Abstract:
A cable containment device for supportedly routing cables and air lines along a cross member of a truck frame to eliminate potential interference of the cables and air lines with operating structures beneath the cross member defines an elongate channel having at least a horizontal bottom wall which extends across a major portion of the length of the cross member for providing securely supported elevation of the cables above the operating structures.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a cable containment device for routing bundled cables along a cross member of a truck frame of a vehicle to eliminate potential interference of the cables with operating structures such as a propshaft and/or universal joint positioned beneath the cross member. More specifically, the device provides an elongate channel extending across a major portion of the length of the cross member within and by which cables to be routed along the length of the cross member may be completely supported at a desired elevation to eliminate the potential of interference between the cables and the operating structures therebeneath. 
     PRIOR ART 
     Heretofore, cables or air lines of a truck have been supported by spaced apart clamps engaged to the cross member and positioned to either side of the operating structures. 
     Such clamp supported cables have been found to sag in the area between the clamps, at times to such an extent as to fall into contact with the operating structures therebeneath, eventually causing destruction of the cables. 
     It has been proposed to add a centered clamp to the cross member at a position directly above the operating structures, but this has been found to be an unworkable solution because the diameter of the bundle of cables to be engaged has required a clamp so large that consistent avoidance of interference of the clamp with the operating structures therebeneath has not been possible. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, it is a primary object of the invention to provide a device which will accommodate any number of cables bundled together and provide rigid support for the cables to avoid any potential sagging of any of the cables into contact with the underlying operating structures. 
     The primary object, as well as other objects, is met by the cross member mounted cable containment device of the present invention which defines an elongate channel having at least a horizontal bottom surface supported by and extending substantially across the length of the cross member upon which the device is supported in a manner where the bottom surface of the channel is elevated a predetermined distance above the operating structures therebeneath. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent upon perusal of the detailed description thereof and upon inspection of the drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a simplified perspective view of frame members of a truck showing prior art use of clamps for engaging bundled cables to a cross member of the truck frame and shows the cables of the bundle sagging in the area between the clips. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view similar to FIG.  1  and shows the device of the present invention substituted for the clips as well as a detail of components between and to which cables supported by the device must be routed. 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the containment device of the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view through the device and shows a bundle of cables securely supported within a channel of the device. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, in FIG. 1, a portion of a truck vehicle frame  16  including side rails  14  and cross members  12  of a mobile truck vehicle  101  (not shown in entirety) is illustrated. Engaged to one of the side rails  14  is a vehicle component  102 , such as a control unit for an antilock brake system of the vehicle  101 , which requires pressurized air for functionality, the pressurized air being supplied thereto from a source remotely positioned in a manner requiring an air line  104  therefrom to cross the width of the vehicle  101  along its path to the component. Additionally, cables  42  may need to cross the width of the vehicle  101 . 
     Typically, a pair of spaced apart clips  103  is mounted along the length of a cross member  12  of the vehicle frame  16 . Usually such cross member  12  is defined as the cab rear cross member which bridges between side rails  14  of the truck chassis at a position above the rear drive shaft  20  and an universal joint  22  engaged thereto. Through vibrational effects, gravity, road bump effects, etc., cables  42  and air lines  104  extending along the cross member  12  and supported by the clips  103  tend to sag in an area between the clips  103 , eventually catching on the drive shaft  20  or universal joint  22 , causing breakage of such sagging cables  42  and air lines  104  under the most severe circumstances. 
     To eliminate such potential sagging of the cables  42  and air lines  104 , a cable containment device  10  having at least a bottom surface upon which a bundle of such cables  42  and air lines  104  may be supported is proposed which is fixed to the cross member  12  and lies along at least the area above the driveshaft  20 /universal joint  22  at a position elevated above the driveshaft  20  and universal joint  22  of the truck vehicle  101 . Such cable containment device  10  is illustrated in FIGS.  2 - 4 . 
     As illustrated in detail in FIG. 2 a cross member  12  defined as a cab rear cross member  12  bridges between side rails  14  of a truck frame  16  at a position overlying a forward end  18  of a rear drive shaft  20  and a universal joint  22  engaged to the forward end  18  of the drive shaft  20 . 
     A preferred embodiment of the cable containment device  10  is illustrated in FIG. 3 as including an upstanding wall  24  by means of which the cable containment device  10  is mounted to a vertical wall  26  of the cross member  12 . A horizontal bottom wall  28  extends from a rounded bottom edge  30  of the upstanding wall  24  in a direction away from the cross member  12 , such direction being forwardly as it relates to the vehicle  101  (not shown). A further upstanding wall  32  extends upwardly from a rounded terminal edge  34  of the horizontal bottom wall  28 , creating a channel  36  between the upstanding walls  24  and  32  and the bottom wall  28  of the cable containment device  10 . 
     Lateral ends  38  of the cable containment device  10  are open and incorporate radially outwardly flared edges  40  to prevent the edges  40  from potentially causing abrasion of cables  42  and air lines  104  routed through the channel  36 . Such abrasion of cables  42  and air lines  104  could eventually result in failure of the cables  42  and air lines  104 . 
     Inasmuch as the cable containment device  10  is exposed to the ambient environment, at least the bottom wall  28  is provided with drain ports  44  therein so any environmental fluids cannot accumulate within the channel  36 , draining downwardly through the drain ports  44  under gravitational effect. The cable containment device  10  will be fabricated from materials resistant to corrosion such as galvanized steel. 
     It will be understood that the vertical extent of the cable containment device  10  is to be of such dimension as to allow for clearance between the bottom wall  28  of the cable containment device  10  and the drive shaft  20  and universal joint  22  therebeneath within minimal tolerances. 
     The cable containment device  10  may be secured to and along at least a center area of the vertical wall  26  of the cross member  12  by any of a plurality of industry standard fasteners  119  using mounting holes  46  provided in the upstanding wall  24  of the cable containment device  10  and cooperating mounting holes (not shown) provided in the vertical wall  26  of the cross member  12 . The vertical elevation of the cable containment device  10  on the cross member  12  must be such that the minimal clearance beneath the cable containment device  10  is assured. The cable containment device  10  extends along a substantial center portion of the length of the cross member  12 . The cable containment device  10  has a length just short of the length of the cross member  12  to allow cables  42  and air lines  104  being run to bend without crimping but not so short to allow sagging of cables  42  and air lines  104 . In any event the length of the cable containment device  10  should be at least half as long as the distance between the side rails  14  of the truck frame  16  to prevent sagging of cables  42  and air lines  104 . 
     The cables  42  to be routed through the channel  36  defined within the cable containment device  10  are first bundled together by use of locking straps  50 , which may be locked about the bundled cables  42  in any suitable manner to accommodate securing together of any required number of cables  42 . The locking straps  50  are additionally engaged to the drain ports  44  in the upstanding walls  24  and  32 . 
     With the described configuration of the cable containment device  10 , it will be understood that any realistic number of bundled together cables  42  laid within and along the channel  36  of the cable containment device  10  could be accommodated without concern for sagging of any of the cables  42  into contact with the drive shaft  20  or universal joint  22  therebeneath. 
     The necessity for avoidance of potential destruction of such cables  42  will become apparent when it is understood that some the air lines  104  supply air to an electronic control unit of an anti-lock brake system of the vehicle  101  (not shown) from an air tank  52  while the cables  42  are used to transfer power from batteries  54  to electrical components such as a starter  56 , an air compressor  58 , etc. of the vehicle  101 . 
     As described above, the cross member  12  mounted cable containment device  10  of the present invention provides a number of advantages, some of which have been described above and others of which are inherent in the invention. Also modifications may be proposed to the cable containment device  10  without departing from the teachings herein. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is only to be limited as necessitated by the accompanying claims.