clip 10 has a hanger part 11 and a mounting part 12. The clip 10 is fitted to a support 13 with the mounting 12 located in an aperture 14 of the support 13. The hanger 11 has a pair of L-shaped members 15,16, one shorter than the other so that the overlapping tips 19,20 form on opening through which cables can pass, joined by a base 17. The base 17 has a stem 18 which fits into the aperture 14 and also has a number of tangs (23, Fig 4) which project into a cavity (22, Fig 4) which serve to limit the rotational movement of the clip 10 by contacting stops (34, Fig 8) on the mountings base (25, Fig 7).

Description

A Cable Hanging Device

This invention relates to cable hanging devices incorporating a cable hanger, which are sometimes known as cable tidies.

Any network of computers, telephones or like equipment bring with them a huge number of cables, which are preferably supported in an organised fashion, particularly in the interface enclosures or boxes or beneath the raised floors, which are often used in computer centres, such as call centres. Cable hangers can take a variety of forms, but one, which is commonly in use, comprises a pair of opposed L-shaped members, one of which is shorter than the other so that they leave a gap between their tips through which cables can be passed to be supported on the longer arm of one or other of the L-shaped members. Most commonly they will be supported on the shorter of the two L-shaped members. Currently these tidies are constructed in metal with the L-shaped members being integral and they are welded to a support. The fixing is therefore rigid and usually formed at the factory, where the full supports are made.

The present invention consists in a cable hanging device including a cable hanger having a projecting stem and a mounting disposable in an aperture on a support where the mounting and stem have co-operating formations whereby

when inserted in the mounting the stem is retained axially but is free to rotate relative to the mounting.

This arrangement introduces considerable flexibility and economic benefit. First it means the user can purchase the hangers separately from the supports and therefore can use the number of hangers which is appropriate to the particular cable arrangement on site, without being limited to the factory preset. Secondly it becomes easier for the manufacturers of the enclosures and supports to provide available apertures, which can take cable hangers, if a particular configuration requires it. Thirdly the ability to be able to rotate the cable hanger or tidy relative to the mounting means that the cables can be allowed to run in a more natural path with consequent savings both in cable length and in the likelihood of damage to the cables.

Preferably the mounting has an aperture for receiving the stem and conveniently an aperture is defined by a skirt or adjacent skirt elements. Where skirt elements are used, they may be deflectable by the insertion of the stem for locking against a support. In any of these cases the stem may have an enlarged head which can be captured by the free edges of the skirt or skirt elements after it has passed through the aperture.

The hanger may include at least one tang or detent and the mounting may define a track for allowing rotation of the detent. The track may include one or more stops for

limiting the movement of the tang or detent and hence the rotation of the hanger. For example, the hanger may be capable of rotating in 450 either side of a central position or some other angular range may be selected. The mounting may have an opening to allow the tang or detent to enter the track on axial movement of the stem into the aperture. The starting orientation of the hanger can therefore be defined.

From a further aspect the invention consists in a cable hanging device including a cable hanger and a mounting disposable in an aperture on a support wherein the cable hanger can be retainingly engaged on the mounting whilst being free to rotate, at least to a limited extent, relative to the mounting.

From a still further aspect a cable support includes a support defining a plurality of spaced apertures and a cable hanging device as defined above mounted at an aperture.

Preferably the apertures are a square section.

Although the invention has been defined above it is to be understood it includes any inventive combination of the features set out above or in the following description.

The invention may be performed in various ways and a specific embodiment will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of a cable hanging device mounted on a support, with the mounting partially shown in section; Figure 2 is a vertical section through the device of Figure 1 taken along the line I-I in Figure 1; Figure 3a is an end view on the arrow A of Figure 1, Figure 3b is a corresponding view of Figure 2 and Figure 3c illustrates a rotated position of the cable hanger of the device of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a side view of a cable hanger of the type used in Figure 1; Figure 5 is a view on the arrow B of the hanger of Figure 4; Figure 6 is a vertical section through the hanger of Figure 4 along the line IV-IV; Figure 7 is a side view of the mounting of the cable hanging device of Figure 1; Figure 8 is a view of the mounting on the arrow C; and Figure 9 is a section of the mounting along the line VIII-VIII in Figure 8.

A cable hanging device 10 is shown in Figures 1 and 2 and comprises a cable hanger 11 and a mounting 12. The device 10 is supported on a support 13 with the mounting located in an aperture 14 of the support 13. The aperture 14 is typically a 9mm square hole which is provided in existing panels and the like for a variety of purposes, but

is not utilised by the existing cable hangers.

The cable hanger or tidy 11 comprises a pair of opposed L-shaped members 15 and 16 which are integrally linked by a base 17 from which projects a stem 18. This can be most clearly seen in Figure 4. The L-shaped member 16 is shorter than the L-shaped member 15 so that the overlapping tips 19,20 define a passage 21 through which cables can be introduced to be retained and, if appropriate, supported, for example, on the long leg of member 16.

A cavity 22 is formed in the base 17 circumjacent the root of the stem 18 for receiving a portion of the mounting 12. Tangs or detents 23 project into the cavity 22. It will be noted that the stem 18 has an enlarged mushroomlike head 24.

Turning now to Figures 7 to 9 the mounting 12 has a generally annular base 25 with a central aperture 26 that is extended by dependent skirt elements 27 that are arranged in a square section configuration. The skirt elements 27 are formed such that the extended aperture 26 tapers towards the free edges of the skirt elements 27, so that the skirt elements 27 can be forced apart on insertion of the stem 18 into the aperture 26, as will be described below. Each skirt element 27 has a wedge section large head 28 so that a support 13 of suitable thickness can be trapped between the base 25 and the rear face 29 of the

enlarged head 28.

As can be seen in Figure 7, the base 25 is cut away at 30 and 31 to define respective tracks for the detents 23. As can then be seen in Figure 8 there are respective openings 32 to allow the detents 23 to be dropped through into these track portions 30,31 on assembly of the device.

Stops 34 are provided to limit the rotational movement of the detents 23.

In use the mounting 12 is inserted into the aperture 14 by inserting the skirt elements 23 through the aperture 14. The hanger 11 is then presented to the mounting with the detents 23 aligned with the openings 33 and the stem aligned with the aperture 26. It is then pushed towards a mounting 12 so that the stem passes into the aperture 26 until the head 24 has passed beyond the skirt heads 28 whereupon it becomes trapped by them. Because the aperture 26 tapers within the skirt elements 27 they are forced apart, as described above, and their heads 28 lock up on the support 13. When so assembled the hanger 11 can be rotated until the detents engage the stops 34.

Each of the mounting 12 and hanger 11 may be moulded from plastics material. The hanger 11 will need to be quite strong and rigid, if it is to support heavy cables, so glass-reinforced plastics may be particularly suitable.

Other engagement arrangements can be contemplated, for example the detents could twist and lock in a bayonet manner on the mounting or be snap fitted onto the mounting. However, the stem also serves to counterbalance the weight of the cables and the illustrated arrangement is preferred.

Claims

1. A cable hanging device including a cable hanger having a projecting stem and a mounting disposable in an aperture on a support wherein the mounting and stem have cooperating formations whereby when inserted in the mounting the stem is retained axially but is free to rotate relative to the mounting.

2. A device as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the mounting has an aperture for receiving the stem.

3. A device as claimed in Claim 2 wherein the aperture is defined by a skirt or adjacent skirt elements.

4. A device as claimed in Claim 3 wherein the skirt elements are deflectable by the insertion of the stem for locking against a support.

5. A device as claimed in Claim 3 or Claim 4 wherein the stem has an enlarged head which can be captured by the free edges of the skirt or skirt elements after it has passed through the aperture.

6. A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the hanger includes at least one tang or detent and

the mounting defines a track for allowing rotation of the target detent.

7. A device as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the track includes a stop for limiting the movement of the tang or detent and hence the rotation of the hanger.

8. A device as claimed in Claim 6 or Claim 7 wherein the mounting has an opening to allow the tang or detent to enter the track on axial movement of the stem into the aperture.

9. A cable hanging device substantially as hereby described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

10. A cable hanging device including a cable hanger and a marking disposable in an aperture on a support wherein the cable hanger can be retainingly engaged on the mounting whilst being free to rotate, at least to a limited extent, relative to the marking.

11. A cable support including a support defining a plurality of spaced apertures and a cable hanging device as claimed in any of the preceding claims mounted at an aperture.

12. A support as claimed in Claim 9 wherein the apertures are of square section.