Support brackets for cable ducts

Abstract

A support frame (1) for a cable trough is disclosed, the support frame (1) being formed of a unitary polymer material and comprising a base (2) and a cantilever arm (3) for fastening the support frame (1) to a vertical surface. The arm (3) comprises an upper wall (4), a lower wall (8) and a central partition (7), wherein the upper wall (4) has an oblong upper surface (5) serving as a base for the cable trough. The upper wall (4) has through holes (6a, 6b) for fastening screws to pass through. The central partition (7) has at least one through opening (9), which is adjacent to the upper wall (4) and located below at least one of the through holes (6a, 6b). The through opening (9) has a hollow space, which is a rectangular parallelepiped with a width greater than or equal to 4 cm and a height greater than or equal to 2 cm.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of cable trough devices for guiding electrical cables, optical cables or other types of cables. In particular, the invention relates to a support frame fixed to a vertical support surface and used to support a cable trough arranged on the support frame.

[0002] More specifically, the present invention relates to a support frame for a cable duct, the support frame being formed of a one-piece body made of a polymer material and comprising:

[0003] - a base for securing the support frame to a vertical support surface; and

[0004] - an arm extending from the base in a cantilevered manner, the arm comprising: an upper wall having an oblong upper surface extending in a horizontal plane along the horizontal longitudinal direction of the arm, the upper surface of the arm forming a placement surface for a cable trough, the cable trough being placed on the upper surface of the arm, the upper wall being provided with a through hole for passing a fixing screw to fix the cable trough to the support frame; a lower wall opposite to the upper wall; and a central partition connecting the upper wall and the lower wall. Background Art

[0005] A support rod structure for supporting a cable trough and for fixing a number of individual cables or a small bundle of cables directly thereto is commonly used for installing cables in technical spaces, such as industrial warehouses. This structure usually comprises vertical support rods, which are usually used to fix a support frame on which the cable trough is located. These support frames are fixed to the vertical support rods by fixing screws. The support frame can also be fixed to other vertical support surfaces, such as vertical walls. Fixing screws passing through through holes in the upper wall of the arm are used to fix the tray of the cable trough to the support frame. Usually, each fixing screw is screwed into a nut located on the lower surface of the upper wall of the arm and has to be positioned by the user. This operation of positioning the nut and screwing the fixing screw into the nut is not always easy. Placing and fixing the cable trough on / to the support frame is usually carried out in difficult-to-access places, which have space restrictions and may be at a very high height. For this reason, it is important to make the installation operation as easy as possible. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The object of the present invention is to provide a support bracket for a cable duct of the above-mentioned type, which bracket allows the installer to more easily carry out the operations required to secure the cable duct to the support bracket, without complicating the manufacture of the support bracket or making it more expensive.

[0007] This object is achieved by a support frame of the type described above, characterized in that the central partition has at least one through-opening adjacent to the upper wall and below at least one of the through-holes, so that the through-opening contains the hollow space into which the through-hole enters, the hollow space being a rectangular parallelepiped having a width greater than or equal to 4 cm in the horizontal longitudinal direction of the arm and a height greater than or equal to 2 cm in a vertical direction perpendicular to the horizontal longitudinal direction. The through-opening thus arranged in the central partition allows the user to insert his fingers through it and thus comfortably access the through-hole below the upper wall of the arm from both sides of the arm. This greatly facilitates the operation that the user must perform to place the nut into which the fixing screw can be screwed. Furthermore, this construction allows the design of a support frame in which the through-hole occupies a central position in the mid-plane of the arm.

[0008] In this specification, the terms "horizontal" and "vertical" must be understood as referring to the position in which the support frame is used, e.g. Figure 13 As shown, wherein the support frame is fixed to a vertical support surface by its base, for example a vertical support rod similar to that shown in the drawings. In this use position, the oblong upper surface of the upper wall of the arm is in a horizontal plane.

[0009] Preferably, the support frame is made of an electrically insulating polymer material, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), having a surface resistivity exceeding 100 MΩ (surface resistivity measured according to EN 62631-3-2:2016 standard), and may optionally be filled with reinforcing fibers.

[0010] Preferably, the central partition includes transverse wings that extend in a cantilevered manner on either side of the central partition and form the peripheral walls of the through-opening. The transverse wings increase the moment of inertia of the arms, thereby compensating for the loss of mechanical strength of the arms caused by the through-opening in the central partition. Furthermore, the transverse wings make it more comfortable for the user to place the nut, as the user can rest their fingers on the surface of the transverse wings.

[0011] Preferably, the transverse wing is continuous and has two ends, each of which is attached to the upper wall, so that the transverse wing extends continuously along the entire peripheral portion of the through-opening arranged in the central partition. The transverse wing thus configured satisfactorily provides a mechanical reinforcement function for the entire through-opening and also serves as a support for the user to place his or her fingers along the entire length of the through-opening.

[0012] Preferably, the width of the lateral wing decreases in a direction transverse to the central partition from each of the ends of the lateral wing to the central portion between the ends. This configuration makes it easier to access the central portion of the through opening for placing the nut, especially when the user approaches from a lower position with his fingers.

[0013] Preferably, the at least one through-hole providing access to the hollow space contained within the through-opening is an oblong hole extending transversely to the central partition on either side. The transverse oblong hole allows for the placement of the fixing screw in variable transverse positions to align it with an available hole in the cable trough. Due to the through-opening in the central partition, a user can access the corresponding nut with their fingers from either side of the central partition. Thus, the user can operate a nut arranged on the other side of the central partition from one side of the central partition along the oblong through-hole.

[0014] Preferably, the support frame comprises at least two through-holes entering the hollow space contained in the through-opening, said two through-holes being spaced apart from each other in the horizontal longitudinal direction of the arm. Thus, the user has more options for aligning one of these through-holes with an available hole in the cable duct.

[0015] Preferably, in order to facilitate the fixing of the cable trough to the support frame at multiple points along the arm of the support frame, the support frame includes at least two through openings separated from each other in the horizontal longitudinal direction of the arm, each of the through openings is located below at least one of the through holes and contains the hollow space into which the through hole enters.

[0016] The present invention also includes other detailed features that are shown in the following detailed description of embodiments of the invention and in the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The advantages and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent on reading the following description, in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is described in a non-limiting manner with respect to the scope of the main claims, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0018] Figure 1 、 2 3 and 3 are perspective views of the first embodiment of the support frame viewed from different angles.

[0019] Figure 4 、 5 , 6 and 7 are the side view, top view, rear view and front view of the support frame respectively.

[0020] Figure 8 is with Figure 4 A similar side view, wherein the hollow space contained in the through-opening is represented by discontinuous lines.

[0021] Figure 9 It is a cross-sectional perspective view of the support frame.

[0022] Figure 10 This is a cross-sectional perspective view of the support frame, which uses the same Figure 9The same cross section, but viewed from the other side of the cross section.

[0023] Figure 11 is a perspective view of a support frame secured to a vertical support pole.

[0024] Figure 12 and 13 They are Figure 11 A perspective and side view of the assembly is shown, wherein the cable duct is placed on the support frame and fixed thereto by fixing screws.

[0025] Figure 14 and 15 1 and 2 are perspective and side views, respectively, of a second embodiment of a support frame.

[0026] Figure 16 and 17 1 and 2 are perspective and side views, respectively, of a third embodiment of a support frame. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] Figures 1 to 10 A first embodiment of the support frame of the present invention is shown. The support frame 1 is formed of a monolithic body made of a polymer material obtained by molding. The polymer material used to mold the support frame 1 is an electrically insulating material. The polymer material can be, for example, a thermoplastic, such as PVC or a thermosetting resin. The support frame 1 is primarily intended to be fixed to a vertical support surface, such as Figures 11 to 13 The pole 12 shown or other types of poles. The support frame 1 can also be fixed to other vertical support surfaces, such as a vertical wall.

[0028] The support frame 1 comprises a support frame 1 for fixing the support frame 1 to a vertical support surface (e.g. Figures 11 to 13 The base 2 of the vertical support rod 12 shown in FIG. 1 and the base 2 extending from the base 2 in a cantilever manner and used to support the cable trough (e.g. Figure 12 and 13The base 2 may have a shape different from that shown in the drawings, suitable for fixing the support frame 1 to different types of vertical support surfaces. The arm 3 includes an upper wall 4 having an oblong upper surface 5 extending in a horizontal plane along the horizontal longitudinal direction of the arm 3, a lower wall 8 opposite the upper wall 4, and a central partition 7 connecting the upper wall 4 and the lower wall 8. The oblong upper surface 5 forms a placement surface for the cable trough, which is placed on the upper surface 5. The upper wall 4 is provided with through-holes 6a and 6b for passing fixing screws therethrough to fix the cable trough to the support frame 1. In the first embodiment shown in the drawings, the upper wall 4 has an oblong through-hole 6a and a circular through-hole 6b extending on both sides of the central partition 7 in a direction transverse to the central partition 7. The oblong through-holes 6a are arranged in two pairs. The two oblong through holes 6a of each pair are separated from each other in the horizontal longitudinal direction of the arm 3, and the circular through hole 6b is arranged between them. In particular, the oblong through holes 6a can be advantageously used to connect the Figure 12 and 13 A cable trough similar to the one shown, 13, is secured to the support frame 1. This trough 13 has a continuous bottom wall with holes evenly distributed therein. The oblong shape of the through-holes 6a allows one of them to be more easily aligned with one of the holes in the cable trough 13, allowing the fixing screw 14 to pass therethrough. In particular, the circular through-holes 6b can be used to secure a trapezoidal cable trough to the support frame 1. This trough is formed by two parallel longitudinal members joined together by a series of transverse members forming a discontinuous bottom wall. In this case, a fixing device is typically used, secured to the support frame 1 by screws or another fixing element passing through the circular through-holes 6b and exerting pressure on the transverse members of the cable ladder.

[0029] The central partition 7 has two through-openings 9 adjacent to the upper wall 4. Each of the two through-openings 9 is located below a group of through-holes formed by two oblong through-holes 6a and a circular through-hole 6b arranged therebetween, and contains a hollow space 10 into which three through-holes 6a, 6b of the group of through-holes enter. In order to allow the user to easily insert his fingers into the through-opening 9 to place the nut 15, the hollow space 10 into which the through-holes 6a, 6b enter is a rectangular parallelepiped having a width W greater than or equal to 4 cm in the horizontal longitudinal direction of the arm 3 and a height H greater than or equal to 2 cm in the vertical direction perpendicular to the horizontal longitudinal direction. The hollow space 10 of each through-opening 9 is 1.5 cm in width. Figure 8Indicated by dotted lines. In the first embodiment shown in the drawings, the width W of the hollow space 10 is 8 cm and the height H is 3 cm. The central partition 7 includes a transverse wing 11 in each through-opening 9, which extends in a cantilevered manner on both sides of the central partition 7, thereby forming the peripheral wall of the through-opening 9. The transverse wing 11 is continuous from one end thereof, which is attached to the upper wall 4, to the other end thereof, which is also attached to the upper wall 4. The transverse wing 11 thus extends continuously along the entire peripheral portion of the through-opening 9 arranged in the central partition 7. The width of the transverse wing 11 decreases from each of its two ends to the central portion between the two ends in a direction transverse to the central partition 7. In the first embodiment shown in the drawings, each through-opening 9 has an overall rectangular shape, the lower side of which is slightly inclined towards the upper wall 4 and relative to the upper wall 4, and the two side edges extend perpendicularly from the upper wall 4 and form rounded corners on the lower side. This particular shape of the through-opening 9 is the result of a design choice made with aesthetic criteria in mind rather than technical criteria, and many different shapes have been considered among other possible designs, such as Figure 16 and 17 The shape of the third embodiment is shown. On the lower side of the through hole 9, the transverse wing 11 has a constant width, and this width gradually increases from the corner along both sides until it intersects with the upper wall 4, where it is the largest and almost the same width as the upper wall 4. The lower wall 8 forms a rounded bend and is joined to the upper wall 4 at the free end of the arm 3.

[0030] Figure 11 In an exemplary manner, a support frame 1 is shown fixed to a vertical support rod made of an extruded profile of polymer material. In this case, the fixing is carried out by screws 17 passing through through holes 16 provided in the base 2. For example, Figure 12 and 13 A cable duct 13 is shown fixed to the support frame 1. The cable duct 13 is placed on the upper surface 5 of the arm 3 and is fixed thereto by fixing screws 14 passing through some through holes 6a, 6b of the upper wall 4 of the arm 3. Each fixing screw 14 is screwed into a nut 15 arranged against the lower surface of the upper wall 4.

[0031] Figure 14 and 15 There is shown a second embodiment of the support frame 1. This second embodiment differs from the first embodiment primarily in that the arms 3 are longer and have three through-openings 9, and the through-holes 6a, 6b are distributed in a different manner.

[0032] Figure 16 and 17 A third embodiment of the support frame 1 is shown, which differs from the second embodiment only in the shape of the through-opening 9. In this case, the underside of the through-opening 9 is not straight, but wavy.

Claims

1. A support frame (1) for a cable duct, the support frame (1) being formed of a monolithic body made of a polymer material and comprising: - a base (2) for fixing the support frame (1) to a vertical support surface; and - an arm (3) extending from the base (2) in a cantilevered manner, the arm (3) comprising: an upper wall (4) having an oblong upper surface (5) extending in a horizontal plane along the horizontal longitudinal direction of the arm (3), the upper surface (5) of the arm (3) forming a placement surface for a cable trough, the cable trough being placed on the upper surface (5) of the arm (3), the upper wall (4) being provided with through holes (6a, 6b) for passing fixing screws to fix the cable trough to the support frame (1); a lower wall (8) opposite to the upper wall (4); and a central partition (7) connecting the upper wall (4) and the lower wall (8); It is characterized in that the central partition (7) has at least one through opening (9) adjacent to the upper wall (4) and located below at least one of the through holes (6a, 6b), so that the through opening (9) contains the hollow space (10) entered by the through holes (6a, 6b), and the hollow space (10) is a rectangular parallelepiped whose width (W) in the horizontal longitudinal direction of the arm (3) is greater than or equal to 4 cm and whose height (H) in the vertical direction perpendicular to the horizontal longitudinal direction is greater than or equal to 2 cm.

2. The support frame (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that: The central partition (7) comprises transverse wings (11) which extend in a cantilevered manner on both sides of the central partition (7) and form the peripheral walls of the through opening (9).

3. The support frame (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that: The transverse wing (11) is continuous and has two ends, each end being attached to the upper wall (4), so that the transverse wing (11) extends continuously along the entire peripheral portion of the through opening (9) located in the central partition (7).

4. The support frame (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that: The width of the transverse wing (11) in a direction transverse to the central partition (7) decreases from each of the two end portions of the transverse wing (11) toward a central portion between the two end portions.

5. The support frame (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The at least one through hole into the hollow space (10) contained in the through opening (9) is an oblong hole extending on both sides of the central partition (7) in a direction transverse to the central partition (7).

6. The support frame (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that: The support frame comprises at least two through-holes (6a, 6b) entering the hollow space (10) contained in the through-opening (9), the two through-holes (6a, 6b) being separated from each other in the horizontal longitudinal direction of the arm (3).

7. The support frame (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that The support frame comprises at least two through openings (9) separated from each other in the horizontal longitudinal direction of the arm (3), each through opening (9) being located below at least one of the through holes (6a, 6b) and containing the hollow space (10) into which the through holes (6a, 6b) enter.

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