EP1902499A1 - Pièce de coin pour système de jonction de câbles - Google Patents

Pièce de coin pour système de jonction de câbles

Info

Publication number
EP1902499A1
EP1902499A1 EP06726393A EP06726393A EP1902499A1 EP 1902499 A1 EP1902499 A1 EP 1902499A1 EP 06726393 A EP06726393 A EP 06726393A EP 06726393 A EP06726393 A EP 06726393A EP 1902499 A1 EP1902499 A1 EP 1902499A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
corner
compartment
cable
fitting
corner fitting
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP06726393A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Tom Doherty
George Mark Allen
John Robert Harrison
Daniel Richardson
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Novar ED&S Ltd
Original Assignee
Novar ED&S Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Novar ED&S Ltd filed Critical Novar ED&S Ltd
Publication of EP1902499A1 publication Critical patent/EP1902499A1/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
    • H02G—INSTALLATION OF ELECTRIC CABLES OR LINES, OR OF COMBINED OPTICAL AND ELECTRIC CABLES OR LINES
    • H02G3/00—Installations of electric cables or lines or protective tubing therefor in or on buildings, equivalent structures or vehicles
    • H02G3/02—Details
    • H02G3/04—Protective tubing or conduits, e.g. cable ladders or cable troughs
    • H02G3/0437—Channels
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
    • H02G—INSTALLATION OF ELECTRIC CABLES OR LINES, OR OF COMBINED OPTICAL AND ELECTRIC CABLES OR LINES
    • H02G3/00—Installations of electric cables or lines or protective tubing therefor in or on buildings, equivalent structures or vehicles
    • H02G3/02—Details
    • H02G3/06—Joints for connecting lengths of protective tubing or channels, to each other or to casings, e.g. to distribution boxes; Ensuring electrical continuity in the joint
    • H02G3/0608—Joints for connecting non cylindrical conduits, e.g. channels

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to cable trunking systems for use in buildings, such as trunking systems that distribute services around a room in a building. Specifically, the present invention relates to a corner fitting used to take a section of trunking around an external corner of the room.
  • Cable trunking systems may be used to distribute cables such as power cables and data cables, and to provide service points such as electrical sockets and telephone points.
  • the trunking system is flexible in that it allows the service points to be located where desired around the room.
  • Cable trunking systems generally comprise extruded lengths of trunking ducts. The services are distributed around a room by mounting the trunking on walls to extend horizontally, akin to a dado rail. Further sections may extend to ceiling voids or floor voids in the building through which services are routed to supply the entire building.
  • the trunking generally comprises a base, sidewalls and a cover that fit together to form a sealed enclosure to conceal the cables they carry!
  • the trunking carries cables in a safe and aesthetically pleasing manner.
  • the trunking it is usual for the trunking to comprise internal dividing walls extending from the base to abut against the cover to form two or more separate compartments. These compartments allow segregation of cables within the trunking. For example, it is common to segregate power cables from data cables.
  • a common configuration is a single wall that divides the trunking into two compartments.
  • An • alternative configuration is two dividing walls that separate the trunking into three (upper, middle and lower) compartments. In the latter arrangement, the middle compartment is the largest and is used to mount the service points where desired.
  • the smaller top and bottom compartments contain cables, with data cables in one compartment and power cables in the other.
  • the dividing walls ensure that the cables are segregated at all times. Cables may be passed through holes drilled in the dividing walls to allow the cables to enter the middle compartment to connect to the service points.
  • Each service point has enclosing walls to ensure segregation of data and power cables in the middle compartment . In use, an installer will mount the base to a wall, will place cables along one or both of the compartments, add service points as required and connecting to the appropriate cables, before completing installation by fitting the cover.
  • the corners may be either internal or external. Both joins are usually formed by using a corner fit-ting that overlaps the ends of the. trunking where they terminate adjacent to the corner, such that the trunking is received within the fitting.
  • the corner fitting also has dividing walls and a cover that abut to ensure the continued segregation of the cables in the trunking system as the cables pass around the corner.
  • a factor influencing the design of corner fittings is that cables cannot be bent too sharply, otherwise the cable may be damaged or there may be degradation of the signal it carries.
  • the base of the corner fitting is curved so that it cuts the corner, thereby following at least the minimum bend radius around the corner rather than following closely the angled corner of the walls.
  • Typical minimum bend radii recommended for cables in operation is four times their outside diameter, typically 32mm or so. The fact the corner fitting projects into the room from the internal corner rarely, if ever, presents a significant problem.
  • the situation is different for external corners.
  • the usual solution is to provide a bulbous fitting that provides , a curved surface that extends away from the wall on either side of the corner to follow the minimum bend radius.
  • a bulbous fitting is aesthetically displeasing.
  • the bulbous shape means that the corner fitting is particularly prone to damage from accidental impacts or being knocked off .
  • the present invention resides in a corner fitting for connecting two sections of a cable trunking system that extend to either side of an external corner, the two sections having aligned compartments for containing cables.
  • the corner fitting comprises respective aligned end apertures for interfacing with the compartments of the two sections of adjacent trunking, and a corner compartment extending between the aligned end apertures.
  • the corner compartment comprises a stop member positioned out of alignment with the aligned end apertures for guiding the cable between the aligned compartments of the two sections of adjacent trunking around the corner fitting and for deflecting the cable along the length of the corner, the stop member being positioned for stopping the cable from being pulled back into alignment, and thus causing a bulbous mass of cables.
  • a compartment is provided that allows a cable to be passed around an external corner of a wall from one section of trunking to the other.
  • the cable could pass around the corner undeflected, .i.e. to stay aligned with the end apertures as per the arrangement adopted in the bulbous prior art corner fittings.
  • the stop member of the present invention ensures that the cable is also deflected along the length of the corner as it bends around the corner. This deflection may be in either direction.
  • the advantage of the present invention can be understood by considering the bulbous prior art corner - . fittings. The cable in the prior art loops away from the corner of the wall as it passes around the corner to ensure its minimum bend radius is observed.
  • the present invention can be thought of as pushing the loop of cable towards the corner while allowing the loop to move in the direction of the length of the corner: in this way, the cable is kept closer to the corner while the minimum bend radius is preserved. Keeping the cable closer to the corner allows a more compact corner . fitting.
  • the corner fitting may have a flush fit of the corner fitting to the adjacent trunking.
  • the corner fitting according to the present invention allows the same volume of cables to be passed around the corner while maintaining a flush fitting. This is in contrast to the prior art arrangement that uses a constricted passage to avoid a bulbous passage. ;
  • the stop member that provides the deflection of the cable such that the loop of cable remains close to the corner of the wall.
  • the stop member has a further advantage in that it acts to stop the cable from being pulled back into alignment. For example, an installer may pull on the cable or the cable may contract over time and, without the stop member, the cable • would adopt an undeflected shape that would decrease its bend radius .
  • the stop member may be provided with a convex surface. This convex surface may deflect the cable to deflect in the sense of its curvature around the corner.
  • the cable may not press against the stop member, e.g. the cable may be forced to. pass around the stop member but sag in the cable may mean it droops below the stop member.
  • the corner compartment further comprises a convex wall for guiding the cable around the corner.
  • a convex wall for guiding the cable around the corner.
  • the corner compartment further comprises a wall extending between the aligned end apertures, wherein the wall is curved such that a portion extends out of alignment with the aligned end apertures for guiding the cable around the corner as it is deflected along the length of the corner.
  • This wall may be a dividing wail that separates the corner fitting into the corner compartment and , a further compartment .
  • the stop member is positioned to face the wall . This is particularly advantageous where the stop member faces downwardly, such that cables will tend to sag away from the stop member.
  • the wall may then provide a support surface for supporting the cables.
  • the portion of the dividing wall is preferably concave where it faces the stop member such that it follows the curvature of the cables as they pass around the corner.
  • the stop member forms part of the wall.
  • the corner fitting further comprises a base part and a cover that assemble to form an enclosure.
  • the cover may define part of the corner compartment. This allows an open face to be used for installing cable into the corner fitting that is only closed when the cover is fitted.
  • the corner compartment may have a sidewall that meets the cover and the convex wall provided by the base part. The dividing wall may face the sidewall and meet cover and convex wall, thereby forming the corner compartment.
  • the sidewall may be part of the base part or cover.
  • the corner fitting in the broadest sense of the present invention, may be applied to a cable trunking system comprising only a single compartment for. containing cables, it is most likely to be used with cable trunking systems that comprise two or three separated compartments.
  • the corner fitting may comprise a second corner compartment extending between further aligned end apertures, the second - V —
  • the second corner compartment corresponding to any of the corner compartments described above.
  • the second corner compartment is a mirror image of the first corner compartment.
  • the respective first and second stop members will act to deflect cables in opposed directions corresponding to the length of the corner.
  • the cables may be either deflected towards one another or they may be deflected further apart from each other.
  • the present invention resides in a cable trunking assembly comprising a first section of trunking having a first compartment for receiving a. cable, a second section of trunking comprising a second compartment for receiving the cable, and the corner fitting of any preceding claim joining the first and second sections such that the corner compartment extends from the first compartment to the second compartment .
  • Figure 1 is a perspective view of a section of a trunking system including a corner unit according to an embodiment of the present invention
  • Figure 2 corresponds to Figure 1, but shows the trunking assembly with the cover of the corner unit removed;
  • Figure 3 corresponds to Figures 1 and 2 , but shows the trunking assembly with all covers removed;
  • Figure 4 shows the base part of the corner fitting; and Figure 5 corresponds to a detail from Figure 3, and shows the trunking assembly with cables installed.
  • a section of trunking assembly 10 is shown in Figure 1 that may be used to carry cables 60 around an external corner 12 in the walls 11 of an office or the like.
  • the trunking 10 shown in Figure 1 is intended to be installed on the walls 11 of the office at dado rail height.
  • the section of trunking shown at 10 comprises three parts; first and second straight sections 20 and 30 respectively that are joined by a corner fitting 40.
  • the trunking 10 forms a sealed enclosure for carrying power and data cables 60.
  • the corner fitting 40 has an external surface provided by " a cover 41 which is rounded and that follows the profile of the straight sections 20 and 30, such that a bulbous shape does not result .
  • each section comprises a base part 22, 32 and 42 from which a pair of longitudinally extending dividing walls 23, 33 and 43 project.
  • snap-fit fixings 24 and 34 are provided with .
  • the tops of the dividing walls 23 and 33 are also provided with like snap-fit fixings 24 and 34.
  • These snap-fit fixings 24 and 34 couple with co-operating snap-fit fixings 25 and 35 provided on the covers 21 and 31.
  • the covers 21 and 31 may simply be snapped into place to complete installation of the trunking 10.
  • each cover 21, 31 comprises three sections; a centre panel 21a, 31a that forms the front of the trunking . 20 and 30, and top and bottom wall panels 21b, 31b and 21c, 31c respectively that form the side walls of the trunking 20 and 30.
  • the top panels 21b and 31b are identical to the bottom panels 21c and 31c, but are merely installed in different orientations. Although snap-fit fixings are.. used, • other forms of fastening may be used. 5
  • the trunking is divided into three compartments 50, 52 and 54 by the dividing walls 23, 33 and 43.
  • the middle compartment 52 of the two straight sections of trunking 20 and 30 is used to mount power points and data points, as described with respect to the prior art.
  • middle compartment 52 of the corner fitting 40 is not suitable for mounting service points.
  • the " top and bottom compartments 50 and 54 are used for carrying cables 60. Data cables 60 are routed through one compartment and power cables 60 are routed through the other compartment to ensure
  • the corner fitting 40 fixes top the trunking system 10
  • FIG. 4 that shows the base part 42 of the corner fitting 40 in greater detail, makes it clear that the ends of the base part 42 are provided with wings 46a and -facing stubs 46b. These wings 46a and stubs 46b are spaced apart to receive a dividing wall 23 and 33 of the adjacent
  • the cover 41 that is unitary rather than the three- part covers 21 and 31, attaches to the. base part 42 via the stubs 46b provided adjacent the wings 46a. These stubs 46b are received in brackets provided on the corresponding internal surfaces of the cover 41.
  • the base part 42 of the corner fitting 40 provides several surfaces for guiding cables 60 around the corner 12 in as compact a fashion as possible while preserving the required minimum bend radius . This is achieved by guiding the cables 60 to bend both sideways around the corner 12 and also either upwardly or downwardly as the cables 60 negotiate the corner 12, as can best be seen from Figure 5.
  • a first surface for guiding the cables .60 is provided by the curved back wall 48 of the base part 42. This curved back wall 48 comes away from the corner so as to curve smoothly around the corner. However-, the bend radius of the back wall 48 may be less than that permitted for the cables 60 because the cables 60 are swept either upwardly and downwardly along the corner 12.
  • a second surface for guiding cables is provided by the dividing walls themselves 43.
  • the dividing walls 43 do not follow the line of the dividing walls 23 and ' 43 of the adjacent trunking 20 and 30. Instead, the dividing walls 43 of the corner fitting 40 smoothly curve towards the centre of the corner fitting 40 symmetrically from each side, such that . the height of the centre compartment 52 is much reduced in the corner fitting 40, whereas the top and bottom compartments 50 and 54 are much enlarged.
  • the upper dividing wall 43a provides a support surface for the cables 60 that will naturally tend to sag towards and possibly onto the wall 43a. When the cable 60 extends around the corner 12 resting against or close to the dividing wall 43a, its bend radius will not fall below the minimum allowed value. .
  • a stop member 49a is provided- that extends from the curved back wall 48- and that has a curved surface that follows the curve of the dividing wall 43a.
  • the stop member 49a is positioned lower than the dividing walls 23 and 33 of the adjacent sections of trunking 20 and 30 to ensure that cables 60 are swept downwardly as they turn the corner 12.
  • a corresponding stop member 49b is provided to face the lower dividing wall 43b.
  • cables 60 tend to sag away from the dividing wall 43b.
  • the stop member 49b and its curving surface act to support the cables 60.
  • a cable 60 passing around ,the corner 12 by running over the stop member 49b will not bend below the its minimum bend radius.
  • Further routing channels are provided around the corner fitting 40. Cables 60 may be routed to pass above stop member 49a in addition to passing cables 60 below stop member 49a.- The cables 60 passing above the stop member 49a will be supported by the curved back wall 48 and are prevented from interfering with attachment of the cover 41 by finger 47a.
  • Cables 60 passing above stop member 49a are not swept downwardly as much as cables 60 passing below stop member 49a and so adopt a lesser bend radius. As a result, it is preferred to route cables with higher minimum bend radii below the stop member 49a and cables 60 with lower minimum bend radii above stop member 49a. Similar cable routing may be adopted in the lower half of the corner i
  • fitting 40 i.e. routing cables 60 between stop member 49b and finger 47b.
  • a corner fitting 40 is provided that allows cables 60 to be passed around an external corner 12 of a 5 room to extend from a pair of compartments 50 and 52 of one length of trunking 20 to corresponding compartments 50 and 52 of another length of trunking 30 while maintaining the separation of the compartments 50 and 52. Furthermore, the corner fitting 40 still maintains the required minimum bend
  • the above embodiment describes an ' arrangement where the dividing walls 43 of the corner fitting 40 curve towards the " centre of the fitting 40.
  • the single dividing wall may split to form two dividing walls that act to guide cables either up and around or down and around the corner before rejoining on the other side.
  • the corner fitting 40 fixed to a vertically extending corner of a wall.
  • the corner fitting may be used with a horizontally extending corner, e.g. to take a vertically extending length of trunking around a shelf or ledge present in a wall.
  • all references to top, bottom, upper, lower, left and right should not be construed to be limiting, but are merely relative to any particular orientation of the corner fitting 40.
  • corner fitting 40 takes cables around a corner 12
  • other angles may be formed as required.
  • Separate guide members 49 and tongues 47 are described above, but these may be combined into a single element.
  • one side of the element may provide the curved surface against which the cable 60 may rest while the reverse side provides a fixing means.
  • this bracket may provide the curved surface if the element is received in a bracket.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Architecture (AREA)
  • Civil Engineering (AREA)
  • Structural Engineering (AREA)
  • Details Of Indoor Wiring (AREA)
  • Installation Of Indoor Wiring (AREA)
  • Studio Devices (AREA)

Abstract

L’invention concerne une pièce de coin pour relier deux sections d’un système de jonction de câbles qui se prolongent d’un côté ou de l’autre d’un coin externe, les deux sections ayant des compartiments alignés pour contenir un câble. La pièce de coin comporte des ouvertures d’extrémité alignées respectives qui permettent une interface avec les compartiments des deux sections de jonction adjacente, et un compartiment de coin qui se prolonge entre les ouvertures d’extrémité alignées. Le compartiment de coin comporte un organe d’arrêt dont le positionnement n’est pas aligné sur les ouvertures d’extrémité alignées afin de guider le câble entre les compartiments alignés des deux sections de jonction adjacente autour de la pièce de coin et de dévier le câble sur la longueur du coin. L’organe d’arrêt est positionné pour empêcher que le câble ne soit tiré vers l’arrière en position d’alignement. L’invention concerne également un ensemble de jonction de câbles comportant la pièce de coin ci-décrite.
EP06726393A 2005-05-25 2006-03-15 Pièce de coin pour système de jonction de câbles Withdrawn EP1902499A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB0510697A GB2426637B (en) 2005-05-25 2005-05-25 Corner fitting for a cable trunking system
PCT/GB2006/000919 WO2006125937A1 (fr) 2005-05-25 2006-03-15 Pièce de coin pour système de jonction de câbles

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1902499A1 true EP1902499A1 (fr) 2008-03-26

Family

ID=34834640

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP06726393A Withdrawn EP1902499A1 (fr) 2005-05-25 2006-03-15 Pièce de coin pour système de jonction de câbles

Country Status (6)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1902499A1 (fr)
CN (1) CN101228677B (fr)
GB (1) GB2426637B (fr)
RU (1) RU2007148417A (fr)
WO (1) WO2006125937A1 (fr)
ZA (1) ZA200710004B (fr)

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
AU2014311509A1 (en) * 2013-08-28 2016-04-14 Corning Optical Communications LLC Optical cable cassette and drop handle with flexible radius controller
DE102019108788A1 (de) * 2019-04-03 2020-10-08 Maximilian Rüttiger Umlenkvorrichtung

Family Cites Families (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5929380A (en) * 1997-04-14 1999-07-27 The Siemon Company Outside corner fitting for use in a duct system
US5917982A (en) * 1998-01-05 1999-06-29 The Wiremold Company Fiber optic cable capable metal raceway system
US6323421B1 (en) * 1999-11-19 2001-11-27 The Wiremold Company Raceway system with separated wireways for power and data communication conductors
CA2339604C (fr) * 2000-03-08 2007-09-04 Hubbell Incorporated Accessoire de canalisation de cables avec ou sans raccord a embase
US6478499B1 (en) * 2000-08-03 2002-11-12 Panduit Corp. Adjustable corner fitting
FR2825527B1 (fr) 2001-06-01 2003-09-05 Legrand Sa Accessoire d'angle pour goulotte

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
See references of WO2006125937A1 *

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO2006125937A1 (fr) 2006-11-30
GB2426637A (en) 2006-11-29
GB2426637B (en) 2010-07-28
CN101228677A (zh) 2008-07-23
ZA200710004B (en) 2009-03-25
GB0510697D0 (en) 2005-06-29
RU2007148417A (ru) 2009-07-10
CN101228677B (zh) 2011-01-26

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