MOUNTING ELEMENT AND USAGE ELEMENT WITH A CONNECTION PIECE AND A MOUNTING ELEMENT CONNECTED TO IT

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a mounting element for connecting it to a utility element. In particular, the invention relates to a mounting element designed for connecting it to a connector of a utility element, which mounting element comprises a base structure and at least two clamping arms integrally formed thereon, each with a hook section engaging behind the connector of the utility element. The invention further relates to a utility element, for example, a component for securing or holding long goods, such as cables or pipes, with a connector and a mounting element attached thereto.

[0002] There are numerous applications where a mounting element is connected to a utility element. These utility elements can be components for securing or holding long items such as cables or pipes. Such components, typically made of metal, have, for example, a flat mounting section with one or more openings for inserting a fastener to secure the component to a mounting surface, such as a wall, ceiling, or similar. To facilitate the fastening of such components, setting tools are used, typically electrically operated and designed as nailers, to drive nails into the mounting surface, such as concrete.Since the components to be fastened with such a device have a fastener opening but no support contours on which such a setting tool can be braced, these components are first equipped with mounting elements that have a support structure adapted to a setting tool, enabling the component to be secured to a fastening surface with the setting tool. In addition to the support structure, such a mounting element has a channel for guiding the fastener to be set with the setting tool. Besides the exemplary design of such a mounting element described above, there are numerous other applications in which such a mounting element is to be connected to a functional element.

[0003] A mounting element designed as a cable clamp with the features of the preamble of claim 1 is known from ES 1 074 939 U. In this mounting element, the legs of the clamp each have a hook section projecting towards the other leg at their end. Utilizing the material elasticity of the legs, the ends with the hook sections are inserted through mounting openings of a user element to connect this mounting element, so that the hook sections engage behind the user element. This clamp is then clamped to the user element by a cable passed between the legs, upon which an adjustable pressure piece acts by means of a clamping screw. A connection of two parts, as disclosed in ES 1 074 939 U1, is also known from other technical fields, for example in the connection of cables, as described in DE 10 2018 221 291 A1.The connection device described in this prior art has two connecting elements which can be connected to each other by means of a latching mechanism with cables interposed.

[0004] Based on this prior art, the invention aims to propose a mounting element which can be attached to a user element not only in a simple and, in particular, tool-free manner, but which is also securely held on the user element without requiring additional clamping, as described for a U-bolt clamp according to ES 1 074 939 U.

[0005] This problem is solved by a mounting element according to claim 1, in which at least one of the clamping arms has at least one actuating lever formed or connected to it, projecting towards the mounting side of the base structure facing the mounting piece after connection to a connecting piece, by which, when the actuating lever is adjusted away from the connecting piece of the user element, an actuating force acts on this clamping arm, as a result of its support on the mounting side of the connecting piece, to hold and / or adjust the clamping arm in its position or its position engaging behind the connecting piece with its hook section.

[0006] This mounting element has a base structure. This base structure is adapted to the design of the portion of the functional element to which the mounting element is to be attached. The base structure can therefore be designed like a base plate. At least two clamping arms are integrally formed with the base structure. Each clamping arm carries a hook section, with the hook sections oriented in opposite directions so that they engage behind the functional element in the section to which the mounting element is attached. Typically, the functional element has a particularly flat connecting piece. The base structure is supported on one surface of such a connecting piece of the functional element with its mounting side. The hook sections of the clamping arms engage behind the connecting piece and are thus supported on the opposite side of it.Thus, the connection area of ​​the user element, designed for example as a connecting piece, is at least partially enclosed by the clamping arms of the mounting element.

[0007] A special feature is that at least one clamping arm is associated with an adjusting lever. This lever projects from the mounting side of the base structure in the same direction as the clamping arms. The adjusting arm and the clamping arm are arranged and configured such that when the adjusting lever is moved towards the base structure, an actuating force acts on the clamping arm in the direction of the extension of the hook sections. Thus, there is also a kinematic coupling between the adjusting lever and the clamping arm associated with it. When the mounting element is not mounted, the contact surface of the adjusting lever, which supports it on the user element, has a distance from the plane of the support surface of the hook section (when projected onto the same plane) that is less than the material thickness of the connecting piece of the user element to which the mounting element is attached.This applies if the plane of the support surfaces of the hook sections is further from the mounting surface when the adjusting lever is unloaded than the contact surface of the adjusting lever. Of course, it is also possible that the contact surface of the adjusting lever and the plane of the hook sections are in the same plane, or that the contact surface of the adjusting lever is further from the mounting surface of the mounting element than the support surface of the hook section. In this way, the mounting element is not only positively connected to the user element, but is also securely held in this positive-locking position by the adjusting lever acting on the clamping arm in the mounted state. A pivoting movement of the clamping arm, in which its hook section is moved out of its position engaging the connecting piece of the user element, is blocked by the adjusting lever activated by the mounting of the mounting element.This effectively prevents the mounting element from unintentionally coming loose due to a tensile force acting on it in the opposite direction to the original mounting direction.

[0008] A further advantage of this design of the mounting element is that it can be connected to fittings of varying material thicknesses. This is compensated for by a correspondingly greater or lesser deformation of the adjusting lever during the mounting process.

[0009] Sometimes, mounting elements have chamfered edges, especially those facing the mounting surface. In such cases, the connecting piece of the mounting element is positioned at a certain distance from the surface of the mounting surface. When the mounting element is designed as a guide for a fastener to be installed with a setting tool, the hook sections that engage behind the connecting piece of the mounting element simultaneously prevent the connecting piece from bulging towards the mounting surface during the setting process, i.e., when driving, for example, a nail. These types of mounting elements consist of a base plate with two openings for inserting the mounting element, leaving a strip of material between these openings as a connecting piece. Such mounting elements can be, for example, cable clamps or other long items.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment, the clamping arm and the adjusting lever are integrally formed on a connecting extension that extends outwards from the base structure, typically on opposite sides of the connecting extension. An actuating torque exerted by the adjusting lever on the connecting extension acts on it in the manner of a torque, whereby this force coupled by the adjusting lever acts on the clamping arm integrally formed thereon, pressing the clamping arm into its clamping position and / or placing it under preload. In such a design of the mounting element, it is advantageous if the connecting section of the connecting extension, to which the adjusting lever engages by virtue of its integral form, is slightly flared in the direction of the force exerted by the adjusting lever. This connecting section then exhibits a certain degree of preload.In the unloaded position, it is therefore located in an over-center position, so that even under potentially unfavorable assembly conditions or improper assembly, the force acting by the actuating lever is not coupled in the opposite direction into the connecting extension.

[0011] In principle, it is sufficient if such a mounting element is clamped to the load-bearing element using only one of its clamping arms. The other clamping arm(s) then form a counter-bearing against this clampable arm. However, a significantly higher clamping force can be applied if all clamping arms are pre-tensioned by at least one adjusting lever after the mounting element has been installed on the load-bearing element. With identical clamping arms, a correspondingly robust counter-bearing is thus provided for each clamping arm.

[0012] A further preferred embodiment of the mounting element is one in which an actuating lever is assigned to each of at least one or even all of the clamping arms on both sides. This allows the mounting element to be designed such that the actuating levers of two adjacent clamping arms facing each other merge seamlessly. One advantage of this is that there are no free ends of the actuating levers protruding from the mounting side of the base structure, where something could potentially catch, but rather a bracket-like structure is provided. Another advantage of this embodiment is that, due to its connection to a clamping arm on both sides, the actuating lever is adjusted translationally rather than pivoted for activation. Therefore, adjusting the actuating lever at its ends causes a corresponding opening movement of the connecting extension, which in turn leads to the adjustment or...This results in the installation of a preload on the clamping arm in the desired direction.

[0013] Such a mounting element can be attached to or mounted on the connector of a user element by clipping it on, thus requiring a translational pushing motion. Typically, to facilitate this, the outer surfaces of the hook sections, facing away from the mounting side of the base structure, are inclined towards their free ends and towards the mounting surface of the base structure. These outer surfaces thus serve as contact surfaces, causing the clamping arms to spread apart during mounting on a connector of a user element until the molded-on hook sections can engage behind the connector. Due to the material's elasticity, these hook sections then automatically spring back into their position engaging behind the connector. This position of the clamping arms, with their hook sections engaging behind the connector, is secured by the preload introduced during mounting.

[0014] If the mounting element is intended to serve as a setting aid for attaching a component to a mounting surface using a setting tool, a sleeve is typically molded onto the base structure on its side facing away from the mounting side. This serves as a guide for the fastener being set and simultaneously as a support for a setting tool.

[0015] Such a mounting element is typically an element made from a suitable plastic, typically manufactured by means of an injection molding process.

[0016] The invention is described below with reference to an exemplary embodiment and the accompanying figures. These show: Fig. 1 :a perspective view of an assembly element according to the invention, Fig. 2: a side view of the mounting element of the Figure 1 , Fig. 3: a perspective view of the mounting element from a viewpoint below and Fig. 4:the mounting element in a representation accordingly Figure 3 , connected to the connector of a user element which is not shown in more detail.

[0017] A mounting element 1 is designed for connection to the connector of a user element, which is to be fixed to a mounting surface, for example, a wall. Mounting element 1 is an injection-molded plastic part. Mounting element 1 is designed so that the user element can be fixed to the mounting surface using a setting tool, for example, a nailer.

[0018] The mounting element 1 has a base structure 2, which in the illustrated embodiment is designed in the form of a plate. On the in Figure 1A sleeve 3 is integrally formed on the upper surface of the base structure shown. The sleeve 3 has a through-channel 4 through which a fastener for securing the mounting element 1, and thus the functional element, is guided. Radial stiffening ribs 5 are integrally formed on the outer surface of the sleeve 3. The cross-sectional geometry of the sleeve 3 with its stiffening ribs 5 is adapted to the geometry of a setting tool to be supported on it. The through-channel 4 continues into an opening in the base structure 2.

[0019] Two clamping arms 6, 6.1, opposite each other with respect to the center of the base structure 2, are integrally formed on the underside of the base structure 2. The extent of the clamping arms 6, 6.1 is shown in the side view of the Figure 2The clamping arms 6, 6.1 are L-shaped. The hook sections 7, 7.1 of the two clamping arms 6, 6.1 face each other and serve to engage behind the connecting piece of a user element. The support surface 8, 8.1 of the hook sections 7, 7.1, which faces the underside of the base structure 2, is located at a distance from the base structure 2 such that the connecting piece of the user element fits into the receptacle created by the clamping arms 6, 6.1 with respect to its material thickness. The mounting element 1 can be connected to connecting pieces of different material thicknesses, as long as these fit into the receptacles created by the clamping arms 6, 6.1, i.e., are not thicker than these. The material thickness of such a connecting piece can therefore also be significantly less than that which fits into the receptacles of the clamping arms 6, 6.1 with respect to its material thickness.

[0020] The clamping arm 6 and its connection to the base structure 2 are described in more detail below. The same descriptions apply equally to the clamping arm 6.1 and its connection to the base structure 2. The clamping arm 6 is integrally formed on opposite sides – its narrow sides – with two connecting projections 9, 9.1 of the base structure 2. The connecting projections 9, 9.1 are spaced apart from each other. This space is filled by the clamping arm 6. The clamping arm 6 is spaced radially from the base structure 2, i.e., towards its center, by a recess 10. Thus, the clamping arm 6 is held between the two connecting projections 9, 9.1 and, due to the recess 10, is elastically adjustable towards the center of the base structure 2 and in the opposite direction due to the material elasticity of the plastic used to manufacture the mounting element 1.

[0021] Each connecting extension 9, 9.1 of the base structure 2 has an actuating lever 11 integrally formed on its side opposite the clamping arm 6. In the illustrated embodiment, the actuating levers 11 for the clamping arms 6, 6.1 are designed as common actuating levers and are thus configured to act on both the clamping arm 6 and the opposite clamping arm 6.1. The actuating lever 11 visible in Figure 1 is therefore connected both to the connecting extension 9 of the clamping arm 6 and to the connecting section 9.2 to which the clamping arm 6.1 is integrally formed. The actuating lever 11 has a U-shape. The actuating lever 11 acquires its U-shape as shown in Figure 1. Figure 2 This is recognizable by a central support section 12. An S-shaped transition section is formed on this section in the direction of the two connection sections 9 and 9.2. The material thickness of the actuating lever 11 is, as also shown from Figure 2The thickness of the base structure 2 is recognizable as being less than that of the plate-type base structure 2. The sections located between the support section 12 and the connection of the actuating lever 11 to the connection sections 9, 9.2 serve as actuating sections 13, 13.1. The actuating sections 13, 13.1 are curved into the plane of the base structure 2 at their end pointing towards the respective connection section 9, 9.2.

[0022] The underside of the support section 12 – its contact surface 14 – contacts the connector when the mounting element 1 is mounted on the connector of a user element and is moved towards the plane of the base structure 2 when the mounting element 1 is pressed onto the connector, as indicated by the block arrow in Figure 2 As indicated. Due to their shape, the adjusting sections 13, 13.1 cannot move in this direction against the connecting extensions 9, 9.2. This results in an adjustment of the connecting sections 9, 9.2 in the Figure 2 movement indicated by the clamping arm 6.

[0023] In the illustrated embodiment, the contact surface 14 of the support section 12 is located approximately in a plane with the end of the hook sections 7, 7.1 pointing in this direction.

[0024] The hook sections 7, 7.1 each have a support surface 15, 15.1 inclined towards the center of the base structure 2 on their side facing away from the base structure 2. Each support surface 15, 15.1 extends across the width of the hook sections 7, 7.1 with its inclination. In this way, the mounting element can be clipped onto the connector of a user element by a pushing motion. The support surfaces 15, 15.1 initially spread the clamping arms 6, 6.1 until their hook sections 7, 7.1 engage behind the connector and, due to the material elasticity, then grip behind the connector. During this pushing-mounting motion, the two actuating levers 11 are moved as described above. Although this represents a counterforce to the uniaxial mounting motion, it ensures that the mounting element 1 connected to the connector of a user element is securely held in place.

[0025] The design of the underside of the mounting element 1 with its clamping arms 6, 6.1 and the adjusting levers 11 can also be seen from the perspective view of the Figure 3 Clearly visible. In this embodiment, a dome-shaped recess is located in the center of the base plate 2, into which the sleeve 3 projects. The underside 16 of the base structure 2 then forms the support surface opposite the support surfaces 8, 8.1 of the clamping arms 6, 6.1 for the connecting piece, on which the mounting element 1 is mounted.

[0026] Figure 4Figure 1 shows the mounting element 1 connected to the connector 17 of a utility element (not shown in detail), for example, a cable clamp. The actuating levers 11 are deformed during the assembly movement. This movement not only raises the actuating sections 13, 13.1, but also, in particular, the connecting sections 9, 9.2, as well as those to which the other actuating lever 11 is connected. This action applies a preload force to the clamping arms 6, 6.1 after they have pivoted towards each other until they come into contact with the longitudinal sides of the connector 17. As a result of the pivoting movement induced in the clamping arms 6, 6.1 by the actuating levers 11, the mounting element 1 can also be connected to connectors whose width is less than the distance between the clamping arms 6, 6.1.1 to each other, whereby such a connecting piece nevertheless ensures a play-free fit of the mounting element in the direction of its width. It should be emphasized in the illustrated embodiment that each clamping arm 6, 6.1 is connected to the actuating levers 11 on both sides, and thus the actuating force is coupled equally to these two sides.

[0027] The invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments. Without departing from the scope of protection described by the applicable claims, numerous further embodiments of the inventive concept would be apparent to a person skilled in the art, without these needing to be explained in more detail within the scope of these explanations. Reference symbol list

[0028] 1 Mounting element 2 Base structure 3 Sleeve 4 Through channel 5 Reinforcing ribs 6, 6.1 Clamping arm 7, 7.1 Hook section 8, 8.1 Support surface 9, 9.1, 9.2 Connecting extension 10 Recess 11 Adjusting lever 12 Support section 13, 13.1 Adjusting section 14 Contact surface 15, 15.1 Positioning surface 16 Underside 17 Connection piece

Claims

1. Mounting element, designed for connecting to a connecting piece (17) of a utility element, which mounting element (1) comprises a base structure (2) and at least two clamping arms (6, 6.1) integrally formed thereon, each with a hook section (7, 7.1) suitable for engaging behind the connecting piece (17) of the utility element, characterized in that at least one actuating lever (11) projecting relative to the mounting side of the base structure (2) facing the connecting piece (17) after connection to a connecting piece (17) is integrally formed on or connected to at least one of the clamping arms (6, 6.1), by which, when the actuating lever (11) is moved away from the connecting piece (17) of the utility element and the mounting element (1) is mounted on the utility element, an actuating force is exerted on this clamping arm (6, 6.1) due to its support on the mounting side of the connecting piece (17) for holding and / or adjusting the clamping arm (6, 6.1) in its position, in which it engages the connecting piece (17) with its hook section (7, 7.1) from behind.

2. Mounting element according to claim 1, characterized in that an outwardly directed connecting extension (9, 9.1, 9.2) is arranged between the clamping arm (6, 6.1) and the actuating lever (11) as part of the base structure (2), on which the clamping arm (6, 6.1) and the actuating lever (11) are integrally formed on opposite sides.

3. Mounting element according to claim 2, characterized in that the connecting section of the connecting extension (9, 9.1, 9.2), to which the actuating lever (11) is integrally formed, is projected out of the plane of the base structure (2) in the direction of the force acting on it by the actuating lever (11) when the actuating lever is unloaded.

4. Mounting element according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that at least one actuating lever (11) is assigned to each clamping arm (6, 6.1) of the mounting element (1).

5. Mounting element according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that a respective actuating lever (11) is assigned on both sides to the at least one clamping arm (6, 6.1).

6. Mounting element according to claim 5, characterized in that the mutually facing actuating levers (11) of two adjacent clamping arms (6, 6.1) merge into one another.

7. Mounting element according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the outer side of the hook sections (7, 7.1) pointing away from the underside (16) of the base structure (2) is inclined towards its free end towards the base structure (2).

8. Mounting element according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the base structure in the region of the center of its mounting side carries a support structure for support on the connecting piece of the utility element.

9. Mounting element according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the mounting element (1) carries a sleeve (3) projecting from the base structure (2) on its side pointing away from the clamping arms (6, 6.1) and the base structure (2) has an opening in continuation of the through channel (4) of the sleeve (3).

10. Mounting element according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the mounting element (1) has two clamping arms (6, 6.1) opposite each other with respect to the center of the base structure (2).

11. Mounting element according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the mounting element (1) is a plastic mounting element.

12. Utility element, such as a component for securing or holding long goods, such as cables or pipes, with a connecting piece (17) and a mounting element (1) connected thereto, characterized in that the mounting element (1) is designed according to any one of claims 1 to 11 and that it engages the connecting piece (17) of the utility element with the hook sections (7, 7.1) of its at least two anchoring arms (6, 6.1) from behind and the hook sections (7, 7.1) are held under preload in their position engaging the connecting piece (17) by the at least one actuating lever (11) supported on the connecting piece (17) of the utility element.