Patent Application
20140158419
The present application claims priority from PCT Patent Application No. PCT/EP2012/000887 filed on Mar. 1, 2012, which claims priority from German Patent Application No. DE 20 2011 004 055.0 filed on Mar. 16, 2011, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
The invention is directed to a cable retainer for horizontal or vertical fastening of cables or cable bundles in thin-walled cabinets, such as sheet metal cabinets, provided with a perforation pattern, having a base region which allows fastening in an opening in the thin wall and from which holding strips emerge, which holding strips can be connected to one another at the free ends thereof so as to encircle a cable bundle cross section.
It is noted that citation or identification of any document in this application is not an admission that such document is available as prior art to the present invention.
A cable retainer of the general type mentioned above is already known from Company Brochure 09.7 by DIRAK GmbH, Königsfelder Str. 1, 58256 Ennepetal.
This cable holder has the drawback of the hook-shaped connection which can accidentally disengage when the hook connection is put into shear Further, it is disadvantageous that the cross sections of the cables are sharply bent at the edge of the cable strip and can suffer damage.
It is noted that in this disclosure and particularly in the claims and/or paragraphs, terms such as “comprises”, “comprised”, “comprising” and the like can have the meaning attributed to it in U.S. Patent law; e.g., they can mean “includes”, “included”, “including”, and the like; and that terms such as “consisting essentially of” and “consists essentially of” have the meaning ascribed to them in U.S. Patent law, e.g., they allow for elements not explicitly recited, but exclude elements that are found in the prior art or that affect a basic or novel characteristic of the invention.
It is further noted that the invention does not intend to encompass within the scope of the invention any previously disclosed product, process of making the product or method of using the product, which meets the written description and enablement requirements of the USPTO (35 U S.C. 112, first paragraph) or the EPO (Article 83 of the EPC), such that applicant(s) reserve the right to disclaim, and hereby disclose a disclaimer of, any previously described product, method of making the product, or process of using the product.
It is the object of the invention to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art and to provide alternatives to the prior art.
The above-stated object is met in that the one holding strip forms or has at its free end a laterally directed pin, and in that the other holding strip forms a bore hole for receiving the pin, the pin being insertable therein.
According to a further development of the invention, spring tension is generated by a leaf-spring-like structure of the holding strip between pin and bore hole.
According to yet another further development, pin and bore hole have knurled or roughened surfaces to achieve a locking of the pin in the bore hole.
To protect the cable or cable bundle, it can be advantageous according to yet another further development when the holding strips have a cable protector which can be snapped on.
In particular, the cable protector can have a semicircular profile having a radius that is appreciably greater than the width of the holding strips, wherein the semicircular profile and the extends between the profile edges and the cable bundle in the assembled position.
According to yet another further development of the invention, holding tabs which enclose the holding strips under pressure emerge from the inner surface of the semicircular profile.
The holding strips can also form a parallelogram after connection of the free ends.
The connection can preferably be carried out by means of a pin which emerges from the middle of the one holding strip and can be received in a suitable bore hole extending in profile direction in the other holding strip.
The semicircular profile can be bent outward in the middle of the longitudinal extension.
The bending angle can be approximately 30 degrees.
The base region should comprise an approximately square base plate with side length 3S with a square opening with side length 1S, where S is a hole pitch of the perforation of the cabinet.
The base region is provided on one side in running direction of the cable with a spacer or reinforcing insert which projects into a pitch opening by distance S.
The openings can be penetrated by a square clip-like holding element.
According to a further development of the invention, the cable has a semicircular profile with a radius of the width of the holding strips so that no betiding forces occur between the profiles and the cable bundles.
According to another further development of the invention, holding tabs emerge from the inner surface of the semicircular profile so as to enclose the holding strips under pressure.
The arrangement is carried out such that the holding tabs form a parallelogram when the free ends are joined.
It is to be understood that the figures and descriptions of the present invention have been simplified to illustrate elements that are relevant for a clear understanding of the present invention, while eliminating, for purposes of clarity, many other elements which are conventional in this art. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that other elements are desirable for implementing the present invention. However, because such elements are well known in the art, and because they do not facilitate a better understanding of the present invention, a discussion of such elements is not provided herein.
The present invention will now be described in detail on the basis of exemplary embodiments.
The holding strips 20, 22 are advisably produced from plastic and as a natural outcome of manufacture often have sharp edges 24 which can lead to damage to cables 28 under unfavorable circumstances. To protect cable 12 from damage and kinking, a cable protector 30 is provided according to the invention which can be snapped onto the holding strip 20 or 22 (see
With respect to holding strips 20, 22, the connection is carried out in the embodiment form shown in
The bending angle 42—see FIG. 4D—is approximately 30 degrees.
The base region 14, 18 has a square base plate 44 with side length 3S with a square opening 46 with side length 1S, where S is a hole pitch of the perforation of the cabinet.
In the embodiment form shown in
The holding element 50 (see also
The cable retainer 10 can be injection molded from plastic. Reinforcing points 52 in the base region may be useful.
The invention is commercially applicable in switch cabinet construction,
While this invention has been described in conjunction with the specific embodiments outlined above, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the preferred embodiments of the invention as set forth above are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventions as defined in the following claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 2011 004 055.0 | Mar 2011 | DE | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2012/000887 | 3/1/2012 | WO | 00 | 10/21/2013 |
