Abstract:
A cable fastener includes at least two support units, at least one traverse element, a bearing unit and a retaining unit. The retaining unit is interposed between the at least two support units. At least part of the bearing unit is formed by at least one part of a support unit.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a U.S. national stage application of PCT/EP2011/002193 filed on May 3, 2011, and claims priority to, and incorporates by reference, German patent application No. 10 2010 020 212.6 filed on May 12, 2010. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The invention proceeds from a cable fastening device according to the preamble of patent claim  1 . 
         [0003]    Cable fastening devices having two support units, a transverse element, a bearing unit and a retaining unit, wherein the retaining unit is arranged between the two support units, are already known. The support units offer lateral retention of a cable to be fastened. The cable to be fastened is fastened in a known manner by a cable fastening unit, such as a cable tie, wherein the cable fastening unit runs through the transverse element, which is arranged between the support units. 
         [0004]    In particular, the object of the invention is to provide a cable fastening device that enables increased installation security as a result of improved protection against damage of the cable to be fastened. This object is achieved in accordance with the invention by the features of claim  1 . Further advantageous embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the dependent claims. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    The invention proceeds from a cable fastening device comprising at least two support units, at least one transverse element, a bearing unit and a retaining unit, wherein the retaining unit is arranged between the at least two support units. 
         [0006]    It is proposed for at least one part of the bearing unit to be formed by at least one part of one of the at least two support units. In this context, a “bearing unit” is to be understood in particular to mean a unit that is provided to provide a bearing surface and possibly lateral retention for a cable that is to be fastened. In this context, a “support unit” is to be understood in particular to mean a unit that is provided to distance the bearing unit from the retaining unit. In this case, a “transverse element” is to be understood to mean a unit that is provided to interconnect the at least two support units. In this context, a “retaining unit” is to be understood in particular to mean a unit that is provided to fasten the cable fastening device to a corresponding component, for example a metal plate. 
         [0007]    A solution with increased installation security can be provided in a particularly simple manner by means of a corresponding embodiment according to the invention. The cable to be fastened can be protected advantageously against contact with a connecting element, whereby friction, and consequently potential damage to the cable to be fastened, can be prevented advantageously. A prescribed distance between the cable to be fastened, such as a live cable, and the corresponding component can be achieved, in particular in aircraft construction, by designing the at least two support units in a manner that appears to be expedient to a person skilled in the art. 
         [0008]    It is further proposed for at least one of the at least two support units to have a continuous bearing surface for a cable to be fastened, whereby bearing forces can be transferred particularly uniformly onto at least one of the at least two support units. The bearing surface preferably extends on a side of one of the at least two support units facing away from the retaining unit. 
         [0009]    If a distance between the at least two support units corresponds substantially to a width of one of the at least two support units, the cable fastening device can advantageously be fastened to the corresponding component irrespective of direction. In this context, “substantially” is to be understood in particular to mean a ratio of the distance between the at least two support units to the width of a support unit between 0.66 and 1.5, and more preferably between 0.75 and 1.33. A “width of a support unit” is to be understood to mean the overall width of one of the at least two support units. 
         [0010]    If the fastener has two planes of symmetry, which are arranged perpendicular to a fastening plane of the retaining unit and perpendicular to one another, a particularly versatile arrangement of the fastener on the corresponding component can be achieved. In this context, a “plane of symmetry” is to be understood in particular to mean a plane through which the cable fastening device is formed in a substantially symmetrical manner. 
         [0011]    The at least two support units may further be arranged between the retaining unit and the bearing unit, whereby the bearing unit can be easily distanced from the retaining unit, as a result of which a particularly high level of installation security can be provided. 
         [0012]    If the at least two support units are connected directly by the at least one transverse element, additional stability of at least one of the at least two support units can be achieved. The at least one transverse element can preferably be formed as a side wall, and more preferably as a strut. 
         [0013]    Furthermore, the retaining unit may have at least one continuous recess, whereby simple and secure fastening to the corresponding component can be achieved. The at least one continuous recess preferably has a countersink, which can receive parts of the connecting element, whereby the connecting element can be connected in a particularly compact manner to the retaining unit. 
         [0014]    If the at least one transverse element has at least one fastening passage, the cable fastening unit can be connected to the cable fastening device in a simple manner. The fastening passage is preferably formed as a recess in the at least one transverse element, and more preferably as a recess in an underside, facing toward the retaining unit, of the at least one transverse element. 
         [0015]    It is further proposed for at least one of the at least two carrier units to be formed continuously in at least one horizontal sectional plane, whereby a particularly high level of stability of the cable fastening device can be achieved. 
         [0016]    If the bearing surface has curvatures in a continuous region in at least two spatial directions arranged perpendicular to one another, said curvatures corresponding substantially to curvatures of a cable to be fastened, bearing forces can be distributed particularly uniformly onto the bearing surface. In this context, a “curvature” in a point of the bearing surface, which is different from zero, is to be understood in particular to be a deviation growing quadratically with a distance from the point of the bearing surface. The bearing surface preferably has a curvature of zero in a direction that is oriented perpendicular to the at least one transverse element and horizontally. 
         [0017]    It is further proposed for at least one of the at least two support units and/or the at least one transverse element and/or the bearing unit and/or the retaining unit to consist of plastic, at least in part, whereby the cable fastening device can be particularly light. In this context, “plastic” is to be understood in particular to mean a polymer from a group consisting of the polyamides, polyethylenes or polyvinyl chlorides. The entire cable fastening device preferably consists of a polyamide. 
         [0018]    In a further embodiment it is proposed for the cable fastening device to have substantially cubical outer dimensions, which enables a particularly suitable combination of installation security and compactness. In this context, “cubical outer dimensions” is to be understood in particular to mean a ratio of the overall outer dimensions, wherein the ratio between any two dimensions is between 0.75 and 1.33. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0019]    Further advantages will emerge from the following description of the drawing. An exemplary embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawing. The description and the claims contain numerous features in combination. A person skilled in the art will also consider the features individually where expedient and will combine them in further sensible combinations. 
           [0020]      FIG. 1  is a schematic perspective view of a cable fastening device according to the invention, 
           [0021]      FIG. 2  is a schematic plan view of the cable fastening device according to  FIG. 1 , 
           [0022]      FIG. 3  is a schematic sectional view through A-A, and 
           [0023]      FIG. 4  is a schematic sectional view through a cable fastening system. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0024]    A cable fastening device according to the invention is illustrated in  FIG. 1 . It comprises two support units  10 , two transverse elements  12 , a bearing unit  14  and a retaining unit  16 , wherein the retaining unit  16  is arranged between the two support units  10 . The retaining unit  16  is arranged on a surface of a corresponding component  18 , which extends in a fastening plane  20 . Hereinafter, “horizontal” is to be understood to mean a direction parallel to the fastening plane  20  and “vertical” is to be understood to mean a direction perpendicular to the fastening plane  20 . “Up” is to be understood to mean a direction that faces away from the fastening plane  20 , and “down” is to be understood to mean a direction that faces toward the fastening plane  20 . The support units  10  are arranged parallel to one another and are connected directly to the retaining unit  16 . Each support unit  10  forms part of the bearing unit  14  on an upper side facing away from the fastening plane  20 . The transverse elements  12  are arranged parallel to one another and perpendicular to the support units  10 . Each transverse element  12  is connected directly at one of its ends to one of the support units  10 . 
         [0025]    The two support units  10  are connected directly to the retaining unit  16  and to the support unit  14 . They distance the bearing unit  14  from the retaining unit  16  in a vertical direction. 
         [0026]    The cable fastening device has a continuous bearing surface  22 , which is formed by the upper side, facing away from the fastening plane  20 , of the two support units  10 . 
         [0027]    The cable fastening device further has two planes of symmetry, which are arranged perpendicular to the fastening plane  20  and perpendicular to one another. One plane of symmetry runs parallel to the transverse elements  12 . A sectional line of the planes of symmetry runs through a geometric midpoint of the cable fastening device. The cable fastening device is completely symmetrical with respect to the two planes of symmetry. 
         [0028]    The two support units  10  are connected by the two transverse elements  12 . The transverse elements  12  are arranged between the support units  10  in a primary direction of extension parallel to the fastening plane  20 . At their ends, the transverse elements  12  are formed flush with the support units  10 . 
         [0029]    The retaining unit  16  has a continuous recess  24 , which is provided to receive a connecting element  26 , as illustrated in  FIG. 4 . The continuous recess  24  consists of a bore  28 . A receiving region  30  for the connecting element  26  is illustrated above the bore  28 . 
         [0030]    As can further be seen in  FIGS. 1 and 3 , the support units  10  are fabricated in a continuous, solid piece. They are each formed continuously in a horizontal sectional plane  32 , that is to say a sectional area produced by cutting though the sectional plane  32  is continuous. 
         [0031]      FIG. 2  shows a plan view of a ratio of a support unit width B to a support unit distance A. The support unit width B is defined by the overall length of one of the support units  10 ; the support unit distance A is defined as the distance between two support units  10 . The continuous recess  24  is arranged centrally in the middle. It is shown that the support unit distance A corresponds to approximately 80% of the support unit width B. 
         [0032]    As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , a support unit height H of one of the support units  10  corresponds to approximately 82% of the support unit width B. The cable fastening device thus has substantially cubical outer dimensions. 
         [0033]    As shown in  FIG. 3 , the bearing surface  22  has curvatures in a continuous region in two spatial directions arranged perpendicular to one another, wherein a curvature transverse to the transverse elements  12  results in a cavity-like indentation  34 . A second curvature along the transverse elements  12  is kept to a minimum in the exemplary embodiment. Both curvatures correspond substantially to the curvatures of a cable  36  to be fastened, which results in a uniform distribution of a bearing force. 
         [0034]    To keep the weight of the cable fastening device as low as possible, said cable fastening device is produced in one piece from nylon (polyhexamethylene adipamide) by injection molding, which makes it very resistant. The production costs for the cable fastening device are very low in this case. 
         [0035]    As is further shown in  FIG. 3 , both transverse elements  12  have a fastening passage  44 , which is provided to receive a cable fastening unit  46 . The fastening passage  44  is defined laterally by the support units  10 , upwardly by the transverse elements  12 , and downwardly by the retaining unit  16 . A second cable fastening unit (not illustrated) can thus also be passed through. 
         [0036]    The cable fastening device is illustrated in  FIG. 4  with the connecting element  26 , with which the retaining unit  16  is fastened to the corresponding component  18 . The retaining unit  16  rests flush against the corresponding component  18  via an underside  38 . The connecting element  26  formed as a blind rivet is arranged in the continuous recess  24  in the retaining unit  16  and has an upper head  40  and a lower head  42  at its ends, with which a positive and non-positive connection is produced between the cable fastening device and the corresponding component  18 . 
         [0037]    In an assembled state, as shown in  FIG. 4 , a cable fastening system is equipped with the cable fastening device. The cable  36  rests on the bearing surface  22  and is held by the cable fastening unit  46 . The connecting element  26 , which is formed as a blind rivet and extends through the continuous recess  24  in the retaining unit  16 , connects the cable fastening unit  46  to the corresponding component  18 . The cable fastening unit  46  is formed by a cable tie. The cable tie extends beneath the transverse elements  12  through the fastening passage  44  and is closed over the cable  36 . In the embodiment shown, the cable tie extends between the upper end of the blind rivet and the cable  36  and thus prevents contact on either side.