WO2005075871A1

WO2005075871A1 - Device for fixing electric cables, conducts, tubes, furnishing fittings, branches and the like to a surface

Info

Publication number: WO2005075871A1
Application number: PCT/IT2005/000007
Authority: WO
Inventors: Giovanni Pugliese
Original assignee: Giovanni Pugliese
Priority date: 2004-02-09
Filing date: 2005-01-11
Publication date: 2005-08-18
Also published as: ITRM20040067A1

Abstract

A device (1) for fixing electric cables, conducts, tubes, furnishing fittings, branches and the like (6) to surfaces (52) having any shape, comprises an element (2) for fixing to a surface (52) by insertion through a hole (51) in said surface, a flexible clamp (3) having a preferably elongated shape, and a union web (4) located between said fixing element (2) and said clamp (3), said fixing element (2), said clamp (3) and said union web (4) being formed as an integral piece.

Description

DEVICE FOR FIXING ELECTRIC CABLES, CONDUCTS, TUBES, FURNISHING FITTINGS, BRANCHES AND THE LIKE TO A SURFACE

The present invention relates to a device for fixing electric cables, conducts, tubes, furnishing fittings, branches and like on surfaces having each shape. More specifically, the invention concerns to a fixing device studied and realised particularly for adhering to a surface having each kind of geometry, wires, tubes, conducts, branches and like, being it realised as an integral element and being it easy and ready application. As it is well known, at present clamps or clips exists suitable to gather wires, tubes, conducts, branches and like. In case it is necessary fixing the so gathered elements on surfaces such as walls, panels and like, their fixing occurs by suitable coupling means, such as nails, screws or screw anchors. Said clamps or clips used for gather said elements are generally comprised of plastics material, they are inserted within a hinge allowing adjusting said clamps or clips according to the section of the element (or elements) to be fixed. A fixing device of the above kind fixed to the wall by nails or screws is for example described in the U.S. patent n° 5,624,220. said devices are simple to use, but have the drawback of being applicable only to cable having the diameter within a set range. Further, proximity of the nail to the element to be fixed can damage the same element during its application. Finally, the nail has the disadvantage of being not convenient to be applied in some particular situations, such as for example corners. Screw and dowels are also used as means for fixing said clip or clamps. Due to the screwing operation, screws slow up the installation. Instead, the use of the dowel required a plurality of elements (dowel and screw anchor) and consequently longer operations and higher manufacturing costs. Other alternative solutions exist in the art, said solutions providing the use of self-locking clamps, allowing a higher use flexibility. However, said solutions has the drawback of providing two or more elements such as the clamp, the wall support, the screw for the fixing on the wall. It is evident that this solution requires long time and is expensive, not involving remarkable advantages. Since many years, screw anchors, exist allowing fixing on a wood, masonry, concrete, ecc. wall. Wall every kind of object in a very strong way, being they sized in function of the load to be supported. In view of the above, it is well evident the advantage of having available a fixing device providing in an integral piece, both the element for fixing on the surface and the clamp for gather the elements to be layd. Main object of the present invention is therefore that of suggesting a fixing device for gather and fixing o surfaces electric cables, conducts, tubes, furnishing fittings, branches and like that is as more versatile as possible, making it faster the application operations. Another object of the present invention is that of making the device economic under a production point of view. A further object of the present invention is that of providing the possibility of being applied to different kind of materials and supports. It is therefore specific object of the present invention a device for fixing electric cables, conducts, tubes, furnishing fittings, branches and like on surfaces having each shape, characterised in that it comprises an element for fixing on a surface by insertion through a hole realised on said surface, a flexible clamp having a preferably elongated shape, and a union web between said fixing element and said clamp, said fixing element, said clamp and said union web being realised as an integral piece. Always according to the invention, said device can be comprised of flexible hemi rigid material, and realised by moulding or turning. Still according to the invention, said fixing element can provide on its surface a plurality of flexible fixing lugs. Furthermore, according to the invention, said fixing element can provide a threading on the portion of its body close to the union web. Always according to the invention, said fixing element can provide close to its tip at least an elastic lug. Still according to the invention, said clamp can comprise a toothing on its surface, and can have its tip sloping. Preferably, according to the invention, said fixing element can be applied, also at same time, on surfaces with different thickness, being it realised with features allowing to fix it on different kind of surfaces. The present invention will be now described, for illustrative but not limitative purposes, according to its preferred embodiments, with particular reference to the figures of the enclosed drawings, wherein: figure 1 shows a perspective view of the fixing device according to the present invention; figure 2a shows a first embodiment of a clamp of the device according to figure 1 ; figure 2b shows a second embodiment of the clamp of the device according to figure 1 ; figure 3a shows a first embodiment of the fixing means of the device according to figure 1 ; figure 3b shows a second embodiment of the fixing means of the device according to figure 1; figure 3c shows a third embodiment of the fixing means of the device according to figure 1 ; figure 4a shows a first step of the application to a surface of the device according to figure 3b; figure 4b shows the second step of the application to a surface of the device according to figure 3b; figure 4c shows the third step of the application to a surface of the device according to figure 3b; and figure 5 shows the result of the application of the device according to the invention to a surface. In order to better understand the present invention, the operation modes of the preferred embodiments of the fixing device according to the invention will be described in the following. Making first reference to figure 1 , it is possible observing the device 1 according to the invention, providing a means 2 for fixing to the surface, a gathering clamp 3 and a union web 4 between clamp and fixing means 2. According to the invention, said fixing elements 2 - clamp 3 - union web 4 are realized integral as a single body, preferably by moulding or turning. Obviously, clamp 3 can have the features of every kind of clamp suitable to gather elements such as electric cables, conducts, tubes, furnishing fittings, branches and like, already available on the market. Moreover, said fixing means 2 has a plurality of flexible lugs 22 comprised on the surface of the body 21 of the fixing element, while the grasping part 41 is provided on the tip, about which a protection 42 is provided, allowing covering possible anaesthetic parts on the surface on which the device is applied. Clamp 3 provides a tip 33, eventually slightly bent, in such a way to simplify its insertion within the grasping part 41 while applying the device on the surface. A toothing is provided on the central part of the clamp 3. The latter allows making the clamp 3 sliding within the grasping . part 41 according only one direction, fixing cables and like gathered by said clamp 3. As it can be better understood from figures 2a and 2b, toothing 31 can be realised in different ways. For example, in figure 2a a toothing 31 is present, providing dowels recessed in the surface of the clamp 3. Instead, in figure 2b said toothing is realised by teeth provided on the lateral surface of the clamp 3. In figures 3a, 3b and 3c, different realisation modes of the fixing element 2 are shown. Particularly, figure 3a shows flexible lugs 22 that can bend while body 21 of element 2 enters within the hole 51 realised on the surface 52 of the element 5 to which the device 1 must be fixed. Figure 3b is a variation of figure 3a. Particularly, flexible lugs 22 are circular and realised all around the body 22, while a threading 23 is provided in the upper part of the body, useful for coupling with bodies having a reduced thickness. Finally, figure 3c provides a device particularly suitable for fixing to elements 5 having a reduced thickness. Particularly, said device 1 provides elastic lugs 24. When the body 21 enters within a hole 51 , elastic lugs 24 bends, taking again the original position once passed all along the thickness of the holed element 5. Said element 5, that can be a metal sheet, remains compressed between said elastic lugs 24 and the union web 4. Figures 4 show how it can be carried out the fixing of a device 1 to an element 5 on which for example electrical cables can be fixed. In figure 4a it can be noted the device 1 coupled to the suitably holed element 5. Body 21 of fixing element 2 is introduced through the hole 51 through the surface 52 according to the direction indicated by letter A. lugs 22, by their shape, can penetrate within the hole 51 , conforming to the walls. Said lugs allow increasing friction for preventing the extraction of device 1. Then, threading 23 screws said device 1. Once device 1 is fixed to said surface 51 , cables 6 are approached and gathered by clamp 3. Thus, tip 33 of clamp 3 is introduced within grasping body 41 of device 1 , and the tip of said clamp

33 is pulled according to direction B, gathering and tightening electrical cables 6, and fixing them at the upper part of body 21. Clamp 3 according to the invention is enough long for coupling to the device every number of elements 6 having not specified dimensions. Figure 5 shows the final result of the application of two fixing devices, fixing a cable or tube 6 to an element 5. On the basis of the above specification, it can be noted that the basic feature of the present invention is the possibility or realising a device for fixing electric cables and like to a surface, that can be easily and quickly applied comprising, in a single piece, both means for fixing the device to said surface and means allowing gather said electric cables and like. An advantage of the present invention is the fact that being the device realised as a single piece, it can be manufactured in a more economic way. In fact, a single mould is necessary for producing the same. A further advantage of the present invention is the fact that the device can be easily and quickly installed, being it only necessary introducing the device within a hole having suitable dimensions, realised before in the receiving material. The introduction is typically realised manually without the help of further tools. Still another advantage of the present invention is the fact that, thanks to the possible embodiments, device offers very high strength features on different king of materials, such as concrete, brick, wood and like. Simple application allows a ease use in every situation, as for example in corners, and on every kind of surface, even not a linear surface, for example cylindrical, rough, irregular surface. Therefore, since the inventive device is comprised of a single body, its use is simplified with respect to the existing fixing systems. The present invention has been described for illustrative but not limitative purposes, according to its preferred embodiments, but it is to be understood that modifications and/or changes can be introduced by those skilled in the art without departing from the relevant scope as defined in the enclosed claims.

Claims

I . Device for fixing electric cables, conducts, tubes, furnishing fittings, branches and like on surfaces having each shape, characterised in that it comprises an element for fixing on a surface by insertion through a hole realised on said surface, a flexible clamp having a preferably elongated shape, and a union web between said fixing element and said clamp, said fixing element, said clamp and said union web being realised as an integral piece. 2. Device according to claim 1 , characterised in that said device is comprised of flexible hemi rigid material. 3. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that it is realised by moulding or turning. 4. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said fixing element provides on its surface a plurality of fixing lugs. 5. Device according to claim 4, characterised in that said lugs are flexible lugs. 6. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said fixing element provides a threading on the portion of its body close to the union web. 7. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said fixing element provides close to its tip at least an elastic lug. 8. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said clamp comprises a toothing on its surface. 9. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that, said clamp provides a tip sloping. 10. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said fixing element can be applied, also at same time, on surfaces with different thickness, being it realised with features allowing to fix it on different kind of surfaces. I I . Device according to each one of the preceding claims, substantially as illustrated and described.