FEEDTHROUGH ASSEMBLY AND METHOD OF ADAPTING A FEEDTHROUGH ASSEMBLY FOR THE ELECTRICAL CONDUCTORS OF AN UMBILICAL CORD TO A PIVOTALLY OPENING STRUCTURE

Abstract: The invention relates to an umbilical cord feedthrough assembly and method of adapting a flexible conduit between a frame (1), which is to be installed permanently to a construction, and at least one structure hingedly adapted on at least one side of said frame, said structure being a sash (2) or similar, said assembly being intended for passing electrical conductors via said frame (1) to said hingedly mounted glass pane structure (2). According to the invention, a flexible conduit (5) suited for accommodating said electrical conductors is adapted to pass into said frame structure (1) just at a corner of said frame structure (1), essentially parallel to another part (15) of said frame structure, and to that part (18) of said hingedly mounted structure (2) which is essentially parallel to said conduit is formed a groove (4) which extends up to a corner of said hinged structure (2) with a depth and width essentially equal to or slightly larger than the diameter of said conduit.

Description: Feedthrough assembly and method of adapting a feedthrough assembly for the electrical conductors of an umbilical cord to a pivotally opening structure The present invention relates to an umbilical cord feed¬ through assembly according to the preamble of claim 1. The invention also concerns a method of adapting a feed¬ through assembly for the electrical conductors of an umbilical cord to a pivotally opening glass pane structure. Electrical power must be taken to pivotally opening structures such as, e.g., doors equipped with electric locks. Conventionally, such an umbilical cord connection is arranged by means of a flexible conduit arrangement passing through the frame on its hinge side at the area remaining between the hinges. The feedthrough assemblies of such umbilical cords are conventionally implemented with the help of flexible metallic conduits. A short¬ coming of this arrangement is that the conduit must often be mounted in a visible manner. Moreover, such a surface- mounted umbilical cord does not facilitate hinged struc¬ tures which must be constructed pivotally opening in two directions as is the case in, e.g., the windows of Con¬ tinental European buildings. Particularly the emergence of novel types of electrically heatable windows have increased the need of manufacturing such electrically heated windows which can be opened in two directions. It is an object of the present invention to overcome the drawbacks of the above-described technology and to pro¬ vide an entirely novel type of umbilical cord feedthrough assembly and method of adapting a feedthrough assembly for the electrical conductors of an umbilical cord to a pivotally opening glass pane structure. The goal of the invention is achieved by means of fitting the feedthrough assembly for an umbilical cord to the frame, close to the frame corner, and making a slot-like recess in the sash of the pivotally opening structure, close to the same corner as mentioned above in relation to the frame, for a conduit serving to protect the elec¬ trical conductors. Particularly in structures arranged to open in two directions, the flexible conduit is adapted in the frame to that corner of an edge about which the sash is rotated when the structure is opened in either direction. More specifically, the umbilical cord feedthrough assem¬ bly according to the invention is principally character- ized by what is stated in the characterizing part of claim 1. Furthermore, the method according to the invention is principally characterized by what is stated in the char- acterizing part of claim 6. The invention offers significant benefits. The umbilical cord feedthrough assembly can be easily fitted on existing frame and sash structures. The feed¬ through assembly does not impair the insulation of the window and nor degrade the full performance of the window seals. The invention facilitates opening the sashes of the window in two direction. The feedthrough arrangement is cost-efficient in comparison with conventional embodi¬ ments and can be readily prefabricated already at a window manufacturer's plant. The final installation is easy to complete at the construction site. The conductors of an electrically heated window can be made clearly shorter in comparison to conventional arrangements. The conventional conductor length of 1 - 5 m can be shortened to approx. 0.5 m. In the following the invention will be examined in greater detail with reference to exemplifying embodiments illustrated in the appended drawings in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of an umbilical cord feed¬ through assembly according to the invention shown in a top-obligue panoramic view into the space between an opened window sash and its frame; Figure 2 shows the feedthrough assembly of Fig. l in a perspective view when seen obliquely from under the frame; and Figure 3 is a top view of a conduit clamping element suited for use in conjunction with the feedthrough assembly according to the invention. Referring to Fig. 1, the umbilical cord feedthrough assembly shown therein is particularly suited for use in passing electrical conductors to electrically heated windows. The diagram illustrates a frame l intended for permanent mounting on the framing of a wall structure and a hinged window sash 2 pivotally mounted to the frame in a view taken from the inside direction of the frame l. As shown in the diagram, a flexible conduit 5 is passed through the header 16 of the frame 1, at its upper corner. Alternatively, the feedthrough assembly according to the invention may be arranged to pass through the frame sill, at the lower corner of the frame 1. The hinge side of the frame l may also be the header or sill (that is horizontal rail) of the frame, whereby the conduit is passed through either jamb of the frame 1, at the top or bottom corner. Inside the frame l the conduit 5 is passed through the header 16 in the immediate vicinity of the jamb 15 of the frame 1, on the interior side of the window frame seal 7. In other words, the pass-through hole of the conduit 5 in the frame 1 is disposed between the window frame seal 7 and the interior-side edge of the frame 1, just at the joint between the jamb 15 and the header 16 of the frame, in the header 16. When the window is fully closed, the conduit 5 is approximately parallel to the jamb 15. In the structure illustrated in the diagram, the hinging 3 is adapted to the frame jamb 15. To the stile 18 of the window sash 2 is made a vertical groove 4 extending fully up to the upper corner of the window stile 18. The groove 4 is disposed between the interior-facing side of the sash 2 and the window frame seal 7. As the vertical length of the groove 4 is deter¬ mined by the desired length of the conduit 5 and the width of the groove is dimensioned to accommodate the diameter of the conduit 5, it is obvious that the width and depth of the groove 4 should be essentially equal to or slightly larger than the diameter of the conduit 5. Typically, the groove 4 has a length of 10 - 60 cm, advantageously approx. 30 cm. The groove 4 is made in wood sash structures by milling. The conduit 5 is appro- priately of an elastic and durable, preferably electri¬ cally insulating material. Polymer materials obviously fulfill such requirements. The surface of- the conduit is appropriately provided with a cross-directionally corru¬ gated surface to render the conduit flexible. Additional- ly, the corrugation facilitates the clamping arrangement described later in the text. The above-mentioned speci¬ fications are fulfilled by, e.g., a conduit pipe intended for protecting conductors in robotic devices and vended under product codes EW 7-11, EW-PAR 7-11 and EW-PA 7-11. The diameters of such pipes are typically in the range of approx. 5 - 20 mm. The corrugated conduit 5 is fixed to the header 16 of the frame 1 as shown in Fig. 2 by means of a clamp clip 9, and correspondingly, to the stile 18 of the sash 2 by means of a clamp clip 8. Electrical con- ductors passed via the conduit 5 are taken inside the stile 18 of the sash 2 further to the electrical termi¬ nals of an electrically heated window pane 10. Referring to Fig. 3, the conduit clamp clips 8 and 9 have basically a similar design. The clamp clip 8 is first stamped as blank formed by flat piece having a circular concave cut 12 suited to accommodate the conduit 5. The diameter of the concave cut 12 for the conduit is advan¬ tageously equal to the smallest outer diameter of conduit 5 at the groove bottom of the corrugated conduit thus facilitating the locking of the conduit 5 into the concave cut 12. Prior to mounting, the blank of the clamp clip 8 is bent at 90° angle along the dotted line 11 and then the clamping clip 8 is pushed home to the bottom of the groove 4 guided in place by the tips 20 at the forks of the concave cut 12. When required, the clamp clip 8 can be fixed to the frame 18 or the sash 16, respec- tively, with the help of pointed tips 13 formed on the clip by stamping. The feedthrough assembly according to the invention as shown in the diagrams is also applicable without modifi- cations in the case that the hinging 3 is adapted between the header 16 of the frame 1 and the top rail 17 of the sash 2. Thus, also in a typical window structure of Con¬ tinental European buildings, which have the sashes opening in two directions, the present invention can be implemented in the above-described manner provided that the conduit is located in such structures to that corner of the frame where the corner of the sash 2 during opening advantageously stays close to the corresponding corner of the frame 1. The conduit may be located equally well to the upper or the lower corner of the frame 1. Obviously, without being limited by the above-given elu¬ cidation with reference to frame headers and sash top rails shown in the diagrams, the invention can be applied as well to windows arranged in different positions. The essential property of the assembly according to the in¬ vention is that the conduit 5 is disposed on the frame 1 immediately to the inner corner of the frame 1 and on the sash side the sash 2 is provided with a groove-like recess 4 extending up to the corner of the sash on that edge of the sash that is essentially parallel to the conduit 5 at least when the sash is closed, and moreover, that the hinging of the window is adapted at least to either of the frame parts 15 and 16 that form that corner of the frame 1 to which the conduit is disposed. The invention is most advantageously applicable to windows, particularly those having the sashes opening in two directions, but may as readily be adapted to doors, particularly to doors opening in more than one direction, and to hatches such as roof hatches, doors of refrigerat- ed spaces, etc. Accordingly, the term "sash" in the con¬ text of the annexed specification of the invention must be understood to refer widely to corresponding stile/rail parts of doors as well. While wood is typically used as the material of frames and sashes, the invention is equally applicable to metal constructions such as aluminium door and window structures. The umbilical conduit solution in accordance with the invention can be used also for security conductors or cables.

Claims: Claims: 1. An umbilical cord feedthrough assembly suited for mounting between a frame (1), which is to be installed permanently to a construction, and at least one structure hingedly adapted on at least one side of said frame, said structure being a sash (2) or similar, said assembly being intended for passing electrical conductors via said frame (1) to said hingedly mounted glass pane structure (2) c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that - a flexible conduit (5) suited for accommodating said electrical conductors is adapted to pass into said frame structure (1) just at a corner of said frame structure (1) , essentially parallel to one part (15) of said frame structure (1) , and - to that part (18) of said hingedly mounted struc¬ ture (2) which is essentially parallel to said conduit (5) is formed a groove (4) which extends up to a corner of said hinged structure (2) with a depth and width essentially equal to or slightly larger than the diameter of said conduit (5) . 2. A feedthrough assembly as defined in claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that said flexible conduit (5) is at its ends clamped to said frame structure (1) and said hinged structure (2) with the help of clamp means (8, 9). 3. A feedthrough assembly as defined in claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that said flexible conduit (5) is adapted to pass through the frame at a point between the seal (7) of the frame (1) and the interior side of the frame (1) , and correspondingly, the groove- like recess (4) is made to the hinged structure between the exterior side of the hinged part (2) and the hinged structure seal (6) . 4. A feedthrough assembly as defined in claim 1 suited for use in a window with sashes opening in two direc¬ tions, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the conduit clamp pieces (8, 9) are made from sheet metal and incorporate a concave cut (12) corresponding to the smallest outer diameter on the perimeter of said conduit for the purpose of fixing said conduit in place. 5. A feedthrough assembly as defined in any foregoing claim, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that said conduit (5) is of an elastic and durable material such as a plastic with a cross-directionally corrugated shape. 6. A method of adapting an umbilical cord feedthrough assembly between a frame (1) , which is to be installed permanently to a construction, and at least one structure hingedly adapted on at least one side of said frame, said structure being a sash (2) or similar, said assembly being intended for passing electrical conductors via said frame (1) to said hingedly mounted glass pane structure (2) c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that - a flexible conduit (5) suited for accommodating said electrical conductors is adapted to pass into said frame structure (1) just at a corner of said frame structure (1) , essentially parallel to one part (15) of said frame structure (1), and - to that part (18) of said hingedly mounted structure (2) which is essentially parallel to said conduit (5) is formed a groove (4) which extends up to a corner of said hinged structure (2) with a depth and width essentially equal to or slightly larger than the diameter of said conduit (5) . 7. A method as defined in claim 6 of adapting an umbili¬ cal cord feedthrough assembly, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that said flexible conduit (5) is at its ends clamped to said frame structure (1) and said hinged structure (2) with the help of clamp means (8, 9) . 8. A method as defined in claim 6 of adapting an umbili¬ cal cord feedthrough assembly, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that said flexible conduit (5) is adapted to pass through the frame at a point between the seal (7) of the frame (1) and the interior side of the frame (l) , and correspondingly, the groove-like recess (4) is made to the hinged structure between the exterior side of the hinged part (2) and the hinged structure seal (6) . 9. A method as defined in claim 6 of adapting an umbilical cord feedthrough assembly suited for use in a window with sashes opening in two directions, c h a r ¬ a c t e r i z e d in that the conduit clamp pieces (8, 9) are made from sheet metal and incorporate a concave cut (12) corresponding to the smallest outer diameter on the perimeter of said conduit (5) for the purpose of fixing said conduit in place. 10. A method as defined in any foregoing claim of adapting an umbilical cord feedthrough assembly, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that said conduit (5) is selected from the group of tubings made from an elastic and durable material with a cross-directionally corrugated shape.

Inventors: SALMELIN PENTTI, SALMELIN, PENTTI
Applicants: IMATRAN VOIMA OY, SALMELIN PENTTI, SALMELIN, PENTTI
Application year: 1995
Main classification: H02G11
IPC codes: H01R35, H02G11