Patent Application
20240347958
The invention relates to a device that is used to mount a wire or change direction of a wire run.
A fairlead is a device to guide a line, such as an electrical wire, around an object, out of the way or to prevent the wire from moving laterally along a surface.
It would be beneficial to provide a wire fairlead that secures a wire and can also fit into a corner formed by two adjoining walls.
This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.
In one embodiment, the present invention is a wire fairlead assembly having a base extending along a longitudinal axis and having a top surface, a channel cut into the top surface and extending along the longitudinal axis, and a locking tab extending upwardly from the base. A cap is releasably connectable to the base. The cap has a receiver configured to engage the locking tab such that, when the cap is located onto top surface in a first position, the cap is not locked to the base, and when the cap is rotated from the first position to a second position along the top surface, the cap is releasably secured to the base.
In an alternative embodiment, a method provides providing a wire fairlead assembly according to the present invention; placing the base against a wall and inserting a fastening member through the first through hole, securing the base to the wall; placing the wire through the channel; and securing the cap to the base.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and constitute part of this specification, illustrate the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, and, together with the general description given above and the detailed description given below, serve to explain the features of the invention. In the drawings:
In the drawings, like numerals indicate like elements throughout. Certain terminology is used herein for convenience only and is not to be taken as a limitation on the present invention. The terminology includes the words specifically mentioned, derivatives thereof and words of similar import. The embodiments illustrated below are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. These embodiments are chosen and described to best explain the principle of the invention and its application and practical use and to enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention.
Reference herein to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment can be included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, nor are separate or alternative embodiments necessarily mutually exclusive of other embodiments. The same applies to the term “implementation.”
As used in this application, the word “exemplary” is used herein to mean serving as an example, instance, or illustration. Any aspect or design described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs. Rather, use of the word exemplary is intended to present concepts in a concrete fashion.
The word “about” is used herein to include a value of +/−10 percent of the numerical value modified by the word “about” and the word “generally” is used herein to mean “without regard to particulars or exceptions.”
Additionally, the term “or” is intended to mean an inclusive “or” rather than an exclusive “or”. That is, unless specified otherwise, or clear from context, “X employs A or B” is intended to mean any of the natural inclusive permutations. That is, if X employs A; X employs B; or X employs both A and B, then “X employs A or B” is satisfied under any of the foregoing instances. In addition, the articles “a” and “an” as used in this application and the appended claims should generally be construed to mean “one or more” unless specified otherwise or clear from context to be directed to a singular form.
Unless explicitly stated otherwise, each numerical value and range should be interpreted as being approximate as if the word “about” or “approximately” preceded the value of the value or range.
The use of figure numbers and/or figure reference labels in the claims is intended to identify one or more possible embodiments of the claimed subject matter in order to facilitate the interpretation of the claims. Such use is not to be construed as necessarily limiting the scope of those claims to the embodiments shown in the corresponding figures.
It should be understood that the steps of the exemplary methods set forth herein are not necessarily required to be performed in the order described, and the order of the steps of such methods should be understood to be merely exemplary. Likewise, additional steps may be included in such methods, and certain steps may be omitted or combined, in methods consistent with various embodiments of the present invention.
Although the elements in the following method claims, if any, are recited in a particular sequence with corresponding labeling, unless the claim recitations otherwise imply a particular sequence for implementing some or all of those elements, those elements are not necessarily intended to be limited to being implemented in that particular sequence.
The present invention provides a wire fairlead assembly that can be used so secure a wire to a wall. With an optional wedge attachment, the fairlead assembly can be attached to a corner comprised of two walls that meet at a right angle to each other, such as in the corner of a room.
Referring to
Base 110 extends along a longitudinal axis 112 and has a top surface 114, a bottom surface 116, and a generally oblong shaped outer perimeter 118, giving the base 110 an oblong shape.
Referring to
Referring to
Similar to base 110, cap 140 has an oblong shape such that, when cap 140 is locked onto base 110, the entire assembly 100 has an overall oblong shape. Cap 140 is releasably connectable to the base 110. Cap 140 has a receiver 142 configured to engage the locking tab 128 such that, when the cap 140 is located onto top surface 114 in a first position, the cap 140 is not locked to the base 110, and when the cap 140 is rotated from the first position to a second position along the top surface 114, such as, for example, about 90 degrees as shown between
Referring to
Referring to
If assembly 100 is to be placed in a corner of a room, such as where two walls meet at a 90 degree angle, a wedge attachment 170, shown in
To allow assembly 100 to fit into a corner of a room formed by two intersecting walls, wedge attachment 170 comprises an angled lower portion 174 that has a 90 degree angle. As shown in
To attach a wire to assembly 100, base 110 is placed against a wall (not shown) and a fastening member, such as a screw (not shown), is inserted through the first through hole 122, securing the base 110 to the wall. Wire 50 is placed in channel 120 and cap 140 is secured to the base 110 by placing the cap 140 onto the base 110 and rotating the cap 140 relative to the base 110. This last step comprises seating the locking bump 130 into the recess 148.
To remove the wire 50 from assembly 100, cap 140 is rotated relative to base 110 from the position shown in
It will be further understood that various changes in the details, materials, and arrangements of the parts which have been described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of this invention may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the following claims.
