Fastener and device

Abstract

A fastener for a cable according to the present invention comprises: a plurality of clamp parts into which a cable can be inserted and which have an attachment part to be attached to an object; and connection parts for connecting the clamp parts. The connection parts are deformable. Each clamp part comprises, for example: an accommodation section having a groove-like accommodation space in which the cable is accommodated and having said attachment part at a bottom portion; and a lid part that closes an opening of the accommodation section and is provided so as to be continuous from a rear wall section, which is one wall section of the accommodation space. In this case, the connection part is provided so as to be continuous from the bottom portion.

Description

Fasteners and Devices

[0001] FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure relates to fasteners and devices.

[0002] Devices having electrical components such as power supplies, sensors, and actuators have cables connecting the electrical components to each other. The cables connecting the electrical components are typically secured to the device with clamps, cable ties, or the like, or stored in grooves in the device to prevent the cables from interfering with mechanical components (e.g., covers) inside the device or to protect the cables from the mechanical components. One example of a technique for securing cables is described in Japanese Patent No. 3461851 (Patent Document 1).

[0003] Assume that loose cables, which are not bundled together with tape or tubes, are secured using clamps or cable ties. Because clamps and cable ties have a limited width for securing cables, several cables may protrude between the cable securing points without being bundled. For example, as shown in FIG. 8 , when cable 8 is secured with multiple clamps 810, cable 8a may protrude between the clamps 810. Then, during assembly of mechanical component 906, the protruding cable 8a may be crushed by mechanical component 906 and then screwed in, resulting in a break. Furthermore, the protruding cable 8a may come into contact with a moving component (not shown), resulting in damage and a break.

[0004] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above problems, and provides a fastener and device that can suppress damage to cables.

[0005] In order to solve the above problem, a fastener according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a fastener for a cable, which is characterized in that it comprises a plurality of clamping portions through which a cable can be inserted and which have attachment portions for attaching to an object, and connecting portions that connect the clamping portions, and the connecting portions are deformable.

[0006] Moreover, a device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes the fastener described above.

[0007] According to the present disclosure, damage to the cable can be suppressed.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fastener according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a fastener according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a plan view of a fastener according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a plan view of a fastener according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is a view of a state in which a cable is fastened by a fastener according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 is a view of a state in which a cable is fastened by a fastener according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 7 is a view of a state in which a cable is fastened by a fastener according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a fastener according to a first modified example. FIG. 9 is a schematic plan view of a fastener according to a second modified example. FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view of a fastener according to the second modified example. FIG. 11 is a view for explaining problems with conventional clamps.

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Each drawing is merely a schematic illustration to allow a sufficient understanding of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure is not limited to the illustrated examples. Furthermore, in the drawings, the dimensions of components constituting the present disclosure may be exaggerated or otherwise exaggerated for clarity of explanation. In addition, in each drawing, common or similar components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations thereof will be omitted.

[0010] <Configuration of Fastener According to the Embodiment> A fastener 1 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 1A to 2. Figs. 1A and 1B are perspective views of the fastener 1. Fig. 1C is a plan view of the fastener 1. Fig. 1D is a side view of the fastener 1. Fig. 2 is a view showing a state in which a cable 8 is fixed by the fastener 1. The fastener 1 is a member for fastening the cable 8 to an object (e.g., a device having electrical components such as a power source, a sensor, an actuator, etc.). The type of cable 8 fastened by the fastener 1 is not limited, and may be, for example, a conductor wire, a communication cable, etc.

[0011] In the description of fastener 1, "up and down," "front and back," and "left and right" refer to the arrows in Figures 1A to 1D. These directions are defined for the convenience of explanation and do not limit the present disclosure. Fastener 1 includes multiple clamping portions 10 (three in Figure 1A) through which cables 8 (see Figure 2) can be inserted, and at least one or more connecting portions 20 (two in Figure 1A) that connect the clamping portions 10. In other words, fastener 1 has a structure in which multiple clamping portions 10 are connected by connecting portions 20.

[0012] The first clamp portion 10A located on the left side, the second clamp portion 10B located in the center, and the third clamp portion 10C located on the right side all have the same configuration. The first connecting portion 20A connects the first clamp portion 10A to the second clamp portion 10B. The second connecting portion 20B connects the second clamp portion 10B to the third clamp portion 10C. The first connecting portion 20A and the second connecting portion 20B have the same configuration. The fastener 1 (clamp portion 10 and connecting portion 20) is made of, for example, resin and is integrally formed (a single molded product).

[0013] 1A has a function of bundling cables 8 (see FIG. 2). Clamp 10 has a storage section 11 in which cables 8 (see FIGS. 2A and 2B) are stored, and a lid 12 that closes the opening of storage section 11.

[0014] As shown in Fig. 1A, the storage section 11 mainly comprises a bottom 13 and front and rear walls 14 and 15 extending from the bottom 13. In other words, the storage section 11 has a U-shape (a rectangular tube with one wall removed) when viewed from the left and right. This allows the storage section 11 to have a groove-shaped storage space 11a for storing the cable 8 (see Fig. 2). The top of the storage space 11a is open.

[0015] The lid 12 is a member that closes the opening at the top of the storage space 11a. The lid 12 is provided continuously from the rear wall 15 that constitutes the storage space 11a, and has a shape and size that allows it to close the opening of the storage space 11a. The wall on which the lid 12 is provided may also be the front wall 14. In other words, the lid 12 is provided continuously from one wall of the storage space 11a.

[0016] The lid 12 has a hinge 12a at the boundary between it and the storage section 11 (the base of the lid 12). In this embodiment, the hinge 12a is realized by forming a through-hole 12b at the boundary between it and the storage section 11. The hinge 12a rotates in the left-right direction, and allows the angle θ (see FIG. 1D ) between the rear wall 15 and the lid 12 to be changed. In other words, by increasing the angle θ from the state shown in FIG. 1D , the lid 12 can be moved to a position facing the bottom 13. The number of through-holes 12b is not particularly limited.

[0017] The storage section 11 has a receiving portion 17 for fixing the lid portion 12. The fixing portion 18 of the lid portion 12 is fixed to the receiving portion 17, preventing the lid portion 12 from coming off the storage section 11. The receiving portion 17 is provided to protrude forward from the front wall portion 14. The receiving portion 17 is formed with an insertion hole 17a into which the fixing portion 18 of the lid portion 12 is inserted. The shape of the insertion hole 17a corresponds to the shape and size of the fixing portion 18, allowing the fixing portion 18 to be inserted to a predetermined depth while making it difficult to pull out the fixing portion 18 after it has been inserted to the predetermined depth. Note that when the wall on which the lid portion 12 is provided is the front wall portion 14, the receiving portion 17 is preferably provided to protrude rearward from the rear wall portion 15.

[0018] The lid portion 12 has a fixing portion 18 that is fixed to the receiving portion 17. The fixing portion 18 is provided to protrude from the tip of the lid portion 12. As shown in FIG. 1D , the fixing portion 18 is formed by bending a plate-like member, so that it has a generally V-shape (or generally U-shape) in side view. The fixing portion 18 has a bent portion 18a that bends from the main body portion of the lid portion 12, a folded portion 18b that is provided continuously from the bent portion 18a, an engagement claw 18c that is a protrusion that engages with the receiving portion 17, and a release lever 18d. The fixing portion 18 functions as a leaf spring, and when the engagement claw 18c is brought close to the bent portion 18a, a force that returns the engagement claw 18c to the outside is generated by the elastic force.

[0019] The engaging claw 18c is a triangular protrusion when viewed from the side, and has a slope on the outside that continues from the folded portion 18b. The engaging claw 18c engages with the engaged portion 17b (see FIG. 1C) of the receiving portion 17 to prevent the lid portion 12 from slipping out upward. The engaged portion 17b is a ridge-like protrusion formed inside the insertion hole 17a of the receiving portion 17.

[0020] When the fixing part 18 is inserted into the insertion hole 17a of the receiving part 17, the inclined surface of the engaging claw 18c comes into contact with the engaged part 17b provided inside the insertion hole 17a, and the engaging claw 18c is pushed inward, causing elastic deformation. By inserting the fixing part 18 to a predetermined depth, the interference between the inclined surface of the engaging claw 18c and the engaged part 17b is eliminated, and the engaging claw 18c is returned to its original position by elastic force. This causes the engaging claw 18c to hook onto the engaged part 17b, preventing the lid part 12 from slipping out upward.

[0021] 2, when the fixing part 18 is inserted into the receiving part 17, that is, in a fixed state in which the engaging claw 18c prevents the lid part 12 from being removed upward, the release lever 18d protrudes above the upper surface of the receiving part 17. By moving the release lever 18d inward, the engaging claw 18c moves to a position where it does not engage with the engaged part 17b, so that the fixing part 18 can be removed upward from the insertion hole 17a of the receiving part 17.

[0022] The clamp unit 10 also has the function of fixing the cable 8 (see FIG. 2) to an object (such as a circuit board of a device). As shown in FIG. 1B , the clamp unit 10 has an attachment portion 16 on the bottom 13 that is attached to the object. The attachment portion 16 is a portion that is inserted into an attachment hole 916 (see FIG. 4) formed in the object. The attachment portion 16 has an engagement claw 16a that fixes the attachment portion 16 in a state where it is inserted into the attachment hole 916. The principle by which the engagement claw 16a is fixed to the attachment hole 916 may be the same as that of the engagement claw 18c. As a result, when the attachment portion 16 is inserted into the attachment hole 916, it is locked and the attachment portion 16 cannot be removed.

[0023] The connecting portion 20 is a member that connects the clamp portions 10. As shown in Fig. 1A, one end of the first connecting portion 20A is continuous with the right side of the bottom portion 13 of the first clamp portion 10A, and the other end is continuous with the left side of the bottom portion 13 of the second clamp portion 10B. Furthermore, one end of the second connecting portion 20B is continuous with the right side of the bottom portion 13 of the second clamp portion 10B, and the other end is continuous with the left side of the bottom portion 13 of the third clamp portion 10C.

[0024] The connecting portion 20 is preferably deformable and has a shape that allows it to be easily bent. In this embodiment, the connecting portion 20 is formed of an elongated member and has an overall diamond shape as shown in Fig. 1C, but other shapes are also possible. The connecting portion 20 may have, for example, an annular shape other than a diamond shape (e.g., a circle), a mesh shape, an S-shape, or the like.

[0025] 1C , the dimension L1 of the clamping portion 10 in the direction along the cable 8 (left-right direction) is preferably longer than the dimension L2 of the connecting portion 20 in the same direction (left-right direction). Also, the dimension H1 of the clamping portion 10 in the direction perpendicular to the cable 8 (front-rear direction) is preferably shorter than the dimension H2 of the connecting portion 20 in the same direction (front-rear direction).

[0026] 2 to 5 show the state in which the cable 8 is attached to an object using the fastener 1 of this embodiment. In the fastener 1 of this embodiment, because the connecting portion 20 is flexible, there is no need to strictly regulate the tolerance of the spacing of the mounting holes 916 (see FIG. 4 ). In other words, the position of each clamping portion 10 can be adjusted. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3 , because the connecting portion 20 is flexible, there is no need to align and secure the clamping portions 10 in a straight line. In other words, the cable 8 can be attached to the object in a bent state. Furthermore, the bending direction of the connecting portion 20 is not limited to within the same plane. Therefore, the cable can be laid over a step formed by overlapping two metal plates 901 and 902, as shown in FIG. 4 , or over a corner formed by arranging two metal plates 903 and 904 at a right angle, as shown in FIG. 5 .

[0027] The fastener 1 according to the embodiment described above has the following advantages, for example. In the fastener 1 according to the embodiment, each connected clamp portion 10 bundles the cables 8 and attaches them to an object. This makes it difficult for the cables 8 to protrude, thereby reducing damage to the cables 8. For example, the risk of crushing the cables 8 with a component when the component is installed can be reduced. In particular, by making the clamp portions 10 longer and the connecting portions 20 shorter, it is possible to further reduce the protrusion of the cables 8. Furthermore, because the clamp portions 10 are connected, the orientation of the clamp portions 10 is aligned when the fastener 1 is installed, so there is no need to align the orientation of the individual clamp portions 10 when bundling the cables 8. This makes the work easier.

[0028] Furthermore, by virtue of the flexibility of the connecting portion 20, the fastener 1 can be used to attach the cable 8 not only along straight routes but also along curved routes, routes spanning steps, and routes spanning angled surfaces (see FIGS. 2 to 5 ). Furthermore, when the edge 901a of the metal plate 901 is exposed at a step or other location, as shown in FIG. 4 , it was necessary to deburr or round the edge 901a to prevent the cable 8's sheath from being damaged by the edge 901a of the metal plate 901. However, with the fastener 1 according to the embodiment, the connecting portion 20 protects the cable 8 (because the cable 8's sheath is prevented from contacting the edge 901a by contacting the edge 901a of the metal plate 901), eliminating the need to process the edge 901a. The same applies to the case where the edges 903a and 904a of the metal plates 903 and 904 are exposed, as shown in FIG. 5 .

[0029] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited thereto and can be implemented within the scope of the claims. Modifications of the embodiments are, for example, as shown below.

[0030] 6A and 6B, the connecting portions 120 (first connecting portion 120A and second connecting portion 120B) may be provided with walls 121 that prevent the cable 8 from protruding. FIGS. 6A and 6B are perspective views of the fastener 101 according to the first modified example. The front wall 121e is provided at a position corresponding to the front wall 14, and the rear wall 121f is provided at a position corresponding to the rear wall 15. In this way, the cable 8 can be further prevented from protruding.

[0031] [Second Modification] In addition, the connecting portion 20 in the embodiment has an overall diamond shape (see FIG. 1C). However, the shape of the connecting portion 20 is not limited to a diamond shape as long as it can be easily bent to change the spacing and angle between the clamping portions 10. For example, the connecting portion 20 may be a mesh-like connecting portion 220 shown in FIG. 7A or an S-shaped connecting portion 320 shown in FIG. 7B. Although not shown, a honeycomb structure or an annular structure may also be used. FIGS. 7 and 8 are schematic plan views of fasteners 201 and 301 according to the second modification.

[0032] In addition, although three clamp units 10 are connected in the embodiment, there is no limitation on the number of connected clamp units 10 as long as it is two or more. In addition, although all the connected clamp units 10 have the same shape and size in the embodiment, the connected clamp units 10 may have different shapes and sizes.

[0033] The disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-140492 is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0034] All publications, patent applications, and technical standards mentioned in this specification are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication, patent application, or technical standard was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.

Claims

1. A fastener for a cable, comprising: a plurality of clamping portions through which a cable can be passed and having an attachment portion for attaching to an object; and connecting portions connecting the clamping portions, wherein the connecting portions are deformable.

2. The fastener according to claim 1, characterized in that the connecting portion is annular, mesh-like, or S-shaped.

3. The fastener according to claim 1, characterized in that the clamp portion comprises: a storage portion having a groove-shaped storage space in which the cable is stored and having the mounting portion at its bottom; and a lid portion which is provided continuously from one wall portion of the storage space and closes the opening of the storage portion, and the connecting portion is provided continuously from the bottom.

4. The fastener according to claim 1, characterized in that the connecting portion has a wall portion that prevents the cable from protruding out.

5. A device comprising the fastener according to claim 1.

Images