Holding device for holding cable or cable bundle on support

Abstract

The invention relates to a holding device (1) for fixing a cable on a support, comprising a main body (4) in the form of a bridge having two struts (6) for anchoring the holding device (1) on the support, and an auxiliary body (11) for supporting on the cable. The auxiliary body (11) is slidably coupled to the main body (4) and is attached to the rod (12) screwed into the through hole (8) of the main body (4). The through-hole (8) and the rod (12) have respective threaded bands (8A, 12A) and unthreaded bands (8B, 12B) such that, in a first angular position, the rod (12) is free to move in the axial direction (9), while, in a second angular position, the threaded band (12A) of the rod (12) is coupled with the threaded band (8A) of the through-hole, preventing free movement of the rod (12) in the axial direction (9).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the field of devices for retaining cables or cable bundles on a support.

[0002] More specifically, the present invention relates to a holding device for holding a cable or a cable bundle on a support, the cable or cable bundle extending on the support, a holding device of this type comprising:

[0003] a rigid body in the form of a bridge, comprising a platform and two opposite struts extending from the platform and each strut having a free end for anchoring the retaining device on the support, the platform comprising a through hole extending in the axial direction and opening on one side situated between the two struts, the through hole being provided with an internal thread;

[0004] an auxiliary body having a support surface for supporting the auxiliary body on a cable or a cable bundle, the auxiliary body being slidingly coupled to the main body such that the auxiliary body can slide in an axial direction relative to the main body;

[0005] and a rod passing through the through hole of the platform and attached to the auxiliary body, the rod comprising an external thread coupled with the internal thread of the through hole. Background Art

[0006] Documents ES2452481T3 and ES1164633U disclose retaining devices of the aforementioned type, in which a rod is screwed into a through-hole. The user rotates the rod in order to screw it into the through-hole, whereby the rod moves in the axial direction and drives the auxiliary body with it until the auxiliary body rests on the cable or cable bundle. The user can then continue to screw the rod into the through-hole so that the auxiliary body presses against the cable or cable bundle. This axial adjustment of the position of the auxiliary body is a relatively slow method and can be difficult to perform in certain situations, as it requires continuous rotation of the rod. Cable guides are often installed in places that are difficult to access, subject to space constraints, and may also be carried out at great heights. Therefore, it is important to make the installation operation as easy as possible. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The object of the present invention is to provide a holding device of the aforementioned type which allows a faster positioning of the auxiliary body in a simpler manner and which holds the cable or cable bundle in a sufficiently secure manner.

[0008] This object is achieved by a retaining device of the type described above, characterized in that the through-hole of the body has at least one threaded strip provided with an internal thread and at least one unthreaded strip extending axially along the entire length of the through-hole; and the rod has at least one unthreaded strip and at least one threaded strip provided with an external thread; the threaded strips and unthreaded strips of the through-hole and the rod are complementary to each other, such that in a first angular position of the rod, the threaded strips of the rod and the threaded strips of the through-hole, respectively, completely face the unthreaded strips of the through-hole and the unthreaded strips of the rod, the external threads of the rod are not coupled to the internal threads of the through-hole, and the rod is free to move axially relative to the body; and in a second angular position of the rod, the threaded strips of the rod at least partially face the threaded strips of the through-hole, the external threads of the rod are coupled to the internal threads of the through-hole, thereby preventing free axial movement of the rod. Due to the threaded coupling, the rod can only be moved axially by rotating the rod about its axis. The first and second angular positions of the rod are relative to the rod axis, which coincides with the axis of the through-hole. The angular position of the rod changes as the rod rotates relative to its axis.

[0009] As will be seen in the detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention below, this configuration allows the user to freely move the rod axially with their hand until the auxiliary body is supported on the cable or cable bundle, then slightly push the rod to apply the desired pressure on the cable or cable bundle, and then slightly rotate the rod (always less than one turn) to connect its external thread with the internal thread of the platform's through-hole. This connection of the two threads secures the axial position of the rod and auxiliary body, as the assembly can only be moved axially by rotation of the rod about its axis in a ratio defined by the thread pitch. This method enables the operation of holding cables of various sizes to be performed very quickly and with only a few movements of the hand. Furthermore, it allows the pressure exerted by the auxiliary body on the cable or cable bundle to be directly controlled by the force applied by the hand when pushing the rod. Controlling this pressure is important for preventing cable damage, for example, when the cable is a fiber optic cable. In the aforementioned prior art, this control is not always possible because the pressure exerted by the auxiliary body on the cable or cable bundle depends on the number of turns the rod is screwed into the through-hole, and therefore, the user's hand cannot directly sense this pressure.

[0010] Preferably, the unthreaded band of the rod is flat. This ensures that, in the first angular position, the threaded band of the through-hole does not engage the rod surface, and the rod can slide freely in the axial direction in the first angular position. Furthermore, the flat surface on the rod serves as an indicator to visually assist the user in placing the rod in the first angular position.

[0011] Preferably, the through-hole has two threaded bands and two unthreaded bands facing each other, and the rod has two threaded bands and two unthreaded bands facing each other. This configuration has the advantage that to switch the rod from its first angular position to its second angular position, the user simply rotates the rod by less than half a turn. Furthermore, this makes it easier for the user to position the rod in its first angular position.

[0012] Preferably, the auxiliary body and the rod are two distinct parts, and the free end of the rod is detachably press-fitted into a corresponding housing of the auxiliary body, so that the rod is integral with the auxiliary body in the axial direction but can rotate relative to the auxiliary body about the axis of the rod. This configuration allows the auxiliary body to be more easily placed on the cable or cable bundle.

[0013] Preferably, the free end of the strut has a hook-shaped structure that defines a U-shaped notch, the side of the U-shaped notch being shorter on the side closer to the free end of the strut than on the opposite side, and the auxiliary body has two legs, each leg extending adjacent to one of the two struts, and each leg being dimensioned such that: in a first relative position of the auxiliary body relative to the main body in the axial direction, the leg does not cover the notch, and in a second relative position of the auxiliary body relative to the main body in the axial direction, in which the auxiliary body has been moved in the axial direction and away from the platform, the leg at least partially covers the notch. As will be seen from the detailed description of an embodiment of the invention below, this configuration serves to anchor the holding device to a support rod on which a cable or cable bundle arranged perpendicular to the rod is supported. This configuration is already known per se from the aforementioned document ES1164633U, but is particularly advantageous in combination with the solution according to the invention. This is because, on the one hand, this construction provides a secure anchoring even if the user exerts very little pressure on the cable or cable bundle via the auxiliary body when pushing the rod, and, on the other hand, since the rod is freely movable in the axial direction, the user can very easily place the auxiliary body in the first relative position, which allows the notch in the free end of the strut to be brought into alignment with a corresponding shape of the rod material.

[0014] The present invention also includes the following detailed description of an embodiment of the present invention and other detailed features shown in the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is described with reference to the accompanying drawings in a manner not limiting the scope of protection of the main claims.

[0016] Figure 1 is a perspective view of an assembly comprising a support, a cable supported on the support, and a retaining device anchored to the support and retaining the cable. The support in this example is a rod.

[0017] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Side view of the assembly.

[0018] Figure 3 and Figure 4 Front and rear perspective views, respectively, of the retaining device with the rod removed.

[0019] Figure 5 is a front perspective view of the retaining device with the lever in a first angular position.

[0020] Figure 6 is a front perspective view of the retaining device with the rod in a second angular position and in a position greater than Figure 5 Axial position in the lower axial position.

[0021] Figure 7 、 Figure 8 、 Figure 9 ,and Figure 10 These are four stereoscopic images of the subject at different angles.

[0022] Figure 11 It is a top view of the subject.

[0023] Figure 12 It is a top view of the subject.

[0024] Figure 13 and Figure 14 These are two stereoscopic images of the auxiliary body at different angles.

[0025] Figure 15 and Figure 16 Here are two perspective views of the rod at different angles.

[0026] Figure 17 、 Figure 18 、 Figure 19 ,and Figure 20 They are the front view, side view, back view, and top view of the rod respectively.

[0027] Figure 21 It is a three-dimensional cross-sectional view of the rod. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] Figure 1 By way of example, an assembly is shown, comprising a support member 3 (in this example, a rod), a cable 2 supported on the support member, and a retaining device 1 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Retaining device 1 is anchored to support member 3 and retains cable 2. The cable 2 shown in the figure may also be a sheath containing a cable bundle (not shown). Similarly, cable 2 or the sheath may be replaced by an unsheathed cable bundle.

[0029] In the embodiment shown in the figures, the support 3 is a rod of the type used as a transverse member in a ladder-type cable tray, or a single rod fixed to a wall, for example, to fix the cable 2 to the wall, thereby defining the cable run. The cable 2 extends transversely to the rod constituting the support 3 and is supported on the rod. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the support 3 is a rod formed from a profile with a U-shaped cross-section, having a bottom wall, two side walls, and an opening wall, wherein the free end of each side wall extends into the rod to form an edge, and each side wall has a ridge located below this edge. As will be seen below, this shape of the rod cooperates with the hook-shaped structure of the free end 7 of the support 6 to anchor the retaining device 1 to the support 3 or the rod.

[0030] The rod constituting the support 3 and the three parts forming the retaining device 1 (the main body 4, the auxiliary body 11, and the rod 12) are all made of a polymer material, preferably an electrically insulating material, such as a thermoplastic material with a surface resistivity greater than 100 MΩ (surface resistivity measured according to standard EN 62631-3-2:2016).

[0031] The main device 1 comprises a rigid body 4 for anchoring the holding device 1 on the support 3 , an auxiliary body 11 applied against the cable 2 to press the cable against the support 3 and thereby fix the cable, and a rod 12 removably attached to the auxiliary body 11 to push the cable towards the support 3 .

[0032] like Figures 7 to 12 As shown, the body 4 is bridge-shaped and includes a platform 5 and two opposing struts 6 extending from the platform 5, each strut having a free end 7 for anchoring the retaining device 1 to the rod material forming the support member 3. The platform 5 has a through hole 8 extending in the axial direction 9 and opening on one side between the two struts 6. The through hole 8 has an internal thread 10 that is discontinuous. More specifically, the through hole 8 has two threaded strips 8A opposing each other and two unthreaded strips 8B opposing each other. Each threaded strip 8A is provided with an internal thread 10. The unthreaded strip 8B extends along the entire length of the through hole 8 in the axial direction 9.

[0033] from Figure 13 and Figure 14As can be seen in FIG, the auxiliary body 11 has a supporting surface 19 in the form of an arch, which is intended to bear on the cable 2 and is slidingly coupled to the two struts 6 of the main body 4 so that the auxiliary body 11 can slide relative to the main body 4 in the axial direction 9. On the face opposite the supporting surface 19 in the form of an arch, the auxiliary body 11 has a housing 15 in the form of a cylindrical bearing with a side notch to receive under pressure the free end 14 of the rod 12 in the form of a spherical ball.

[0034] like Figures 3 to 5 As shown, the rod 12 is introduced into the through hole 8 of the platform 5 so that it passes through the through hole 8 and is attached to the auxiliary body 11. In the example shown, the auxiliary body 11 and the rod 12 are two different parts that are detachably attached to each other. The attachment between the rod 12 and the auxiliary body 11 is achieved by removably press-fitting the free end 14 of the rod 12 in the form of a spherical ball. The free end 14 is introduced under pressure into a housing 15 in the form of a cylindrical bearing. When the rod 12 is coupled to the auxiliary body 11, it is integral with the auxiliary body 11 in the axial direction 9 and can rotate relative to the auxiliary body 11 about its axis.

[0035] Figures 15 to 21 The shape of rod 12 is shown in greater detail. Rod 12 has external threads 13 that couple with internal threads 10 of through-hole 8, and this external thread 13 is discontinuous. More specifically, rod 12 has two opposing threaded bands 12A and two opposing unthreaded bands 12B. The two threaded bands 12A are provided with external threads 13. The two unthreaded bands 12B are planar, parallel to each other and to the axis of rod 12.

[0036] The threaded bands 8A and 12A, as well as the unthreaded bands 8B and 12B, of the through-hole 8 and rod 12 complement each other in two angular positions of the rod 12. In a first angular position of the rod 12, the threaded band 12A of the rod 12 and the threaded band 8A of the through-hole 8 completely face the unthreaded band 8B of the through-hole 8 and the unthreaded band 12B of the rod 12, respectively. In this first angular position, the external thread 13 of the rod 12 is not coupled to the internal thread 10 of the through-hole 8, thereby allowing the rod 12 to move freely in the axial direction 9 relative to the body 4. In a second angular position of the rod 12, the threaded band 12A of the rod 12 at least partially faces the threaded band 8A of the through-hole 8. In this second angular position, the external thread 13 of the rod 12 is coupled to the internal thread 10 of the through-hole 8. This coupling between the external thread 13 and the internal thread 10 prevents free movement of the rod 12 in the axial direction 9.

[0037] In the preferred embodiment shown in the figures, the free end 7 of the strut 6 has a hook-shaped structure 16 which is particularly suitable for anchoring the retaining device 1 to a rod of the type shown in the figures, i.e. the rod constituting the support 3. The hook-shaped structure 16 at the free end 7 of the strut 6 defines a U-shaped notch 17 which is shorter on the side closer to the free end of the strut 6 than on the opposite side. The auxiliary body 11 has two legs 18, each extending adjacent to one of the two struts 6. The dimensions of the legs 18 are designed to cooperate with the hook-shaped structure 16 of the free end 7 of the strut 6 to ensure the anchoring of the retaining device 1. In a first relative position of the auxiliary body 11 with respect to the main body 4 in the axial direction 9, the legs 18 do not cover the notch 17. As shown Figure 5 As shown, in this first position, the notch 17 is completely open and the free end 7 of the strut 6 can be introduced into the rod forming the support 3. In a second relative position of the auxiliary body 11 relative to the main body 4 in the axial direction 9, where the auxiliary body 11 has been moved in the axial direction 9 and has moved away from the platform 5, the leg 18 at least partially covers the notch 17. Figure 2 and Figure 6 As shown, in this second position, the notch is partially closed by the leg 18 and the free end 7 of the strut 6 is anchored in the rod forming the support 3 .

[0038] The operation performed by the user to anchor the holding device 1 on the rod forming the support 3 and simultaneously to hold the cable 2 on this rod will now be described. First, the user places the free end 7 of the support 6 in the rod forming the support 3. To this end, the auxiliary body 11 is in a first relative position relative to the main body 4 in the axial direction 9 as described above. The user places the rod 12 in a first angular position (as Figure 5 As shown), the rod 12 can slide freely in the axial direction 9. The user then moves the rod 12 towards the rod material ( Figure 5 (not shown) pushes until the supporting surface 19 of the auxiliary body 11 supports the cable 2 ( Figure 5 (not shown) and applies the desired thrust in the axial direction 9 with one hand to clamp the cable 2 between the support surface 19 and the rod. The user then rotates the rod 12 about its axis by less than 180°, whereby the rod 12 is converted to the position shown in FIG. Figure 6 The second angular position shown is where the external thread 13 and the internal thread 10 are connected to each other. Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, this coupling of the external thread 13 and the internal thread 10 prevents the rod 12 from moving freely in the axial direction 9, so that the cable 2 is firmly held on the rod. At the same time, the movement of the rod 12 towards the rod has caused the auxiliary body 11 to be transferred to a second relative position relative to the main body 4 in the axial direction 9, in which the leg 18 covers the notch 17, whereby the auxiliary body 11 is firmly anchored to the rod by means of the free end 7 of the support 6, which can also be Figure 1 and Figure 2 To release the cable 2 and the retaining device 1 , the user simply rotates the lever 12 by less than 180° back to the first angular position and lifts it up, leaving it free to slide in the axial direction 9 .

Claims

1. A holding device (1) for holding a cable (2) or a cable bundle on a support (3), the cable (2) or cable bundle extending along the support (3), the holding device (1) comprising: A rigid body (4) in the form of a bridge, comprising a platform (5) and two opposing struts (6) extending from the platform (5), each strut (6) having a free end (7) for anchoring the retaining device (1) on the support (3), the platform (5) comprising a through hole (8) extending in an axial direction (9) and opening on one side between the two struts (6), the through hole (8) being provided with an internal thread (10); an auxiliary body (11) having a support surface (19) for supporting the auxiliary body (11) on the cable (2) or cable bundle, the auxiliary body (11) being slidingly coupled to the main body (4) such that the auxiliary body (11) can slide relative to the main body (4) in the axial direction (9); - a rod (12) passing through the through hole (8) of the platform (5) and attached to the auxiliary body (11), the rod (12) comprising an external thread (13) coupled to the internal thread (10) of the through hole (8); Characterized in that the through hole (8) has at least one threaded band (8A) provided with the internal thread (10) and at least one unthreaded band (8B) extending along the entire length of the through hole (8) in the axial direction (9); and the rod (12) has at least one unthreaded band (12B) and at least one threaded band (12A) provided with the external thread (13); the threaded bands (8A, 12A) and unthreaded bands (8B, 12B) of the through hole (8) and the rod (12) are complementary to each other, so that in a first angular position of the rod (12), the threaded band (12A) of the rod (12) and the threaded band (8A) of the through hole (8) are completely facing each other. The threadless band (8B) of the through hole (8) and the threadless band (12B) of the rod (12), the external thread (13) of the rod (12) is not coupled to the internal thread (10) of the through hole (8), and the rod (12) is capable of freely moving relative to the body (4) along the axial direction (9), and, in the second angular position of the rod (12), the threaded band (12A) of the rod (12) at least partially faces the threaded band (8A) of the through hole (8), and the external thread (13) of the rod (12) is coupled to the internal thread (10) of the through hole (8), thereby preventing the rod (12) from freely moving in the axial direction (9).

2. The holding device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that The unthreaded band (12B) of the rod (12) is flat.

3. The holding device (1) according to any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that The through hole (8) has two threaded bands (8A) opposite to each other, and two non-threaded bands (8B) opposite to each other; and the rod (12) has two threaded bands (12A) opposite to each other, and two non-threaded bands (12B) opposite to each other.

4. The holding device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The auxiliary body (11) and the rod (12) are two different parts, and the free end (14) of the rod (12) is removably press-fitted in a corresponding housing (15) of the auxiliary body (11), so that the rod (12) is integral with the auxiliary body (11) in the axial direction (9), and the rod (12) can rotate relative to the auxiliary body (11) around the axis of the rod (12).

5. The holding device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The free end (7) of the pillar (6) has a hook-shaped structure (16), the hook-shaped structure (16) defines a U-shaped slot (17), the side of the U-shaped slot adjacent to the free end of the pillar (6) is shorter than the opposite side, and the auxiliary body (11) has two legs (18), each of the two legs (18) extends adjacent to one of the two pillars (6), and the size of each of the two legs (18) is set so that: in a first relative position of the auxiliary body (11) relative to the main body (4) in the axial direction (9), the leg (18) does not cover the slot (17), and in a second relative position of the auxiliary body (11) relative to the main body (4) in the axial direction (9), wherein the auxiliary body (11) has moved in the axial direction (9) and has moved away from the platform (5), the leg (18) at least partially covers the slot (17).

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