Abstract:
Device for routing cables, more particularly intended for routing and distributing electric cables having an elongated shape ( 1 ) with a U-shaped cross-section consisting of an assembly of two side posts ( 3 ) forming the arms of the U and of a base ( 2 ) forming the bottom of the U. The side posts ( 3 ) and the base ( 2 ) are substantially made from a composite material and/or a strengthened plastic material and in that at least one side post ( 3 ) is pivotally mounted while being jointed to the base ( 2 ) about an axis of rotation ( 30 ) by at least one hinge ( 4 ) and in that it comprises snap-coupling means ( 35,26,63,7 ) and abutment means ( 22,23,38,29,27 ) capable of locking the side post perpendicularly to said base ( 2 ) under the action of its rotation.

Description:
[0001]    This application is a national stage entry of PCT/FR2008/000827 filed Jun. 16, 2008, under the International Convention claiming priority over French Application No. 0704390 filed Jun. 20, 2007. 
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The object of the present invention is a device for routing cables, more particularly intended for routing and distributing electric cables. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Present cable routings comprise an elongated structure with a U-shaped cross-section, inside which the cables are laid and optionally attached, and either made from an assembly of metal components forming a base and side posts, commonly called &lt;&lt;cable ladders&gt;&gt;, intended to support cables with a weight of the order of 100 kg/m with supporting distances of the order of 3-4 meters, or as a one-piece structure in solid or open worked metal sheet or else further in welded wire-mesh, commonly called &lt;&lt;cable routes&gt;&gt;, intended to support cables of a weight of the order of 30 kg/m with supporting distances of the order of 1 to 2 meters. 
         [0004]    These structures consist of several constitutive components connected end to end, generally installed horizontally and having sufficient rigidity in order to support the weight of the cables, without excessive flexure. 
         [0005]    However, these cable routing devices occupy a significant volume during their storage and their transport up to the area of their installation, which causes high logistic costs. 
         [0006]    In order to find a remedy to these drawbacks, wire-mesh devices for routing metal cables are known, the side posts of which devices are jointed to the base of the structure in order to be able to place the cable route in a planar or L-shaped configuration for its storing by stacking the structures over each other or in a U-shaped configuration, i.e. with posts perpendicular to the base for its installation on site. 
         [0007]    However in order to maintain the cable route jointed in its U-shaped configuration with view to installing it on site, it is necessary to manually place or actuate right-angled or ring-shaped blocking components at each mesh of the wire mesh between the side posts and the base which makes the operation tedious and costly in assembly time. 
         [0008]    Additionally, metal cable routing devices have a great weight and may have sharp edges, after cutting, which damage the cables or injure the installers. Moreover, they are electrically conductive, which imposes that each component of the cable routing device be connected to the ground which considerably increases the installation costs. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    The object of the present invention is to find a remedy to these drawbacks by proposing a cable routing device substantially made from synthetic materials and allowing easy and rapid transformation of the cable routing device from a planar or L-shaped configuration beneficial for its making or for its storage and its transport into a U-shaped configuration for its installation on site. 
         [0010]    The cable routing device according to the present invention is more particularly intended for routing and distributing electric cables and has an elongated shape with a U-shaped cross-section consisting of an assembly of two side posts forming the arms of the U and of a base forming the bottom of the U and is essentially characterized in that the side posts and the base are substantially made from a composite material and/or a strengthened plastic material and in that at least one side post is pivotally mounted while being jointed to the base about an axis of rotation by at least one hinge and in that it comprises snap-coupling means and abutment means capable of locking the side post perpendicularly to said base under the action of its rotation. 
         [0011]    According to the present invention, the cable routing device will comprise at least one blocking abutment forming an obstacle to the rotation of the pivoting side post preventing its rotation beyond an angle of 90° with the base and at least one anti-return abutment which will engage by snap-coupling and preventing the rotation of the side post upon opening. 
         [0012]    Still according to the present invention, the blocking abutment may also be engaged by snap-coupling. In this case and in a first embodiment of the snap-coupling means, the latter consist in lugs each intended to cooperate by snap-coupling both with a blocking abutment and an anti-return abutment. 
         [0013]    In a second embodiment of the snap-coupling means, the latter consist in notches intended to be snapped onto each other as the pivoting side post gradually rotates and blocks upon opening, i.e. towards the outside of the cable route, at each rotational index, said pivoting side post in an angular position. 
         [0014]    In a third embodiment of the snap-coupling means, the latter consist in at least one flexible flexural tab so that during the rotation of the pivoting side post, when the latter forms an angle of about 90° with the base, said tab is subject, without breaking, to an elastic deformation and will engage by snap-coupling of its free edge against the surface of an anti-return abutment. 
         [0015]    The tab may be positioned relatively to its free edge so as to operate in compression or in traction. 
         [0016]    Still according to the present invention, the joint between the base and the pivoting side post may be achieved by means of a multiplicity of hinges each forming a jointing point around the axis of rotation either common or not to the assembly of said hinges. 
         [0017]    A hinge will consist of a side extension of the base hemmed into a window made in the side post, joined together around the axis of rotation, allowing rotation of the pivoting side post. 
         [0018]    A side extension may have a hook shape intended to be engaged onto the axis of rotation during the assembling of the cable route. 
         [0019]    In a first embodiment of a side post, the latter will be made in a single piece by profile-shaping. 
         [0020]    In a second embodiment of a side post, the latter will be made from an assembly of at least two rods rigidly connected to each other by connecting parts and the connecting parts may be over molded on the rods or welded around the rods. 
         [0021]    The rods will preferably made by profile-shaping from a composite material reinforced with continuous fibers while the connecting parts will be made by molding from a plastic material either reinforced or not with discontinuous fibers. 
         [0022]    Advantageously, one of the two rods of the pivoting side post will form the axis of rotation of the pivoting side post. 
         [0023]    Each connecting part may include a window which will be extended with a cage in the form of an inverted U, the arms of which will be flared and will clasp the side extensions so that the phase for engaging the side extensions into the cage is accomplished with play and that the tightening between said arms and the side extensions increases as the pivoting side post gradually rotates so as to become total and without any play when the angle of the pivoting side post is close to 90° with the base corresponding to the snap-coupling angle blocking the pivoting post perpendicularly to said base. 
         [0024]    In a first embodiment of the base, the latter is an assembly made in a single piece, either solid or open worked. 
         [0025]    In a second embodiment of the base, the latter consists of a succession of bars perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the cable route and the side extensions of the base are formed by the free ends of said bars. 
         [0026]    The bars may be made in a single piece by compression- or injection-molding, or by assembling a body-forming portion and at least one added end portion forming the side extension. The bars will advantageously include orifices intended for attaching the cables. 
         [0027]    The bars may include side stabilizers bearing upon a surface of the pivoting side post allowing the bars to be blocked perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the cable route and preventing any longitudinal deformation of the latter during use. 
         [0028]    The bars may have an omega-shaped cross-section, the two side legs of which may advantageously form at the end of the bars supporting surfaces intended to come into contact with a surface of the side post. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0029]    The advantages and the characteristics of the present invention will become more clearly apparent from the description which follows and which relates to the appended drawings which illustrate non-limiting embodiments thereof. 
           [0030]      FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view of a cable route in one embodiment of the side posts by assembly according to the present invention, 
           [0031]      FIG. 2  illustrates a perspective view of a cable route according to the present invention in the embodiment of  FIG. 1  in the assembling situation, 
           [0032]      FIG. 3  illustrates a perspective view of a bar forming the base of the cable routing according to the present invention, 
           [0033]      FIG. 4  illustrates a cross-sectional view of a cable routing according to the present invention as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , 
           [0034]      FIG. 5  illustrates a perspective view of a bar in the upside-down position of a cable route according to the present invention, provided with notches at its free hook-shaped ends, 
           [0035]      FIG. 6  illustrates a cross-sectional view of a cable route according to the present invention provided with a bar as described in  FIG. 5 , 
           [0036]      FIG. 7  illustrates a perspective view of a side post of a cable route according to the present invention in an embodiment of the side posts made in a single piece, 
           [0037]      FIG. 8  illustrates a cross-sectional view of the cable route according to the present invention illustrated in  FIG. 7 , 
           [0038]      FIG. 9  illustrates a perspective view of the cable route described in  FIG. 8  in the assembling situation substantially coplanar, 
           [0039]      FIG. 10  illustrates a perspective view of a cable route described in  FIG. 7  in an alternative of one of the longitudinal edges of the side posts, 
           [0040]      FIG. 11  illustrates a perspective view of a bar provided with a snap-coupling lug at each of its free ends. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0041]    If reference is made to  FIG. 1  and to  FIG. 2 , it may be seen that a cable routing device according to the present invention has a structure  1  with an elongated shape with a U-shaped cross-section and comprises a base  2  and two side posts  3 , substantially made from a composite material or a reinforced plastic material. 
         [0042]    The side posts  3  are pivotally mounted about an axis of rotation  30 , parallel to the longitudinal axis  1 ′ of the cable route, defining the junction line between the base  2  and the side posts  3 . In order to ensure pivoting of the side posts  3  relatively to the base  2 , hinges  4  are firmly secured along the side walls of the base  2  and form a multiplicity of jointing points between the side posts  3  and the base  2 . 
         [0043]    It may be seen that the base  2  consists of a succession of bars  20 , regularly spaced out, perpendicular to the longitudinal axis  1 ′ of the cable route  1  and to the axis of rotation  30 , which bars  20  are firmly secured to the side posts  3  by their free ends  20 ′. 
         [0044]    A side post  3  consists of two parallel rods  31  preferably made in a composite material and connected to each other through connecting parts  32  with a globally rectangular shape, regularly spaced out and located in the plane formed by the two straight rods  31 . 
         [0045]    A connecting part  32  is made from a reinforced plastic material and includes at each of its ends, a transverse orifice  33  intended to respectively receive the straight rods  31 , one of which materializes the axis of rotation  30  of the side post  3  with the base  2 . 
         [0046]    It may also be seen that each connecting part  32  includes, at the transverse orifice intended to be crossed by the rod  31  forming the axis of rotation  30  of the side post  3 , a window  34  with which the corresponding free end  20 ′ of a bar  20  may be hemmed into a window  34  around the rod  31  so as to ensure the joint between the base  2  and the side post  3  and to limit the possibilities of longitudinal movement of said base relative to said side post. 
         [0047]    It will be noted that the connecting parts  32  advantageously have a recessed geometry intended for saving material while providing preferential hooking-up areas for attaching electric accessories such as distribution boxes. Moreover they have a width, in the longitudinal direction of the cable routing, sufficient for ensuring a not very deformable rigid connection between the rods  31  and which has the effect of reducing the distance between two consecutive connecting parts  32  thereby limiting the deformations undergone by the rods  31  when the cable route is under load. 
         [0048]    If reference is now made to  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 , it may be seen that a bar  20  includes two free hook-shaped ends  20 ′, intended to be engaged during the assembling, as this may also be seen in  FIG. 2 , into the window  34  of the corresponding connecting part  32  around the axis of rotation  30  illustrated by a rod section  31  crossing the window  34  of the connecting part  32 . The non-closed space  21 ′ of the hook  20 ′ will be determined so as to allow engagement on the section of the axis of rotation  30  crossing the window  34  by snap-coupling in order to reinforce securing of the bars  20  to the side posts  3  during their assembly. 
         [0049]    An end  20 ′ includes two side stabilizers  21  capable of bearing against the connecting part  32  on either side of the window  34  in annular grooves  34 ′ preventing any side tilt of the bar  20 , notably under the effect of external stresses when the electric cables are placed and drawn, which avoids any longitudinal deformation of the installed cable route  1 . 
         [0050]    It may also be seen that the upper external face of an end  20 ′ of a bar  20  includes two internal  22  and external  23  abutments, the external abutment  23  consisting of a vertical wall  23 ′ perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the bar  20  and to the plane containing the base  2  and the internal abutment  22  consisting of a horizontal surface  24  parallel to the longitudinal axis of the bar  20  and of a vertical surface  24 ′ which will reinforce the abutment function of the horizontal surface  24 . 
         [0051]    The internal abutment  22  is an obstacle to rotation of the side post  3 , preventing its rotation beyond an angle of 90° with the base  2  when a supporting surface  36  of the connecting parts  32  will abut against the horizontal surface  24  of the internal abutment  22 . 
         [0052]    The external abutment  23  is an anti-return abutment intended to receive by snap-coupling, when the side post  3  pivots towards the base  2  and is in an angular position of about 90° with the base  2 , a supporting surface  37  of a connecting part  32  preventing rotation of the side post upon opening with the base  2 , i.e. towards the outside of the cable route as indicated by A. 
         [0053]    The supporting surface  37  is formed by the end surface of a tab  35 , flexible in flexure and resistant to buckling, made in the window  34  of a connecting part  32  substantially perpendicular the plane of the connecting part  32 . The tab  35  is intended to engage by snap-coupling onto the external abutment  23 . 
         [0054]    It may also be seen that a window  34  made in a connecting part  32  extends with a cage  5  in the shape of an inverted U and the arms  50  of which are flared and clasp the side walls  25 , themselves also flared according to an identical tilt, from the ends  20 ′ of the bars  20  so that the engagement phase of the ends of the bars into the cage is accomplished with play and that tightening between said arms  50  and the side walls  25  is gradual upon rotating the side post  3 , becoming total and without play when the angle of the latter is close to 90° with the base  2  upon snapping on the tab  35  thereby suppressing any side movement of the bars  20  after snap-coupling. 
         [0055]    The tab  35  is secured at one of its ends to the front edge of the base of the U forming the roof  52  of the cage  5 , the external surface of the front edge  51  forming an abutment surface intended to come into contact with the vertical surface  24 ′ of the internal abutment  22  of the corresponding bar  20  in order to reinforce blocking of rotation beyond an angle of 90° between the side post  3  and the base  2 . 
         [0056]    A side post  3  from a mechanical point of view, because of the properties of the different selected materials, composite and reinforced plastic material, of their geometry and positioning, thus forms a vertical flexural rigid recessed beam having a much greater inertia than the sum of the inertias of the components which make it up. However a post made in this way retains relative side flexibility allowing the cable routes to adapt by slight deformation to the installation stresses on site. Moreover with this combination of materials from different manufacturing methods, it is possible to obtain both flexible areas  35  able to deform by snap-coupling while globally retaining great rigidity of the side posts  3  because of the straight rods  30  made from a pultruded composite material and localized at the locations of the largest mechanical stresses to which the cable route is subject under load. 
         [0057]    If reference is made to  FIG. 5  and to  FIG. 6 , a bar  20  may be seen, the hook-shaped ends  20 ′ of which are engaged on a round rod  31  and include on their internal face a series of notches  26  intended to cooperate with mating notches  36  made on the external face of the axis of rotation  31  so as to form a circular rack, the notches  23 ,  36  of which will snap into each other as the side post  3  gradually rotates towards the inside of the structure  1 , in the B direction, blocking at each index of rotation, said side post  3  in a given angular position until the angle between the pivoting side post  3  and the base  2  is equal to about 90°. It may also be seen that a window  34  made in a connecting part  32  includes at its upper edge a strip  38  which extends perpendicularly to the connecting part  32  and which is intended to bear against the external surface of the base  2  when the side post  3  reaches an angle of 90° with the base  2  preventing the side post  3  from pivoting beyond this angle towards the inside of the structure  1  while the notches  26 ,  36  prevent the side post  3  from pivoting in the opposite direction towards the outside of the structure  1 . 
         [0058]      FIG. 7 ,  FIG. 8  and  FIG. 9  show a structure  1  comprising two side posts  6  made in a single piece by profile-shaping, which each appear as an elongated rectangular panel including windows  60  intended to receive the free hook-shaped ends  20 ′ of bars  20  forming the base  2  of the structure  1 . 
         [0059]    One  61  of the longitudinal edges of each side post  6  is rounded and forms the axis of rotation  30  about which the side post  6  pivots. The side post  61  delimits one of the sides of the windows  60 , on which are engaged the free ends  20 ′ of the bars  20  of the base  2  hemmed into the windows  60  so as to secure the side posts  6  to the base  2 , as this may be seen in  FIG. 9 , and to allow pivoting of the side posts  6  about the axis of rotation  30  relatively to the base  2 . 
         [0060]    Maintaining the side posts  6  in an angular position perpendicular to the base  2  is achieved by means of a tab  63  perpendicularly and longitudinally secured to the internal face of the side posts  6  which, when the side post  6  forms an angle of about 90° with the base  2 , by its free longitudinal edge  64 , will be snapped onto an anti-return abutment  27  made in a block  28  surmounting the external face of the free ends  20 ′ of the bars  20  and preventing the side post  6  from pivoting upon opening towards the outside of the structure  1 . 
         [0061]    The block  28  further includes a blocking abutment formed by a wall  29  perpendicular to the bar  20  against which the internal wall of the side post  6  will abut, when the latter forms an angle of 90° with the base  2  preventing the latter from pivoting upon closing beyond this angle towards the inside of the structure  1 . 
         [0062]    It may also be seen that the bars  20  in one of their alternative embodiments, have an omega-shaped cross-section integrating the stabilizers  21  at their free ends  20 ′, which stabilizers  21  have a rounded shape allowing them to fit the circular shape of the longitudinal edge  61  of a side post  6  upon which they will bear in order to reinforce the stability of the structure. 
         [0063]      FIG. 10  shows an alternative of the side posts  6  made in a single piece, one  62  of the longitudinal edges of which forming the axis of rotation, is semi-circular inside the structure  1  of the cable route. 
         [0064]    If reference is now made to  FIG. 11 , it may be seen that in an alternative of the side post  6  described in  FIG. 7  and of the abutment and snapped-coupling means, a free end  20 ′ of a bar  20  is surmounted with a block  28  consisting of a wall  29  perpendicular to the bar  20  and provided with a lug  7  including at the lower face of its free end a beveled edge  70  and intended to be engaged by snap-coupling into a slot, not shown, made in the wall of the side post  6  so that the edge of the slot will be inserted between the edge  70  and the vertical wall  29  which will have the effect of blocking the side post  6  in a position perpendicular to the base.