Aerial cable spacer

Abstract

A cable spacer which comprises a modular design so that it can be easily adapted to a wide variety of cable quantities and types while maintaining ready access to individual wires without disturbing adjacent wires is disclosed. The cable spacer comprising of a rectangular block body having a C-shaped carrier member and a cable retaining insert member detachably mountable into said C-shaped carrier member or other cable retaining arrangement and with integrated means of attachment to messenger cables. The rectangular block body could be interconnected and interlocked to create multiple cable holders and incorporates a hanger member for supporting on a messenger wire or other mounting arrangements.

Description

AERIAL CABLE SPACER

[0001] TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE UTILITY MODEL

[0002] The present utility model relates in general to a spacing device, more particularly to an aerial cable spacer.

[0003] BACKGROUND OF THE UTILITY MODEL

[0004] Aerial cable spacers support power, telecommunication, CATV and similar cables in organized arrays while attached to a supporting messenger cable. Variations of this device can be adapted to secure other materials besides just wires, such as surgical tubing or other generally linear materials, can accommodate a large variety of different materials in a single configuration (e.g., different wire sizes and / or types), and can be mounted by other means than a messenger cable or utilized without mounting hardware.

[0005] In placing aerial mounted cables as in the case of installing electrical cables and telephone and other communication systems elevated on poles, it is necessary or desirable to provide a spacing mechanism for holding several cables in fixed position relative to one another both vertically and horizontally. This is generally accomplished by use of plastic or metal spacers which mount to a messenger wire (steel tensioning cable) and provide receptacles for holding cables discretely separated from each other. One such system has been identified in Philippine Patent No. 1-2018-000118. While the system described therein provides a means for ready access to suspended wires, it does not provide the key features of the present application and hence does not address the primary concerns for which the present application is designed. Philippine Patent No. 1-2018-000118 is principally a vertical orientation system, wherein cables and cable bundles are organized into an array with multiple rows, but only one column which can consist of a single unit or a pair of units. This arrangement can present a broader surface area to the impact of high winds than is desirable in some circumstances. To resolve its drawbacks, there is a need for a cable spacer which retains the ability to be rapidly and cost-effectively manufactured to suit a wide variety of cable sizes and shapes and that can be readily adapted to field conditions on the fly, but that is mounted in a horizontal configuration so as to minimize the impact of high winds, while retaining its ease of use so that costs of system implementation and maintenance can be lowered and effectiveness and efficiency of installation crews can be optimized. This improved cable spacer should utilize all the unaffected elements of the existing Philippine Patent No. 1-2018-000118 design in order to optimize rapid adoption and utilization.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

[0007] The present utility model serves to secure up to hundreds of cables at a time of varying sizes and types, in discreet bundles, with individual wires readily accessible without the removal or addition of any loose components in service and, in some cases, without the need to manually operate a closure mechanism to do so.

[0008] It is therefore the main object of the present application to provide for a cable spacer which comprises a modular design patterned after Philippine Patent No. 1-2018-000118 and utilizing a specialized insert so that it can be easily adapted to a wide variety of cable quantities and types while maintaining ready access to individual wires without disturbing adjacent wires, which can be assembled and disassembled without the use of tools, and which cables can be placed therein or removed therefrom without operating any form of closure device.

[0009] In another embodiment a hinged retaining element is retained for securing single large-bore cables in a secure manner.

[0010] Another object of the present application is to provide a cable spacer which has horizontal connectors that allow for connecting additional units as needed.

[0011] Another object of the present application is to provide a horizontally arranged array of cable hangers that are positioned above the messenger cables.

[0012] Another object of the present application is to provide cable spacers with an integrated hanger element rather than a separate fixture for attaching to messenger cables.

[0013] Another object of the present application is to provide a cable spacer capable of resisting long-term exposure to high levels of ultraviolet radiation, heat, rain and high winds.

[0014] Another object of the present application is to provide a spacing device that can be adapted to hold a wide variety of linear materials in a variety of applications.

[0015] Another object of the present application is to provide a cable spacing system that can accommodate a variety of cable types and sizes either uniformly or in a combined state.

[0016] Other objects and advantages of the present application will be highly appreciated and be easily understood upon reading the detailed description taking into consideration the appended drawings.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] is a front perspective view of the preferred embodiment of an aerial cable spacer with its cable retaining insert member in place;

[0018] is a rear perspective view of the preferred embodiment of an aerial cable spacer with its cable retaining insert member in place;

[0019] is an exploded view of the preferred embodiment of the aerial cable spacer showing the parts thereof in disassembled manner;

[0020] Figures 4A-4Bare perspective views of another embodiment of the aerial cable spacer wherein the insert members are replaced with a circular-shaped fixed cradle with hinged door, in both the open and closed configurations, respectively;

[0021] -5Bare perspective views of yet another embodiment of the aerial cable spacer wherein the insert members are replaced with a rectangular block body shaped fixed cradle with hinged door, in both the open and closed configurations, respectively;

[0022] Figures 6A-6Bare perspective views of different arrangements of the aerial cable spacers arranged in horizontal arrays and attached to a set of messenger cables as in service;

[0023] Figures 7A-7Cprovide illustrations of the connection means to attach adjacent modules, locking them into place and creating the messenger cable passageway;

[0024] is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the aerial cable spacer mounted in a vertical arrangement, as might be utilized in tight clearance locations;

[0025] is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the aerial cable spacer showing how different types of aerial cable spacers can be combined in a single installation set;

[0026] Figures 10 and 11are illustrative perspective views showing sets of aerial cable spacers in a state of use.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present utility model will be described with reference to the drawings. Referring to the drawings in detail, there is shown an embodiment of the present utility model for a cable spacer generally designated as reference numeral 10 made preferably by means of injection molding, although other means such as transfer molding, Computer Numeric Control (CNC) machining and casting can be employed depending on specific application requirements, and made of plastic material preferably Polybutylene Terephthalate (PBT), Polycarbonate (PC), Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS), High Density Polyethylene (HDPE), or Polypropylene (PP), with or without fiber fill, although alternative materials such as other polymers or suitable metals, can be utilized depending on specific locations and applications of use.

[0028] is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of an aerial cable spacer with an insert member in place. The aerial cable spacer 10 defined by a generally rectangular block body 11 includes a generally C-shaped carrier member 20, an insert member 30 which acts as a cable retaining element, detachably mountable into said C-shaped carrier member, and an integrated hanger member 40 provided on said rectangular block body.

[0029] As illustrated in, the C-shaped carrier member 20 having a right vertical side wall 21, a horizontal mid wall 22 unitarily projecting outwardly from the inner end portion of said right vertical side wall 21, a left vertical side wall 23 unitarily projecting upwardly from the end portion of said horizontal mid wall 22, and an open top portion opposing said horizontal mid wall 22. Said right vertical side wall 21 is provided with a spaced and alternating male and female interlocking means, preferably in the form of T-shaped protrusions 211 and defining in-between thereof complementary T-shaped receptacles 231. The T-shaped protrusions 211 can alternatively be made angular, like V-shaped, rounded like circular or C-shaped or ribbed as may suit varying materials and applications. Said right vertical side wall 21 is further provided with a lock receiving notch 212 (as shown in) located on an outer edge portion thereof that engages with a protruding element 32 (as shown in Figures 1 and 3) of the insert member 30. Said left vertical side wall 23 is also provided with spaced T-shaped protrusions 232 and defining in-between thereof complementary T-shaped receptacles 231 adapted to receive thereon corresponding T-shaped protrusions 211 (or other variety of connector shape choices as delineated above). The T-shaped protrusions 211 are being alternatively aligned with the T-shaped receptacles 231. Both sides of the lower edges of the outer T-shaped protrusions 232 are provided with chamfers 233. The outer portion of said left vertical side wall 23 is also provided with a lock receiving notch 234 which engages with a protruding element 32 of the insert member 30 of an adjacent rectangular block body when assembled in a set. The lock receiving notch 234 of the left vertical side wall 23 engaging with the protruding element 32 of the insert member 30 of an adjacent rectangular block body in conjunction with the protruding element 32 engaging with the lock receiving notch 212 of the right vertical side wall 21 on its own rectangular block body secures the insert member 30 from unintentional removal while also acts as part of the mechanism to prevent unintended lateral movement. The inner portions of said right vertical side wall 21, horizontal mid wall 22 and left vertical side wall 23 are provided with a C-shaped vertical support member 24 (as shown in). The horizontal mid wall 22 is also provided with a notch 221 (as shown in) adapted to retain the insert member 30 in position once placed within the C-shaped carrier member 20.

[0030] The insert member 30 is manually insertable to and removable from the said C-shaped carrier member 20 but cannot unintentionally disengage while in inserted position.

[0031] As illustrated in, the insert member 30 is provided with a two-element locking mechanism located on the upper quadrant portion thereof. The first element is a flexible element 31 (as shown in) of the insert member 30 that compresses when the insert member 30 is inserted and returns to its original shape after the protruding element 32 passes a retaining edge 213 (shown in) disposed on the right vertical side wall 21 of the C-shaped carrier member 20 thereby creating an interference lock. This keeps the insert member 30 fixedly retained within the C-shaped carrier member 20 while in service but makes said insert member 30 readily removable as needed without the use of any tools. The second element is a protruding element 32 provided on a top surface of the insert member 30, which engages with (a) the lock receiving notch 212 provided on the right vertical side wall 21 of the C-shaped carrier member 20 and simultaneously with (b) the lock receiving notch 234 provided on the vertical side wall 23 of the C-shaped carrier member 20 of a horizontally adjacent rectangular block body. This engagement prevents the rectangular block body and horizontally adjacent rectangular block body, from being slid apart while in locked position.

[0032] The integrated hanger member 40 is provided with two curved elements 41, gripping arms “L”, and a notch “O”. The gripping arms “L” provided on the integrated hanger member 40 in conjunction with the T-shaped protrusion 211 and T-shaped receptacle 231 maintains the horizontal connection between the components while the interlocking protruding element 32 and lock receiving notches 212, 234 maintains the lateral orientation wherein pairs of rectangular block bodies can only be detached from each other when the flexible element 31 is depressed using a moveable tab 34 which will be described further below.

[0033] The insert member 30 is also provided with a T-shaped connector 35 which protrudes the full width of the insert member 30 on an outer lower surface thereof that engages with the notch 221 provided on the horizontal mid wall 203 of the C-shaped carrier member 20 to lock and maintain said insert member 30 while in inserted position, which together with the locking mechanism ensures that the insert member 30 will be retained in the C-shaped carrier member 20 at all times when in use.

[0034] The insert member 30 is further provided with a moveable tab 34 located alongside the two-element locking mechanism adapted to be pushed laterally to disengage the locking mechanism from another cable spacer assembly by depressing the moveable tab 34. The insert member 30 is further provided with outwardly and inwardly protruding fins 33a, 33b (as shown in) disposed on the end portions thereof adapted to support and receive thereon cables in the state of use. The shape and orientation of the outwardly and inwardly protruding fins 33a, 33b allow for easy insertion of cables horizontally without the need to open the insert member 30 and to help retain cables once inserted from unintentional removal.

[0035] Figures 4A-4B are perspective views of another embodiment of an aerial cable spacer 50, whereinshows the aerial cable spacer in closed position andshows the aerial cable spacer in open position. In this embodiment, the insert member 20 is replaced with a circular-shaped fixed cradle with a hinged door. Moreover, a fastener, preferably a stainless-steel pin 51a with chamfered ends is provided in said hinged portion, connecting a door 52 to the rectangular body.

[0036] Figures 5A and 5B show perspective views of yet another embodiment of an aerial cable spacer 60, wherein the hinged door is flat, rather than curved, in closed and open position, respectively.

[0037] is an illustrative perspective view showing a series of aerial cable spacer rectangular block bodies in an assembled manner with insert members 30 in place.

[0038] To attach interconnected aerial cable spacer rectangular block bodies to a set of suspending messenger cables “M” (minimum of 2), three or more aerial cable spacers are being connected via the T-shaped protrusions 211 and complementary T-shaped receptacles 231 of the C-shaped carrier member 20. The coupling of two curve elements 41 provided on the integrated hanger member 40 of adjacent rectangular block bodies creates a messenger cable passageway “MP” where a suspending messenger cable is being insertably mounted.

[0039] is an illustrative perspective view of an alternate embodiment showing a series of aerial cable spacer rectangular block bodies in assembled manner.

[0040] Figures 7A-7C provide illustrations of the connection means to attach adjacent aerial cable space rectangular block bodies, locking them into place and creating the messenger cable passageway “MP”. As shown in, the gripping arm “L” provided on the integrated hanger member 40 of rectangular block body 11A is insertably mountable to the notch “O” provided on the integrated hanger member 40 of rectangular block body 11B.

[0041] is a perspective view of a set of aerial cable spacers mounted in a vertical arrangement.

[0042] is a perspective view showing a combination of aerial cable spacers 10, 50 combined in a single set.

[0043] Figures 10 and 11 are illustrative perspective views showing sets of aerial cable spacers in a state of use accommodating plurality of cables “C” of different sizes and shapes.

[0044] In use, the aerial cable spacers 10 are placed over a messenger wire or suspending support cable, with the corresponding T-shaped protrusions 211 and T-shaped receptacles 231 and gripping arm “L” of the integrated hanger member 40 being aligned to the corresponding T-shaped protrusions 211 and T-shaped receptacles 231 and notch “O” of another aerial cable spacer, and the components are pushed together forming an interconnected aerial cable spacer.

[0045] The chamfers 233 provided on the both sides of the outer edges of the outer T-shaped protrusions 232 of the adjacent block member automatically moves the flexible element 31 laterally (or sideways) when components are being pushed together, sufficiently to allow the two-element locking mechanism to engage itself without the need of depressing the insert member 30 and without the need of additional manual actions.

[0046] When the locking member of the rectangular block bodies is in its closed position, the two-element locking mechanism provided on the insert member 30 prevents components from becoming misaligned or separated laterally. With such, the connected components provide a cable passageway "CP" for cables "C" to be held and spaced is being received thereon.

[0047] When the T-shaped protrusion 211 of the C-shaped carrier member 20 is aligned with a corresponding T-shaped receptacle 231 of a neighboring rectangular block body and pressed together, the tapered edges of both components cause the T-shaped protrusion 211 to slide into the T-shaped receptacle 231 thereby creating an interlocking joint. The T-shaped protrusion 211 of the C-shaped carrier member 20, when closed, interlocks with the T-shaped receptacles 231 provided on the side of another cable hanging mechanism (CHM) thereby preventing any lateral movement of the components. The shape and positioning of the T-shape protrusions 211 and the interface of the gripping arms “L” and notch “O” members serve to hold the components in direct contact with each other without the need for any additional components. To separate components requires only to unlock the locking mechanism and slide the components laterally apart.

[0048] With such arrangement, a desired number and configuration of cable holding spaces could be conveniently formed by interconnecting a series of CHM’s.

[0049] Upon assembly, corresponding cables "C" are placed within the cable passageways "CP". With a plurality of spacers placed upon the messenger wires at suitable intervals the cables are able to be supported while remaining easily accessible.

[0050] With the foregoing it is desired that the present application seeks to protect all novel features of the subject application as illustrated in the above embodiments including all modifications that may be obvious to those persons skilled in the art derived thereof.

[0051] 10 Aerial cable spacer

[0052] 11, 11A, 11B Rectangular block body

[0053] 20 C-shaped carrier member

[0054] 21 Right vertical side wall

[0055] 211 Right vertical side wall T-shaped protrusions

[0056] 212 Right vertical side wall lock receiving notch

[0057] 213 Retaining edge

[0058] 22 Horizontal mid wall

[0059] 221 Horizontal mid wall notch

[0060] 23 Left vertical side wall

[0061] 231 T-shaped receptacles

[0062] 232 Left vertical side wall T-shaped protrusions

[0063] 233 Left vertical side wall T-shaped protrusion chamfers

[0064] 234 Left vertical side wall lock receiving notch

[0065] 24 C-shaped vertical support member

[0066] 30 Insert member

[0067] 31 Flexible element

[0068] 32 Protruding element

[0069] 33a Outwardly protruding fin

[0070] 33b Inwardly protruding fin

[0071] 34 Moveable tab

[0072] 35 T-shaped connector

[0073] 40 Integrated hanger member

[0074] 41 Curved elements

[0075] “L” Gripping arms

[0076] “O” Integrated hanger member notch

[0077] 50 Aerial cable spacer with circular-shaped hinged door

[0078] 51a Stainless-steel pin

[0079] 52 Door

[0080] 60 Aerial cable spacer with flat hinged door

[0081] “MP” Messenger cable passageway

[0082] “C” Cables

[0083] “CP” Cable passageway

Claims

An aerial cable spacer defined by a generally rectangular block body, said rectangular block body comprising a C-shaped carrier member, an insert member detachably mountable into said C-shaped carrier member, and an integrated hanger member provided on said rectangular block body;wherein said insert member is insertable to and removable from said C-shaped carrier member, and being provided with a T-shaped connector which protrudes the full width of said insert member on an outer lower surface thereof that engages with said C-shaped carrier member to lock and maintain said insert member while in inserted position.The aerial cable spacer according to claim 1, wherein said insert member is provided with outwardly and inwardly protruding fins disposed on end portions thereof adapted to support and receive thereon cables in the state of use.The aerial cable spacer according to claim 1, wherein said C-shaped carrier member is provided with lock receiving notches disposed on the side walls thereof adapted to retain the insert member in position once placed within said C-shaped carrier member.The aerial cable spacer according to claim 1, wherein said integrated hanger member is further provided with outwardly projecting gripping arms disposed on the side portions thereof adapted to be insertably mounted on a notch provided on the side portion of another integrated hanger member of an adjacent rectangular block body.The aerial cable spacer according to claim 1, wherein said insert member is provided with a two-element locking mechanism, said two-element locking mechanism comprising:a flexible element that compresses when the insert member is inserted and returns to its original shape after a protruding element passes a retaining edge disposed on the side wall of said C-shaped carrier member thereby creating an interference lock, anda protruding element provided on a side surface of the insert member which engages with a lock receiving notch provided on a vertical side wall of said C-shaped carrier member and simultaneously with another lock receiving notch provided on a vertical side wall of a C-shaped carrier member of a horizontally adjacent rectangular block body.The aerial cable spacer according to claim 1, wherein said insert member is further provided with a moveable tab adapted to be pushed laterally to disengage the locking mechanism.The aerial cable spacer according to claim 1, wherein said C-shaped carrier member are provided with chamfers disposed on the outer edges of T-shaped protrusions provided therein adapted to sufficiently allow the two-element locking mechanism to engage itself without the need of depressing the insert member.The aerial cable spacer according to claim 1, wherein said removable insert member is replaced with a circular-shaped fixed cradle with a hinged door.The aerial cable spacer according to claim 1, wherein said removable insert member is replaced with a rectangular block body shaped fixed cradle with a hinged door.

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