WO1998028563A1

WO1998028563A1 - Mounting for service lines and arrangement for fastening of service lines

Info

Publication number: WO1998028563A1
Application number: PCT/SE1997/002129
Authority: WO
Inventors: Christer Leini
Original assignee: Scania Cv Aktiebolag (Publ)
Priority date: 1996-12-20
Filing date: 1997-12-17
Publication date: 1998-07-02
Also published as: SE9604712D0; SE507434C2; SE9604712L

Abstract

A mounting (1) for service lines includes at least two mounting sections for laying-in of service lines (20, 21), which sections consists cross-sectionally of an upper section (9) and a lower section (14), both of which sections exhibit openings for laying-in of service lines. Advantageously the two sections (9, 14) each exhibit cross-sectional channel shapes which make it easy to fit service lines. The mounting (1) is made of plastic material, which means that it can be manufactured as an integral unit. Fitting a multiplicity of mountings along the rail (4) makes it possible for the service lines (20, 21) to be positioned while being fitted, and when all the service lines have been fitted they can be fixed to the rail (4) by means of a number of strap fasteners which are fitted to surround both the service lines and the rail.

Description

Mounting for^' service lines and arrangement for fastening of service lines

The present invention relates to a mounting for service lines in accordance with what is indicated in more detail in the preamble to the attached patent claim 1 , and an arrangement for fastening of service lines in accordance with what is indicated in the preamble to patent claim 8.

Background to the invention

In vehicles the use is known of various types of mountings and brackets to fasten and support supportable service lines and pipes.

In mass-produced passenger cars and other vehicles manufactured in large series it is usual for service lines, particularly electric lines, to be made in the form of pre-assembled bundles of lines which at the time of fitting in the vehicle are connected at the ends of the lines, advantageously by means of a number of multi-pole connectors. Their fitting can be carried out rationally, since the service lines in a large number of vehicles are the same. Bundles of service lines in this kind of vehicle are relatively short and it is therefore sufficient to fasten the lines or bundles of lines to the vehicle body at suitable points. In larger vehicles such as a truck or a bus, the service lines are usually substantially longer and the number of variants of service lines for different types of vehicle is substantially greater. This means that only to a limited extent is it possible to use pre-assembled bundles of lines. Instead, for each individual vehicle, it is necessary to lay a multiplicity of lines which can only be bound together to form bundles after they have been fitted to the vehicle.

To facilitate the laying of service lines during vehicle assembly and thereafter also to secure them to the vehicle, the use is known of various kinds of clips and mountings. The simplest solution for fastening the lines to the vehicle is to arrange advantageously a bracket for a so-called strap fastener which can be tightened to fasten the lines to the bracket. The disadvantage of this solution is that the lines are not fixed while they are being fitted, with the result that it is only used in cases involving a limited number of lines such that no great inconvenience is caused by their not being fixed while being fitted. Other solutions include the use of various kinds of long channels which are fitted to the vehicle at suitable points and in which the lines can be laid. When all the lines have been laid in the channels, they are surrounded by a strap fastener and fixed in the channels. A disadvantage of such channels is that they allow dirt to accumulate and that water will stagnate therein and thereby cause corrosion.

Patent specification US-A- 3 515 363 describes a solution with a clip which can be used for fastening a number of lines to a panel. This clip is provided with a snap fastening which makes it easy to fit to the panel in a purpose-made hole. The clip is open when fitted, thereby making it possible to lay lines in it. When all the lines have been fitted, the clip can be closed by snapping closed a surrounding part which is integral with the clip. With this form of mounting, the surrounding part thus also serves to fix the lines, thereby making assembly work easy if the number of lines is suited to the dimensions of the mounting. In cases where the number of lines is smaller than intended, the fixing of the lines will not be satisfactory, and in cases where the number of lines is greater there will not be room for them in the mountings. This means that the possibilities of using a standardised clip for a variety of applications are limited.

US-A- 3 088 702 refers to a rather similar solution whereby a clip is first snap-fastened in a hole and then closed by a part integral with the mounting. Closing the clip locks the snap fastening further in its fastening hole and protects it from loosening unless the clip is first opened. Otherwise this clip exhibits the same characteristics as that described in the foregoing paragraph.

Objects of the invention

One object of the invention is to provide a service line mounting which makes it easy to fit both the mounting and the service lines and which after the fitting operation keeps the lines secured. The mounting has also to be usable for a multiplicity of different applications whereby there may be great variation in the number of lines, thereby making it possible to utilise the advantages of a standardised mounting. It also has to be easy and inexpensive to manufacture.

A further object is to make it possible to fasten a number of different groups of lines with the same mounting, e.g. so that larger lines can be laid together and smaller lines together and/or different types of lines can be separated.

Summary of the invention

The objects of the invention are achieved by designing a mounting in accordance with what is indicated in the characterising part of patent claim 1 and by designing a corresponding arrangement in accordance with what is indicated in the characterising part of patent claim 8. The dependent patent claims indicate advantageous embodiments of the invention.

If a mounting is provided with two mounting sections, different lines can be separated and yet be fitted using the same mounting, thereby making them easy to fit and saving space. Fitting the mountings along a rail provides the possibility of laying lines to their connection points without involving any need for surrounding supporting surfaces. Junctions and connections of lines are easy to arrange along the extent of a bundle of lines, since the lines are not at all enclosed. The rail arranged between the mounting sections helps, at least partially, to screen lines fitted in one section of the mounting from those fitted in its other section. The rail also provides the lines with stable fastening.

Further advantages and characteristics distinguishing the invention are indicated in the examples described below of an advantageous embodiment with reference to the attached drawings. Brief description of the drawings

Fig.1 shows a perspective view of part of a vehicle frame with an arrangement of service line mountings according to the invention, and Fig.2 shows a cross-sectional view of a service line mounting.

Description of the invention

The service line mounting in the embodiment here described is intended for vehicle use, more particularly for a vehicle provided with a frame, such as a heavy-duty truck or bus. Fig.l shows part of the vehicle frame consisting of two longitudinal side members 2 and a number of transverse members 3. One of the side members has an arrangement fastened to it for positioning the vehicle's electric lines firmly with respect to the frame. This arrangement includes a longitudinal rail 4, which in practice takes the form of a flat bar. This rail has been bent so as to follow the shape of a side member 2, to which it is fastened by means of a number of brackets 5 arranged along the length of the side member. The brackets 5 take the form, for example, of angle-bent flat bars which each have one of their ends screwed to the side member 2 and their other end welded to the rail. In this embodiment the side members in the depicted part of the frame consist of channel members with flanges 6,7 turned outwards and the brackets 5 are fastened to the lower flange 7 of the side member.

The rail 4 is provided with a number of holes 8 along its length, in which are fitted a number of identically similar service line mountings 1 , whose design may be seen in more detail in Fig.2. Each mounting 1 includes an upper section consisting of a U-shaped bracket section 9 with two mutually parallel sides 10,11 directed upwards and, between them, a linking intermediate section 12. A lower section of the mounting likewise consists of a U-shaped bracket section 14, one side 13 of which extends upwards and merges with the intermediate section 9, while its other side 15 is shorter so as to form a lateral opening. The mounting is advantageously made of a plastic material, which means that all its sections can be made mutually integral. A fastening 17 arranged on the underside of the intermediate section 12 can at the same time also be made integral with the upper mounting 1. The fastening 17 takes the form of a snap fastener with a spigot directed downwards which when being fitted snaps firmly into a purpose-made circular hole 8 in the rail 4. In an alternative embodiment the mounting 1 may be made of an extruded material, such as aluminium, which has been cut to suitable lengths. In such cases the fastening 17 of the mounting may consist of a conventional bolted connection fastened in the fastening hole 8 in the rail 4. In all embodiments the mounting is rounded in shape so that there are no sharp edges which might abrade the lines. For the same reason, the brackets 5 of the rail should be welded to the rail so that there are no sharp edges at the brackets.

As may be seen in Fig.2, the intermediate section 12 of the mounting abuts against the upper side of the rail 4, with the result that the whole mounting 1 is supported by the rail 4.

We now go on to describe how service lines are fitted in the mountings 1 described. Fitting the lines is preceded by fitting the rail 4 to the vehicle frame 2,3 by means of brackets 5, and by fitting a number of service line mountings 1 along the rail 4 by means of fastenings 17 in the purpose-made holes 8. This state corresponds to that depicted in Fig.l. Fitting the vehicle's service lines, e.g. electric lines, is carried out by laying them successively in either of the respective upper or lower sections 9,14 of the mounting. It is advantageous for larger lines 21, such as power supply lines and the like, to be laid in the lower section 14 and smaller lines 20, such as various control and signal lines, to be laid in the upper section 9, as depicted in Fig.2. The fact that both the lower section 14 and the upper section 9 form U-shaped mountings for the lines 20,21 means that the latter while being fitted to the mountings 1 are retained without requiring particular devices for the purpose. When all the lines 20,21 have been fitted, a number of strap fasteners (not depicted) suitably distributed along the extent of the lines are placed round all the lines. Each strap fastener will thus surround the rail 4, and the lines will thus be secured to the rail. The lines 21 lying in the lower section of the mounting 1 will be raised and secured against the overlying rail 4. Distributing the strap fasteners along the lines also means that the latter are held together and form a composite bundle. The lines 20,21 will cooperate and form together a unit which is significantly more rigid than the various lines would be individually. This fact combines with the rigid rail 4 to make the bundle of lines a substantially self-supporting unit.

Service lines as above are fitted one by one, but it is of course also possible to fit them in the form of more or less large bundles of lines in order to rationalise their fitting. The mountings are fitted along the rail at suitable mutual spacing so that the lines being fitted stay lying in the mountings without requiring any kind of fastening to retain them. In cases where only rather stable lines or bundles of lines are fitted, the spacing between mountings may be greater than if the lines were less stable.

Using a surrounding strap fastener has inherent advantages as regards the possibility of binding together lines which differ in number and dimensions. The mountings 1 used may thus be dimensioned to cater for the largest number of lines which may occur and any possible overdimensioning causes no inconvenience, since the lines will in all circumstances be reliably and safely secured. This creates great possibilities of using standardised mountings for a large number of different vehicles with different numbers of service lines. It also makes it easy to arrange junctions for the respective lines so that they can be connected to the various units situated along the vehicle. Should further lines have to be post-fitted it is easy to add them to the bundle without having to shift the lines fitted earlier.

Using a rail 4 consisting of a flat bar also provides the possibility of bending it to cater for needs which may arise in various types of vehicle, and of adapting the shape of the rail in the vehicle. Alternative embodiments may use other forms of rail, e.g. with tubular or other cross-sections. It is also possible, at least in certain areas, to fasten the service line mountings described to parts of the vehicle's ordinary frame, e.g. the flanges of the side members. In this respect, however, there are practical problems in binding strap fasteners round the whole member, in which case it is more advantageous to have the fasteners bind only the bundle of lines. The invention may be combined and used together with other types of service line mounting, both those which are covered by the invention according to the attached patent claims and those which are not. The invention thus affords great flexibility as regards areas of application. The invention as exemplified above may be used for electric lines but also for other types of lines such as compressed air lines, liquid lines, hydraulic lines, wire transitions and the like where similar requirements arise. In such cases, electric lines, for example, may be fitted in the upper section of the mountings, and compressed air lines in the lower section. It is also possible to use several of these lines simultaneously with one another in the same mounting, thereby further illustrating the versatility of the invention.

In the embodiment described, the upper section of the mounting is arranged directly above its lower section so that the two sections together are arranged symmetrically both to one another and to the rail. In alternative embodiments, however, the two sections of the mounting may be displaced laterally relative to one another to a greater or lesser extent, just as the rail may also be arranged displaced relative to both sections of the mounting.

Claims

Patent claims

1. Mounting for service lines in a vehicle, characterised in that the mounting (1) includes at least two sections (9,14) which are each intended to accommodate service lines and which comprise in a vertical plane an upper section (9) and a lower section (14), both of which exhibit openings for laying-in of service lines.

2. Mounting according to patent claim 1, characterised in that the two sections (9,14) each exhibit a cross- sectional channel shape with sides directed upwards (10,11,13,15).

3. Mounting according to patent claim 1 or 2, characterised in that all the sides (10,11,13,15) of the sections (9,14) are mutually parallel.

4. Mounting according to any one of the foregoing patent claims, characterised in that a fastening (17) for the mounting (1) is arranged on an intermediate section (12) between the two sides (10,11) of the upper section (9).

5. Mounting according to patent claim 4, characterised in that the fastening consists of a spigot (17) directed downwards and designed for snap fitting.

6. Mounting according to any one of the foregoing patent claims, characterised in that the mounting (1) is made of a substantially stiff material.

7. Mounting according to patent claim 6, characterised in that the fastening

(17) is made of plastic material and that the upper section (9), the lower section (14) and the fastening (17) are mutually integral.

8. Arrangement for fastening of service lines in vehicles, characterised in that a multiplicity of identically similar mountings (1) designed according to any one of the foregoing patent claims are fitted to a longitudinal rail (4).

9. Arrangement according to patent claim 8, characterised in that the rail (4) takes the form of a flat bar which is provided along its length with a number of holes (8) for fastening respective mountings (1) and that respective mountings (1) are fitted to the upper side of the rail (4) so as to abut against the rail (4).

10. Arrangement according to patent claim 8 or 9, characterised in that the arrangement also includes a number of strap fasteners which each encompass not only service lines (20,21) in the respective upper and lower sections (8,14) of the mounting but also the rail (4).