Abstract:
A multi-tier support means for supporting service supply means is provided including a first tier having a first tier bearer element. The first tier bearer element has a clip fixedly associated therewith. The clip is adapted for attaching the first tier bearer element to a spine. Each clip includes two, upright spaced apart resilient tongues adapted to clasp the spine between themselves and each has a barb formation at or near a free end of the tongues adapted to overlie a respective one of the margins. The multi-tier support means further includes a second tier having a second tier bearer element. The second tier is located underneath the first tier and the two tiers are connected to one another via a connection between the first tier bearer element and the second tier bearer element.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to a multi-rung or multi-tier supporting system for supporting service supply means and, more particularly, to a device for containing the service supply means in bearer elements of the multi-tier supporting system. Service supply means may be low voltage electric power cables (for example, such as cables rated for 50 Volts or less), communication cables, water or gas pipes or other elongated conductors for the supply or distribution of services within a building. Such supporting means necessarily include one or more bearer elements on which the service supply means rest. Typically the bearer element has been the floor of a tray or trough fixedly associated with the building being serviced, for example carried by wall brackets or suspended from a ceiling or other overhead building component by tie rods or the like. Probably, the most frequently occurring service supply means are electric cables; namely, data and signal communication transmission wires or cables. For that reason, supporting means are usually referred to in the art as “cable trays”; irrespective of the service supply means that may be supported in any instance (notwithstanding recent departures in the form of the bearer elements from that of an integral floor of a traditional tray or trough). When convenient the term “cable trays” is used accordingly hereinafter.  
         [0003]     2. Brief Description of Prior Developments  
         [0004]     As stated above, traditionally the bearer elements of cable trays comprised the floor of a shallow trough or elongated tray. The service supply means resided within the trough. The trough, including its floor, was constructed from sheet material, for example steel, plastics or fibrous cement. Alternatively, at least the floor of the trough has been made of expanded metal sheet. This is preferred as it eliminates the possibility of the trough retaining water or detritus that may be damaging to the service supply means.  
         [0005]     In other instances floor-like bearer elements came to be replaced by a plurality of spaced apart rungs extending between rigid stiles. The wall brackets or tie rods are affixed to the stiles, so that the supporting means as a whole resemble a conventional ladder in a substantially horizontal disposition. Such ladder-like supporting means are still customarily referred to as cable trays.  
         [0006]     In more recent times, the stiles of such ladder-like cable trays have been replaced by a central spine, and the rungs by a plurality of spaced apart bearer elements extending as cantilevers from each side of the spine. The bearer elements preferably have upturned free end parts, so as to retain the service supply means. This is advantageous as the service supply means may be placed on the bearer elements from the sides, instead of having to be pulled into position from one end of the cable tray.  
         [0007]     The last mentioned prior art is well exemplified by the published specification of Australian Patent application 99/943515 and the international publication WO 98/24160 of International application PCT/AU/00788 (both in the name of Ramset Fasteners (Aust) Pty Ltd). In that cited prior art, the spine is a rectangular sectioned tube, and the cantilever bearer elements extend through clearance openings piercing the tube walls. It is apparent that the upturned free ends of the cantilever bearer elements are formed after the elements have been passed through those openings, otherwise it would not be possible to put them in place. This is disadvantageous, as it would require expensive manual operations or the use of complex special purpose machines in the manufacture of the cited prior art cable trays.  
         [0008]     U.S. Pat. No. 6,729,585 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,663,054, which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties, each relate to supporting means for elongated building service supply means which correct the above mentioned disadvantages of the prior art. Namely, each patent provides a support means for service supply means. In these patents, the support means comprise a spine, a plurality of bearer element spaced along the spine and each of the bear elements is connected to the spine via a clip, e.g. a spring clip. The support means in these patents allows the supply means or cables to be placed on the bearer elements from the sides, instead of having to be pulled into position from one end of the cable tray. U.S. Pat. No. 6,663,054 further provides a combined safety clip and closure for the support means which prevents the cables or service means from inadvertently exiting out of the top sides of the cantilevered arms of the bearer elements and also prevents any of the plurality of bearer elements from inadvertently disengaging from the spine.  
         [0009]     Moreover, U.S. Pat. No. 5,564,658 describes a support system for data transmission lines and the like, including a rail formed as a plurality of separate sections, and splices for connecting the rail sections end to end. In one embodiment a plurality of supports extend down from one or more rail sections at intervals spaced along the sections. Each support has a generally vertical column and a series of arms extending laterally outwardly from the column along the length of the column at different elevations. The arms of each support cooperate with the arms of the other supports for supporting a series of horizontal runs of data transmission lines and the like at the different elevations.  
         [0010]     However, despite the above advances in the art, a strong need still exists for a service supply support system or cable supply support system which may accommodate securely/safely a multitude of cables of various types at different elevations within a limited amount of space. This is especially needed in building where available corridors of space are limited.  
         [0011]     Moreover, there is also a need in the art for a cable support system which not only handles a multitude of various cables, etc. but at the same time is also equipped to prevent inadvertent slippage of the cable from the a bearer element holding the service supply means and/or the inadvertent slippage of any of the bearer elements from engagement with a spine to which it is connected.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0012]     In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a multi-tier support for supporting service supply means is provided comprising a first tier and a second tier. The first tier has a first tier bearer element. The first tier bearer element has a clip fixedly associated therewith. The clip is adapted for attaching the first tier bearer element to a spine. The clip comprises two, upright spaced apart resilient tongues adapted to clasp the spine between the tongues. The second tier is located underneath the first tier and is connected to the first tier. The second tier has a second tier bearer element. The first tier and second tier are connected to one another by a connection between the first tier bearer element and the second tier bearer element. The first bearer element, the second bearer element and the clip are comprised of an integrally formed one-piece member.  
         [0013]     In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a multi-tier support for supporting service supply means from a spine is provided comprising a clip, a first tier and a second tier. The clip is adapted to snap-lock connect to the spine. The clip comprises two, upright spaced apart resilient tongues adapted to clasp the spine between the tongues and each having a barb formation at or near a free end of the tongues adapted to overlie a margin of the spine. The first tier has a first tier bearer element connected to said clip. The first tier bearer element comprising at least two first tier cantilevered arms extending from said clip in general opposite directions. Each of the first tier cantilevered arms comprises an upturned free end. The clip is adapted for connecting the first tier bearer element to the spine. The second tier is underneath the first tier and connected to said first tier. The second tier has a second tier bearer element. The second tier bearer element comprises at least two second tier cantilevered arms extending in general opposite directions from one another. Each of said second tier cantilevered arms comprises an upturned free end. The first tier and second tier are connected to one another by a connection between the first tier bearer element and the second tier bearer element which connects to a bottom side of the first bearer element.  
         [0014]     In accordance with one method of the present invention, a method for installing a multi-tier support system having a multi-tier support and a spine is provided comprising providing the multi-tier support with a first tier having a first bearer element, a second tier having a second bearer element, and a snap-lock clip, wherein the snap-lock clip is located on a top side of the first bearer element, and wherein the second bearer element is located beneath the first bearer element; and attaching the snap-lock clip to the spine to thereby attach the first fearer element to the spine. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0015]     The foregoing aspects and other features of the present invention are explained in the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
         [0016]      FIG. 1  is a front side view of a two tier, multi-tier support of a first embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0017]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the support shown in  FIG. 1  attached to a spine;  
         [0018]      FIG. 3  is a partial perspective view of the support shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0019]      FIG. 4  is a partial front side view of an alternate embodiment of the support shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0020]      FIG. 5  is a partial perspective view of the spine shown in  FIG. 2 ;  
         [0021]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a component connected to the spine shown in  FIG. 2 ;  
         [0022]      FIG. 7  is a front end view of one of the tongues of the support shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0023]      FIG. 8  is a front end view of the spine and part of the support shown in  FIG. 2  being initially connected to each other;  
         [0024]      FIG. 9  is a front end view of the spine and part of the support as shown in  FIG. 8  further connected to each other;  
         [0025]      FIG. 10  is a cross sectional view showing full connection of the support with the spine; and  
         [0026]      FIG. 11  is a front end view of an alternate embodiment of the support. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0027]      FIGS. 1-10  depict a multi-tier support system for service supply means of a first embodiment of the present invention. The multi-tier support system in this embodiment comprises a multi-tier support means  2  (as shown in  FIG. 1 ) and a spine  10  (as shown in  FIGS. 2, 5  and  8 - 10 ). The multi-tier support means  2  of the first embodiment comprises two tiers, i.e. a first tier  3  and a second tier  4 . The spine  10  is attached to the first tier  3  of the multi-support means  2  in forming the multi-tier support system. It is noted that the multi-tier support means  2  is not limited to only two tiers, but rather the multi-tier support means may consist of an unlimited number of tiers or rungs. The present invention by utilizing two or more tiers of service supply means support arms, causes the creation a tiering effect, thereby allowing for a multitude of different service supply means to be accommodated securely/safely at different elevations even within a limited amount of space.  
         [0028]     In a preferred application of the present invention a plurality of the multi-support means  2  are provided which are spaced along and attached to the spine  10 . The multi-support means  2  has a clip  22  which is used to attach the multi-support means  2  to the spine  10 . The first tier of the multi-support means  2  comprises a bearer element  11 .  
         [0029]     The bearer element  11  of the first tier  3  is preferably a molded plastic or polymer item, for example of glass-filled nylon. However, the first tier bearer element  11  may be comprised of any suitable type of material(s). The first tier bearer element  11  comprises two cantilever arms  20  with preferably upturned ends  21 . The resilient clip  22  is preferably molded integrally with the bearer element  11  at a central top side.  
         [0030]     The second tier of the multi-tier support means  2  of the first embodiment also comprises a second bearer element  211 . The second tier bearer element  211 , like the first tier bearer element  11 , is preferably a molded plastic or polymer item, for example of glass-filled nylon, but may be comprised of any suitable type of material(s). The second tier bearer element  211  also comprise two cantilever arms  220  with upturned ends  221 .  
         [0031]     The first and second tiers  3 ,  4  are connected to one another by a first connecting element  6  or connecting rod. The first connecting element  6  is preferably located vertically in between the first tier bearer element  11  and the second tier bearer element  211 . The multi-tier support system may be manufactured as just one piece. When manufacturing the multi-tier support means  2  as just one piece, the connecting element  6  is formed integrally with both the first tier bearer element  11  and the second tier bearer element  211 . Any molding techniques known in the art may be used in forming the above integral connection between the each of the tiers, e.g. the first tier  3  and second tier  4 . The connecting element  6  functions to suspend and space the second tier from the bottom of the first tier.  
         [0032]     In an alternate embodiment, each of the tiers may be joined or connected as separate pieces. When the first and second tiers are joined as separate pieces, the connecting element  6  is preferably in the form of a detachable/attachable element which may be used for detaching and/or attaching the first tier  3  and second tier  4  from one another. It is noted that any method known by those skilled in the art for connecting members to one another as separate pieces may be used in accordance with the present invention. This embodiment allows a customer to expand or reduce the number of tiers in the support means  2  of the multi-tier support system even after the system has already been installed. This detachable/attachable feature of the tiers or rungs allows the customer to meet his or her specific needs and not incur substantial expenditures for additional tiers he or she does not require.  
         [0033]     As mentioned, the multi-tier support system further comprises at least one spine  10  attached to the first tier  3  or top tier of the multi-tier support means  2 .  FIG. 2  illustrates the spine  10  attached to the first tier  3  of the multi-tier support means  2  of the first embodiment.  
         [0034]     Spine  10  is a length-of inverted channel section comprising a channel web  12  and two channel flanges  13 . It may be roll or press formed from sheet steel, preferably coated with a rust resistant alloy, for example an aluminum-zinc alloy. Thus, the flanges  13  possess a degree of resilience, such that their free edges may be elastically pressed towards each other to a limited extent, as shown in  FIG. 8 , but will return to their original position when the loading pressure is relaxed, as shown in  FIG. 9 .  
         [0035]     In addition, the spine  10  is furnished with clip locating formations in the form of equally spaced apart holes  14 , arranged in rows extending along the respective flanges  13 .  
         [0036]     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the spine  10  is attached to the first tier  3  of the multi-tier system via clip  22  which is associated with the first tier bearer element  11 . Each clip  22  engages a certain portion of the spine  10  for forming a complete connection to the spine  10 . In particular, clip  22  is preferably a spring clip which is integral with the top surface of the first tier bearer element  11  for affixing the first tier bearer element  11  to the spine  10 .  
         [0037]     Clip  22  comprises two, upwardly directed, resilient tongues  23 . Each is furnished with a barb formation  24  at its free end, and a protruding stud  25  intermediate its ends. Each stud  25  is dimensioned to fit neatly into any of the holes  14 .  
         [0038]     As may best be seen in  FIG. 7 , each barb formation  24  presents an inclined upper face  28  and a horizontal under face  29 . Those faces meet at a contact line  30 . It should also be noted that the barb formation  24  projects substantially further from the tongue  23  than does the stud  25 .  
         [0039]     Referring particularly to  FIGS. 3, 4  and  8 - 10 , the clip  22  further comprises two beads  26  near, but spaced from, the roots of the tongues  23 . As may best be seen in  FIG. 3 , at least the upper margins of the faces of the beads  26  opposed to the tongues  23  are inclined, so that they and the bottom margins of the respectively adjacent tongues define two grooves  27  which are somewhat wider at the top than they are at the bottom. The grooves  27  are dimensioned so that the free end margins of the flanges  13  are a neat fit within the bottom parts of the grooves  27 .  
         [0040]      FIGS. 8-10  illustrate a detailed view of how the spine  10  is attached to the first tier  3  of the multi-tier support means  2  in forming the multi-tier support system of the present invention. From those figures it is shown that the assembly of a bearer element  11  to the spine  12 , at a location corresponding to that of an opposed pair of holes  14 , may be achieved simply by pushing the bearer element into position from below. At the start of that assembly operation the inclined faces  28  (see  FIG. 7 ) of the barb formations  24  bear against the free edges of the flanges  13 . This assists the operator to guide the flanges  23  into position between the tongues  23 . Further upward movement of the bearer element brings the contact lines  30  of the barb formations into pressure contact with the respective outer side faces of the flanges  13 . This may cause the free ends of the flanges to move towards each other. More importantly, it causes the tips of the tongues  23  to be resiliently urged apart. As the upward movement of the bearer element continues, the barb formations  24  approach the web  12 , so that it becomes progressively more difficult for them to deflect the flanges  13 . As a result, the tongues  23  are spread further apart. The extent to which the barb formations  24  project from the tongues beyond that of the studs  25  is such that the studs are held clear of the flanges  13  during the upward movement of the bearer element relative to the spine. When the contact line  30  approaches the web  12 , barb formations  24  are no longer able to deflect the flanges  13  to a significant degree, which return substantially to there undeformed position, and their free edge margins may enter the grooves  27  (see  FIG. 8 ). As soon as the barb formations pass beyond the web  12  the tongues  23  spring back to their undeflected position, the studs  25  enter the respective holes  14 , the flanges  13  become fully homed in the grooves  27 , and the now substantially horizontal underfaces of the barb formations come into overlying contact with the margins of the upper face of the web  12 .  
         [0041]     Thus, the first tier bearer element  11  becomes very firmly affixed to the spine  10 , at least insofar as downward loads on the bearer element are concerned, in that the studs  25  are within the holes  14 , the flanges  13  are prevented from moving apart to free the studs  25 , by the web  12  at one end and the beads  26  at the other end, and there are no contacting surfaces producing any reaction loading on the tongues tending to separate them.  
         [0042]     In use, the multi-tier support system of the first embodiment is suspended by connection of the spine  10  of the support system to the overhead component of the building being serviced via, e.g. two or more threaded tie rods. In particular, the spine  10  may be suspended by two or more threaded tie rods  15  (see  FIG. 2 ), of which only one appears in the drawings, extending downwardly from any appropriate, fixed, overhead component of the building being serviced. The spine  10  may be secured to each tie rod  15  by means of a U-shaped saddle  16  (see  FIGS. 2 and 6 ) into which the spine  10  neatly sits. To that end, the channel web  12  is pierced by a plurality of clearance holes  17  and the saddle  16  is likewise pierced by a clearance hole  18 . The tie rod  15  extends through a selected hole  17  and the hole  18 . The saddle  16  may then be supported by a nut and washer  19  on the tie rod, bearing against the underface of the saddle  16 . If desired, the affixture of the spine to the tie rod may be made more secure by a second nut and washer  19  on the tie rod, bearing against the upper face of the web  12 .  
         [0043]     As is well known, it is customary for buildings to be dimensioned having regard to a standard modular dimension. That is to say, the major dimensions of the building conform to whole numbers of the modular dimension. This enables items such as window frames, ceiling tiles, and the like, which conform to the modular dimension, to be installed without requiring to be trimmed to size. Thus, for preference, the spine  10  is provided to the user in lengths that are a whole number multiple of the modular dimension, and the centre distances between holes  17  and holes  14  are that such one or a whole number plurality of such centre distances equals the modular dimension applicable to the building being serviced.  
         [0044]      FIG. 11  represents a second embodiment of the present invention, wherein the multi-tier supporting means  302  of the multi-tier support system has the first and second tiers  3 ,  4  and a third tier  5 . The first  3  and second tier  4  are preferably the same as the two tiers in the first embodiment. Further, the third tier  5  comprises a third bearer element  311  which is preferably identical to the second bear element  211  of the second tier  4  of the first embodiment. Thus, the third tier bearer element  311  is preferably a molded plastic item, for example of glass-filled nylon, but may be comprised of any suitable type of material(s). The third tier bearer element  311  comprises two cantilever arms  320  with upturned ends  321 . The three tier structure functions in very much the same manner as the two tier system, except that it has an extra tier  5  for holding additional service supply means and, thus, maximizing additional storage space. In addition, the third tier embodiment  302  is preferably formed using connecting elements  6  and  306  in very similar fashion to how the two tier embodiment  2  described above was formed. Accordingly as with the two tier embodiment  2 , the three tier multi-tier embodiment  302  may be manufactured as one piece or alternatively one or more of the three tiers may be attached separately to form this embodiment  302 .  
         [0045]     In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 11 , the three bearer elements  11 ,  211 ,  311  are integrally formed as a one-piece member with the clip  22 . In an alternate embodiment, one or more of the bearer elements could be separately formed and attached to each other, such as at connection  400 . Connection  400  could be a removable connector or a snap-lock connection, for example. In an alternate embodiment, one or more of the bearer elements  11 ,  211 ,  311  of the multi-tier supporting means  2 , or multi-tier supporting means  302  could comprise a closure device, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,663,054. The shape of the clip  22  could also be different, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,663,054 for example.  
         [0046]     It should be understood that the foregoing description is only illustrative of the invention. Various alternatives and modifications can be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the present invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variances which fall within the scope of the appended claims.