Joints and connections – Split end with laterally movable opposed portions – With separate force-applying means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-01
2002-05-28
Browne, Lynne H. (Department: 3629)
Joints and connections
Split end with laterally movable opposed portions
With separate force-applying means
Reexamination Certificate
active
06394690
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention involves a connection fitting for the attachment of oblong structures, for example of cables, hoses, tubes, corrugated hoses or the like, to an opening, in particular, to an opening or hole in a wall of a housing or the like, where the connection fitting has an attachment projection that projects axially in the plug-in direction, which is divided by slits into holding tongues running essentially in the axial direction, on the outer side of which holding projections are arranged which project radially outwardly and in the attachment position engage behind the edge of the opening when the mounting projection and its holding tongues are inserted into the opening. The mounting tongues have a shape that expands in the plug-in direction and correspondingly tapers in the withdrawal direction, on their attachment projections in their contact area, or they form a cone, so that the attachment tongues can be deformed in the radial direction during an axial movement of the connection fitting opposite to the plug-in direction. At a distance from the attachment projections, a sheath that has or forms a stopper is arranged which rests on the opening edge that lies opposite the edge of the opening that is engaged behind and which can be moved in the axial direction by reducing the distance to the attachment projections in order to generate a clamping force between the holding projections and the stopper.
A connection fitting of this general type is known from the U.S. Pat. No. 1,902,229. In this, the attachment projection has only two slits lying opposite each other and also smoothed out surfaces since the connection fitting consists of metal. The conical attachment projections are toothed in order to be able to press on the edge of the opening that is engaged behind. This means that at the latest during the attachment of this connection fitting, the edge of the opening is changed, which can be especially inhibitive to disassembly.
Furthermore, such an arrangement is unsuitable for a connection fitting in which the attachment projection consists of a synthetic material in a desired manner and for example, can be made in a cost-effective way in an injection molding process in large production quantities. In the reverse situation, directly for a synthetic material design of this type, there is the danger that the attachment projection is damaged by the hole edges and can be possibly pressed on hole edges that are not very precisely processed and thus, the axial movement that is necessary when affixing it is made more difficult or even stopped to the extent that a radial movement of the attachment tongues, to be caused by an axial movement, is prevented.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, the object for the invention is to create a connection fitting of the above-noted type which retains the advantages of a simple mounting ability by the latching of the attachment projection into an opening and the likewise simple bracing of an oblong structure through an axial withdrawal movement, without being impaired by the edge of the hole or in the necessary movements. In connection with this, it should be possible to also attach the connection fitting to an opening or hole, in which the edge that is grasped behind is imprecise or even notched.
To achieve this apparently contradictory object, the connection fitting defined at the beginning is characterized in that the sheath that has the stopper has a support that extends axially out from the stopper, and the support extends in the mounting position on the outer side of the retaining tongues of the mounting projection between the mounting projection and the inner wall of the opening that is engaged behind, and during an axial movement of the mounting projection and its attachment tongues, impinges a conical or tapering area of these attachment tongues and in this way, functions to press them together radially.
As opposed to the state of the art, where the sheath that forms a stopper is a union nut that has a ring-shaped flat front side that faces the hole or wall, a support is thus arranged on this front side in the solution according to the invention, which meshes into the opening and thus into the wall, i.e. lines this hole on the inside. This support is now used in order to impinge the attachment tongues in their conical area during the axial movement of the attachment projection opposite the plug-in direction, and to provide for pressing them together radially so that edges of the opening that are themselves damaged, notched, or sharp, do not impair these attachment tongues of the mounting projection and can not prevent their movements. Thus, in an advantageous way, a material can be selected for the attachment projection and its attachment tongues, which is oriented in the best possible way with the desired deformations during the affixing of an oblong structure and need not take into consideration the material of the wall in which the hole is located. In this way, a good flexible and resilient synthetic material can be applied, however, a manufacture out of metal is also conceivable. In an advantageous way, the connection fitting can thus be introduced as a simple plug-in fitting into a corresponding opening and then locked in it, and then an oblong structure that is introduced in it, for example, a cable with strain relief, is attached and clamped, such that the connection fitting can be withdrawn opposite the plug-in direction and in this way, the attachment projection can be pressed together radially, where the pressure force generating this radial movement, however, is applied completely or at least partially through the support that is provided according to the invention and extends into the opening, which allows a corresponding gentle impingement of the conical or tapering area of the attachment tongues.
For a fixed seat of the connection fitting in the assembly position within the opening, it is advantageous when the support can itself be expanded through the attachment tongues that can be pressed together radially by it and/or can be pressed against the inner wall of the opening at least locally in the mounting position. This results in not only a fixed seat, but also in a good security against twisting, which is most of all advantageous when the sheath that has or forms the stopper is able to be screwed on for its axial adjustment.
In this way, the radial expandability of the support can be supported by a corresponding material selection, especially however in that the support that projects in the axial direction on the stopper sheath and meshes in the assembly position into the hole, is divided by axially running slits, in particular open on the front side, into individual slide tongues. These slide tongues can thus be immediately firmly pressed when the connection fitting is braced, through the withdrawal movement of the attachment projection, on the inside of the opening or hole, and are in this way supported from the outside in. Thus, a fixed clamping of the entire connection fitting results in the opening and at the same time a correspondingly strong strain relief on the oblong structure, for example, on a cable or hose, is provided.
For a simple mounting and manufacturing, it is especially advantageous that the support and/or the slide tongues that form it are free of projections on the outer side. In a correspondingly simple manner, the support can be introduced into the opening or hole of a wall. Furthermore, after detaching the bracing, a simple disassembly is also possible. In addition, the production is simple, relative to an arrangement in which adjacent tongues must be provided with projections or recesses.
The support can therefore extend within a hypothetical sheath cylinder in the preliminary mounting position or relaxed position. Thus, it corresponds essentially to the common inner contours of openings or holes in housing walls, and can be easily introduced in them and after that, at least locally radially expanded, especially then when it is divided through axial slits into separa
Adolf Jürgen
Bartholomä Mario
Götz Volker
Zügel Fritz
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld L.L.P.
Anton Hummel Verwaltungs - GmbH
Browne Lynne H.
Malcolm Tomlyne A
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