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(11) | EP 0 751 596 A2 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Improvements in and relating to furniture and other installations |
| (57) Trunking 10 is mounted on a carrier by fasteners extending through a metal backing
member 20. The trunking 10 comprises an integral unit, before the trunking is attached
to a support, with that unit including a guide region 12 along the length of the unit
and the clamps 16 at either end of the unit. The guide region has flexible flanges into which cables can be inserted into separate channels 74, 76 and 78 with the cables extending through three apertures 58, 60 and 62 of a cable guide 14 and with the cables being clamped at each end. |
Field of the invention
[0001] The invention relates to trunking for cables, wires and the like. It is particularly, but not exclusively, concerned with cable trunking which can feed cables or wires to desired locations on or in a desk or other piece of furniture.
[0002] Modern furniture, particularly that used in offices, often includes facilities for supporting electrical equipment, including telephones, dictation machines, computer apparatus and the like. To service and power this equipment it is necessary for cables to be routed around the furniture. For this reason, trunking is often built in to the furniture to route the cables.
[0003] In modular furniture systems, elements can be assembled to create furniture which is specific to a desired application. However, in a specific application, some redundant cable trunking usually results in the created furniture. This is because trunking is in-built into many or all of the elements so that, irrespective of the final configuration into which the furniture is assembled, any available trunking routes which may be required are available.
Summary of the invention
[0004] According to a first aspect, the invention provides trunking adapted to be mounted on a carrier the trunking comprising a guide region for at least one wire and at least one clamp, in which the guide region and the or each clamp comprise an integral unit for mounting on a carrier.
[0005] The term wire is to be understood as a broad term embracing a cable, a single wire, a multi-wire or a conduit.
[0007] Preferably the guide region comprises at least one channel. The guide region may comprise walls to contain the or each wire or segregate a plurality of wires.
[0008] Preferably the guide region comprises restraining means for restraining movement of the or each wire from moving out of the guide region. The restraining means may be a cover. In one embodiment, the restraining means comprises one or more resilient flaps. The or each flap may be deformable to allow the or each wire to be introduced into the guide region.
[0009] Preferably the or each clamp is provided at or near one or more ends of the guide region. Preferably there is one clamp provided at each end of the guide region. A pair of clamps substantially prevent the wire or wires from moving out of the guide region.
[0010] If a clamp is provided at each end of the guide region a wire clamped at each end cannot move upwardly out of the guide region without the wire held between becoming taut and restrained from further upward movement. If the wire is clamped whilst in a substantially straight configuration there is virtually no play in the wire for its movement out of the guide region.
[0011] Preferably the trunking is of composite construction. Composite means comprising differing materials. Preferably the guide region comprises a metal backing member. Preferably this member comprises fixture points enabling the trunking to be attached to a carrier. The guide region may comprise one or more sections of plastics material.
[0012] A metal backing plate provides rigidity to the trunking. It also enables the trunking to be fixed securely to the carrier.
[0013] If the trunking is attached to a conductive carrier, contact between the carrier and the metal backing plate may serve to earth at least part of the trunking. This contact may be provided or enhanced by fastening the metal plate to the carrier by metal screws or bolts. Electrical earthing is especially useful if the trunking contains wires which are carrying electrical power or signals.
[0014] A metal backing can also provide some electromagnetic screening of any wires carried by the trunking. This is advantageous if the trunking is to be used in an office environment where stray electromagnetic signals may be produced by electrical and electronic equipment.
[0015] Preferably the trunking comprises guide means for guiding the or each wire into the guide region. The guide means may comprise at least one divider for dividing a plurality of wires to feed wires into different parts of the guide region. Preferably the guide means is removable. It may be comprised of plastics material. The guide means may be associated with the clamp.
[0019] Preferably the carrier is a piece of furniture or an element used in the construction of a piece of furniture. The carrier may be part of a desk or a table. Alternatively the carrier may be a wall or an installed unit, for example cupboard, racking or storage cabinets.
[0020] Whilst the trunking is primarily for use in offices, it may also be used in kitchen or laboratories. The trunking is not limited to any of the specific uses set out above.
[0021] Known clamps have a disadvantage in that the number or thickness of wires which can be clamped is determined by the length of screw used to fix the clamp to a base. Whilst a certain length of screw may be suitable to provide sufficient clearance for a single wire or row of wires to be clamped, a different length of screw is required for more wires when a greater clamping gap is required.
[0022] According to a second aspect, the invention provides a clamp for clamping at least one wire against a base, a gap being formed between a clamping surface on the clamp and the base in which the clamp has a first orientation and a second orientation, the gap being arranged to be a different size in each orientation of the clamp.
[0023] The term wire is to be understood as a broad term embracing a cable, a single or multi-strand wire or a conduit. If it is a cable it may carry a power supply or telephony or data signals.
[0024] Preferably the clamp comprises two clamping surfaces. Preferably the clamping surfaces are on opposing sides of the clamp. The or each clamping surface may be roughened, ribbed, knurled or have a corrugated surface. A nonplanar surface enables the clamping surface to grip the or each wire firmly.
[0025] Preferably the clamp is fixed to the base by one or more screws. The same screws may be used in both orientations of the clamp. Tightening of the screws forces the clamp towards the base, that is in the clamping direction.
[0026] Preferably the clamp has a longitudinal axis substantially perpendicular to the clamping direction. By rotating the clamp 180 degrees about the longitudinal axis the clamp is moved between the first and second orientations.
[0027] Preferably the gap formed by the clamp in the first orientation is substantially half the height of the gap formed by the clamp in the second orientation. In the first orientation the gap is sufficient for one single wire or row of wires to be clamped. In the second orientation the gap is sufficient for a stack of two or more wires or two or more rows of wires to be clamped.
[0028] An advantage of the clamp is that by readily providing different gap heights it can clamp different numbers of wires and heights of wire bundles (a bundle being two or more wires) without different screw lengths to be needed. The same length of screw can be used to clamp different heights of wires or wire bundles.
[0029] Preferably the second aspect of the invention can be used in trunking according to the first aspect of the invention.
[0030] According to a third aspect the invention provides a desk or other piece of furniture or installation comprising either or both of the first and second aspects of the invention.
Description of the Drawings
[0031] Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 shows a cable trunking unit;
Figure 2 shows an end elevation of the unit of Figure 1;
Figure 3 shows a cross section through the unit of Figure 1;
Figure 4 shows a side elevation of the unit of Figure 1;
Figure 5 shows a plan view of the unit of Figure 1;
Figure 6 shows a perspective view of a clamp;
Figure 7 shows a side elevation of the clamp of Figure 6; and
Figure 8 shows a plan view of the clamp of Figure 6
Description of the Preferred Embodiments
[0032] Figure 1 shows trunking 10 adapted to be mounted on a carrier the trunking 10 comprising a guide region 12 for at least one wire and at least one clamp 16, in which the guide region 12 and the or each clamp 16 comprise an integral unit for mounting on or removal from the clamp. Cables can be lain in the guide region or channel region 12. At each end of the channel region 12 is a cable guide 14 and one of the clamps 16.
[0033] The channel region 12 comprises a U-shaped backing member 20 and elongate sections 24, 26. This is best shown in Figure 3. The metal backing member 20 has a flat plate 22 and raised limbs 28, 30. Holes (not shown) are provided in the metal backing member at each end to enable the trunking 10 to be screwed onto a carrier. The carrier could be an item of furniture, a wall or any other installation.
[0034] At each end of the metal backing member 20 is a raised plate 18. This provides a base onto which the cable guides 14 can sit and to which the clamps 16 can be screwed. This is best shown in Figure 4.
[0035] The elongate sections, 24, 26 are provided with clips 32, 34 which enable the elongate sections 24, 26 to be clipped along their entire length to the raised limbs 28, 30.
[0036] Each elongate section 24, 26 has a channel 36, 38 which is U-shaped in cross-section formed by a straight wall 40, 42 and a inwardly curving wall 44, 46. Pairs of flanges 48 and 50, 52 and 54 extend from the upper ends of the straight wall 40, 42.
[0037] The cable guides 14 rest upon the raised plates 18. Each cable guide 14 has a back plate 56 which having three apertures 58, 60, 62. A lower part 59 of the back plate 56 is located between the raised portion 18 and the ends of the elongate sections 24, 26. In use, cables passing through one of the apertures 58, 60, 62 are guided into particular parts of the channel region 12. As can be seen in Figure 3 apertures 58, 60 and 62 correspond to channels 74, 76 and 78 in the channel region 12.
[0038] Extending outwardly from the back plate 56 is a slotted flange 64 which rests on the raised plate 18. A clamp 16 rests upon the slotted flange 64 and bolts 66, 68 pass through holes 70, 72 at either end of the clamp, through the slotted flange 64 and screw into holes in the raised plate 18.
[0040] The clamps 16 are bolted onto the raised plates 18 and thus the clamps 16 and the channel region 12 form an integral trunking unit.
[0041] In use, the trunking 10 can be screwed to a part of a piece of furniture to guide cables around the furniture such as the leg of a desk or the back of a desk. Once in place, cables are lain in the channels 74, 76, 78. In order to lay the cables, the clamps 16 have to be removed. Flanges 48, 50, 52, 54 are formed from flexible and resilient material and cables are pushed through gaps 80, 82, 84 and located in respective channels. Once in place, the flanges resume their normal shape and cover the cables. Thus, along the length of the trunking 10, the cables are completely covered by the flanges 48, 50, 52, 54 and protected from being snagged.
[0042] The elongate sections 24, 26 are coextrusions of different materials which provide for a rigid U-shaped channel and flexible flanges.
[0043] Once cables are correctly installed in the channel region 12, the clamps can be replaced at the ends of the channel region 12, and tightened to clamp the cables against movement. By clamping a cable at each end, it is constrained from being pulled out of the channel region. Any slight movement out of the channel would use up any available play in the cable preventing any further movement.
[0044] The invention provides a moveable trunking unit having in-built clamps which can be used in a diversity of applications. Unlike the known trunking, all that is required is for fixture points to be provided on a suitable carrier, be it part of a piece of furniture or a wall, and an integral trunking unit can be installed. Therefore, there is no need to provide separate clamps or have them already mounted on the carrier.
[0045] The metal backing plate adds rigidity to the trunking 10 and also can earth the trunking, especially if the trunking 10 is mounted on a metal carrier by metal screws. This is particularly advantageous. Furthermore, the metal carrier provides electromagnetic screening of any cables in the trunking 10.
[0046] Different views of a clamp 16 are shown in Figures 6 to 8. This invention provides a clamp 16 for clamping at least one wire against a base 64, a gap being formed between a clamping surface 98 on the clamp 16 and the base 64 in which the clamp has a first orientation and a second orientation, the gap being of a different size in each orientation of the clamp 16. The clamp 16 comprises a clamping region 86 provided each end with a hole 88, 90 for fixing the clamp 16 to the raised plate 18. The holes, 88, 90 are provided in tubular formations 92, 94 which are offset relative to the clamping region 86. The clamp is shown in place on the trunking in Figures 1 to 5.
[0047] Clamping surfaces 96, 98 are provided on opposite faces of the clamping region 86. In the view shown in Figures 6 and 7 these are upper and lower surfaces of the clamp respectively. The clamping surfaces 96, 98 are provided with an array of bumps 100 which, when the clamp 16 is clamped down upon a cable, bite into the outer surface of the cable and fix it securely.
[0048] The clamp 16 is forced into clamping contact by tightening the bolts 66, 68. As shown in Figure 2, the gap provided between the clamping surface 98 and the upper face of the slotted flange 64 is determined by the extent to which the bolts 66, 68 are tightened. In conventional clamps of this type, this gap is determined solely by the length of the bolt acting on the clamp. However, in clamp 16, the gap is also determined by the orientation of the clamp 16. If the clamp is in the orientation shown in Figure 2, the clamping region 86 and thus the clamping surface 98 are offset upwardly relative to the tubular formations 92, 94. As a result, a relatively wide gap is created. If the clamp 16 was to be inverted such that the clamping surface 96 was facing the slotted flange 64, the clamping region 86 would be offset downwardly relative to the tubular formations 92, 94 and the available gap would be much reduced.
[0049] With the clamp 16, the size of gap is not solely dependent on the length of bolt 66, 68 but also dependent upon the orientation of the clamp 16. Therefore, if it is required to clamp different numbers of cables, it is not necessary to use bolts of different lengths or provide sufficient clearance behind the plate to which the clamp is screwed to accommodate additional bolt lengths extending behind the plate as has been the practices before. A standard length can accommodate a greater variety of clamping gaps.
[0050] The amount to which the clamping region 86 is offset from the tubular formations 92, 98 is chosen so that in one orientation a single cable or a single row of cables fits into the gap and in another orientation two cables or two robs of cables fit into the gap. This provides a very neat arrangement for the clamping of cables.
[0051] The reader's attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this application and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.
[0052] All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.
[0053] Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.
[0054] The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment(s). The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.
1. Trunking (10) adapted to be mounted on a carrier, the trunking comprising a guide
region (12) for at least one wire and the trunking further including at least one
clamp (16) in which the guide region and the or each clamp comprise an integral unit
for mounting on a carrier.
2. Trunking as claimed in Claim 1 in which the guide region (12) comprises at least one
channel (74, 76, 78).
3. Trunking as claimed in Claim 2 in which the guide region comprises walls (40,42) arranged
to contain each wire, the walls being arranged to segregate a plurality of wires.
4. Trunking according to any preceding claim in which the or each clamp (16) is provided
at or near one or more ends of the guide region (12).
5. Trunking as claimed in any preceding claim in which the guide region (12) comprises
a metal back member (20).
6. Trunking as claimed in Claim 5 in which the backing member (20) comprises fixture
points enabling the trunking to be attached to a carrier.
7. Trunking as claimed in any preceding claim comprising guide means (14) for guiding
the or each wire in to the guide region (12).
8. Trunking as claimed in Claim 7 in which the guide means (14) comprise at least one
divider for dividing a plurality of wires (58, 60, 62) arranged to feed wires in to
different parts (74, 76, 78) of the guide region.
9. Trunking as claimed in Claim 7 or 8 in which the guide means (14) is associated with
the clamp (16).
10. Trunking as claimed in any of Claims 15 to 18 in which the guide means coincide with
walls in the guide region.