WO1999002909A1

WO1999002909A1 - Cable clamp

Info

Publication number: WO1999002909A1
Application number: PCT/SE1998/001328
Authority: WO
Inventors: Morgan Oliver Lindholm
Original assignee: Morgan Oliver Lindholm
Priority date: 1997-07-07
Filing date: 1998-07-06
Publication date: 1999-01-21
Also published as: SE9800898D0; SE9800898L

Abstract

A cable clamp comprises a body (10) made from an elastic plastic material and having a back portion (12) and two arms (13, 14) which project in a forward direction from said back portion and which, at their free ends, define a gap (15) therebetween which terminates into a passage (16), located behind said gap and extending through said body in a direction transverse to the back portion (12) and said arms (13, 14). The plastic body (10) is provided with members (17), formed integrally therewith and serving as clamping means for releasably holding an electric cable, inserted in said passage, within the latter. The cable clamp also comprises a fastening (11) for the plastic body (10), made from metal and adapted to be fitted to the plastic body (10) in a position in which it projects from said body in the longitudinal direction of the back portion (12) with a portion thereof, formed as a stiff elongate fastening tongue (20), which has its rear side located at least approximately flush with the rear side of the back portion (12) of the plastic body (10).

Description

Cable clamp

The present invention relates to a cable clamp. More particularly, the invention relates to a cable clamp of the kind comprising a body, made from an elastic plastic material and having a back portion and two arms which project in a forward direction from said back portion and which, at their free ends, define a gap, located between said arms and terminating into a passage, located behind said gap and extending through said body in a direction transverse to the back portion and said arms, the plastic body being provided with members, formed integrally therewith and adapted to serve as clamping means for releasably holding an electric cable, inserted in said passage, within the latter . An important advantage of cable clamps of the above kind is that it is possible, by selecting the elasticity of the material, from which the plastic body is made, in an appropriate manner and by giving the members serving as clamping means a suitable shape, to make sure that one and the same cable clamp may be used for reliably holding cables having cross-sectional dimensions varying within comparatively wide limits.

Previously known cable clamps of said kind, intended to be fixed to a wall, a ceiling or other similar supporting member in a building have been designed for fixing them to the supporting member in question by attaching a portion of the cable clamp, formed as an integral portion of the plastic body and serving as a fastening, to the supporting member by means of screws. However, in practice, this mounting manner is very unfavourable. Firstly, it is time-consuming and it makes it necessary to have several different tools as well as suitable mounting means at hand. Usually, the required working operations include boring a hole in the wall or other corresponding supporting member, inserting a plug in the bored hole, and finally mounting the cable clamp by screwing a mounting screw into said plug. Another disadvantage of said mounting manner is that it causes permanent damage to the wall.

The invention has for its purpose to provide an improved cable clamp of the kind initially specified which may be fixed to a wall, a ceiling or other simi- lar supporting member in a very rapid, easy and convenient manner.

The cable clamp, according to the invention proposed for said purpose, is primarily characterized in that the cable clamp also comprises a fastening for the plastic body, preferably made from metal och adapted to be fitted to the plastic body in a position in which it projects from said body in the longitudinal direction of the back portion with a portion thereof, formed as a stiff elongate fastening tongue and having its rear side located at least approximately flush with the rear side of the back portion of the plastic body.

By providing the cable clamp with a fastening of the above kind one can make it possible to mount the cable clamp completely without the use of any tools or separate mounting means. The fact is that the clamp may be fixed to a wall, a ceiling or other similar supporting member simply by pressing in the fastening tongue formed by the fastening between said supporting member and a moulding provided thereon, such as a scirting-board, an architrave, a cornice or the like. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, at its rear side, the back portion of the plastic body may be provided with a recess for receiving the fastening tongue of another cable clamp therein. said recess extending in the longitudinal direction of said back portion. Hereby, two or more cable clamps may be mounted stacked upon each other, in which case only one of the clamps need to be mounted by having its fastening tongue inserted between for instance a wall and a moulding affixed thereto, while each one of the remaining cable clamps may be mounted by having its fastening tongue inserted into said longitudinal recess of a cable clamp previously mounted. in order to make it possible to fit the fastening, which is formed by a separate member, to the plastic body in a rapid and easy manner, the fastening may suitably comprise anchoring means, formed integrally with the fastening tongue and adapted to be brought into engagement with the plastic body by being inserted into recesses in the plastic body, serving to receive said anchoring means therein.

In this case, the fastening may preferably consist of a band-shaped sheet metal piece, bent at an at least approximately right angle in order to form two legs, one of which forms said fastening tongue while the other one forms said anchoring means.

Although the cable clamp according to the invention is primarily intended to be mounted by having its fastening tongue inserted between a fixed building portion, for instance a wall, and a moulding attached thereto, the fastening tongue may preferably be provided with a through opening for a screw of other similar mounting means. Hereby, it will be possible, if so de- sired, to mount the cable clamp also at such locations on a wall or the like where any moulding behind which the fastening tongue can be inserted does not exist.

Additional characteristic features of the invention are set forth in claims 6 to 9. Below the invention is further described with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:-

Figure 1 shows a side elevation of a cable clamp according to an embodiment of the invention, selected only by way of example, Figure 2 shows a front view of said cable clamp, and

Figure 3 shows a partial sectional view taken along line III-III in Figure 1.

The cable clamp shown in the drawing comprises a main portion, consisting of a body, generally designated 10 and made from an elastic plastic material, and a fastening generally designated 11 and made from metal. Plastic body 10 comprises a back portion 12 and two arms 13 and 14 which project in a forward direction from said back portion and which, at their free ends, define a gap 15, located therebetween. This gap terminates into a passage 16 of generally circular cross-section, located behind said gap and extending through body 10 m a direction transverse to back portion 12 and arms 13 and 14.

Reference numeral 17 designates a number of elastically flexible holding tongues which extend into passage 16 from back portion 12 and arms 13 and 14 and which have a small thickness as compared to the total width of body 10. These tongues 17, which are formed integrally with body 10, serve as clamping means which can hold one or more electric cables, inserted in passage 16 through gap 15, within said passage. Holding tongues

17, which are located in a common plane, extending per- pendicular to the longitudinal direction of the passage and at an equal distance from each of the two opposite lateral surfaces of body 10, define slot-shaped openings

18, located between said tongues. In the illustrated embodiment, tongues 17 and openings 18 are dimensioned and located so as to permit two electric cables to be received and held one above the other within passage 16.

In the illustrated embodiment, fastening 11 is formed by a band-shaped sheet metal piece which is bent at a right angle to form two legs 19 and 20, extending in directions perpendicular to each other. Leg 19, which serves as an anchoring means for fastening 11, is held anchored in plastic body 10 by being inserted in a recess 21 in the lower arm 14 of body 10, intended to receive said leg therein. Leg 20 forms a stiff elongate fastening tongue which projects in a downward direction from plastic body 10 and has its rear side located substantially flush with the rear side of back portion 12.

As a result of the design of fastening 11 above described, the cable clamp may be mounted, for instance to a wall, by pressing in leg 20 between said wall and a moulding, for instance a scirting board, affixed thereto. This means that the clamp may be mounted in a very rapid and easy manner and without the use of any tools or separate mounting means. Furthermore, the clamp may be mounted in a manner that avoids the risk of any permanent damage to the wall.

In order, when so required, to permit the cable clamp to be mounted also at a location where any moulding behind which leg 20 may be inserted does not exist, leg 20 is however provided with a through opening 22 for a screw of other mounting means.

At its rear side, back portion 12 of plastic body 10 is provided with a recess 23, extending in the longitudinal direction of said portion and intended to be able to receive leg 20 of another cable clamp therein. Hereby, two or more cable clamps may be mounted stacked upon each other. In this case, only one cable clamp need to be mounted by having its leg 20 inserted behind a moulding, affixed for instance to a wall, while each one of the remaining cable clamps may be mounted by having its leg 20 inserted into recess 23 of a cable clamp previously mounted.

The invention is not restricted to the embodiment above described and shown in the drawing. Instead, many other embodiments are feasible within the scope of the invention as defined in the claims. For instance, it could be mentioned that the fastening may be formed by a bent metal wire of sufficient stiffness replacing the bent sheet metal piece. Moreover, the holding tongues provided on the plastic body may be given many other shapes than those shown in the drawing.

Claims

1. Cable clamp of the kind comprising a body (10), made from an elastic plastic material and having a back portion (12) and two arms (13, 14) which project in a forward direction from said back portion and which, at their free ends, define a gap (15), located between said arms and terminating into a passage (16), located behind said gap and extending through said body in a direction transverse to the back portion (12) and said arms (13, 14), the plastic body (10) being provided with members (17), formed integrally therewith and adapted to serve as clamping means for releasably holding an electric cable, inserted in said passage (16), within the latter, characterized in that the cable clamp also comprises a fastening (11) for the plastic body (10), preferably made from metal and adapted to be fitted to the plastic body (10) in a position in which it projects from said body in the longitudinal direction of the back portion (12) with a portion thereof, formed as a stiff elongate fastening tongue (20) and having its rear side located at least approximately flush with the rear side of the back portion (12) of the plastic body (10).

2. Cable clamp according to claim 1, characterized in that, at its rear side, the back portion (12) of the plastic body (10) is provided with a recess (23) for receiving the fastening tongue (20) of another cable clamp therein, said recess extending in the longitudinal direction of said back portion.

3. Cable clamp according to claim 1 or 2 , characte- rized in that the fastening (11) comprises anchoring means (19), formed integrally with the fastening tongue (20) and adapted to be brought into engagement with the plastic body (10) by being inserted into recesses (21) in the plastic body (10), serving to receive said anchoring means therein.

4. Cable clamp according to claim 3, characterized in that the fastening (11) consists of a band-shaped sheet metal piece, bent at an at least approximately right angle in order to form two legs (19, 20), one (20) of which forms said fastening tongue while the other one (19) forms said anchoring means.

5. Cable clamp according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the fastening tongue (20) is provided with a through opening (22) for a screw or other similar mounting means.

6. Cable clamp according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said members serving as clamping means comprise elastically flexible holding tongues (17) which extend into the through passage (16) from the back portion (12) and the two arms (13, 14) and the thickness of which is small as compared to the total width of the plastic body (10).

7. Cable clamp according to claim 6, characterized in that the holding tongues (17) define slot-shaped openings (18), located therebetween.

8. Cable clamp according to claim 6 or 7 , characterized in that the holding tongues are located in a common plane, extending at least approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the passage.

9. Cable clamp according to claim 8, characterized in that the holding tongues (17) are located at an at least approximately equal distance from each of the two opposite lateral surfaces of the plastic body (10).