Electrical wire box

Abstract

The invention relates to a parallelepiped-shaped electrical wire box (1) delimited by two parallel square principal walls (2, 3), said box (1) comprising a coil (9) around which an electrical wire (10) is wound, at least one of the two square principal walls (2, 3) of the box (1) having an oval or elliptical opening (8) to allow one end (12) of said electrical wire (10) to emerge from the box (1). According to the invention, the opening (8) is elliptical in shape. See Fig. 1 for abbreviations.

Description

Title of the invention: Electrical wire box

[0001] The present invention relates to an electrical wire box.

[0002] Some operators are required to install electrical wires in a building to create electrical circuits, in an industrial, commercial, or residential environment. Such a building may, for example, be a house, an apartment, or part of an industrial or administrative site.

[0003] The installation of these electrical wires by this operator is generally carried out using a box containing a reel around which an electrical wire is wound. The box has an opening through which one end of the wire protrudes from the reel. To carry out the electrical installation, the operator grasps this protruding end, pulls the wire out of the box to the required length, and makes the necessary electrical connections.

[0004] However, currently these boxes present at least one major drawback: They are not designed to prevent a "pig's tail" effect on the electrical wire being pulled. Indeed, when the wire is pulled out of the box, it takes on a helical shape, becoming twisted or coiled. It is clear that a wire with such a twisted profile cannot be installed as is in an electrical circuit, as it would occupy a significant amount of space and would also risk becoming even more twisted, or even breaking.

[0005] Alternatively, it is also known to use wire windings which are simply protected by a plastic film and for which the operator extracts the wire by unwinding it from inside the winding, through a hole formed in the plastic wire.

[0006] The electrical wire boxes according to the invention make it possible to overcome the disadvantages encountered in the prior art.

[0007] The invention relates to an electrical wire box having a parallelepiped shape and being delimited by two rectangular and parallel main walls, at least one of which of said main walls is provided with an opening, said box comprising a coiled electrical wire, one end of which protrudes from said box by passing through said opening.

[0008] According to the invention, the opening has a main elongation axis and two radial longitudinal ends. In particular, the opening is oval and / or elliptical in shape. In this way, when an operator pulls on the emerging end of the electrical wire to remove it from the box, the wire will unwind, coming into contact with the edge of the opening, and, depending on its extraction, will bring it into contact with the edge. from one of the radial ends. This edge prevents the wire from twisting or kinking. In other words, the electrical wire will exit the box with a certain degree of straightness, allowing it to be immediately operational. Indeed, the wire will not require any further manipulation by the operator to regain a relatively straight position.

[0009] The elliptical shape of the opening is conventionally characterized by a minor axis and a major axis inscribed within said elliptical shape and perpendicular to each other. In the context of the present invention, advantageously, the ratio between the length of the major axis and the length of the minor axis is between 1.1 and 3.4, particularly for wires with a cross-section up to 10 mm². Even more advantageously, this ratio is between 1.5 and 1.9. For example, it is on the order of 1.7, particularly for wires with cross-sections between 1.5 and 6 mm². These measurements are observed, in particular, before any wire is unwound through said opening, especially before the first use of the box 1.

[0010] Preferably, the box is lightweight so that it can be easily transported by an operator without requiring any particular effort. Apart from the opening on at least one of the two main rectangular walls, the box has no other openings. The two main rectangular walls are connected to each other by four connecting walls extending perpendicularly to said two main rectangular walls. The wire can be wound in the box, either freely or around a cylindrical spool. In this way, the wound wire will present several overlapping loops in the box, defining a total thickness of electrical wire present in the box. As the electrical wire is used, the number of loops in the box will decrease, each time reducing this total thickness of electrical wire.The electrical wire can be either bare or surrounded by an electrical insulation system. The term "rectangular" applied to the two main walls of the box also covers the concept of "square".

[0011] According to one possible feature of the invention, the opening is located in a central position in said at least one rectangular main wall. Since the electrical wire is wound around a central point of the box, an opening in a central position in the rectangular main wall appears to be the most suitable configuration for smoothly unwinding the wire wound in the box.

[0012] According to one possible feature of the invention, the main elongation axis of the opening extends substantially along a diagonal of the rectangular main wall in which it was made. In particular, the main elongation axis of the opening extends substantially, forming an angle of plus or minus 10 degrees with respect to a diagonal of the rectangular main wall in which it has has been practiced. When the opening is elliptical, it can extend along said diagonal. In this way, the elliptical opening can be significantly elongated within the box, since the diagonals of the main rectangular wall are longer than the short and long sides of said main rectangular wall.

[0013] According to a possible feature of the invention, only one of the two main rectangular walls is provided with an elliptical opening.

[0014] According to one possible feature of the invention, the box comprises a cylindrical coil placed inside it such that its axis of revolution extends between the two main rectangular walls, being perpendicular to them, the electrical wire being wound around this cylindrical coil. The presence of this coil allows the electrical wire inside the box to be wound neatly and precisely around a guide, preventing the wire from unwinding unintentionally and haphazardly inside the box, which would make it difficult to remove.

[0015] According to one possible feature of the invention, said electrical wire box is made of cardboard. In this way, the box is lightweight and can be easily handled by an operator.

[0016] According to one possible feature of the invention, the electrical wire box includes a reinforcing element placed on the edge of the rectangular main wall defining the opening, so as to preserve the condition of said edge after repeated unwinding of the wire from said box. Indeed, with repeated unwinding of the electrical wire in said box, said wire will rub against the edge of the elliptical opening each time, with a significant risk that this edge will wear down or tear, rendering said box inoperative. The reinforcing element is an interposed part whose main function is to extend the lifespan of the electrical wire box by preventing the edge of the box defining the elliptical opening from wearing down too quickly.This reinforcement element is precisely sized so as not to unnecessarily add weight to the electrical wire box, and so as not to reduce the dimensions of the elliptical opening.

[0017] According to one possible feature of the invention, the reinforcing element is a flat piece defining an opening, in particular an elliptical opening, said flat piece being fixed to the rectangular main wall such that the opening of said flat piece is superimposed on the opening of the rectangular main wall, being centered thereon. In particular, the reinforcing element is a flat piece defining an elliptical opening, said flat piece being fixed to the rectangular main wall such that the elliptical opening of said flat piece is superimposed on the elliptical opening of the rectangular main wall. tangential by being centered on it. In this way, the reinforcing element protrudes towards the inside of the elliptical opening in the main rectangular wall, and the electrical wire, when unwound from the box, will never come into contact with the edge of said opening.

[0018] Alternatively, according to another possible feature of the invention, the reinforcing element can be formed by a surface treatment. When a surface treatment is used, it locally improves the coefficient of friction and tear resistance of the elliptical opening in the rectangular main wall. When the electrical wire is unwound from the box, it can grip the edges of the opening without ever tearing it.

[0019] According to a possible feature of the invention, the reinforcing element is obtained by surface treatment of the edge of the main rectangular wall delimiting the opening.

[0020] According to a possible feature of the invention, the reinforcing element is made of a material to be chosen from a plastic and a metal.

[0021] According to one possible feature of the invention, the electrical wire box comprises fastening means and complementary fastening means, the fastening means being adapted to cooperate with complementary fastening means of another box and the complementary fastening means being adapted to cooperate with fastening means of another box so as to obtain a resulting assembly of boxes. The resulting assembly of boxes thus forms a stable set of boxes. Advantageously, the fastening means are represented by a male element and the complementary fastening means are represented by a female element, said two elements being dimensioned such that the male element can snap into the female element.By way of non-limiting example, each box may have two male elements placed on two opposite edges and two female elements placed on two other opposite edges, such that the male elements are aligned along an axis that is perpendicular to the axis along which the two female elements are aligned.

[0022] An electrical wire box according to the invention makes the electrical wire it contains operational, thanks to a well-designed geometry of the box's opening through which the wire is pulled. As a result, this box provides this additional functionality without being more bulky or requiring additional parts. Furthermore, it has the advantage of being easily and quickly attached to at least one other box, allowing an operator to install several electrical wires simultaneously. This attachment is achieved without special tools or cumbersome handling.

[0023] A detailed description of a preferred embodiment of a electrical wire box according to the invention, with reference to the following figures:

[0024] [Fig-1] represents a perspective view of an electrical wire box according to the invention,

[0025] [Fig.2] represents a top view of an electrical wire box according to the invention,

[0026] [Fig.3] represents a perspective view of an area of ​​an electrical wire box according to the invention,

[0027] With reference to [Fig. 1], an electrical wire box 1 according to the invention is delimited by two parallel square main walls 2, 3, and by four connecting walls 4, 5, 6, 7, joining said two square main walls 2, 3 at right angles to them. The two square main walls 2, 3 have the same dimensions. The four connecting walls 4, 5, 6, 7 have the same dimensions and have surfaces that are smaller than those of the square main walls 2, 3.

[0028] Referring to Figures 1, 2, and 3, one of the two main square walls of the electrical wire box 1 has an elongated central opening 8 with radiating longitudinal ends, in particular oval or elliptical in shape. This electrical wire box 1 contains a cylindrical coil around which an electrical wire 10 with an insulating outer sheath 11 is wound. The cylindrical coil is positioned inside the box 1 such that its axis of revolution extends between the two main square walls 2 and 3, being perpendicular to said two walls 2 and 3. The electrical wire 10 is wound several times around the coil, and with each turn of the coil, the wire 10 forms a loop. In this way, the loops of the electrical wire 10 around said coil overlap.Indeed, the first loops are wound directly around the spool, second loops with a diameter greater than that of the first loops are superimposed on said first loops, third loops with a diameter greater than that of the second loops are superimposed on said second loops, and so on. The superposition of all the loops around the spool defines a resulting thickness of wire 10 around said spool. One end of wire 10 is fixed to the spool and a second end 12 of said wire 10 emerges from the box 1 through the elliptical opening 8.

[0029] Alternatively, the superposition of the loops of electric wire 10 is obtained in the absence of a coil, and the box 1 then contains a winding of electric wire 10.

[0030] For example, the approximate internal dimensions of box 1 are on the order of 200 to 300 mm per side. In one particular example, the internal dimensions are approximately 234 mm in width and 235 mm in length. The internal volume of such a box with a substantially square cross-section can be between 50 mm and 100 mm, values ​​which are adjusted according to the cross-section of wire 10, and whose overall size increases with its cross-section for the same wire length. For example, box 1 has an internal height perpendicular to the walls 2, 3 of the order of 55 mm for wire sections with cross-sections between 1.5 and 4 mm2, this height can also be of the order of 89 mm for wire sections between 2.5 and 6 mm2.

[0031] According to an alternative embodiment, the opening 8 comprises straight portions between the two radial longitudinal ends.

[0032] Referring to [Fig. 2], the elliptical opening 8 in the rectangular main wall 2, 3 is characterized by a minor axis and a major axis inscribed within the elliptical shape. Preferably, the ratio between the length of the major axis and the length of the minor axis is greater than 1.5. The elliptical opening 8 is formed in the square main wall 2, 3 such that its major axis is aligned along a diagonal 22 of said square main wall 2, 3.

[0033] An operator wishing to install electrical wire 10 in equipment or an electrical circuit in a building, such as a house, an apartment, a building on an industrial site, or a public site, will grasp the end 12 of the wire 10 that emerges from the box 1 through the elliptical opening 8. They will then pull on this end 12 to unwind the wire 10 from the reel until the desired length is reached. As the wire 10 is being unwound from the reel 9, it rests against the edge 13 of the main square wall 2 that defines the elliptical opening 8. By resting against this edge 13, the wire 10 being unwound is not twisted or kinked as it exits the box 1, and exhibits a certain linearity due to the specific elliptical shape of the opening 8.

[0034] Indeed, the tension on the wire causes it to be guided towards the radial longitudinal ends, regardless of the point on the winding or spool from which the wire is pulled. This opening 8, particularly in the shape of an oval or ellipse, therefore prevents a "pig's tail" effect, whereby the wire adopts a twisted or kinked profile when it is extracted from the box 1. In fact, for existing electrical wire boxes in which the opening is predominantly circular, the wire 10 exits the box slightly twisted or kinked. As a result, such a wire 10 is not directly usable and must therefore be manipulated to restore a more linear profile. Preferably, the electrical wire box 1 is made of cardboard, which is a lightweight material, making said box 1 easy to carry and handle.Indeed, since this box 1 is not subjected to strong external stresses, it is not necessary for its constituent material to have high mechanical resistance. It should be noted that a box 1 with an electrical wire according to the invention is rechargeable. In other words, when there is no more electrical wire 10, 11 in it, it can be recharged with a new spool of electrical wire.

[0035] However, a limitation related to a cardboard electrical wire box 1 is that it is not dimensioned to withstand a large number of times the electrical wire 10, 11 is unwound through the elliptical opening 8. Indeed, at each unwinding stage, the electrical wire 10, 11 will rub against the edge 13 of the main square wall 2, 3, which defines the elliptical opening 8. As a result, this cardboard edge 13 is likely to wear down quickly by eroding or tearing at the contact with the electrical wire 10, 11, rendering the box 1 unusable.

[0036] Referring to [Fig. 3], in order to remedy this premature wear of the electrical wire box 1, a reinforcing element 20 is attached to the main square wall 2, 3, which has an elliptical opening 8, in order to reinforce the edge 13 of said main square wall 2, 3, which defines said opening 8. This reinforcing element 20 is a flat piece, itself defining an opening, in particular of oval or elliptical shape. This flat piece is attached to the main square wall 2, 3 so that the opening of said flat piece 20 overlaps the opening 8 of the main square wall 2, 3, being centered on it. This reinforcing element 20 is advantageously made of plastic or metal. It is dimensioned precisely to fulfill its function of protecting the elliptical opening 8.In other words, its weight is limited so as not to significantly increase the weight of box 1, and its size is restricted so as not to excessively reduce the cross-section offered by the elliptical opening 8. Preferably, this reinforcing element 20 is attached to the main square wall 2, 3, which contains the opening 8, by bonding.

Claims

Claims

1. Box (1) for electric wire having a parallelepiped shape and being delimited by two rectangular main walls (2, 3) and parallel, at least one of said main walls (2, 3) being provided with an opening (8), said box comprising a wound electric wire (10) one end of which projects from said box (1) passing through said opening (8), characterized in that the opening (8) has a main elongation axis and two radial longitudinal ends of oval or elliptical shape, and the opening is in particular of oval and / or elliptical shape.

2. Electrical wire box according to claim 1, characterized in that the opening (8) is in a central position on said at least one rectangular main wall (2, 3).

3. Electrical wire box according to claim 2, characterized in that the main elongation axis of the opening (8) extends substantially along a diagonal (22) of the rectangular main wall (2, 3) in which it has been made.

4. Electrical wire box according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the opening is of elliptical shape defined by a minor axis and a major axis, the minor axis and the major axis being perpendicular to each other, and such that the ratio between the length of the major axis and the length of the minor axis is between 1.1 and 3.4, in particular for wires having a section of up to 10 mm2, and preferably this ratio is between 1.5 and 1.9 for wires with sections of between 1.5 and 6 mm2.

5. Electrical wire box according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that only one (2, 3) of the two rectangular main walls (2, 3) is provided with an opening (8).

6. Electrical wire box according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the box (1) comprises a cylindrical electrical wire winding placed inside it, such that its axis of revolution extends between the two rectangular main walls (2, 3) while being perpendicular to them.

7. Electrical wire box according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said electrical wire box (1) is made of cardboard.

8. Electrical wire box according to the preceding claim, characterized in that it comprises a reinforcing element (20) placed on an edge (13) of the rectangular main wall (2, 3) delimiting the opening (8), so as to preserve the condition of said wall (2, 3) following the numerous times when the wire (10, 11) is unwound from said box (1).

9. Electrical wire box according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the reinforcing element is a flat part (20) delimiting an opening, in particular an opening of elliptical shape, and in that said flat part (20) is secured to the rectangular main wall (2, 3) so that the opening of said flat part (20) is superimposed on the opening (8) of the rectangular main wall (2, 3) while being centered thereon.

10. Electrical wire box according to any one of claims 8 or 9, characterized in that the reinforcing element (20) is made of a material to be chosen from a plastic and a metal.

11. Electrical wire box according to claim 8, characterized in that the reinforcing element is obtained by surface treatment of the edge (13) of the rectangular main wall (2, 3) delimiting the opening (8).

12. Electrical wire box according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises fixing means and complementary fixing means, and in that the fixing means are capable of cooperating with complementary fixing means of another box (1) and the complementary fixing means are capable of cooperating with fixing means of another box (1) so as to obtain a resulting set of boxes (1).

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