Electricity: conductors and insulators – Conduits – cables or conductors – Single duct conduits
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-22
2001-09-04
Reichard, Dean A. (Department: 2831)
Electricity: conductors and insulators
Conduits, cables or conductors
Single duct conduits
C052S287100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06284974
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to electrical wiring trunking which has a back portion which preferably has a globally U-shaped profile and a cover portion adapted to be forcibly nested with said back portion, said cover portion being attached laterally to said back portion by a longitudinal hinge.
The invention relates more particularly to an improvement which enhances the locking of the cover portion in the closed position, in particular in the event of a lateral impact.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,235,136 describes wiring trunking in which the hinge is a thinner portion of material extending longitudinally on one side between the bottom portion and the cover portion. The longitudinal edges of the back portion and the cover portion opposite the hinge incorporate forcible nesting means relying on the relative flexibility of the material employed, which is generally a semi-rigid plastics material. However, the hinge area is relatively deformable and the closed trunking may open accidentally in the event of frontal impact to the cover portion or lateral impact to the wall of the back portion that includes the hinge. To solve this problem, the prior art document teaches the provision of a reinforcement inside the back portion and consisting of a longitudinal rib adjoining the wall of the back portion that incorporates the hinge. This complicates the extrusion of the section constituting the trunking and limits the space available for wiring inside the trunking. The invention overcomes these drawbacks.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides electrical wiring trunking including a bottom portion which preferably has a globally U-shaped profile and a cover portion shaped to nest forcibly with the back portion, the cover portion being attached laterally to the back portion by a longitudinal hinge defined by a flexible and relatively deformable strip, which trunking includes stiffener means established in the vicinity of the flexible strip by the cooperation of structural members attached to the back portion and the cover portion when the cover portion is closed and forcible nesting closure means between the edges of the back portion and the cover portion opposite those adjoining the hinge, a first internal rib projecting from the inside face of the cover portion taking up a position near the closure means when the cover portion is closed.
The internal rib does not significantly complicate the extrusion of the cover portion. When the cover is closed, it engages in said back portion and locates near the closure means. Consequently, it improves the locking of the forcible nesting of the closure means and improves the resistance to impact, in particular impacts in a direction perpendicular to a side wall of the trunking and substantially at the level of the flexible hinge.
Alternatively, a second internal rib can project from the inside face of the cover portion, to take up a position near the stiffener means when the cover portion is closed. The second rib therefore improves the protection of the hinge, in particular against impacts perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the trunking and parallel to its back portion.
The stiffener means can include a rib and a groove in the vicinity of the hinge and on respective opposite sides of the longitudinal direction of the strip, one of these two members being attached to the back portion and the other to the cover portion. The rib engages in the groove when the cover portion is closed.
The rib of the stiffener means is preferably part of the cover portion and the groove is preferably part of the back portion. The stiffener means then include an internal longitudinal boss near one edge of said back portion and said second internal rib preferably extends substantially the whole height of the boss. The converse arrangement is possible.
The second internal rib preferably has an upstanding rim engaging under the boss.
The same structure can be adopted for the first internal rib, which can extend substantially the whole height of a boss forming part of the closure means defined above. The first internal rib, attached to the cover portion, can also have an upstanding rim engaging under this boss.
The first internal rib can be part of the closure means themselves. For example, the closure means can include a first longitudinal shoulder external to the edge of the corresponding side wall of said back portion and internally forming the longitudinal boss under which said first rim engages. In this case, the cover portion has a single upstanding lateral edge which bears on the first shoulder when the cover portion is closed.
The means for stiffening the flexible hinge can themselves be simplified if the second internal rib has an upstanding rim engaging under the adjacent boss. In this case, said stiffener means include a second longitudinal shoulder at the edge of the corresponding side wall of said back portion and internally forming the corresponding boss. The cover portion has an upstanding lateral edge which bears on the second shoulder when the cover portion is closed.
The invention will be understood better and other advantages of the invention will become more clearly apparent in the light of the following description of embodiments of electrical wiring trunking according to the invention, which description is given by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4942271 (1990-07-01), Corsi et al.
patent: 5134250 (1992-07-01), Caveney et al.
patent: 5235136 (1993-08-01), Santucci et al.
patent: 5274194 (1993-12-01), Belcher
patent: 5435606 (1995-07-01), Navazo
patent: 5728976 (1998-03-01), Santucci et al.
patent: 5898132 (1999-04-01), Lee
patent: 6084180 (2000-07-01), DeBartolo, Jr. et al.
patent: 7800098 (1978-05-01), None
patent: 0809338 (1997-11-01), None
Albert Christophe
Popescu Dragos
Browdy and Neimark
Nino Adolfo
Planet Wattohm
Reichard Dean A.
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