Abstract:
A conduit body assembly includes an elongate sidewall, at least one hub and a glide member. The conduit body has an open upper end, a closed lower end, and a conduit body interior. The hub extends from the body in communication with the body interior and defines an access port for passage of wire therethrough. The glide member is arranged within the body interior adjacent to the access port for providing reduced frictional engagement with wire passing through the access port.

Description:
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 60/263,864 filed Jan. 24, 2001. 

   FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates generally to a conduit body containing electrical wires and more particular to a conduit body having a glide assembly that reduces friction associated with wires being pulled through the conduit body. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Electrical conduit systems are required in order to safely provide electric power to homes, commercial buildings, and the like. These conduit systems often include long runs of rigid electrical conduits with frequent changes in direction, such as 90° turns, and interruptions with various couplings to accommodate bends or changes in direction. The conduits themselves serve to provide a protective housing for the wires therein and to route these wires throughout the building or other installation as required. Conduits are typically constructed of a rigid metal pipe. 
   Conduit bodies are often installed in the conduit systems at various locations to provide accesses to the wires in the conduits, or to route the wires through a bulkhead, an electrical equipment enclosure, a junction box, or other electrical fixture. Conventional conduit bodies can have openings at one or more ends as well as through the upper and lower walls. 
   Typically, wires are inserted through an opening on the bottom or side of the conduit body and out through another opening located along another side or top of the conduit body. The friction caused by rubbing of the wires against the edges of the hub access port of the conduit body makes it difficult to pull the wire through the conduit housing, especially if there are many bends along the conduit length. While power pullers are used for this purpose, it is not unusual for the puller cords to break, leaving a partially pulled wire end that is very difficult to access within the conduit. In addition, the friction of the wire insulation rubbing against the edges of openings of the conduit body may damage the insulation on the wires. 
   Attempts to minimize such friction associated with the rubbing of wires against the openings of conduit bodies have been less than satisfactory. For instance, some manufacturers have inserted roller pins and smooth shields to minimize the friction. However, these attempts to minimize such friction do not satisfactorily address the problem. 
   Accordingly, it is desirable to reduce the friction associated with wires rubbing against the inside of the openings of a conduit body. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention, which addresses the needs of the prior art, relates to a conduit body assembly including an elongate sidewall, at least one hub, and a glide member. The conduit body has an open upper end, a closed lower end, and a conduit body interior. The hub extends from the body in communication with the body interior and defines an access port for passage of wire therethrough. The glide member is arranged within the body interior adjacent to the access port for providing reduced frictional engagement with wire passing through the access port. 
   In a further aspect of the invention, a conduit body assembly is provided including an elongate sidewall, a lower wall, a plurality of hubs, a plurality of glide bar holders, and at least one lubricious glide bar. The sidewall has an upper end and a lower end. The upper end has a rim along a perimeter thereof and defines a conduit body opening. The lower wall is connected to the lower end of the sidewall. Each hub extends from one of either the sidewall or the lower wall and defines an access port. The glide bar holders each include a pair of opposed U-shaped members connected to an interior of the sidewall proximate to one of the access ports. Each glide bar is configured so as to be releasably attachable to an associated glide bar holder. 
   The present invention also relates to a method of pulling wires through a conduit body, where the conduit body includes an elongate sidewall having an open upper end, a closed lower end, and a conduit body interior, at least one hub extending from the body in communication with the body interior and defining an access port for passage of wire therethrough, at least one glide bar supported by said sidewall, and at least one pair of glide bar holders on said sidewall. The method includes the steps of: placing a glide bar over a glide bar holder, wherein the glide bar holder includes a pair of opposed protrusions connected to the conduit body interior proximate to the access port for wires and the glide bar includes a U-shaped member having lips at ends thereof that may be urged over the glide bar holder; and pulling the wire through the access port of the conduit body into the conduit body interior. 
   With the foregoing and additional features in mind, this invention will now be described in more detail, and other benefits and advantages thereof will be apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like elements are identically numbered throughout the several views. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a cross-sectional view of the conduit body assembly of the present invention. 
       FIG. 2A  is a perspective view of the top of the conduit body assembly of the present invention showing an embodiment of a glide bar holder. 
       FIG. 2B  is a perspective view of the top of the conduit body assembly of the present invention according to  FIG. 2A , showing a glide bar in place over the glide bar holder. 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a glide bar for a conduit body assembly of the present invention. 
       FIG. 4  is a side view of the conduit body assembly of the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   The present invention provides a conduit body assembly for use in electrical systems such as electrical conduit systems through which it is often difficult to pull wires without causing damage to the wire itself or the insulation surrounding the wire. The conduit body assembly of the present invention provides a conduit body having an access port or ports through which wires may be pulled. A glide member is provided proximal to the access port of a hub through which a wire or wires are to be pulled so that rather than risk being damaged or abraded by rough edges of the access port, the wire slides over a glide that is smooth. 
   In a preferred aspect of the invention, the glide assembly is arranged in the conduit body and includes a glide bar releasably attached to a pair of glide bar holders such that the pulling action on the wires helps secure the glide member onto the glide bar holders. 
   In further desirable aspect of the invention, the glide bar prevents access of the wires to a rough edge of the access port. 
   Referring to  FIG. 1 , a cross sectional view of the conduit body with glide assembly of the present invention is shown. Conduit body assembly  10  includes an elongate generally tubular member or conduit body  12 , openings  34  and  36  for wires (not shown) and glide assembly  42 . 
   Conduit body  12  is an elongate generally tubular shaped member including an upwardly extending sidewall  14  having an open upper end  16  and a closed lower end  18 . The lower end  18  of sidewall  14  perimetrically bounds a lower wall  20  of the conduit body  12 . The sidewall  14  and lower wall  20  together define a conduit body interior  22 . The interior  22  may be enclosed by cover  14  over open upper end  16 . Sidewall  14  defines at the open upper end  16  a generally oval-shaped smooth planar rim  24 . Rim  24  includes at its opposite ends a pair of inwardly directed lips  23 , as shown in  FIGS. 2A and 2B . 
   Conduit body  12  further includes a pair of tubular projections or hubs  30  and  32  extending outwardly from conduit body interior  22 . Hubs  30  and  32  are in communication with conduit body interior  22  and serve as points of attachment for conduits (not shown). Each hub  30  and  32  ends in a circular opening or access port,  34  and  36 , respectively. Access ports  34  and  36  have an inner diameter substantially equal to an outer diameter of an exterior of a conduit (not shown) so as to accommodate a conduit therein. The conduits may be attached to the conduit body  12  in any conventional manner, including but not limited to via an adhesive, a bonding agent or a mechanical device, such as a male/female threading. 
     FIGS. 2A and 2B  are perspective top views showing the glide assembly  38  of the present invention. In  FIG. 2A , a glide bar holder  40  is shown. In this preferred aspect, the glide bar holder  40  is a pair of U-shaped members placed on opposed portions of the sidewall  14 . Referring now to  FIG. 2B , a glide assembly  38  is shown including a glide bar  46  and glide bar holder  40 . The glide bar holder  40  is capable of securing the glide bar  46  to conduit body  12 . In particular, glide bar lips  42  and  44  effectively hold glide bar  46  to conduit body  12  by snapping into place onto glide bar holder  40 . As seen in  FIG. 1 , an alternative aspect of the glide bar holder  40  is shown as a protruding member  48  having an indentation  50  over which the glide bar lips  42  and  44  can be releasably connected. In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the glide bar holder  40  includes a pair of protruding members opposed to one another on the sidewall  14 . The glide bar  46  can be releasably connected to both protruding members  40  for added support during use of the conduit body assembly  10 . Other configurations and locations of a glide bar holder  40  which effectively secure the glide bar  46  in place and protect wires are contemplated, but not shown. 
   Referring again to  FIG. 2B , the glide assembly  38  is shown in a conduit body  12  according to the present invention. The glide assembly  38  can be used in the following manner. Wire (not shown) will enter the conduit body  12 , for example, through access port  34  of hub  30 . The wire will be pulled under glide bar  46  and out through open upper end  16 . Any wire attachment or other required electrical work is then performed. A cover (not shown) or other appropriate piece may be placed over the upper end  16  upon completion of the work. 
   Desirably, glide bar  46  is an elongate smooth, U-shaped structure having lips  42  and  44  on the open ends of the U-shape as shown in FIG.  3 . Other configurations of glide bar  46  that facilitate the sliding of wires through a conduit body  12  with minimal friction are contemplated, but not shown. 
   Referring now to  FIG. 4 , a side view of the conduit body assembly of the present invention is shown. In this view, a section of glide bar  46  can be seen through side opening  25 . Thus, glide bar  46  limits access of wires (not shown) to an upper edge of the hub  30  over which wires would normally be pulled. As a result, the wires glide past a smooth surface of the glide bar  46  and avoid risk of contact with rough edges or excess friction when being pulled into the conduit body  12 . 
   The design of the glide assembly  38  of the present invention allows for wires to be pulled directly through the conduit with minimal friction caused by the wires rubbing against the inside edges of the hub  30 . As wires are pulled through the conduit body  12 , they tend to bend and rub against the inside edges of the hub  30 . Glide bar  46  is located in the conduit body  12  so that wires rub against it rather than the conduit body  12 . Thus, glide bar  46  of the present invention minimizes the friction associated with pulling the wires through the conduit body and facilitates the movement of the electrical wires through the conduit body  12 . Additionally, the glide bar  46  of the present invention protects wires from damage that may be caused by the wires rubbing against the inside edges of the body  12 . Once the movement of wires through the conduit body  12  ceases, the glide bar  46  maybe snapped out of its holder  40  and removed from the conduit body  12  for reuse in a next installation or may be discarded. 
   Desirably, the glide bar  46  is of a lubricious nature. Desirable materials for the glide bar  46  include, but are not limited to, nylon, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and the like. Most desirably, the glide bar  46  is a self-lubricating material such as PTFE. 
   Referring again to  FIG. 1 , conduit body assembly  10  may also provide a cover  28  that is positionable over open upper end  16  of the conduit body  12 . Cover  28  has a smooth, essentially uninterrupted surface that conforms to the rim  24  of the upper end  16 . Desirably, cover  28  has an oval-like shape corresponding to that of conduit body  12 . The cover  28  may be transparent for easy viewing of inside cavity  21 . 
   The conduit body  10  and cover  28  are desirably made of a metallic material, non-metallic material or a combination thereof. Useful metallic materials include aluminum, steel and the like. Useful non-metallic materials include polyvinyl chloride, nylons, high density polyethylene and combinations thereof. The cover  28  and conduit body  12  may be a vacuum form plastic member. 
   It will be apparent that the present invention has been described herein with reference to certain preferred or exemplary embodiments. The preferred or exemplary embodiments described herein may be modified, changed, added to, or deviated from without departing from the intent, spirit and scope of the present invention, and it is intended that all such additions, modifications, amendments and/or deviations be included within the scope of the following claims.