Joints and connections – Branched – Three or more radiating members
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-10
2002-06-18
Browne, Lynne H. (Department: 3629)
Joints and connections
Branched
Three or more radiating members
C248S058000, C248S068100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06406212
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an assembly for permitting a plurality of cable tray rail supports to be connected at a common junction.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Runs of wires, cables and the like are typically supported in industrial environments on what is referred to as cable tray systems. One particular cable tray system includes a plurality of elongate rail sections having a plurality of rungs extending transversely from the rail section. The rungs form support surfaces over which the cables and wires may run. Such a cable tray system is described in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/028,370, filed on Feb. 24, 1998, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herewith.
In laying out the wiring for a particular application, it is common that various runs of wires and the corresponding supporting apparatus will intersect at a common point. Accordingly, cable tray systems typically include a junction connector in order to allow rails converging from different directions to meet at a central junction point.
Junction connectors of the prior art are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,628,481 and 5,782,439. However, such connectors have several disadvantages. These prior art designs include a plate having mounting holes extending there through extending about the edge of the plate. A connector that attaches a rail to the plate is secured to the plate by a vertically aligned fastened. While such an arrangement provides flexibility in accommodating rails approaching a junction at different angles, the fastener becomes a pivot point about which the rail can rotate about the plate. This is especially true if the fastening element is not properly tightened or if it becomes loose over time. Therefore, such designs do not adequately restrict rotation between the rail sections and the junction support. Such rail movement is undesirable since it becomes very difficult to keep the rails aligned through the junction.
The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a junction assembly that accommodates rails converging toward a junction at a variety of angles yet adequately restricts rotation between the rails and the junction.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an advantage of the present invention to provide a junction assembly forjoining together rails converging at a common junction.
It is another advantage of the present invention to provide a junction assembly that couples the rails to a central body so that rotation on the central body is resisted.
It is a further advantage of the present invention to provide a junction assembly including a central body and a coupler for securing a rail to the central body.
It is yet a further advantage of the present invention to provide a cable tray system for supporting wires and cables including elongate rails joined at a common junction by a junction assembly including a central body and a plurality of couplers for joining converging cable supporting rails to the central body.
In the attainment of these and other advantages the present invention provides a cable tray junction assembly for attaching together a plurality of cable supporting rails including a central body having a peripherally extending vertical surface having a plurality of apertures. The central body forms a horizontal plane having a vertical axis extending there through. The junction assembly further includes a coupler for joining a cable supporting rail to the central body. The coupler includes a rail connecting portion adapted to be secured to the rail, and a central body connecting portion adapted to be secured to the vertical surface of the central body. The central body connecting portion includes a lateral extent that engages the vertical surface such that the engagement between the lateral extent and the vertical surface resists rotation about the vertical axis.
As more specifically described by way of the preferred embodiment, the central body has an annular form and the vertical surface is substantially round. The coupler rail connecting portion includes a pair of spaced side walls extending from a back wall which are adapted to engage a rail. The coupler central body connecting portion includes a flange depending from the back wall. The junction assembly further includes a plurality of fasteners for securing the couplers to the central body. Each of the plurality of fasteners extends horizontally through one of the couplers and one of the central body rim apertures.
The cable tray system for supporting wires of the present invention includes a plurality of elongate rails and a plurality of rungs extending outwardly from each of the plurality of rails. The rungs include a support surface for supporting the wires. A junction assembly is provided which including a central body and a plurality of couplers. Each of the plurality of couplers joining one of the plurality of rails to the central body. The central body has a peripherally extending rim oriented substantially perpendicular to the plurality of rails. Each of the plurality of couplers includes a central body connecting portion attachable to the rim, and a rail connecting portion adapted to be secured to one of the plurality of rails.
These and other advantages of the present invention will be appreciated from the detailed description set forth herein.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5564658 (1996-10-01), Rinderer
patent: 5618014 (1997-04-01), Rinderer
patent: 5628481 (1997-05-01), Rinderer
patent: 5651518 (1997-07-01), Rinderer
patent: 5782439 (1998-07-01), Rinderer
patent: 5792993 (1998-08-01), Rinderer
patent: 5816011 (1998-10-01), Kuramoto
patent: 5816542 (1998-10-01), Rinderer
patent: 5868361 (1999-02-01), Rinderer
patent: 6032431 (2000-03-01), Sugiyama
patent: WO 98/24160 (1998-06-01), None
patent: 98/24160 (1998-06-01), None
“New Cent-R-Rail Cable Support Systems”, B-line Systems, Inc., all pages.*
“Center-Lok”, T and B OmniLink, p. 20.*
Thomas & Betts Corporation,Center-Lok Modular Center-Spine Cable Tray System, pp. 2, 20 (1998).
B-Line Systems, Inc.,New Cent-R-Rail Cable Support Systems(1995).
B-Line Systems, Inc.,Cent-R-Rail Systems Cable Tray Systems, pp. 2, 30 and 31 (1995).
Atlas Cable Tray Corporation,Atlas Cable Tray, pp. 11 and 15 (1993).
Mono-Systems, Inc.,A Revolutionary System for CABLE TRAYS, pp. ST, 1, 7, 12 and 14 (undated).
Browne Lynne H.
Hoffman & Baron LLP
Malcolm Tomlyne
Thomas and Betts,International, Inc.
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